‘Immar Ly ‘Edta…

A Subtle Poem and an Inspiring Doctrine

 by: Bishop Sarhad Yawsip Jammo

A popular hymn, “’Immar Ly ‘Edta,” chanted during the liturgical season of the Sanctification of the Church, which is now occurring, is so rich with exquisite poetry and solid doctrine as to deserve the best of our attention and at least a basic comment.  

The text: Immar Ly ‘Edta

Tell me, O church, where do you wish me to build you?

Shall I build you upon the sun?

No, no, for it is said in the Scriptures,

“The rays of the sun are darkened.” (Joel 2:10)

Tell me, O church, where do you wish me to build you?

Shall I build you upon the moon?

No, no, for it is said in the Scriptures,

“The moon does not show forth its light.” (Isaiah 13:10)

Tell me, O church, where do you wish me to build you?

Shall I build you upon the stars?

No, no, for it is said in the Scriptures,

“The stars fall like leaves.” (Isaiah 34:4)

Tell me, O church, where do you wish me to build you?

Shall I build you upon the mountains?

No, no, for it is said in the Scriptures,

“The mountains melt like wax.” (Psalms 97:5)

Tell me, O church, where do you wish me to build you?

Shall I build you upon the rock?

Yes, yes, for it is said in the Scriptures,

“Upon the rock I will build my Church.” (Matthew 16:18)

In order to grasp the basic meaning of the hymn we ought to understand, first of all, who are the interlocutors?  Who are those speaking?

a) Who is talking to the Church?

- Is it Christ who is asking the Church: where she wants to be build?

* But then, how would he need to make an inquiry, and finally rely on the reported reference to the Scriptures in the fifth verse? Christ should not need that at all, because he is the Author of that Scripture!

- Is he the poet, the author of the hymn?

* It cannot be, because to build a church one must receive a mandate from God, not to be a poet only.

- Indeed, it must be someone who has the mandate from God to build a church, according to the divinely inspired prescriptions. Therefore, the interlocutor or speaker must be a shepherd, entrusted with the mission of building the Church, or a church that embodies the Church.

b) Who is the addressee of the discourse?

- Is the other side of the dialogue the Church to be established?

* But the Lord has already established his Church; he is the one who decides where and how to build it; he does not need to ask about it.

- Is it a local church, not yet fully established, but in need of becoming established and incorporated into the Ecclesiastic Body of the Lord, therefore expressing her compliance with the plan of the Lord?

- Indeed, this hymn is about a shepherd talking to a local church that is to be fashioned according to the model established by the Lord for his Church.

c) What are: the sun, moon, stars, and mountains?

- We may follow the style of poetry and interpret them as: earthly intellectual enlightenment (the sun), sensual fantasies (the moon), vain glories (the stars), and mighty power (the mountains). The church must reject to be built on such worldly foundations; she must be established upon the Rock which is the Faith of Simon Bar Yawna, sustained with the divine promises.