DRP Bible So Far

The Holy Bible
A new English translation from the Greek by David Robert Palmer

with translator's footnotes and Greek textual variant footnotes.
Containing a new translation of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1-24,

James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation
December 26, 2022 Edition
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NOTE about the manuscripts and other witnesses cited in this footnote apparatus:
people have criticized this and other TC apparatuses for "cherry-picking" which
manuscripts they cite. There is some truth to that, so to remedy that situation, I have
decided to use only one criterion and it is an objective one, and that is, I now cite
ALL witnesses 8th century and earlier, (ones I have access to) and I cite NO
witnesses later than the 8th century. (So not citing copbo - Bohairic Coptic, as that is
9th century.) That is fair, and indisputable. This saves space, and document size and
download time as well. There certainly are enough witnesses to the New Testament
before the 9th century such that we can get an accurate picture of the text. A table of
these witnesses may be found after the gospel.
You do not need anyone's permission to quote from, store, print, photocopy, re-
format or publish this document.
Just do not change the text. If you quote it, you might put (DRP) after your
quotation if you like.
NOTES TO THE READER
Footnotes are provided indicating many of the variant readings in the Greek
text, and which list the manuscript support for each variant. This is called a
"critical apparatus." Here is an example of a footnote on variant readings
typical of those found in this volume:
1:51 txt ὄψεσθε ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ Willoughby Papyrus ℵ B L WS 0141 ita,b,c,ff²,l cop arm Epiph
Or SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ἀπ' ἄρτι ὄψεσθε (Mt 26:64) A E 047 0211f 0233 ite,q,r¹ syr TR
RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁵⁹ C D N P Q T V 063 083 syrs,c
The bold 1:51 is the chapter and verse number, "txt" means this first variant is
the Greek text which the translation in English is translated from; the Greek
words following "txt" are the words of the txt reading, and the variant readings
are separated by the ‖ slanted double lines. Next are the symbols for the
manuscripts and other witnesses which support that reading. Papyri are listed
first, then majuscule or "uncial" Greek manuscripts, then minuscules (in any
cited), then "versions," which means early translations into other languages:
Old Latin first (ita,b,c,ff²,l), then Vulgate editions, Syriac, Coptic, Armenian,
Georgian, Ethiopic, Gothic. If the reading is the majority reading by simple
Greek manuscript count, the symbol is gvien. Next, the witness of early
church fathers is given. After that, two-letter abbreviations for Greek New
Testament editions which adopt that variant reading are given. Consistently
cited editions are five: TR RP SBL TH NA28. But when the Byzantine
majority is split, or the whole body of witnesses is especially variously divided,
sometimes other editions are cited as well, such as AT BG HF TG VS WH.
Following is a list of abbreviations thereof and their meaning:
TR - Textus Receptus, specifically, "The New Testament in the Original Greek

according to the text followed in the Authorised Version; F. H. A. Scrivener;
Cambridge, 1894; but also Stephens 1550, Erasmus, Elzivir, Beza may be cited
where different)
RP – Robinson-Pierpont GNT, "The Byzantine Textform," 2018 edition
SBL – Society for Biblical Literature, 2010, Edited by Michael W. Holmes
TH – Tyndale House Greek New Testament, © 2017 by Tyndale House,
Cambridge; Edited by Dirk Jongkind
NA28 – Nestle-Aland 28th Edition GNT, © Deutche Bibelgesellschaft,
Stuttgart (The same Greek text as the UBS5)
AT – Antoniades GNT, 1904 (the Greek Orthodox Patriarchal text)
BG - Byzantine Greek New Testament, © 2014 CSPMT (The Center for the
Study and Preservation of the Majority Text, Rockville, Maryland): the
Kr/Family 35 Textform (originally promoted mainly by Wilbur Pickering)
HF – Hodges/Farstad "majority text"
TG – Tregelles, Samuel P., Greek New Testament
VS – Hermann von Soden GNT, 1913
WH – Westcott & Hort GNT, 1881
Following the two-letter Edition abbreviations, are two "braces," { } enclosing

either a capital letter or a slash: {C} or {\}. Those containing letters are found
in the United Bible Societies' Greek editions, and in this volume represent
those found in the UBS5 edition. The United Bible Societies' Editorial
Committee uses these to indicate their evaluation of evidence for the text, as
follows.
"By means of the letters A, B, C, and D, enclosed within "braces" { } at the
beginning of each set of textual variants, the Committee has sought to indicate
the relative degree of certainty, arrived at on the basis of internal considerations
as well as of external evidence; for the reading adopted as the text.
{A} signifies that the text is virtually certain,
{B} indicates that there is some degree of doubt.
{C} means that there is considerable degree of doubt whether the text or the
apparatus contains the superior reading,
{D} shows that there is a very high degree of doubt concerning the reading
selected for the text."
The braces containg a slash {\} are provided by this author to indicate that the
UBS5 contains no textual apparatus footnote about that variant.
The final variant given is ‖ lac which lists witnesses which have a "lacuna" there;
that is, where the manuscript is defective or damaged or that section is gone,
and/or otherwise is unable to provide witness.
For a list of the abbreviations and dates of early Versions and Fathers, see
https://www.katapi.org.uk/UBSGrNT/Intro2.htm.
Matthew
The Good News According to
MATTHEW
Chapter 1
The Genealogy of Jesus
¹A record of the genealogy of Jesus1 the Christ, the son of David, the son of
Abraham:
²Abraham begot Isaac,

and Isaac begot Jacob,
and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers,
³and Judah begot Perez and Zerah,
by Tamar,
and Perez begot Hezron,
and Hezron begot Ram,
⁴and Ram begot Amminadab,
and Amminadab begot Nahshon,
and Nahshon begot Salmon,
⁵and Salmon begot Boaz, by Rahab,
and Boaz begot Obed, by Ruth,
and Obed begot Jesse,
⁶and Jesse begot David the King.
David2 begot Solomon, by her who belonged to Uriah,
⁷and Solomon begot Rehoboam,

and Rehoboam begot Abijah,
and Abijah begot Asa,3
1
1:1 Greek, Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoȗs), "Yaysoos," from the Hebrew ‫( יֵׁשּוע‬yēšûʿa) "Yayshua," which
was a later form of the Hebrew name of Joshua, ‫( יְ ֹהוׁשּוע‬yəhōšȗʿa) "Y'hoshua." Y'hoshua
in turn had developed by vowel dissimilation from the original Yəhoshua. Yeshua mans
"salvation."
2
1:6 txt δαυιδ δε ¹ ℵ B itk vgmss syrs,c,p copsa arm Did SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ δαυιδ δε ο
βασιλευς C E L W lat syrh geo (TR Δαβὶδ) RP ‖ lac A D N P Φ.
3
1:7-8 txt ασα L W Σ it(a),f vg syrc,s,p,h,pal Ps-Eust (Epiphan½) TR RP ‖ ασαφ ¹ ℵ B C* (DLuke)
itaur,(dLuke),k,q vgmss (syrhmg) copsa,meg arm eth geo (Epiphan½); Ambrose SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖
lac A D N P Φ. In the genealogy in I Chronicles 3:10 most Greek manuscripts read Ἀσα,
though MS 60 reads Ἀσαβ. In Antiquities VIII.XI.3—xii.6 Josephus uses Ἀσανος, though in
the Latin translation Asaph appears. The man's name, of course, was Asa. Is it not written
in the annals of the kings of Israel and Judah? This variant is not a big deal, since Asaph
appears to be just a variant spelling of Asa; probably as a result of passing through different
languages. The New Testament has many examples of this phenomenon. A Hebrew word
cannot end in a vowel, so I suspect that the glottal stop consonant which ends the Hebrew
name was substituted with some other consonant in other languages. In Hebrew, the name
Asa begins and ends with the letter ℵ (Aleph), which is a consonant, a glottal stop. Other
languages, (including Greek) which do not have a letter for the glottal stop, substituted
other consonants for it. The confusion of terminal glottal stops with other unvoiced
Matthew
⁸and Asa begot Jehoshaphat,

and Jehoshaphat begot Joram,
and Joram begot Uzziah,
⁹and Uzziah begot Jotham,
and Jotham begot Ahaz,
and Ahaz begot Hezekiah,
¹⁰and Hezekiah begot Manasseh,
and Manasseh begot Amon,4
and Amon begot Josiah,
¹¹and Josiah begot Jeconiah
and his brothers at the time of
the exile to Babylon.
¹²After the exile to Babylon:
Jeconiah begot Shealtiel,

and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel,
¹³and Zerubbabel begot Abiud,
and Abiud begot Eliakim,
and Eliakim begot Azor,
¹⁴and Azor begot Zadok,
and Zadok begot Akim,
and Akim begot Eliud,
¹⁵and Eliud begot Eleazar,
and Eleazar begot Matthan,
and Matthan begot Jacob,
¹⁶and Jacob begot Joseph,
the husband5 of Mary,
of whom6 was born Jesus,
the one called the Christ.
consonants happens often in English as well, since English has no letter for the glottal stop.
(Though in transliteration schemes, the single straight apostrophe is used to represent the
glottal stop.) In very ancient Greek, the letter φ was pronounced like our letter p, it was
not an "f." In English today, words ending in p often sound like they end in a glottal stop.
That is, we do not always aspirate the p as we would if the p was in the middle of a word,
but simply shut off the exhaled air by closing our lips.
4
1:10 txt αμων αμων E L W Σ it(a) vg(mss) syrc,s,p,h,pal copmeg (Ps-Eustath); Aug TR RP ‖
αμμων αμμων itaur,f ‖ αμνων αμως B* ‖ αμως αμως ℵ Bc C (DLuke) itc,dLuke),ff¹,k,q vgmss (syrhmg)
copsa,fay arm eth geo Epiph; Ambrose SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ lac A D N P Φ. In the LXX of 1
Chron. 3:14, most manuscripts read αμων, but A Bc read αμως, and B* and one minuscule
read αμνων. Further, in 2 Kings 21:18, 19, 23-25 and 2 Chronicles 33:20-25, several Greek
manuscripts read αμως. It is admitted by almost all that αμως is an error, whether by LXX
scribes, Matthew, or another scribe.
5
1:16a See the endnote at the end of this document comparing this genealogy to Luke's
genealogy.
6
1:16b τον ανδρα μαριας εξ ης εγεννηθη ιησους ο λεγομενος χριστος is the reading of ¹ ℵ
B C E L P W Σvid itaur,f,ff1 vg syrp,h,pal copsa (arm) (eth) geo TR RP SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ lac A
D N Φ. Other witnesses, Θ ƒ¹³ ℓ547 and some Italic, Syriac and Coptic versions add various
words and phrases in order to clarify the ambiguity of whether Matthew was saying that
Jesus was begotten of Joseph, or of Mary. But the original wording can be properly
understood as meaning born of Mary. It should also be mentioned that two Hebrew
Matthew manuscripts have been found by Jewish textual scholar Nehemia Gordon which
say here that this genealogy is of the "father" of Mary.
Matthew
¹⁷Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David,

fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to
the Anointed One.7
The Birth of Jesus

¹⁸This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary
was pledged8 to be married to Joseph, but before they consummated, she
was found to be pregnant, from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹But her husband Joseph,
being a righteous man, did not want to disgrace 9 her, and planned to
divorce her secretly.
²⁰But while he was mulling these things over, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him by means of a dream, and said, "Joseph son of David, do
not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, for what is conceived in her is
by the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will give birth to a son, and you are to call his
name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."10
²²All this took place in order that what was said by the Lord through
the prophet would be fulfilled, which says: ²³"Behold, the virgin shall be
pregnant, and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel,"11
which when translated is, "God with us."
²⁴And when Joseph awoke from his sleep, he did what the angel of
the Lord had commanded him, and he took his bride home. ²⁵But he did not
know her12 until she gave birth to her firstborn son.13 And he called his
7 1:17 Matthew skips after Josiah, Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin (2 Kings 23:34 - 24:6). And his
last set of generations are only 13, not 14. So this arrangement must be a teaching or
memorization aid. Another interesting thing is that fourteen plus fourteen plus fourteen
equals six groups of seven generations, 42 in all (6 sevens). In Hebrew, in the Old
Testament, a group of seven of something is called a week of something. There were six
weeks of generations prior to the Messiah, and the Messiah ushered in the seventh week,
the Sabbath week of generations. The Messiah brought in another rest from creation. As
God took six days to create the First Adam, and then he ceased, so God also took six weeks
of generations to create the Second Adam, and then he ceased.
8
1:18 μνηστευθεισης ¹ ℵ B C* Z SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ μνηστευθεισης γαρ Cc E L P W Σ TR RP ‖
lac A D N O Φ 0233.
9
1:19 txt δειγματισαι ¹ ℵ¹ B Z SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ παραδειγματισαι ℵ*,² C E L P W Σ Eus TR
RP ‖ lac A D N O Φ 0233.
10
1:21 The Greek name, Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoȗs), came from the Hebrew ‫( יֵׁשּוע‬yēšûʿa)"Yayshua,"
which was a later form of the Hebrew name of Joshua, ‫( יְ ֹהוׁשּוע‬yəhōšȗʿa) "Y'hoshua."
Yeshua means "salvation."
11
1:23 Isaiah 7:14
12
1:25a "Did not know her" is a euphemism meaning, "he did not have sex with her."
13
1:25b txt τον υιον αυτης τον πρωτοτοκον C Dc (D* L itd,q omit αυτης) E N W 087 itaur,f,ff¹
vg syrp,h,palmss arm eth Diatess Cyril-Jerusalem Did Diddub Epiphan Chrys Proclus; Jer Aug ΤR
RP ‖ υιον ℵ B Z 071vid (copsa υιον αυτης) itb,g¹,k syrs,c,palmss copmeg geo Ambrose Chrom SBL
TH NA28 {A} ‖ lac A P Φ 0233. Adding the words τον before the word υιον, "son," and "her
firstborn son," as all manuscripts have in Luke 2:7, would help clarify that sexual
intercourse, brought up here, did not take place before Mary's firstborn. Yet, adding
“firstborn son” still does not make it clear that she had not already had a daughter. It is
Matthew
name Jesus.
Chapter 2
The Visit of the Magi
¹Now after Jesus had been born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of
King Herod, behold, Magi14 from out of the east showed up in Jerusalem,
²saying, "Where is the one born king of the Jews? For we saw his star in the
east15 and have come to worship him."
³Upon hearing this, King Herod was disturbed, and all Jerusalem
with him. ⁴And having assembled all the chief priests and Torah scholars of
the people, he inquired of them as to where the Messiah was to be born.
⁵And they told him, "In Bethlehem in Judea, for this is what has been
written through the prophet:
⁶" 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land
of Judah,
are by no means least among
the rulers of Judah;
for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of
my people Israel.'16"
much easier to explain why the words "her firstborn son" might have been added, than to
explain why they might have been deleted. The story, regardless, still makes clear that
Jesus was her firstborn, and that Mary was a virgin prior to the time of Jesus being born.
14
2:1 Plural of Magus, one trained in astrology and dream interpretation, probably in a
tradition based on Zoroastrianism, founded by the Persian prophet Zarathustra or
Zoroaster.
15
2:2 Or in the rising. Also in verse 9. The same Greek word, is used for both "east" and
"rising," since because of the direction of the rotation of the earth, heavenly bodies "rise"
in the east. The word star does not necessarily mean a far off sun. It could have meant any
heavenly body or sign. This star or sign was something only the trained astrologers saw,
and not the king of Israel or the general public. In near-eastern astrology of that era, a
conjuction was very significant, and the constellation Aries represented Herod's kingdom
in palestine. Furthermore, signs involving the planet Jupiter (Zeus) represented royalty
and kings. So if there was a sign or conjunction involving Jupiter,the Magi would take note.
Jupiter was in retrograde motion in April of the year 6 B.C. Thus, that star would "stand
still." We know from the gospel of Luke that the shepherds were "keeping watch over their
flocks by night." They only did that during birthing time, to protect the ewes and newborn
lambs. In other words, they did that during Spring time. Furthermore, Luke says in Luke
2:42 that Jesus turned 12 years old around Passover time. Astronomer Michael Molnar (
https://onwisconsin.uwalumni.com/recognition/michael-molnar-phd71/ ) has found that
there was a conjunction of Jupiter (while retrograde and "standing still') with the moon, in
Aries, on April 17, 6 B.C. This would harmonize with Luke's spring timing, and also with the
fact that both Matthew and Luke say Jesus was born during the reign of Herod, who died in
4 B.C. Thus I say it is practically certain that Jesus was born in spring time, and that April
17, 6 B.C. is the best theory put forth yet as to his exact day of birth. One thing we know for
certain is that his birthday was not December 25th, or any time in the winter, when the
sheep in Judea would be in pens, and not in the field in the cold.
16
2:6 Micah 5:2
Matthew
⁷Then Herod called the Magi secretly and ascertained from them
what time the star had appeared. ⁸And he sent them to Bethlehem and said,
"Go and search diligently for the child. And when you have found him,
bring word back to me, so I may come and worship him also."
⁹After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and lo, the
star, the one they had seen in the east, kept moving on in front of them, until
it arrived and stopped above where the child was. ¹⁰When they saw the
star, they rejoiced with a surpassingly great joy. ¹¹And upon coming to the
house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they fell prostrate and
worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures, and presented him with
gifts of gold, and of incense and of myrrh. ¹²And having been warned in a
dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their country by another
route.
The Escape to Egypt

¹³And when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appears in a
dream to Joseph, saying, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee
into Egypt, and be there until I tell you, for Herod intends to search for the
child to destroy him."
¹⁴So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and
escaped into Egypt, ¹⁵and was there until the death of Herod, in order that
the thing spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, which
says: "Out of Egypt I called my son."17
¹⁶When Herod realized that he had been fooled by the Magi, he was
extremely enraged, and sent orders and did away with all the male
children18 in Bethlehem and all its environs who were two years old or
under, in accordance with the time he had ascertained from the Magi.
¹⁷Then what was said through19 the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, which
says:
¹⁸"A voice heard in Ramah,
a weeping20 and loud wailing,
17
2:15 Hosea 11:1
18
2:16 Greek: παῖδας - paȋdas. It is the masculine form of the word. If Matthew had
intended to include girls, he could have added the feminine form, παιδίσκας (paidískas),
like Luke did in Luke 12:45; Diatessaron 19:26.
19
2:17 txt δια ℵ B C W Z 0250 it vg copsa SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ υπο κυριου δια D itaur ‖ υπο E L Σ
0233 TR RP ‖ "in the hand of" syr ‖ lac A N O P Φ
20
2:18a txt κλαυθμος ℵ B Z 0250 ita,aur,b,f,ff¹,g¹,k,l,q vg syrp,pal copsa,meg Justin
Macarius/Symeon Hesychius; Hilary Jer Aug SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ "weeping" ‖ θρηνος και
κλαυθμος C D E L W Σ 0233 (itd) syrc,s,h arm eth geo (Diatessarm) Proclus Or TR RP ‖ lac A
N O P Φ. The LXX at Jer 38:15: Φωνὴ ἐν Ραμα ἠκούσθη θρήνου καὶ κλαυθμοῦ καὶ ὀδυρμοῦ·
Ραχηλ ἀποκλαιομένη οὐκ ἤθελεν παύσασθαι ἐπὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτῆς, ὅτι οὐκ εἰσίν.
Matthew
Rachel weeping for her children

and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more."21
The Return to Nazareth

¹⁹And after Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appears by a
dream to Joseph in Egypt, ²⁰saying, "Get up, take the child and his mother
and go into the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are
dead."
²¹So he got up, took the child and his mother and entered the land of
Israel. ²²But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of
his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And having been warned in a
dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, ²³and went and lived in a town
called Nazareth, so that what was spoken through the prophets would be
fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene. 22
Chapter 3
John the Baptizer Prepares the Way
¹In23 those days John the Baptizer appears, preaching in the desert,
²saying,24 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn near." ³This is the
one spoken of through25 Isaiah the prophet:
"A voice calling in the wilderness,

'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make the paths straight for him.26
⁴This man 27 John had clothing of camel's hair and a leather belt
21
2:18b Jeremiah 31:15
22
2:23 Greek: Ναζωραῖος - Nazōraios A Nazarene is someone from the town of Nazareth, just
as a Houstonian is someone from the city of Houston. A Nazarene is not to be confused with a
Nazirite, which is someone who took a time-limited vow not to cut his hair or to eat grapes
or drink wine. We know Jesus was not a Nazirite, because he drank wine. But what Old
Testament prophecies was Matthew referring to? See the endnote at the end of this
document, which addresses this question at length.
23
3:1 ἐν D E L N Σ pm it syrs pt ‖ εν δε ℵ B C W 0233 pm lat syrp,h copsa,mae TR RP SBL TH NA28
{\} ‖ lac A O P Z Φ 0250
24
3:2 txt λεγων ℵ B itq cop eth Hilarius ‖ και λεγων C D E L N W Σ 0233 lat syr TR RP SBL
TH NA28 [και] {\} ‖ lac A O P Z Φ
25
3:3a δια ℵ B C D W it vg copsa SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ υπο E L N Σ 0233 TR RP ‖ lac A O P Z Φ
26
3:3 Isaiah 40:3
27
3:4 From the demonstrative use of αὐτός "What kind of man was it that came to you and
told you these things?" "He was a man dressed in hairs, with a leather belt around his
waist." "It is Elijah." II Kings 1:7-9 A garment of hair was a mark of a prophet, Zechariah
Matthew
around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵At that time
Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan went out to him.
⁶And confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 28
⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to
the baptism,29 he said to them, "You spawn of snakes! Who warned you to
flee from the coming wrath? ⁸Then produce fruit characteristic of
repentance. ⁹And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have
Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise
up children for Abraham. ¹⁰And30 the ax is already set to the root of the
trees. Every tree therefore not producing good fruit is cut down and thrown
into the fire.
¹¹"I baptize you in water for repentance, but after me will come one
who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to remove. He
will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire:31 ¹²his winnowing fork is in
his hand, and he will clear out his threshing floor, gathering the wheat into
the barn. But the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire."
The Baptism of Jesus

¹³At that time Jesus arrives at the Jordan, out of Galilee, to John, to be
baptized by him. ¹⁴But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be
baptized by you, and you are coming to me?"
¹⁵In reply, Jesus said to him, "Permit it now; it is proper for us to
complete all righteousness this way." Then John consented.
¹⁶As soon as he was baptized, Jesus came up out of the water, and
behold, heaven was opened to him,32 and he saw the Holy Spirit of God
coming down like a dove, coming onto him. ¹⁷And behold, a voice from
heaven, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with whom I am well
pleased."
13:4. "What kind of man did you go out to see?" Matthew 11:7-14
28
3:6 txt ιορδανη ποταμω ℵ B C* W Σ 0233 itq syr copsa arm eth Or SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖
ιορδανη C³ D E L lat copmae TR RP ‖ lac A N O P Z Φ
29
3:7 txt βαπτισμα ℵ* B (syrp) copsa,mae geo Or Hil NA25 ‖ βαπτισμα αυτου ℵ¹ C D E L W Σ
0233 latt syrs,c,h TR RP SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ lac A N O P Z Φ
30
3:10 txt δε η ℵ B C DS 0233 it vg syrs,c,p cop Or Ir SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ δε και η (Lk 3:9) E L Σ
syrh TR RP ‖ lac ¹⁰¹ A D N O P Z Φ
31
3:11 txt πνευματι αγιω και πυρι ¹⁰¹vid ℵ B C L Σ 0233 latt syrc,p,h copsa Or Basil TR AN SBL
TH NA28 {\} ‖ πυρι και πνευματι αγιω syrs ‖ πνευματι αγιω E syrpal BG RP ‖ lac A D N P Ζ
Φ. Codex B has an umlaut. The addition of και πυρι may be a harmonization to Luke.
32
3:16 txt ηνεωχθησαν αυτω ℵ¹ C E L P W Σ 0233 ita,aur,b,d,f,ff¹,g¹,h,l vg syrp,h,pal copmae arm
eth geo Ir Ps-Hipp Eus Basil Ps-Justin Chrys Chromat Jer Aug Spec TR RP TH NA28 [αυτω]
{C} ‖ ηνεωχθησαν (Lk 3:21) ℵ* B vgmss syrs,c copsa Irlat CyrJ Diddub Hilary Ps-Vig SBL ‖ lac
¹⁰¹ A D N Ζ Φ 0250
Matthew
Chapter 4
The Temptation of Jesus
¹Then Jesus was led up into the desert by the Spirit, to be tempted by
the devil. ²And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was
hungry. ³And the tempter came and said to him,33 "If you are the Son of
God, command that these stones become loaves of bread."
⁴But he in answer said, "It is written, 'Man 34 shall not live on bread
alone, but on every word 35 coming out of the mouth of God.'36"
⁵Then the devil takes him into the holy city and had him stand 37 on
the gable of the temple, ⁶and he says to him, "If you are the Son of God,
throw yourself down. For it is written:
'He will command his angels

concerning you;
and they will lift you up on their hands,
so you will not strike your
foot against a stone.'38"
⁷Jesus said to him, "It is also written: 'You shall not put Yahweh your
God to a test.'39"
⁸Again, the devil led him to a very high mountain, and showed him
all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor, ⁹and said to Jesus, "All
these I will give to you, if you will fall down and worship me."
¹⁰Then Jesus said to him, "Go away, Satan! 40 For it is written: 'You
33
4:3 txt προσελθων ο πειραζων ειπεν αυτω ¹⁰¹ ℵ B W itaur,ff¹,l vg copmae SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖
προσηλθεν αυτω ο πειραζων και ειπεν αυτω D it syrs,c,(p) ‖ προσελθων αυτω ο πειραζων
ειπεν C E L P Σ 0233 itf(k) syrh copsa TR RP ‖ lac A N Ζ Φ 0250
34
4:4a txt ο ανθρωπος ℵ B C D E L P W Z Σ 0233 copsa SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ανθρωπος TR RP ‖
lac ¹⁰¹ A N Φ 0250. This is an example of what you sometimes find when you list Greek
witnesses only 8th century and earlier.
35
4:4b Upon every ῥήμα - hreema that proceeds from the mouth of God. In Hebraistic
Greek, ῥήμα was used not only for words or statements, but when combined with the Greek
word πᾶν "pan" it means "every matter" or "every thing." See for example how some
translations rendered Deuteronomy 8:3 as "everything that comes from the mouth of God."
36
4:4c Deuteronomy 8:3
37
4:5 txt εστησεν ℵ B C D Z it vg syrs,c,p copsa SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ιστησιν E L P W Σ 0233
syrh TR RP ‖ lac A N Φ
38
4:6 Psalm 91:11,12
39
4:7 Deuteronomy 6:16
40
4:10a txt υπαγε ℵ B C*vid P W Σ 0233 itf,k vg syrp,pal copsams,mae geo Diatessarm Or
Asteriusmss Ps-Ignat Tert Hilary Chromat Jer Irlatvid SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ vade retro
(ita,aur,c,ff²,g¹) vgmss syrs Irarm vid ‖ υπαγε οπισω μου C² D E L Z itb,d,h,l* syrc,h with* copsamss
arm eth Diatesssyr Peter-Alex Aster Athan Chrys Nest (Ambrose) (Aug) Ps-Vig TR RP ‖ lac A
N Φ. The words υπαγε οπισω μου are what Jesus said to Peter in Matthew 16:23 and Mark
8:33.
Matthew
shall worship Yahweh your God, and him only shall you serve.' 41"
¹¹Then the devil left him alone, and lo, angels had come and were
attending him.
Jesus Begins to Preach

¹²And when he heard that John had been arrested, he went away to
Galilee. ¹³And forsaking Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, beside
the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, ¹⁴so that the thing spoken
through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which says:
¹⁵"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
the road by the sea,

on the other end of the Jordan,
Galilee of the Gentiles—
¹⁶the people sitting in darkness
have seen a great light;

and on those sitting in the land of the
shadow of death42
a light has dawned."43
¹⁷From that time on Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is near."
The Calling of Simon, Andrew, James, and John

¹⁸And walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon
called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea, for they
were fishers.
¹⁹And he says to them, "Come you two, follow me, and I will make
you fishers of people." ²⁰And they followed him immediately, leaving the
nets.
²¹And going on from there, he saw another set of two brothers, James
the son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father
Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. ²²And they immediately
followed him, leaving the boat and their father.
41
42
4:16a Compare Isaiah 9:1 in the LXX: οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου, φῶς
λάμψει ἐφ’ ὑμᾶς, where the "kai" is not present between "region" and "shadow." Compare
also Luke 1:79: ἐπιφᾶναι τοῖς ἐν σκότει καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου καθημένοις. Compare also Psalm
22:4 in the LXX: ἐν μέσῳ σκιᾶς θανάτου; Job 12:22: ἐξήγαγεν δὲ εἰς φῶς σκιὰν θανάτου.
43
4:16 Isaiah 9:1, 2
Matthew
Jesus Heals the Sick

²³And he went around through all of Galilee, teaching in their
synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing
every disease and sickness among the people. ²⁴And news about him
spread all over Syria, and they brought to him all who were ill with various
diseases and severe pain, and the demon-possessed, and epileptics and the
paralyzed, and he healed them. ²⁵And many crowds followed him, from
Galilee and the Ten Cities, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and beyond the
Jordan.
Chapter 5
The Beatitudes
¹And seeing the crowds, he went up to the mountainside. And when
he sat down his disciples came to him, ²and opening his mouth, he began to
teach them, saying:
³"Blessed are the poor in spirit,44
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.

⁵Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.

⁶Blessed are they who hunger and thirst
for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
⁷Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.

⁸Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.

⁹Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called
offspring of God.45
44
5:3 The meaning of the expression poor in spirit is difficult to determine with certainty.
Bauer says the sense is probably those who are poor in their inner life, not having a Pharisaic
confidence in their own spiritual adequacy. But I think the meaning is that we should, even
if we are materially rich, live as though we were poor. As the apostle Paul says also in I Cor.
7:30-31: "those who buy, should live as though they did not possess, and those who use this
world, as though they did not make full use of it."
45
5:9 The Greek word here is υἱοὶ, "sons." The word children can sound like it emphasizes
the immaturity of the subjects. I also considered the word "offspring," because that would
Matthew
¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted
because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
¹¹"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely
say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad,
because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted
the prophets before you."
Salt and Light

¹³"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt is blanded down, with
what will it be made salty? It is no longer potent enough for anything
except to be thrown outside and trampled underfoot of people.
¹⁴"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
¹⁵Neither do they light a lamp to put it under a basket, but rather on the
stand, so it enlightens all those in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your
light shine in the view of people, such that they will see your good works
and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
The Fulfillment of the Law

¹⁷"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I
have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸For truly I say to you,
until the sky and the earth pass away, not one iota,46 not one serif,47 will by
convey part of what is emphasized here. What is emphasized by this passage is two-fold:
the fact that offspring of a father bear resemblance in personality, values, and quality of
the "faith of their fathers," and two, that these sons are heirs of their father, heirs of a
future kingdom. The word "sons" is said to have been a legal term, and was gender
inclusive. It included daughters. Today, the word "son" legally means, according to Black's
Law Dictionary, 6th Ed., "Male offspring. An immediate male descendant. The word may
be applied also to a distant male descendant. In a broad use, term may be employed as
designating any young male person, as a pupil, a ward, an adopted male child or
dependent." This current legal definition greatly limits the acceptability of this word.
"Children" is defined as: Progeny, offspring of parentage. Unborn or recently born human
being. At common law one who had not attained the age of fourteen years, though the
meaning now varies in different statutes." This definition, which includes the idea of being
offspring, and is gender-inclusive as well, makes the word "children" perhaps the best
choice. This is also the word that Tyndale used, and the King James Version as well. Black's
Law Dictionary, Copyright © 1990, West Publishing Co., St. Paul, Minnesota, All Rights
Reserved.
46
5:18a The Greek says ἰῶτα (iōta), which is the spelling out of the name of the ninth letter
of the Greek alphabet. It is the smallest letter of that alphabet, and even smaller when it is
"subscript." When the iota is subscript, it is placed under another vowel and in even
smaller size, and the difference it makes is the part of speech of the word, or the "case."
But now, an objection may arise: "But the Law was given in Hebrew, not Greek." The
spoken names of the Greek letters "iota" and the Hebrew letter "yodh" sounded more
similar then than they do now. They even look similar in written form. And both are the
smallest letters of their respective alphabets. Now there was a very important Greek
translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, called the Septuagint, which was widely used by
Matthew
any means pass away from the Law until everything is carried out.
¹⁹Therefore, whoever looses one of the least of these commandments, and
teaches people the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but
whoever practices them and teaches them, this one will be called great in the
kingdom of heaven. ²⁰For I tell you that unless your righteousness
surpasses that of the Torah scholars and Pharisees, you will by no means
enter the kingdom of heaven.
Adversaries
²¹"You have heard that it was said to the people of long ago, 'Do not
murder,48 and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 49 ²²But I
tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother 50 will be subject to
judgment. And anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,51' is answerable to
Jesus' time, whereas the Hebrew language was in danger of dying as a spoken language.
47
5:18b In the Hebrew language, sometimes the only difference between two different
Hebrew letters is a "serif" or a little horn attached, just a slight little appendage.
48
5:21a Exodus 20:13. This word φονεύω - phoneuw did not mean just murder, but
homicide in general, including by carelessness or negligence, and manslaughter. See for
example Deuteronomy 19:6; Joshua 21:13. And the word phoneuw did NOT include in its
meaning the killing of non-human life. It was not used for the killing of animals. Perhaps
this verse would be better rendered, "Do not murder a human."
49
5:21b This is because the judgment, a trial, was necessary for the purpose of deciding
whether the homicide was justifiable or not. Not all homicide was punishable. The Law of
Moses was full of discussion as to which killings of a human being were punishable, and
which were not. In the same way, later in verse 22, if you are angry with your brother, you
are subject to judgment. This is because not all anger is punishable; some anger is
righteous. Note that Jesus does not forbid anger here. He says that if you are angry, you
are subject to a trial. Quite a difference. The trial may find that your anger was justified.
Paul said, "In your anger do not sin..." (Ephesians 4:26, Psalm 4:4)
50
5:22a txt τω αδελφω αυτου “with his brother” ⁶⁴ ℵ* B itaur vg ethms Ormssacc to Apollinarus;
Tertvid Chromat Jer Aug¾ Greek mssacc, to Augustine SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ τω αδελφω αυτου εικη
“with his brother without a cause” ℵ² D E L W Σ 0233 ita,b,d,f,h,k,l,q vgmss syrc,s,p,h,pal
copsa,mae arm ethTH geo Irlat mssacc. to Origen Eus Basil Apostolic Constitutions mssacc. to Apollinaris
Ps-Justin Chrys Cyril Theodoret; Cypr Hilary Lucifer mssacc. to Jerome Aug¼ Spec TR RP ‖ lac ⁸⁶
A C N P Z Φ. Note, Papyrus 64 is also called Papyrus 67, and it definitely does not include
“without a cause.” This papyrus is one of the oldest New Testament papyri we have, dated
between the years 60 to 200. Jerome states that in the majority of ancient manuscripts,
‘without a cause’ is not present. The fact that a majority of Greek mss in Jerome’s time did
not contain it, is far more significant than whether a majority of manuscripts today contain
it. Opponents of the UBS Greek text object to this omission, because they say that it forbids
all anger, even righteous anger. Not so; it only says that if you are angry, you are in danger
of judgment. On the other hand, if the text reads "Do not be angry with your brother
without a cause," that is so easy to get around. Practically everyone who is angry with his
brother believes he has cause to be angry. The end result of adding “without a cause” is
that there is no meaningful prohibition, no truly solemn warning here. Plus, it misses the
whole point of the phrase "will be subject to judgment". The whole point of the judgment
is to decide if there is a cause. It makes no sense to say that if you are angry with your
brother without a cause, you will be tried, to see if there is a cause. Often the argument is
made, that the UBS reading, the one without the phrase, "without a cause," makes Jesus
look like a sinner, since he was angry sometimes. Then what do the people who argue this,
do with the phrase later in this same verse, where the Majority Text says that someone who
says "You fool," is in danger of the fire of Gehenna? For Jesus did say to someone "You
fool" in the Majority Text, in Matthew 23:17.
51
5:22b An Aramaic term of contempt
Matthew
the council.52 But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire
of Gehenna.53
²³"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there you
remember that your brother has something against you, ²⁴leave your gift
there in front of the altar, and first go be reconciled to your brother, and
then come and offer your gift.
²⁵"Get on good terms with your legal adversary quickly, while you
are with him on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the
judge, and the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown in
prison. ²⁶Truly I tell you, by no means will you come out of there until you
have paid the last penny.
Adultery
²⁷"You have heard that it was said,54 'Do not commit adultery.55' ²⁸But
I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman 56 to lust for her has already
committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹So if your right eye causes you
to fall, rip it out and cast it away from you. For it is expedient for you that
one of your parts be destroyed and not your whole body be cast into
Gehenna. ³⁰And if your right hand causes you to fall, cut it off and cast it
52
5:22c The council of elders at the town gate was a common scene in the life of an ancient
Israelite. By the time of Jesus, there were three sizes of council, or religious court, in Judea.
A local religious court (Bet Din) was composed of three judges, at least one a Rabbi. This
council would hear disputes and accusations and try cases like a court. For higher cases,
however, such as involving offenses punishable by death, as in Deuteronomy 21:18-21 and
22:13-21, a court of twenty-three or more judges was required. Finally, the supreme
Sanhedrin in Jerusalem was composed of seventy men, plus the High Priest who presided
over it. The seventy was made up of three kinds of members: (1) high priests- the current
high priest and former high priests; (2) the Elders: tribal and family representatives of the
lay aristocracy; and (3) and the Scribes, the experts in the law from the Torah. The
Sanhedrin's authority in civil matters was subject to the Romans' limits, but in Jewish
religious matters, it had complete authority, including a body of police and guards under its
command, by which to enforce its rulings. The Sanhedrin was abolished with the
destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The scribes later codified its accumulated conclusions,
however, in the form of the written Mishnah.
53
5:29 Γέεννα From Gey-Hinnom, the name of a ravine south of Jerusalem, The Valley of the
Son of Hinnom, which was the trash heap or landfill for the city. The garbage was
perpetually on fire; the fire never went out. See II Chron. 28:3; II Kings 23:10; Jeremiah 7:31-
32; Joshua 15:8, 18:16. According to Jewish popular belief, the Last Judgment was to take
place there. Thus in the New Testament Gehenna means a place of perpetual fire, further
described as a lake of burning sulfur, whose fire can never be put out, and in which a
person never loses his being, but forever loses his well-being— that is, is forever separated
from God and thus anything good. At the present time, anyone who dies while out of God's
favor goes to Hades (see chapter 21:27-33), which is a temporary storage hell. But later, at
the end of Christ's kingdom on earth, Hades and everyone in it will be thrown permanently
into Gehenna (Revelation 20:5,10-15). This is called the Second Death. There is no remedy
for the Second Death. Jesus mentions Gehenna eleven times (nine times in my harmony /
Diatessaron). James uses the word once, in 3:6.
54
5:27a ερρεθη ⁶⁴ ℵ B* W Σ BG RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ ερρηθη B¹ D E TH ‖ ερρεθη τοις αρχαιοις L
0233 lat syrc,h** Irlat Orlat Eus TR AN ‖ lac ⁸⁶ A C N P Z Φ 0250
55
5:27b Exodus 20:13
56
5:28 That is, a woman not one's own wife.
Matthew
away from you. For it is expedient for you that one of your parts be
destroyed and not your whole body go away into Gehenna.57
³¹"And it has been said, 'Anyone who releases 58 his wife must give her
a "release of interest form".'59 ³²But I tell you that anyone who releases his
wife, except for grounds of fornication,60 causes her to commit adultery, and
anyone who marries a released woman commits adultery.
Oaths
³³"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people of long ago,
'Do not break your oath,61 but pay out to the Lord your oaths.'62 ³⁴But I tell
you not to promise with an oath at all: neither by heaven, because it is God's
57
5:30 txt εις γεενναν απελθη ℵ B syrc (lat copmae) SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ βληθησει εις την
γεεναν L ‖ βληθη εις γεενναν (Mt 5:29) E W Σ 0233 0250 itf vgms syrh copsa arm TR RP ‖ omit
v. 30 D itd syrs ‖ lac A C N P Z Φ
58
5:31a "Releasing" is the opposite of "cleaving" or "joining."
59
5:31b Deuteronomy 24:1; but note that in the same passage in Deuteronomy, in verse 4, it
says that such a release defiles her. This word ἀποστάσιον - apostásion, "release of interest
form," was used to signify the relinquishment of property. A quit-claim, if you will. In the
culture of ancient Israel there was never any provision for a wife to quit her property claim
in her husband, since the wife was considered property of her husband, and never the
other way around. The apostle Paul in the New Testament, however, states in I Corinthians
7:4, "The wife has not authority over her own body, but rather the husband: and likewise
also the husband has not authority over his own body, but rather the wife." This is a
consequence of being "one flesh."
60
5:32 Greek, πορνεία – porneía. This word was used for generally any sexual intercourse
that is not between a married person and his or her spouse of the opposite sex. There was a
different, more specific word for marital unfaithfulness in particular: μοιχεία - moicheía,
and Jesus did not use it here. We know by the disciples' reaction in verse 26 that Jesus was
saying something more narrow and strict than what they had heard before. Some say that
perhaps Jesus was limiting divorce to that situation described in Deuteronomy 22:13-21, the
situation Jesus' stepfather Joseph found himself in when he realized (or so it appeared to
him) that Mary was not a virgin, but had "fornicated while still under her father's
authority." Or, others suggest that Jesus didn't say this clause "if it is not on the basis of
fornication" at all. This exception phrase is not found in Mark and Luke, or any of Paul's
rules for the church (cf I Cor. 7:10,11); but only in Matthew, the last of the three gospels
written (I now quote Bruce Metzger) "thus representing Jesus as siding with the view of
Shammai. The addition of this 'excepting clause,' as it is called, reflects an attempt in the
early church [of which Matthew was a part] to adjust the high ideal of Jesus' interpretation
of the indissolubility of marriage to suit the exigencies of those whose hearts, like men's
hearts in the days of Moses, were still hard! Such an adjustment of Jesus' teaching fell
within the power to bind and loose given to the apostles (of which Matthew was one)— that
is, power to adapt laws and make exceptions (Matt. 16:19 and 18:18; Diatess. 14:45, 22:36)
Two reasons, among others, why the Matthean form of Jesus' saying on divorce must be
regarded as a modification of this teaching are: (1) If it is original, then the report without
the excepting clause in Mark and Luke represents an advance made by the early church
upon the standards set by Jesus— and this is not likely to have happened; and (2) the
excepting clause does not harmonize with the context in Matthew. If Jesus sided with the
Shammites, why should the disciples be amazed at the strictness of his teaching and
exclaim, "If this is the situation...it is not advisable to marry" [Matt. 19:10]? And in the
context of Matt. 5:32 Jesus is replacing the standard recognized by the Jews of his day with
the perfect standard of God [Matt. 5:17-48; Diatess. 9:10-20]; but if the exceptive clause is
retained, his teaching is no higher than Shammai's." From The New Testament, Its
Background, Growth, and Content, Abingdon Press, p. 163, footnote
61
5:33a Or Do not make an oath not intending to keep it.
62
5:33b Numbers 30:2; Leviticus 5:4-6
Matthew
throne; ³⁵nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet, nor by Jerusalem,
because it is the city of the Great King. ³⁶Neither swear by your head, since
you have not the power to make a single hair white or black. ³⁷But let your
word be 'Yes' for 'Yes,' 'No' for 'No,' and beyond these is from evil.
An Eye For an Eye

³⁸"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for
a tooth.'63 ³⁹But I tell you not to resist the evil. On the contrary, whoever
strikes you on the right cheek,64 turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰And the one
wanting to sue and take your shirt, surrender to him your jacket as well.
⁴¹And whoever conscripts you for one mile, go with him two miles. ⁴²Give
to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to
borrow from you.
Love For Enemies

⁴³"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor 65 and hate
your enemy.' ⁴⁴But I say to you: Love your enemies, bless those who curse
you, do good to those who hate you,66 and pray for those who insult you
and are persecuting you,67 ⁴⁵so that you be children of your Father who is in
heaven. For he causes his sun to rise upon the evil and the good, and rains
upon the righteous and the unrighteous. ⁴⁶For if you love the ones who love
you, what reward do you have? Do not even the revenue agents do the
63
5:38 Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21
64
5:39b δεξιαν σιαγονα ℵ W Σ pm ita,f,(h) Orlat Cyr RP SBL TH ‖ σιαγονα σου D itd,k syrs,c
Augcodd ‖ δεξιαν σου σιαγονα E L pm TR ‖ δεξιαν σιαγονα σου B Eus NA28 [σου] {\} ‖ in
dexteram maxillam tuam "on your right cheek" itaur,b,g¹ ‖ in dextera maxilla tua "on your right
cheek" itff¹,l vg ‖ lac A C N P Z Φ 0233 0250
65
5:43 Leviticus 19:18
66
5:44a txt υμων ευλογειτε τους καταρωμενους υμας καλως ποιειτε τοις μισουσιν υμας Dc
(D* υμειν for 1st υμας) E L W Σ 047 itd,f,h syrh,(pal) (syrp τον καταρωμενον) copmae¹ armmss
ethpp,(TH) geo² (Chrys) (Lucifer) (Spec) TR RP ‖ υμων ευλογειτε τους καταρωμενους υμας
geo¹ (Athenagoras) Clement Eus½ (Theodoret) Tert ‖ υμων καλως ποιειτε τοις μισουσιν
υμας ita,aur,b,ff¹,g¹,l vg armmss Eus½ Arsenius Ambrose Chromat Jer Aug ‖ υμων ℵ B itk syrc,s
copsa,mae² Theoph Irlatvid Or Adamant Cypr Faustus-Milevis SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ lac A C N P Z
Φ 0233 0250
67
5:44b txt και προσευχεσθε υπερ των επηρεαζοντων υμας και διωκοντων υμας Dc (D* omit
1st υμας) E L (W omit 1st και) Σ 047 it(a),(b),(d),f,(h) syr(p),h,(pal) arm ethTH geo² (Eus) Basil
(Greg-Nyssa) (Nilus) Arsenius (Ambrose) (Chrom) TR RP ‖ et orate pro persequentibus et
calumniantibus vos itaur,ff¹,g¹,l ‖ και προσευχεσθε υπερ των επηρεαζοντων υμας geo¹
Theophilus (Clem) Or⅙ (Chrys) ‖ και προσευχεσθε υπερ των διωκοντων υμας ℵ B itk syrc,s
copsa,mae² ethms,pp (Athenagoras) Or5/6 (Adamantius) Tert Cypr Lucifer Jer⅔ Faustus-Milevis
Aug (Spec) SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ lac A C N P Z Φ 0233 0250. The opposing theory is that this
verse is harmonized to Luke's gospel.
Matthew
same? ⁴⁷And if you greet your own kind68 only, what are you doing beyond
the ordinary? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 69 ⁴⁸Be perfect,
therefore, as your heavenly70 Father is perfect.
Chapter 6
Giving to the Needy
¹"Be careful not to do your acts of tzedakah71 in front of people, trying to
be seen by them, for in that case you have no reward with your Father in
heaven.
²"So when you do your charitable giving, do not sound a trumpet
before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the lanes, so they
may be esteemed by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full.
³But you, when you do your giving to the needy, do not let your left hand
know what your right hand is doing, ⁴so that your giving may be in secret.
And your Father, who sees in secret, will72 reward you.73
Prayer
⁵"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to
pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the boulevards, so
they will be seen by people. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full.
⁶But you when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut
your door, pray to your Father who is in secret. Then your Father, who sees
68
5:47a txt αδελφους ℵ B D Z lat syrc,p copsa,mae¹+² eth TR SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ φιλους E L W Σ
itf,h syrh arm Basil RP ‖ lac A C N P Φ 0233 0250. The word ἀδελφός (adelphós), in the
plural can mean one of the same mother, or one of the same blood in a broader sense, like
cousin or clansman, or broader yet, one of the same country or race; or one of the same
rank or club, like associate. Or it could mean simply "your friends, your neighbors, your
acquaintances." But the context here is the issue of enemies. To the natural man, other
political nations and races are enemies. Moses also had to remind the Israelites to be kind
to aliens; had to remind them what it was like to have themselves been aliens in Egypt.
69
5:47b txt εθνικοι το αυτο ℵ B D Z vg eth SBL TH NA28 ‖ εθνικοι ουτως syrc,h ‖ εθνικοι
τουτο copsa Basil ‖ τελωναι ουτως E L ith RP ‖ τελωναι ουτω TR ‖ τελωναι το αυτο W Σ
syrp ‖ τελωναι και οι αμαρτωλοι το αυτο arm ‖ lac A C N P Φ 0233 0250
70
5:48 txt ο ουρανιος ℵ B Dc (E* ουρανιοις) L W Z Σ pm ita,ff¹,l vg syrh arm eth Clem Or Ath
Basil Chr Cyp SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ο εν τοις ουρανοις Ec pm itb,d,g¹,h,k syrc,p Tert Clem Lcif TR
RP ‖ εν ουρανοις D* ‖ lac A C N P Φ 0233 0250
6:1 txt την δικαιοσυνην B D 0250 vg Hil TH ‖ δε την δικαιοσυνην ℵ*,¹b SBL NA28 [δε] ‖ την
71
ελεημοσυνην E W copmae¹ Chr TR RP ‖ δε την ελεημοσυνην L Z Σ syrp,h ‖ δε την δοσ(e)ιν

ℵ¹a copsa ‖ την δοσιν syrc ‖ lac A C N P Φ 0233. "Tzedakah" are acts of philanthropy, charity,
righteousness..
72
6:4a txt αποδωσει ℵ B L Z 047 0250 lat syrs,c cop arm Or SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ αυτος αποδωσει
D E W Φ ith,q syrp,h Basil TR RP ‖ αυτος αποδωση Σ ‖ lac A C N P 0233
73
6:4b txt σοι ℵ B D Z itaur,ff¹,k vg syrc copsa,mae,fay Diatesssyr Or Eus (ps-Clementines) Hil
Ambrose Chr Aug SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ σοι εν τω φανερω E L W Σ Φ 047 0250 ita,b,f,g¹,h,l,q
syrs,p,h,pal arm eth geo Diatessarm Basil (Apostol Const) Nilus Chrys latmss acc to Aug Spec TR
RP ‖ lac A C N P 0233
Matthew
in secret, will reward you.74

