SYRIAC COMMENTARIES ON THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS
 

        Syrian scholars has shown great efforts in the area of Bible commentaries and have produced important works.  If these commentaries made by Syrian scholars were not lost in the course of time, today we would have a great library of commentaries only.  
        Most ancient commentary that was made at various times was the one made by Mor Efrem on the Old and New Testaments at the time when he was teaching in the school of Urfa.  Most part of this commentary made on "Genesis" and small parts of it made on other books also has been preserved up to our days.  Beside this, there are many comments on various verses of the Bible made by poems and articles written by Mor Efrem.  
        There are also detailed commentaries of Aba, the student of Mor Efrem, on the New Testament and on the 9th verse of Psalm 42, as well as on the book of Job.  As for Mor Yakup of Suruç, in this area having great work of comments on many verses of the Bible, he also composed many poems called "Memre".  The Archbishop of Menbeç (Mabbuğ) Mor Filüksinos also made a very detailed commentary on the Gospels.  Likewise Yuhanun Bar Aftunya made comment on the book of Song of Songs.  There is also a commentary by Daniel of Salah on Psalms consisting three volumes.  Meferyono (catholicos) Maruta of Tigrit also made commentary on the Gospels.  Severios of Antioch used quotations  from this commentary.  The commentary of Mor Yakup of Urfa on the Gospels, also his letters and private writings are another commentaries survived unto our days.  Moreover Rabban Lazarus bar Kandasi has a commentary work on the epistles of Paul.  As for Patriarch Givergis I., he also made commentary on the Gospel of Matthew.  Muşe bar Kifo, the Archbishop of Beth Raman (Raman Region) was a commentator on the Old and New Testaments.  Most of his comments on Genesis (31 chapters and introduction to Psalms), Gospel of Matthew, Marks, John and commentary on the epistles of Paul are valuable works which survived unto our days.
        Different scholars made studies on commentary book of Bar Ebroyo called Avsar Rose (Treasure of Secrets).  These scholars are, priest Andreo of Jerusalem and deacon Zuro of Nusaybin, (Bar Salibi also used quotations from this in his Old Testament commentary) and Rabban Yuhanna the student of Marun, who made a commentary on the book called Wisdom.  Mor Timoteos of Gerger also wrote a commentary on Psalms consisting two volumes.
        The most important person in the area of commentary work certainly was Yakup Bar Salibi, the archbishop of Diyarbakır (Death 1171). Referring to the opinions of the forgoing skilled commentators also this archbishop wrote out a wide and detailed commentary on the Old and New Testaments.  Especially Yakup Bar Salibi, having written the first long commentaries consisting of many volumes, later on he abbreviating made a summary of them.  Furthermore, he includes many valuable knowledge from the book Avsar Rose, as well as contemporary philological knowledge in his commentary on Old and New Testaments.  
        Commentator Maferyono (Catholicos) Barsavmo of Maden (Death 1454), summarized  the commentary of Bar Salibi on the New Testament he also made some additions to this work.  Patriarch Benham of Hedel also made a collection from the commentary of Daniel of Salah on Psalms.  As for Davut of Humus, made an abbreviation of the same commentary.
        An important peculiarity of this subject was that, as a result of valuable efforts of the commentators up to 7th century, it was left behind very detailed as well as short commentaries.  Especially the second generation of Syrian commentators, following the church fathers such as Mor Efrem, Barseliyos, Yuhanna Fumo Dhabo, Kurilos and Severios, choosing the parts they approved out of previous commentaries and adding the comments which they considered proper, they strive to improve these commentaries.  Bar Salibi in his work offering different comments and opinions, he intended to give wide knowledge to the reader, also to let him free to choose which he approves.
        The method second generation commentators followed was either commenting on one verse or basing their comment on one or many verses.  Some of these commentators followed the commenting way of Antioch School particularly based on dealing with the true substantial meaning of the verses; as for the others, followed the commenting way of Alexandria School mainly based on giving rather the symbolic and spiritual meaning of the verses.  Certain number of commentators choosing the alternative to use both commenting ways, especially as Bar Salibi did.