The Variant is Salient: a Case in the ʾAndǝmtā Commentary Tradition

Ethiopia has its own methods of commentary that serve to elucidate the truths and values of the Gǝʿǝz Biblical and patristic texts. The Ethiopian commentary tradition started by commenting on Gǝʿǝz texts in Gǝʿǝz (tǝrgwāme). After Gǝʿǝz ceased to be the vernacular language and was replaced by Amharic, the Church, with the support of the royal court, established the Gǝʿǝz-Amharic commentary tradition known as ʾandǝmtā. It allows the exegete to interpret individual Gǝʿǝz verses or phrases from a sacred text through multiple possible explanations. ʾAndǝmtā focuses on the translation and clarification of the Gǝʿǝz language found in biblical passages, patristic writings, and liturgical books. References to indigenous texts and cultural practices help make these passages more accessible and comprehensible. The Amharic translation embedded within the commentary thus serves as a point of departure for a chain of successive interpretations, which may take the form of prophetic, linguistic, historical, or other explanatory notes. In some cases, as many as ten to fifteen alternative interpretations are provided. An ʾandǝmtā commentary illustrates the richness of the Ethiopian exegetical tradition through its wide range of literary features and interpretative techniques. One such feature is its treatment of textual variants. This article examines how ʾandǝmtā, as a system of commentary, accommodates variant readings and treats them as significant elements within its interpretative framework. It demonstrates the methods and procedures by which the tradition assembles and preserves chains of variant readings in pursuit of its ultimate goal: attaining a deeper understanding of the text.