⁷But when you pray, do not speak thoughtless repetition75 like the
Gentiles do. For they suppose that because of the greater number of their
words they will be heard. ⁸Do not be like them therefore. You see, your
Father knows what you need before you ever ask him.
⁹"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.
¹⁰Your kingdom come,
your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹Give us today our daily bread.
¹²And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven76

our debtors.
¹³And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

For yours is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory, for ever. Amen.''77
74
6:6 txt σοι ℵ B D Z itaur,d,ff¹,k vg syrc,s,palms copsa,mae Diatesssyr Or Eus (ps-Clementines) Hil
Ambrose Chr Aug SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ σοι εν τω φανερω E L W Σ Φ ita,b,f,g¹,h,l,π,q syrp,h,palmss
arm eth geo Diatessarm Chrys Cyr TR RP ‖ lac A C N P 0233 0250
75
6:7 Greek, βατταλογεῖν (RP) - βαττολογεῖν (NA28). Following is what BDF §40 says about
this word. All uses of it except one are in Christian literature or dependent on Christian
literature. Because of the doubling of the t consonant, which is incorrect for Greek, we
know this is a word imported or adapted in hybrid form from some other language(s), most
likely Semitic. According to Fredrich Blass, it is a combination of a Semitic word, ‫בטל‬,
Beth-Teth-Lamedh, for 'empty, inane, idle,' with λογεῖν appended. According to Delling, it
is a remodeling of βατταρίζειν - 'stammer,' in connection with – λογεῖν. Also, it looks
similar to the Latin bat(t)ulus = μογιλάλος, that is, speaking with difficulty or having an
impediment in one's speech. And see also Corp. Gloss. Lat. II 32.17, garrulus- βαττολάλος -
fond of talking endlessly, prattling, given to prosy, rambling, or tedious loquacity. In the
only use of βαττολογεῖν in non-Christian literature, it had the idea of prattling foolishly. So
I say that in the context here, it means speaking mindlessly with the goal of quantity of
words in mind, rather than thoughtful or heartfelt speech. Therefore we should avoid
possibly even short prayers, if the prayers are formulaic. And consider what this says
about 'speaking in tongues' when you don't even know the meaning of what you are
saying. "What therefore does this conclude? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray
with the mind." I Cor. 14:15 When you pray, let not your mind be unfruitful, but still pray
with your spirit. I Cor. 14:14. If your mind is idle when you are praying, it is ‫ בטל‬prayer.
76
6:12 txt αφηκαμεν ℵ* Β Z vgst syrp,h SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ αφιομεν D E W Σ cop? ‖ αφιωμεν L
‖ αφιεμεν ℵ¹ Φ itf,k cop? Didache TR RP ‖ lac A C N P 0233 0250
77
6:13 txt πονηρου οτι σου εστιν η βασιλεια και η δυναμις και η δοξα εις τους αιωνας αμην
E L W Σ Φ 0233 itf,g¹,k,q syrh,pal arm eth geo TR RP ‖ ονηρου οτι σου εστιν η δυναμις και η
δοξα εις τους αιωνας αμην copsa,fay Didache ‖ πονηρου αμην vgcl Jer⅙ ‖ πονηρου ℵ B D Z
0170 ita,aur,b,ff¹,h,l vg copmae¹+² Diatesssyr Or Cyril-Jerdub Greg-Nyssa Cyril; Tert Cypr Ambrose
Chrom Jer⅚ Aug Ostrakon ActaThomae SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ lac A C N P 0250 syrs. The UBS
Matthew
¹⁴For if you forgive people their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you are not forgiving to people,78 neither will your
Father forgive you your trespasses.
Fasting
¹⁶"And when you fast, do not become of somber countenance like the
hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces so that they will appear to
people as fasting. Truly I tell you, they have their reward in full. ¹⁷But you
when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that you do not
appear to people as fasting, but rather to your Father, who is in secret. And
your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
Treasures in Heaven
¹⁹"Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth
and corrosion 79 eat away, and thieves break through and steal. ²⁰But
accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor
corrosion eat away, and thieves do not break through and steal. ²¹For where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
²²"The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is open and
generous,80 your whole body will be bright. ²³But if your eye is suspicious
textual commentary says that the words “For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the
glory for ever. Amen.” were added probably for the sake of liturgy, adapted from 1
Chronicles 29:11-13. There are several other variants: some witnesses without "the
kingdom and;" some without "the power and;" and the Old Latin k reads only "for yours is
the power for ever and ever." Some Greek manuscripts expand "for ever" to "for ever and
ever," and several late manuscripts, 157, 225, and 418, add a Trinitarian ascription, "for
yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit for ever. Amen." There is no previous instance in Scripture of the exact words
"for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." Some claim
these exact words are found in Hebrew in the Cabala and the Golden Dawn. And that
therefore, they are part of some Wicca initiation rites. But Jesus may have modeled these
words loosely after King David's blessing of Yahweh, on the occasion of the dedication of
the beginning of the building of the temple, in I Chronicles 29:11-13.
78
6:15 txt ανθρωποις ℵ D ita,aur,ff¹,g¹,h,k,l vg syrp copmae¹ Diatess Chromlem Aug SBL NA28 {C}
‖ ανθρωποις τα παραπτωματα αυτων B E L W Σ Φ 0233 it(b),f,q vgmss syrc,h,pal copsa,mae²
arm eth geo Basil; Chromcom TR RP TH ‖ lac A C N P 0250.
79
6:19 βρῶσις, "the devourer," which in the Greek Old Testament was used for the locust.
However, the same word has also been used for the corrosion process of metals. There does
seem to be some allusion here to Malachi 3:10, 11. If that were the case, an alternative
translation would speak more of agricultural wealth, as follows: "Do not accumulate for
yourselves stores on earth, where moth and locust eat away..." James 5:2-3 speaks of both;
moths eating at clothing wealth, and corrosion eating at metal weath.
80
6:22 Greek, haplous, which means literally, single. But it is from a Semitic idiom, not to be
translated literally. Compare Proverbs 11:25 in the Septuagint, where haplous means
"generous."
Matthew
and stingy,81 your whole body will be dark. If then darkness is the light in
you, how great the darkness!
²⁴"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and
love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve both God and Mammon.82
Do Not Worry
²⁵"Considering this, I tell you, do not worry for your life, what you
will eat or what you will drink,83 or for your body, what you will put on.
Does not life mean more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶Look
at the birds of the sky, that they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns,
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Do you not matter more than they?
²⁷And who of you by worrying is able to add onto his life span one foot? 84
²⁸"And about dress, why do you worry? Consider the lilies of the
field, how they grow. They neither labor nor weave. ²⁹Yet I tell you, not
even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰Now if
God so dresses the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow
thrown into the stove, how much more would he rather dress you, O you of
little faith? ³¹Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What would we eat?' or 'What
would we drink?' or 'What would we wear?' ³²For the Gentiles are pursuing
all those things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need all those
things. ³³But pursue first rather the kingdom of God and his
righteousness,85 and all those things will be included for you as well.
81
6:23 Literally, "if your eye is evil." From the Hebrew, ‫ ָרעָ ֹה עיִ ן‬- rāʿāh ʿayin; see endnote
for a full discussion of this concept.
82
6:24 A common Aramaic word for wealth and property, which meant literally, a fortress to
rely on. The sin of serving Mammon involves thinking that there is security in wealth and
property, and with that mentality to store up wealth for the future, as the Rich Fool did in
Luke chapter 12. Jesus taught us not to worry even about food or clothes. He also said to
pray: "Give us this day our DAILY bread." That means that to work so that you have more
than enough stores for just one day at a time, that is serving mammon. The apostle Paul
said that with food and clothes we should be content. Worldly wealth is very insecure,
especially the theoretical kinds such as stocks, bonds, Federal Reserve Notes, negotiable
instruments. And stored up food reserves are perishable and subject to vermin. But if we
store up treasure in heaven, where there are no thieves, rust, or moths, or taxes, that is real
security, real estate. There is a secure inheritance that is non-negotiable. If you do not
think this is what Mammon means, then look at the context before and after: it is all
against storing up more food and clothes than you need for one day. Your retirement is in
heaven. You cannot serve both God and Financial Security.
83
6:25 txt η τι πιητε B W Φ itaur,f,g¹,h,q copsamss,mae¹ armmss geo¹,B Or Basil½ Evagrius Nilus
Marcus-Eremita Jermss Spec TH [NA28] {C} ‖ και τι πιητε E L N Σ 0233 syrp,h geoA Basil½
Aug⅓ TR RP ‖ omit ℵ ita,b,ff¹,k,l vg syrc,pal copsamss,mae² armmss Diatesssyr Ath Chrys Cyr Hil Jer
Aug⅔ SBL ‖ lac A C D P Z 0250. The preposition και can be translated as "or" in lists like this,
especially since it is followed by μηδε. The omission may be a harmonization to Luke 12:22.
84
6:27 Literally, one cubit. There was an expression in classical Greek, πήχυιον ἐπὶ χρόνον =
"only one cubit of time." It is legitimate therefore to translate this as "a single hour to his
life."
85
6:33 txt βασιλειαν του θεου και την δικαιοσυνην E L N W Σ Φ 0233 ita,aur,b,f,ff¹,g¹,h vgcl,ww
Matthew
³⁴"Do not worry, then, for the next day, because the next day will
have worries of itself. Today's trouble is enough for the day. 86
Chapter 7
Correcting Others
¹"Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. ²For with what
judgment you are judging, you will be judged, and with what measure you
are measuring out, it will be measured 87 to you.
³"Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but the log in
your own eye you do not consider? ⁴Or how will you say to your brother,
'Let me pluck the speck out of your eye,' and behold, in your own eye is a
log? ⁵You hypocrite, first take the log out of your eye, and then you will see
clearly to pluck the speck out of your brother's eye.
⁶"Do not give to curs what is sacred, and do not toss your pearls
before swine, lest they trample them with their feet, and turn and tear you
to pieces.
Ask, Seek, Knock

⁷"Keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will
find; keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who keeps
asking receives, and the one who keeps seeking finds, and to the one who
keeps knocking, it will be opened.
⁹"Or is there a man among you who if his child asks88 for a loaf, will
give him a rock? ¹⁰Or if he asks89 for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹If you
therefore, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to
those who ask him?
syrc,p,h,pal copmae¹ arm eth(pp) geo¹,A Serapion Basil (Did½) Evagrius Chrys1/12 Marcus-
Eremita Cyr Theod John-Dam (Hil) Chr Aug2/7 TR RP TH NA28 [του θεου] {C} ‖ βασιλειαν των
ουρανων και την δικαιοσυνην Cl ‖ βασιλειαν και την δικαιοσυνην ℵ itk,l vgst copmae² Eus
Cyp Aug5/7 Macarius/Symeon Spec SBL ‖ βασιλειαν αυτου και την δικαιοσυνην copsa ‖
δικαιοσυνην και την βασιλειαν B ‖ βασιλειαν του θεου geoB Diatesssyr Chrys4/12 Jer ‖
βασιλειαν των ουρανων Justin Chrys7/12 ‖ lac A C D P Z 0250
86
6:34 There is no verb in the Greek text of this last sentence. Therefore, we cannot declare
with certainty whether this sentence is a command (imperative mood), or a statement
(indicative mood). But from my experience, it is usually the simple copula that is omitted,
that is, the word "is."
87
7:2 txt μετρηθησεται ℵ B E L W ita,b,k vg syrc,p,h Clem Or Hil RP SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖
αντιμετρηθησεται N Σ Φ 0233 it vgcl Cyr TR ‖ lac A C D P Z 0250 syrs
88
7:9 txt εαν αιτηση E Ν W Σ Φ 0281 lat syrh TR RP ‖ εαν αιτησει ℵ¹ ‖ αν αιτησει L ‖
αιτησεις C ‖ αιτησει ℵ* B it b,(a,g¹,h) c,p
syr SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ lac A D P Z 0233 0250
89
7:10 txt και εαν ιχθυν αιτηση E Φ syrp,h eth TR RP ‖ και εαν ιχθυν αιτησει N W Σ ‖ και αν
ιχθυν αιτησει L ‖ η και εαν ιχθυν αιτηση vg syrc ‖ η και ιχθυν αιτησει ℵ B C 0281 itk (copsa)
arm SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ lac A D P Z 0233 0250
Matthew
¹²"In all things, then, whatever you would want people to do to you,
this you also should do to them, for this is the meaning of the Law and the
Prophets.
False Prophets
¹³"Enter through the narrow gate. How wide the gate and broad the
road that leads to destruction, and how many are the ones going through it!
¹⁴How90 narrow the gate and troubled the road that leads to life, and
how few the ones that are finding it!
¹⁵"Be on your guard against 91 false prophets, who come to you in
sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶By their fruits you
will find them out. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or sweet figs
from thistles? ¹⁷In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but
the weed tree produces evil fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor a
weed tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not produce good fruit is
cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus by their fruits you will find them
out.
The Wise and Foolish Builders

²¹"Not everyone saying to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of
heaven, but only the one doing the will of my Father who is in heaven.
²²Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your
name, and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many
miracles?' ²³And then I will declare to them on record: 'I have never known
you. Away from me, you workers of lawlessness!'
²⁴"Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and practices
them shall be likened 92 to a prudent man who built his house on the
bedrock. ²⁵And the rain came down, and the rivers came up, and the winds
blew and beat against that house, and it did not fall, for it had been founded
on the rock.
²⁶"And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not
practice them shall be likened to a foolish man who built his house on the
sand. ²⁷And the rain came down and the rivers came up and the winds
90
7:14 txt τι ℵ¹ C E L N O W Σ Φ 0281 ita,aur,b,f,ff¹,g¹,h,(k),l,q vg syrc,p,h,pal (arm) eth Did
Macarius/Symeon Cyp Guad Jer Aug RP TH NA28 {B} ‖ οτι ℵ* vgms copsamss geo
NaassenesHipp Or Ps-Just Ambrose Greg-Elvira Spec TR SBL ‖ τι δε B¹ ‖ οτι δε B* copsamss,mae¹
‖ και Chrys ‖ omit (incl. στενη δε) Diatess Cyril ‖ lac A D P Z 0233 0250. Both τι and οτι can be
translated as "how" in this context.
91
7:15 txt απο ℵ B 0250 lat syrc,p copsamss,mae¹ arm eth SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ δε απο C E L W Φ Σ
0281 itf,q syrh copsamss TR RP ‖ lac A D N P Z 0233
92
7:24 txt ομοιωθησεται ℵ B Z Φ 0281 ita,aur,b,ff¹,g¹,l vg syrp,hmg,palmss copsa,mae¹ arm eth geo Or
Did Philo-Carpasia Chrys Cyr Ambrose Jer Aug1/8 SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ ομοιωσω αυτον C E L W
Σ itf,h,k,q syrc,h Cyp Hil Lcif Aug7/8 Spec TR RP ‖ lac A D N O P 0233 0250
Matthew
blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was its fall."
²⁸And it came about that when Jesus had finished saying these things,
the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹for he was teaching them as one
who had authority, and not like their Torah scholars. 93
Chapter 8
A Man With Leprosy
¹And when he came down from the mountainside, large crowds
followed him. ²And behold, a leper approached 94 and worshipped him,
saying, "Lord, if you are willing, you are able to cleanse me."
³And stretching out his hand, Jesus touched him, saying, "I am
willing. Be cleansed." And immediately his leprosy95 was cleansed. ⁴And
Jesus says to him, "See that you tell no one. But go instead and show
yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to
them."
The Faith of the Centurion

⁵And when he had entered Capernaum, a centurion96 came to him
entreating him, ⁶and saying, "My servant is laid up in the house a paralytic,
being tormented terribly."
⁷Jesus says to him, "I will come and heal him."
⁸But the centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that
you enter under my roof. But just say a word, and my servant will be
healed. ⁹For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under myself.
And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes, and to another, 'Come,' and he
comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does."
¹⁰And Jesus was astonished hearing this, and he said to those
following him, "Truly I tell you, I have not found faith like this from anyone
in Israel.97 ¹¹And I tell you, many will come from east and west, and will
93
7:29 txt γραμματεις αυτων ℵ B Ζvid Σ itf syrpal copsa arm eth Euspt Aug SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖
γραμματεις αυτων και οι φαρισαιοι C² W ita,e,ff¹,g¹,h,l,q vg syrc,p,h geo2A Euspt ‖ γραμματεις και
οι φαρισαιοι C* itk ‖ γραμματεις E L TR RP ‖ lac A D N P Φ 0233 0250 0281
94
8:2 txt προσελθων ℵ B E Ζvid Σ syrh copsa arm eth Cyr Chr SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ελθων C L W
latt syrc,p Did Hil TR RP ‖ lac A D P Φ 0233 0250 0281
95
8:3 The Greek word was used for various diseases of the skin— not necessarily leprosy.
96
8:5 A Roman military officer commanding from 50 to 100 men, 100 if the cohort was a
complete one. A full cohort— 1,000 men, would have ten centurions, each commanding 100
of the men.
97
8:10 txt παρ ουδενι τοσαυτην πιστιν εν τω ισραηλ B W ita,k,q syrc,hmg,pal copsa ethms
Diatessarm Aug1/18 SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ παρ ουδενι τοσαυτην πιστιν ευρον εν τω ισραηλ
0281vid ‖ ουδε εν τω ισραηλ τοσαυτην πιστιν ℵ C E L N Σ Φ 0233 0250 itaur,b,f,ff¹,h,l vg
syrs,p,h copmae arm (ethPP) geo Diatesssyr Orlat Chrys Hil (Chr) Jer Aug17/18 TR RP ‖ lac A D P Z.
Matthew
recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. ¹²But
natural heirs of the kingdom will be cast into the outer darkness. Out there
will be weeping, and gnashing of teeth."
¹³Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go. As you believed let it be for
you." And in that hour the servant was healed.
Jesus Heals Many

¹⁴And coming into Peter's house, Jesus saw Peter's mother-in-law
bedridden and fever-stricken. ¹⁵And he touched her hand, and the fever left
her; and she got up and began to wait on him. 98
¹⁶And when evening came, they brought to him many who were
demon-possessed, and he drove out the spirits with a word. And all those
who had an illness he healed, ¹⁷so that the thing spoken through the prophet
Isaiah might be fulfilled, which says:
"Our infirmities he picked up,

and our diseases he carried."99
The Cost of Following Jesus

¹⁸But when Jesus saw a large crowd around him, he gave the order to
leave to the other side of the lake.
¹⁹And one Torah scholar approached him and said, "Teacher, I will
follow you wherever you go."
²⁰And Jesus says to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the
sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere he can lay his head."
²¹And another man,100 one of the disciples,101 said to him, "Lord, allow
me first to leave and bury my father."
²²But Jesus says to him, "You follow me, and leave the dead to bury
their own dead."
The text words it like Luke in 7:9.

98
8:15 txt αυτω ℵ* B C E W Σ 0233 pm itk,q syrh copsa arm Or Chr RP SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖
αυτοις ℵ¹ L Φ pm lat syrs,c,p eth TR ‖ lac A D P Z 0250 0281
99
8:17 Isaiah 53:4
100
8:21a The word ἑτερος without the article means another, different kind of man; that is,
not another scribe, but another man of a different kind.
101
8:21b txt των μαθητων ℵ B ita,(b,h,q) copsa Chr SBL TH ‖ τις (and omit δε των μαθητων
αυτου) Chrys ‖ των μαθητων αυτου C E L N W Σ Φ 0250 itaur,ff¹,g¹,(k),l syrc,s,p,h,pal copmae
arm eth geo Jer Spec TR RP NA28 [αυτου] {C} ‖ lac A D P Z 0233 0281. Perhaps some wanted
to make sure it was understood that the other man was not another scribe / Torah scholar.
But the word ἑτερος without the article means another, different kind of man. To me, the
difference αυτου makes is whether the other man was one of the masses in the crowd, or
one of the twelve.
Matthew
Jesus Calms the Storm

²³And his disciples followed him as he embarked in the boat. ²⁴And
behold a great storm arose in the sea, such that the boat was getting covered
over by the waves. But he himself was sleeping.
²⁵And coming up to him, they102 roused him, saying, "Lord, save us!
We are perishing!"
²⁶And he says to them, "Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?"
Then, once he was up, he rebuked the wind and the sea, and there came a
complete calm.
²⁷And the men marvelled, saying, "What kind of man is this, that even
the winds and the sea obey him?"
The Legion of Demons Near Gadara

²⁸And when he came to the other side to the region of the
Gadarenes,103 two men coming out of the tombs met him, demon-possessed,
extremely dangerous, such that no one was able to pass that way.
²⁹And behold they cried out saying, "What business do you have with
us, O Jesus, you Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the
time?"
³⁰Now some distance from them there was a herd of many pigs
feeding. ³¹And the demons begged him saying, "If you drive us out, send
us104 into the herd of pigs."
³²And he said to them, "Go!" So coming out they went into the pigs;
and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and
died in the waters.
³³And the herders fled. And when they had gone into the town they
reported all things, including the things about the demon-possessed men.
³⁴And behold all the town came out to have a meeting with Jesus. And
102
8:25b txt προσελθοντες ℵ B ita,aur,ff¹,k,l vg Jer SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ προσελθοντες αυτω copsa
‖ προσελθοντες οι μαθηται C² E L ith vgms arm geoB Eus Chr BG RP ‖ προσελθοντες οι
μαθηται αυτου W Σ Φ itb,g¹,q syrs,p,h,pal eth geo¹,A TR AN ‖ προσελθοντες αυτω οι μαθηται
αυτου C*vid vgcl copmae ‖ lac A D N P Z 0233 0250
103
8:28 txt γαδαρηνων "Gadarenes" B C Σ syrs,p,h geo¹ Diatesssyr Ormss Epiph SBL TH NA28
{C} ‖ γαζαρηνων ℵ* "Gadzarenes" ‖ γεργεσηνων "Gergesenes" ℵ² E L W Φ syrpal,hmg arm
eth geo² Diatessarm Or Eusvid Apoll mssacc to Ephiph Hesych TR RP ‖ γερα(σ or ζ)ηνων
"Gerasenes/Gerazenes" latt syrhmg copsa,mae¹+² ‖ lac A D N P Z 0233 0250. Note that both
syrp,h read Gadarenes in all 3 synoptic gospels. Topographically (the right cliffs, and the
prepositional phrase of Lk 8:26, "down to the territory of...which is opposite Galilee"), and
culturally (the raising of pigs), Gadarenes is the most likely. I am puzzled why any Bible
translation would be content having different cities in different gospels in their version. I
settle on Gadarenes for all 3 gospels.
104
Mt 8:31 txt αποστειλον ημας "send us" ℵ B 0242vid ita,b,d,ff¹,g¹,k,l vg syrs,hmg cop eth Cyr SBL
TH NA28 {\} ‖ επιτρεψον ημιν απελθειν "allow us to go" C E L W Φ itf,h,q syrp,h arm TR RP
‖ επιτρεψον ημιν εισελθειν "allow us to enter" Σ ‖ lac A D N P
Matthew
when they saw him they begged him that he would move out of their
borders.
Chapter 9
Jesus Heals a Paralytic
¹And embarking in the boat, he crossed over and came into his own
town. ²And behold they brought to him a paralytic placed on a mat. And
when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your
sins are forgiven."105
³And behold, some of the Torah scholars said to themselves, "This
fellow is blaspheming!"
⁴And knowing106 their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you think evil
things in your hearts? ⁵For which is easier: to say 'Your107 sins are forgiven,'
or to say: 'Get up and walk'? ⁶But so that you may know that the Son of
Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." Then he says to the paralytic,
"Get up, take your mat and go to your house." ⁷And he stood up and went
away to his house. ⁸After seeing this, the crowd feared108 and praised the
God who had given such authority to humans.
105
Mt 9:2 txt σου αι αμαρτιαι "your sins are forgiven" ℵ B C* W 0281 Or Chr SBL TH NA28 {\}
‖ σοι αι αμαρτιαι "your sins are forgiven" D itk vgms Or Ir ‖ σου αι αμαρτιαι συ C³ ‖ σοι αι
αμαρτιαι σου "your sins are forgiven you" E L N Σ Φ 0233 latt syr copsa Or Ir TR RP ‖ lac A
D P Z. Compare 9:5.
106
Mt 9:4 txt και ιδων "and knowing" ℵ C D E* L W Φ 0233 0281 itaur,b,d,f,ff¹,g¹,k,l,q vg Chr
Aug TR AN RP NA28 {B} ‖ ιδων δε "and/but knowing" N Σ ita,h syrpalmss Jer Spec ‖ και ειδως
"and perceiving" B Ec syrh arm geo¹ Chrys WH NA25 BG SBL TH ‖ ειδως δε "and/but
perceiving" syrp copsa,mae geo² ‖ lac A P Z. UBS commentary: 'A majority of the Committee
preferred the reading ἰδών to εἰδώς because (a) the latter appears to be a correction of the
former ("seeing another's thoughts seems to be a less appropriate expression than
"knowing" them), and (b) ἰδών, which corresponds to the statement in ver. 2, was more
likely to be altered to εἰδώς through recollection of ἐπιγνούς in the parallel accounts (Mk
2.8 and Lk 5.22) than vice versa...' Dirk Jongkind: “Both ιδων and ειδως have sufficient
attestation to consider them seriously. Given how close the two forms are (same length,
both starting with /i/), the question becomes if there are transcriptional reasons why one
would morph into the other? The previous sentence starts with και ιδου, which seems a
reasonable source of influence to effect the change from ειδως to ιδων. Both parallel
passages in Mk and Lk read επιγνους, a verb of mental awareness, as is ειδως. I don't think
that similarity between ειδως and επιγνους is strong enough to cause a change from ιδων
to ειδως, but it is near enough to see that Mt simply tells the story with ειδως instead of
επιγνους.” Note that the same variant repeats in Matthew 12:25.
107
Mt 9:5 txt σου αι αμαρτιαι ℵ B C D E W Φ 0281vid RP SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ σοι αι αμαρτιαι L N
Σ 2c itb,d vg TR ‖ σου αι αμαρτιαι σου 2* 0233 ‖ σοι αι αμαρτιαι σου copsa ‖ lac A P Z
108
Mt 9:8 txt εφοβηθησαν "feared" ℵ B D W 0281 ita,aur,b,d,ff¹,g¹,h,k,l,q vg syrs,p,pal copsa,mae¹+²
Hil Chr Aug SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ admirantes timuerunt itf (eth) conflation of the two readings:
"surprised and afraid" ‖ εθαυμασαν "marveled" C E L N Σ Φ 0233 syrh arm geo Chrys TR
RP ‖ omit (including και) Irlat ‖ lac A P Z
Matthew
The Calling of Matthew

⁹And moving on from there, Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting at
the taxes post, and he says to him, "Follow me." And he got up and
followed him.
¹⁰And it came about that Jesus and his disciples were reclining at
table in the house of Matthew, and behold a large crowd of revenue agents109
and sinners came and were eating with them. ¹¹And seeing this the
Pharisees said to his disciples, "Why does your rabbi eat with revenue
agents and sinners?"110
¹²But he heard, and said, "The healthy have no need of a doctor, but
only those who have something bad do. ¹³But go learn what this means: 'I
desire mercy and not sacrifice.'111 For I have not come to call the righteous,
but sinners, to repentance."112
Jesus Questioned About Fasting

¹⁴Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why is it we and
the Pharisees are fasting,113 but your disciples are not fasting?"
¹⁵And Jesus said to them, "Are the members of the bridegroom's party
able to mourn while the bridegroom is with them? But days will come
when the bridegroom is taken away from them; and then they will fast.
¹⁶"Now no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth onto an old garment.
For the patch of it tears away from the garment, and a worse tear results.
¹⁷Neither do they put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the
109
9:10 Greek telonai; The telones were not the holders of the 'tax farming' contracts
themselves, (the actual holders were called publicani), but were subordinates (Latin,
portitores) hired by the publicani. The higher officials, the publicans, were usually
foreigners, but their underlings were taken, as a rule, from the native population, from the
subjugated people. The prevailing system of tax collection afforded the collector many
opportunities to exercise his greed and unfairness. Moreover, since the "tax' was a tribute
forced upon the conquered by the conqueror, the collectors of the tribute were personal
reminders to the populace that they, the givers of the tribute, were conquered serfs. Hence
the collectors of the tribute were particularly hated and despised as a class. They were pre-
judged to be both embezzlers, and traitors or collaborators with the occupying foreign
power.
110
Mt 9:11 The Mishnah associated tax collectors with murderers and highway robbers.
(Nedarim 3:4 and Bava Qamma 10:2)
111
Mt 9:13 Hosea 6:6
112
Mt 9:13 txt αμαρτωλους εις μετανοιαν "sinners to repentance" C E L 0281 itg¹
syr s,pal,h** cop sa,mae¹ Basil TR RP ‖ αμαρτωλους "sinners" ℵ B D N W Σ Φ 0233 it a,b,f,ff¹,h,k,l,q vg
syrp,h copmae² SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ lac A P Z. The reading is said to be a harmonization to
Luke 5:32.
113
Mt 9:14 txt νηστευομεν "we fast" ℵ* B 0281 copsams,mae² geoB Cyr ‖ νηστευομεν πολλα
"we fast much" ℵ² C D E L N W Σ Φ 0233 itd,(k) syrp,h,pal copsamss,mae¹ eth geo¹,A Basil Chrys
TR RP SBL TH NA28 [πολλα] {C} ‖ νηστευομεν πυκνα "we fast frequently" ℵ¹
ita,aur,b,f,ff¹,g¹,h,l,q vg syrs? Hil Chr Jer Aug ‖ lac A P Z. Lk 5:33- νηστευουσιν πυκνα; Mk 2:28 -
νηστευουσιν only.
Matthew
wineskins will burst, the wine will spill out, and the wineskins will be
ruined. Rather, they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are
preserved."
A Dead Damsel and a Sick Woman

¹⁸While he was speaking these things to them, behold a certain ruler
came, prostrating himself to him, saying, "My daughter has just now died.
But come and put your hand on her and she will revive." ¹⁹And getting up
Jesus followed him, including his disciples.
²⁰And behold a woman suffering a twelve year flow of blood came up
behind and touched the tassel114 of his cloak. ²¹For she was saying to herself,
"If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."
²²And Jesus turning and seeing her said, "Take heart, daughter, your
faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that time on.
²³And Jesus came into the ruler's house, and when he saw the flute
players and the crowd in commotion, ²⁴he said, "Go your ways. For the
maiden has not died but sleeps." And they laughed at him with scorn.
²⁵And when the crowd was put out, he went in and took hold of her
hand, and the maiden was raised from the dead. ²⁶And this news went out
into all that region.
Jesus Heals the Blind and Mute

²⁷And as Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him,
crying out and saying, "Have mercy on us, O Son of David!"
²⁸And when he had come into the house, the blind men came to him,
and Jesus says to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?"
They say to him, "Yes, Lord."

²⁹Then he touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be
done for you." ³⁰And their eyes were opened. And Jesus warned them
sternly, saying, "See that no one knows about this." ³¹But they went out and
spread the news about him throughout that whole region.
³²And as they were going out, behold a mute who was demon-
possessed was brought to him. ³³And when the demon was expelled, the
mute spoke. The crowd was amazed, and said, "Nothing like this has ever
been seen in Israel!"
³⁴But the Pharisees said, "By the prince of the demons he expels the
demons."
114
Mt 9:20 See Numbers 15:38, Deut. 22:12; Malachi 4:2. The “tassels” or “corners” were also
Jesus’ “wings,” because the Hebrew word is the same. So, the prophecy of Malachi 4:2: “But
to you that fear my name the sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings;114
and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves from the stall.”
Matthew
The Workers Are Few

³⁵And Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their
synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing
every disease and every sickness. 115 ³⁶And when he saw the crowds, he was
moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a
shepherd: harried116 and laid down in resignation. ³⁷Then he says to his
disciples, "The harvest is truly plentiful, but the workers are few. ³⁸Ask the
Lord of the harvest, therefore, that he send out workers into his harvest."
Chapter 10
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
¹And calling forward his twelve disciples, he gave them authority
over unclean spirits, so as to expel them, and to heal every disease and
every illness. ²And these are the names of the twelve apostles: First, Simon,
the one called Peter, and his brother Andrew; and James the son of Zebedee
and John his brother; ³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the
revenue agent; James son117 of Halphaeus118 and Thaddaeus;119 ⁴Simon from
Cana120 and Judas of Kerioth,121 the one who also betrayed him.
115
Mt 9:35 txt — ℵ¹ B C* D N W Σ lat syrp,h cop eth Chr SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ και πολλοι
ηκολουθησαν αυτω "and many followed him" Φ ita,b,h ‖ incl. εν τω λαω "among the people"
C³ E pm vgmss syrpal arm geo TR RP ‖ εν τω λαω και ηκολουθησαν αυτω "among the people
and they followed him" ℵ* ‖ εν τω λαω και πολλοι ηκολουθησαν αυτω "among the people
and many followed him" L itg¹ ‖ lac A P Z 0233 0281
116
Mt 9:36 txt εσκυλμενοι "troubled, distressed" ℵ B C D E W Σ Φ 0250 copsa BG RP SBL TH
NA28 {\} ‖ vexati "tossed violently" it vg Hil Jer ‖ fatigati "harassed" itd ‖ εκλελυμενοι "faint,
mentally weary" L itd syrp TR AN ‖ omit εσκυλμενοι και ερριμμενοι N ‖ lac A P Z 0233 0281
117
10:3a Or brother
118
10:3b txt Ἁλφαιου SBL NA28 ‖ Ἀλφαιου TR RP TH. Genitive of Ἁλφαίος, ὁ; Heb.:
‫( חלפּי‬Halpai). The original Hebrew name starts with the letter Het, an 'h" sound. The SBL
and NA28 texts reflect this h sound, and the others do not. Re: the transliteration of
foreign words into Greek, see, BDF § 39 (3) Laryngeals and Gutterals. "…The question of
where to use smooth or rough breathing with the initial sound is insoluble; it seems
reasonable to employ smooth breathing for ‫ א‬and ‫ ע‬and rough breathing for ‫ ֹה‬and ‫ח‬, as
Westcott-Hort have done. Yet it is to be hoped that future editions will follow Lagarde,
Rahlfs, and the Göttingen editions of the LXX which omit both accents and breathing in
proper names and other transliterations wherever absence of terminations and inflection
indicate that no Grecizing was intended (Katz)." The Robinson-Pierpont text in Luke 2:36,
however, retains the rough breathing in Ἅννα, Hebrew ‫( חנה‬Hannach), but the TR and TH
say Ἄννα.
119
10:3c txt θαδδαιος ℵ B itaur,ff¹,l vg copsa,mae¹+² Jer Aug SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ λεββαιος ο
επικληθεις θαδδαιος C² E L (N -ο) W Σ Φ itf syrp,h,palmss (arm) (eth) geo ApostConst Chrys
TR RP ‖ λεββαιος ο και θαδδαιος C*vid ‖ λεββαιος D itd,(k),μ Orlat mssacc to Aug ‖ Judas Zelotes
ita,b,g¹,h,q (syrpalms) ‖ lac A P Z 0233 0250 0281
120
10:4a txt καναναιος B C L N latt copmae SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ χαναναιος D ‖ κανανιτης ℵ E W
Σ Φ copsa syrh Chr TR RP ‖ lac A P Z 0233 0250 0281. BDAG: “Κανανίτης, ου, ὁ man from
Cana, Cananite. Acc. to Strabo 14, 5, 14 one of the two Stoics named Athenodorus received
Matthew
⁵These Twelve Jesus sent out, giving orders to them, saying: "Do not
go down a Gentile road, and do not enter a town of Samaritans. ⁶But go
rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷And as you go, preach
saying: 'The kingdom of heaven has drawn near.' ⁸Heal the sick, raise the
dead,122 cleanse the lepers, drive out the demons. Freely you have received;
freely give. ⁹Pack neither gold nor silver nor copper in your belts, ¹⁰neither
a bag for the trip, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for the worker is
worthy of his food.
¹¹"And whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is
worthy, and stay there until you leave. ¹²But when entering the house, greet
it. ¹³And if indeed the house is worthy, let your peace arrive upon it. But if
it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴And whoever does not
welcome you or listen to your words, go outside123 that house or town and
shake their dust off your feet. ¹⁵Truly I tell you, on the day of judgment it
will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and the land of Gomorrah, than
for that town.
¹⁶"Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. Be
shrewd as snakes therefore, yet innocent as doves. ¹⁷And be on your guard
against people. For they will hand you over to councils, and they will flog
you in their synagogues. ¹⁸And also before governors and kings you will be
brought, because of me, to be a testimony to them and to the nations. ¹⁹But
this name to distinguish him fr. the other Ath.; ἀπὸ κώμης τινός (Cana near Tarsus) was
added. Numerous mss. replace the apparently unintelligible Καναναῖος with this term.”
Under Κανά it says the home of, “according to many, also of Simon, Mt 10:4 (s. Καναναῖος).
– Heinz Noetzel, Christus und Dionysus ’60. – EDNT.BBHW II 926. M-M.” Note that the
Textus Receptus and KJV read Zealot in Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13. And Jesus said he came
only to the lost sheep of Israel, and in 10:5 right here one verse later, he tells the twelve to
only go to the lost sheep of Israel, so very unlikely Jesus would have a Gentile as one of the
12, whose name is on one of the twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem. The Zealots
were a political faction of the Jews, so very unlikely Simon was a Gentile. Strong’s
Concordance says Κανανίτης (G2581) is derived from ‫קּנ‬ℵ kan-naw', “Jealous.” Canaan in
Greek consistently starts with the letter Χ. Canaan (Genesis 13:12) Χανααν; Canaanite:
Χαναναίων (Genesis 10:18) Χαναναίους (Genesis 15:21). And in the NT, for the Canaanite
woman, Matt 15:22, Χαναναία. The KJV is incorrect rendering the word κανανιτης here as
“Canaanite.” The bottom line is that both of the Greek textual variants above mean “from
Cana,” although the first listed variant, καναναιος, is said by some scholars to be from the
Aramaic for “zealot.”
121
10:4b This man's name is usually written Judas Iscariot. "Iscariot" is probably from the
Hebrew words ‫יׁש ְק ִרֹּיות‬ℵ, ʾȋš qəriyyōt, ish Qerioth, which mean a man from Kerioth. Kerioth
was a town in southern Judea, which would make this Judas the only one in the circle of
thirteen (Jesus and the twelve disciples) that was not from Galilee.
122
10:8 txt νεκρους εγειρετε λεπρους καθαριζετε δαιμονια εκβαλλετε· ℵ*,² B C* (D) N Σ Φ
0281vid ita,b,h,k,l,q vg (syrs) copsamss,mae¹ eth geoA arab; Eus SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ λεπρους
καθαριζετε δαιμονια εκβαλλετε νεκρους εγειρετε· P W syrh ‖ λεπρους καθαριζετε νεκρους
εγειρετε δαιμονια εκβαλλετε TR AN [νεκρους εγειρετε] ‖ νεκρους εγειρετε before
ασθενουντας vgms ‖ λεπρους καθαριζετε δαιμονια εκβαλ(λ)ετε·(omit νεκρους εγειρετε) ℵ¹ C³
E L itf syr(p),pal copsa arm eth²mss geo¹,B HF BG RP ‖ lac A Z 0233 0250 syrc copmae²
123
10:14b txt εξερχομενοι εξω ℵ B D 0281 SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ εξερχομενοι εκ L ‖ εξερχομενοι
¹¹⁰ C E N P W Σ Φ TR RP ‖ lac A Z 0233 0250
Matthew
when they deliver124 you over to trial, do not worry how or what you might
say. For it will be given to you at that hour what you should say; 125
²⁰because you are not the ones speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is the
one speaking, through you.
²¹"And brother will betray brother to death, and a father a child; and
children will rise up against parents and put them to death. ²²And you will
be hated by all because of my name, but the one who endures to the end,
this one will be saved. ²³But when they persecute you in this town, flee to a
new one;126 for truly I tell you, you will not finish all the towns of Israel
before the Son of Man has come.
²⁴"A disciple is not above the rabbi, nor a servant above his lord. ²⁵It
is sufficient for the disciple that he become like his rabbi, and the servant
like his lord. If the head of the house has been called Baal-zibbul,127 how
much more the members of his household.
²⁶"So do not fear them. For there is nothing veiled that will not be
unveiled, or hidden that will not be made known. ²⁷What I say to you in the
dark, you are to say in the light; and what you hear whispered into your ear,
you are to proclaim on the housetops. ²⁸And do not fear because of those
who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul. But do fear on the other
hand the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. ²⁹Are
124
10:19a txt παραδωσιν ℵ B E* 0171vid SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ παραδιδωσιν C Ec TR RP ‖
παραδωσουσιν D L N W Σ lat ‖ παραδωσωσιν Φ ‖ lac A P Z 0233 0250
125
10:19b txt λαλησητε ℵ B C E N W Σ SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ λαλησετε Φ TR RP ‖ omit δοθησεται
γαρ υμιν εν εκεινη τη ωρα τι λαλησητε D L itk vgms arm Ormss Cypms ‖ lac A P Z 0233 0250.
Swanson is incorrect in saying E reads -σετε. I looked at the image of the MS myself. The
majuscules D L omit because of homoioteleuton, λαλησητε to λαλησητε. By the same
token, the second λαλησητε could be a mistake of the scribe when picking up where he
thought he left off, when he sees or remembers the first λαλησητε, instead of the λαλησετε
in his exemplar.
126
10:23 txt ετεραν ℵ B W Or5/7 Peter-Alex Ath ApostConstmss Chryslem Socrates½ Cyr
Theodoret SBL TH NA28 {C} ‖ αλλην C E N X Σ Φ Lect Clem Ormss Basil ApostConst
½
Socrates TR RP ‖ either ετεραν or αλλην it aur,f,l vg syr copsa,mae arm eth geo Ambrose Jer
p,h
Aug ‖ αλλην εαν δε εν τη αλλη διωκωσιν υμας φευγετε εις την αλλην D 0171vid (ith,k)
Tatian? ‖ αλλην καν εκ ταυτης εκδιωξουσιν υμας,φευγετε εις την ετεραν L (Or1/7) ‖ ετεραν·
καν εκ ταυτης διωκωσιν υμας φευγετε εἰς τὴν αλλην Or ‖ either ετεραν...αλλην or vice
versa, or αλλην...αλλην ita,b,ff¹,g¹,q (vgmss) syrs Diatess Petilianus ‖ lac A P Z 0233 0281.
Regarding the construction την ετεραν here, the presence of the article is said by
DeBrunner in BDF §306(2) to be "surprising." He goes on, "It probably means 'the next' is
peculiar.'" By this I take him to mean, 'go to the next town, provided it is a different,
previously unvisited town.
127
10:25 txt Βεελζεβουλ ( ¹¹⁰) C N W Σ Φ it syrh copsa Cyprian TR-Steph RP SBL TH NA28
{\} ‖ Βελζεβουλ D L ‖ Βεεζεβουλ ℵ B ‖ Βεελζεβουβ TR-Scriv ‖ Beelzebub it(ff¹) vg syrs,p KJV ‖ lac
A P Z 0233 0281. The spelling Βεελζεβουβ would represent the Hebrew ‫ בעל זְ בּוב‬- aʿal
zə ȗ as found in II ings 1:2, and means "Baal (Lord) of flies." The spelling Beelzeboul -
‫ – בעל זְ בּול‬aʿal zə ȗl would mean "lord of filth." 'Ba'al' means Lord or Prince. Baal was a
Canaanite god, the son of Dagon, the god of grain. Baal was the bull prince, the bull being a
symbol of fertility. Later the name Baalzebub became associated with the Aramaic
Beeldebaba, 'enemy.' The conflation of Ba'alzebub and Beeldebaba, as 'Beelzebub,' came to
be a name for Satan.
Matthew
not two sparrows sold for a penny? 128 Yet not one of them will fall to the
ground apart from your Father. ³⁰And as for you, even the hairs of your
heads are all numbered. ³¹So fear not; you matter more than many
sparrows.
³²"Everyone therefore who shall acknowledge me before people, I also
shall acknowledge them before my Father in heaven. ³³And whoever
disowns me before people, I also shall disown that person before my Father
in heaven.
³⁴"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I
did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵For I have come to turn
" 'a man against his father,

and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her
mother-in-law—
³⁶ a man's enemies will be
members of his own household.129
³⁷"He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me;
and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; ³⁸and
the one who does not take up his cross and follow behind me is not worthy
of me. ³⁹The person who finds his life will lose it, and the one who loses his
life for my sake will find it.
⁴⁰"He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives
the one who sent me. ⁴¹He who receives a prophet because of the title of
prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and he who receives a righteous
one because of the title of righteous one will receive a righteous one's
reward. ⁴²Truly I tell you, whoever gives even just a cup of cold water to
one of these little ones because of the title of disciple, will certainly not lose
his reward."
128
10:29 Literally, "an assarion," which was a little fragment of brass coin. It is a saying or
expression, not meant to be exact, which means "a pittance, a trifle, a doit." This saying is
used in a scoffing manner, and in American English, we say, "I sold it for peanuts." We
don't say exactly how many peanuts, like "I sold it for three peanuts." That is not the
point. A farthing is one quarter of a penny. A hay-penny is a half of a penny, a very small,
light coin. In America we do not have any coins representing a fraction of a penny, but the
word penny itself would do, since a penny by itself will currently buy absolutely nothing.
The American penny is, in fact, only a fragment of copper, since it appears to be made
mostly of aluminum, with a copper guilding!
129
10:36 Micah 7:6
Matthew
Chapter 11
Jesus and John the Baptizer
¹And it came about that when Jesus had finished giving orders to his
twelve disciples, he removed himself from there to teach and preach in their
towns.
²And when John was hearing in prison about the works of Christ, he,
sending word through130 his disciples, ³said to him, "Are you the one who
was to come, or should we expect another?"
⁴And in answer, Jesus said to them, "Go and report back to John what
things you are hearing and seeing: ⁵The blind see again and the lame walk,
lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised and the good
news is preached to the poor. ⁶And tell him, 'Blessed be whoever is not
offended on account of me.' "131
⁷And as they were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about
John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed being swayed to
and fro by the wind? ⁸On the contrary, what did you go out to see?
Someone dressed in delicate finery?132 Behold, those wearing delicate finery
are in kings' houses. ⁹On the contrary, what did you go out to see? A
prophet? Yes indeed I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰This133 is the
130
11:2 txt δια των μαθητων ℵ B C* D P W Z Σ 0233 itd,q syrp,h copsa,mae¹ arm SBL TH NA28
{B} ‖ δυο των μαθητων E L Φ itaur,ff¹,g¹,l vg syrhmg geoA Chrys Jer½ Or TR RP ‖ discipulos
it a,b,f,h,k ms
vg geo (1,B ) Hil Jer ‖ lac ¹⁹ A N 0281 copmae²
½
131
11:6 Why did Jesus tell John this? Would John be offended by all the good works here
recently listed? Not likely. It is more likely that what John would be offended by was Jesus'
non-abstentious lifestyle, or even what in John the ascetic's view might be "shady"
practices. John had already testified earlier, emphatically and with certainty, that Jesus
was the Expected One. But now it appears, John was having his doubts about him. Jesus
was a contrast to John in the following: He did not worry too much about ceremonial
washing (Diatess 5:45, 14:1-10; 5:25; Matt. 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23; John 3:25,26, John 2:6). He
de-emphasized the concept of clean v. unclean foods (Diatess 14:9; Matt. 15:11,17; Mark
7:15-19). He did not frequently fast, or at least did not teach his disciples to frequently fast
(Diatess. 7:24; Matt. 9:14; Mark 2:18; Luke 5:33). He drank alcohol, enabling Pharisees to
dare call him a "drunkard," (Diatess. 10:30; Matt. 11:18-19; Luke 7:33, 34). He associated
with "shady" characters (Diatess 7:22, 10:30, 10:35-36, 21:1, 24:19; Matt. 9:11; Mark 2:16; Luke
5:30; Matt. 11:19; Luke 7:34, 7:39, 15:1-2, 19:7). He violated the Sabbath by allowing his
disciples to husk grain (Mark 2:23-28; Matt. 12:1-8; Lk 6:1-5). He did not pay the two-
drachma tax, except for only the two people who were discovered, out of the total of 13 in
his party (Diatess. 17:22-26; Matt. 17:24-27. On this tax, which was voluntary at best, and
illegal at worst, see the endnote at the end of this document.) It remains today, that some
who consider themselves righteous are offended by these truths about Jesus' lifestyle. But
"Blessed be whoever is not offended on account of me." "For the kingdom of God is not a
matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Romans 14:17
132
11:8 txt μαλακοις ℵ B D Z ita,aur,d,ff¹,g¹,k,q vg SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ μαλακοις ιματιοις C E L N P
W Σ Φ 0233 itb,f,h,l syr cop arm eth TR RP ‖ lac ¹⁹ A. I do not think the versional
witnesses are true indicators in this variant, since if their Greek exemplar lacked ιματιοις,
they would likely still supply the word for clothing in their target language, as the English
translations do that are based on the NA28 text.
133
11:10 txt ουτως ℵ B D Z itb,g¹,k syrs,c eth Or Amb SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ουτως γαρ C E L N P W
Σ Φ 0233 lat syrp,h cop arm Chr TR RP ‖ lac A 0281
Matthew
one about whom it is written:
'Behold, I am sending my messenger

before your face,
who will prepare your way
before you.'134
¹¹Truly I tell you: Among those born of women there has not risen
anyone greater than John the Baptizer. But the one who is least in the
kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹²And from the days of John the
Baptizer until now, the kingdom of heaven has been aggressively
advancing, and the aggressive are seizing it.135 ¹³For all the Prophets and
the Law prophesied until John. ¹⁴And if you are willing to receive it, he is
the Elijah who was to come. ¹⁵Let the one who has ears,136 hear."
¹⁶"To what, then, shall I compare this generation? It is like children
134
11:10 This quote appears to be a blend of Exodus 23:20 and Malachi 3:1.
135
11:12 The Greek verb translated "aggressively advancing" is βιάζω, but also possibly the
deponent βιάζομαι. The Greek substantive translated "the aggressive" is βιαστής, a
derivative of the Greek verb just mentioned. The passage is difficult to translate because in
the New Testament this Greek substantive is found only here, and the verb is found only
here and in a similar passage in Luke 16:16. The verb could mean "forcing itself" or
"suffering force," depending upon whether it is deponent or truly middle or passive voice.
The substantive, in other known instances, none in the Bible among them, bears in all three
a negative connotation, of a person characterized by violence or impetuosity. But this does
not absolutely and conclusively mean that there did not exist a less pejorative use for the
word, one that Matthew could have intended. The appropriate connotation must therefore
be gleaned from the context, which concerns John the Baptizer. Jesus had just finished
describing John. He was no wimp swayed back and forth by wind. He wore rough and
tough clothing, ate a rough and tough diet, lived in the rough and tough desert, and
fearlessly rebuked Herod. My impression is that, just as it was such a strong, tough man
pushing the kingdom forward, so also it was such people who were the first to eagerly snap
it up for the treasure it was: aggressive or assertive people. Those who were forceful in the
best sense of forceful. They "seized the day." Such people were also quick (labeled
impetuous by some) to discern trends, and recognize an opportunity. Street wise people,
not fastidious. John represented a somewhat veiled sign as being a type of Elijah. More
cautious people would not jump in on such hints that maybe this was the Elijah who was to
come. They, like the Pharisees, would want more black and white directions. But those
who were impetuous in a good sense, took the plunge. Jesus later in Matt. 21:31-32 sheds
more light on this subject: speaking to the chief priests and elders, he said, "The tax
collectors and the prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom. For John came to
you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. And the tax
collectors and the prostitutes did believe him, but even after you saw that, you still did not
repent and believe him." "Seize the day" is a word to the wise. The kingdom of God is not
for the timid. "But as for the timid, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and
immoral persons, and sorcerers and idolaters, and all liars, their inheritance will be in the
lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death." (Rev. 21:8) "'And if he shrinks
back, My soul will not be pleased with him.' For we are not of those who shrink back and
are destroyed, but of those who believe and possess their souls." Hebrews 10:38-39,
Habakkuk 2:4
136
11:15 txt ωτα B D itd,k syrs SBL NA28 {B} ‖ ωτα ακουειν ℵ C E L N W Z Σ Φ
ita,aur,b,f,ff¹,g¹,h,l,q vg syrc,p,h,pal copsa,mae arm eth geo Diatessarm Just Docetistsacc to Hipp Chrys
Jer TR RP TH ‖ lac A 0233 0281
Matthew
sitting in the marketplaces,137 who call out to the others.138 ¹⁷They say:139
'We played the flute for you,
and you didn't dance;

we sang a dirge,140
and you didn't mourn.'
¹⁸For John the Baptizer came neither eating nor drinking, and they say,
'He has a demon.' ¹⁹The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they
say, 'Behold a glutton and a wino, a friend of revenue agents and sinners.'
Well, wisdom is vindicated by her works." 141
Woe on Unrepentant Cities

²⁰Then he began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles
had occurred, because they had not repented: ²¹"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe
to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that happened in you had taken place
in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and
ashes. ²²Regardless, I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon
on the day of judgment than for you. ²³And you, Capernaum, will you be
exalted up to heaven?142 No, you will sink as far as Hades.143 Because if the
miracles that happened in you had taken place in Sodom, it144 would have
137
11:16b txt ταις αγοραις ℵ B Z syrh SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ αγοραις C E L N W Σ Φ TR AN RP ‖ τη
αγορα D vg (in foro) ‖ αγορα vg (in foro) syrc,p arm eth Euth BG ‖ lac A P 0233 0281
138
11:16c α προσφωνουντα τοις ετεροις ℵ B D Z SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ προσφωνουσιν τοις
ετεροις αυτων C ‖ και προσφωνουσιν τοις ετεροις αυτων E L N W Σ ‖ α προσφωνουντα τοις
εταιροις αυτων copsa AN ‖ και προσφωνουσιν τοις εταιροις αυτων Φ TR BG RP ‖ α lac A P
0233 0281
139
11:17a txt λεγουσιν ℵ B D Z vg copsa AN SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ και λεγουσιν C E L N W Σ Φ
syrp TR BG RP ‖ lac A P 0233 0281
140
11:17b txt εθρηνησαμεν ℵ B D Z itaur,d,f,ff¹,g¹,k,l vg copsa,mae¹+² Greg-Nyss Chrys½ Aug⅓ SBL
TH NA28 {B} ‖ εθρηνησαμεν υμιν C E L N W Σ Φ ita,b,ff²,h,q vgmss syrc,s,p,h arm eth geo Greg-
Nyssmss Did Chrys½ Hesych Jer Aug⅔ TR RP ‖ lac A P 0233 0281
141
11:19 txt απο των εργων αυτης ℵ B* W syrp,h copsamss,bo slavmss (Apollinaris); mssacc. to
Jerome SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ απο ων τεκνων αυτης Β² C D E L N Σ Φ ita,aur,d,f,ff¹,g¹,h,l,q vg
c,s,hmg sa mss,mae¹
syr cop arm (eth) geo Or Epiph Chrys; Hil Ambrose Jer Aug TR RP ‖ απο
παντων των τεκνων αυτης itk (ab omnibus filis suis) ‖ lac A P Z 0233 0281 copmae². The
readings with τεκνων may be a harmonization to the Luke 7:35 parallel. The ones that add
παντων are even more harmonized.
142
11:23a txt μη εως ουρανου υψωθηση ℵ B* D W ita,aur,b,d,ff¹,ff²,(k,l) vg syrc copsa,mae arm eth
geo Irlat Gaud Jer SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ μη εως του ουρανου υψωθηση C Φ ‖ η εως του ουρανου
υψωθεισα N Σ ith Chrys⅔ Jerms TR AN RP ‖ η εως του ουρανου υψωθης E itf,(g¹),q syrs,p,h
Chrys⅓ msacc to Jer BG ‖ η εως του ουρανου υψωθησει L ‖ η εως ουρανου υψωθηση B² ‖ lac A
H O P Q Z 0233 0281
143
11:23b txt καταβηση (Is 14:15; Lk 10:15) B D W ita,aur,b,d,f,ff¹,ff²,g¹,h,k,l,q vg syrs,c copsa arm
eth geo Irlat Jer SBL NA28 {C} ‖ καταβιβασθηση ℵ C E (L -σει) N Σ syrp,h copmae TR RP TH ‖ lac
A O P Z 0233 0281.
144
11:23c txt εμεινεν (singular) ℵ B C vg syrp SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ εμενεν N ‖ εμενον Σ ‖
Matthew
remained until this day. ²⁴Regardless, I tell you, it will be more bearable on
the day of judgment for Sodom than for you."
Rest for the Weary

²⁵At that time Jesus continued, and said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the
sophisticated and learned, and revealed them to little children. ²⁶Yes,
Father, for it was pleasing this way in your sight.
²⁷"All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one
knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the
Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
²⁸"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give
you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and
humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy
and my burden is light."
Chapter 12
Lord of the Sabbath
¹At that time Jesus on a Sabbath was going through the grain fields.
And his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck and eat some heads of
grain.145 ²And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your
disciples are doing what on a Sabbath is not permissible 146 to do!"
εμεινον L W ‖ εμειναν (plural) D E Φ TR RP ‖ lac A O P Z 0233 0281. The Sahidic Coptic has
the plural, but it also has "Sodom and Gomorrah" preceding rather than solely Sodom. The
scribes of the Greek manuscripts that wrote the plural perhaps were hearing "Sodom and
Gomorrah" in their heads. Or, the plural could mean "the people of Sodom" would remain
until today, which has its difficulties. Note that the JV says "it would have remained…"
probably following the Latin Vulgate and/or the Douay & Rheims. The Wycliffe, Tyndale,
Geneva, and Bishops' Bibles all say "they."
145
12:1 This was the allowable practice of "plucking the heads," see Deuteronomy 23:24, 25,
"If you enter your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat grapes until you are fully satisfied, but
do not put any in a container. If you enter your neighbor's grain field, you may pluck the
heads with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to your neighbor's standing grain."
But, the Mishnah and Tradition of the Elders forbade: “MISHNA II.: The principal acts of
labor (prohibited on the Sabbath) are forty less one--viz.: Sowing, ploughing, reaping,
binding into sheaves, threshing, winnowing, fruit-cleaning, grinding, sifting, kneading,
baking, wool-shearing, bleaching, combing, dyeing, spinning, warping, making two spindle-
trees, weaving two threads, separating two threads (in the warp), tying a knot, untying a
knot, sewing on with two stitches, tearing in order to sew together with two stitches,
hunting deer, slaughtering the same, skinning them, salting them, preparing the hide,
scraping the hair off, cutting it, writing two (single) letters (characters), erasing in order to
write two letters, building, demolishing (in order to rebuild), kindling, extinguishing (fire),
hammering, transferring from one place into another. These are the principal acts of labor-
-forty less one.”
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Talmud/shabbat7.html
146
12:2 The Greek word translated "permissible" is the impersonal participle ἔξεστιν, which
is derived from the same root as ἐξουσία, the word for authority. If an activity was ἔξεστιν,
that means it was "loosed," or ruled by the rabbis to be something "allowed" by the Torah.
If something was not ἔξεστιν, as is the case here, that means it was "bound," that is, the
Matthew
³And he said to them, "Have you not read what David did, when he
and those with him were hungry? ⁴How he entered the house of God, and
the loaves of offering he ate,147 which for him was not permissible to eat,
neither for those with him, but only for the priests? ⁵Or haven't you read in
the Torah that on the Sabbath the priests can, in the temple, desecrate the
Sabbath, and yet are innocent? ⁶And I tell you, something greater than the
temple is here.148 ⁷But if you had known what this means: 'I desire mercy,
not sacrifice,'149 you would not have condemned the innocent. ⁸For the Son
of Man is lord of the Sabbath."150
⁹And going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, ¹⁰and
behold, a man with a shriveled hand. 151 And they questioned him, in order
that they might accuse him, saying, "Is it permissible to heal on the
Sabbath?"
¹¹Then he said to them, "Is there anyone among you who, if he has
one sheep, and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and
lift? ¹²And how much more valuable is a human being than a sheep!
Therefore, it is permissible to do good on the Sabbath."
¹³Then he says to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it
out, and it was restored, just as sound as the other. ¹⁴And the Pharisees
went out and began to plot against him, as to how they might kill him.
Crowds Follow Jesus

¹⁵But being aware of this, Jesus departed from there, and many
crowds152 followed him, and he healed them all, ¹⁶and ordered them not to
make him manifest, ¹⁷so that the thing spoken through the prophet Isaiah
might be fulfilled, which says:
rabbis had adjudged that it was forbidden by the Torah.

147
12:4 txt εφαγεν ο ⁷⁰ D W itaur,ff²*,k,q TH ‖ εφαγεν ους C E L N Σ Φ 0233 it vg syrh copsa
Eus Chr TR RP ‖ εφαγον ους ℵ ‖ εφαγον ο B SBL NA28 {\} ‖ lac A P Z 0281
148
12:6 God said, "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." The goal of the
commandment was holiness. In the temple, it was always holy. It was holy in the temple
every day, not just on the seventh day. When you are in the holy of holies in the temple,
there are no holy days. The temple, its configuration and materials and form, were a
pattern of the body of Christ. When we are in Christ, we are in the Holy of Holies. There,
there are no days holier than others, for everything is holy. In this passage, Jesus said,
"Something greater than the temple is here." That something is the body of Christ.
149
12:7 Hosea 6:6
150
12:8 txt εστιν ℵ B C D E L W Σ 0233 syrc,p copsa arm eth Or Cyr Tert RP SBL TH NA28 {\}
‖ εστιν και itf vg syrh TR ‖ εστιν ο υιος του ανθρωπου και του σαββατου Φ ‖ lac A P Z 0281
151
12:10 txt ανθρωπος χειρα εχων ℵ Β C W SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ανθρωπος ην την χειρα εχων
TR RP ‖ ην εκει ανθρωπος την χειρα εχων E ‖ ανθρωπος ην εκει εχων την χειρα N Σ 0233 ‖
ην ανθρωπος εκει την χειρα εχων Φ ‖ ανθρωπος ην εκει την χειρα εχων D L ‖ lac A P Z 0281
152
12:15 txt οχλοι πολλοι C D E L Nc W Σ Φ 0281 itd,f,h,(q) syrp,h copsams arm (eth) geo Or
Eus½ Chrys (Hil) TR RP TH [NA28 οχλοι] {C} ‖ πολλοι οχλοι 0233 ‖ πολλοι ℵ B
ita,aur,b,ff¹,ff²,g¹,k,l vg (syrc,s) Eus½ Chr Jer Aug SBL ‖ οχλοι N* ‖ lac A P Z
Matthew
¹⁸"Behold, my servant whom I
have chosen,
my beloved, in whom my soul
is well pleased;
I will put my Spirit upon him,
and he will announce
righteous judgment
to the nations.
¹⁹He will not quarrel or cry out;
nor will anyone hear his voice in

the streets.
²⁰A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will

not snuff out,
till he leads righteous judgment
to victory.
²¹And in his name the Gentiles will
put their hope."153
Jesus and Baalzibbul

²²Then a demonized man who was blind and mute was brought to
him, and he healed him so that the mute man 154 spoke and saw. ²³And all
the multitudes were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of
David?"155
²⁴But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "Only by Ba'al-
zibbul,156 the ruler of the demons, is this fellow driving out the demons."
153
12:21 Isaiah 42:1-4
154
12:22 txt κωφον ℵ* B D cop SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ κωφον και ℵ² ‖ κωφον και τυφλον W ‖
τυφλον και κωφον 0281 arm ‖ τυφλον και κωφον και C E N Φ syrh TR RP ‖ κωφον και
τυφλον και L Σ 0233 ‖ lac A P Z
155
Mt 12:23 The Traditions of the Elders and Pharisaic teaching declared that 3 steps were
required in order to cast out a demon: 1, talk with demon, 2, find out its name, 3, cast it out
by name. So then, they could not cast out a demon if the person or demon did not speak.
Thus it was considered a sure sign of being the Messiah, if someone cast a demon out of a
mute person.
156
12:24 txt βεελζεβουλ ²¹ C D E (L) N W Σ Φ 0233vid 0281 it syrh (copsa,mae) TR RP SBL
TH NA28 {\} ‖ Βεεζεβουλ ℵ B ‖ Beelzebub (itff1) vg syrs,c,p ‖ lac A P Z. The spelling Βεελζεβουβ
would represent the Hebrew ‫ בעל זְ בּוב‬- baʿal zəbȗb as found in II Kings 1:2, and means
"Baal (Lord) of flies." The spelling Beelzeboúl - ‫ – בעל זְ בּול‬baʿal zəbȗl would mean "lord of
filth." "Ba'al." means Lord or Prince. Baal was a Canaanite god, the son of Dagon, the god
of grain. Baal was the bull prince, the bull being a symbol of fertility. Baalzebub, as in the
Hebrew text of II Kings 1:2, is a derisive alteration of Baalzibbul meaning "Prince of flies."
In this way the followers of Yahweh made fun of Baal. Later the name Baalzebub became
associated with the Aramaic Beeldebaba, "enemy." Thus the conflation of Baalzebub and
Matthew
²⁵But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, "Every kingdom

divided against itself will be desolated, and every city or house divided
against itself will not stand. ²⁶And if Satan is driving out Satan, he is
divided against himself, so how will his kingdom stand?
²⁷"And if I am driving out the demons by Baal-zibbul, by whom are
your disciples driving them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. ²⁸But
if I am driving out the demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of
God has come upon you.
²⁹"Or how can anyone enter the house of the strong man and carry
away his things, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will
plunder his house.
³⁰"The person who is not with me is against me, and the one who does
not gather with me is scattering.
³¹"Therefore I tell you, all kinds of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven
people, but the blasphemy of the Spirit will not be forgiven. ³²And whoever
speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks
against the Holy Spirit, that will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in
the one to come.
³³"Either call the tree good and its fruit good, or call the tree bad and
its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit.157
³⁴"You spawn of vipers, how are you able to speak good things, since
you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. ³⁵The
good person brings forth good things out of his treasure of good,158 and the
evil person brings forth evil out of his treasure of evil. ³⁶And I tell you,
every idle word which human beings will speak, they will have to give an
explanation for it on the day of judgment. ³⁷For out of your words you will
be justified, and out of your words you will be condemned."
The Sign of Jonah

³⁸Then some of the Torah scholars and Pharisees responded to him
saying, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."
³⁹But he answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous
generation asks for a miraculous sign. And no sign will be given to it except
the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰For as Jonah was three days and three
Beeldebaba, "Beelzebub," came to be a name for Satan. To avoid confusion in all the names,
this author thought it best to revert to the original form of the name.
157
12:33 Compare Gospel of Thomas, saying 43: “His disciples said to him, ‘Who are You, that
You should say these things to us?’ [Jesus said to them,] ‘You do not realize who I am from
what I say to you, but you have become like the Jews; for they (either) love the tree and
hate its fruit or love the fruit and hate the tree.’” Jesus likened himself to a tree, and his
sayings and his deeds were the fruit of that tree. Some people liked his deeds, but not him.
Some liked him, but not his sayings, etc. But if a tree’s fruit is good, it is a good tree.
158
12:35b txt αγαθου θησαυρου ℵ B C D E N W Σ Φ lat syrp,h cop Ormss Did Chr RP SBL TH
NA28 {\} ‖ αγαθου θησαυρου της καρδιας itf*,ff² vgmss syrc arm eth Clem Ormss TR ‖ αγαθου
θησαυρου της καρδιας αυτου L ‖ lac A P Z 0233 0281
Matthew
nights in the belly of the huge sea creature, so the Son of Man will be three
days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
⁴¹ "Men of Nineveh will rise at the judgment with this generation and
condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold,
something greater than Jonah is here. ⁴²The Queen of the South will be
resurrected at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she
came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and
behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
⁴³"Now when an unclean spirit comes out from a human being, it
goes through waterless places, seeking rest, and does not find it. ⁴⁴Then it
says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it arrives, it
finds the house standing empty, swept clean and put in order. ⁴⁵Then it
goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they
enter inside and live there. And the final condition of that human is worse
than the first. That is also how it will be with this evil generation."
Jesus' Mother and Brothers

⁴⁶While he was still speaking to the crowd, behold, his mother and
brothers had been standing outside, wanting to talk to him. ⁴⁷And someone
said to him, "Behold, your mother and your brothers have been standing
outside, wanting to talk to you."
⁴⁸And he replied to the one who informed him, and said, "Who is my
mother, and who are my brothers?" ⁴⁹And extending his hand toward his
disciples, he said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers. ⁵⁰For whoever does
the will of my Father in heaven, that person is my brother and sister and
mother."
Chapter 13
The Parable of the Sower
¹That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the lake.
²And such large crowds gathered around him, he got into a boat 159 to sit in
it, and all the people stood on the shore.
³And he spoke many things to them in parables, and said: "Behold,
the sower went out to sow. ⁴And as he sowed, some seed fell beside the
159
13:2 txt πλοιον ℵ B C L W Z Σ SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ το πλοιον D E Φ TR RP ‖ lac A N P 0233
0281. Note that the Textus Receptus contains the definite article with "boat," but the
English translations based on the TR do not say "the boat" but rather "a boat / a ship." See
the Geneva Bible, Tyndale, Bishops' Bible, the KJV, and the NKJV, which all say "a" not
"the." This is because the definite article in Greek does not necessarily mean "the" in
English. The article here is not anaphoric, as it cannot be referring back to a known boat,
since there is no boat mentioned previously in the context. The article cannot be referring
to "the only" boat, because there were several boats owned by the disciples, besides the
fact that other people could have had boats on hand.
Matthew
way,160 and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵And other seed fell on the
rocky spots, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly,
because it did not have depth of soil. ⁶And when the sun came up, it was
scorched, and because it had no root, it dried up. ⁷And others fell on the
thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸And others fell on the
good soil, and yielded fruit, one a hundredfold, the other sixty, and another
thirty. ⁹Let the one who has ears, hear."161
The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹⁰And the disciples came to him and said to him, "Why do you speak
to them in parables?"
¹¹And he answered and said to them, "To you it has been granted to
know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been
granted. ¹²For to the one who has, it will be given, and he will have an
abundance. As for the one who does not have, even what he has will be
taken away from him. ¹³For this reason I speak to them in parables, that
'Though looking they do not see,

and though listening
they neither hear nor understand.'
¹⁴In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:
'With an ear you will hear

and never understand;
and looking, you will see,
and not at all perceive.
¹⁵For this people's heart
has become impervious;

they hardly hear with the ears,
and they have shut up their eyes,
lest they see with the eyes
and hear with the ears
and understand with the heart,
and turn,
160
13:4 Or possibly, "beside the row." The way or road for seed is the row.
161
13:9 txt ωτα ℵ* B L ita,e,ff¹,k syrs SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ ωτα ακουειν ℵ² C D E N O W Z Σ Φ
itaur,b,d,f,g¹,h,l,π,q vg syrc,p,h copsa,mae arm eth geo Diatessarm Just Docetists and Naacenesacc to
Hipp Chrys Jer Spec TR RP ‖ lac A P 0233 0281
Matthew
and I would heal them.'162
¹⁶"But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears, because
they hear. ¹⁷For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous ones longed
to see what you are seeing, but did not see it, and to hear what you are
hearing, but did not hear it.
¹⁸ "Hear then the parable of the sower: ¹⁹When anyone hears the word
of the kingdom and does not understand, the evil one comes and snatches
away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown beside the way.
²⁰And what was sown on the rocky spots, this is someone who hears the
word and immediately with joy receives it. ²¹But having no root in himself,
he is alive only a short time. For when tribulation comes, or persecution
because of the word, he quickly falls away. ²²And what was sown in the
thorns, this is someone who hears the word, and the worry of the world, 163
and the seductiveness of wealth 164 choke the word, and it becomes
unfruitful. ²³And what was sown on the good soil, this is someone who
hears the word and understands, who does bear fruit and produces; one a
hundredfold, the other sixty, and another thirty."
The Parable of the Look-alike Weeds

²⁴He put before them another parable, as follows: "The kingdom of
heaven is likened to a man sowing good seed in his field. ²⁵But while the
people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed zizania 165 in between the
162
13:15 Isaiah 6:9,10; This and other quotes of the Old Testament may differ from what
your English Old Testament says, because your Old Testament was translated mainly from
the Masoretic Text. When the gospels writers were recalling the words of Jesus, the
differences between how they say Jesus quoted the O.T. and what our Old Testament says
could be because they were quoting from the Septuagint, which is the Greek translation of
the Hebrew Old Testament, done a couple hundred years before Christ. Or, they were
quoting from the Hebrew text from which the Septuagint was translated from, but now
does not exist because of the Masoretes standardizing all the Hebrew texts.
163
13:22a txt του αιωνος ℵ* B D ita,d,e,ff²,g¹,h,k copsams arm SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ του αιωνος
τουτου ℵ¹ C E L N W Σ Φ itaur,b,f,ff¹,l,q vg syr copsamss,mae¹+² Or TR RP ‖ lac A P Z 0233 0281
164
13:22 Or "deceitfulness of wealth." I see two possible interpretations of this. One, that
wealth is seductive, and draws the poor toward it and away from the kingdom. Two, is that
it is talking about those who obtain wealth in this world, and they are deceived into
thinking that they are wealthy.
165
13:25 Greek: ζιζάνιο - zizania, a grass plant in Palestine that looked like wheat in every
way, except until the head of seed appeared, because the zizania seed heads were different
from the wheat heads. The zizania grain was not good for anything. The King James
Version rendered ζιζάνιον as the English word "tare," a word probably descended from the
Arabic tarhah, (noun) or tarahah, (verb), the basic meaning of which is transferred to the
English word "tare." To "tare" goods is to ascertain the difference between the gross
quantity and the net, to ascertain the quantity of the useful, and throw away the damaged
goods, along with the packaging, the pallets, and whatever other deleterious material may
be found with it. This word "tare' was first chosen as an English translation of ζιζάνιον for
revisions of John Wycliffe's NT, and the word was made the standard by Mr. John Purvey, in
his 1388 revision of the Wycliffe New Testament, and subsequently was adopted for use in
Tyndale's and all English Bible translations of the 1500's and 1600's. Purvey chose the word
Matthew
wheat, and went away. ²⁶And when the wheat grass had sprung up and
formed seed,166 at that same time the zizania became apparent.
²⁷"So the owner's servants came to him and said to him, 'Sir, you
sowed good seed in your field, did you not? How then does it have
zizania?'
²⁸"And he said to them, 'A hateful person did this.'
"And the servants say to him, 'Do you want us to go out, then, and collect
them?'
²⁹"But he says, 'No, in case while collecting the zizania you uproot the
wheat along with them. ³⁰Leave both to grow together until the harvest,
and at the time of harvest I will tell the reapers: Collect the zizania first and
tie them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.' "
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast

³¹Another parable he put before them, and said, "The kingdom of
heaven is like a mustard seed, which a person took and sowed in his
garden, ³²which indeed is smaller than all the seeds, but when it grows, it
becomes a tree, larger than all the herbs, such that the birds of the sky come
and nest in its branches."
³³He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast,
which a woman took and buried into three measures 167 of dough, until the
whole batch was leavened."
³⁴Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables; indeed he
would typically speak nothing168 to them without a parable, ³⁵so that the
thing spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, which says:
"I will open my mouth in parables,

I will utter things hidden
since the creation of the world."169 170
tare because the tare vetch was a common weed problem among the plants of the England
of his day. The seeds of the tare vetch had to be removed from the seed corn after harvest.
But the tare vetch did not resemble the corn plant at all. The Greek word translated in this
parable as "wheat" could mean either corn or wheat, but the plant zizanium resembled
wheat, not corn. I concluded that the word "tare" is not appropriate here for three
reasons; One, its meaning does not include the look-alike trait of the plant; Two, the word
now refers to a vetch that is cultivated with oats for use as fodder, unlike the useless
zizanium; and Three, it is a word too seldom used for most people to understand.
166
13:26 Greek: fruit
167
13:33 Greek: three sata, about 5 gallons, or 22 liters.
168
13:34 txt ουδεν ℵ* B C W Σ itf syrh copsa SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ουκ ℵ² D E L Φ 0233 lat syrc,p
TR RP ‖ lac A N P Z 0281
169
13:35a txt καταβολης κοσμου ℵ*,² C D E L O W Σ Φ 0233 lat syrp,h cop arm geo Clem Ps-
Clem Chryslem Hesych Hil Jer½ TR RP [NA28 κοσμου] {C} ‖ καταβολης ℵ¹ B ite,k eth Or Jer½
Eus SBL TH ‖ αρχης syrc,s ‖ lac A N P Z 0281. Ps 77:2 LXX: ἀνοίξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὸ στόμα
μου, φθέγξομαι προβλήματα ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς. NETS: "I will open my mouth in a parable, I will
Matthew
The Parable of the Look-alike Weeds Explained

³⁶Then, leaving the crowds, he went into the house. And his disciples
came to him and said, "Explain to us the parable of zizania in the field."
³⁷And he answered and said, "The one sowing the good seed is the
Son of Man, ³⁸and the field is the world, and the good seed, these are the
children of the kingdom. The zizania are the children of the evil one, ³⁹and
the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age,
and the reapers are angels.
⁴⁰"And as the zizania are collected and consumed by fire, so it will be
at the end of the age.171 ⁴¹The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they
will collect out of his kingdom all the things that lead to sin and those who
practice lawlessness; ⁴²and they will throw them into the furnace of fire.
There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³At that time, the
righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let
the one who has ears, hear.172
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

⁴⁴"The173 kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which
when a man found it, he hid it again. Then out of his joy he goes and sells
what things he has, and buys that field.
⁴⁵"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant who was looking
for fine pearls. ⁴⁶And174 when he found a single valuable pearl, he went
away and sold every thing that he had and bought it.
The Parable of the Net

⁴⁷"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea and
catching every kind of fish, ⁴⁸which when full, the fishers pulled up onto the
shore, and sitting down, they collected the good kinds into baskets, but
threw away the bad. ⁴⁹This is how it will be at the end of the age. The
utter problems from of old"

170
13:35b Psalm 78:2, except that the context in Psalms speaks of things "we HAVE heard
and known." The quotation resembles the Septuagint more than the Hebrew.
171
13:40b txt αιωνος ℵ B D lat syrs,c copsa,mae arm eth Irlat Or Cyr SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ αιωνος
τουτου C L P W Σ Φ 0106 0233 0242 0250 itf,h,q syrp,h copsams TR RP ‖ lac A N Z 0281
172
13:43 txt ωτα ℵ* B 0242 ita,b,e,k vg Hil Aug SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ ωτα ακουειν ℵ² C D E L N O P
W Σ Φ 0106 0233 0250 itaur,d,f,ff¹,g¹,h,l,q vgcl syrc,s,p,h,pal copsa,mae,fay arm eth geo Diatessarm
Or Chr Pelag TR RP ‖ lac A Z 0281
173
13:44 txt ομοια ℵ B D 0242 lat syrs,c cop eth SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ παλιν ομοια C E L N P W Σ
Φ 0106 0233 0250 itf,h,q syrp,(h) arm Orlem TR RP ‖ lac A Z 0281
174
13:46 txt ευρων δε ℵ B D L 0233 0242vid ith vg syrc,p cop SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ος ευρων C E N
P W Σ Φ 0106 0250 itf,(q) syrh TR RP ‖ lac A Z 0281
Matthew
angels will go forth and will separate the evil ones from out of the midst of
the righteous, ⁵⁰and throw them into the furnace of fire. There will be
weeping there, and gnashing of teeth."
⁵¹Jesus said to them,175 "Have you understood all these things?"
They are saying to him, "Yes, Lord."176

⁵²And he said to them, "Therefore every Torah scholar discipled
into177 the kingdom of heaven is like a person who owns a house, who puts
forward out of his treasure room items both new and old."
A Prophet Without Honor

⁵³And it came about that when Jesus had finished these parables, he
moved on from there. ⁵⁴And coming into his home town, he taught them in
their synagogue, such that they were astounded, and said, "Where did this
man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? ⁵⁵Isn't this the son of
the carpenter? Isn't his mother named Mary, and his brothers Jacob and
Joseph178and Simon and Judah? ⁵⁶And aren't all his sisters here with us?
Where then did this man get all these things?" ⁵⁷And they were offended by
him.
And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his
home town, and among his relatives."
⁵⁸And he did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.
Chapter 14
John the Baptizer Beheaded
¹At that time, Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus, ²and
said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptizer! He is risen from the dead,
and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him!"
³Now Herod had arrested John, and bound him, and put him away in
prison, because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. ⁴For John had been
saying to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." ⁵And though wanting
175
13:51a txt λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους συνηκατε C E L N W Σ Φ 0233 itf,h,q syrc,p,h (ita vgmss
copmae¹+²) TR RP ‖ συνηκατε ℵ B D lat syrs copsa SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ lac A P Z 0281
176
13:51b txt ναι κυριε C E L N W Σ Φ 0233 it syrp,h cop TR RP ‖ ναι ℵ B D lat syrs,c SBL TH
NA28 {\} ‖ lac A P Z 0281 copmae²
177
13:52 txt εις την βασιλειαν E L Φ pm itg¹ TR RP ‖ την βασιλειαν 0233 ‖ εν τη βασιλεια D lat
geo Irlat Aug ‖ τη βασιλεια ℵ B C N W Σ 0281vid ite,k syr cop arm SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ lac A P Z. I
perceive from the reading of 0233 that the ending of the word prior to the εις of the TR RP
reading is the same: i.e.: μαθητευθεις εις, which perhaps caused some copyists to overlook
one of the occurences of εις. This is why I have chosen the TR RP reading for my text.
178
13:55 txt ιωσηφ ℵ¹ B C N O Σ ita,aur,b,ff¹,ff²,g¹,h,l,q* vg syrc,s,hmg,pal copmae¹+² Orpt Eus Bas Jer
Aug SBL TH NA28 {Β} ‖ ιωσης L W Φ 0106 pm itk,qc syrp? copsa,fay arm ethro? Chrys TR RP ‖
ιωση syrh ‖ ιωαννης ℵ* D E pm itd vgmss Orpt ‖ __]ης ¹⁰³ ‖ Iohannes et Ioseph vgmss ‖ lac A P Z
0233 0281
Matthew
to kill him, he feared the crowd, because they regarded him as a prophet.
⁶And when Herod's birthday celebration took place,179 the daughter
of Herodias 180 danced among them, and she pleased Herod; ⁷for which
reason he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask for.
⁸So after being instructed by her mother, she says, "Give me here on a
platter the head of John the Baptizer."
⁹Though greatly distressed,181 the king because of his words of oath 182
and those reclining with him, commanded that it be given, ¹⁰and sent orders
and beheaded John in the prison. ¹¹And his head was brought on a platter
and given to the girl, and she carried it to her mother. ¹²And his disciples
came and took the corpse183 and buried him.184 Then they went and told
Jesus.
Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

¹³And hearing this, Jesus went away from there, in a boat, to a remote
place by himself. And the crowds heard, and followed him on foot from the
towns.
¹⁴And when he got out, he saw the large crowd, and was moved with
compassion for them, and healed their sick.
¹⁵Now as evening came on, the disciples came to him, saying, "The
place is remote, and the hour is already late. Therefore, dismiss the crowds,
179
14:6a txt γενεσιοις δε γενομενοις ℵ B D L Z SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ γενεσιων δε γενομενων C N
Σ ‖ γενεσιων δε αγομενων Ec (E* -νον) W Φ 0106 TR RP ‖ lac A P 0233 0281
180
14:6b It is difficult to follow Herod's family tree. But this is little wonder, the way they
fornicated, adulterated, and married relatives. For example, who was Herodias' first
husband? But the following is what can be distilled from all accounts. Herodias' first
husband, named Philip in the Bible and Herod in Josephus, was also known as Herod Philip.
That's all. They were the same man. Herodias then divorced Herod Philip and married
Herod Antipas, who was Herod Philip's half brother (the father of both was Herod I, king of
Judea, 4 B.C., who had eight wives in his lifetime. Herod Philip's mother was Mariamne II,
the third wife, and Herod Antipas' mother was Malthake, the fourth wife). Josephus says
that Herodias already had a daughter named Salome before she married Herod Antipas (p
485 of The Works of Josephus, trans. William Whiston, Hendrickson, 1988; or Antiquities book
18, chapter 5, secs. 136,137). I am confident that the dancer in question was Salome, the
daughter of Herod's wife Herodias. (FYI: Salome later married another Philip, who was yet
another half-brother of Herod Antipas, this time by Herod I's fifth wife, Cleopatra. So
Salome lived with her father for a while, then lived with her half-uncle, then married a
different half-uncle.)
181
14:9a txt λυπηθεις ο βασιλευς δια B D ita,b,d,ff¹,ff²,g¹,h vgmss eth SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ ελυπηθη
ο βασιλευς δια L* ‖ ___]δια δε Z ‖ ελυπηθη ο βασιλευς δια δε ℵ C E Lc W Σ Φ 0106 itaur,f,k,l,q
vg syrc,s,p,h copsa,mae,fay arm geo Jer TR RP ‖ lac A N P 0233 0281
182
14:9b The Greek for oath is in the plural, an idiomatic pluralization of abstract topics that
frequently serves as a designation of concrete phenomena. 'Deaths,' for example, would
mean "ways of dying," or "cases of death." Here it would mean something like "words of
oath." Other examples are Matthew 14:9 and Luke 5:21.
183
14:12a txt πτωμα ℵ B C D L Σ ite,k syrs,c,p SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ σωμα E W Φ 0106 syrh
copsa,mae TR RP ‖ lac A N P Z 0233 0281
184
14:12b txt αυτον ℵ* B 0106 ita,ff¹ SBL TH NA28 (αυτο[ν]) {\} ‖ αυτο ℵ² C D E L W Σ Φ lat
TR RP ‖ lac A N P Z 0233 0281
Matthew
so they can go away into the villages and buy food for themselves."
¹⁶But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. You give
them something to eat."
¹⁷But they are saying to him, "We have nothing here except five
loaves and two fish."
¹⁸And he said, "Bring them here to me." ¹⁹And having directed the
crowds to recline on the grass, he takes185 the five loaves and the two fish,
and looking up to heaven, he blessed God. And after he broke the loaves, he
gave them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds.
²⁰And all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up the extra of the
fragments, twelve large baskets186 full. ²¹Now the ones eating were about
five thousand men, without187 women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Water

²²And he188 immediately ordered his disciples to get into the boat and
go on ahead of him to the other side, while he would dismiss the crowds.
²³And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up into the mountain by
himself to pray. And as evening came on he was alone there.
²⁴The boat was now in the middle of the lake,189 being battered by the
waves, because the wind was contrary. ²⁵And in the fourth watch190 of the
night he went out toward them, walking on the lake. ²⁶And when the
disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, "It's a
ghost!" And they cried out in fear.
²⁷Jesus immediately spoke to them and said: "Take heart, it is I. Don't
be afraid."
185
14:19 txt λαβων B C² E L P Σ Φ copsa Or AN BG RP SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ και λαβων ℵ C* W
067 itff¹,h arm TR ‖ ελαβεν D ‖ lac A N 073 0233 0281
186
14:20 κόφινος (kóphinos) a large, heavy basket for carrying things. Interestingly, the
baskets used in the feeding of the 4,000 later on were a smaller basket. In the accounts of
the feeding of the 5,000, all four gospels use the Greek word kóphinos, but in the account of
the feeding of the 4,000 all two of the gospels that contain the event used the Greek word
σπυρίς. A kophinos was used for many things, including carrying manure, while a spuris
was a smaller basket used for carrying edibles.
187
14:21 The Greek word for "without" in Matthew 14:21 is χωρίς (chōrís), which generally
means "without, apart from." Here it could mean "besides, in addition to, not counting."
But it is also possible that there were no women and children present at all. See the
endnote about this, which discusses the possibilities in greater detail.
188
14:22 txt ηναγκασεν ℵ B C* D P W Σ Φ lat syrc,p,h cop arm eth Or Chr SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖
ηναγκασεν ο ιησους E L vgms TR RP ‖ lac A N Z 073 0233 0281. This variant of the name Jesus
present versus absent is very common, and is probably due to the scriptures being broken
up into lections, or sections for reading at different times. It was probably the necessity to
revise the text to make clear who was being talked about, since the earlier context was not
included in the lection.
189
14:24 μεσον της θαλασσης ην ℵ C E L P W Σ Φ 073 0106 (lat) syrh ethRO,PP Or Chryslem
Chrom Jer Aug TR RP TH ‖ ην εις μεσον της θαλασσης D ‖ ην μεσον της θαλασσης itd,e,ff¹
(Eus) ‖ απεχειν απο της γης ικανους syrc,p? ‖ σταδιους πολλους απο της γης απειχεν B
(copsa) SBL NA28 {C} ‖ lac A N Z 0233 0281
190
14:25 Between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Matthew
²⁸And Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it's you, order me to
come to you on the water."
²⁹And he said, "Come."
And Peter got down out of the boat and walked on the water, and
went toward191 Jesus. ³⁰But when he saw the violent wind,192 he became
afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"
³¹And immediately Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him, and
says to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"
³²And when they had climbed193 into the boat, the wind died down.
³³Then those in the boat worshipped194 him, saying, "You truly are the Son
of God."
³⁴And once they had crossed over, they came ashore195 at Gennesaret.
³⁵And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent word into that
whole area, and they brought to him all those who were sick. ³⁶And they
were entreating him that they could just touch the tassel of his cloak; and as
many as touched were completely healed.
Chapter 15
Clean and Unclean
¹Then some Pharisees and Torah scholars from196 Jerusalem come to
Jesus, saying, ²"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? 197
191
14:29 txt και ηλθεν B C*vid syrc,s arm geo Chrys SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ ηλθεν copsa ‖ ελθειν
ηλθεν ουν ℵ* ‖ ελθειν ℵ² C² D E L P W Σ Φ 073vid 0106 latt syrp,h,pal copmae,(fay) eth Or Bas
Gaud Chrom TR RP ‖ lac A N Z 0233 0281. Possibly the Greek exemplar for the Sahidic
Coptic read ελθειν and the translator(s) interpreted it as an "infinitive of result."
192
14:30 txt ανεμον ισχυρον B² C D E L P Σ Φ 0106 latt syr arm eth geo Or Bas Chrys Gaud
Chrom Jer Aug TR RP SBL TH NA28 [ισχυρον] {C} ‖ ανεμον ισχυρον σφοδρα W (copmae¹) ‖
ανεμον ℵ B* 073 vgms copsa,mae²,fay ‖ lac A N Z 0233 0281
193
14:32 txt αναβαντων αυτων ℵ B D 073 syrh Or Cyr SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ εμβαντων αυτων C E
L N P W Σ Φ 0106 TR RP ‖ εμβαντι αυτω (it vgs) syrc copsams,mae ‖ lac A Z 0233 0281
194
14:33 txt προσεκυνησαν ℵ B C N Σ 073 itff¹ SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ οντες προσεκυνησαν copsa ‖
ελθοντες προσεκυνησαν D E L P W Φ 0106 lat syrp,h copmae TR RP ‖ προσελθοντες
προσεκυνησαν syrs,c ‖ lac A Z 0233 0281
195
14:34 txt επι την γην εις ℵ B D W Φ 073 0106 syrh SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ επι την γην C N Σ ite ‖
εις την γην E L P lat TR RP ‖ lac A Z 0233 0281.
196
15:1 txt απο ℵ B D cop Ortwice SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ οι απο C E L N P W Σ Φ 0106 TR RP ‖ lac
A Z 0233 028
197
15:2 Ezra had set up a group of men called the Sopherim, whose task it was to teach the
Torah to the people. This was well and good. But the Sopherim decided that to make
absolutely sure that no one broke one of the 613 Mosaic laws, they would make a “fence”
around those 613 laws by making some more finely tuned laws, which, if people obeyed
these latter, they would be assured of not even getting close to breaking one of the 613
Torah laws. The Sopherim (scribes) acknowledged that only the Torah was authoritative,
and that their “fence” laws could be debated. A few generations later, other teachers of the
law arose, called the Tanaim. These made another fence around the fence laws of the
Sopherim. Now, however, the Tanaim’s laws were considered debatable, but the laws of the
Sopherim were considered as final authority. Into this situation Jesus Christ was born,
where the laws of the Sopherim were considered greater in authority than the actual
Matthew
For they do not wash their hands when they eat."

³And in response he said to them, "And you, why do you break the
command of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴For God said,198 'Honor
father199 and mother' and 'The one who curses father or mother must be put
to death.' ⁵But you say, whoever says to father or mother: 'Whatever you
might be owed from me is a gift vowed to God,' ⁶he will not at all200 honor his
father or his mother201 with it, and you have annulled the word202 of God for
the sake of your tradition.
⁷"You hypocrites! Isaiah has prophesied rightly about you, in saying,
8" 'This people draw near to me with their mouth, 203

and honor me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me.
9They worship me in vain,
teaching as Torah
the decrees of human beings.'204
¹⁰And calling the crowd forward, he said to them, "Listen, and

understand: ¹¹The thing entering into the mouth does not make a human
being unclean, but rather the thing coming forth out of the mouth, that is
what makes the human being unclean."
Torah. In fact, where the “fence” laws conflicted with the Torah, the “fence” laws were
considered to have priority. These laws were called the Mishnah, or the Oral Law, or here
called the Tradition of the Elders. You were considered to have sinned if you broke one of
them, just as if you had broken one of the laws of Moses.
198
15:4a txt ειπεν ℵ²a B D 073 ita,aur,b,d,e,ff¹,ff²,g¹,l,q vg syrs,c,p,hmg copsa,mae¹+²,fay arm eth geo
Diatesssyr Ptol Irlat Or Amphil Cyr Ambrosiast Chrom Jer Aug SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ ενετειλατο
λεγων ℵ*,²b C E L N W Σ Φ 0106 itf syrh (Chr) TR RP ‖ lac A P Z 0233 0281
199
15:4b txt τον πατερα ℵ B C* D E 073 pm ite,ff¹,g¹ vg eth Orpt Cyr Chrys Ir AN HF BG RP SBL
TH NA28 {\} τον πατερα σου C² L N W Σ Φ pm it> vgww syr copsa arm Ptol Orpt TR ‖ lac A P Z
0233 0281
200
15:5b txt ου μη ℵ B C D 073 syrc copsa,mae¹ eth Cyr Or SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ και ου μη E L N W
Σ Φ 0106 0233 lat syrp,h arm Jer TR RP ‖ omit και ου μη τιμηση τον πατερα αυτου η την
μητερα αυτου copmae² ‖ lac A P Z 0281
201
15:5c txt τον πατερα αυτου η την μητερα αυτου C E L N W Σ 0106 0233 itaur,f,ff¹ vg(mss),cl
syrp,h eth geoA (Diatesssyr) Chrys Cyr⅖ (⅕) Chrom TR RP ‖ τον πατερα αυτου και την
μητερα αυτου Φ itq copmae¹ (itb syrs) ‖ τον πατερα αυτου η την μητερα 073 itff²,g¹,l vgst Cyr⅖
Jer ‖ τον πατερα η την μητερα αυτου geoB (Diatessarm) Or Ambrosiaster ‖ τον πατερα αυτου
ℵ B D ita,d,e syrc copsa geo2A Orlat Aug SBL TH NA28 {C} ‖ omit και ου μη τιμηση τον πατερα
αυτου η την μητερα αυτου copmae² ‖ lac A P Z 0281
202
15:6 txt τον λογον ℵ²a B D ita,b,d,e,ff¹,(ff²) syrs,c,p,hmg copsa,mae arm eth geo¹,B Irlat Orpt Eus
Chrom SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ τον νομον ℵ*,²b C 073 Ptol ‖ την εντολην E L N W Σ Φ 0106 0233
itaur,f,g¹,l,q vg syrh copmae² geoA Did Orpt Chrys Cyr Cyr TR RP ‖ lac A P Z 0281
203
15:8 txt εγγιζει μοι ο λαος ουτος τω στοματι αυτων και C Ec (E* ουτως) N W Σ Φ 0106 itf,q
syrh TR RP ‖ ο λαος ουτος ℵ B D L 073 0233 lat syrs,c,p copsa,mae¹+² arm eth Cl Or Did SBL TH
NA28 {\} ‖ lac A P Z 0281. The longer reading seems to be a harmonization to the LXX text
of Isaiah 29:13 in Codex Vaticanus, according to Weiss.
204
15:9 Isaiah 29:13
Matthew
¹²Then the disciples came and are saying to him, "Do you know that
the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?"
¹³And he in answer said, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has
not planted will be uprooted. ¹⁴Leave them; they are blind leaders of the
blind. And if a blind person leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit."
¹⁵And in response Peter said to him, "Explain the parable to us."
¹⁶And he205 said, "Are you also this unintelligent? ¹⁷Do you not206
understand that everything entering the mouth goes into the stomach, and
then is ejected into the sewer? ¹⁸But the things coming forth out of the
mouth come from the heart, and those things make the human being
unclean. ¹⁹For out of the heart, come forth evil reasoning, murder, adultery,
fornication, theft, false testimony, slander. ²⁰Those are the things making
the human being unclean; but the eating with unwashed hands, that does
not make the human being unclean."
The Faith of the Canaanite Dog

²¹And leaving there, Jesus departed to the areas of Tyre and Sidon.
²²And behold a Canaanite woman from those borders, after coming
forward, kept crying out,207 saying, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David!
My daughter is suffering terribly from a demon."
²³But he answered not a word to her. So his disciples are coming to
him and urging him, saying, "Send her away, because she keeps crying out
behind us."
²⁴And in response to her he said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel."
²⁵But she comes and bows down208 to him saying, "Lord, help me."
²⁶And he in answer said, "It is not right to take the children's bread
and toss it to the dogs."
²⁷And she said, "True, Lord; yet the dogs certainly eat of the crumbs
falling from their master's table."209
205
15:16 txt ειπεν ℵ B D Z Σ* 0281 lat syrs,c,p cop eth SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ιησους ειπεν C E L W
Σc Φ 0106 0233 itf,q syrh TR RP ‖ lac A N P 0237
206
15:17 txt ου B D Z lat syrs,c,p copsa,mae¹ arm eth SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ετι ου "still not" Or ‖
ουπω ℵ C E L W Σ Φ 0106 0281 (0233 ουπο) itf,q syrh TR RP ‖ lac A N P
207
15:22b txt εκραζεν ℵ² B Σ 0281? itq syrc copsa? arm SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ εκραξεν ℵ* Z 0281?
(ita,e,f,g¹) copsa? Or Chryspt (Aug) (Hil) ‖ εκραυγασεν C ‖ εκραζεν οπισω αυτου D ‖ εκραξεν
αυτω (vg) syrh ‖ εκραυασεν αυτω E* L 0233 ‖ εκραυγασεν αυτω Ec W Φ 0106 Bas Chryspt
TR RP ‖ εκραζεν αυτω itff¹,k ‖ lac A N P
208
15:25 txt προσεκυνει ℵ* B D Σ 0233 it copsa (arm) Or TR SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ προσεκυνησεν
ℵ² C E L W Φ 0106 lat copmae RP ‖ lac A N P Z 0281
209
15:27 The Greek in this verse is quite unusual. There is either an unusual use of the word
ναί - naí, or an unusual use of the word γάρ. The word ναί is usually an affirmative answer,
that is, expressing agreement. The word γάρ is a causal conjunction, used to express cause
and effect. If both these words are used in this verse according to their most common
usage, then this verse makes no sense. Following is how the verse should read, when
Matthew
²⁸Then in answer Jesus said to her, "Oh, woman, great is your faith!
Let it be for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed from that
very hour.
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

²⁹And when he departed from there, Jesus came near the Sea of
Galilee; and having gone up into the mountain, he was sitting there. ³⁰And
many large crowds came to him, having with them the lame, the blind, the
mute, the cheiroplegic,210 and many others, and they laid them down at his
feet, and he healed them, ³¹causing the crowd to marvel, seeing the mute
speaking, the impaired of hand whole, and the lame walking and the blind
seeing, and they glorified the God of Israel.
³²And calling forward his disciples, Jesus said, "I feel for the crowd,
because they have been staying with me three days now and do not have
anything to eat. And to dismiss them without eating, I am not willing, lest
they collapse on the journey."
³³And the disciples say to him, "Where in the desert could we obtain
rendering these two words in their most common meanings: "Yes, Lord, for even the dogs
eat of the crumbs falling from their master's table." The affirmative agreement on her part
makes no sense, because she is contradicting Jesus' statement that it is not right to give to
dogs the children's bread. The "for" makes no sense, because this is what she would be
saying, "Yes, you are right that it is not right to give the dogs of the children's bread,
because even the dogs eat of the crumbs falling from their master's table." The conclusion
she makes in that case is a non-sequitur. Therefore, every translation out there has
rendered one of these two words irregularly. Most or all choose to render γάρ irregularly.
They render it as an adversative, which is flat wrong, in my opinion. I know of no instance
in any Greek literature where γάρ is an adversative. But if we are not going to render γάρ
as an adversative, then there are only two or three other solutions: to render ναί as a "Yes"
answer in opposition to what Jesus had said, as follows: "Yes, it is, Lord, for even the dogs
eat of the crumbs falling from their master's table," or, to render γάρ as "Why." This latter
is well within the realm of possibility according to the lexical authorities. The other main
causal conjunction, ὅτι, not infrequently means "Why?" Thus, one very possible rendering
of this woman's answer is as follows: "Yes, Lord, yet why do the dogs eat of the crumbs
falling from their master's table?" In this rendering, the word καί is used as an adversative,
which is lexically valid. Another possible rendering again makes καί the adversative, and
γάρ meaning "certainly," which is lexically valid, as follows: "True, Lord, yet the dogs
certainly eat of the crumbs falling from their master's table." Now, we have some clues in
this context that the Canaanite woman said something very unusual, in Jesus' view. Jesus'
response to the woman's statement expresses much emotion and surprise. Jesus' response
begins with the interjection Ὦ. This is an interjection that Jesus used in only two other
contexts, both of them preceding harsh rebukes of the apostles; once when they could not
heal a boy, and the other in Luke when he called them slow of heart to believe the
scriptures. I think what it is here is a woman with much chutzpah. Not only is she a
woman talking this way to a man, which was improper, but she was talking to not just any
man, but a Rabbi. Then, we have the fact that she is a Gentile talking to a Jew, and a Rabbi
at that.
210
15:30 "Stricken hand," that is, those impaired of upper limb. The Greek word is κυλλος,
which can mean someone with any limb of the body either deformed, maimed, or
incapacitated in any way. However, kullòs here is found with another word meaning
"lame" having already been used, so you would think that kullòs is referring more to
something different from legs or feet, e.g., to the hands or arms. In fact, the only other
usages of kullòs in the New Testament are in the context of a maimed hand, Mt 18:8, Mk
9:43.
Matthew
so many loaves of bread, enough to satisfy so large a crowd?"

³⁴And Jesus says to them, "How many loaves do you have?"
And they said, "Seven, and a few fish."

³⁵And having ordered the crowd211 to recline on the ground, ³⁶he took
the seven loaves of bread and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he
broke and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds. 212 ³⁷And all
ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments that were left over,
seven full baskets. ³⁸Now the ones eating were four thousand men, apart
from women and children. ³⁹And after he dismissed the crowd, he
embarked in the boat, and went into the territory of Magadan. 213
Chapter 16
The Yeast of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herod
¹And the Pharisees and Sadducees approach him, and testing him, they
asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
²But he in answer said to them, [When evening comes, you say, 'Fair
weather, the sky is red.' ³And in the morning, 'Today, stormy weather, for
the sky is red and threatening.' [["You hypocrites,]] The face of the sky you
know how to judge, but the signs of the times you are not able to?] 214 ⁴"A
wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign, and no sign will be
211
15:35 txt τω οχλω ℵ B D itb,ff¹,f2 g¹,l vg syrh copsamss,mae arm eth Or SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ τους
οχλους C ‖ τοις οχλοις E L N P W Σ Φ 0233 ita,d,e,f,k,q syrc,p Hil TR RP ‖ lac A Z 0281.
Compare the variant below in v. 36.
212
15:36 txt τοις οχλοις ℵ B L ite,f,ff¹ syr copsams SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ τω οχλω C D E N P W Σ Φ
it> vg copsamss,mae arm Chr TR RP ‖ lac A Z 0233 0281. Compare the variant above in v. 35.
I offer a few observations: (1.) The plural is maintained in both by L syr c,p. (2.) The singular
is maintained in both by arm. I would not begrudge any translator rendering all these the
same, as one or the other. (3.) This may demonstrate how insignificant the singular v.
plural of οχλος is.
213
15:39 txt μαγαδαν ℵ* B D itd SBL TH NA28 {C} ‖ μαγεδαν ℵ² it(a),aur,b?,e?,f.ff¹.(ff²),g¹,l?
syrs,c,copsa Eus Jer Aug ‖ Magdu syrp ‖ μαγδαλα E L Σc Φ syrh arm geo eth Chrys TR RP ‖
μαγδαλαν C N O W Σ* itq copmae¹ ‖ lac A P Z 0233 0281. Magdala is derived from the Semitic
word for "tower,"migdal. In the MacMillan Bible Atlas on page 146, Aharoni and Avi-Yonah
state that Magadan, Dalmanutha (Mark 8:10), and Magdala are all the same place. Magdala
was on the westernmost part of the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The name Mary Magdalene
means Mary of Magdala.
214
16:2-3 txt include without υποχριται C D (W) SBL TH [NA28] {C} ‖ include all bracketed E L
(N) O Σ Φ (δε τα) ita,aur,b,d,e,f,ff¹,ff²,g¹,l,q vg syrp,h eth geo Eus Chrys; Jevenc Hil Jer Aug TR
RP ‖ omit all bracketed ℵ B X 047acc. to Gregory syrs,c copsa,mae¹+² arm; Or mssacc. to Jer ‖ lac A P Z
0233 0281. An impressive group of manuscripts and versions lacks these words. And
Jerome says most of the manuscripts known to him did not contain it. Many scholars
consider it a later harmonization to Luke 12:54-56, with some adjustment for weather.
Bauer points out that the word used in this pericope for "is red," πυρράζω - purrázō, is
found only in literature by Byzantine writers. (The Septuagint has πυρρίζω - purrízō)
There is some chance that Scrivener and Lagrange are right in their argument that the
pericope was omitted by copyists in Egypt and other places where red sky in the morning
does not announce rain.
Matthew
given it except the sign215 of Jonah."216 And he left them and went away.
⁵And when the disciples were going to the other side, they forgot to
take bread loaves. ⁶And Jesus said to them, "Watch out. Be on your guard
against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
⁷And they were deliberating among themselves, saying, "We didn't
bring bread loaves."
⁸And Jesus knowing, said, "You of little faith, why are you reasoning
among yourselves, 'We have 217 no bread loaves'? ⁹Do you still not
understand nor remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how
many basketfuls you picked up? ¹⁰Nor the seven loaves for the four
thousand, and how many basketfuls you picked up? ¹¹How do you not
understand that it was not about bread that I was speaking to you? But be
on your guard218 against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." ¹²Then
they understood, that he had not meant they should be on their guard
against yeast [of bread], 219 but against the teaching of the Pharisees and
Sadducees.
Peter's Confession of Messiah

¹³And upon entering into the area of the Caesarea that was in Philip's
jurisdiction, Jesus queried his disciples, saying, "Who are the people saying
the Son of Man is?"220
215
16:4a ιωνα ℵ B D L itff¹,g¹,l vg copsa Hil SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ιωνα του προφητου C E N O W Σ
Φ it> vgcl syr copmae¹+² arm eth Or TR RP ‖ lac A P Z 0233 0281. Note: There is not a
transcription of MSS 023 (O) available to me. I got its reading for this variant by squinting
at the image of it with difficulty, since it is faded gold lettering on a purple background.
Generally speaking, you may assume O has the same reading as N and Σ, as the three are
siblings, and they along with Φ are called the purple codices, except that O seems to have
had a more scrupulous scribe. The readings of Φ I obtain from a transcription from the
Bibliothèque nationale de France, "Les Manuscrits Grecs de Berat D'Albanie et Le Codex
Purpurius Φ par Pierre Batiffol."
216
16:4b Matthew 12:40 (DRP) says, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the
belly of the huge sea creature, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth." And further, according to II Kings 14:25, the prophet Jonah was from
Gath Hepher, in Galilee, in the territory of the tribe of Zebulun (Joshua 19:13), only one hill
over from Nazareth, if not the same hill. Jonah volunteered to be killed in order to save the
rest of the souls on the boat, would be dead for 3 days, and then would come back to life.
Jonah said about himself that he was in Sheol / Hades (Jonah 2:2). This is yet another way
in which Jonah was a sign of Christ.
217
16:8 txt εχετε ℵ B D lat syrhmg copmae arm eth TH NA28 {\} ‖ ελαβετε C E L W Σ Φ itf syr
copsa Eus Or TR RP SBL ‖ lac A N P Z 0233 0281
218
16:11 txt προσεχετε δε ℵ B C* L Σ syrp copsa,mae eth Or SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ προσεχετε D* lat
syrs,c Luc ‖ προσεχειν προσεχετε δε C² (itq om. δε) ‖ προσεχειν D² E W Φ syrh arm TR RP ‖ lac
A N P Z 0233 0281
219
16:12 txt ζυμης των αρτων ℵ² B L itaur,(e),g¹,l vg copsamss,mae¹ Or (Ambrose) Jer SBL TH
NA28 {C} ‖ ζυμης του αρτου C E O W Σ Φ itf,q syrp,h copsams eth geoA Chrys Gaud TR RP ‖
___αρτ___ 0281 ‖ ζυμης των φαρισαιων και σαδδουκαιων ℵ* itff¹ syrc ‖ ζυμης D ita,b,d,ff² syrs
copmae² arm geo¹,B Luc ‖ lac A N P Z 0233
220
16:13 txt τινα ℵ B 0281 vg syrp,h cop eth Or SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ τινα με (C) D E L (W) Σ Φ
it vgmss (syrs,c) Irlat TR RP ‖ lac A N P Z 0233
Matthew
¹⁴And they said, "Some, John the Baptizer; others, Elijah; and still
others, Jeremiah or one of The Prophets."
¹⁵He says to them, "And you, who do you say I am?"
¹⁶And Simon Peter answered, and said to him, "You are the Christ,
the son of the living God."
¹⁷And Jesus in response said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of
John,221 because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you, but my
Father, who is in heaven. ¹⁸And I also say to you, that you are Peter, and
upon this rock222 I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not
prevail against it. ¹⁹And223 to you I will give the keys of the kingdom of
heaven, and whatever you declare to be forbidden on earth shall have been
forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth shall have been
permitted in heaven."224 ²⁰Then he admonished the disciples,225 that they
not tell anyone that he was the Christ. 226
Jesus Predicts His Death

²¹From that point on, Jesus began to reveal to his disciples that he had
to leave for Jerusalem, and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and
chief priests and Torah scholars, and be killed, and on the third day rise
again. ²²And after pulling Jesus aside, Peter began correcting him, saying,
"God forbid, Lord! This will never happen to you."
²³But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! A
hindrance you are to me, because you are not considering the concerns of
221
16:17 See footnote on John 1:42
222
16:18 Peter’s name means “rock” in Greek. Yes, Jesus did build his church upon Peter,
and also upon the other eleven apostles. See Revelation 22:14 “with the wall of the city
having twelve foundations, and on them twelve names, of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.”
Rev. 21:9 says this is talking about “the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” So we see that the
church is built on Peter indeed, but Peter´s foundation is no wider or higher than the other
eleven foundations. And was he the only apostle allowed to bind and loose? No, we see
that all the apostles practised that.
223
16:19a txt ⸆και δωσω σοι B² C* E W Σ Φ Eus TR RP ‖ και σοι δωσω D itff¹ ‖ και συ δωσω L
‖ δωσω δε σοι 0281 copsamss ‖ δωσω σοι ℵ B* C² syrc,p copsamss,mae SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ lac A N P
Z 0233
224
16:19b Or, "Whatever you forbid on earth is as good as forbidden by heaven, and
whatever you permit on earth is as good as permitted by heaven." This "binding and
loosing" teaching appears also in Matthew 18:18. It should be noted that here in 16:19, the
verbs are in the 2nd person singular, Jesus saying it to and about Peter only, whereas in
chapter 18 v. 18, the verbs are in the second person plural, Jesus saying it to, and giving this
authority to, all of the apostles.
225
16:20a txt μαθηταις ℵ B C D copsamss SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ μαθηταις αυτου E L W Σ Φ lat
syr cop TR RP ‖ lac A N P Z 0233 0281
226
16:20b txt αυτος εστιν ο χριστος ℵ* B L Φ ita,aur,b,e,ff¹,ff²,g¹ vgmss syrc,p copsa arm geo²
Diatess Or Chrys Hil Ambrose SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ ουτος εστιν ο χριστος ιησους D ‖ αυτος
εστιν ιησους ο χριστος ℵ² C E W Σ itd,f,l,q,r¹ vg syrh copmae¹+² geo¹ eth Jer TR RP ‖ lac A N P Z
0233 0281. As Willker points out, "ιησους ο χριστος appears nowhere else in the gospels. It
also makes no real sense here, because the disciples (and everybody else) knew that he was
called 'Jesus,' the main point being that he was the Christ."
Matthew
God, but the concerns of mortals."

²⁴Then, Jesus said to his disciples, "If someone wants to follow me, he
must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵For whoever
tries to keep his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake, will
find it. ²⁶For what will it gain a human being, if he acquires the whole
world, but is penalized his soul? In other words, what shall a human being
pay, in trade for his soul? ²⁷For the Son of Man will soon come in the glory
of his Father with his angels, and then, he will pay back to each one,
according to the way of life of each. ²⁸Truly I tell you, There are some of
those present here, who will certainly not taste death before they see the Son
of Man coming in his kingship."
Chapter 17
The Transfiguration
¹And after six days Jesus takes Peter, and James, and John his brother,
and he is leading them up into a high mountain, by themselves. ²And he
was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun, and his
garments became bright as the daylight. ³And behold, Moses and Elijah
appeared to them, conversing with Him.
⁴And in response, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be
here. If you want, I will make227 three shelters here, one for you, one for
Moses, and one for Elijah."
⁵While he was still speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed
them, and behold, a voice from the cloud, saying as follows: "This is my
beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him." ⁶And when
they heard this, the disciples fell on their faces, and were extremely
frightened.
⁷And Jesus approached them, and after touching them reassuringly,
he said, "Stand up, and do not be afraid." ⁸And when they opened their
eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus himself alone.228
227
17:4 txt ποιησω ωδε ℵ B C* itb,ff² vgmss Chrom2/4 Jer SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ ποιησω itff¹
Chrom¼ ‖ ποιησωμεν ωδε C³ D E L O W Σ 0281 ita,aur,d,(e),f,g¹,l,n,q vg syr? cop geo Orgk,lat
Chrys Chrom¼ Aug TR RP ‖ ποιησωμεν vgmss arm (Diatess) Greg-Elv ‖ ποιησομεν ωδε Φ syr?
eth ‖ lac A N P Z 0233. The UBS5 footnote is not sure whether the Syriac's Greek exemplar
read an aorist subjunctive 1st person plural, ποιησωμεν, or future indicative 1st person
plural, ποιησομεν. The Etheridge, Murdock and Lamsa Syriac-to-English translations all
read, "we will make." But the reason the UBS is not sure is that any translator may
legitimately render both the aorist subjunctive and future indicative forms as "we will
make." The NA28 text reads an unambiguous future indicative 1st person singular, "I will
make." Most English translations of the TR/Byz reading render it as "let us make."
Another way to render that would be, "we should make." But does the "we" include Jesus
and Moses and Elijah, or is Peter proposing that only the disciples make them? The
translations of the Syriac make it sound like the latter.
228
17:8 txt αυτον ιησουν μονον B* SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ιησουν αυτον μονον ℵ ‖ αυτον μονον
copmae² ‖ τον ιησουν μονον Β² C* E L Σ Φ TR RP ‖ ιησουν μονον W ‖ τον ιησουν μονον μεθ
εαυτων C² ‖ μονον τον ιησουν D lat arm ‖ lac A N P Z 0233 0281 syrs. The rest of the Coptic
Matthew
⁹And as they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus was
admonishing them, as follows: "Do not tell anyone about the vision, until
such time the Son of Man is raised from the dead."
¹⁰And the disciples queried him, as follows, "So why do the Torah
scholars say that Elijah has to come first?"
¹¹In answer, he229 said,230 "Elijah does indeed come first,231 and will
restore all things. ¹²But I am telling you, that Elijah has already come, and
they did not recognize him, but did with him whatever they wished."
¹³Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them about John the
Baptizer.
The Healing of a Boy Who Had an Evil Spirit

¹⁴And when they had returned to the crowd, a man came up to him,
kneeling down to him, ¹⁵and saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, because
he is lunatic and suffering horribly. For example, he often falls into fire, and
often into water. ¹⁶And I brought him to your disciples, and they were not
able to heal him."
¹⁷And in answer, Jesus said, "O unbelieving and perverted
generation! How long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with
you? Bring him here to me." ¹⁸And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon
departed from him, and the child was healed from that time on.
¹⁹At that time, the disciples came to him in private, and said, "Why
were we not able to drive it out?"
²⁰And he says232 to them, "Because of your lack of faith.233 For truly I
tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you will say to this
mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. In fact, nothing will
be impossible to you."234
and Syriac have some form of (τον) ιησουν μονον without αυτον. The ancient manuscripts
which include αυτον in some way are ℵ B* Θ 700 copmae². The English translations that
render αυτον are: the Amplified, NASB, NRSV, Mounce, and the HCSB, but then the CSB
eliminated it.
229
17:11a txt ο δε ℵ B D L W Z lat cop SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ο δε ιησους C E Σ Φ itf,q syrp,h TR
RP ‖ lac A N P 0233 0281
230
17:11b txt ειπεν B D W SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ειπεν αυτοις C E L Σ Φ itf,ff¹,g¹,q TR RP ‖ ειπεν τοις
Z ‖ ειπεν αυτοις οτι ℵ ‖ lac A N P 0233 0281
231
17:11c txt ερχεται πρωτον C E (L πρωτον later) Z Σ Φ itf,q syrp,h TR RP ‖ ερχεται ℵ B D W
lat syrc copsa,mae¹+² SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ lac A N P 0233 0281 syrs. The parallel in Mark 9 has
πρωτον.
232
17:20a ο δε λεγει ℵ B D 0281 itff¹,ff²,g¹ SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ο δε ιησους ειπεν C E L W Σ Φ TR
RP ‖ lac A N P Z 0233
233
17:20b txt ολιγοπιστιαν ℵ B 0281 syrc,pal copsa,mae¹+² arm eth geo Diatess Or SBL TH NA28
{A} ‖ απιστιαν C D E L O W Σ Φ latt syrs,p,h Chrys (Hil) Jer Aug Spec TR RP ‖ lac A N P Z 0233
234
Mt 17:21 txt lack v. 21 ℵ* B 0281 ite,ff¹ syrs,c,pal copsa,bopt,mae² ethms geo SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖
τουτο δε το γενος ουκ εκβαλλεται ει μη εν προσευχη και νηστεια ℵ² ‖ τουτο δε το γενος ουκ
εκπορευεται ει μη εν προσευχη και νηστεια C D E L O W Σ Φ vg ita,aur,b,d,f,ff²,g¹,l,n.q,r¹ (syrp,h)
Matthew
²²And when they were gathering back together 235 in Galilee, Jesus
said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of
human beings, ²³and they will kill him, and during the third day he will rise
again." And they were very sad.
The Two Drachma Tax

²⁴And when they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two
drachmas236 approached Peter, and they said, "Does your rabbi not pay the
two drachmas?"
²⁵He says, "Yes he does."
And when Peter had come into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying,
"What do you think, Simon: the kings of the earth, from whom do they
collect toll and tribute— from their sons,237 or from others?"
(copmae¹) arm eth Or Aster Basil Chrys Hil Ambrose Jer Aug TR RP ‖ τουτο δε το γενος ουκ
εξερχεται ει μη εν προσευχη και νηστεια 118 205 209 1505 ℓ1074 ‖ lac A N P Z 0233. There is
no instance in the New Testament where either Jesus or his disciples had to fast in order to
cast out a demon. In fact, Jesus said all you needed is as faith as little as a mustard seed.
Which is it? Faith as small as a mustard seed is all you need, or also add your works, like
fasting? The fact that 3 different Greek verbs are used in the manuscripts that do contain
the verse, is an indication that the verse is not original. I think this is an "ascetic"
corruption to the gospel of Matthew.
235
17:22 txt συστρεφομενων ℵ B 0281vid lat copsamss Hil Jer Aug SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖
αναστρεφομενων C (D) E L O W Σ Φ it(e),ff¹ syr copsamss,mae¹ arm? eth geo Chryslem TR RP ‖
παραγοντων copmae² ‖ στρεφομενων Orpt ‖ lac A N P Z 0233
236
17:24 A drachma was worth about a day's wage. The two drachma collection, 6 grams of
silver, was the so-called temple tax in Exodus 30:11-16. But this payment was not intended
to be a tax at all. Quoting Exodus 30:12, "When you take a census of the Israelites to
number them, at the time he is numbered each man shall give a ransom for his life to
Yahweh, so that no plague may come upon him for being numbered." The money was
primarily an offering as atonement for the evil act of a man being numbered. Then it was
merely incidental that as long as the temple personnel had this money anyway, "You shall
take the atonement money from the Israelites and shall designate it for the service of the
tent of meeting; before Yahweh it will be a reminder of the ransom given for his life." Ex.
30:16. It was an offering or ransom money to atone for the repugnant stench to God caused
by the act of numbering the people. There are other scriptures indicating God's
displeasure with the idea of his people being numbered. See for example, I Chronicles
chapter 21, and 27:23,24. It is clear that the payment was a ransom for a man's life. How
many times must a man be ransomed? Ransom, even to terrorists, is not paid more than
once. The ransom was to be paid only when a man "crosses over to join those who are
numbered," Exodus 30:13,14. God had never commanded that the ransom be paid annually,
as the tradition came to be. For it was only to be collected "when you number the people,"
v. 12. This was in anticipation of the only census ever ordered by God, the one that took
place in Numbers chapter 1. God was against the numbering of the people as a practice.
This was allowed just one time only, with a way to escape his wrath built in. The only
additional census permissible was of aliens, as in II Chron. 2:17. Jesus apparently was not in
the habit of paying the two drachmas. In this instance he only paid for himself and for
Peter, and did nothing about the other eleven apostles, since they were not brought up.
Jesus did not "obey every law of man." He did not just automatically do what every
bureaucrat told him to do. Jesus was not a chump, and neither should his disciples be. We
are supposed to be wise as serpents. For a reading of all the scriptures showing how the
tradition of the annual tax came about, see the endnote entitled, "How did a once-only
atonement offering become an annual tax?"
237
17:25 The meaning of υἱοι, "sons," here, could be an extended meaning; that is, "from
their own relatives in race and culture, extended to their countrymen, from their citizens."
Matthew
²⁶And when he answered,238 "From others," Jesus said to him, "Alright

then, the sons are free.239 ²⁷But, so that we not scandalize them, 240 go to the
lake, cast a hook, and the first fish that comes up, take, and when you have
opened its mouth, you will find a four-drachma coin.241 Take that, and give
it to them, as mine and yours."242
Chapter 18
Who Is the Greatest?
¹In that same hour, the disciples approached Jesus, saying, "So who is the
greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
²And calling a child over, he243 stood him in the midst of them, ³and
he said, "I tell you truly: unless you change and become like little children,
there is no way you will enter into the kingdom of heaven. ⁴Whoever
therefore humbles himself like this child, that is the one who is greatest in
the kingdom of heaven. ⁵And whoever receives one little child such as this
This is a possible interpretation because it is made an antonym of αλλοτριοι, which in

Jewish Greek like in the Septuagint, meant "aliens." Here the meaning would be, that since
the two drachma tax was supposedly for maintenance of the temple- God's house, then
God's children, the citizens of the kingdom of God, were exempt from that tax.
238
17:26 txt ειποντος δε απο των αλλοτριων Β 0281 it(a,aur,b),e,ff¹,(ff²,g¹,l,n) vgmss syrpal copsa
arm ethpp,TH Chrys (Jer) SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ ειποντος δε του πετρου απο των αλλοτριων
Orgr,(lat½) ‖ λεγει αυτω ο πετρος απο των αλλοτριων E W Σ Φ itf,q syr(c,p),h (copmae) ethms
geo² Orlat½ Bas TR RP ‖ λεγει αυτω απο των αλλοτριων D itd syrs geo¹? ‖ ο δε εφη απο των
αλλοτριων ειποντος δε απο των αλλοτριων ℵ ethms ‖ λεγει αυτω ο πετρος απο των
αλοτριων ειποτος δε απο των αλοτριων L* (Lc ειποντος) ‖ λεγει αυτω ο πετρος απο των
αλλοτριων ειποντος δε αυτου απο των αλλοτριων C ‖ lac A N P Z 0233. Three major
manuscripts, ℵ C L, put two variants in their manuscript side by side without choosing one.
This is quite rare.
239
17:26 This word free, will not be understood properly, unless one understands "tribute"
properly. Tribute was a poll tax paid to the conqueror, by a conquered or subjugated
people. Anyone paying tribute, was by definition not free, but rather a member of an
enslaved nation.
240
17:27a Some surmise that Jesus did this in order to appear to be compliant with an
illegitimate tax, so as not to scandalize any believers who thought that he surely must
"obey every law of man." That is possible. But also possible, is that Jesus wanted to honor
the oral contract Peter had already made with the tax collectors: the collectors had
previously asked if Jesus pays the tax, and Peter had answered in the affirmative. Thus,
only those two individuals involved in the oral contract, were obligated to pay it this
instance.
241
17:27b A silver coin worth four drachmas, equivalent to 12 grams of silver. Each man was
to pay 6 grams of silver, which =1 stater=1 Babylonian shekel=1/2 of a sanctuary shekel
(Phoenician or Hebrew standard).
242
17:27c Note that Jesus did not tell the other eleven disciples to pay. The payment at issue
in this passage was a Jewish religious matter, and originally not even a tax (see previous
footnote on "the two drachmas." Jesus and the disciples were Sons or Citizens of the
Kingdom of Heaven, so were not subject to this "tax." Remember, the Levites did not pay
the census atonement fee tax. (Numbers 1:48, 49) All those who become Citizens of the
kingdom of God have the same status in regard to this tax as the Levites had. "God has
made us kings and priests, and we will reign on the earth." Rev. 5:10 Kings don't pay the
tax. And kings is what Jesus and the twelve apostles were.
243
18:2 txt προσκαλεσαμενος ℵ B L Z 0281 cop eth Chrys SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖
προσκαλεσαμενος ο ιησους D E W Σ Φ lat syr arm Or TR RP ‖ lac A C N P 0233
Matthew
on the basis of my name, is receiving me.
More About Little Ones

⁶As for that person through whom one of these little ones who believe
in me might ever be scandalized, it would be better for that person that a
mill stone be hung around244 his neck and be sunk in the bottom of the sea.
⁷Woe to the world, because of those scandalizings. Certainly, the
scandalizings are bound to come. Nevertheless, woe to the person through
whom the scandalizing comes.
⁸And if your hand or your foot scandalizes you, cut it 245 off, and
throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or
crippled, than to be thrown into everlasting fire having both hands or both
feet.
⁹And if your eye scandalizes you, tear it out, and throw it away from you.
It is better for you to enter into life one-eyed, than be thrown into fiery
Gehenna with two eyes.
¹⁰See that you not despise or overlook even one of these little ones; for
I tell you, in heaven their angels through it all are seeing the face of my
Father who is in heaven.246
¹²What do you think? Suppose a man has a hundred sheep, and one
of them is lost. Will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountain, and go
look for the one that is wandering? ¹³And if he happens to find it, truly I tell
you, he rejoices over it more than the ninety-nine that were not lost.
¹⁴That is how undesirable it is, in the eyes of your Father in heaven,
that even one of these little ones be lost.247
244
18:6 txt περι ℵ B L N Z Σ 0281 Did Bas Cyr TH NA28 {\} ‖ εις E W Or Chrys RP SBL ‖ επι D
Φ TR ‖ lac A C P 0233
245
18:8 αυτον ℵ B D L lat syrc,p copsa arm eth Luc Hil SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ αυτα E N W Σ Φ
syrh TR RP ‖ lac A C P Z 0233 0281
246
18:11 txt lack v. 11 ℵ B L* ite,ff¹ syrs,pal copsa,mae¹+² geo2A Or Eus-Can; Juvenc Jer SBL TH
NA28 {B} ‖ ηλθεν γαρ ο υιος του ανθρωπου σωσαι το απολωλος. D E Lmg N W Σ Φ 078vid
it(a),aur,(b),d,(f),ff²,g¹,(l,n),q,r¹ vg syrc,p arm geo Chrys; Hil Chrom TR RP ‖ ηλθεν γαρ ο υιος του
ανθρωπου ζητησαι και σωσαι το απολωλος. syrh eth ‖ lac A C P Z 0233. The UBS Editorial
Committee says that there can be little doubt that the words ἦλθεν γὰρ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ
(ζητήσαι) καὶ σῶσαι τὸ ἀπολωλός are spurious here, being absent in the earliest witnesses
representing several textual types (Alexandrian, pre-Caesarean, Egyptian, Antiochian), and
manifestly borrowed by copyists from Lk 19:10 [or Matthew 9:13]. The reason for the
interpolation was apparently to provide a connection between ver. 10 and verses 12-14. On
the other hand there appears no reason why it might have gotten deleted or removed if
original.
247
18:14 Or, "...that even one of these little ones be ruined."
Matthew
A Brother Who Sins

¹⁵Now if your brother sins,248 go show him his fault, just between you
and him. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother. ¹⁶But if he
does not listen, take with you one or two others, so that 'upon the mouths of
two or three witnesses every matter be established.' ¹⁷And if he refuses to
listen to them, tell it to the assembly. And if he refuses to listen to the
assembly, he should be considered by you as no different than a gentile or a
revenue agent.
¹⁸Truly I tell you, what things you apostles on earth declare to be
forbidden, shall have been forbidden in heaven; and what things you on
earth declare to be permitted, shall have been permitted in heaven. 249
¹⁹Again I say 250 to you, if two of you on earth agree with one voice
concerning any and all matters about which you make request, it will be
brought about for you by my Father who is in heaven. ²⁰For where two or
three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

²¹At that time Peter approached and said to him,251 "Lord, how many
times shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven
248
18:15 txt αμαρτηση ℵ B 0281 copsa Cyr; Aug1/7 WH ‖ αμαρτη (Lk 17:3) Orlem Bas4/9 ‖
αμαρτηση εις σε D E L N O W Σ Φ 078 ita,aur,b,d,e,f,ff¹+²,1,h,l,n,q,(r¹) vg syrc,s,p,h,pal copmae¹+²
arm eth geo Basms Chrysmss; Hil Lucifer Pacian Chrosmat Jer Aug6/7 TR RP SBL TH [NA28] {C}
‖ αμαρτη εις σε W Bas5/9 Did Chrys Theodoret ‖ lac A C P Z 0233. There might have been a
dictation error, that when reading ηση εις σε the listener thought that there had been a
repetition by accident (because the last two syllables sound similar in later Greek to the
first two syllables), or that the reader changed his pronunciation or stumbled over the
pronunciation, and so the scribe listening wrote only the first set of sounds. On the other
hand the phrase "against you" might have been added, according to the UBS textual
commentary, to harmonize this verse with the "against me" of v. 21 shortly hereafter
where Peter asks, "How many times shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?"
The reading without "against you" is the earliest, but this could have been changed very
early on, according to the UBS commentary. In the UBS 5th Edition Greek New Testament,
the words "against you" are in single square brackets, and this result is given a C rating of
certainty. Regarding single square brackets, the explanation is "that the enclosed word,
words, or parts of words may be regarded as part of the text, but that in the present state of
New Testament textual scholarship this cannot be taken as completely certain." English
translations that do not include "against you" are: GW, NASB, NET, NIV, ERV, Mounce,
Amplified.
249
18:18 Or, "Whatever you forbid on earth is as good as forbidden by heaven, and whatever
you permit on earth is as good as permitted by heaven." This "binding and loosing"
teaching appears also in Matthew 16:19. It should be noted that here in 18:18, the verbs are
in the second person plural, Jesus saying it to, and giving this authority to, all of the
apostles, whereas in 16:19, the verbs are in the 2nd person singular, Jesus saying it to and
about Peter only.
250
18:19 txt omit ℵ D L N O W Σ itaur,d,e,ff²,l syrp,h,palms arm eth geo² Orlem Jer Chrys Cyp Spec
TR ‖ αμην B E Φ 058 078 0281 ita,b,f,ff¹,g¹,h,n,(q),r¹ vgmss syrc,s,palmss copsa,mae geo¹ RP SBL TH
NA28 [αμην] {C} ‖ lac A C P Z 0233
251
18:21 txt προσελθων ο πετρος ειπεν αυτω B (D -ο) 0281 NA28 {\} ‖ προσελθων αυτω ο
πετρος ειπεν ℵ² E L N W Σ Φ itaur,(e),q syr(p),h Luc TR RP SBL TH ‖ προσελθων ο πετρος
ειπεν ℵ* ‖ προσελθων αυτω ο πετρος ειπεν αυτω copsa ‖ lac A C P Z 0233
Matthew
times?"
²²Jesus says to him, "I tell you, not up to seven times, but up to
seventy [times] seven times.252
²³"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man in
ruling power who desired to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴So he
proceeded to settle, and had one of his debtors brought to him, one who
owed him ten thousand talants. ²⁵But since he did not have the means to
repay, the master ordered him to be sold as a slave, and also his wife and
children and everything he had, and then to be paid back.
²⁶"The servant therefore fell down, and was entreating him, saying, 253
'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back everything.' ²⁷And moved with
compassion, the master of that servant released him, and forgave his debt.
²⁸"But then after he went out, that servant found one of his fellow
servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and he seized him, and was
choking him, saying, 'Pay me back everything you owe.'
²⁹"The fellow servant therefore fell down at his feet, 254 and was
begging him, saying, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.' ³⁰But he
was not willing, and went and threw him into the debtors' prison, until such
time he could pay back the debt.
³¹"When therefore his fellow servants witnessed these events, they
were extremely upset, and went and reported to their master everything
that had happened. ³²Then summoning him, his master is saying to him,
'You wicked servant! All that debt of yours I forgave you, because you
begged me. ³³Aren't you then also obligated to forgive your fellow servant,
as I have forgiven you?'
³⁴"And in anger, his master handed him over to the jailers, until such
time he could pay back everything he owed. ³⁵This is how my Father in
heaven will act toward you also, unless you each forgive your brother from
your heart."255
252
18:22 cf. Genesis 4:24: "If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times."
It is equally beyond human nature to forgive the same person 77 times in one day, as it is to
forgive the same person 490 times in one day. But Gentiles do not need to know this
reference in order to understand that Matthew means to indicate a number that is large
beyond human nature. In a story taken from older accounts, Plutarch, Mor. 245d uses the
number 7,777 for the same purpose (cf. Polyaenus 8, 33).
253
18:26 txt λεγων Β D ita,d,e,ff¹,l vg syrc,s arm geo Or Chrys Luc SBL ΝΑ28 {A} ‖ λεγων κυριε ℵ
E L O W Σ 058 0233 0281 itaur,(b),f,ff²,g¹,(h),q,(r¹) syrp,h,pal copsa,mae¹+² eth Orlat Ast Chrom TR
RP TH ‖ lac A C N P Z Φ
254
18:29 txt αυτου εις τους ποδας αυτου παρεκαλει C² E W Σ 0233 itf,q syrp,h copmae¹+² arm
TR RP ‖ αυτου παρεκαλει ℵ B C* D L 058 lat syrs,c copsa eth Or (Luc) SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ lac A N
P Z Φ 0281
255
18:35 txt υμων ℵ B D L lat syrs,c copsa,mae¹+² SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ υμων τα παραπτωματα
αυτων C E W Σ 0233 itf,h syr(p),h,pal TR RP ‖ lac A N P Z Φ 0281
Matthew
Chapter 19
Jesus Tested on Divorce
¹And it came about that when Jesus had finished these discourses he
departed from Galilee, and went into the region of Judea on the other side of
the Jordan. ²And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
³And some Pharisees came to him, testing him, and saying, “Is it permitted
for someone to release256 his wife for any cause at all?”
⁴But in answer he said, “Have you never read, that from the
beginning the creator257 made them male and female, ⁵and said, 'For this
reason a man shall leave father and mother, and be joined to his woman,
and the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶As a result, they are no longer two,
but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, no human being is
allowed to separate."
⁷They are saying to him, "Why then did Moses command to give a
release of interest form258 in order to release?”259
⁸He says to them, "Moses, in view of the hardness of your hearts,
permitted you to release your wives, though it is not originally designed
this way. ⁹But I tell you that whoever releases his wife, except upon
grounds of fornication, and marries another, commits adultery, and
whoever marries her who was released, commits adultery.”260
256
19:3 "Releasing" is the opposite of the cleaving or joining commanded in the Genesis
passage.
257
19:4 txt ο κτισας B ite syrpal cop arm eth geo Or Meth Serap Ath Ps-Clem SBL TH NA28 {B}
‖ ο ποιησας ℵ C D E O W Z Σ Φ 0233 lita,aur,b,d,f,ff¹,ff²,g¹,h,l,q vg syrc,s,p,h Orlat ApCon Chrys Cyr
Hil Ambrosiaster Jer Aug Spec TR RP ‖ εποιησας L ‖ lac A N P 0281
258
19:7a This word ἀποστάσιον - apostásion, "release of interest form," was used to signify
the relinquishment of property. A quit-claim, if you will. In the culture of ancient Israel
there was never any provision for a wife to quit her property claim in her husband, since
the wife was considered property of her husband, and never the other way around. The
apostle Paul in the New Testament, however, states in I Corinthians 7:4, "The wife has not
authority over her own body, but rather the husband: and likewise also the husband has
not authority over his own body, but rather the wife." This is a consequence of being "one
flesh." Paul in the same context explains the application of this teaching, that is, the wife
may not refuse sex to the husband, nor may the husband refuse sex to the wife, nor are
they allowed to live apart for any significant period of time. This is not to negate Paul's
teaching elsewhere that the husband is the head of the wife, and that the woman was made
for the man, not the man for the woman.
259
19:7b txt απολυσαι ℵ D L Z ita,aur,d,e,ff1,g1,h,l vg syrpal arm ethms geo Or; Jer Aug ‖ απολυσαι
αυτην B C E N O W Σ Φ 078 087 (0233 απολυειν) itf,q syrp,h copmae eth TR RP SBL TH NA28
[αυτην] {C} ‖ απολυσαι την γυναικα itb,ff² vgmss syrc,s Irlat Ambrose Spec ‖ lac A P 0281. It
should be emphasized that Moses never commanded that anyone release his wife, but only
that if/when he does, he must write the form. (Deuteronomy 24:1)
260
19:9 txt
μη επι πορνεια και γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται και ο απολελυμενην γαμησας μοιχαται E Z vgmss
TR RP SBL TH
μη επι πορνεια και γαμηση αλλην ποιει αυτην μοιχευθηναι και ο απολελυμενην γαμων
μοιχαται C*
μη επι πορνια ποιει αυτην μοιχευθηναι και ο απολελυμενην γαμων μοιχαται N
μη επι πορνεια και γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται και ο απολελυμενην γαμων μοιχαται Σ 078
μη επι πορνεια γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται και ο απολελυμενην γαμων μοιχαται W
Matthew
¹⁰The disciples are saying to him, "If this is the situation of a man with
a wife, it is not advisable to marry!”
¹¹And he said to them, "Not everyone can receive this word, but only
those to whom it has been given. ¹²For there are some who are eunuchs,
who were born that way from their mother’s womb. And there are some
who are eunuchs who were made to be eunuchs by human beings. And
there are some who are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for
the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The person who is able to receive this,
should receive it.”
The Little Children and Jesus

¹³At that time, little children were brought to him, so that he might
lay his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples scolded them.
¹⁴But Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them.
For of such is the kingdom of heaven." ¹⁵And when he had laid hands on
them, he moved on from there.
The Rich Young Ruler

¹⁶And behold, someone came up to him and said, "Good Teacher, 261
what good must I do so that I will have eternal life?"262
¹⁷And he said to him, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good
except One, God. 263 But if you want to enter eternal life, keep the
___________________ μοιχευθηναι ωσαυτως και ο γαμων απολελυμενην μοιχαται ²⁵

μη επι πορνεια και γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται ℵ L itl vgmss syrs NA28 {B}
παρεκτος λογου πορνειας ποιει αυτην μοιχευθηναι και ο απολελυμενην γαμησας μοιχαται
B
παρεκτος λογου πορνειας ποιει αυτην μοιχευθηναι και ο απολελυμενην γαμων μοιχαται
0233
παρ’ εκτος λογου επι πορνιας και γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται Φ
παρεκτος λογου πορνειας και γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται D ita,b,d,e,g¹,h,r¹ vgms copsa
lac A P 0281.
The UBS textual commentary says, "After μοιχαται several witnesses add καὶ ὁ
ἀπολελυμένην γαμῶν (or γαμήσας) μοιχᾶται ('and he who marries a divorced woman
commits adultery'). Although it might be argued that homoeoteleuton (μοιχᾶται ...
μοιχᾶται) accounts for its accidental omission from ℵ D L 1241 al, the fact that B C* ƒ¹ al read
μοιχᾶται only once (at the conclusion of the combined clauses) makes it more probable that
the text was expanded by copyists who accommodated the saying to the prevailing text of
5:32."
261
19:16a txt διδασκαλε αγαθε C E W Σ Φ itaur,b,f,ff²,g¹,h,l,q,r¹ vg syrc,s,p,h,pal copsa,mae¹ arm
ethmsTH geo² Marcusacc. to Ir Just Orpt Bas Cyr-Jerus Chryslem-; Juv Jer TR RP ‖ διδασκαλε ℵ B
D L ita,d,e,ff¹ copmae² geo¹ ethpp Orpt Hil SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ lac A N P Z 0233 0281
262
19:16b txt ποιησω ινα σχω ζωην αιωνιον B C D syrh Or SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ποιησω ινα εχω
ζωην αιωνιον E Σ Φ Chrys Bas TR RP ‖ ποιησω ινα ζωην εχω αιωνιον W ‖ ποιησας ζωην
αιωνιον κληρονομησω (Mk 10:17) ℵ L (syrs,c copsams) ‖ lac A N P Z 0233 0281
263
19:17 txt τι με λεγεις αγαθον ουδεις αγαθος ει μη εις ο θεος C E W Σ Φ itf,q syrp,h copsa
ethms,TH (Ju) Bas Chrys TR RP ‖ τι με λεγεις αγαθον εις εστιν ο αγαθος MarIr ‖ τι με λεγεις
αγαθον εις εστιν ο αγαθος ο πατηρ μου ο εν τοις ουρανοις Marcusacc. to Iren Just
Matthew
commandments."
¹⁸He says to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said to him, "Do not
murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,
¹⁹honor your father and your mother,' 264 and, love your neighbor as
yourself."265
²⁰The young man says to him, "All these I have kept.266 What am I
still missing?"
²¹Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go sell your possessions
and give it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and then come
follow me."
²²But when the young man heard this statement, he went away
regretting, for he was owner of much property. ²³And Jesus said to his
disciples, "Truly I say to you, hardly will a rich person get into the kingdom
of heaven. ²⁴And again, I say to you, it is easier for a camel 267 to pass
through the eye of a needle, than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom
of God."
²⁵And when they heard this, the disciples268 were greatly astonished,
saying, "Who then can be saved?"
Naassenesacc. to Hippol (Ps-Clementines) ‖ τι με ερωτας περι του αγαθου εις εστιν ο αγαθος ℵ
B² L ita,d (lat syrs,c,hmg) copmae Or geo²,(A) Novatian Jer SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ τι με ερωτας περι
του αγαθου εστιν ο αγαθος B* ‖ τι με ερωτας περι αγαθου εις εστιν αγαθος D ‖ τι με ερωτας
περι του αγαθου ουδεις αγαθος ει μη εις ο θεος itg¹,h Eus Aug ‖ lac A N P Z 0233 0281. The
Majority Text reads, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good but one: God.” The
UBS and Nestle / Aland text read Τι με ἐρωτᾷς περι του ἀγαθοῦ; εἷς ἐστιν ὁ ἀγαθός.: "Why
are you asking me about what is good? There is only One who is Good." In addition, that
text does not contain the word αγαθε -"good" modifying Teacher when the man first
addresses Jesus in verse 16. The UBS editorial committee says that the passage clearly was
changed by copyists to harmonize Matthew's account with Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:19. And
they say about the majority reading, as shown in my translation above, that if it "were
original in Matthew, it is hard to imagine why copyists would have altered it to a more
obscure one, whereas scribal assimilation to Synoptic parallels occurs frequently." Well, I
for one can easily imagine why someone would not like the reading "Why are you asking
me about what is good?" It seems preposterous that a Rabbi would object to being asked
about what is good, since declaring what was good or what was not good, that was his job.
And even more preposterous, is that the Son of God, who was made into flesh in order to
declare the attributes of the Father to men, would object to being asked about what is good.
264
19:19a Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20
265
19:19b Leviticus 19:18
266
19:20 txt εφυλαξα ℵ* B L itaur,ff¹,g¹,l vg Cyp Juv? Jer SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ εφυλαξα εκ
νεοτητος (Lk 18:21) D itd ‖ εφυλαξα εκ νεοτητος μου ℵ² ‖ εφυλαξαμην εκ νεοτητος μου (Mk
10:20) C E O W Σ Φ ita,b,e,f,ff²,h,n,q vgcl syr(c,s),p,h,pal copsa,mae¹+² arm eth geo Orgk,lat
Marcellus Chrys (Cyr) (Hil) Ambrose Aug TR RP ‖ lac A N P Z 0233 0281
267
19:24 Just as it is impossible, humanly speaking, for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle, Jesus says in v. 27 that it is "impossible" for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Some people teach that Jesus really instead said "rope to go through the eye of a needle,"
because he was speaking in the Aramaic language, and the Aramaic word for camel was also
the word for a kind of rope. Regardless, Jesus would want to invent a simile that was in line
with his main point: "something impossible." His illustration must demonstrate something
that is impossible, naturally speaking. "Camel" is more impossible than "rope," so at worst,
camel works just fine, and at best, camel is the best rendering because it is more impossible.
268
19:25 txt οι μαθηται ℵ B C* D L Ζ Σ Φ 0281vid lat syrs,p,h copsa arm Hil SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ οι
μαθηται αυτου C³ E W itff¹ syrc copmae eth TR RP ‖ lac A N P 0233
Matthew
²⁶And Jesus looked at them, and said to them, "With human beings,
this is impossible; but with God, all things are possible."
²⁷Then Peter answered and said to him, "Look how we have left
everything, and followed you. What then will there be for us?"
²⁸And Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you: In the new beginning,
when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me
will also yourselves sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of
Israel. ²⁹And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or
mother 269 or children or fields for the sake of my name, will receive a
hundred times as much, and inherit eternal life. ³⁰But many who are first
will be last, and many who are last will be first."
Chapter 20
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
¹"Similar therefore is the kingdom of heaven to a landowner, who
went out early in the morning to hire workers together into his vineyard.
²And he came to an agreement with the workers, of a denarius a day, and
sent them into his vineyard. ³And when he went out, about the third
hour,270 he saw others, standing in the market place idle. ⁴To them also he
said, "You also go out into my vineyard, and whatever is right, I will give
you." ⁵So they left. And again, he went out about the sixth hour and also
the ninth hour, and did the same thing. ⁶And about the eleventh hour he
went out and found others standing, 271 and he says to them, "Why are you
standing here the whole day idle?"
⁷They say to him, "Because no one has hired us."
He says to them, "You also go out into my vineyard. And whatever is

right, that you will receive."272
⁸And when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard says to his
269
19:29 lack η γυναικα B D ita,b,d,e,ff¹,ff²,n syrs,pal Chrys Irlat Or Vict-Pett Hil Paulinus-Nola
Spec NA28 {C} ‖ include η γυναικα ℵ C E L W Σ Φ itaur,b,d,e,f,g¹,h,l,q vg syrp,h copsa,mae¹+² arm
eth geo Bas Greg-Nyss Cyr Ambrose Jer TR RP SBL TH ‖ lac A N P Z 0233 0281. Some scholars
think the inclusion of "wife" in Matthew is a harmonization to Luke's gospel, 18:29, where
all editions contain γυναικα. In Mark 10:29, the Byzantine text includes γυναικα while the
NA28 does not.
270
20:3 That is, about 9 a.m. Then again at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. The Jewish clock began at
sunrise and sunset; thus the third hour was about 3 hours after sunrise, hence 9 a.m. The
11th hour was only one hour before dark.
271
20:6 txt εστωτας ℵ B C² D L 085 lat syrs,c copsa,mae¹+² eth Or SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ εστωτας
αργους C*,³ E W Σ itf,h,q syrp,h,pal arm Chrys TR RP ‖ εστωτας εν τη αγορα αργους Φ ‖ lac A
N P Z 0233 0281
272
20:7 txt αμπελωνα και ο εαν η δικαιον λη(μ)ψεσθε C* E W Φ itq syrc,p,h,palms TR RP ‖
αμπελωνα μου και ο εαν η δικαιον λημψεσθε C³ N Σ itf,h ‖ αμπελωνα μου D Z 085 it vgcl syrs
copsa,mae¹+² Cyr ‖ αμπελωνα ℵ B L lat SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ lac A P 0233 0281. Note: in Codex 07
(E) the word ληψεσθε is at the bottom right corner of the leaf by itself and in smaller
letters. I have never seen elsewhere in this manuscript a line comprised entirely of only
one word.
Matthew
foreman, "Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting from the last
ones, to the first ones." ⁹And those who had arrived at about the eleventh
hour, each received a denarius. ¹⁰And the ones who had arrived first
expected to receive more, yet they received a denarius each themselves. ¹¹So
they got together and were complaining to the landowner, ¹²saying, "These
last ones worked one hour, and you have treated them the same as us who
have borne the burden of the whole day, and the scorching heat."
¹³And he in answer to one of them said, 'Friend, I am not doing you
wrong. Did you not agree to a denarius with me? ¹⁴Take what is yours and
go your way. So this is what I want to give to the last ones, as I also gave to
you. ¹⁵Is it not273 permissible for me to do what I want with things that are
mine? Or is your eye evil274 because I am generous?'
¹⁶Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last. 275"
Jesus Again Predicts His Death

¹⁷And as he was going up to Jerusalem, Jesus took the twelve
disciples aside in private, and said to them on the way, ¹⁸"Behold we are
going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man is going to be betrayed to the
chief priests and the Torah scholars, and they will condemn him to death.
¹⁹And he will be handed over to the Gentiles, to be ridiculed and crucified,
and during the third day he will rise again."
A Mother's Request
²⁰At that time, the mother of the sons of Zebedee approached him,
along with her sons. She is worshiping him and asking a favor from him.
²¹And he said to her, "What do you want?" She says to him, "Decree that
273
20:15a txt ουκ…η ο οφθαλμος B* D L Z SBL ‖ η ουκ…η ο οφθαλμος ℵ C E N W Σ Φ 085
syrp,h copsa TH [NA28] ‖ ουκ…ει ο οφθαλμος B² ‖ η ουκ…ει ο οφθαλμος lat Chrys TR RP ‖ lac
A P 0233 0281. Note that none of the English translations translate the first η as "or." But
they are probably not following the reading of B* D L Z Θ SBL. The BDF grammar in § 440
(3) says a simple interrogative ἦ does not exist in the NT. In § 440 (1) DeBrunner gives four
examples in the NT of "simple interrogative ἤ," Matt. 20:15, 26:53; 1 Cor. 9:8; 2 Cor. 11:7.
This must be how the first η is being interpreted.
274
20:15b ὀφθαλμος πονηρος, "evil eye," is a Semitic concept, in which the attitude of the
heart or the force of a person's thoughts, are focused out through, and cause the narrowing
of the person's eye, out of envy, resentment, scheming, or even voodoo, toward one's
neighbor. This concept merits a long explanation, which is to be found in an end note at
the end of this document.
275
20:16 txt εσχατοι ℵ B L Z 085 copsa,mae² Diatess SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ εσχατοι πολλοι γαρ
εισιν κλητοι ολιγοι δε εκλεκτοι C D E N O W Σ Φ 0300 latt syr copmae¹ arm eth geo Chrys
Jer TR RP ‖ lac A P 0233 0281. It is more likely that these words were incorporated by
copyists from 22:14, where they terminate another parable, than that so many witnesses
deleted these words.
Matthew
these two sons of mine sit one on the right and one on the left of you276 in
your kingdom."
²²But in answer Jesus said, "You do not know what you are asking. 277
Are you able to drink the cup which I am about to drink?" 278
They say to him, "We are able."

²³He says to them, "My cup you will indeed drink,279 but to sit on my
right or on my left is not mine to grant, but is only for those for whom it has
been prepared by my Father."
²⁴And when the other ten heard, they were upset about the two
brothers. ²⁵And Jesus, calling them to him, said, "You know that the rulers
among the nations lord it over them, and the great ones exercise authority
over them. ²⁶It shall not be280 so among you. Instead, whoever wants to be
great among you shall be your servant, ²⁷and whoever wants to be first
among you must be your slave. ²⁸Just as the Son of Man did not come to be
served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."
Two Blind Beggars Receive Their Sight

²⁹And as they were leaving Jericho, very large crowds were following
them. ³⁰And behold, two blind men sitting alongside the road, when they
hear that Jesus is passing by, they cry out, saying, "Have mercy on us, Lord,
276
20:21 txt
εκ δεξιων και εις εξ ευωνυμων σου ℵB
__ δε______________ευωνυμων σου Z
εκ δεξιων σου και εις εξ ευωνυμων σου C E L N W Σ Φ 085 ita,f,g¹,h,l,n,q vgmss Bas RP SBL
TH NA28 {\}
εκ δεξιων σου και εις εξ ευωνυμων D itaur,b,d,e,ff¹,ff²,r¹ vgmss copmae¹ arm TR
Codex E (07) definitely has both instances of σου. Snip:
277
20:22a In this phrase, "you are asking" is plural. Whereas, when the mother was
worshiping and asking, it was singular. Whether or not it was the mother's idea, or the
sons', or both, Jesus addresses them in the plural. In the next sentence when he asks, 'Are
you able...", plural, he is surely addressing the sons, not the mother.
278
20:22b txt lack ℵ B D L Z 085 itaur,b,d,e,f,ff¹,ff²,g¹,l,n,r¹ vg syrs,c copsa,mae¹+² Or ethPP Diatess
Ambrose Jer Aug Spec SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ include η το βαπτισμα ο εγω βαπτιζομαι
βαπτισθηναι (Mk 10:38) C E N O W Σ Φ it(f),h,q syrp,h arm geo² Orlat (MarcusAccToIr) RP ‖ και
το βαπτισμα ο εγω βαπτιζομαι βαπτισθηναι ethTH geo¹ Chrys TR ‖ lac A P 0233 0281
279
20:23 txt πιεσθε ℵ B D L Z 085 lat syrs,c copsa,mae¹+² eth Epiph Jer SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ πιεσθε
και το βαπτισμα ο εγω βαπτιζομαι βαπτισθησεσθε C E N W Σ Φ itf,h,q syrp,h arm Chrys Bas
TR RP ‖ lac A P 0233 0281
280
20:26 txt εσται ℵ E L N W Σ SBL TH NA28 ({B}) ‖ εστιν B D ‖ δε εσται C Φ 085 TR RP ‖ δε
εστιν Z 0281 ‖ lac A P 0233
Matthew
Son of David!"281
³¹But the crowd scolded them, that they should be quiet. But they
cried out282 the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!"
³²And Jesus stopped, and called out to them and said, "What do you
want me to do for you?"
³³They are saying to him, "Lord, that our eyes be opened." ³⁴And
feeling sorry for them, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they
saw,283 and they followed him.
Chapter 21
The Triumphal Entry
¹And when they drew near to Jerusalem and arrived at Bethphage
on 284 the Mount of Olives, at that time Jesus sent two disciples, ²telling
them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a
donkey tied up, and her colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.
³And if anyone says anything to you, say, 'The Lord needs them, and will
send them right back.'"
⁴Now this happened so that what was spoken through the prophet
would be fulfilled, which says,
⁵"Say to the Daughter of Zion:

'Behold, your king is coming to you meek,
and riding on a donkey,
281
20:30 txt ελεησον ημας κυριε ⁴⁵vid C E O W Φ itf,q syrp,h copsams ethpp,TH Or Chryslem
TR RP NA28 [κυριε] {C} ‖ ελεησον ημας ιησου (Mk 10:47; Lk 18:38) ℵ ite,h,n syrpalms copmae²
arm geo TH ‖ ελεησον ημας κυριε ιησου N Σ ‖ ελεησον ημας (9:27) D itb,d,ff¹,ff² syrc
copsams,mae¹ ethms ‖ κυριε ελεησον ημας B Z 085 0281 itaur,g¹,l,r¹ vg copsamss Jer Aug SBL ‖
κυριε ελεησον ημας ιησου L syrpalmss copsamss ‖ lac A P 0233
282
20:31a txt μειζον εκραξαν λεγοντες B D L Z 085 0281 SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ____ω
εκραυγασαν [λεγοντες] ⁴⁵ ‖ πολλω μαλλον εκραξαν λεγοντες ℵ*,²b ‖ πολλω μαλλον
εκραζαν λεγοντες ℵ²a ‖ μειζον εκραυγαζον λεγοντες Φ ‖ μειζον εκραζον λεγοντες C E W Σ
TR RP ‖ lac A P 0233
283
20:34 txt ανεβλεψαν ℵ B D L Ζ lat syrc,hmg copsa,mae¹+² arm eth Bas SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖
ανεβλεψαν αυτων οι οφθαλμοι C E N W Σ Φ itq syrp,h copsams TR RP ‖ lac A P 0233 0281
syrs
284
21:1 txt ‖ εις βηθφαγη εις B* NcAccSwanson SBL NA28 {\} ‖ εις βηδφαγη εις copsa? ‖ εις
βηθσφαγη εις B² ‖ εις βηθφαγη και βηθανιαν και εις CAccNA28 ‖ εις βηθσφαγη προς N* W Σ*
RP ‖ εις βησφαγη προς L ‖ εις βηθφαγη και βηθανιαν και εις C²AccTisch&Swanson ‖ εις βηθφαγη
και βηθανιαν και προς C*accSwanson ‖ εις βηθφαγη και βηθανιαν προς Φ ‖ εις βηθφαγη προς ℵ
Dc (*-φαγε) E Σc syrp TR TH ‖ lac A O P 0233 0281. Codex C, a palimpsest, is very unclear
here. Tischendorf says C* is lacunose for εις/προς, Swanson says C* has προς, and the NA28
indicates no corrector, and that C reads εις. For Codex N, Swanson indicates a corrector
and the NA28 does not. The biggest problem here is the preposition between Bethphage
and the Mount of Olives. Aharoni and Avi-Yonah say in sec. 235 that Bethphage is "on the
mount." The BDAG lexicon says Bethphage is "a place on the Mount of Olives."
Translations that follow the readings with προς say either "to," "toward," "near," or "by the
side of" the Mount of Olives. Bethphage would be Hebrew "house of unripe figs."
Bethsphage is perhaps mindfulness of Bethsaida?
Matthew
and285 on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' 286"
⁶And those disciples went, and did just as they were instructed by
Jesus. ⁷They brought the donkey and the colt, and placed their cloaks on
them, and he sat on them. ⁸And the large crowd of people spread their
garments out on the road; and some were cutting branches off the trees and
spreading those on the road. ⁹And the crowd proceeding ahead of him, and
those following after, were shouting out as follows:
"Hosha na287 to the Son of David!"

"Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord!"288
"Hosha na in the highest!"
¹⁰And when he came into Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred,
saying, "Who is this?"
¹¹And the crowds would say, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth,
Galilee."
Jesus Clears the Temple

¹²And Jesus went into the temple, and he threw out all the ones who
were selling or buying in the temple. And the tables of the
moneychangers289 he overturned, and the seats of the ones selling doves.
¹³And he says to them, "It is written:
285
21:5a It appears to me that Matthew (or a later editor of Matthew) mistook this
exepegetical και, "and," in the Greek of the Septuagint Zechariah 9:9 as meaning both a
donkey and its colt. An exepegetical "and" would make the verse read, "and mounted on a
donkey, specifically a colt, the foal of a donkey." Perhaps as a result of misunderstanding
this, Matthew's account of Jesus' donkey ride has Jesus sitting on both the donkey and its
foal, whereas the other gospel writers say only the foal. See Mark 11:1-7; Luke 19:30-35;
John 12:14, 15. And the Zechariah passage itself says he rides only one animal.
286
21:5b Zechariah 9:9
287
21:9a Ὡσαννά = Aramaic ‫ֹהוׁשע ָנ‬ℵ - hōšaʻ nāʼ, similar to the Hebrew ‫ֹהוׁשיעָֹה ָּנ‬ℵ
ִ - hōšîʻāh
nāʼ, an expression reminiscent of the ָ‫ֹהוׁשִׁ֣יעָ ֹה ּנ‬ℵ
ִ in Psalm 118:25 meaning "Help" or "Save,
I pray," an appeal that became a liturgical formula, and as part of the Hallel (Ps. 113-118), it
was familiar to everyone in Israel. The Septuagint Psalm 117:25 has Ὦ Κύριε, σῶσον δὴ - Ō
Kúrie, sōson dē, "O Lord, save now!" or "Save indeed!" No doubt some in the crowd
accompanying him expected him, as the Messiah ben David, to literally "save now," and
deliver them from the Romans and set up the kingdom of David.
288
21:9b Psalm 118:26
289
21:12 The Greek word here, κολλυβιστής - kollubistēs, is traditionally translated
"moneychangers," but bankers is what they were. They are called moneychangers here
because the main purpose of their "tables" when in the temple area was to break up larger
currency into smaller change, and also perhaps to exchange foreign currency, if there was
such a thing in the Roman empire. But the fact is, what the "tables" were is little in-temple,
mini-branches of banks. We know they were tables of bankers offering other banking
services such as savings accounts paying interest, because of Luke 19:23, where the "tables"
were places to put money on deposit to earn interest.
Matthew
'My house shall be called

a house of prayer';290
but you are making it
'a den of thieves.'291"
¹⁴And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he
healed them. ¹⁵But when the chief priests and the Torah scholars saw the
wonders that he performed, and the children crying out in the temple and
saying, "Hosha na to the Son of David," they were indignant, ¹⁶and they said
to him, "Do you hear what they are saying?!"
And Jesus says to them, "Yes. Have you never read,
'Out of the mouths of children

and those still nursing
you have arranged for yourself
praise'292?"
¹⁷And he left them, and went outside the city, to Bethany, and found
lodging there.
The Withered Fig Tree

¹⁸And early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he
was hungry. ¹⁹And when he saw a lone fig tree by the road, he went up to
it. And he found nothing on it but only leaves. And he says to it, "May
there never be fruit from you again." And immediately the fig tree
withered.
²⁰And when the disciples saw this they marvelled, saying, "How did
the fig tree immediately wither?"
²¹And in answer Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, if you have
faith, and do not second guess, not only will you do something like the fig
tree, but also should you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into
the sea,' it would happen. ²²In fact anything whatsoever that you ask for in
prayer believing, you will receive."
The Authority of Jesus Questioned

²³And after he had come into the temple, as he was teaching, the high
priests and the elders of the people approached, saying, "By what authority
290
21:13a Isaiah 56:7
291
292
21:16 Psalm 8:2 Note also that in that culture, it was normal for children of speaking age
to still be breast feeding.
Matthew
are you doing these things? And who gave you the authority for these
things?"
²⁴And in answer Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you one question,
which if you answer me, I will then tell you by what authority I do these
things. ²⁵The baptism of John, where was it from, from heaven, or from
human beings?"
So they discussed it among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From
heaven,' he will say to us, 'Then why didn't you believe in him?' ²⁶And if we
say, 'From human beings,' we fear the people, for they all hold John as a
prophet."
²⁷And they in answer said to Jesus, "We do not know."
So he also told them, "Neither am I telling you by what authority I am

doing these things."
The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸"So what do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the
first son and said, 'Son, go work in the vineyard today.' ²⁹And he in answer
said, 'I will not,' but with a subsequent change of heart, he went. ³⁰And he
went to the other son and said the same thing. And he in answer said, 'I
will, sir,' and did not go.
³¹Who of the two performed the will of the father?"
They are saying, "The first one."

Jesus says to them, "Truly I say to you: the revenue agents and
prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God before you.293 ³²For John
came to you with the way of righteousness, and you did not believe in him.
The revenue agents and prostitutes, however, did believe in him. And you
when you saw that, neither did you subsequently have a change of heart
and believe in him."
The Parable of the Tenants

³³"Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a
vineyard, and he put a hedge around it, and dug a winepress in it, and built
a watchtower, and leased it out to tenant farmers, and journeyed away.
³⁴And when the time of harvest had drawn near, he sent servants of his to
the farmers, to take his fruit.
³⁵And this is the reception the farmers gave his servants: one they
293
21:31 This phrase προάγουσιν ὑμᾶς – proágousin humâs, "are going ahead of you," is a
"comparative expressing exclusion," according to BDF §245a(3). It is a Semitic way of
expressing exclusion or replacement, by creating a physical distance or separation between
the two things compared. The object being replaced is put off at a distance, or behind at a
distance. Bauer, in 2(b), says it means, "the tax-collectors will get into the kingdom of God
before you."
Matthew
flogged, another they killed, another they stoned. ³⁶Again he sent other
servants, more than before, and they treated them the same way. ³⁷So
finally he sent his own son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.'
³⁸But the farmers when they saw the son said to each other, 'This is
the heir. Hey, let's kill him, and his inheritance will be ours.' ³⁹And they
took him and cast him outside the vineyard and killed him.
⁴⁰When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to
those farmers?"
⁴¹They are saying to him, "He will kill those creeps catastrophically, 294
and give the vineyard to other farmers, who will pay him back the fruits in
their seasons."
⁴²Jesus says to them, "Have you never read in the scriptures,
" 'A stone which the builders rejected,

this one has become
the chief cornerstone.
From the Lord this came about,
and it is marvelous
in our eyes'295?"
⁴³Therefore I say to you, that the kingdom of God will be taken away
from you, and given to a nation producing its fruit. ⁴⁴And the person who
trips over that stone will be broken into pieces, and upon whomever the
stone falls, it will turn him into powder."296
⁴⁵And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard this parable of
his, they knew that it was about them that he was speaking. ⁴⁶And though
seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, since they held him to be a
prophet.
294
21:41 There may be an alliteration here, κακοὺς κακῶς – kakoùs kakōs (bad guys badly),
where the word for bad guys starts with the same sound as the word for badly. He will kill
those bad guys badly. Thus, many translations render it "bring those wretches to a
wretched end." The reason they chose those words is that they start with the same sound,
not necessarily because those words are the best translation for the Greek words. The
reason I chose three words starting with the K sound is that that sound is generally
considered an unpleasant sound. (Although Kappa was a softer K than was Xi, Kappa being
the unaspirated and Xi being the aspirated K sound.) Thus we get the word "cacophonous."
And the Spanish word "caca."
295
21:42 Psalm 118:22,23
296
21:44 txt include v. 44 ℵ B C L W Z Φ 0102 itaur,f,g¹,(h),l,q vg syrc,p,h copsa,meg arm eth geo slav
Chrystostom Cyril; Jerome Augustine TR TG [WH] RP [NA28] SBL ‖ omit v. 44 D ita,b,d,e,ff¹,ff²,r¹
syrs Irenaeuslat Origen Eusebiussyr. Possibly also lacking in Papyrus 104
http:‖tinyurl.com/694eg7 from Oxyrhynchus (early III century). Some say the verse is an
interpolation from Luke 20:18. Yet the words are quite different at the beginning, and
according to the UBS committee, the verse's omission can be accounted for when the eye of
the copyist passed from αὐτῆς (last word of ver. 43) to αὐτόν (the last word of ver. 44).
Also, the committee says, the more appropriate place for copyists to have inserted it, if it
was an interpolation, would have been after verse 42.
Matthew
Chapter 22
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
¹And once again Jesus in response to them spoke by means of a
parable, saying, ²"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king, who put
on a wedding feast for his son. ³And he sent his servants to summon those
who were invited to the wedding, and they did not want to come.
⁴Once more, he sent other servants, telling them, 'Say to those invited,
"Look, my noon meal has been prepared, my bulls and fattened animals are
slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come now to my wedding feast."
⁵But they disregarded this and went off, one to his own field, another on his
trade route, ⁶and others of them captured his servants, and insulted and
killed them.
⁷And the king became angry, and sending his soldiers, he slew those
murderers, and burned their city. ⁸Then, he says to his servants, 'Seeing as
how my wedding feast is ready, and the ones invited were not worthy, ⁹go
out therefore onto the crossings of the roads, and whoever you find, invite
them to the wedding feast." ¹⁰So going out into the roads, those servants
gathered everyone that they could find, both the evil and the good. And so
the wedding hall was filled with guests reclining.
¹¹Now when the king went in to observe the ones reclining, he saw
there a man who was not dressed in wedding clothes. ¹²And he says to him,
'Friend, how is it you have come in here without having wedding clothes?'
And he was speechless.
¹³Then the king said to his servants, 'Bind his feet and hands, and
throw him outside, into the outer darkness; there, there will be keening, and
gnashing of teeth.' ¹⁴For many are invited, but few are chosen."
Paying the Tribute Tax to Caesar

¹⁵Then the Pharisees left, and plotted how297 they might entrap him in
a saying. ¹⁶And they send disciples of theirs to him, along with Herodians,
saying as follows, "Teacher, we know that you are honest, and that you
teach the way of God with integrity,298 and it makes no difference to you
about anyone, for you pay no attention to the personage of people.299 ¹⁷Tell
us then, what do you think? Is it permissible to pay the tribute to Caesar, or
not?"
¹⁸But aware of their evil, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you
297
22:15 The Greek phrase συμβούλιον ἔλαβον ὅπως is a Latinism from consilium capere, and
it says literally, "took counsel how to."
298
22:16a Matthew says "you teach the way of God ἐν ἀληθείᾳ - en alētheíai," whereas Mark
and Luke say ἐπ’ ἀληθείας – ep' alētheías.
299
22:16b In other words, "It makes no difference to you who you are dealing with, as far as
their status in society."
Matthew
hypocrites? ¹⁹Show me the coinage used for the tribute." And they brought
him a denarius. ²⁰And he says to them, "Whose image is this, and whose
inscription?"
²¹They say to him, "Caesar's."
Then he says to them, "So Caesar's things you give back to Caesar,
and God's things to God." ²²And when they heard this, they were amazed,
and they left him, and went away.
Marriage at the Resurrection

²³During that same day, Sadducees approached him, (Sadducees say
there is no resurrection), and they questioned him ²⁴as follows: "Teacher,
Moses said, 'If a man dies without having a child, his brother shall marry
the man's wife, and raise up descendants for his brother.' ²⁵Well, there were
seven brothers near us, and the first one after marrying, died, and since he
had no descendant, his brother took his wife. ²⁶And it was the same with
the second, and the third, up till and including all the seven. ²⁷And last of
all, the woman died.
²⁸In the resurrection, then, of which of the seven will she be wife? For
all of them had her."
²⁹And in answer Jesus said to them, "You are mistaken, from not
knowing either the scriptures or the power of God. ³⁰For in the resurrection,
they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in
heaven.
³¹Now about the resurrection of the dead, have you never read the
declaration to you from God, where he says, ³²'I am the God of Abraham,
and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' 300'? He is not the God of the
dead, but of the living."
³³And when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his
teaching.
The Weightiest Commandment

³⁴And when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together on that same place, ³⁵and one of them, a lawyer,301
questioned him, testing him: ³⁶"Teacher, which is the greatest
300
22:32 Exodus 3:6
301
22:35 txt νομικός ℵ B D Ec L W Σ Φ 0102 0161 ita,aur,b,d,f,ff¹,ff²,h,l,q,r¹ vg syrc,p,h,hgr,pal copsa,meg
eth geo¹ Chrystostomlem-; Tertullian Hilary Jerome Augustine TR HF RP WH [NA27] {C} ‖
νομικός τις (like Luke 10:25) E* ‖ omit (like Mark 12:28) ite syrs arm geo² Origengr, lat ‖ lacuna
⁴⁵ A C N P. It would be hard to explain why the other witnesses would differ, other than
that they were assimilating to the other gospels. In addition, Matthew nowhere else uses
the word νομικὸς. Thus, the editorial committee of the United Bible Societies' Greek New
Testament gives the reading with νομικὸς only a "C" rating of certainty.
Matthew
commandment in the law?"

³⁷And he told him, "'You shall love Yahweh your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.' 302 ³⁸This is the
greatest and primary commandment. ³⁹And the second one is like it: 'You
shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 303 ⁴⁰On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets."
Whose Son is the Messiah?

⁴¹And as long as the Pharisees were collected together, Jesus
questioned them, ⁴²saying: "What do you all think about the Christ— whose
son is he?"
They are saying, "David's."

⁴³He says, "How is it then that David, by the Spirit, calls him Lord,
saying, ⁴⁴'Yahweh said to my Lord,304 "Sit at my right hand until such time I
put your enemies under your feet."305 ⁴⁵So, since David calls him Lord, how
is he his son?"
⁴⁶And no one was able to answer this argument, nor did anyone from
that day on dare ask him anything else.
Chapter 23
Jesus Denounces the Rabbis
¹Then Jesus spoke to the crowd and to his disciples, ²saying, "The
Torah scholars and Pharisees took306 the seat of Moses; ³therefore whatever
they say to you, you should do and keep, but not according to their works
should you do. For they say and don't do.
⁴But they bind heavy loads 307 and place them on the backs of the
people, but they themselves would not budge them with a finger of
302
22:37 Deuteronomy 6:4, 5
303
22:39 Leviticus 19:18
304
22:44a πεν κύριος τ κυρίῳ, "The LORD said to my Lord," from the Hebrew ְ‫נ‬ℵ ‫ם יְ ֹהוָֹה‬
ָ‫ל‬ℵ‫ד ִ ֹני‬ ֹ - nəʾum Yəhōvah laʾ ōnōȋ of Psalm 110:1. In this verse, both the Tetragrammaton
‫( יֹהוֹה‬YHVH) and Adonai are found, together. But one could hardly say, "Adonai said to
Adonai." In an attempt to avoid this, the Masoretes inserted a paseq in between, one of
these: |, to make them be in separate phrases, and thus the Masoretic text reads: ‫׀ ל‬ℵ‫ד ִֹנִ֗י‬
ְ‫נ‬ℵ‫ ם יְ ֹה ָוָֹ֨ה‬.
305
22:44b Psalm 110:1
306
23:2 The Greek says ἐκάθισαν ἐπι καθέδρας τῆς Μωϋσέως, which when translated
literally is "they sat upon the seat of Moses." This is probably a "gnomic" aorist, somewhat
like the perfect aspect. Jesus appears to be saying that they legitimately took the place of
Moses, and still at the time, were sitting there. Note also that the arrangement of furniture
in synagogues in that time included a literal raised seat in the front, symbolically reserved
for Moses.
307
23:4a There are a variety of readings here in the Greek. Many manuscripts add the words
"and oppressive to bear," but that is probably an interpolation from Luke 11:46.
Matthew
theirs.308
⁵But every act of theirs they do with the goal to be seen by people; for
they enlarge their phylacteries, and lengthen their tassels; ⁶and they love the
places of honor in the banquets, and the prominent seats in the synagogues
⁷and the greetings in the marketplaces and to be called Rabbi by the people.
⁸But you, you should not be called Rabbi, because there is only one
teacher for you, and you are all brothers. ⁹And call no one on earth your
father, because there is only one father for you, the heavenly one. ¹⁰Neither
should you be called Teacher, because your teacher is the Messiah. ¹¹But the
greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹²And whoever promotes himself
will be lowered, and whoever lowers himself will be promoted.
¹³Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you
close the kingdom of heaven in people's faces; you yourselves do not enter,
and neither do you allow those who are entering to enter.309
¹⁵Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, you hypocrites! Because
you traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when it happens, you
make him twice the son of Gehenna that you are.
¹⁶Woe to you, you blind guides, that say, 'Whoever swears by the
temple, that is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is
obligated.' ¹⁷O you blind fools! For which is greater– the gold, or the
temple that makes the gold something holy?
¹⁸Or that say, 'Whoever swears by the altar, that is nothing; but
whoever swears by the gift that lies upon it, he is obligated.' ¹⁹O you blind
men! For which is greater– the gift, or the altar that makes the gift
something holy?
²⁰It follows therefore, that when you swear by the altar, you are
swearing by it AND everything that lies upon it, ²¹and when you swear by
the temple, you are swearing by it AND by the One residing in it. 310
308
23:4b The word "finger" is in the plural, but it is a collective, talking about the group's
acts as individuals. For example, when someone says to a group of people, "Turn your
hearts to God," that does not mean that each person has more than one heart, but means
rather, each of you all, turn your own heart, singular, to God.
309
23:13 txt ουαι δε υμιν …. εισελθειν (omit v. 14 ) ℵ B D L Z ita,aur,d,e,ff¹,g¹ vgst,ww syrs,(palms)
copsa,mae¹+² arm geo Orgrk,lat Eus-Canons Cyr Jer SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ 14 ουαι δε υμιν
γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι υποκριται οτι κατεσθιετε τας οικας των χηρων και προφασει
μακρα προσευχομενοι δια τουτο ληψεσθε περισσοτερον κριμα 13 ουαι δε υμιν …. εισελθειν
(with minor variants) E O W Σ (Φ lacunose until οτι κατεσθιετε) 0102 0107 itf (syrp,h) eth
Chrys AN BG RP ‖ 13 ουαι δε υμιν …. εισελθειν 14 ουαι δε υμιν … κριμα 0233 itb,ff²,h,l,r¹ vgcl
(syrc,palmss) Hilary TR ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁷ A C N P. See Mk 12:40; Lk 20:47. The United Bible
Societies' textual commentary: "That ver. 14 is an interpolation derived from the parallel in
Mk 12:40 or Lk 20:47 is clear (a) from its absence in the earliest and best authorities of the
Alexandrian, the Western, and the Caesarean types of text, and (b) from the fact that the
witnesses which include the passage have it in different places, either after ver. 13 (so the
Textus Receptus) or before ver. 13."
310
23:21 txt κατοικοῦντι (continuous participle) "by the One residing in it" ℵ B Φ pm it vg
syr copsa arm eth TR SBL TH NA28 ‖ κατοικήσαντι (punctiliar participle) "by him who had
dwelt in it" C D E L O W Z Σ 0102 pm AN BG RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ A N P. The New King James Version
is the only major English translation that footnotes this issue. In the main text it reads "by
Matthew
²²And when you swear by heaven, you are swearing by the throne of
God AND by him who sits upon it.
²³Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you
tithe the mint and dill and cumin, and have passed over more important
matters of the law– justice, mercy and faith. But these latter you ought to
practice, without leaving the former undone. ²⁴You blind guides, straining
out a gnat, but swallowing a camel!
²⁵Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you
clean the outside of the cup and dish, but the inside is full of grabbiness 311
and intemperance. 312
²⁶O blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, such that the
outside will be clean as well.
²⁷Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you
are like whitewashed tombs, that sparkle beautifully on the outside, but
inside are full of bones of the dead and all sorts of unclean things.
²⁸So you also, outside you appear to people as righteous, but inside
you are loaded up with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
²⁹Woe to you, Torah scholars and Pharisees, you hypocrites! For you
build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate the graves of the righteous,
³⁰and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers we would not
have been parties to the blood of the prophets.'
³¹By so saying, you are bearing witness against yourselves, that you
are sons of the murderers of the prophets.
³²You fill indeed the measure of your forefathers. 313
Him who dwells in it," and then indicates in a footnote that they did not follow the majority
text here. In the NKJV Greek - English Interlinear New Testament, Copyright 1994 by
Thomas Nelson, Inc., the Word Studies textual notes say here: "The aorist participle of the
Majority Text may suggest He no longer made the temple His special home." There is one
reference book that says the verb in the TR reading is plural. There are in fact a couple
examples of the same form being plural, in the Doric dialect, a contracted form of the
present indicative. But since the article here is singular, the whole phrase is singular.
311
23:25a Picture a grabbiness, continuously acquiring things, always wanting more things.
There may be a play on words here with the "cup and dish," when it comes to grabbiness
for food and drink, and the other word in this sentence, intemperance.
312
23:25b txt ἀκρασίας ℵ B D L Φf 0102 ita,c,d,e, ff²,h,r¹ arm geo Origenlat Basil TR NA28 ‖
ἀδικίας C E syrp Chrystostom RP ‖ ἀκρασίας ἀδικίας W (syrh) ‖ ἀκαθαρσίας O Σ itar,ff¹,l vg
syrs,pal Clement Jerome ‖ πονηρίας Quodvultdeus. The Greek word here, ἀκρασία - akrasía,
means to have no or to exercise no power over one's self, in restraining the pursuit of
pleasure, the pursuit of one's appetites. (The Majority text, which the KJV did not follow in
this instance, reads ἀδικίαν here–"unrighteousness"–instead of ἀκρασίας) But it is hard to
say, "the inside is full of an absence of something." I was tempted to say here, "full of
addictions," because that is the ultimate result of lack of restraint, and the decline in
usefulness to society spoken of by Socrates and Aristotle on the subject of this word
ἀκρασία. It is not solely a Bible-belt fundamentalist concept, that unrestraint in the pursuit
of pleasure brings the downfall of civilization, but it is also the belief and teaching of the
great Greek philosophers. See the end note on this verse and the word ἀκρασία, with
excerpts of the classic philosophers, showing how they used the word.
313
23:32 This is traditionally translated as an imperative: "Fill up then, the measure of your
forefathers." But the imperative inflection of verbs was usually identical to the indicative.
Therefore, it is possible that this could be an indicative, and be rendered, "You fill indeed
Matthew
³³O you snakes, you spawn of vipers, how will you wiggle out of the
sentence of Gehenna?
³⁴Therefore behold, I am sending to you prophets, and wise men, and
Torah scholars; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them
you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, ³⁵so that
on you will come all of the blood of the righteous ever spilled upon the
earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of
Barachiah, whom you slaughtered between the sanctuary and the altar.
³⁶Truly I tell you, this will all fall upon this generation.
³⁷O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kills the prophets, and stones those
sent to it! How often I have wished to gather together your children, as a
hen gathers together her young under her wings, and you were not willing.
³⁸Now behold, your house will be left to you desolate.314
³⁹For I tell you, from now on, me you will not see, until such time you
say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" 315
Chapter 24
Signs of the Times
¹And Jesus was proceeding on his way, and left the temple, and his
disciples approached to show him the construction of the temple. ²But in
answer he said to them, "Do you see all these things?316 Truly I tell you, by
no means will there be a stone left upon a stone that will not be thrown
down."
³Then as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to
him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what
will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?"
⁴And in answer Jesus said to them, "See that no one misleads you.
⁵For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will
deceive many. ⁶And you will hear about wars and rumors of wars. Do not
the measure of your forefathers." This rendering would be in accord with Luke's parallel in
Luke 11:48, which states that their forefathers did the killing, and they did the building.
That is a filling or completion of the measure of their forefathers. This could be something
like our expression, "You fill your father's shoes." My main reason for rendering this as an
indicative is the διὰ δοῦτο - dia touto (for this reason) that Jesus begins verse 34 with. "You
will pursue and kill my prophets just like your forefathers did." He is saying that they do
indeed fill the shoes of their forefathers (and foremothers– Jezebel).
314
23:38 It was once thought that texts of Matthew included the word ἔρημος – érēmos to
harmonize with Luke 13:35, but now a new analysis of Papyrus 77 (late II century) for
Matthew 23:38 has been made, which shows the absence of the word "desolate."
315
23:39 Psalm 118:26
316
24:2 This at first looks like it is saying, "Do not look at all these things." But BDF §427(2)
says, "Both οὐ and μή are still used in questions as in classical." BDF §440 further explains,
"Οὐ is employed to suggest an affirmative answer, μή (μήτι) a negative reply; in the latter,
μή with the indicative is an external indication that it is a question, since independent μή
can be used in no other way than interrogatively." So in this case of Matt. 24:2, the word οὐ
suggests a "yes" answer to Jesus' question. It is not necessary to translate the Greek word
into a corresponding English word. It is obvious that the disciples did see them.
Matthew
be alarmed. For such are bound to happen, but the end is still not yet.
⁷For nation will rise up against nation, and king against king, and
there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸But all these are
just the beginning of birth pains.
⁹At that time they will deliver you over to trial, and you will be hated
by all nations because of my name. ¹⁰And then many will be scandalized,
and others will betray and hate each other; ¹¹and many false prophets shall
arise, and lead many astray. ¹²And because of the increase of lawlessness,
the love of many will grow cold. ¹³But the person who remains to the end,
that one will be saved. ¹⁴And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in
the whole inhabited earth, for a witness to all nations, and then the end will
come.
¹⁵When therefore you see the abomination of desolation spoken of
through the prophet Daniel being in the holy place, (Reader, think.) 317 ¹⁶then
those in Judea should flee to the mountains, ¹⁷the one on the rooftop should
not come down to take things from his house, ¹⁸and the person in the field
should not turn back to take his coat.
¹⁹And alas for those who are pregnant, and the ones giving milk
during those days! ²⁰And pray that your flight not happen during winter or
on a sabbath. ²¹For there will be great distress then, of a sort that has not
happened from the beginning of the world till now, nor ever will again. 318
²²And if those days had not been made short, no flesh would survive; but
for the sake of the elect, those days will be short.319
²³At that time, if anyone says to you, 'Behold, here is the Messiah,' or
"There is the Messiah,' do not believe it. ²⁴For there shall arise many false
prophets, and they will perform great signs and miracles, so as to deceive if
possible, even the elect. ²⁵See, I have told you ahead of time.
²⁶If therefore they say to you, 'Behold, he is in the desert,' do not go
out. Or, 'Behold, he is in a private room,' do not believe it. ²⁷For just as
lightning comes out of the east and shines as far as the west, so shall the
appearing of the Son of Man be. 320 ²⁸Wherever the carcass is, there the
317
24:15 Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11
318
24:21 Daniel 12:1; Joel 2:2
319
24:22 This word in the Greek for "made short" is κολοβόω - kolobóō. It has traditionally
been translated here as "those days will be shortened." But that raises more questions than
are answered. Questions such as, will those days start out as regular 24-hour days, but then
be shortened to days of less than 24 hours each? No, it means that "that period of time"
will be shortened. So then, does it mean God changed his mind, that is, that he had
originally planned for that period of time to last X amount of days, but at some point
decides to shorten that period of time? No, that would not be consistent with what is
written in either the prophets, or in the New Testament. This verse is more clearly put by
Mark, in 13:20, because Mark puts it in the past tense, and says who did it also: "He (the
Lord) has made those days short." It has already been decided by the Lord how long that
period of time will be. Their duration will not be changed. They will not be shortened. The
point of this verse it that, if that period of time went on longer, no flesh would survive.
320
24:27 Or, so shall be the coming of the Son of Man. Both 'appearing' and 'coming' are
true and appropriate, and included in the meaning of the Greek word παρουσία - parousía
Matthew
vultures321 will be gathered.322

²⁹And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be
darkened and the moon will not give its glow, and the stars will fall from
heaven, and the forces of the heavens will be shaken. 323
³⁰And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and at
that time, all the tribes of the land will mourn,324 and they will see the Son of
Man coming on the clouds of the sky, 325 with great power and great glory.
³¹And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather his
elect from the four winds, from one end of sky to the other.
³²Now learn this parable from the fig tree:326 when its branch becomes
tender and it puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. ³³In the same
way you also, when you see all these things, you know that the time is near,
right at the door. ³⁴Truly I tell you: this age will by no means pass away
until all these things have taken place. ³⁵Sky and earth will pass away, but
my words will certainly not pass away.
The Day and Hour Unknown

³⁶But as for that day and hour, no one knows it except the Father
here. When someone comes to you, they also "show." Coming is also an appearing, in
English.
321
24:28a Greek: ὁ ἀετός – ho aetós, a word used for both eagles and vultures. Yet this is
apparently a quote by Jesus of the parable in Job 39:30, where the parallel in the Septuagint
to ho aetós is ἱέραξ – hiérax, a hawk, v. 26. Both Aristotle and Pliny in their Histories class
the vulture among the eagles. Both eagles and vultures are classified as unclean in the law
of Moses, Lev. 11:13, Deut. 14:12, in that they both eat carrion (in Job 39:30 ho aetós is
eating carrion). Yet generally speaking, where ho aetós is eating carrion, vultures may be
assumed to be meant. Now T.W. Manson, in "Sayings of Jesus," says the eagle would
emphasize the swiftness of the coming of the Day of the Son of man. It is true that the
eagle in passages such as Job 9:26, and Rev. 12:14, is a symbol of swiftness. I also get some
amount of meaning in this verse that the eagles are acting as a form of messenger, which
again, the eagle sometimes symbolizes, but not vultures as much. But the main emphasis
here about the bird is not that of messenger, but that of a clear sign in the sky. Still, either
'eagles' or 'vultures' would be an acceptable rendering here.
322
24:28b The point seems to be that the return of Christ will not be a hidden thing, or
something only a select few will be aware of. It will be as obvious, in the same way that it is
obvious where the carcass is.
323
24:29 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4; Joel 2:31
324
24:30a See Zechariah 12:10-14. The LXX wording in 12:12 is καὶ κόψεται ἡ γῆ κατὰ
φυλὰς φυλάς..."And the land [of Israel] will mourn tribe by tribe..." Hebrew:
‫ ִמ ְשפַּ ַּחת‬--‫יהם ְל ָבד‬ ֶ ֵּ‫ ּונְ ש‬,‫ ָד ִויד ְל ָבד‬-‫ ִמ ְשפַּ ַּחת ֵּבית‬:‫ ִמ ְשפָ חֹות ִמ ְשפָ חֹות ְל ָבד‬,‫ְו ָס ְפ ָדה ָהאָ ֶרץ‬
‫יהם ְל ָבד‬ ֶ ֵּ‫ ּונְ ש‬,‫ָתן ְל ָבד‬ ָ ‫נ‬-‫ ֵּבית‬.
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/c/ct/c2312.htm
325
24:30b Daniel 7:13 ,‫יֹומיָא ְמטָ ה‬ ַּ ‫עַּ ִתיק‬-‫הוָא; ְועַּ ד‬
ֲ ‫אנָש אָ ֵּתה‬
ֱ ‫ ְכ ַּבר‬,‫ע ָננֵּי ְש ַּמיָא‬
ֲ -‫ַּואֲרּו ִעם‬
‫בּוהי‬
ִ ‫מֹוהי ַּה ְק ְר‬ ִ ‫ּוק ָד‬.
ְ
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt3407.htm
326
24:32 Luke in 21:29 adds the phrase, "indeed all the trees," perhaps because the Holy
Spirit knew that people would someday misinterpret this verse, from the error of limiting
its meaning to only the fig tree. There is no significance to which tree Jesus picked for his
parable, only the idea of the fresh green leaves in general being a sign of the times.
Matthew
alone; not even the angels of heaven, not even the Son. 327 ³⁷For just like the
days of Noah, that is how the coming of the Son of Man will be. ³⁸For just as
in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and
being given in marriage, right up until the day that Noah entered the ark,
³⁹and they did not know it right up until the flood came and carried them
away, that is how it will be with the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰At that
time, two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.
⁴¹Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and the
other left.
⁴²Be watchful therefore, because you do not know at what hour your
Lord is coming.
⁴³But this you know: that if the home owner had known at what
watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched and not
allowed his house to be broken into.
⁴⁴For this reason you also must be the same: because the Son of Man
is coming at an hour you would not think he would.
⁴⁵Who then is the faithful and sensible servant, whom the master
places328 over his domestic servants, to be giving out rations in due time?
⁴⁶Happy is that servant whom his lord will find so doing when he
comes.
⁴⁷Truly I tell you, he will place him over all his possessions.
⁴⁸But if that servant says in his heart, 'My lord is taking a long time,'
⁴⁹and his fellow servants he begins to slap around, but eats and drinks with
the drunkards, ⁵⁰the lord of that servant will come at an hour he is not
expecting, and at a time he does not know, ⁵¹and will cut him in two, and
appoint him his inheritance with the hypocrites. There, there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Chapter 25
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
¹"At that time, the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who
after grabbing their torches, went out for the meeting up with the
bridegroom.329 ²Now five of them were foolish, and five of them were wise.
327
24:36 Thanks be to God, Jesus is clear and specific throughout this chapter concerning
time periods. We will know the season, he says, but not the day or the hour. These words
therefore must be taken at their ordinary face value: a season is about three months, a day
is 24 hours, and an hour is 60 minutes. That is, when the season comes upon us, which we
will recognize by all the signs given in this chapter, then at that time we will know that the
his coming will be at most a few couple months after all these signs have taken place. We
will never know the day or hour however.
328
24:45 Gnomic aorist
329
25:1 The meeting "up with," or joining up with, is from the Greek word ὑπάντησις -
hupanteesis (See also how I translated this word in John 12:13. This word, by New
Testament times, was used somewhat interchangeably with ἀπάντησις (apanteesis) as well,
as in verse 6 later in this chapter, and in the passages about meeting the Lord in the air, in I
Matthew
³For the foolish ones when they brought their torches, had not brought some
oil along with them. 330 ⁴The wise, however, brought along with their
torches, some oil in a container.
⁵Now after the bridegroom was taking a long time, they all became
drowsy, and fell asleep. ⁶And in the middle of the night, there came a loud
cry, 'Look, the bridegroom! Come out to join him.'
⁷Then at that time, all those virgins woke up, and trimmed their
torches.331 ⁸And the foolish ones said to the wise ones, 'Give us some of
your oil, because our torches are going out.'
⁹But the wise ones answered saying, 'There may not be enough for both us
and you. Go to the vendors and buy more for yourselves.'
¹⁰And while they were gone away to buy some, the bridegroom came,
and the ones who were ready went in with him to the wedding, and then
the door was locked.
¹¹And later on, the other virgins also arrive, and they are saying, 'Sir! Sir!
Open the door for us.'
¹²"But in response, he said, 'Truly I tell you, I do not know you.'
¹³You all should keep watch therefore; because you do not know the
day or the hour."
The Parable of the Talants

¹⁴"For it is like a man going away on a journey. He summoned his
own servants, and handed his possessions over to them. ¹⁵And to one he
gave five talants,332 and to another two talants, and to another, one talant,
Thessalonians). Here it is referring to the Palestinian wedding custom that the bridesmaids
join up with the bridegroom party after he has gone to the bride's father's house and
gotten his bride. The official ceremony had already started with the groom and his
companions' procession to the bride's father's house. And now, the bridesmaids go out and
join the procession to the groom's house. Professional musicians were hired for this
procession, and there was much dancing and music. The torches were necessary if
darkness had fallen, or in case darkness might fall during the procession and ceremony. It
would be prudent to take them, along with extra oil, since the torches burned up the oil
rapidly. In this parable, the virgins are at the point where they are waiting for the
bridegroom and his party to come with the bride, meet up with them, and then go to the
groom's house. And the groom takes a long time to come.
330
25:3 The plural genitive form of ἑαυτοῦ - heautou, as found here, ἑαυτῶν - heautōn, is
the same form for all genders. Therefore, "along with them" could be referring either to
the virgins, or to the torches. But we see, from verse 4, that it is referring to the torches.
331
25:7 The torches consisted of a rag sitting in a small cavity of oil, and for proper ongoing
operation, the rag had to be trimmed occasionally, just as oil or kerosene lamps and
refrigerators must have their wicks trimmed. Here, the Greek word translated "trim," is
κοσμέω - kosmew, which in this passage seems to mean not only trimming, but generally
setting in order, including checking the oil level and replenishing or topping it off. No
doubt, the torches did need more oil, since this was already the middle of the night, and it
is doubtful the virgins would be sleeping in the darkness without their torches burning.
332
25:15 A talant was a measurement of weight for gold, silver, or copper, from 58 to 80
pounds (26 to 36 kg.). There came to be a coin called a talant, whose worth varied
depending on the metal, time, and place used. The silver coin here was probably worth
Matthew
each according to his own ability, and then he went abroad. Immediately,
¹⁶the one who received the five talants went out and worked with them and
gained333 five more. ¹⁷Similarly, the one with the two, gained another two.
¹⁸But the one who had received the one talant went out and dug a hole in
the ground, and he hid his master's silver.
¹⁹And after a long time, the lord of those servants returns, and he is
settling accounts with them. ²⁰And when the one who had received the five
talants came forward, he presented another five talants to him, 334 saying,
'Lord, you entrusted335 to me five talants. Look, I have gained another five
talants.'
²¹His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You
have been faithful over a little; over much I will appoint you. Enter into the
joy of your lord.'
²²And when the one who had received the two talants came forward, he
said, 'Lord, you entrusted to me two talants. Look, I have gained another
two talants.'
²³His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You
have been faithful over a little; over much I will appoint you. Enter into the
joy of your lord.'
²⁴But then when the one who had received 336 the one talant came
forward, he said, 'Lord, I knew you, that you are a hard man, who reaps
where he has not sown, and gathers what he has not winnowed. 337 ²⁵And
because I was afraid, I went out and hid your talant in the ground. See here,
you still have what is yours.'
²⁶But in response, his master said to him, 'You wicked and idle
servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather what I
have not winnowed? ²⁷Then you should have deposited my silver with the
bankers,338 and when I returned I would recover what is mine with interest.
about two thousand dollars.

333
25:16 txt ἐκέρδησενℵ c A* B C D L syrp,hmg copsa NA27 ‖ ἐποίησεν ℵ* Ac W Φ itq syrh TR RP.
Regarding the reading of Codex A, it appears to me that the original hand was ἐκέρδησεν,
the first corrector was ἐποίησεν, and a second corrector went back to ἐκέρδησεν. You can
view the mansucript online at this link:
http:‖images.csntm.org/Manuscripts/GA_02/GA_02_0005a.jpg . The variant word being discussed
is on line 33 of the first column, in the middle of the line. Thanks to the Center for the
Study of New Testament Manuscripts for free use of the manuscript image. www.csntm.org
There is disagreement here between the NA27 apparatus and that of Swanson, in that NA27
lists A* and ƒ¹³ for ἐκέρδησεν, while Swanson lists those as supporting ἐποίησεν.
334
25:20a There are not exactly words corresponding to "to him" in the Greek, but the verb
used here, προσφέρω - prosphérō, means "bring to engift, pay or present to somebody." In
this case, it is to the master.
335
25:20b The Greek word I translated "entrusted" here, is παραδίδωμι - paradidwmi, the
same word as in 25:14, where I translated it "handed over."
336
25:24a The verb λαμβάνω - lambánō (receive) changes from the aorist aspect found in v.
20, to no verb at all in v. 22, to the perfect aspect here in v. 24.
337
25:24b Or possibly, "who gathers from where he has not scattered seed." But that would
seem redundant.
338
25:27 The word for bankers is interesting, in that it is a form of the word for table. In the
Matthew
²⁸Now then, take the talant away from him, and give it to the one who
has the ten talants. ²⁹For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he
will have himself an abundance. But the person who does not have, even
such that he has will be taken away from him. ³⁰And as for that worthless
servant, cast him into the outer darkness. There, there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth."
The Sheep and the Goats

³¹"And when the Son of Man returns in his glory, and all the angels
with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne, ³²and all the nations will be
brought together before him, and he will separate them one from the other,
just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³and he will put the
sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
³⁴Then, the king will say to the ones on his right, 'Come, you blessed
by my Father, receive as your inheritance the kingdom that has been
prepared for you since the foundation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry, and
you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I
was traveling through, and you invited me in. ³⁶Naked, and you put clothes
on me. Sick, and you came to look over me. I was in prison, and you came
to visit with me.'
³⁷Then the righteous will answer him saying, 'Lord, when did we see
you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? ³⁸And when did
we see you a traveler and invite you in, or naked and put clothes on you?
³⁹And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to visit with you?'
⁴⁰"And in answer, the king will say, 'Truly I say to you, as many times
as339 you have done those things to the least of these of my brethren, you
have done them to me.'
"⁴¹Then, he will say also to the ones on his left, 'Depart from me,
accursed ones, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
⁴²For I was hungry, and you did not give me anything to eat. I was thirsty,
and you did not give me a drink. ⁴³I was traveling through, and you did not
invite me in. Naked, and you did not put clothes on me. Sick, or in prison,
and you did not come and look over me.'
Parable of the Ten Minas in Luke 19:23, the words are "Why did you not put my money on
the table?" That is, the table of the money changers, or the counter of the bankers.
339
25:40 The Greek formula here, ἐφ’ ὅσον ἐποιήσατε is rather hard to render. The most
common lexical glosses of the words are as follows: epi = (upon); hosos = (as much or as
often); and epoieesate = (you have done). Bauer says that the preposition epi is sometimes
used with indications of number and measure, and as an example, "epi tris" means "three
times." So here, the formula could be rendered, "as many times as you have done it to
these...you have done it to me,..." Bauer says that here specifically, the formula epi hosos
means to the degree that, in so far as. The only other time that this is used in the New
Testament is in Romans 11:13. I notice that the rendering "Whatever you have done to
these...you have done to me" is popular lately. The traditional rendering "Inasmuch as you
have done it to them..." could imply a causative agency- because you have done it to them,
you have done it to me.
Matthew
"⁴⁴Then those also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you
hungry or thirsty or traveling through or naked or sick or in prison and not
minister to you?'
"⁴⁵Then he will answer them saying, 'Truly I say to you, as many
times as you did not do those things to one of the least of these, you did not
do them to me.' ⁴⁶And those he will send off into everlasting punishment,
but the righteous into everlasting life."
Chapter 26
The Plot Against Jesus
¹And it came about that when Jesus had finished all these discourses,
he said to his disciples, ²"As you know, two days from now the Passover
takes place, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified." ³Then
the chief priests gathered together, along with the elders of the people, in
the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Kaiapha; ⁴and they came
to the decision that they would capture Jesus by trickery and kill him.
⁵"But," they were saying, "not in the festival, or there might be an uproar
among the people."
Jesus Anointed at Bethany

⁶Now once when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the
leper, ⁷a woman came to him holding an alabaster bottle of very expensive
myrrh, and she poured it on his head as he was reclining. ⁸And when the
disciples saw this they were indignant, saying, "This is such waste, for
what? ⁹Because this could have been sold for a lot of money, to be given to
the poor."
¹⁰But aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you causing trouble
for this woman? For she has performed a good work in me. ¹¹For the poor
you always have with you, but me you do not always have. ¹²For she did
the pouring of this myrrh on my body to prepare me for burial. ¹³Truly I tell
you, wherever in the whole world this good news is preached, what this
woman has done will also be spoken, in honorable remembrance of her."
¹⁴At that time one of the twelve went to the high priests, the one
called Judas of Kerioth, ¹⁵and he said, “What will you give me to betray him
to you?" And they placed out for him thirty pieces of silver. 340 ¹⁶And from
then on, he was looking for a suitable time to betray him.
26:15 Bauer says under ἀργύριον 2.(c) that this means 30 silver coins called shekels, each
340
worth about 4 drachmas.

Matthew
The Passover Supper

¹⁷And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to
Jesus, saying, "Where do you want us getting the Passover meal ready for
you to eat?"
¹⁸And he said, "Go into the city to a certain person and say to him,
'The Teacher says, "My time is near. I am doing Passover with you, along
with my disciples."'" ¹⁹And those disciples did as Jesus told them, and
prepared the Passover.
²⁰And as evening was coming on, he was reclining with the Twelve.
²¹And while he was eating with them he said, "Truly I say to you, one of you
will betray me."
²²And deeply saddened, they began every single one to say to him, 341
"It's not me, is it, Lord?"
²³And in answer he said, "The one who dips his hand with mine in
the bowl, he is the one who will betray me. ²⁴The Son of Man is going just
indeed like it is written about him, but nevertheless woe to that man
through whom the Son of Man is being betrayed. It would have been better
for that man if he had not been born."
²⁵And in response, Judas, the one betraying him, said, "It's not me, is
it Rabbi?"
²⁶And as they ate, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks,
he broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take and eat. This is my
body." ²⁷And when he had taken the cup and given thanks, he gave it to
them, saying, 342 "Drink from it everyone. ²⁸For this is my blood of the
covenant, 343 being shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins. 344
341
26:22 In the apparatus below, dotted lines represent a lacuna, and blank space means the
MS omits those words. The data is from the NA27 footnotes, Swanson’s apparatus, and the
online Muenster Institute apparatus.
λέγειν αὐτ εἷς ἕκαστος ℵ B L Z NA27
........................εἷς ἕκαστος C
..............................ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ³⁷
....................................................ῶν ⁴⁵ (acc. to Swanson)
λέγειν εἷς ἕκαστος αὐτῶν ⁴⁵ D syrs
λέγειν αὐτ εἷς ἕκαστος αὐτῶν syrp,hmg
λέγειν ἕκαστος αὐτῶνEusebius
λέγειν αὐτ ἕκαστος αὐτῶν A Φ syrh TR HF RP
.......................lac................................... ⁶⁴ N P
342
26:27 Because of the way there are two aorist participles in a row at the beginning of this
verse, there is ambiguity as to how to interpret the "kai" (and) between the two participles.
The "kai" could be just a coupler stringing the verbs together in sequence, as follows: "And
when he had taken the cup and given thanks, he gave it to them, saying,..." Or, the "kai"
could mean "also," as meaning to point out that he gave a little ceremony twice– both
when he distributed the bread, and now the wine as well, as follows: "And when he had
taken the cup he also gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying..." Luke seems to have
something similar to the second interpretation, because in Luke 22:20, he says, "And the
cup after the meal in the same way, saying,..."
343
26·28 txt διαθήκης (covenant) ³⁷ ⁴⁵vid ℵ B L Z copmae Irarm NA28 ‖ καινῆς διαθήκης (new
covenant) A C D W Φ latt syr copsa Irlat TR RP. The Textus Receptus reading is probably a
harmonization with Luke 22:20, as there is no apparent reason why καινῆς,“new,” might
Matthew
²⁹And I say to you, I will certainly not drink from this fruit of the vine from
now on, until that day when I drink it with you new in the kingdom of my
Father." ³⁰And when they had sung a hymn, they went out toward the
Mount of Olives.
³¹Then Jesus is saying to them, "You will all be scandalized because of
me this very night, for it is written:
" 'I will strike down the shepherd,

and the sheep of the flock
will be scattered.'345
³²But after I am resurrected, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."

³³But in response Peter said to him, "Though everyone else will be
scandalized because of you, I will never be scandalized."
³⁴Jesus said to him, "Truly I tell you, This very night before the rooster
crows, you will disown me three times."
³⁵Peter says to him, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never
disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.
Gethsemane
³⁶Then Jesus goes with them to a park named Gethsemane, and he
says to the disciples, "Sit here during such time I am gone over there to
pray." ³⁷And he took Peter along, and the two sons of Zebedee, and he
began to be sorrowful and deeply depressed.
³⁸Then he says to them, "My soul is too sad, to the point of death. 346
Remain here and stay awake with me." ³⁹And then after he had moved
forward a little, he fell on his face, praying and saying, "My Father, if it is
possible, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you
will."
⁴⁰And he returns to the disciples, and finds them sleeping. And he
says to Peter, "This is how you guys are,347 lacking the self-control to stay
awake with me one hour? ⁴¹Stay awake and pray, that348 you not go into
temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
⁴²Again for the second time he went away and was praying, saying,
have been deleted, either accidentally or deliberately.

344
26:28 Isaiah 53:11
345
26:31 Zechariah 13:7
346
26:38 ἕως θανάτου; heōs indicating the upper limit of possibility. In other words, he
could not be more sad, because if he was any sadder, he would die.
347
26:40 There is no Greek word corresponding to the word "guys," but I added it to show
that the words here are plural inflection, and that Jesus is addressing not just Peter but all
three of them.
348
26:41 The Greek is ambiguous as to whether it means that the activity of praying would
prevent them from going into temptation, or that their prayer request should be that they
not go into temptation. Both could in fact be true simultaneously.
Matthew
"My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to go away unless I drink it, may
your will be done." ⁴³And when he returned again, he found them sleeping,
because their eyelids were weighed down heavily.
⁴⁴And again he left them and went away, praying for the third time,
saying the same thing again. ⁴⁵Then at that time he comes to the disciples
and says to them, "Still sleeping away and resting? Behold, the hour has
drawn near, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
⁴⁶Get up, let's go. Look, the one betraying me is approaching."
Jesus Arrested
⁴⁷And while he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the Twelve,
arrived, and with him a large crowd of people with swords and clubs, from
the chief priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸And the one betraying him had
given them a signal, as follows: "Whomever I kiss is the one. Him you
seize."
⁴⁹And he came straight up to Jesus and said, "Good morning,
Rabbi."349 Then he kissed him.
⁵⁰And Jesus said to him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then at that
time they came up and laid their hands on Jesus, and arrested him.
⁵¹And behold, one of those in the company of Jesus raised his hand
and drew his sword, and he struck the servant of the high priest and cut off
his ear.
⁵²Jesus then says to him, "Return your sword to its place. For all who
take up the sword will perish by the sword. ⁵³Or do you think I am not able
to call on my Father, and he make available to me right now twelve legions
of angels? ⁵⁴But then how would the scriptures be fulfilled which indicate
that all this needs to happen?"
⁵⁵At that time, Jesus said to the crowd, "As though after a bandit you
have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was
sitting in the temple teaching and you didn't arrest me. ⁵⁶But, this has all
come about so the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled." Then the
disciples all abandoned him and fled.
Before the Sanhedrin

⁵⁷And the ones arresting Jesus led him away to Kaiapha the high
priest, where the Torah scholars and the elders had gathered. ⁵⁸Now Peter
had been following him from a distance, up to the courtyard of the high
priest, and once he got inside, he was sitting with the servants, to see the
outcome. ⁵⁹And the high priest and the entire Sanhedrin were looking for
349
26:49 The Greek word used as greeting here means literally something like "Joy" or
"Rejoice." But insert any cheerful greeting here used in your culture or language.
Matthew
false testimony against Jesus by which they could put him to death, ⁶⁰and
they had not found it from the many false witnesses who had come
forward. But then later, two came forward ⁶¹and said, "This man said, 'I am
able to destroy the temple of God, and in three days to build it again.'"
⁶²And the high priest rose and said to him, "Aren't you answering
anything? What about this they are testifying against you?" ⁶³But Jesus was
keeping silent. And the high priest said to him, "I adjure you by the living
God that you declare under oath whether you are the Messiah, the Son of
God."
⁶⁴Jesus says to him, "You said that. Nevertheless I say to you: after
now you shall all see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power,
and coming on the clouds of heaven."
⁶⁵Then the high priest tore his robe, saying, "He has blasphemed!
What more need do we have for witnesses? Behold, now you have heard
the blasphemy. ⁶⁶How does it look to you?"
And they said in answer, "He is guilty enough for death." ⁶⁷Then they
spit on his face and pummeled him; they slapped him ⁶⁸while saying,
"Prophesy to us, you Messiah– who is the one who hit you?"
Peter Disowns Jesus

⁶⁹And Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and one
maidservant approached him, saying, "You also were with Jesus the
Galilean."
⁷⁰But he was denying it before all of them, saying, "I do not know
what you are saying."
⁷¹And after he had moved off into the entrance way, another
maidservant saw him and is saying to the ones there, "This man was with
Jesus the Nazarene."
⁷²And again he was denying it, with an oath: "I do not know the
man."
⁷³And after a little while those standing there said to Peter, "You
definitely are also one of them, because your speech also gives you away."
⁷⁴Then he began to curse and swear, saying, "I do not know the man."
And immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵And Peter was reminded of the
statement Jesus had said, that "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me
three times." And he went off outside, and wept bitterly.
Chapter 27
Judas Hangs Himself
¹And very early in the morning, they all, the chief priests and elders
of the people, reached the decision against Jesus that they would put him to
Matthew
death. ²And they bound him, and led him away, and handed him over to
Pilate the governor.
³Then, when Judas the one who betrayed him saw that he was
condemned, he with remorse returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief
priests and elders, ⁴saying, "I have sinned; I have betrayed innocent blood."
But they said, "What is that to us? You deal with that."
⁵And after throwing the silver into the temple, he departed, and went
off and hung himself. ⁶And the chief priests when they picked up the pieces
of silver, said, "It is not permissible to put them in the temple treasury, since
it is blood price money."
⁷And after conferring on a course of action, they bought with the
coins the potter's field, as a burial place for foreigners. ⁸For which reason
that field has been called "the Field of Blood" to this day. ⁹Then was fulfilled
what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, which says,
"And they took the thirty pieces of silver,

the price of him on whom
a price had been set,
as priced by the sons of Israel,350
¹⁰and they traded them for the potter's field,
just as the Lord directed me."351
Jesus Before Pilate

¹¹And Jesus was stood before the governor; and the governor examined
him, saying, "YOU are the king of the Jews?"
And he said, "You are saying that, not I."352 ¹²And during the whole
time he was being accused by the chief priests and elders, he was not
responding at all.
¹³Then Pilate says to him, "Don't you hear all the things they are
charging you with?" ¹⁴And he gave him no answer, not to even a single
charge, causing the governor to be greatly astonished.
¹⁵Now the governor had become accustomed at every Festival to
release one prisoner to the crowd whom they wanted. ¹⁶And they were
350
27:9 The last phrase of verse 9 is difficult to translate. See the endnote about it at the end
of this document.
351
27:10 Zechariah 11:12,13; Jeremiah 32:6-9
352
27:11 The BDF grammar in §277(1) says that this use of the nominative of a pronoun was
used for contrast or other emphasis. In this case, "you" is emphasized, as in "YOU are the
king of the Jews?" Blass says Pilate is expressing surprise as follows: "A man like you, is
king of the Jews?!" And in response also, Jesus' answer starts out with an emphatic you:
"You are saying that, not I." In the gospel of John, it is more clear: "You are saying that I
am a king; I am saying that I have come to testify to the truth." But see the endnote in my
translation of the gospel of Mark, for discussion of other possibilities.
Matthew
holding at that time a particularly well-known prisoner named Barabbas.353

¹⁷When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, "Which
do you want me to release to you, Barabbas, 354 or Jesus who is called
Christ?" ¹⁸(For he knew that it was out of envy that they had handed him
over.)
¹⁹And while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to
him as follows: "Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have
suffered much today because of a dream about him." 355 ²⁰And the chief
priests and the elders manipulated the crowd so that they would ask to
have Barabbas, but Jesus they would put to death.
²¹But when the governor answered, he said to them, "Which of the
two do you want me to release to you?"
And they said, "Barabbas."

²²Pilate is saying to them, "What then should I do with Jesus who is
called Christ?"
They are saying, "Let him be crucified!"

²³But Pilate was saying, "Why? What crime has he committed?"
But they kept shouting that much more, saying, "Let him be crucified!"
²⁴And when Pilate saw that he was accomplishing nothing, but that
instead an uproar was starting, he took some water and washed his hands
in front of the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood. 356 You see
353
27:16 txt Βαραββᾶν ℵ A B D L W Φ 0250 ita,aur,b,d,f,ff ,ff ,h ,q,r vg syrp,h,palms copsa,meg eth geo¹
1 2 l 1
(Diatessaronarm) Origenlat; Jerome Augustine TR HF RP ‖ Ἰησοῦν Βαραβ(β)ᾶν syrs,palmss arm

geo² Origen mssacc. to Peter-Laodicea [NA27] {C} ‖ lacuna ⁴⁵ C N P syrc. It is possible that the
original gospel of Matthew said "Jesus Barabbas." And possible that, according to the
Editorial Committee of the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament, the word "Jesus"
in connection to Barabbas was "deliberately suppressed in most witnesses for reverential
considerations." For example, acc. to the UBS textual commentary, Origen stated, it cannot
be right, because, "In the whole range of the scriptures we know that no one who is a
sinner [is called] Jesus." Origen, though admitting that Barabbas was called Jesus,
nevertheless suppressed this in his work. In many even later witnesses, the copyists state
in the margin that the earlier copies call Barabbas Jesus as well. But, they suppressed it,
and the subsequent copies did not say Jesus Barabbas. Westcott and Hort however, state
that the reading "Jesus Barabbas" was probably due to a scribe's error in transcription.
Some say it is still easier to explain why "Jesus" might have been deleted than why it might
have gotten added. In addition, having two men named Jesus fits better with the phrase of
Pilate, found in all manuscripts, "or the Jesus called Christ," where he seems to be setting
them off in a needed contradistinction. The fact is, according to Josephus, Jesus was not an
uncommon name among Jews. After all, Joshua was a big hero in Judaism, and Jesus is
simply a form of the name Joshua.
354
27:17 txt Βαραββᾶν ℵ A D L W Φ 0250 copsa,meg (Diatessaronarm) TR HF RP ‖ τὸν Βαραββᾶν B
Origen msacc. to Origen lat; Jerome Augustine ‖ Βαραββᾶν or τὸν Βαραββᾶν ita,aur,b,d,f,ff1,ff2,h,l,q,r1 vg
syrp,h,palms eth geo¹ ‖ Ἰησοῦν τὸν Βαραββᾶν syrs,palmss arm geo² Origenlat mssacc. to Origen gr
[NA27] {C} ‖ lacuna ⁴⁵ C N P syrc. According to the UBS textual commentary, "In ver. 17
the word Ἰησοῦν could have been accidentally added or deleted by transcribers owing to
the presence of ὑμῖν before it (ΥΜΙΝIN). Furthermore, the reading of B 1010 (τὸν
Βαραββᾶν) appears to presuppose in an ancestor the presence of Ἰησοῦν.
355
27:19 It is not certain whether Pilate's wife was saying. "Suffered much because of a
dream about him," or "suffered much in a dream because of him," or "suffered much in a
dream about him."
356
27:24 Many manuscripts read "this righteous man's blood." Still others read, "this
Matthew
to that yourselves."
²⁵And in response the whole crowd said, "Let his blood be on us and
on our children." ²⁶At that time, he released Barabbas to them, but Jesus,
after scourging him, he handed over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus

²⁷Then the soldiers who were guarding Jesus, after taking him into
the Praetorium, gathered together onto him the whole cohort. ²⁸And they
stripped him of his clothes and placed around him a scarlet robe, ²⁹and after
weaving together a crown of thorns they set that 357 on his head, and a rod358
in his right hand, and then they dropped to their knees before him and
mocked him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!" ³⁰And after they spit on him,
they took the rod, and repeatedly beat on his head. ³¹And when they had
mocked him, they stripped him of the scarlet robe and put his own clothes
on him, and led him away to crucify him.
The Crucifixion
³²And as they were leading him out, they encountered a Cyrenian
man by the name of Simon. This man they conscripted to carry his cross.
³³And when they came to the place called Gulgolta [‫] ֻּג ְל ֻּגלְתָּ א‬, which is called
the "skull" place, ³⁴they offered him wine to drink, mixed with a bitter
drug;359 and after tasting it, he refused to drink it. ³⁵And once they had
crucified him, they divied up his garments by casting lots. ³⁶And sitting
down, they kept watch over him there. ³⁷And they fastened above his head
his specific charge, written as follows: "THIS IS JESUS, THE KING OF THE
righteous blood." The UBS editorial committee, in the Textual Commentary on the Greek
New Testament, comment on this as follows: "The words τοῦ δικαίου (compare the variant
reading in ver. 4), which occur at different places in a variety of manuscripts (but not in the
best representatives of the Alexandrian, Western, and Caesarean texts), appear to be an
accretion intended to accentuate Pilate's protestation of Jesus' innocence." The committee
gives the shortest reading, "this man's blood," a B rating of certainty, which indicates that
the text is "almost certain."
357
27:29a There is no demonstrative pronoun here meaning "that" specifically, but this
word serves to indicate in English that they set both the crown of thorns AND the sceptre.
Otherwise, the sceptre has no verb.
358
27:29b The Greek word means a wooden stalk, reed or staff. The obvious purpose was to
be a mock sceptre, for the King of the Jews.
359
27:34 The Greek word is χόλη - chólē, the exact meaning of which is uncertain. It is
related to the word for gall bladder, χόλος - chólos. Another reason it is most often
associated with the gall bladder, was because it was yellow in color like bile, which is the
secretion of the gall bladder. But the word was also used for many other things, such as the
ink secretion of a certain fish, the poison of hemlock, a serpent's venom, and of bitterness
in general, including, according to the Liddell & Scott lexicon along with other lexical
authorities, that in the New Testament, this word means a bitter, yellow ingredient of a
drink. One thing certain about this word is that it referred to a substance that tasted very
bad, and probably more specifically, tasted bitter. In conclusion, it was probably some kind
of drug meant to ease the distress of his coming trauma.
Matthew
JEWS." ³⁸There were being crucified along with him at that time two
bandits, one on his right and one on his left. ³⁹And those passing by
defamed him, wagging their heads ⁴⁰and saying, "Hey, you who destroys360
the temple and builds another one in three days, save yourself, if you are the
son of God, and come down from the cross." ⁴¹In the same way also the
chief priests, making fun along with the Torah scholars and the elders, were
saying, ⁴²"Others he saved; himself he cannot save. He is the King of Israel?
Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. ⁴³He
put his trust in God; let Him now rescue him, if he wants him. Because he
did say, 'I am God's son.'" ⁴⁴In the same way the bandits who were crucified
with him were also taunting him.
Jesus' Death
⁴⁵And starting from the sixth hour, darkness came over the whole
land until the ninth hour.361 ⁴⁶And at about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out
in a very loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema shebaqtani?" Which means, "My
God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
⁴⁷And some standing there who heard this were saying, "This man is
calling Elijah." 362 ⁴⁸And quickly one of them ran and got a sponge and
soaked it with sour wine, and after sticking it on a reed, was giving him a
drink.
⁴⁹But the rest were saying, "Back off. Let's see if Elijah comes to
save363 him." 364 ⁵⁰But Jesus, after crying out again in a loud voice, gave up
his spirit.365 ⁵¹And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from top to
360
27:40 The nominative article used as vocative, that is, the case or lexical form for
addressing someone.
361
27:45 That is, from noon until 3:00 p.m. In the Jewish system of that time, the first hour
was the first hour of daylight, or 6:00 a.m. Thus, the sixth hour would be 12:00, six hours
later, and the ninth hour was 9 hours after 6, which is 3:00 o'clock.
362
27:47 This shows that the bystanders did not know Hebrew or Aramaic. The sign above
Jesus’ head was written in three languages for good reason. Most Jews of that day could not
read the scriptures in Hebrew, and so it is no surprise that they did not recognize this
spoken form of the Hebrew name for God.
363
27:49 The verb for save here is in the form of a future participle, which is a rare but
allowable use thereof in place of the infinitive of purpose. BDF §351(1), but see also §418(4).
364
27:49b txt αὐτόν. A D E W Σ Φ 064 ita,aur,b,d,f,ff¹,h,l,q,r¹ vg syrs,p,h,palmss copsa arm ethpp,TH geo
Origenlat Hesychius; Jerome Augustine TR HF RP NA27 {B} ‖ αὐτόν. ἄλλος δὲ λαβὼν λόγχην
ἔνυξεν αὐτοῦ τὴν πλευράν, καὶ ἐξῆκλθεν ὕδωρ καὶ αἷμα. (see Jn 19:34) ℵ B C L vgmss syrpalmss
copmeg ethms [WH] ‖ lacuna ⁴⁵ N P syrc.
365
27:50 The Greek says ἀφῆκεν τὸ πνεῦμα; literally, "he gave up the spirit." This is an
expression from the Hebrew scriptures, or Old Testament, where the word for breath and
spirit are the same. It says in Genesis that God breathed into man and animals the breath of
life. When you give up the breath, it means to die. Same as if you give up the soul or spirit.
This same saying is found in the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures, called the
Septuagint, in Genesis 35:18, where it says, ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τ ἀφιέναι αὐτὴν τὴν ψυχήν,
ἀπέθνῃσκεν γάρ, ἐκάλεσεν τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ..., "Now it came about that when she have up
her soul (for she was dying), she called his name..." It is interesting that the need was felt
to clarify that she was dying. In the gospel of Luke, in 23:46, Jesus himself says, Πάτερ, εἰς
Matthew
bottom, and the earth was shaken, and the rocks split open, ⁵²and the tombs
were opened up,366 and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep
were raised again, ⁵³and after coming out of the tombs at the time of His
resurrection, they went into the holy city and showed themselves to many.
⁵⁴And the centurion and the ones with him who were guarding Jesus,
when they saw the earthquake and the other things that happened, they
were severely frightened, saying, "This man really was the Son of God."
⁵⁵And there were present many women off at a distance observing,
who had followed Jesus from Galiliee providing for him; ⁵⁶among whom
were Mary the Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and
the mother of Zebedee's sons as well.
Jesus' Burial
⁵⁷And when evening had come, a certain rich man of Arimathea by
the name of Joseph came, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus.
⁵⁸This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Pilate thereupon
ordered that it be handed over to him. ⁵⁹And after taking the body, Joseph
wrapped it in clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰and placed it in his own new tomb that he
had hewn out of the rock. And after rolling a large stone up against the
entrance of the tomb, he departed.
⁶¹Now Mary the Magdalene, along with the other Mary, was 367 there
throughout, sitting opposite the grave site.
The Guard at the Tomb

⁶²The next day, that is, the one which is after Preparation Day, the
chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together before Pilate, ⁶³saying, "Sir,
we remember how that deceiver, when he was still living, said, 'After three
days I will rise again.' ⁶⁴Give orders therefore to secure the grave site
through the third day, or his disciples might go steal him and then tell the
people, 'He has risen from the dead,' and this last deception will be worse
than the first."
⁶⁵Pilate said to them, "You have a guard.368 Go secure it as best you
χεῖράς σου παρατίθεμαι τὸ πνεῦμά μου - "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." And
in John 19:30 it says that Jesus παρέδωκεν τὸ πνεῦμα, "gave up his spirit."
366
27:52a txt καὶ τὰ μνημεῖα ἀνεῴχθησαν ℵc B D Φ TR RP NA28 SBL {\} ‖ καὶ τὰ μνήματα
ἀνεῴχθη A ‖ καὶ τὰ μνημεῖα ἠνεῴχθη C* ‖ καὶ τὰ μνημεῖα ἠνεῴχθησαν C² L ‖ καὶ τὰ μνημεῖα
ἀνεῴχθη W ‖ lac. N P.
367
27:61 The verb "was" is in the singular, because the main subject of and focus of this
account is Mary the Magdalene.
368
27:65 The word "guard" here is a collective noun. It does not mean one man who is a
guard, but a contingent of guards. Pilate may be giving them some guards here, but more
likely, he is referring to the company of guards that the Jewish religious authorities already
had charge of, by Pilate's authority, for the purpose of guarding the temple, and enforcing
their exclusive legal jurisdiction, which Rome allowed in some matters of their Jewish
Matthew
know how." ⁶⁶So they went and secured the grave site, sealing the stone
along with stationing369 the guard.
Chapter 28
The Empty Tomb
¹And after the Sabbath,370 at the dawning of the first day of the week,
Mary the Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the grave site. ²And
behold, there came a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord had come
down from heaven, and after going up to the tomb, he had rolled away the
stone, and was sitting down now on top of it. ³And his face371 was like
lightning, and his garments a gleaming white like snow. ⁴And for fear of
him, the guards trembled, and became372 as dead men.
⁵But in response, the angel said to the women, "You should not be
afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus the crucified man. ⁶He is not
here. For he has risen just as he said. Come, see the place where he was
lying. ⁷And quick, go tell his disciples as follows, 'He has risen from the
dead. And behold, he is going ahead of you into Galilee; there you will see
him.' There, I have told you."
⁸And they departed quickly from the tomb, and with fear and great
joy they ran to report this to his disciples. ⁹And behold, Jesus met up with
them, saying, "Good morning." And after approaching him, they grasped
onto his feet, and worshiped him.
¹⁰Then Jesus is telling them, "Do not be afraid. Go report to my
brothers that I am leaving for Galilee, and they will see me there."
The Official Cover-Up

¹¹And while those were on their way, behold, some of the guard went
into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.
¹²And after coming together with the elders, they came up with a plan, and
took the sufficient amount of silver coins and gave them to the soldiers,
religious law.
369
27:66 The Greek preposition μετὰ - metà here, according to Bauer, "makes the stationing
of the guard an accompaniment to the sealing of the stone." But he also says in
parentheses that this could be an instrumental use of μετὰ, meaning that the placing of the
guard was the means of sealing the stone. But also, under the entry for σφραγίζω -
sphragízō, to seal, he says that there could also have been a literal means of fastening the
stone securely to the tomb so that it could not be moved.
370
28:1 The phrase Ὀψὲ δὲ σαββάτων might seem to mean "late part of the Sabbath," but
according to BDF §164(4), this is a "partitive genitive," which has the end result of meaning,
"after the Sabbath."
371
28:3 Some manuscripts say ἰδέα – idéa, and others say εἰδέα – eidéa. Both are words of
vision, that is, appearance. The former has more the nuance of the face (visage) than does
the latter. The latter is a word covering more of the appearance in general rather than just
the countenance.
372
28:4 txt ἐγενήθησαν ¹⁰⁵ ℵ B C* D L NA28 ‖ ἐγένοντο A W Φ RP
Matthew
¹³telling them, "Say that his disciples came by night and stole him while you
were sleeping. ¹⁴And if this should ever reach the ears of the governor, we
will satisfy him373 and make you have no worries." ¹⁵And they accepted the
silver coins and did as they were told. And this story has been propagated
by the Jews to this day.
The Assembly on the Mountain in Galilee

¹⁶And the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where
Jesus had directed them. ¹⁷And when they saw him, they worshiped him,
though some hesitated. ¹⁸And Jesus approached them and spoke to them,
saying, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to keep
everything, whatever things I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age." 374
373
28:14 Some manuscripts do not have αὐτὸν - autòn - "him" here. Without this word
present, the meaning could be, "we will satisfy you and make you have no worries." Either
reading is within reason.
374
28:20 omit ℵ B A* D W itaur,d,e,ff¹,h,n,q vg syrpalmss copsa,meg arm ethpp,TH geo1,B Origenvid
Chrysostom Severianvid Cyril Jerome NA28 ‖ add ἀμήν Ac E Σ Φ ita,b,c,f,ff²,l vgmss syrp,h,palms pt ethms
geoA Apostolic Constitutions TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C L N P.
Matthew
Matthew ENDNOTES
Matt. Endnote #1 – Names of God

How To Pronounce the Names of God in the Original Languages
There has been a surge of interest recently in how to pronounce God's

and Jesus' real names exactly. Also, in how we got the name "Jesus." If
you want to say "Jesus Christ" in Hebrew, following is how you do it,
and then an explanation of how it became "Jesus Christ" in English. This
is provided to the body of Christ as a ministry of David Robert Palmer, a
servant of Jesus.
Joshua in places such as Deuteronomy 3:21 and Judges 2:7, was spelled
the longer way:
‫יְ ֹהוׁשּוע‬ aʿûšôhəy (But remember, you read Hebrew from right to
left.)
Thus, from left to right for the sake of pronunciation:
‫י‬ ְ ‫ֹו ֹה‬ ‫ׁש‬ ‫ּו‬ ‫ע‬

yodh shwa he holam vav shin shuruk ayin patah
‫י‬ ‫ = ע‬ʿa
ְ = yə , ‫ = ה‬h , ‫ =ֹו‬ō ‫ = ׁש‬sh, ‫ = ּו‬oo, ְַ
"yə-hō-shu-ʿa"
The letter shwa, ְ , transliterated as ə, is a half-vowel, a barely-

pronounced short "e."
The letter named holam vav, ְ‫ו‬,ֹtransliterated as ō, is pronounced like

the "o" in "roll." Sometimes the holam vav is transliterated as "ōw," to
distinguish it from the kamats hatuf, ְָ which is a shorter "o" sound. But
putting the "w" in there is confusing, and does more harm than good.
The "w" just means that you round your lips more when you say a
holam, than when you say a kamats hatuf. The kamats hatuf, ְ,ָ is more
like the "o" in "hot," or the "aw" sound in "lawn." (Unfortunately, the
plain kamats, ְ,ָ or "a" as in father, looks just the same.)
Matthew
The letter named ayin, ‫ע‬, transliterated as ʿ, is a pharyngeal consonant, a

sound for which we have no equivalent in English. It is accomplished
by tightening the pharynx slightly, right as you begin saying the "a." It
is something like when you gargle, how you tighten your throat to keep
the stuff from going down no farther than the top of your throat.
The letter named shuruk, ‫ ּו‬, transliterated as û or oo, is a "u" sound like
in "moon."
So the original name of Joshua was pronounced (according to the

vowels inserted much later into the Masoretic text):
"yə-hō-shu-ʿa" (with the emphasis on the "ho" syllable)
But, according to Numbers 13:16, Moses changed Yehoshua's name to

Yeshua, as follows:
The later shorter version of "Joshua:"
‫ יֵׁשּוע‬aʿûšēy (Remember, you read Hebrew from right to left.)
Yeshuʿa, pronounced Yay-shoo-a, with the "a" in the first syllable "yay"
being long, like in "rake."
Hebrew for the word "Anointed," from which we get the English words
"Messiah," and "Christ." (See ; 2 Sam 23:1; 2 Chron. 6:42, Psalm 2:2)
‫ַח‬
‫ִׁי‬
‫ָׁש‬
‫ מ‬M š ah Moshiach Pronounced "maw-shee-ach," the "ch" as in
Bach
The Hebrew article, i.e., the word for "the," is the word "ha." So if you
wanted to say Jesus the Christ, that is, Jesus the Anointed One, in
Hebrew, it would be Yeshua Ha-Moshiach."
Jesus' name in Greek is Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs), "Yaysoos," which was a

common enough name for Jews in the time of Greek language
ascendancy and Hebrew language descendancy. This is the form of the
name into which the Jewish scholars of Alexandria, Egypt, translated the
name Joshua from the Hebrew into Greek for their translation of the
Matthew
Jewish Bible into Greek a couple centuries before Christ. Thus the title
page of the book of Joshua in the Greek translation of the Jewish Bible
(the Septuagint or LXX) reads ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΝΑΥΗ (Iēsoûs Nauē), "Jesus son
of Nun." So Iēsoûs (Yaysoos) was the transliteration of the Hebrew ‫יֵׁשּוע‬
yēšûʿa "Yayshua," which was a later form of the Hebrew name of
Joshua,ְ ‫ ְיְ ֹהוׁשּוע‬yəhōshuʿa "Y'hoshua." (Numbers 13:16 says Moses
changed it.) The "sh" sound of the Hebrew letter ‫ ׁש‬shin, became the "s"
sound of the Greek letter σ, "sigma," because the Greek language did not
have the sound "sh." And the "s" was added on to the end of the name
for Greek, because that is simply the ending that the Greek language
added on to the end of masculine names. The endings of Semitic names
were Hellenized (Grecized) in different ways, depending sometimes, for
example, on whether they ended in a consonant or a vowel. Names
ending with a consonant like Jacob and Eleazar received in their
nominative case form a final 'os,' and thus Yacov (Jacob) became
Yacobos and Eleazar became Lazaros (Lazarus). Names ending in a
vowel, like Levi and Yeshu, received in their nominative form a final 's,'
and thus Levi became Lewis (Greek had no v sound) Yeshu became
Yesus. The 'Yesus' was in turn transliterated into English, after first
passing through Latin, and some initial 'Y's became J's. The route by
which the Y of Y'huda (Judah) became the J of 'Jew,' or the Y of Yacov
became the J of Jacob, is the same route by which the Y of Yeshua and
Yesous became the J of Jesus. In other languages also, Y's become J's.
For example in Spanish, the pronoun meaning "I," "yo," is often
pronounced "jo."
As for the Z sound, one myth is that the second syllable of the name
Jesus came from the Greek god Zeus. In fact, the final 's' as said before
was the Hellenization of the name. And the 'z' sound of the middle 's' is
simply the common phenomenon of "phonological assimilation." In this
case, the normally unvoiced letter 's' experiences a peer pressure
'squeeze' by the voicedness of the vowels before and after it, and so the
"s" takes on, 'assimilates,' that voicedness, and becomes the voiced
version of s, which is 'z.' This phenomenon occurs in many other
English words as well. For example, when we pluralize a word in
English, we add the letter "s" to it. When we speak of more than one
rock, we add an "s" sound on the end, and say "rocks." When we speak
of more than one cliff, we add an "s" sound to the end, and it becomes
"cliffs." Now, the final sounds of both "rock" and "cliff" are unvoiced, so
the "s" added to them remains unvoiced. However, when we add an "s"
Matthew
to a word that ends in a voiced letter, like a vowel, the "s" assimilates to
the voicedness of the vowel. For example, the when we speak of more
than one key, we add an "s" to it, but the "s" becomes a "z" sound, which
is the voiced version of "s." For another example, when we speak of
more than one car, we add an "s" to it, and the result is the word "cars."
But now, the "s" has become a "z" sound, which is the voiced version of
"s." This is the same principle of phonological assimilation that happens
in the word "Jesus." The "s" becomes a "z" sound simply because of the
influence of the two voiced vowels surrounding it.
The name Jesus was completely Jewish. In the time of Jesus Christ,
many Jews did not speak Hebrew. Hence the need for the Greek
Septuagint and the Aramaic "Targums." Hebrew was probably spoken
only in and around Jerusalem, by the scribes and priests who were
trying to keep it alive. Depending on where they lived, Jews would
have spoken Aramaic, Greek or Latin, or two or all of them. According
to the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, the name "Jesus" was a not
uncommon name for Greek-speaking Jews in the Greek speaking era. In
Galilee especially, which was a cosmopolitan district, with Latin and
Greek being necessary for effective commerce, there would have been
many Jews who read their Bible only in Greek, in the Septuagint. There
were several Jews named Jesus mentioned in the Septuagint and in
Josephus' histories of the Jews.
Yahveh and Adonai in Hebrew font:
YHVH:
‫( יֹהוֹה‬The letters are in reverse order to English. Unreversed: Yodh-

He-Vav-He
Sometimes you will see this name spelled "Yahveh," and other times,
"Yahweh." Similarly, the name of the letter ‫ ו‬, "vav," is sometimes also
spelled "waw." This is because in ancient Hebrew, this ‫ ו‬sound used to
be pronounced "w." But now in modern Hebrew it sounds like an
English "v." The original Hebrew vav may have acutally been neither
like our English V or W, but rather a sound formed similar to a W, but
heard like a V, such as there is in Spanish.
This is very easy for a Spanish-speaking person to understand. Because

the Spanish language has this same sound, quite close to the "vav" ( ‫) ו‬
Matthew
sound of Hebrew. In most Spanish words, there is neither difference in

sound nor method of articulation, between the letters "B" and "V." Take
for example, the name "Gustavo." If the name were spelled "Gustabo,"
they would pronounce it no differently. So also in Hebrew, the letter
Beyt (ְ‫ )ְב‬sounds identical and is produced the same way, as the letter
"waw" (ְ‫)ְו‬. Only when the Beyt has a dot in the middle ( ְ‫ )ְב‬is the
Beyt pronounced like our English "B." If you are unable or unwilling to
pronounce the "waw" (ְ‫ )ְו‬in "Yahweh" correctly, there is no spiritual
disadvantage to you. God's name is not a magic incantation, or an
"open sesame" that is required to be pronounced exactly right or God
won't hear you. God has shown perfect willingness over the millennia
to answer prayers made to all of his names, in all the different variations
of them caused by all the different languages of the world. If you are
relying on pronouncing this ‫ יֹהוֹה‬name exactly right, you are on shaky
ground, because no one is absolutely certain how it is pronounced, since
the Hebrew scribes forgot exactly which vowels used to be included
with these four consonants.
Following is the Hebrew for "Said Yahweh to my lord" from Psalm 110:1
‫ד ִ ִֹ֗ני‬ℵ‫ֻ֤ם יְ ֹה ָָ֨וֹה ׀ ל‬ℵ ְ‫נ‬ (remember, from right to left, so: num yəhowah
ladōnō
One theory is that, since the original Hebrew scriptures did not have
vowels marked in them, and the Israelites never uttered Yahveh's name,
they forgot which vowels were in the name, so when the Nakdan and
Masorete scribes added vowels after the time of Christ, they decided to
put in the vowels from "Adonai" instead. So, the result of forcing the
vowels of Adonai into YHVH, was the following fictional word:
‫יְ ֹהוָֹה‬ thus, yəhōv h
This word Jehovah, they say, is not a real word therefore.
But many disagree, including Davidson in The Analytical Hebrew and

Chaldee Lexicon, Hendrickson Publishers, page 171, where he says as
follows:
ְ ‫ יְ ֹהוָֹה‬the most sacred name of God, expressive of His eternal, Self-

existence, first communicated to the Hebrews, Ex. 3:14, comp. chap. 6:3.
Matthew
This name appears to be composed of‫( ְיְ ֹהו‬fut. of ‫ ֹהָ וָֹה‬, likeְ‫ְיְ ִֹהי‬fromְ
‫ )ֹהָ יָֹה‬andְ ‫( ְוָֹה‬preterite by aphaeresis for‫) ְֹהוָֹה‬, the verb to be being
twice repeated as in Ex. 3:14. If we supplyְ‫ׁשֶׁ ר‬ℵְbetween these words
we obtain nearly the same sense as expressed there in the words ‫ ְֶֹׁהיֶֹׁה‬ℵ
‫ ְֶֹׁהיֶֹׁה‬ℵ ‫ׁשֶׁ ר‬ℵ. The Jews who (from an early date) believed this name
incommunicable, substituted, in the pronunciation, the consonants of
ְ ‫דנָי‬
ֹ ℵ, the vowels being alike in both words (with the exception of
simple and composite Sheva), and according to these the punctuators
suited the vowels of the prefixes when coming to stand before ְ‫ יְ ֹהוָֹה‬, asְ
ְ ‫דנָי‬
ֹ ℵ‫ב‬,ְ ‫ ליֹהוָֹה‬,ְ ‫ ְמֵ יֹהום‬according toְ ‫דנָי‬
ֹ ℵ‫ ְב‬,ְ ‫דנָי‬
ֹ ℵ‫ ְל‬,ְ ‫דנָי‬
ֹ ℵ ֵ‫ ְמ‬.
Where, however,ְ ‫ ְיְ ֹהוָֹה‬is already preceded byְ ‫דנָי‬
ֹ ℵ , to avoid
repetition, they furnished it with the vowels ofְ‫ֹֽֽלהִים‬ℵ , in order that
it be pronounced with its consonants, so that ְ‫דנָי יֶֹׁהוָֹה‬
ֹ ℵְis to be read
ְ‫ֶֹׁלֹהים‬
ִ ℵְ‫דנָי‬
ֹ ℵ. The punctuators seem to intimate the originality of the
vowels ofְ‫ְיְ ֹה ָוֹה‬by not pointing Yod with Hhateph Pattah (ְ‫ )ְיֹהוָֹה‬to
indicate the reading ofְ‫דנָי‬
ֹ ℵְjust as they point it with Hhateph-Segol to
indicate the reading ofְ‫ֶֹׁלֹהים‬
ִ ℵְ. We could, moreover, not account for
the abbreviated formsְ ‫ יְ ֹהו‬,ְ ‫ יו‬prefixed to so many proper names,
unless we consider the vowels ofְ‫ְיְ ֹהוָֹה‬original.
Now, the question arises, How important is it that we pronounce God's

and Jesus' names just right? Here are some points to consider:
• God knows all things. God knows what is in the heart and mind of
every one. God therefore also knows when he is being called upon.
• The kingdom of heaven belongs to little children. Little children do

not pronounce words just right, yet God never turns them away. Unless
you become like a little child, you shall never enter the Kingdom of God.
• The Israelites, the ones who received the pronunciation of Yehovah,

lost it. If they don't know the exact pronunciation, then we today sure
don't.
• All my life I have observed that God honors and answers the prayers
of people who pray to "God," which is a Germanic word related to the
word "gut" which meant "good." Indeed, "good" is one of God's "names"
or character traits.
• God is concerned about our heart attitudes, not that we pronounce

Matthew
things exactly.
• It is a trait of the Pharisees, that they insisted on correctness in such

minutiae, but failed to get their attitudes right. And Jesus guaranteed to
the Pharisees that they would not escape being sentenced to Gehenna,
the lake of fire.
• We all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but Love builds up /

edifies. Everything we say and teach should be out of love for our
brother / sister, to help him or her succeed in their journey to eternal life.
I have heard many say that Mary (Miryam), the mother of Jesus, since
she was a Jew, must have named her son Yeshua. This may well be, but
we do not know this for sure. In Galilee, close as it was to the Greek-
speaking and Latin-speaking cities Sephoris and Tiberias, they probably
spoke both Aramaic and Greek, and even some Latin. Documents
found among the Dead Sea Scrolls in the Qumran caves included Greek-
language documents, and in the Cave of Letters, personal documents
were found that were written in Greek. Jews of Galilee in Jesus' day
were at a minimum bilingual- Aramaic and Greek, and probably spoke
at least four languages. Here is a link to a discussion of Greek-language
documents found in the Cave of Letters:
http://www.stoa.org/diotima/essays/118267.pdf
For all we know, Mary named her son the Greek name, Yaysoos. I
translated the gospel of Luke from Greek to English, and from how
Mary quotes the Old Testament in Luke chapter 1, it sure looks like she
(or maybe Luke) read and quoted the Greek Old Testament scriptures,
the Septuagint. But we don't know for sure.
The good news about Jesus Christ and his death and resurrection on our
behalf, has been spread all around the world. In Spanish, Jesus' name is
pronounced "Hess-oos." In German it is pronounced "Yay-soos." The
name "Jesus" has saved many in many different cultures and languages,
where they pronounce God and Jesus in many different ways. God
honors all these pronunciations. Sure, you can pronounce Jesus' name
as "Y'shua" if you like. But since billions of people in the world already
know him as "Jesus" and not "Y'shua," you may come across as strange
when you do say "Y'shua," because those billions of people won't know
Matthew
who or what you are talking about.
Some people make the argument that the word "Jesus" does not mean
anything, whereas the word "Y'shua" does, means "Ya is salvation." But
this argument is not valid. Because "Y'shua" did not mean anything to
you until after someone explained to you that it means "Ya is salvation."
In the same way also, the gospel of Matthew, in 1:21, explains to you
that "Jesus" was named Jesus, "because he shall save his people from
their sins." Any competent pastor or teacher would then proceed to
explain that "Jesus" comes from a Hebrew name that means "God is
salvation." So either way, Y'shua or Jesus, you don't know what it
means until someone explains it to you.
Matt. Endnote #2 - Genealogies

Matthew's and Luke's genealogies appear to give conflicting genealogies
of Joseph the husband of mary.
Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:28-38
MATTHEW LUKE
Abraham Abraham
Isaac Isaac
Jacob Jacob
Judah Judah
Perez Perez
Hezron Hezron
Aram Aram
Amminadab Amminada
b
Nahshon Nahshon
Salmon Salmon
Boaz Boaz
Obed Obed
Jesse Jesse
David David
Solomon Nathan
Rehoboam Mattatha
Matthew
Abijah Menna
Asa Melea
Jehoshaphat Eliakim
Joram Jonam
Uzziah Joseph
Jotham Judah
Ahaz Simeon
Hezekiah Levi
Manasseh Matthat
Amos/Amon Jorim
Josiah Eliezer
Jeconiah Joshua
Shealtiel Er
Zerubbabel Elmadam
Abiud Cosam
Eliakim Addi
Azor Melki
Zadok Neri
Achim Shealtiel
Eliud Zerubbabel
Eleazar Rhesa
Matthan Joanan
Jacob Joda
Joseph Josech
Jesus Semein
Mattathias
Joseph
Jannai
Melki
Levi
Matthat
Heli
Joseph
Jesus
It should be noted that though Matthew states in 1:17 that there are
three sets of 14 generations, there are only 13 generations in his 3rd set.
He also left out two generations from the second set which would have
Matthew
made that set 16 generations. After Josiah came Jehoiakim and

Jehoiachin, according to 2 Kings 23:34 – 24:6. Thus it seems Matthew
made these sets for some purpose such as to be a memorization aid or
teaching aid.
Following is taken from an article on the Internet, formerly on carm.org:
Both Matthew 1 and Luke 3 contain genealogies of Jesus. But there is

one problem. They are different. Luke's Genealogy starts at Adam and
goes to David. Matthew's Genealogy starts at Abraham and goes to
David. When the genealogies arrive at David, they split with David's
sons: Nathan (Mary's side) and Solomon (Joseph's side).
There is no discrepancy because one genealogy is for Mary and the
other is for Joseph. It was customary to mention the genealogy through
the father even though it was clearly known that it was through Mary.
First, realize that the Bible should be interpreted in the context of its
literary style, culture, and history. Breaking up genealogies into male
and female representations was acceptable in the ancient Near East
culture since it was often impolite to speak of women without proper
conditions being met: male presence, etc. One genealogy is of Mary and
the other of Joseph, even though both mention Joseph. In other words,
the Mary was counted "in" Joseph and under his headship.
Second, do any critics actually think that those who collected the
books of the New Testament, and who believed it was inerrant, were
unaware of this blatant differentiation in genealogies? Does anyone
actually think that the Christians were so dense that they were unaware
of the differences in the genealogy lists, closed their eyes and put the
gospels into the canon anyway hoping no one would notice? Not at all.
They knew the cultural context and had no problem with it knowing
that one was of Joseph and the other of Mary.
Third, notice that Luke starts with Mary and goes backwards to
Adam. Matthew starts with Abraham and goes forward to Joseph. The
intents of the genealogies were different which is seen in their styles.
Luke was not written to the Jews, Matthew was. Therefore, Matthew
would carry the legal line (from Abraham through David) and Luke the
biological one (from Adam through David). Also, notice that Luke's
first three chapters mention Mary eleven times; hence, the genealogy
from her. Fourth, notice Luke 3:23, "And when He began His ministry,
Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being supposedly the son of
Joseph, the son of Eli," This designation "supposedly" seems to signify
Matthew
the Marian genealogy since it seems to indicate that Jesus is not the
biological son of Joseph.
Finally, in the Joseph genealogy there is a man named Jeconiah. God
cursed Jeconiah (also called Coniah), stating that no descendant of his
would ever sit on the throne of David, "For no man of his descendants
will prosper sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah,"
(Jer. 22:30). But Jesus, of course, will sit on the throne in the heavenly
kingdom. The point is that Jesus is not a biological descendant of
Jeconiah, but through the other lineage -- that of Mary. Hence, the
prophetic curse upon Jeconiah stands inviolate. But, the legal adoption
of Jesus by Joseph reckoned the legal rights of Joseph to Jesus as a son,
not the biological curse. This is why we need two genealogies: one of
Mary (the actually biological line according to prophecy), and the legal
line through Joseph.
Again, the early church knew this and had no problem with it. It is
only the critics of today who narrow their vision and require this to be a
"contradiction" when in reality we have an explanation that is more than
sufficient.
It should also be mentioned that two Hebrew Matthew manuscripts
have been found by Jewish textual scholar Nehemia Gordon which say
here that this genealogy is of the "father" of Mary. I am not saying they
are the true original text; I am simply pointing out that they exist.
Matt. ENDNOTE #3
What O.T. prophecies was Matthew referring to which said of Jesus, "He
shall be called a Nazarene"?
Diatess. 3:10; Mt 2:23
PROBLEM: In Matthew 2:23, Matthew says, "And having been
warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, ²³and went
and lived in a town called Nazareth, so that what was spoken through
the prophets would be fulfilled, that he will be called a Nazarene."
Greek: Ναζωραῖος - Nazōraios. But there is no passage in the Old
Testament prophets which says this.
Note that Matthew says here, "what was spoken through the prophets"
with prophets in the plural. This is why I did not put the prediction in
quotes, because it is not one specific prophecy, but a general one from
more than one prophet. Some interpreters see the key to be the Semitic
root word "netser" meaning "branch," which when spoken aloud,
sounds similar to the "nazar" of Nazaroian. The Greek sound "dzeta"
would be the natural letter for translators to use to render the Hebrew
Matthew
"tsade." Thus, shall be "called" a Nazaroian. And these interpreters thus

connect it to Isaiah 11:1 where the Semitic "netser" root was used: "Then
a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots
will bear fruit." But since Matthew says "prophets," plural, this one
Isaiah passage alone is probably not what he meant. He was probably
also alluding to several passages in the Hebrew scriptures that use
another related Hebrew word, Isaiah 4:2 "a Branch of Yahweh";
Jeremiah 23:5 "I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall
reign as king..."; Jeremiah 33:15 "I will cause a righteous branch to spring
up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land";
Zechariah 3:8 "...I will bring my servant the Branch"; Zechariah 6:12
"Behold, the man whose name is the Branch: for he shall branch out
from his place, and he shall build the temple of Yahweh." (For what it's
worth, the Greek word [nezer] in the Septuagint is translated as
"crown" in IV Kings 11:12; in our Bible, II Kings 11:12)
This term "Nazarene" came to be a general term of contempt,

considering the Judeans' view of Galileans and Samaritans as polluted
genetically and contemptible. Nazareth was an unlikely place for the
Messiah to be from, because Nazareth was held in contempt. Nathaniel
said in John 1:46, "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" In
John 7:52, the Pharisees scorned the temple guards, saying, "Are you
also from Galilee? Search and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee."
The Pharisees in John 8:48 told Jesus, "Do we not rightly say that you are
a Samaritan?" For the town of Nazareth was quite close to Samaria.
Therefore, perhaps Matthew viewed Jesus' living in Nazareth as a

fulfillment of several Old Testament prophecies which predict that the
Messiah would be despised, combined with Isaiah 9:1,2 which says that
a light will dawn on Galilee of the Gentiles, the geographical territory
where Nazareth was, an area held in contempt by the Judeans. In fact,
after the time of Jesus, his disciples came to be called "Notzri" by Jews
who did not believe in Jesus. This is a contemptuous epithet.
"But I am a worm, and no man; scorned by men, and despised by the

people."
Psalm 22:6
"He was despised and rejected by men; a man of suffering, and

acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces, he
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was despised, and we held him of no account." Isaiah 53:3
"And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and
shall have nothing..." Daniel 9:26a
"In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and
the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way
of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 'The
people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived
in a land of deep darkness, on them light has shined." Isaiah 9:1-2
Combine this with the fact that Jesus declared that the prophet Jonah
was a sign of Him. When people demanded from him a sign from
heaven, Jesus several times responded, "This wicked and adulterous
generation seeks a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of
Jonah."
How was Jonah a sign of Jesus the Messiah? Apart from being in the
heart of the earth for three days and three nights, Jonah was a sign of
Jesus in another, very important but little known way. "I will raise up
for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put
my words in his mouth..." Deuteronomy 18:18 Did a prophet come out
of Galilee? Yes, before Jesus, a prophet did indeed come out of Galilee:
Jonah, from Gath-Hepher, which was on a hill very close to if not the
same hill where Nazareth later was! See II Kings 14:25, "...according to
the word of YHVH, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant
Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath-hepher." There
was only one prophet named Jonah, who was the son of Amittai. Jonah
was also in Sheol / Hades, as Jesus was (Jonah 2:2). Jonah also
volunteered to be killed, in order to save the rest of the souls on the boat.
Jesus volunteered to be killed, in order the save the rest of our souls.
Matt. ENDNOTE #4
Matthew 14:21
The Greek word for "without" in Matthew 14:21 is χωρίς (chōrís), which
generally means "without, apart from." Here it could mean "besides, in
addition to, not counting." But it is also possible that there were no
women and children present at all.
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Let's start with what we know for sure from the narrative: that it was
men only who were in the mess-parties or groups of 50 and 100, for that
is how they were counted. There would be no point in having women
and children included in the groups of 50 if they were not going to be
counted. For if women and children were in the groups of 50, and they
counted only the men, does that mean that the disciples would go to
each group and count, say 25 or 30 men in a group and then move on to
count in another group? There would just not be any sense in groups of
50 unless everyone in the groups were counted. The point of the groups
of 50 was to count the crowd, everyone in the groups were counted,
that's how they knew that there were 5,000: that there were 50 or 100 in
each group.
Therefore we must conclude one or the other of the following two

scenarios: 1) That women and children may have been present, but
segregated, as was the custom in the synagogues, and seated separate
and apart from the men. The women and children were not in the
groups of 50 and 100. This would fall within the meaning of the word
chōrís. Or, (2), That no women and children were among the crowd that
"ran together" over to the place (Mark 6:33) and arrived ahead of the
boat. This would be reasonable, since the children and the women laden
with infants would not be able to "run together" the four miles with the
men. For the crowd ran all the way from Capernaum, most likely, as
that became Jesus' "own town," and base of operations. They ran from
Capernaum to near Bethsaida-Julias, across the lake from Capernaum.
This would be a fast run of about four miles. (When you look at the
shape of the lake, it would make sense to boat it, to go as the crow flies
rather than around the hump in the shape of the lake that separated the
two towns.) In addition, John notes that the Passover, the festival of the
Jews, was near. This festival was one of the three "pilgrim" festivals,
which only required men, not women and children, to "go up" to
Jerusalem to present themselves to the Lord (Exodus 23:17). Thus the
men were already out journeying, making their way to Jerusalem, for
only there could they present themselves. So for both these reasons, it is
reasonable to conclude that only adult males were even in the crowd
that went out to that remote place. For otherwise, it is puzzling why
John made note that it was almost the Passover. Moreover, there is
Mark 6:44 that flatly states that the ones eating were five thousand
males, and Luke 9:14 says that those present "were about five thousand
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males." And so the meaning of chōrís in Matthew 14:21 would be that

the men were there without women and children. They came without
them.
All that said, it would still be difficult to give meaning number 2 to

chōrís here for the geographical and temporal considerations stated, but
not for the use of chōrís in Matthew's account of the feeding of the four
thousand in 15:38. Thus it seems most reasonable to conclude that
women and children were not in the groups of hundreds and fifties, but
were still possibly present and fed, only segregated from the men.
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Matt. ENDNOTE #5
HOW DID A ONCE-ONLY ATONEMENT OFFERING BECOME AN
ANNUAL TAX?
Diatessaron 17:22, Matthew 17:24
"¹¹Then the LORD said to Moses, ¹²'When you take the census of the
Israelites to number them, at the time he is numbered each man shall
give a ransom for his life to the LORD, so that no plague may come
upon him for being numbered. ¹³Each one who crosses over to those
already numbered is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary
shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to
the LORD. ¹⁴Each one who crosses over to those already numbered,
each who is twenty years old or more, is to give an offering to the
LORD. ¹⁵The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor
are not to give less when you make the offering to the LORD, the
ransom for your lives. ¹⁶You shall take the atonement money from the
Israelites and shall designate it for the service of the tent of meeting;
before the LORD it will be a reminder of the ransom given for his life.'"
Exodus 30:11-16
The money offering in question was clearly a ransom for a man's life, to
atone for the evil act of a man allowing himself to be numbered. There
are other scriptures that indicate God's displeasure with his people
being numbered; see for example, I Chronicles chapter 21, and 27:23,24.
The atonement offering was to be made only "when you take a census of
Israel to number them." This was said in anticipation of the one
"Numbering" of Israel in the book of Numbers. A man only had to pay
this atonement when he "crosses over" to join the group of those
registered in the book. Where in this scripture is there any command
that a man be counted more than once? Or annually? It says no such
thing.
The New Testament apostles tell us that the old testament is given to us
as ensamples, or patterns. Old testament lessons are shadows of
something real, a real object. Imagine that the light of God is shining
upon an object with substance, but all that hits the earth is the outline of
the real object in the form of a shadow. This atonement offering was
such a shadow, a pattern in the shape of the real thing. The real thing is
Christ. The real thing is the crossing over from death to life. Are you
numbered among the living? Have you crossed over to join those
whose name is registered in the book of life? There was a one time
ransom through the Lamb of God. If it is more than one time, it is an
indulgence scam. Does God let a man be kidnapped by Satan every
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year so that God can ransom the same man again?
"⁴So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at
Ramah. ⁵They said to him, 'You are old, and your sons do not walk in
your ways; now appoint a king to govern us, such as all the other
nations have.' ⁶But when they said, 'Give us a king to lead us,' this
displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. ⁷And the LORD told
him: 'Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they
have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. ⁸As they have
done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day,
forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. ⁹Now
listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the
king who will reign over them will do.' ¹⁰Samuel told all the words of
the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. ¹¹He said,
'This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your
sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will
run in front of his chariots. ¹²Some he will assign to be commanders of
thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground
and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and
equipment for his chariots. ¹³He will take your daughters to be
perfumers and cooks and bakers. ¹⁴He will take the best of your fields
and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. ¹⁵He
will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his
officials and attendants. ¹⁶Your menservants and maidservants and the
best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. ¹⁷He will
take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves.
¹⁸When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you
have chosen for yourselves, and the LORD will not answer you in that
day.' ¹⁹But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!' they said. 'We
want a king over us. ²⁰Then we will be like all the other nations, with a
king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.' ²¹When
Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the LORD.
²²The LORD answered, 'Listen to them and give them a king.'
I Samuel 8:4-22
God warned Israel against the dangers of a human government: the king
would tax them oppressively, force them into labor, and send their sons
to their deaths in economic wars. By choosing a human king, God said,
"they have rejected me as their king." Following is what one of their
kings did with the Exodus 30:11-16 scripture, the one about the one-time
atonement offering.
"⁴,⁵After this Joash decided to restore the house of the LORD. He

gathered the priests and the Levites, and said to them, 'Go out to all the
cities of Judah and collect money from all Israel that you may repair the
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house of your God year by year. All the funds for sacred purposes that
are brought to the temple of the LORD– the money from everyone who
is counted, the money from personal vows, and all the money that any
man's heart prompts him to bring into the temple of the LORD– the
priests may take themselves, each from his own acquaintances.
However, they must make whatever repairs on the temple may prove
necessary.' ⁶But by the twenty-third year of the reign of King Joash, the
priests still had not made needed repairs on the temple. ⁷So King Joash
summoned the priest Jehoiada and the other priests. 'Why do you not
repair the temple?' he asked them. 'Now therefore, you must no longer
take funds from your acquaintances. You shall hand the money over for
the repairs.' ⁸The priests agreed that they would neither take funds from
the people nor make the repairs on the temple. ⁹Then the priest
Jehoiada took a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the pillar
on the right side, as one entered the temple of the Lord. The priests who
guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the
house of the LORD. ¹⁰Whenever they saw that there was a large amount
of money in the chest, the royal secretary and the high priest came,
counted the money that had been brought into the house of the LORD
and put it into bags. ¹¹When the amount had been determined, they
would give the money into the hands of the workmen who had the
oversight of the house of the LORD; and they in turn paid it out to the
carpenters and the builders who worked upon the house of the LORD,
¹²and to the masons and stonecutters, as well as to buy timber and
quarried stone for making repairs on the house of the LORD, and for
any outlay upon the repairs of the house. ¹⁵No reckoning was asked of
the men who were provided with the funds to give to the workmen,
because they were positions of trust."
II Chronicles 24:4, 5; II Kings 12:4-12, 15
This is the first time in the Bible that it was ever suggested that the
census be annual, and that each man pay money every year when he is
counted.
Note that Joash decided this. It was not commanded by God. God had
been rejected as king. The decision to make the census annual, and
accompanied by a "tax," was the decision of a human king. This was a
clear disobedience to God's command. And therefore, illegal.
Note that each priest collected the money "each from his own
acquaintances," v. 5. Then in verse 7, Joash told the priests to no longer
collect from their acquaintances, but apparently they continued to do so,
as we will see in the New Testament.
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In addition to collecting from their own acquaintances, there was a chest

placed at the entrance to the temple for voluntary offerings. This money
was then given to Levites in charge of repairing the temple. Note that
"No reckoning was asked of the men who were provided with the funds
to give to the workmen, because they were positions of trust." This
system gave them opportunity to skim from the collections for
themselves.
Between the time of King Joash and the time of Nehemiah, the temple
was destroyed and the people of Judah were taken into exile. After
regaining an opportunity to return to Jerusalem, Ezra and Nehemiah led
the people in the effort to rebuild the city and the temple. At that time,
the people said:
"We lay upon ourselves the obligation to charge ourselves yearly one
third of a shekel for the service of the house of our God" Nehemiah
10:32
This time, it is not a king who imposes this "temple tax" upon the
people, but the people themselves who "lay upon ourselves the
obligation to charge ourselves yearly..."
Here the people themselves have set aside the scriptures in order to set
up their own tradition. And is there any human government anywhere,
that, if the populace volunteers to pay a tax of some sort, would say,
"No, we do not want the money. Do not give us any money"? A
voluntary or temporary tax takes on a life of its own, and soon becomes
a much larger amount, becomes more frequent, and becomes
mandatory. Typical this is of the life of a tax. Such is the fate of a
people who reject God as their king and choose a human government.
24And when they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two

drachmas approached Peter, and they said, "Does your rabbi not pay the
two drachmas?"
25He says, "Yes he does."
And when Peter had come into the house, Jesus spoke to him first,
saying, "What do you think, Simon: the kings of the earth, from whom
do they collect toll and tribute— from their sons, or from others?"
²⁶And when he answered, "From others," Jesus said to him,
"Alright then, the sons are free. ²⁷But, so that we not scandalize them, go
to the lake, cast a hook, and the first fish that comes up, take, and when
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you have opened its mouth, you will find a four-drachma coin. Take
that, and give it to them, as mine and yours."
Matthew 17:24-27 (DRP)
It appears that the custom of the priests collecting money "each from his
own acquaintance" was still being practiced. The collectors "came to
Peter." Peter did not seek the collectors out, or pass by a toll booth, or
run an errand to a government building. No, these collectors must have
been men who knew Peter, for they came to Peter. This happened in
Capernaum, Peter's hometown. That may be why they chose to come to
Peter and not to Jesus. They were men of Capernaum, and
acquaintances of Peter, and not of Jesus.
The payment at issue in this passage was a Jewish religious matter.

Jesus and the disciples were Sons or Citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven,
so were not subject to this "tax." Remember, the Levites did not pay the
census atonement fee tax. (Numbers 1:48, 49) All those who become
Citizens of the kingdom of God have the same status in regard to this
tax as the Levites had. "God has made us kings and priests, and we will
reign on the earth." Rev. 5:10 Kings do not pay the tax. And kings are
what Jesus and the twelve apostles were.
"Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and
watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many
rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in
two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, 'I tell you the truth, this poor
widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave
their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in
everything— all she had to live on.'" Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4
So by Jesus' time, the priests not only still collected "each from his own
acquaintance," but they also collected by means of the chest at the
temple entrance.
This is typical of the life of a tax. Whether ancient Israel, or America, if

the lawmaking entity adopts a tax, say, for one time only, to be assessed
only at the time of the manufacture of, say, a bullet making machine,
over time the human government manages to turn it into an annual tax,
and make it apply to everyone, who never had anything to do with a
bullet making machine at all! The new generations of citizens do not
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study law, and are not aware of the "intent of congress" when that tax
law was written. The schools are government run, so the schools from
then on tell them that this tax must be paid annually by everyone.
But here is great news: In the land of the Majestic King,
"You will call to mind what once you feared: 'Where is the one who
counted? (for tax purposes) Where is the one who weighed the tribute?
Where is the one who counted the treasuries?' No longer will you see
these arrogant people...For Yahweh is our judge; Yahweh is our
lawgiver." Isaiah 33:18,19, 22
So, store up your treasures in heaven, where moths do not eat, rust does
not destroy, thieves do not break in and steal, and bureaucrats do not
confiscate under a pretense of law.
Matt. ENDNOTE #6 "the Evil Eye"

What is the "evil eye"? ὀφθαλμός πονηρός – ophthalmós ponērós
Diatessaron 10:2, 14:10, 18:29, 23:50; Matt. 6:23, 20:15; Mark 7:22; Luke
11:34
This phrase ὀφθαλμός πονηρός – ophthalmós ponērós, "evil eye," is not

original in the Greek New Testament, but is from the Hebrew
‫ עַּ יִ ן הָ ַּרע‬- 'ayin ha'ra. This is a concept from the Semitic cultures and the
Hebrew scriptures. Ophthalmós ponērós is used only four times in the

Greek New Testament. Two of those, Matthew 6:23 and Luke 11:34, are
in the same teaching, the "lamp of the body," and so for the purpose of
understanding the meaning of the phrase from context, these two
passages really count as one context. Thus we have three contexts: the
"eye is the lamp of the body" discourse of Matthew 6:23 and Luke 11:34;
the set of "evils coming out of the heart of the human being that makes
the human unclean" discourse of Mark 7:22; and the Parable of the
workers in the field, Matthew 20:15, in which the 11th hour workers
receive the same wage as the 3rd hour workers. And in the Jewish
translation of the scriptures into Greek, the Septuagint, the phrase is
found once, in Deuteronomy 15:9. This makes a total of four contexts
from which to glean the meaning of the phrase ophthalmós ponērós.
When so few contexts are available, it is very helpful if the passages
themselves designate any antonyms to the word or phrase in question,
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and this fortunately is such a case. For both the Matthew and Luke
versions of the "lamp of the body" teaching show Jesus contrasting the
ophthalmós ponērós to the ὀφθαλμός ἁπλοῦς – ophthalmós haploȗs. This
word, in its uncontracted form, ἁπλόος, is used once in the Septuagint, in
Proverbs 11:25, where it means "generous." There, the Greek ψυχὴ ἁπλῇ
- psuchē haplē, "liberal soul," is translated from the Hebrew ‫– נֶׁפֶׁ ׁש ְב ָרכָ ֹה‬
nepeš bər k h, for a giving, blessing, generous person.
The contrast to generosity is easily seen in Deuteronomy 15:9, where
the evil eye ‫ עַּ יִ ן ָה ַּרע‬- 'ayin ha'ra, is a case of resenting the poor, looking
on one's poor neighbor with an evil eye, resenting the year of release of
debts.
Similar is Matt. 20:15. In that passage the person with the evil eye had
objected to the landowner for giving the same amount of pay to
someone who had worked one hour as he had given to someone who
had worked all day. The Greek says, "Is your eye evil because I am
good?" There it seems to be a trait of suspiciousness, ascribing
unfairness or evil motives to the landowner. Or it could be simple
begrudgement of the landowner's generosity, as "Does my generosity
arouse your stinginess?" Resentment or suspicion also darken the eye.
The aperture of the eye narrows when the soul feels suspicious or
stingy. And by stingy itself we mean "tight" and restricted. The word
raʿ also can mean "discontented," as in Genesis 40:7. Further, it remains
today in Modern Hebrew that ‫עַּ יִ ן ָרעָ ה‬, ʿayin ra'a means "eye of envy."
Also helpful is to note as many antonyms of ἁπλόος as possible in all
the Greek literature. It is the opposite of διπλόος, "two-fold, double;" of
ἀκριβής, "strict, accurate," and of μεμιγμένος, "compound, mixed."
In the Septuagint the concept of the evil eye from the Hebrew was also
translated into the Greek attributive noun βάσκανος - báskanos, and the
adjective βασκανία - baskanía. For instances of these words in the Greek
scriptures, see Proverbs 23:6, 28:22. In these and other Jewish writings
in Greek, such as the Apocrypha and Josephus, the words usually
pertain to envy, covetousness, stinginess, or selfishness. An evil eye
could be generalized as an attitude of malevolence toward one's
neighbor, physically signaled by a narrowing of the eye when regarding
the neighbor. The narrowing of the aperture of the eye decreases the
light coming into one's own soul, and one's light becomes darkness.
Another aspect of narrowing of the eye is an attitude of scheming as to
how one can manipulate things and people for one's own selfish gain,
whether gain of power, prestige, or money. This desire arises out of lack
of contentment with what situation one already has; thus it is related to
Matthew
"discontented, covetous." Look at the context of Jesus' teachings

surrounding the mention of the evil eye. It is the person with the evil
eye that is scheming how to manipulate and control in order to ensure
financial advantage or security for himself. Even prayer can be used
with an evil eye.
But one who is "simple," and relaxes in the knowledge of the fatherly
benevolence of Elohim, does not take thought about what he will eat or
wear in the coming days. Neither does he covet what he does not have.
And rather than take advantage of the weakness and poverty of others,
is cognizant that God is the champion of the poor, the widow, the
fatherless, the alien, and the traveler.
In Talmudic Judaism historically, there are many connotations of
magic to the term "evil eye." There is one aspect of evil magic that
pertains to the person who has the evil eye, and there is another aspect
of magic in the efforts of others to ward off the evil eye. The magical
concept probably came from Babylon, where it was a type of voodoo
worked upon others. Some examples of Talmudic mentions of the evil
eye pertain to what acts make one vulnerable to the evil eye, and others
to what amulets and charms you can use to ward off the evil eye. But
teachings similar to Jesus' can be found in Avot 2:14, 2:16.
The voodoo aspect of the evil eye got obscured when translated into
Greek because it was translated by more than just the words "evil eye."
Deut. 28:54, 56 talk of "hapalos" persons being changed by God's curse,
and becoming persons who look with evil eye ‫ עַּ יִ ן הָ ַּרע‬- 'ayin ha'ra, on
their spouses or neighbors. Here the Greek verb for looking with an evil
eye, is βασκαίνω - baskaínō. I say this to introduce Galatians 3:1 in the
New Testament, where Paul uses baskaínō for "bewitch" when he says,
"O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you...? The idea of Galatians
chapter three is, "Who has worked the evil eye on you and deluded you
into going back to thinking you are perfected by works of the law?"
But throughout, whether in Babylonic, Kabbalistic, Talmudic, or Jesus'
teaching, the evil eye radiates. (We can see some connection between
baskaínō and our English word "bask." We "bask" in the sun's
radiation.) An evil eye emits malevolent darkness upon one's neighbor.
Jesus says, emit from your eye the benevolent light of the love from God
upon your neighbor. If you do this, the forces will work in your favor
without your manipulation and narrow-eyed foxiness being necessary.
A fundamental principle of all magic is the belief in the power of
thought. Evil people try to use magic to manipulate the environment in
order to obtain their own selfish ends. The "evil eye" magically speaking
Matthew
was the focusing of the radiation of one's thought power by means of

squinting the eye and beaming the energy out of the eye that way. This
idea of squinting is essential to understanding why Jesus speaks of a
good eye allowing fullness of light, but an evil eye causing darkness in
the body. I am not saying that Jesus legitimized any aspect of magic,
but that he was simply using the well known principle of a squinted eye
to make a parable about the eye being the lamp of the body, and the idea
of your eye letting light in or not.
Jesus, speaking of the eye as the lamp of the body in the Sermon on the
Mount (Diatess. 10:2; Matt. 6:22-24; Lk 11:33-36), speaks of a ἁπλοῦς -
haploûs eye letting more light through, as opposed to one whose eye is
evil, having a body filled with darkness or emitting darkness out
through the aperture of the eye. For an evil eye, picture someone with a
narrowed eye, out of suspicion, envy, resentment of another's
happiness, resentment of another's goodness; plotting, scheming; stingy;
having as its antonym ἁπλοῦς - haploûs, which means simple, sincere,
guileless like doves (as opposed to scheming foxiness with hidden
motive), open, generous, welcoming, unassuming of evil on the part of
others.
Whatever makes you look at another with your eye darkened, is
generally because that other is blocking your selfish way somehow,
whether your own wealth, your aggrandizement as to esteem by
comparison to you, or just the fact that the other is causing you an
inconvenience as you pursue your own interests. But instead, bask your
neighbor in the light of your smile, and wish good upon them. Be
relaxed in the knowledge that God knows your needs and will take care
of you. But also that God loves your neighbor equally as he loves you.
The God above sends his sunshine and rain on both the evil and the
good, and is kind to the unthankful and the evil.
Matt. ENDNOTE #7 - ἀκρασία

How the classic Greek philosophers used the word ἀκρασία.
Used in Matthew 23:25.
The Greek word here, ἀκρασία - akrasía, means to have no power over or
to exercise no power over one's self, in restraining pursuit of pleasure,
the pursuit of one's appetites. But it is hard to say, "the inside is full of
an absence of something." I was tempted to say here, "full of
addictions," because that is the ultimate product of lack of restraint, and
Matthew
the decline in usefulness to society spoken of by Socrates and Aristotle

on the subject of this word ἀκρασία. Perhaps the regular Biblical way to
say addiction would be with the Greek words ἐπιδόσις with τινός
(epidosis with tinos), "being given over to something." Ultimately I
decided to use the word intemperance, and to include this endnote to
show how the Greek word was used in other Greek literature.
It is not solely a Bible-belt fundamentalist concept that unrestraint in the

pursuit of pleasure brings the downfall of civilization, but it is also the
belief and teaching of the great philosophers in the history of
civilization. See the excerpts below of the classic philosophers, showing
how they used the word. It is an antonym of the temperance or self-
control that is said to be a fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22, 23.
And in another place, I Corinthians 14: 32, Paul says that a trait of a true
prophet is that "the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets."
That is, under the control of the prophets. Whatever our station as
Christians, our verbal testimony is weak or worse, if we are addicted to
shopping, or to eating, or to drinking, or drugs, or pornography, or to
romance novels, or to sex, or to television, or to complaining, or cursing,
or anything else. Whoever sins habitually is a slave to sin.
The "Majority Text" reads ἀδικίαν here–"unrighteousness"–instead of

ἀκρασίας. But the King James Version in this case did not follow the
"Majority Text."
Demosthenes, in his Second Olynthiac Speech, spoke of Philip the

king of the Macedonians as follows:
ἰ δὲ τὶς σώφρων ἤ δίκαιος ἄλλος, τὴν καθ’ ἡμέραν ἀκρασίαν τοῦ βίου καὶ
μεθην καὶ κορδακισμους οὐ δυνάμενος φερεῖν, παρεώσθαι καὶ ἐν οὐδένος
εἴναι μέρει τὸν τοιούτον.
"Any fairly decent or honest man, who cannot stomach the

licentiousness of his daily life, the drunkenness and the lewd dancing, is
pushed aside as of no account."
Socrates, in Xenophon, Memorabilia, Book 4

(Apomnêmoneumatôn Δ)
Matthew
V. He did also try to make his companions efficient in affairs, as I will

now show. For holding that it is good for anyone who means to do
honorable work to have self-control, he made it clear to his companions,
in the first place, that he had been assiduous in self-discipline;
moreover, in his conversation he exhorted his companions to cultivate
self-control above all things. Thus he bore in mind continually the aids
to virtue, and put all his companions in mind of them. I recall in
particular the substance of a conversation that he once had with
Euthydemus on self-control.
“Tell me, Euthydemus,” he said, “do you think that freedom is a noble
and splendid possession both for individuals and for communities?”
“Yes, I think it is, in the highest degree.”
“Then do you think that the man is free who is ruled by bodily
pleasures and is unable to do what is best because of them?”
“By no means.”
“Possibly, in fact, to do what is best appears to you to be freedom, and
so you think that to have masters who will prevent such activity is
bondage?”
“I am sure of it.”
“You feel sure then that the incontinent are bond slaves?”
“Of course, naturally.”
“And do you think that the incontinent are merely prevented from
doing what is most honorable, or are also forced to do what is most
dishonorable?”
“I think that they are forced to do that just as much as they are
prevented from doing the other.”
“What sort of masters are they, in your opinion, who prevent the best
and enforce the worst?”
“The worst possible, of course.”
“And what sort of slavery do you believe to be the worst?”
“Slavery to the worst masters, I think.”
“The worst slavery, therefore, is the slavery endured by the
incontinent?”
“I think so.”
“As for Wisdom, the greatest blessing, does not incontinence exclude it
and drive men to the opposite? Or don't you think that incontinence
prevents them from attending to useful things and understanding them,
by drawing them away to things pleasant, and often so stuns their
perception of good and evil that they choose the worse instead of the
better?”
Matthew
“That does happen.”

“With Prudence, Euthydemus, who, shall we say, has less to do than
the incontinent? For I presume that the actions prompted by prudence
and incontinence are exact opposites?”
“I agree with that too.”
“To caring for what is right is there any stronger hindrance, do you
think, than incontinence?”
“Indeed I do not.”
“And do you think there can be aught worse for a man than that which
causes him to choose the harmful rather than the useful, and persuades
him to care for the one and to be careless of the other, and forces him to
do the opposite of what prudence dictates?”
“Nothing.”
“And is it not likely that self-control causes actions the opposite of
those that are due to incontinence?”
“Certainly.”
“Then is not the cause of the opposite actions presumably a very great
blessing?”
“Yes, presumably.”
“Consequently we may presume, Euthydemus, that self-control is a
very great blessing to a man?”
“We may presume so, Socrates.”
“Has it ever occurred to you, Euthydemus– ?”
“What?”
“That though pleasure is the one and only goal to which incontinence
is thought to lead men, she herself cannot bring them to it, whereas
nothing produces pleasure so surely as self-control?”
“How so?”
“Incontinence will not let them endure hunger or thirst or desire or
lack of sleep, which are the sole causes of pleasure in eating and
drinking and sexual indulgence, and in resting and sleeping, after a time
of waiting and resistance until the moment comes when these will give
the greatest possible satisfaction; and thus she prevents them from
experiencing any pleasure worthy to be mentioned in the most
elementary and recurrent forms of enjoyment. But self-control alone
causes them to endure the sufferings I have named, and therefore she
alone causes them to experience any pleasure worth mentioning in such
enjoyments.”
“What you say is entirely true.”
“Moreover, the delights of learning something good and excellent, and
Matthew
of studying some of the means whereby a man knows how to regulate

his body well and manage his household successfully, to be useful to his
friends and city and to defeat his enemies– knowledge that yields not
only very great benefits but very great pleasures– these are the delights
of the self-controlled; but the incontinent have no part in them. For
who, should we say, has less concern with these than he who has no
power of cultivating them because all his serious purposes are centered
in the pleasures that lie nearest?”
“Socrates,” said Euthydemus, “I think you mean that he who is at the
mercy of the bodily pleasures has no concern whatever with virtue in
any form.”
“Yes, Euthydemus; for how can an incontinent man be any better than
the dullest beast? How can he who fails to consider the things that
matter most, and strives by every means to do the things that are most
pleasant, be better than the stupidest of creatures? No, only the self-
controlled have power to consider the things that matter most, and,
sorting them out after their kind, by word and deed alike to prefer the
good and reject the evil.”
And thus, he said, men become supremely good and happy and
skilled in discussion. The very word “discussion,” according to him,
owes its name to the practice of meeting together for common
deliberation, sorting, discussing things after their kind: and therefore
one should be ready and prepared for this and be zealous for it; for it
makes for excellence, leadership and skill in discussion.
Xenophon. Xenophontis opera omnia, vol. 2, 2nd edn. E.C. Marchant.

Oxford, Clarendon Press. 1921 (repr. 1971).
Isocrates, Speeches and Letters (ed. George Norlin)

Περι ἀντιδοσεως
Speech 2: To Nicocles, 219-221
But surely we could not expect to be admired nor to enjoy great honor
for sending out disciples of that sort; on the contrary, we should be
much more despised and hated than those who are charged with other
forms of villainy. And, mark you, even if we could shut our eyes to
these consequences, we could not gain the most money by directing a
training of that character; for, I suppose, all men are aware that a sophist
Matthew
reaps his finest and his largest reward when his pupils prove to be
honorable and intelligent and highly esteemed by their fellow-citizens,
since pupils of that sort inspire many with the desire to enjoy his
teaching, while those who are depraved repel even those who were
formerly minded to join his classes. Who, then, could be blind to the
more profitable course, when there is so vast a difference between the
two?
Perhaps, however, some might venture to reply that many men,
because of their incontinence, are not amenable to reason, but neglect
their true interests and rush on in the pursuit of pleasure. I grant you
that many men in general and some who pretend to be sophists are of
this nature.
Isocrates with an English Translation in three volumes, by George

Norlin, Ph.D., LL.D. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press;
London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1980.
Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics

(ed. J. Bywater) [1145a] book 7
Let us next begin a fresh part of the subject by laying down that the
states of moral character to be avoided are of three kinds--Vice,
Unrestraint, and Bestiality. The opposite dispositions in the case of two
of the three are obvious: one we call Virtue, the other Self-restraint. As
the opposite of Bestiality it will be most suitable to speak of
Superhuman Virtue, or goodness on a heroic or divine scale; just as
Homer has represented Priam as saying of Hector, on account of his
surpassing valor–
nor seemed to be
The son of mortal man, but of a god.
Hence if, as men say, surpassing virtue changes men into gods, the
disposition opposed to Bestiality will clearly be some quality more than
human; for there is no such thing as Virtue in the case of a god, any
more than there is Vice or Virtue in the case of a beast: divine goodness
is something more exalted than Virtue, and bestial badness is different
in kind from Vice. And inasmuch as it is rare for a man to be divine, in
the sense in which that word is commonly used by the Lacedaemonians
as a term of extreme admiration--‘Yon mon's divine,’ they say--, so a
bestial character is rare among human beings; it is found most
Matthew
frequently among barbarians, and some cases also occur as a result of

disease or arrested development. We sometimes also use ‘bestial’ as a
term of opprobrium for a surpassing degree of human vice.
But the nature of the bestial disposition will have to be touched on later;
and of Vice we have spoken already. We must however discuss
Unrestraint and Softness or Luxury, and also Self-restraint and
Endurance.
Aristotle in 23 Volumes, Vol. 19, translated by H. Rackham. Cambridge,

MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1934.
Matt. ENDNOTE #8 – Plural of οὐρανός

The Greek word οὐρανός
As used in the New Testament; singular versus plural
BDF §4(2) says that certain plurals such as οὐρανοί and αἰῶνες are Semitisms,
specifically, terms connected with Judaism and drawn from the Septuagint.
That the pluralization of concrete subjects originally was to denote what is
long or wide, or mysterious powers.
In BDF §141(1), Blass says that the plural, οὐρανοί, = the Hebrew "shamaim,"
yet most authors use it only in a figurative sense as the abode of God (sing.
also), while the singular predominates in the literal sense, except for those
instances where, according to the Jewish conception, several heavens were to
be distinguished.
Bauer also says that for the abode of the Divine, the plural is preferred.
In BDF §141(1) DeBrunner also notes that οὐρανός is always plural when
referring to "the Father in heaven" and to "the kingdom of heaven." He notes
also that John never uses οὐρανός in the plural, except for Revelation 12:12,
and that only because it is a quotation of the Septuagint.
BDF §253(3) notes that οὐρανός is frequently anarthrous (without the article)
after prepositions.
Uses in the plural:

Matthew
Matt 3:16 βαπτισθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εὐθὺς ἀνέβη ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος· καὶ ἰδοὺ
ἠνεῴχθησαν οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ ε δεν [τὸ] πνεῦμα [τοῦ] θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ
περιστερὰν ἐρχόμενον ἐπ’ αὐτόν·
¹⁶As soon as he was baptized, Jesus came up out of the water, and
behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Holy Spirit of God coming
down like a dove, coming onto him.
Matt 5:12 χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε, ὅτι ὁ μισθὸς ὑμῶν πολὺς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς·
οὕτως γὰρ ἐδίωξαν τοὺς προφήτας τοὺς πρὸ ὑμῶν.
¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the
same way they persecuted the prophets before you."
Matt 5:16 τὸν πατέρα ὑμῶν τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.

¹⁶your Father who is in heaven.
Matt 5:45 τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς

⁴⁵your Father who is in heaven
Matt 6:1 τ πατρὶ ὑμῶν τ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς

¹your Father in heaven.
Matt 6:9 Οὕτως οὖν προσεύχεσθε ὑμεῖς· Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς,
ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου,
⁹"This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be
your name.
Matt 6:26 ἐμβλέψατε εἰς τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὅτι οὐ σπείρουσιν οὐδὲ
θερίζουσιν οὐδὲ συνάγουσιν εἰς ἀποθήκας, καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος
τρέφει αὐτά· οὐχ ὑμεῖς μᾶλλον διαφέρετε αὐτῶν;
Matt 7:11 ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς δώσει ἀγαθὰ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν.
¹¹your Father in heaven
Matt 7:21 τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς.

²¹"my Father who is in heaven.
Matt 8:20 καὶ λέγει αὐτ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Αἱ ἀλώπεκες φωλεοὺς ἔχουσιν καὶ τὰ
πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατασκηνώσεις, ὁ δὲ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἔχει ποῦ
τὴν κεφαλὴν κλίνῃ.
²⁰And Jesus says to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the sky
have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere he can lay his head."
Matthew
Matt 10:32 τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν [τοῖς] οὐρανοῖς·

³²"my Father in heaven.
Matt 10:33 ὅστις δ’ ἂν ἀρνήσηταί με ἔμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀρνήσομαι

κἀγὼ αὐτὸν ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν [τοῖς] οὐρανοῖς.
³³And whoever disowns me before humans, I also shall disown that
person before my Father in heaven.
Matt 11:23 καὶ σύ, Καφαρναούμ, μὴ ἕως οὐρανοῦ ὑψωθήσῃ; ἕως ᾅδου
καταβήσῃ. ὅτι εἰ ἐν Σοδόμοις ἐγενήθησαν αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ γενόμεναι ἐν σοί,
ἔμεινεν ἂν μέχρι τῆς σήμερον.
23And you, Capernaum, will you be exalted to the skies? No, you will sink as
far as Hades. Because if the miracles that happened in you had taken place in
Sodom, it would have remained until this day.
Rev. 12:12 διὰ τοῦτο εὐφραίνεσθε, οἱ οὐρανοὶ καὶ οἱ ἐν αὐτοῖς σκηνοῦντες·

οὐαὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν, ὅτι κατέβη ὁ διάβολος πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἔχων θυμὸν
μέγαν, εἰδὼς ὅτι ὀλίγον καιρὸν ἔχει.
¹²Rejoice over this, O heaven, and you who dwell therein! Woe to the
earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you with great fury,
because he knows he has but little time."
Matt. ENDNOTE #9 – Matt 27:9

Matthew 27:9
τὴν τιμὴν τοῦ τετιμημένου ὃν ἐτιμήσαντο ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ,
the price of the priced him whom they priced (mid voice) from
the sons of Israel
A very literal translation would have the word "price" in it three times, or
forms of that word:
So first I will list the translations that contain three forms of the word τιμάω:
Wycliffe the prijs of a man preysid, whom thei preiseden of the children of
Israel;
Tyndale the price of him that was valued whom they bought of the children of
Israel
KJV the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel
Matthew
did value;
ASV the price of him that was priced, whom certain of the children of Israel
did price
Darby the price of him that was set a price on, whom of the sons of Israel had
set a price on
YLT the price of him who hath been priced, whom they of the sons of Israel
did price
WEB The price of him upon whom a price had been set, Whom some of the
children of Israel priced,
Phillips the value of him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel
priced
NKJV the value of Him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel
priced
Recov. the price of Him that had been priced, whom they of the sons of Israel
had priced
NRSV the price of the one on whom a price had been set, on whom some of
the people of Israel had set a price
CBW the price of the one whose price had been fixed by some Israelites
RSV the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of
Israel,
NASB the price of the one whose price had been set by the sons of Israel
ISV the value of the man on whom a price had been set by the Israelites,
NET the price of the one whose price had been set by the people of Israel
HCSB the price of Him whose price was set by the sons of Israel
ESV the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of
Israel,
Douay the price of him that was prized, whom they prized of the children of
Israel
Wey the price of the prized one on whom Israelites had set a price
JB the sum at which the Precious One was priced by the children of Israel
BBE the price of him who was valued by the children of Israel;
NIV/TN the price set on him by the people of Israel

JNT which was the price the people of Israel had agreed to pay for him
NCV That is how little the Israelites thought he was worth.
Matthew
Mess the price of the one priced by some sons of Israel

NLT the price at which he was valued by the people of Israel
GW the price the people of Israel had placed on him,
NAB the value of a man with a price on his head, a price set by some of the
Israelites
REB the price set on a man's head (for that was his price among the
Israelites)
CEV the price of a person among the people of Israel
Bauer Bauer says under τιμάω, def. 1, that the price set could have been the
price set for the field, or, if referring to a man, then referring to Judas, as
being the one who valued Jesus at 30 pieces of silver.
The BDF grammar offers no comment on this specific passage.

Matthew
Witnesses to Matthew
(nothing after VIII century cited)
MS Alt Date Contents
symbl
¹ III 1:1-9,12,14-20
¹⁹ P.Oxy.117 IV/V 10:32- 11:5
0
²¹ P.Oxy.122 IV/V 12:24-26,32-33
7
²⁵ IV 18:32-34; 19:1-3,5-7,9,10
³⁵ IV? 25:12-15,20-23
³⁷ III/IV 26:19-52
⁴⁴ VI/VII 17:1-3,6-7
b
⁴⁵ III 20:24-32; 21:13-19; 25:41-46; 26:1-39
⁵³ III 26:29-40; Acts 9:33-43; 10:1
⁶² IV 11:25-30
⁶⁴ w/ ⁶ 200 3:9, 15; 5:20-22, 25-28; 26:7-8, 10, 14-
⁷ 15, 22-23, 31-33
⁷⁰ P.Oxy 2384 III 2:13-16, 22- 3:1; 11:26-27; 12:4-5; 24:3-
6, 12-15
⁷¹ P.Oxy.238 IV 19:10-11, 17-18
5
⁷³ VII 25:43, 26:2-3
⁷⁷ II/III 23:30-39
⁸³ VI 20:23-25, 30-31, 23:39; 24:1,6
⁸⁶ IV 5; recto: 5:13-16, <p> verso: 5:22-25
⁹⁶ VI 3:13-15
¹⁰ P.Oxy. III 3:10-12, 16 - 4:3
¹ LXIV 4401
¹⁰ P.Oxy. III/IV 4:11-12, 22-23
² LXIV 4402
¹⁰ II/III 13:55-56; 14:3-5
³
¹⁰ <250 21:34-37; 21:43,45
⁴
¹⁰ P.Oxy V/VI 27:62-64; 28:1-5
⁵ 4406
¹¹ P.Oxy. IV 10:13-15(14?), 25-27
Matthew
⁰ LXVI 4494
ℵ *ְ 01 IV
ℵ² 1st corr. IV-VI
or ℵc
ℵ³ 2nd corr. VII
A 02 V
B 03 IV
B¹ IV
B² VI-VII
C 04 V
C¹ V
C² VI
C³ IX
D 05 V
E 07 VI all
L 019 VIII lacks 4:22- 5:14; 28:17- end
N 022 VI with lacunae
O 123 VI Matthew 7:7-22; 11:5-12; 13:7-47;
13:54- 14:4,13-20; 15:11-,16:18; 17:2-
24; 18:4-30; 19:3-10,17-25; 20:9-,21:5;
21:12-,22:7,15-14; 22:32-,23:35; 24:3-12
P 024 VI 1:11-21; 3:13- 4:19; 10:7-19; 10:42-
11:11; 13:40-50; 14:15- 15:3,29-39
W 032 IV/V all of Matthew
Z 035 VI
Σ 042 VI all
Φ 043 VI 6:3- end
047 VIII
058 IV 18:18-29
064 w/090 VI Matthew parts
067 VI 14:13-16,19-23; 24:37- 25:1,32-45;
26:31-45
071 V/VI 1:21-24; 1:25-2:2
073 w/074,084 VI 14:19-35; 15:2-8
078 VI 17:22- 18:3,11-19; 19:5-14
085 VI 20:3-32; 22:3-16
087 VI 1:23- 2:2; 19:3-8; 21:19-24
089 w/0293 see 0293
094 VI 24:9-21
Matthew
0102 w/0138 VII 21:24- 24:15

0104 VII 23:7-22
0106 w/0119 VII 12:17-19,23-25; 13:32,36- 15:26
0107 VII 22:15- 23:14
0116 VIII
0118 VIII
0148 VIII 28:5-19
0160 IV/V 26:25-26, 34-36
0161 III/IV 22:7-46
0164 VI/VII 13:20-21
0170 V/VI 6:5-6,8-10,13-15,17
0171 300 10:17-23, 25-32; Luke 22:44-56, 61-64
0200 VII 11:20,21
0204 VII 24:39-42,44-48
0231 P. Ant. 11 IV 26:75-27:1-3, 4
0233 VIII all
0234 VIII 28:11-15
0237 VI 15:12-15, 17-19
0242 IV 8:25-9:2; 13:32-38, 40-46
0250 VIII
0275 VII 5:25,26,29,30
0277 VII/VI 14:22,28,29
II
0281 VII/VI many lacunae
II
0293 w/089,092 VI 21:27-28,31-32; 26:2-12
a
0307 VII 11:21- 12:4
LATIN
itk 1 IV/V 1:1-3,10; 4:1-14,17; 15:20-36
ite 2 V lacking 1:1-12,49; 24:50- 28:2
ita 3 IV lacking 25:2-12
itb 4 V lacking 1:1-11; 15:12-22; 23:18-27
itd 5 V lacking 1:1-11; 2:20- 3:7; 6:8- 8:27;
26:65- 27:2
itg¹ 7 VIII/I all
X
itff² 8 V lacking 1:1- 11:16
Matthew
itff¹ 9 VIII Matthew

itf 10 VI lacking 8:16-26
itl 11 VIII lacking 1:1-2,15
ith 12 V 3:15- 14:33; 18:12- 28:20
itq 13 VI/VII lacking 3:15- 4:23; 5:25- 6:4; 6:28- 7:8;
23:13-28
itr¹ 14 VII
itaur 15 VIII
itμ V 9:17,30-37; 10:1-5,7-10
itn 16 V 17:1-5; 17:14- 18:20; 19:20- 21:326:56-
60,69-74; 27:62- 28:3,8-end
itπ 18 VII
Mark
MARK
Mark
Chapter 1
1The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.1
2As2 it is written in the prophets: 3
"Behold, I am sending my messenger

before your face,
who will prepare your way,"4
3"a voice of one
calling in the wilderness,
make the paths straight for him,'5"
4so 6 John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of

repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And the whole region of Judea was going
out to him, even all the Jerusalemites, and were getting baptized by him in the
Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6And John was dressed in camel's hair, with a
leather belt around his waist, and eating locusts and wild honey.
7And he would preach, saying, "After me is coming someone more powerful than
1
1:1 txt Χριστοῦ υἱοῦ θεοῦ ℵ¹ Β D L W TH [NA28] {C} ‖ Χριστοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ A E Σ Φ TR HF RP ‖
Χριστοῦ υἱοῦ θεοῦ or Χριστοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ita,aur,b,d,f,ff2,l,q,r1 vg syrp,h copsamss arm eth geo² Irenaeuslat⅔
Ambrose Chromatius Jerome3/6 Augustine Faustus-Milevis ‖ Χριστοῦ ℵ* syrpal copsams arm geo¹
Origengr,lat Asterius Serapion Cyril-Jerusalem Severian Hesychius; Victorinus-Pettau Jerome3/6 SBL ‖
omit Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ as well Irenaeusgr,lat⅓ Epiphanius ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N syrs. Some early manuscripts do not
have, "Son of God." There was always a temptation, to which copyists often succumbed, to expand
titles and quasi-titles of books. It is possible that these words were added that way. However, the
manuscript support for them is strong. Yet one sign that a reading is secondary is when there are
many variables of it, as we find here. The early translations are indeterminate for absence/presence
of definite articles, but they mostly support the inclusion of “Son of God.”
2
1·2a txt Καθὼς ℵ B L SBL TH ΝΑ28 {\} ‖ ὡς A D W Φ TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P syrs.
3
1:2b txt τοῖς προφήταις "in the prophets" A E W Σ Φ vgms syrh ms mg eth slav Irlat⅔ Asterius TR RP ‖ τ
Ἠσαΐᾳ τ προφήτῃ “in Isaiah the Prophet” ℵ B (L Ἰσαΐᾳ) it vg syrpal,p,hmg copsa IrGr,Lat Or¼ SBL TH
NA28 {A} ‖ Ἠσαΐᾳ τ προφήτῃ “in Isaiah the Prophet” D arm geo Irgr Or¾ Serapion Epiphan Severian
mg
Titus-Bostra Basil Hesychius Victor-Antioch (Ἠσαΐᾳ or τ Ἠσαΐᾳ ita,aur,b,d,f,ff²,l,q,r¹ vg syrp,h pal copsa
Irenaeuslat⅓ Origenlat; (Victorinus-Pettau Chromatius omit τ προφήτῃ) Ambrosiast (Jer) Aug ‖ Ἠσαΐᾳ
καὶ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις “in Isaiah and in the prophets” itr1vid ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C G N Q Ψ 157 syrs. According to
Strack-Billerbeck, “ ommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch,” I, p. 597, Jewish
sources were also known to combine Malachi 3 with Isaiah 40.
4
1:2c txt οδον σου ℵ B D L P W Φ lat syrp copsamss Irlat SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ οδον σου εμπροσθεν σου (Mt
11:10) A E Σ itf,ff²,l vgcl syrh copsamss Eus TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N syrs.
5 1:3 The first quotation appears to be a blend of Exodus 23:20 and Malachi 3:1, and the second
quotation is of Isaiah 40:3.

6 1:4 Many translations say something like, "So John appeared..." This is because his appearing is
connected to the Καθὼς γέγραπται (just as it is written) at the beginning of verse 2. When there is so
much text elapsed between the καθὼς and what is compared, our ears require a reminder
complement. In other words, Just as it is written, ..., so John appeared.
Mark
I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I have
baptized you in water, but he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit."
The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

9And it came about in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and
was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And going up out of the water he
immediately saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit as a dove coming down to
him. 11And a voice from heaven said, "You are my beloved Son; in you 7 I have taken
good pleasure."
12And immediately the Spirit thrusts him forth into the wilderness. 13And he was8
in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts.
And the angels were attending him.9

14And after John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good
news of God,10 15and saying, "The time has played out,11 and the kingdom of God
7
1:11 txt σοι ℵ B D L Σ 064 syrp,h ita,ff²,l vg arm eth SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ω A E W Φ itb,d,f TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C
N P syrs.
8
1:13a txt εν τη ερημω ℵ A B D L lat cop eth goth Or Eus SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ εκει εν τη ερημω E W Σ Φ
064 syrp,h TR RP ‖ εκει vgms syrs arm ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P
9 1:13 Greek: οἱ ἄγγελοι διηκόνουν αὐτ . The verb διακονέω - diakonéō generally means "to act as a
waiter, as an attendant, as a servant." The same word is used in the parallel in Matthew 4:11, but
there it sounds more like the angels came only after the temptation was concluded, and that their
waiting on him involved feeding him. But in Mark it sounds like the angels were attending him
throughout the entire duration of his temptation. Obviously, they were not feeding him during the
40 days, or he would not have been fasting and been tempted over the bread. No, Mark means
something else by διακονέω. Mark is known for having a military outlook, and that Jesus was a
rough man of action. And here he was amongst the dangers of Satan and wild beasts, and Jesus'
attendants were standing by for him militarily to protect him. Somewhat like armor-bearers were
attendants. Yet the word διακονέω encompasses the idea of feeding, and we can understand it to
mean that they took care of him, met his needs, both military needs and nourishment needs, at the
appropriate times, as they waited on him throughout. We know from Matthew that they were
farther away before the temptation was concluded, and when it was over, they approached right up
to Jesus and tended to his needs.
10
1·14b txt εὐαγγέλιον ℵ B L vgms itb,ff²,t syrs,h copsa arm geo slavmss Or SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ εὐαγγέλιον
τῆς βασιλείας A D E W Σ Φ 064 lat syrp pt ita,aur,d,f,l,r¹ vg eth Jer TR RP ‖ hiant C N P Ψ. The phrase τὸ
εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ "the gospel of God" is found in the gospels only here, so copyists naturally
harmonized it to a more familiar "the gospel of the kingdom of God." The biggest flaw by far of the
Byzantine text stream in the gospels, is harmonization.
11 1:15 Πεπλήρωται ὁ καιρὸς - Literally, "the time has been completed or filled." It means another
time has come, because the time allotted for the age before it has run out. Bauer's lexicon says it
means, "the age has come to an end." This idea is echoed by the apostle Paul in Acts 17:30: "In the
past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent." And
very succinct is Galatians 4:4, "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a
woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law..." Jesus himself also
taught that the age of the law was passing away; see Matt. 11:13 and Luke 16:16, "The Law and the
Prophets were until John. Since that time, the kingdom of God is forcing its way forward, and the
aggressive lay hold of it. And if you are willing to accept it, John is the Elijah who was to come."
Mark
has come near. Repent and believe the good news."

16And passing along beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon, and Andrew, Simon's
brother, casting a net in the sea, for they were fishers. 17And Jesus said to them,
"Come, you two. Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people." 18And they
followed him right away, leaving the nets.
19And when he had gone a little farther,12 he saw James the son of Zebedee, and his
brother John. They also were on board a boat, mending the nets. 20At once he called
them, and they went off after him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the
hired hands.
Jesus' Teaching Has Authority

21And they enter into Capernaum, and having gone straight into the synagogue on
the Sabbath, he began to teach. 22And they were amazed at his teaching, because he
was teaching them as one having authority, and not like the Torah scholars. 13
23And right then there was a man in their synagogue who was in an unclean spirit.
And he cried out, 24saying, "What business do you have with us, Jesus, you
Nazarene?14 Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are— the Holy One of
God!"
25And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him!" 26And the
unclean spirit shook him violently back and forth and came out of him, shouting
very loudly.
27And all were astonished, such that they were discussing it, saying, "What is this?
A new teaching, with authority. He even commands the unclean spirits, and they
obey him." 28And immediately the report went out about him everywhere, 15 in the
12
1:19 txt προβας ολιγον B D L W (ita,b,d,ff²,r¹,t) syrs,p cop SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ προβας εκειθεν ολιγον A C
E Σc Φ 064 (itaur,f,l vg) syrh arm eth TR RP ‖ προβας ολιγον εκειθεν ℵ² ‖ προβας εκειθεν ℵ* Σ* ‖ lac N
P
13 1:22 The corresponding Hebrew word to γραμματεύς is ‫סופֵ ר‬- sōppēr, active participle of sāpar, to
write, to count, to number. The Latin Vulgate rendered it scriba, and in English it is traditionally
translated 'scribe.' The original meaning was "writer; clerk; copyist," but after the captivity, it came
to mean a member of the class of professional interpreters of the Jewish Law.
14 1:24 Ναζωραῖος - Nazōraios. A Nazarene is someone from the town of Nazareth, just as a Houstonian
is someone from the city of Houston. A Nazarene is not to be confused with a Nazirite, someone who
took a time-limited vow not to cut his hair or to eat grapes or drink wine. The word Nazarene was
sometimes derogatory, depending on who was saying it. Jews of Jerusalem and Judea looked down
on people from Galilee as being not as pure in their Jewish blood or religion. Even someone from
within Galilee, like the apostle Nathanael, looked down on Nazareth, John 1:46. Nazareth was quite
close to Samaria. One way in which Jonah was a sign of Jesus was that they were both from the same
home country. The prophet Jonah, son of Amittai, we read in 2 Kings 14:25, was from the town of
Gath Hepher, which was at most one or two hills away from where Nazareth later was, if not the
same hill. After the time of Jesus, his followers came also to be called "Notzri" by Jews who did not
believe in him, a contemptuous epithet.
15
1:28 txt ευθυς πανταχου εις B C L copsamss SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ευθυς πανταχη εις ℵ2 ‖ πανταχου εις W
it b,e,q pt ‖ ευθυς εις A D E Σ Φ itaur,d,f,l vg syrp,h TR RP ‖ εις ℵ* itff²,r¹ syrs ms ‖ lac N P 064
Mark
whole region of Galilee.
Jesus Heals All in Capernaum

29And as soon as they came out of the synagogue, they went into the house of
Simon and Andrew, accompanied by James and John. 30And Simon's mother-in-law
was bedridden, burning a high fever, and right away they are telling him about her.
31And after approaching her and grasping her by the hand, he lifted her, and the
fever left her, and she began to wait on them.
32And when evening had come, when the sun had set, 16 they were bringing to him
all who had an illness, and those being tormented by demons. 33Indeed the entire
town was gathered at the door. 34And he healed many who were ill with various
diseases, and many demons he expelled; and he would not allow the demons to
speak, because they knew him.
Jesus Keeps Moving

35And rising up very early, in the darkness, Jesus went outside and went off to a
solitary place, and he was praying there. 36And Simon and those with him hunted
him down, 37and found him, and they are saying to him, "Everyone is looking for
you!"
38And he says to them, "Let us go somewhere else,17 to the nearby villages, so I
may preach there also. For that is why I have come."
39And he went preaching in their synagogues in all of Galilee, and driving out the
demons.
A Leper Healed Spreads the Word

40And a leper comes to him, falling on his knees, and saying 18 to him, "If you are
willing,19 you can cleanse me."
41And filled with compassion,20 he reached out his hand and touched him, and
16 1:32 The people waited until the Sabbath was over.

17
1:38 txt αλλαχου εις ℵ B C* L cop arm eth SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ εις A D E W Σ Φ 064 latt syr TR RP ‖
lac N P
18
1:40a txt γονυπετῶν καὶ λέγων ℵ¹ L itf,l,q vg syrs,p arm geo¹ TH NA28 [καὶ γονυπετῶν] {C} ‖
γονυπετῶν λέγων ℵ* SBL ‖ γονυπετῶν αὐτόν καὶ λέγων A C Φ syrh,pal geo² goth TR RP ‖ λέγων B ‖
καὶ λέγων D W ‖ hiant N P.
19
1:40b txt ὅτι Ἐὰν θέλῃς ℵ A itq syrh TR RP NA28 {\} ‖ Κύριε ὅτι Ἐὰν θέλῃς B ‖ ὅτι Ἐὰν θέλῃς Κύριε Φ
‖ Κύριε Ἐὰν θέλῃς C L W ‖ Ἐὰν θέλῃς D ‖ hiant N P.
20
1:41 txt σπλαγχνισθεὶς rell. TR RP TH NA28 {B} ‖ ὀργισθείς D ita,d,ff²,r¹ (Diatessaron)* SBL ‖ omit 169
505 508 1358 ℓ866 itb ‖ omit σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἥψατο καὶ 783* and write
σπλαγχνισθεὶς ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα αὐτο in margin ‖ hiant H N P. One explanation I have encountered
Mark
says to him, "I am willing. Be cleansed." 42And immediately the leprosy went away
from him and he was cleansed.
43And he immediately thrust him outside, sternly admonishing him, 44and saying
to him, "See that you don't tell a thing to anyone. Only go show yourself to the
priest, and offer the things Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to
them."
45But when he left he proceeded to speak out freely, and to spread the word
around, with the result that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly, but stayed
outside in deserted places. Yet people were still coming toward him from all
directions.
Chapter 2
The Paralytic Lowered Through the Roof
1And some days later, he entered again into Capernaum, and it was heard that he
was home. 2And many gathered, so many that there was no room left, not even at
the door; and he was speaking the word to them.
3Then some arrive, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four. 4And not being
able to get to him because of the crowd, they removed the roof where he was, and
when they had dug through, they lowered the pallet bed on which the paralytic is21
lying.
5And when Jesus saw their faith, he says to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are
forgiven."
6And some of the Torah scholars were sitting there, and debating in their hearts,
7"Why does this fellow talk like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but
God alone?"
8And Jesus, knowing immediately in his spirit that they were debating like this
inside themselves, says to them, "Why are you debating these things in your hearts?
9Which is easier to say to the paralytic: 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up,
take your bed and walk'? 10But so that you may know that the Son of Man has
authority on earth to forgive sins..." He said to the paralytic, 11"I say to you, get up,
for this variant is confusion from the similarity between the Aramaic words for these Greek variants.
The UBS Textual Commentary says compare the Syriac words et ra am "he had pity," with ethraʻem
"he was enraged"). *Ephraem in his commentary on Tatian's Diatessaron shows knowledge of the
"enraged" variant, but all extant ancient Syriac versions read in support of "filled with compassion."
Note: though MS 1358 omits both σπλαγχνισθεὶς and ὀργισθείς, it follows Byz in the words preceding
it: ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς in contrast to ℵ B D which have just καί, and L has the Byz reading in a different word
sequence.
21 2:4 The imperfect is more properly rendered, "was lying." However, in English that sounds like he
"used to be lying on it," and was no longer lying on the pallet at the time it is lowered.
Mark
take your bed, and go to your house." 12And he stood up, and immediately took his
bed and went out in front of them all, with the result that they were all astonished,
and glorified God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"
A Tax Collector Joins Jesus

13And he went out, along beside the lake again. And the entire crowd came with
him, and he was teaching them. 14And as he went along, he saw Levi son of
Halphaeus sitting at the taxes post. And he says to him, "Follow me." And rising
up, he followed him.
15And it comes about that Jesus is reclining at Levi's house, and many tax
collectors22 and sinners were reclining with him and his disciples, for there were
many who followed him. 16And when the Torah scholars of the Pharisees23 saw that
he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they were saying to his disciples,
"Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"24
17And hearing, Jesus says to them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the
sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

18And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting. And they come and
say to him, "How is it that the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees
22 2:15 τελώνης - telōnēs; a combination of the words τέλος - télos for excise off the end tally, and the
word ὠνέομαι - ōnéomai which means to "buy." Hence, tax-buyers, or tax owners. The accounts
receivable which the due taxes represented were bought by something like collection agencies. The
telōnēs were not the holders of the 'tax farming' contracts themselves, (the actual holders were
called publicani), but were subordinates (Latin, portitores) hired by the publicani. The higher
officials, the publicans, were usually foreigners, but their underlings were taken, as a rule, from the
native population, from the subjugated people. The prevailing system of tax collection afforded the
collector many opportunities to exercise his greed and unfairness. Moreover, since the tax was
forced upon the conquered by the conqueror, the collectors of the tax were personal reminders to
the populace that they, the payers of the tax, were conquered. Therefore the collectors of the tax
were particularly hated and despised as a class. They were pre-judged to be both embezzlers, and
traitors or collaborators with the occupying foreign power.
23
2:16a txt των φαρισαιων “of the Pharisees” ⁸⁸ ℵ Β L W itb syrpal copsa SBL ΝΑ28 ‖ και οι φαρισαιοι
“and Pharisees” A C D E Σ Φ ita,aur,e,ff²,q,r¹ vg syrp,h mss eth arm TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P. Compare Luke
5:30.
24 2:16b There is an ambiguity here involving the word ὅτι - hóti. This is because the original
manuscripts did not have punctuation, accent marks, or spaces. This word could have been one
word, ὅτι, or two, ὅ τι. The former would mean the same as quotation marks, meaning that what
immediately follows it is the first word of a direct quote; and the latter would be an interrogative and
mean something like "why." Debrunner, §300(2), says this last is Markan, and Bauer, p. 587,
beginning of heading 4, says it is doubtful for all the N.T. Later manuscripts, and even Codex
Sinaiticus, read διὰ τί or διατί instead of ὅτι, either to clarify the ambiguity, or to harmonize Mark
with the Matthew and Luke accounts. It was characteristic of Septuagint Greek that ὅ τι mean "why."
As for me I agree with Bauer, that ὅ τι is not used by Mark meaning "why," and since the manuscript
evidence points to ὅτι being the correct reading, I interpret it as a quotation mark.
Mark
fast, but your disciples do not fast?"25

19And Jesus said to them, "Are the members of the bridegroom's party able to fast
while the bridegroom is with them? So long as they have the bridegroom with
them, they are not able to fast. 20But the days will come when the bridegroom is
taken away from them, and then, in that day, fast they will.
21"No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth onto an old garment. For then, what
filled it up pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear occurs. 22And
no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For then, the wine will burst the
wineskins, and the wine is ruined, along with the wineskins. Rather, new wine is
put into new wineskins."
Man Over the Sabbath

23And it came about during a Sabbath that he was passing through the grainfields,
and his disciples began to practice a custom, plucking the heads. 26 24And the
Pharisees said to him, "Look! Why are your disciples doing what on the Sabbath is
not permissible?" 27
25And he says to them, "Have you never read what David did, when he and those
with him were in need and hungry? 26In the account about Abiathar the high priest,
25 2:18 The verb "fast" here is in the present linear. This could mean habitual action, repetitive
action, or on the other hand, it could mean what was happening right now, presently going on. Are
they questioning why they are not fasting right now in this instance? Or why they never are in the
habit of fasting? Opinions are split. I take the cue from verse 19, that as long as Jesus was with them,
they were not fasting at all. In other words, it was not just that one occasion that they were not
fasting.
26 2:23 The phrase translated 'began to practice a way' here is ἤρξαντο ὁδὸν ποιεῖν, which, using the
most frequently translated English words, (the "lexical glosses") would be, 'began to make or do a
way or path.' See the endnote discussing the difficulties and possibilities of translation. As for the
"plucking of the heads," this was the allowable Jewish practice of "plucking the heads," of
Deuteronomy 23:25, "If you enter your neighbor's grainfield, you may pluck the heads with your
hands, but you must not put a sickle to your neighbor's standing grain." Still, this practice was not
allowed on the Sabbath day. The Mishnah and Tradition of the Elders forbade: “MISHNA II.: The
principal acts of labor (prohibited on the Sabbath) are forty less one—viz.: Sowing, ploughing,
reaping, binding into sheaves, threshing, winnowing, fruit-cleaning, grinding, sifting, kneading,
baking, wool-shearing, bleaching, combing, dyeing, spinning, warping, making two spindle-trees,
weaving two threads, separating two threads (in the warp), tying a knot, untying a knot, sewing on
with two stitches, tearing in order to sew together with two stitches, hunting deer, slaughtering the
same, skinning them, salting them, preparing the hide, scraping the hair off, cutting it, writing two
(single) letters (characters), erasing in order to write two letters, building, demolishing (in order to
rebuild), kindling, extinguishing (fire), hammering, transferring from one place into another. These
are the principal acts of labor— forty less one.”
27 2:24 The Greek word translated "permissible" is the impersonal participle ἔξεστιν - éxestin, which
is derived from the same root as ἐξουσία - exousía, the word for authority. If an activity was ἔξεστιν,
that means it was "loosed," or ruled by the rabbis to be something "allowed" by the Torah. If
something was not ἔξεστιν, as is the case here, that means it was "bound," that is, the rabbis had
adjudged that it was forbidden by the Torah.
Mark
he entered 28 the house of God and ate the bread of offering, which was not
permissible to eat, except for the priests, and he gave also to those who were with
him."29
27Then he said to them, "The Sabbath came about because of humankind, and not30
humankind because of the Sabbath.31 28Consequently, the Son of Man also is lord of
the Sabbath."
Chapter 3
1And again he went into a synagogue. And a man was there who had a shriveled
hand. 2And they were watching him carefully whether he would heal him on the
Sabbath, so that they might accuse him.
3And he says to the man with the shriveled hand, "Stand up into view."
4And he says to them, "Is it permissible on the Sabbath to do good or do evil, to
save life or destroy it?" But they were not speaking.
5And after looking around at them with anger, deeply distressed at the hardness of
their hearts, he says to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out, and
his hand was restored.32 6And the Pharisees went out and immediately began to
conspire against him with the Herodians,33 how they might kill him.
28
2:26a εισηλθεν B D itd,r¹,t ‖ πως εισηλθεν ⁸⁸ ℵ A C E L W Σ Φ 064 vg syr cop TR RP SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖
και εισηλθεν ita ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P 072. The fact that it is strange that B and D agree against all other
uncials, may indicate that the presence of πως is a harmonization to Matthew (Weiss, Textkritik p.
170). A couple dozen Bible translations omit πως such as: NIV, TNIV, NRSV, NLT, CEB, CJB, ERV, EHV.
29 2:26b Notice that Jesus does not deny they were violating the Sabbath, doing something that was
unlawful to do on the Sabbath. He admitted that it was unlawful, by comparing it to something David
did that was unlawful. Similar to what Jesus said in another place, "Something greater than the
temple is here," so also now, "something greater than the Sabbath is here." Gathering even a very
small amount of food on the Sabbath day, was unlawful to do. See the instructions on gathering the
manna, in Exodus 16:21-30, "Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat...On
the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers apiece...This is what Yahweh has
commanded: 'Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest, a holy sabbath to Yahweh; bake what you will bake,
and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over, lay by to be kept till the morning.' ... 'Six days
you shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none. ...See! Yahweh has
given you the Sabbath, therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days; remain every man
of you in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.'"
30
2:27a txt και ουχ ℵ Β C* L Σ 064 itl vg syr cop eth SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ουχ A C³ E Φ itb,f arm TR RP ‖
omit και ουχ W ‖ omit το σαββατον δια τον ανθρωπον εγενετο ουχ ο ανθρωπος δια το σαββατον D ‖ lac
⁴⁵ N P 072
31 2:27b God rested, i.e., stopped working when he had created man. He rested because he had created
man. He created humankind on the sixth day, and therefore he from that day forward did no more
work of creation (Gen. 2:3), because humankind was created. For the creation of mankind was the
pinnacle of creation, the climax of creation, the end, the goal. See my treatise entitled, "What is
Sabbath?" The rendering, “The Sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the
Sabbath,” is possible, but not Markan use of the words δια nor of γίνομαι. That is, Mark nowhere else
uses the word ‘dia’ as meaning ‘for,’ and he nowhere else uses the word ‘ginomai’ as meaning ‘create.’
32
3:5 txt omit ℵ A Β C* D P W Σ Φ ite,f,ff²,i,q vg syrp,h copsa arm eth arab goth SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ +ος η
αλλη ita,b syrs ‖ +υγιης ος η αλλη E L (syrpal) TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N 064 072. The corrector of C, C³, is dated
9th century, and I am listing only 8th century witnesses and earlier.
33 3:6 The Herodians were neither a religious sect nor a political party, but people with a certain
Mark
The Thronging Crowds Endanger Jesus

7And Jesus departed with his disciples to the lake, and a great multitude from
Galilee followed. 8And from Judea and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea and
beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon also, a great multitude,
hearing what things he was doing, came to him. 9And he told his disciples that a
boat should be kept handy for him, because of the crowd, in case they should crush
him.34 10For he had healed many, with the result that everyone who had a disease
would charge upon him, in order to touch him. 11And whenever the unclean spirits
saw him, they would fall down before him and cry out, saying, "You are the Son of
God!" 12And he would strongly warn them not to make him known.
The Twelve Apostles

13And he goes up into the mountain, and calls to him those he wanted, and they
came to him. 14And he appointed twelve,35 that they might be with him, and that he
might send them out to preach, 15and to have authority to drive out the demons.
16So he appointed the twelve, 36 and to Simon, he added the name Peter; 17and
James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, and to them he added a
name: Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder; 18and Andrew, and Philip, and
Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Halphaeus, 37 and
attitude and outlook, Jews of influence and standing who supported the Herodian rule, and hence
also that of the Romans, by whose authority the Herodian dynasty was maintained. In such
allegiance they were definitely in the minority, for most Palestinian Jews were strongly opposed to
that regime. In the gospels the Herodians are mentioned as enemies of Jesus, once in Galilee (Mark
3:6; Diatess. 8:23), and again at Jerusalem (Matt. 22:16; Mark 12:13; Diatess. 26:1).
34 3:9 See the endnote about this passage, entitled "Mark 3:9."
35
3:14 txt δωδεκα ινα ωσιν A C² D E L P Σ Φ itb,e,f,q syrs,p,h copsams arm geo² TR RP SBL TH ‖ ινα ωσιν
δωδεκα a,aur,d,ff²,i,l,r¹,t vg Aug ‖ δωδεκα ους και αποστολους ωνομασεν ινα ωσιν (Lk 6:13) ℵ B syrhmg
copsamss geo2A eth [NA28] {C} ‖ ους και αποστολους ωνομασεν δωδεκα ινα ωσιν C* ‖ δωδεκα μαθητας
ινα ωσιν μετ αυτου ους και αποστολους ωνομασεν W geo¹ ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N 064
36
3:16 txt και εποιησεν τους δωδεκα και επεθηκεν ονομα τω σιμωνι πετρον ℵ B C* copsams SBL NA28
[και εποιησεν τους δωδεκα] {C} ‖ και επεθηκεν ονομα τω σιμωνι πετρον C² L W TH ‖ και επεθηκεν τω
σιμωνι ονομα πετρον A E P Σ Φ lat syr arm geo TR RP ‖ και επεθηκεν σιμωνι ονομα πετρον D ‖
πρωτον σιμωνα copsamss ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N 064
37
3:18a txt Ἁλφαιου SBL NA28 ‖ Ἀλφαιου TR RP TH. Genitive of Ἁλφαίος, ὁ; Heb.: ‫חלפּי‬
(Halpai). The original Hebrew name starts with the letter Het, an 'h" sound. The SBL and NA28 texts
reflect this h sound, and the others do not. Re: the transliteration of foreign words into Greek, see,
BDF § 39 (3) Laryngeals and Gutterals. "…The question of where to use smooth or rough breathing
with the initial sound is insoluble; it seems reasonable to employ smooth breathing for ‫ א‬and ‫ ע‬and
rough breathing for ‫ ֹה‬and ‫ח‬, as Westcott-Hort have done. Yet it is to be hoped that future editions
will follow Lagarde, Rahlfs, and the Göttingen editions of the LXX which omit both accents and
breathing in proper names and other transliterations wherever absence of terminations and
inflection indicate that no Grecizing was intended (Katz)." The Robinson-Pierpont text in Luke 2:36,
however, retains the rough breathing in Ἅννα, Hebrew ‫( חנה‬Hannach), but the TR and TH say Ἄννα.
Mark
Thaddaeus, and Simon of Cana, 38 19and Judas of Kerioth, 39 the very one who
betrayed him.
Jesus Thought to be Out of His Mind

20And he goes into a house, and once again a crowd gathered, such that they were
not even able to eat bread. 21And when they heard, his relatives set out to go and
take custody of him; for they were saying, "He is out of his mind." 40 22And the
Torah scholars who had come down from Jerusalem said, "He has Baal-zibbul,"41
and, "By the prince of demons he drives out the demons."
23And calling them to him, he spoke to them in parables: "How can Satan drive out
Satan? 24And if a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand;
25and if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26And
if Satan has stood up against himself and was divided, he cannot stand; he has met
his end. 27But in fact, no one can enter the house of a strong man to steal his stuff
unless he first ties up the strong man, and then, he may plunder his house.
28"Truly I tell you, there will be children of humankind being forgiven of all sin,
and of all blasphemy, no matter how they blaspheme, 29except that whoever
38
3:18b txt καναναιον ℵ B C D Lvid W latt copsams SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ κανανιτην A E Σ Φ copsamss? TR
RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P 064. BDAG: “Κανανίτης, ου, ὁ man from Cana, Cananite. Acc. to Strabo 14, 5, 14 one of
the two Stoics named Athenodorus received this name to distinguish him fr. the other Ath.; ἀπὸ
κώμης τινός (Cana near Tarsus) was added. Numerous mss. replace the apparently unintelligible
Καναναῖος with this term.” Under Κανά it says the home of, “according to many, also of Simon, Mt
10:4 (s. Καναναῖος). – Heinz Noetzel, Christus und Dionysus ’60. – EDNT.BBHW II 926. M-M.” Note
that the Textus Receptus and KJV read Zealot in Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13. And Jesus said he came only
to the lost sheep of Israel, and in 10:5 right here one verse later, he tells the twelve to only go to the
lost sheep of Israel, so very unlikely Jesus would have a Gentile as one of the 12, whose name is on
one of the twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem. The Zealots were a political faction of the Jews,
so very unlikely Simon was a Gentile. Strong’s Concordance says κανανιτην (G2581) is derived from
‫קּנ‬ℵ kan-naw', “Jealous.” Canaan in Greek consistently starts with the letter Χ. Canaan (ie., Genesis
13:12) Χανααν; Canaanite: Χαναναίων (Genesis 10:18) Χαναναίους (Genesis 15:21). And in the NT, for
the Canaanite woman, Matt 15:22, Χαναναία. The KJV is incorrect rendering the word κανανιτης
here as “Canaanite.” The bottom line is that both the Greek textual variants above mean “of Cana,”
although the first listed variant, καναναιον, is said by some scholars to be from the Aramaic for
“zealot.”
39 3:19 This man's name is usually written Judas Iscariot. "Iscariot" is probably from the Hebrew
words ‫יׁש ְק ִרֹּיות‬ℵ, ʾȋš qəriyyôt, ish Qerioth, which mean a man from Kerioth. Kerioth was a town in
southern Judea, which would make this Judas the only one in the circle of thirteen (Jesus and the
twelve disciples) that was not from Galilee.
40 3:21 The Greek word, ἐξίστημι - exístēmi, is used here the same way as in II Corinthians 5:13, where
it is used as an antonym of 'sane.'

41 3:22 txt Βεελζεβούλ ℵ A C D L W Φ it vgmss syrh copsa TR RP SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ Βεεζεβούλ B ‖
Βεελζεβούβ vg syrs,p. The KJV and NKJV read Beelzebub, even though the Textus Receptus and the
Greek manuscripts do not read so. The spelling Βεελζεβούβ - Beelzeboúb would represent the
Hebrew ‫זְ בּוב בעל‬- baʿal zəbȗb as found in II Kings 1:2, and means "Baal (Lord) of flies." The spelling
Beelzeboúl ‫ בעל זְ בּול‬baʿal zəbȗl would mean "lord of filth." 'Ba'al' means Lord or Prince. Baal was
a Canaanite god, the son of Dagon, the god of grain. Baal was the bull prince, the bull being a symbol
of fertility. Later the name Baalzebub became associated with the Aramaic Beeldebaba, 'enemy.' The
conflation of Ba'alzebub and Beeldebaba, as 'Beelzebub,' came to be a name for Satan.
Mark
blasphemes the Holy Spirit will have no forgiveness ever, but is guilty of an eternal
sin." 30(He said this because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit.")

31And his mother and brothers arrive, and standing outside, they sent word to him,
summoning him. 32And the crowd was sitting around him, and they say to him,
"Behold, your mother and brothers and sisters are wanting you outside."
33And answering them he says, "Who are my mother and brothers?" 34And
looking around at the ones sitting around him in a circle, he says, "Behold my
mother and my brothers. 35For whoever does the will of God, that one is my brother
and sister and mother."
Chapter 4
1And he began to teach beside the lake again, and a very large crowd collects
around him, such that he boards a boat to sit on the lake, and all the crowd was on
the land up to the water's edge.
2And he taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said to them:
3"Listen! Behold, the sower went out to sow. 4And it came about in the process of
sowing that some seed fell beside the way, and the birds came and ate it up. 5And
other seed fell on the rocky place, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up
immediately, because it had no depth of soil. 6And when the sun arose, it was
scorched, and it dried up, because it had no taproot. 7And other seed fell among
thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. 8And others
fell into good soil, and came up, grew, and produced, thirtyfold, 42 and sixtyfold, and
a hundredfold."
9And he said, "Whoever has ears to hear, hear."

10And when he was alone, those around him together with the Twelve were asking
him about the parables.
424:8 Some manuscripts ἓν… ἓν… ἓν…, (one... one... one...), and others, ἐν… ἐν… ἐν… (in... in... in), also
verse 20. UBS committee: "The reading that predominates in the manuscripts is εν, whether
accented ἐν or ἓν. In favor of the latter is the probability that underlying the variants was the
Aramaic sign of multiplication ('-times' or '-fold'), ‫חד‬, which is also the numeral 'one.'" (That is,
"echad.")
Mark
11And he told them, "To you the mystery of the kingdom of God has been given,
but to those outside, all things are in parables, 12so that:
'Though seeing, they will look,

and not perceive,
and though hearing, they will listen,
and not understand;
lest they turn, and be forgiven.' "43
13And he says to them, "You don't understand this 44 parable? How then will you
understand any parable? 14The sower is sowing the word. 15And the ones beside
the way where the word is sown, these are those who when they hear, immediately
comes Satan and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16And likewise, the
ones sown on the rocky places, these are those who when they hear the word, they
immediately receive it with joy. 17Yet they do not have a root in themselves, but are
short-lived. When difficulty or persecution come because of the word, they quickly
fall away. 18And others sown among thorns, these are those hearing the word, 19and
the worries of this age, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desires concerning other
things, come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20And the ones
sown on the good soil, these are those who hear the word and embrace it, and bear
fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold."
You Determine How Much You Receive

21And he said to them, "Does the lamp exist45 to be put under a bucket or under a
43 4:13a Isaiah 6:9-10 The phrase, “lest they turn, and be forgiven,” means that God’s intention was to
prevent them from turning and being forgiven.
44 4:13b This does not make much sense without knowing from Luke's account that the disciples
asked him the meaning of the parable of the sower specifically. (Luke 8:9; Diatess. 11:40)
45 4:21 The Greek says literally, "Does the lamp come to be put under a bucket..." This could also
possibly be translated, "Is the lamp brought in to be put under a bucket..." It is my belief that the
word of God frequently has double meanings intentionally. If we take this latter footnote rendering
as the reading, then Jesus is saying that he is not telling the parables only to be never understood by
anyone. And that we should, if we have a spiritual ear, listen carefully, and be encouraged that we
can take from them. Thus with this latter reading, Jesus is the holder of the lamp. On the other
hand, with the reading as I have it in the text of Mark, we the hearers, are the holders of the lamp.
We should take our lamp out and use it. Jesus elsewhere tells us, "The eye is the lamp of the body."
(Matt. 6:23; Luke 11:34) And in this case, we are not to worry that our eye is bigger than our stomach.
We are encouraged to come and get it, and whatever size container we bring, God will fill it, and
more. If you think he won't, then he won't. If you think he will, then he will. Why not be like the
prophet Elisha, and ask, "Lord, give me a double portion of Elijah's spirit"? (2 Kings 2:9) And of
Christ, it is said, "to him God gives the Holy Spirit without measure." (John 3:34) Be not one of those
who shrink back in cowardice. For "those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their
God and they will be my children. But as for the cowardly, the unbelieving, the polluted, the
murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, their inheritance will be the
Mark
bed? Is it not meant to be put on a stand? 22For there is nothing hidden that is not
meant to be made manifest, nor covered up but to come into view. 23If anyone has
ears to hear, hear."
24And he said to them, "Consider carefully what you hear. In what size container
you measure, it will be measured to you, and increased for you. 25For whoever has,
to him it will be given, and whoever has not, even what he has will be taken away
from him."
The Parable of the Automatic Earth

26And he said, "It is with God's kingdom the same way a human might scatter seed
on the ground, 27then may sleep and get up, night and day, and still the seed sprouts
and lengthens; how, he does not know. 28Automatically the earth bears fruit; first
the grass, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29And when the grain is
ready, he immediately sends out the sickle, because the harvest has come."
The Parable of the Mustard Seed

30And he said, "How may we compare the kingdom of God? Or in what parable
shall we set it forth? 31It is like a mustard seed, which when sown in the soil is
smaller than all the seeds in the soil, 32yet when it is sown, it grows, and becomes
larger than all the vegetables, and makes branches big enough that the birds of the
sky can dwell under its shadow."46
33And with many such parables he was speaking the word to them, as long as they
were able to listen. 34To the crowds,47 he would not say anything without a parable;
but in private with his disciples, he would explain everything.
Jesus Commands the Elements

35That same day, when evening had come, he says to them, "Let's cross over to the
lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death." Revelation 21:7-8
46 4:32 This is very much like Daniel 4:12. And in Genesis 19:8, Lot took the two angels "under the
shadow of his roof." The idea here is, in hot countries, a shadow is shelter from the sun, whereas rain
is a very welcome thing to walk in uncovered. Where I am from, people would use umbrellas against
the sun, not so much against the rain. This is especially true when "nesting," or in repose, like sitting
at a spectator event, for an extended period of time in the sun– out come the umbrellas. This
reminds me of Jonah 4:6-9, where Jonah also got shelter from the sun under a vegetable plant, of the
cucumber or castor-bean variety. Recall also how God protects his people under the "shadow of his
wings," Psalm 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 63:7; Isaiah 34:15, etc.
47 4:34 The Greek does not have the words “the crowds” here, but only the dative plural article
serving as pronoun. But it is referring back to the crowds mentioned in 4:1, as contrasted to how he
would explain everything to the disciples when he was alone with them in private with them, 4:10,
34.
Mark
other side."
36And leaving the crowd behind, they take him along, just as he was, in the boat.
Other boats also were with him.
37And a great storm of wind is coming up, and the waves crashed into the boat,
such that the boat is now filling up.
38And he was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. And they rouse him and say to
him, "Teacher, doesn't it matter to you that we are perishing?"
39And when he was awake, he rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Hush. Be
still." And the wind died down, and there came a total calm.
40And he said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" 41And they
were very much afraid, and saying to one another, "Who, then, is this, that even the
wind and the sea obey him?"
Chapter 5
1And they went to the other side of the lake into the territory of the Gadarenes. 48
2And as he gets out of the boat, there met him out of the tombs a man in an evil
spirit, 3whose abode was in the tombs, and no longer was anyone able to bind him
with a chain, 4because he had often been bound hand and foot, only to have the
chains burst apart and the leg irons broken, and no one had the strength to subdue
him. 5And through all, night and day, among the tombs and in the hills, he was
crying out and cutting himself with stones.
6And seeing Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him, 7and shouting with
a loud voice, he says: "What business between you and me, O Jesus, you son of the
Most High God? In the name of God, I beg you, do not torture me." 8For Jesus was
saying to him, "Come out of the human, unclean spirit!"
9And Jesus questioned him: "What is your name?"
And he says to him, "Legion is my name, for we are many." 10And he begged him
earnestly not to send them out of the area.
11And on a hillside near there, a large herd of pigs was feeding, 12and they pled
with him, saying, "Send us into the pigs, so that we may enter into them."
48
5:1 txt Γαδαρηνῶν A C E Σ Φ syrp,h Diatesssyr mssacc. to Origen TR RP ‖ Γερασηνῶν ℵ* B D
itaur,b,d,e,f,ff²,i,l,q,r¹ vg copsa mssacc to Origen; Tert Eus Jevencus SBL TH NA28 {C} ‖ Γεργεσηνῶν ℵ² L
syrs arm eth geo Diatessarm Or Epiph Thephylact Hesych ‖ Γεργυστηνῶν W syrhmg (Epiph Γεργεσθᾶν).
Note that both syrp,h read Gadarenes in all 3 synoptic gospels. Topographically (the right cliffs, and
the prepositional phrase of Lk 8:26, "down to the territory of...which is opposite Galilee"), and
culturally (the raising of pigs), Gadarenes is the most likely. I am puzzled why any Bible translation
would be content having different cities in different gospels in their version. I would settle on
Gadarenes for all 3 gospels.
Mark
13And he allowed them. And coming out, the unclean spirits went into the pigs,
and the herd, about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and
were drowned in the lake.
14And those feeding them fled, and reported to the town and to the farms, and
people came to see what it is that took place. 15And they come near to Jesus, and
they see the demon-possessed man sitting, dressed and in his right mind, he who
had had the legion, and they were afraid. 16And the ones who had seen how it
happened to the demon-possessed man rehearsed it to them, also about the pigs.
17And they began to beg him to go away from their territory.
18And as he was stepping onto the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed
was begging him that he might always be with Jesus. 19And he did not allow him,
but says to him, "Go home to your people and report to them what things the Lord
has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you." 20And he left and began to
proclaim in the Ten Cities what things Jesus had done for him. And all were
amazed.

21And when Jesus crossed back over to the other side, a large crowd had
assembled for him, and he was beside the lake. 22And one of the synagogue rulers
comes, Jairus by name, and when he sees him he falls at his feet, 23and pleads with
him earnestly, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Oh, that you
might come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be healed and live." 24And
he went with him.

And a large crowd was following with him, and compressing around him. 25And
a woman was there with a flow of blood of twelve years, 26and had suffered many
things under many doctors and spent everything she had, and not been helped, but
rather had moved toward the worse. 27And she had heard the things about Jesus,
and coming up behind in the crowd, she touched his garment, 28for she was saying,
"If I can touch even his clothes, I will be healed." 29And immediately the source of
her blood dried up and she knew by her body that she was healed of the scourge.
30And Jesus, noticing immediately in himself that power was going out from him,
turned around in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?"
31And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing in together around
you, and you say, 'Who touched me?'" 32Yet he was still looking around to see the
one who had done this.
33The woman then, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down
Mark
before him, fearing and trembling, and told him all the truth. 49 34And he said to her,
"Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go with peace, and be free from your
scourge."
35While he was still speaking, they come from the synagogue ruler's, saying, "Your
daughter has died. Why inconvenience the teacher any farther?"
36But Jesus, having overheard50 the message being spoken, says to the synagogue
ruler, "Don't be afraid; only believe."
37And he did not allow anyone to come along with him, except Peter, James, and
John the brother of James. 38And they are coming into the house of the synagogue
ruler, and he sees an uproar, and 51 weeping and much loud wailing. 39And when he
had come in he says to them, "Why are you making a commotion and weeping? The
child is not dead but sleeping." 40And they laughed him to scorn.
Then, having put them all out, he takes the father of the child, and the mother, and
the ones who were with him, and he goes in where the child was. 41And taking hold
of the child's hand, he says to her, "Talitha, koum." 52 (which when translated is, "O
little damsel, I say to you, stand up.") 42And the damsel stood up immediately, and
was walking (for she was twelve years of age). And they were stunned 53 with
amazement. 43And he was ordering them sternly that no one know this. And he
said to give her something to eat.
49 5:33 The reason for her fear was probably because she knew she had violated the Rabbi's cleanness.
As a woman with a flow of blood, she was perpetually unclean ceremonially (Leviticus 15:25-31), and
the others in the crowd, were they to touch her, would be unclean.
50
5:36 txt παρακουσας ℵ*,2b B L W ite SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ ακουσας ℵ2a 0126 itb,d,ff²,i,l,q vg syrp copsa arm
geo (Lk 8:50) ‖ ακουσας τουτον D ‖ ακουσας ευθεως N Σ ita ‖ ευθεως ακουσας A C E Φ syrh TR RP ‖ lac
P syrs
51
5:38 txt και κλαιοντας ℵ A B C L N W Σ vg syrp,h arm eth TR-scriv [ΑΤ] SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ κλαιοντας
Φ TR-steph RP ‖ κλαιοντων D ‖ lac P
52 5:41 The earliest Greek manuscripts of Mark 5:41 say κοῦμ, and later Greek manuscripts say, κουμι.
There have been two main explanations for the difference: (1) That this is apparently an effort on
the part of later copyists to correct the masculine ending to the feminine. For without the i, it is the
Aramaic imperative singular masculine form ‫ קּום‬- qȗm; with the i, it is the imperative singular
feminine, ‫קּומי‬
ִ - qȗmȋ. But the masculine form was sometimes used as default, without reference to
the gender of the person being addressed. And according to Dalman both forms came to be
pronounced alike, because of the phonological phenomenon of a final vowel weakening when it
follows a stressed syllable and strong consonant: the final i sound of the feminine imperative falling
away because of its position following the stressed penult. See G. A. Dalman, Grammatik des jüdisch-
pälastinischen Aramäisch, 2te Aufl.. (Leipzig, 1905), p. 266, n. 1. And (2), the other explanation of the
difference in forms is that it is a dialectical difference: the form without the final i was the
Mesopotamian form, and the form with the final 'i' was the Palestinian Aramaic form. See J.
Wellhausen.
53
5:42 txt εκστασει ⁴⁵ A N W Σ Φ ita,b,e,l vg syrp,h mss arm TR TH RP ‖ ευθυς εκστασει ℵ B C L copsamss
SBL [NA28] {/} ‖ παντες εκστασει D itd,f,ff²,i,q copsamss
Mark
Chapter 6
"No Boy We Knew Could Be a Prophet"
1And he moved on from there, and comes into his home town, and his disciples
are accompanying him. 2And when the Sabbath came, he proceeded to teach in the
synagogue, and the many hearing were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get
these things? Namely, what is this wisdom given to him? And 54 these miracles
happening by his hands? 3Isn't this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother
of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't also his sisters here with us?" And they
were offended by him.
4And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his home town
and among his relatives, and in his house."
5And he was never able55 to do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few
sick people; he did heal those. 6And he was amazed at their unbelief.

And he went around the villages in a circuit teaching. 7And calling the Twelve to
him, he began to send them out two by two, and he gave them authority over the
unclean spirits, 8and he gave orders to them: that they should take nothing for the
trip except a staff only; no bread, no bag, nothing in the money belt, 9but only the
sandals already tied on; also not to put on two tunics.
10And he further said to them, "Wherever you enter into a house, there stay up
until when you leave that place. 11And whatever place does not receive you nor will
they listen to you, leaving there, shake off the dust under your feet, as a testimony to
them."56
12And going forth, they proclaimed that people should repent. 13And many
demons they expelled, and many sick ones they anointed with oil and healed.
54
6:2 txt καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις ... γινόμεναι (ptcp pres mid) ℵ* B geo ΝΑ28 {C} ‖ καὶ δυνάμεις ... γινόμεναι L
‖ καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ ... γινόμεναι ℵ¹ ‖ ἵνα καὶ δυνάμεις ... γίνωνται (pres mid subj) D it(b),d,ff² syr(h),pal
arm ‖ ἵνα καὶ δυνάμεις ... γίνονται C* ‖ ἵνα δυνάμεις ... γίνωνται iti,q,r¹ syrp ‖ καὶ δυνάμεις ... γίνονται
(3rd pl pres ind) A C² E W Φ ita,aur,e,l vg RP ‖ καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις ... γίνονται N Σ ‖ ὅτι καὶ δυνάμεις ...
γίνονται TR ‖ ὅτι δυνάμεις ... γίνονται itf ‖ lac P. It is a Hebraism to use καί, "and," for "that," and
this may explain the rendering of the Greek καί as ut or quod in the Old Latin mss. indicated. That is,
the translators of the Greek into Latin were aware of this potential Hebraism, and interpreted this as
"And what is this wisdom given to him, such that these miracles happen by his hands?" See also the
Peshitta, which renders it this way. Or, perhaps the Latin and Syriac translators saw this καί as an
exepegetical one, as in BDF § 442(9).
55 6:5 In the Greek this verb is in the imperfect tense, that of past time, and continuous or habitual
aspect of action.
56
6:11 The sentence Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀνεκτότερον ἔσται Σοδόμοις ἢ Γομόρροις ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως, ἢ
τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ found here in ita,f,q syrp,h is absent in ℵ B C D L W lat syrs copsa and the editors of
the UBS/NA28 consider it a later harmonization to Matthew 10:15.
Mark
John the Baptizer Beheaded

14And Herod the king heard, for his name had become well known, that 57 some
were saying, 58 "John the Baptizer has been raised from the dead; that is why
miraculous powers are at work in him."
15But others were saying, "He is Elijah."
And still others were saying, "He is a prophet, as though one of The Prophets."
16But when Herod heard this, he kept saying, "John, the man I beheaded, has been
raised from the dead!"
17For Herod himself, sending orders, had seized John and bound him in prison,
because of Herodias his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married. 18For John had
been saying to Herod, "It is not permissible for you to have your brother's wife."
19And Herodias had been maintaining a grudge against him, and was wanting to
kill him, and could not, 20for Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and
holy man, and he protected him. And when he listened to him, he had much
difficulty,59 yet heard him gladly.
21And a suitable day came, when Herod in his birthday celebration made a supper
for his courtiers, and the chiliarchs,60 and the prominent of Galilee. 22And when the
daughter of the said Herodias61 came in and danced, and pleased62 Herod and those
57 6:14a Greek: καί, for ὅτι - hóti, "that." A colloquialism drawn from Hebrew. See also 15:25 in the
Greek.
58
6:14b txt ελεγον B W ita,b,d,ff² vgmss copsams Aug SBL NA28 {B} ‖ ελεγοσαν D ‖ ελεγεν ℵ A C E L N Σ
itaur,f,I,l,q,r¹ vg syrs,p,h,pal copsamss arm eth geo¹ ps-Justinvid TR TH RP ‖ ειπεν τοις παισιν αυτου (Mt 14:2)
Φ ‖ omit geoB ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P. (There is some uncertainty what the reading of N is.) With the Byzantine
reading, there is a senseless repeat of v. 14 in v 16.
59
6:20 txt ηπορει ℵ B L copsa SBL TH NA28 {C} ‖ ηπορειτο W ‖ εποιει A C D E N Σ Φ latt syrs,p,h,pal eth
geo¹ TR RP ‖ α εποιει arm ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P
60 6:21 Commanders of a thousand; the military leaders of one cohort each. The cohort was a
thousand only when counting the reserves, and usually about 600 men.
61 6:22a txt θυγατρὸς αὐτῆς τῆς Ἡρῳδιάδος “daughter of Herodias herself” (see v. 24) A C E N (W omit
τῆς) Σ Φ ita,d,ff²,i,l,q,r¹ vg syrh TR SBL TH RP ‖ θυγατρὸς αὐτοῦ Ἡρῳδιάδος “his daughter Herodias” ℵ B D
L (arm) NA28 {C} ‖ θυγατρὸς τῆς Ἡρῳδιάδος itaur,f,l syrs,p,pal copsa eth geo. There at first appears to be
some disagreement between Josephus, Mark, Matthew and Luke (or the copyists thereof) about
Herod's family tree. For example, who was Herodias' first husband? Some mss of Matthew follow
the early mss of Mark on that question, while others are changed to agree with Josephus.
Compounding all this is how broadly words such as father, son, brother, and daughter were used (for
example, "daughter" could also mean niece or granddaughter). But the following is what can be
distilled from all accounts. Herodias' first husband, named Philip in the Bible and Herod in Josephus,
was also known as Herod Philip. They were the same man. Herodias then divorced Herod Philip and
married Herod Antipas, who was Herod Philip's half brother (the father of both was Herod I, king of
Judea, 4 B.C., who had eight wives in his lifetime. Herod Philip's mother was Mariamne II, the third
wife, and Herod Antipas' mother was Malthake, the fourth wife). Josephus says that Herodias already
had a daughter named Salome before she married Herod Antipas (p 485 of The Works of Josephus,
trans. William Whiston, Hendrickson, 1988; or Antiquities book 18, chapter 5, secs. 136-137). So if it
was Salome that danced for Herod Antipas, she was both his half-niece and step-daughter. Both
niece and step-daughter would be a not-unheard-of use of the word daughter. But, the earliest
manuscripts of Mark say, "his daughter Herodias." If Herod Antipas had another daughter, whether
Mark
reclining with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me anything you want, and I will
give it to you." 23And he swore to her, "Whatever you ask for, I will give it to you,
up to half my kingdom."
24And going out, she said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?"
And she said, "The head of John the Baptizer."
25And she went in at once to the king with speed, saying this request: "I wish that
you would give to me right now the head of John the Baptizer on a platter."
26And the king became greatly distressed. He did not want to refuse her, because
of the words of oath and those reclining. 27And the king immediately gave orders to
bring his head, sending an executioner. And he went, and beheaded John in the
prison, 28and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl. And the girl gave
it to her mother. 29And when his disciples heard, they came and took his corpse and
laid it in a tomb.

30And the apostles are collecting around Jesus, and they reported everything to
him, what63 they had done, and what they had taught. 31And he says to them,
"Come by yourselves to a remote place and rest a little." For those coming and
going were many, and they did not even have opportunity to eat.
32And they went away in a boat by themselves to a remote place. 33And many saw
them leaving and knew,64 and ran together there on foot from all the towns and
arrived ahead of them.65
34And getting out he saw the large crowd, and felt compassion for them, because
they were like sheep not having a shepherd, and he began to teach them many
things.
35And now as an advanced hour comes, his disciples approached him and said,
"The place is remote, and it's now an advanced hour. 36Dismiss them so they may
go into the surrounding farms and villages and buy for themselves something to
by Herodias or otherwise, such a daughter is not mentioned anywhere else. In summary, then,
though the earliest Greek manuscripts say "Herod's daughter Herodias," some translations dated just
as early (Sinaitic and Curetonian Syriac, Bohairic Coptic, and Gothic, all 4th century) or earlier
(Sahadic Coptic, 3rd century) than those Greek manuscripts, read, "Herodias' daughter," as does also
Tatian's Diatessaron. Because of the combined testimony of these witnesses along with Josephus, I
am confident that the dancer in question was Salome, the daughter of Herod's wife Herodias.
62
6:22b txt και αρεσασης ⁴⁵ A D N W Σ Φ lat TR SBL TH RP ‖ ηρεσεν ℵ B C* L itff² NA28 {/} ‖ lac P
63
6:30 txt παντα ⁸⁴ ℵ B C D E L N Σ vg syrp cop arm eth SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ παντα και A W Φ syrh TR
RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P
64
6:33a txt πολλοι B D W ƒ¹ lat copsamss SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ αυτους πολλοι ℵ A L N Σ itf,q syrs,(p,h)
copsamss ‖ αυτον πολλοι Φ TR RP ‖ αυτον ƒ¹³ ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁸⁴ C P
65
6:33b txt omit ℵ B L W 0187 lat syr cop SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ και συνεδραμον προς αυτον A ‖ και
συνηλθον αυτου D itb ‖ και συνηλθον προς αυτον ⁸⁴vid N Σ Φ TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C P
Mark
eat."66
37But he in answer said to them, "You give them something to eat."
And they say to him, "Are we to go and buy two hundred denarii 67 of loaves of
bread and give it to them to eat?"
38And he says to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go see."
And finding out, they say, "Five, and two fish."
39And he instructed them to get all to recline in dining fellowships 68 on the green
grass. 40And they reclined, in groups of a hundred and in groups of fifty. 41And
taking the five loaves of bread and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he
blessed69 and broke the loaves of bread and gave to the disciples to set before the
people. The two fish also he divided for all.
42And they all ate and were satisfied, 43and they picked up twelve large baskets70
full of fragments from the loaves of bread, and from the fish. 44And there were five
thousand71 men eating the loaves.
45And he immediately told his disciples to get into the boat and go on ahead of
him to the other side to Bethsaida, while he would dismiss the crowd. 46And after
saying farewell to them, he went away into the hills to pray.

47And after evening had come, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was
66
6:36 txt τι φαγωσιν ⁴⁵ B L W ita,d,ff2,i vg syrs (cop) SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ τι φαγειν D ‖ βρωματα τι
φαγωισιν ℵ ‖ αρτους τι γαρ φαγωσιν ουκ εχουσιν ⁸⁴vid A N Σ Φ itf,q syrp,h TR RP ‖ lac C P
67 6:37 About 8 months of a man's wages
68 6:39 Greek: "Get all to recline συμπόσια συμπόσια – sympósia sympósia...And they reclined πρασιαί
πρασιαί – prasiaí prasiaí." That is, "Get them to recline messparty messparty; and they reclined
group group...by hundreds and by fifties" The 'symposia' are in the accusative case; 'prasiai's in the
nominative. This is an example of 'distributive doubling,' a vulgarism, and probably a Hebraism.
Now notice the variety of words for dining groups; Some see this as typical of Mark, in choosing very
particular words around the leitmotif of bread and eating.
69 6:41 The Greek word is εὐλογέω – eulogéō. There is an ambiguity here as to whether Jesus blessed
heaven, or blessed the loaves. On the whole, Biblically speaking, it is more likely that he "blessed
heaven (God) for the loaves." In other words, he said good words about God and to God for supplying
the loaves. But the ambiguity remains: compare John 6:11, where εὐχαριστέω - eucharistéō, the word
for "giving thanks" is used, and it is clear that Jesus is thanking God, whereas on the other hand in
Luke 9:16, the Greek is clear that Jesus blessed them, that is, the loaves and the fish. Paul says in
Romans 14:6 that all food is clean if the eater gives thanks to God for it; thus in a sense the food is
blessed by reason of the giving thanks. See also I Timothy 4:4-5, all food is sanctified if by prayer.
70 6:42 Interestingly, the baskets used in the
feeding of the 4,000 later on were a smaller basket. In the accounts of the feeding of the 5,000, all
four gospels use the Greek word kóphinos, but in the account of the feeding of the 4,000, both the
gospels containing the story used the Greek word σπυρίς. A kóphinos was used for many things,
including carrying manure, while a spurís was a smaller basket used for carrying edibles.
71
6:44 txt omit ⁴⁵ A B D L N W ΣΦ vg syr RP SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ως ℵ ‖ ωσει TR ‖ lac C P. The Sahidic
Coptic and the Ethiopic translations say "more than five thousand."
Mark
alone on the land. 48And about the fourth watch72 of the night, when he saw73 them
being sorely taxed in the process of rowing, because the wind was against them, he
goes toward them, walking on the lake, and was intending to pass them. 49But
when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought it was a ghost, and cried out.
50For they all saw him, and were disturbed by it.
But he immediately talked with them, and he is saying to them: "Take courage! It
is I. Don't be afraid."
51And he went up into the boat with them, and the wind stopped. And they were
very much, extremely stunned within themselves. 74 52For they had not learned from
the incident of75 the loaves of bread; their hearts had become hardened. 76
53And crossing over, they came ashore at 77 Gennesaret and anchored. 54And as
soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized him and 55ran around that whole
region, and those who had invalids began to carry them around on pallets to where
they heard that he was. 56And wherever he would go, into villages, or into towns,
or into countryside, they would place the invalids in the plazas, and the invalids
would implore him that they could just touch even the tassel of his cloak. And they
were being healed, as many as touched 78 him.79
Chapter 7
Clean and Unclean
1And the Pharisees and some of the Torah scholars are coming from Jerusalem and
72 6:48a Between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m.

73
6:48b txt ιδων ℵ B D L W ita,b,f,ff²,q vg cop SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ειδεν ⁴⁵ A E N (Σ Φ ιδεν) (iti) syrp,h
arm eth TR RP ‖ lac C P. The first reading = "when he saw," the second "he saw."
74
6:51 txt λιαν εκ περισσου εν εαυτοις εξισταντο SBL ‖ λιαν [εκ περισσου] εν εαυτοις εξισταντο NA28 ‖
λιαν εν εαυτοις εξισταντο TH ‖ λιαν εκ περισσου εν εαυτοις εξισταντο και εθαυμαζον TR RP
75 6:52a οὐ συνῆκαν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἄρτοις (not understood upon the loaves). The verb generally means
'understand,' but in all other cases where it is transitive in the NT, its object is in the accusative case.
Here it is coupled with the preposition 'upon,' and the word 'loaves' is in the dative case. So they
"had not reached a state of understanding based upon the incident of the loaves" or, "they had not
put two and two together by reflecting on the miracle of the loaves," or, "they were not any wiser
because of the loaves." Indeed, since they did not learn from this incident, Jesus put them through it
again, soon afterward, with the feeding of the four thousand. And still, even after that, Jesus
expressed frustration with them (Mark 8:17-21; Diatess 14:31, 35) at their lack of intelligence. For
intelligence is the main meaning of this verb: to be able to connect things, integrate and put it all
together.
76 6:52b Metaphoric language for the organ of spiritual understanding having become
'unimpressionable, insensitive, thickened, dense, callused.'

77
6:53 txt επι την γην ηλθον εις ℵ Β L SBL TH copsa NA28 {/} ‖ ηλθον εις την γην Φ ‖ ηλθον επι την
γην A D Ν Σ TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C P
78
6:56a txt ηψαντο ℵ Β D L W 0274 0292 SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ηπτοντο A N Σ Φ TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C P
79
6:56b This pronoun is ambiguous as to its referent. Were they healed when they touched IT
specifically, that is, the tassel of his cloak? Or is that tassel included in the wider sense of touching
HIM? The ultimate goal of the invalids was to touch him, but at least the tassel of his cloak. The
older translations say "him" and the latest translations say "it."
Mark
gathering toward him, 2and they see that some of his disciples are eating bread with
unclean80— that is, unwashed— hands.81 3For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not
eat unless they wash their hands with the fist, 82 holding to the tradition of the
elders.83 4And they do not eat from the marketplaces unless they wash. 84 And there
are many others which they have received instruction to keep, the baptizing of cups,
pitchers, and kettles.85
5And the Pharisees and Torah scholars are questioning him: "Why are your
disciples not walking according to the tradition of the elders, but eating bread with
unclean hands?"
6And he said to them, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is
80 7:2a Koinos hands, that is, common, not consecrated, having touched anything and everything
without having that washed off. Also in verse 5.
81
7:2b txt αρτους ℵ A B E L 0274 pm itb syrs copsamss SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ αρτους εμεμψαντο N W Σ Φ
0292 pm ita,f,i vg syrp,h copsams TR RP ‖ αρτους κατεγνωσαν D ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C P 0233
82 7:3a The meaning of πυγμῇ here is uncertain. It has been translated: "along with the fore-arms," or
"to the wrist;" "up to the elbow;" "carefully;" "in the proper way;" or also: "in a way in which one
clenched fist is turned about in the hollow of the other hand;" or, "with a fistful of water;" or
"rubbing with the dry hand." This difficulty in understanding the significance of "with the fist" in
the context of Jewish ceremonial washing prompted some copyists of the Greek manuscpripts to
omit it, and others to replace it with a word that gives a better sense, such as pukna, which can mean
'often' or 'thoroughly.' Some Italic manuscripts read, momento, 'in a moment,' or another, primo,
'first.'
83
7:3b Ezra had set up a group of men called the Sopherim, whose task it was to teach the Torah to
the people. This was well and good. But the Sopherim decided that to make absolutely sure that no
one broke one of the 613 Mosaic laws, they would make a “fence” around those 613 laws by making
some more finely tuned laws, which, if people obeyed these latter, they would be assured of not even
getting close to breaking one of the 613 Torah laws. The Sopherim (scribes) acknowledged that only
the Torah was authoritative, and that their “fence” laws could be debated. A few generations later,
other teachers of the law arose, called the Tanaim. These made another fence around the fence laws
of the Sopherim. Now, however, the Tanaim’s laws were considered debatable, but the laws of the
Sopherim were considered as final authority. Into this situation Jesus Christ was born, where the
laws of the Sopherim were considered greater in authority than the actual Torah. In fact, where the
“fence” laws conflicted with the Torah, the “fence” laws were considered to have priority. These
laws were called the Mishnah, or the Oral Law, or here called the Tradition of the Elders. You were
considered to have sinned if you broke one of them, just as if you had broken one of the laws of
Moses. In modern times, orthodox Jews do not read the Bible, but read books that interpret the
books that interpret the books that interpret the Bible.
84
7:4a txt βαπτισωνται A D E N W Φ 0292vid latt syrs,p,h arm eth Or TR RP SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖
βαπτιζωνται L ‖ βαπτισονται Σ ‖ βαπ________ 0292 ‖ [_]α[_]τισωνται ⁴⁵ ‖ ραντισωνται ℵ B copsa geo ‖
lac C P 0233 0274. Luke 11:38 reads Ὁ δὲ Φαρισαῖος ἰδὼν ἐθαύμασεν ὅτι οὐ πρῶτον ἐβαπτίσθη πρὸ τοῦ
ἀρίστου - And the Pharisee when he saw, was shocked that he did not first baptize before the meal.
TCOGNT: "Although it can be argued that the less familiar word (ῥαντίσωνται) was replaced by the
more familiar one, (βαπτίσωνται), it is far more likely that Alexandrian copyists, either wishing to
keep βαπτίζειν for the Christian rite, or, more probably, taking ἀπ’ ἀγορᾶς as involving a partitive
construction, introduced ῥαντίσωνται as more appropriate to express the meaning, 'except they
sprinkle [what is] from the market place, they do not eat [it].'" But since both words speak of a
ceremonial form of washing, the distinction may not be critical in this instance.
85
7:4b txt και καλκιων ⁴⁵ ℵ B L copsams TH ‖ και καλκιων και κλινων A D E W Σ Φ 0292 latt syrp,h
copsa arm eth geo Or TR RP SBL [NA28] {C} ‖ omit και χαλκιων και κλινων syrs ‖ lac C N P 0233 0274.
In that time and culture, they ate while reclining on couches which also served as their beds.
Metzger: "It is difficult to decide whether the words 'and beds' were added by copyists who were
influenced by the legislation of Leviticus 15, or whether the words were omitted (a) accidentally
because of homoioteleuton or (b) deliberately because the idea of washing or sprinkling beds seemed
to be quite incongruous…"
Mark
written:
" 'This people honor me with the lips,

but their heart is far from me.
7They worship me in vain,
their instruction is the drilling of86

the rules of human87 beings.'
8"Dropping the commandment of God, you are holding on to the tradition of

humans."88
9And he said to them, "You have a fine way of setting aside the commandment of
God in order to set up89 your own tradition. 10For Moses said, 'Honor your father
and your mother,' and, 'The person cursing father or mother must be put to death.'
11But you say that if someone says to father or mother, 'Whatever financial help you
would receive from me is now korban' (that is, a gift vowed to God), 12you relieve him
of doing anything more for father or mother, 13annulling the word of God by your
86 7:8a It is difficult to know the exact shade of meaning for διδάσκω, the Greek word here for
"teach," which I translated "drill." For the Hebrew scriptures used 12 different words for teaching,
and the Greek only half that, with the vast majority of instances being the word didáskō. The verse
Jesus is quoting here is a rendering of the Hebrew of Isaiah 29:13. (Though in the N.T. Greek it bears
far more resemblance to the Septuagint than the Masoretic Text Hebrew.) Here in the Greek N.T. the
participle is διδάσκοντες, and in the Hebrew the corresponding participle is ‫ ְמלֻ ָמ ָדֹה‬- məlummādāh,
the pual (passive intensive) participle of ‫ לָ מד‬- lāmad, to instruct, to train. An intensive training
would be a drilling. In fact, ‫ לָ מד‬- lāmad is the root word for Talmid, the word for the most
scholarly Rabbi, and for Talmidim, such a Rabbi's apprentices; and rote drills were in fact the way
things were taught. Also illuminating is to look at another word derived from ‫לָ מד‬- lāmad, which is
‫ מ ְלמֵ ד‬- malmēd accustomed to being goaded with the goad,
being trained by it. This is effective training in one sense, but, this is not service from the heart, but
rather merely becoming accustomed to submitting to pressure and pain. Compare also Jesus'
discouraging of repetitious prayers, in Matt. 6:7; Diatess 9:27.
87 7:8b "Mitzvot," plural of mitzvah. This is the word used here in the Hebrew text of Isaiah 29:13. It
means commandments, precepts, rules, and was used of commandments both from God or from men.
88
7:7,8 txt
a) ανθρωπων αφεντες την εντολην του θεου κρατειτε την παραδοσιν των ανθρωπων ⁴⁵ ℵ B L W
0274 copsa arm geo Bas SBL TH NA28 {A}
b) ανθρωπων αφεντες γαρ⸆ την εντολην του θεου κρατειτε την παραδοσιν των ανθρωπων βαπτισμους
ξεστων και ποτηριων και αλλα παρομοια τοιαυτα πολλα ποιειτε E Σ Φ itaur,f,l vg (syrp,h) (ms) eth TR
RP
c) ανθρωπων αφεντες γαρ⸆ την εντολην του θεου κρατειτε την παραδοσιν των ανθρωπων βαπτισμου
ξεστων και ποτηριων και παρομοια τοιαυτα πολλα ποιειτε A
d) ανθρωπων βαπτισμους ξεστων και ποτηριων και αλλα παρομοια α ποιειται τοιαυτα πολλα αφεντες
την εντολην του θεου κρατειτε την παραδοσιν των ανθρωπων D ita,b,c,d,ff²,i,q,r¹
e) omit v. 8 syrs (see Mt 15:3)
f) lac C N P
89 7:9 txt στησητε D W ita,b,c,(d),f,ff²,i,q,r¹ syrs,p Diddub Cyp Zeno Greg-Elv Jer NA28 {D} ‖ τηρησητε ℵ A E L
ΣΦ itaur,l vg syrh cop eth Aug TR RP SBL TH ‖ τηρητε B ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P. Quoting the Editorial
Committee of the United Bible Society's Greek NT, "It is most difficult to decide whether scribes
deliberately substituted 'establish' for 'keep,' as being the more appropriate verb in the context, or
whether, through inadvertence in copying and perhaps influenced by the preceding phrase 'the
commandment of God,' they replaced 'establish' with 'keep.' The Committee judged that, on the
whole, the latter possibility was slightly more probable."
Mark
tradition which you have handed down. And many similar such things you do."
14And calling the crowd to him again, 90 he said, "Listen to me everyone, and
understand: 15There is nothing outside a human being which by entering him is able
to make him unclean. Rather, the things coming out of a human being are the things
making the human being unclean." [16If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."] 91
17And when he had entered a house, away from the crowd, the disciples asked him
the meaning of the parable.92
18And he says to them, "Are you also this obtuse? Do you not understand that
everything entering a human being from the outside is unable to make him unclean,
19since it is not entering his heart but his stomach, and then goes out into the sewer?"
(He is declaring all foods clean.) 93
20He went on: "What comes out of a human being, that is what makes the human
being unclean. 21For from within, out of the heart of human beings, come evil
90
7:14 txt παλιν ℵ B D L lat syrhmg copsams SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ omit itc copsamss ‖ παντα ⁴⁵ A E W Σ Φ
itf syr copsamss Bas TR RP ‖ lac C N P
91 7:16 txt incl v. 16 A D E W Σ Φ vg copsamss arm eth geo² Diatessa,p Aug TR RP ‖ omit ℵ B L 0274
copsamss geo¹ SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P. The UBS textual commentary says that v. 16 appears to
be a scribal gloss, derived perhaps from 4:9 or 4:23, introduced as an appropriate sequel to verse 14.
92
7:17 txt την παραβολην ℵ B D L lat copsa SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ περι της παραβολης A E W Σ Φ syrh
copsams TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P. The reading without περι (about) was a normal way to express this in
Greek. Perhaps περι was added for clarification.
93 7:19 Or, "...then it goes out into the sewer, rendering all foods clean." There are problems either
way. With the latter, how does a sewer or latrine purify foods? This problem appears to have
prompted the copyist(s) who produced Codex Bezae, 5th century, to change their manuscript from
'latrine' to 'intestinal canal,' as it would make more sense to them to say that the intestines remove
uncleanness from all foods. In a similar vein, attempts have been made to trace the etymology of
βρῶμα, 'food,' as a back-formation from the Modern Greek ἡ βρόμα (stench, filth) and add it to the
variant reading of "intestinal canal" and thus come up with the rendering, "through the intestinal
canal, purifying all filth." But in fact, according to DeBrunner, the meaning "stench, filth" would be a
back-formation from the Modern Greek βρομῶ to the ancient Greek word βρόμος, 'din,' or βρομεῖν,
'to roar,' and not to βρῶμα, 'food.' And as for the problem with the former option, (the way I have it
in the Bible text above, the sentence in parentheses), the Greek as it reads does not seem be an
agreeably complete sentence ('rendering clean' is just a participle without an agent for subject,
followed by 'all foods'); however, it is typical of Mark to be very abrupt and brief, for example, 3:30,
and also to make small explanatory statements for the benefit of his non-Jewish readers, to explain
what is going on from a Jewish religious point of view. Elsewhere in Mark, his explanatory
statements are brief, seemingly incomplete sentences. As for the participle, it is nominative,
singular, masculine. So with which earlier substantive is it agreeing in case, number and gender?
There has been much discussion about this being a 'solecism,' that is, a case of inattention to
inflectional agreement, thus making uncertain whether it is agreeing with 'everything entering' in
Mark 7:18, or with 'sewer' just prior to the participle. However, one form of solecism customarily
frequent in NT Greek is that of the 'circumstantial participle' being in the nominative rather than an
oblique case. It seems the best explanation for this participle is that it is connected with the 'he says'
at the beginning of verse 18; that is, the participle is circumstantial in that it sets the circumstances
or reason for Jesus' saying everything in between. Happily, the most important truth here remains
unaffected: that is that Jesus is declaring that all foods are clean. For if his point is that the waste
ejection system purifies the foods, then he is saying all foods are clean for that reason. But if he is
acting with Rabbinical authority and declaring all foods permissible and ceremonially clean, then the
effect is still the same. The apostle Paul says all foods are clean, Romans 14:14, 17, 20, especially since
the eater gives thanks to God in prayer for it. Also, remember the experience of Peter, the apostle to
the Jews. In Acts chapters 10 and 11 God commanded Peter in a vision to eat all sorts of foods that
were not Torah in Peter's upbringing.
Mark
reasoning, 94 fornication, theft, murder, 22adultery, covetousness, 95 malice, 96 deceit,

lewdness, an evil eye, 97 slander, haughtiness, and folly. 98 23All these evil things
come forth from within and make the human being unclean."
The Faith of the Gentile Dog

24And getting up, he departed from there into the vicinity of Tyre. 99 And entering
a house, he wanted no one to know, yet he could not escape notice. 25In fact
immediately upon hearing about him, a woman whose daughter had an unclean
spirit came, and fell at his feet. 26And the woman was a Gentile, a Syro-Phoenician
by race. And she kept begging him that he drive the demon out of her daughter.
27And he was saying to her, "Allow the children first to eat their fill, for it is not
right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs."
28But in answer she says to him, "Lord, even100 the dogs under the table eat of the
94 7:21 Not merely evil thoughts, but where a reasoning process is evil, in that the conclusion arrived
at from that reasoning process, is evil. An example of evil reasoning is James 2:4 where this same
Greek word is used. In that passage James says that if you reason that a well-dressed person is more
worthy of a good seat than a person wearing dirty clothes, then your reasoning is evil. You would be
a judge coming to an evil conclusion, because your reasoning process is evil.
95 7:22a πλεονεξία - pleonexía. The literal etymological meaning is "desire for more." Its antonym is
contentment. "But godliness with contentment is great gain. If we have food and clothing, we will
be content with that." (I Tim. 6:6-8) "Let your way of life be without love of money, and be content
with the things you presently have, for He has said, 'I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake
you.'" (Hebrews 13:5) The apostle Paul teaches that a covetous person is an idolater (Eph. 5:5; Col.
3:5; I Cor. 5:11). Covetousness might also be defined as in Mark 4:19 or Diatessaron 11:36 as "the
desires for other things," that is, things other than the kingdom of God.
96 7:22b πονηρία – ponēría. This word is difficult to know the meaning of, because it has so long been
a "religious jargon" word that most people have no other point of reference. Usually it is translated
"wickedness, iniquity, evil, evil intent." But what are these? Both the Greek words for 'evil' and
'wicked' are derived from πόνος - ponos, the word for 'pain.' Thus evil and wicked are something
causing pain, injury and harm. In I Cor. 5:8 πονηρία is grouped with κακία, another word for malice.
My impression is that it is a conscious, knowing, deliberate, relished evil. Enjoying being bad for
being bad's sake, and applauding others who are bad for bad's sake. For all humans, even the
apostles, are called 'evil' by the Lord, but not all are called 'wicked.' It seems therefore to be a
distinction of relishing it or not, and presence of malice versus absence of malice. Thus I translated it
'malice,' or even 'malevolence.'
97 7:22c ὀφθαλμός πονηρός – ophthamos poneros, "evil eye." This is a Semitic concept, in which the
attitude of the heart or the force of a person's thoughts, are focused out through, and cause the
narrowing of the person's eye, out of envy, resentment, scheming, toward one's neighbor. This
concept merits a long explanation, which is to be found in an end note at the end of this document.
98 7:22d ἀφροσύνη, Without circumspection, without higher thought, without prudence. Without
moral intelligence. Without wisdom. A fool is a moral simpleton, morally thoughtless.

1
99 7:24 txt Τύρου D L W ita,b,d,ff2,i,n,r syrs,pal Origen; Abrosiaster SBL NA28 {B} ‖ Τύρου καὶ Σιδῶνος ℵ A
B N Φ itaur,f,l,q vg syrp,h copsa arm eth geo John-Damascusvid; Jerome TR TH RP ‖ lac C P. The UBS
Textual Commentary: "The words καὶ Σιδῶνος seem to be an assimilation to Mt 15:21 and Mk 7:31. If
they had been present originally, there is no reason why they should have been deleted. The
witnesses in support of the shorter text include representatives of the Western the Caesarean types
of text."
100
7:28 txt κυριε και ⁴⁵ W syrs SBL NA28 {B} ‖ ναι κυριε και ℵ B 0274vid syrp (cop) Bas TH ‖ κυριε
αλλα και D it ‖ ναι κυριε και γαρ A L N Φ Σ lat syrh TR RP ‖ lac C P. The word ναι is used in Mt 8
times, Lk 4 times, but if truly found here, it would be the only time in Mark. The Byzantine reading
of Mk 7:28 here is conformed exactly to Mt 15:27.
Mark
children's crumbs."
29And he said to her, "Because of this reply, go your way; the demon has left your
daughter." 30And going away to her house, she found the child lying on the bed,
and the demon gone.
Jesus Does All Things Well

31And going back out of the district of Tyre, he went through Sidon, down to the
Sea of Galilee, into the midst of the region of the Ten Cities. 32And they bring a man
to him, deaf and speaking with difficulty, and they are begging him to place his
hand on him.
33And taking him aside privately, away from the crowd, he put his fingers into his
ears. And after spitting on his fingers, he touched the man's tongue. 34And looking
up to heaven he sighed, and he says to him, "Eppatach!" (which means, "Be
opened!"). 101 35And immediately 102 his ears were opened, and the bond 103 of his
tongue was released, and he began to speak normally.
36And he was ordering them that they tell no one. But as much as he ordered
them, all the more they were talking about it. 37And they were being overwhelmed
with admiration, saying, "He has done everything well. He makes both the deaf to
hear and the mute to speak."
Chapter 8
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
1During those days when there was again104 a great crowd and also having nothing
to eat, he calls the disciples to him and says to them, 2"I feel compassion for this
crowd, because they have stayed with me three days now, and have nothing to eat.
3And if I dismiss them to their homes, without eating they will collapse in the
journey, and some of them are from a long distance."
101 7:34 ἐφφαθα, translated διανοίχθητι, from an Aramaic word. It is a contraction of the form of the
ethpeel, ‫אֶׁ ְת ְפּתח‬.
102
7:35a txt ευθεως ⁴⁵ A E N W Σ Φ lat syr copsamss arm eth geo TR RP [NA28] {C} ‖ omit ℵ B D L
0274 it copsamss SBL TH ‖ lac C P
103 7:35b δεσμος, "bond," used also in Luke 13:16 for that which Satan had used to restrain the
crippled woman from walking. There, Luke uses two forms of the word, "whom Satan has bound,"
and also "loosened from this bond on the Sabbath." Some have rendered this in v. 35 above as
"ligament," or "string," or "impediment." It depends on whether you think a literal body part is
meant here, or something more figurative or spiritual. Perhaps it could even be rendered, "his
tongue was freed from its bondage."
104
8:1 txt παλιν πολλου ℵ B D L N Σ Φ lat syrs copsamss arm geo SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ παντολου X ‖ παλιν
⁴⁵vid ‖ παμπολλου A E itq syrh copsamss TR RP ‖ lac C P.
Mark
4And his disciples answered him, "Where here in the desert will anyone be able to
get enough loaves of bread to fill these people?"
5And he asked them, "How many loaves do you have?"
And they said, "Seven."
6And he directs the crowd to recline on the ground. And taking the seven loaves
of bread, giving thanks he broke them, and gave to his disciples, for them to serve.
And they served the crowd. 7They also had a few fish, and blessing them, he
ordered them to be served as well. 8And they ate and were filled, and they picked
up the fragments left over, seven basketfuls. 9And they were about four thousand;
and he dismissed them. 10And immediately boarding the boat with his disciples, he
went to the area of Dalmanutha.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod

11And the Pharisees came forward and began to debate with him, asking him for a
sign from heaven, testing him.
12And sighing deeply in his spirit, he says, "Why does this generation ask for a
sign? Truly I say to you, a sign will certainly not be given this generation!" 105 13And
leaving them, he got back into the boat and went away to the other side.
14And they had forgotten to take bread; and except for one loaf, they had none
with them in the boat. 15And he started warning them, saying, "Take heed, be on
your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, and the yeast of Herod."
16And they were discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread
loaves.106
17And knowing, he says to them, "Why are you discussing with one another the
fact that you have no bread loaves? Are you still not understanding, nor putting it
together? Have you completely hardened hearts? 18You have eyes; can't you see?
And you have ears; can't you hear? And do you not remember? 19When I broke the
five loaves of bread to the five thousand, how many basketfuls of fragments did you
pick up?"
They say to him, "Twelve."
20"When I broke the seven to the four thousand, how many basketfuls of fragments
did you pick up?"
105 8:12 This is an implied oath or asseveration, strongly in the Hebraistic style, except leaving off,
and only implying, the first part of the formula. The Greek literally says, "if a sign will be given to
this generation!" If the formula were complete here, the whole sentence would be something like,
"Be it done to me ever so severely, if a sign is ever given to this generation!"
106
8:16 txt οτι αρτους ουκ εχουσιν ⁴⁵ B D W SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ οτι αρτους ουκ εχομεν ℵ ‖ λεγοντες
οτι αρτους ουκ εχομεν A C E L N Σ Φ TR RP ‖ lac P
Mark
And they say, "Seven."

21And he said to them, "How do you still not understand?"107
The Healing of a Blind Man at Bethsaida

22And they come to Bethsaida. And they bring a blind man to him, and they are
begging Jesus to touch him. 23And taking hold of the blind man's hand, he led him
outside the village. And after spitting in his eyes and placing his hands on him, he
asked him, "Do you see anything?"
24And looking up he said, "I see people, that I am perceiving as trees walking
around."
25Then he put his hands on the man's eyes again. And he looked for a while, 108 and
his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly again. 26And he sent him
home, saying, "Do not go into the village."

27And Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages of Caesarea of Philip, and on
the way, he was inquiring of his disciples, saying to them, "Who do the people say I
am?"
28And they informed him, saying, "John the Baptizer; and others, Elijah; and still
others, one of the Prophets."
29And he asked them, "And you, who do you say I am?"
Peter in answer says to him, "You are the Messiah."
30And Jesus warned them that they should tell no one about him.
Peter Opposes Jesus' Death

31And he began to teach them that the Son of Man had to suffer many things and
be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the Torah scholars, and must be
killed, and after three days, rise again. 32And he was stating the matter plainly.
And Peter, taking him aside, started correcting him.
33But he, turning around and seeing his disciples, corrected Peter. And he says,
"Get behind me, Satan! For you are not thinking of the things of God, but the things
of human beings."
107
8:21 txt πως ουπω συνιετε ⁴⁵vid A D* W Σ Φ vg syrp TH ‖ πως ουπω νοειτε Dc ‖ ουπω συνιετε ℵ C L
SBL NA28 {/} ‖ πως ου συνιετε E N TR RP ‖ πως ου νοειτε B ‖ lac P
108
8:25 txt διεβλεψεν ⁴⁵vid ℵ B C* L W syrs,p cop SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ενεβλεψεν Cc ‖ ηρξατο αναβλεψαι
D lat ‖ εποιησεν αυτον αναβλεψαι A E N Σ Φ ita,f,q syrh TR RP ‖ lac P
Mark
34And calling the crowd to him, together with his disciples, he said to them, "If
someone wants to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me. 35For whoever tries to save his life109 will lose it, but whoever will lose
his life for my sake, and of the good news, will save it. 36For what good will it do a
human being to gain the whole world, only to be penalized his soul? 37And what
could a human being tender in trade for his soul? 38For if anyone is ashamed of me
and my words in this adulterous and sinful age, the Son of Man will also be
ashamed of him, when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
Chapter 9
1Then he was saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some standing here
who will certainly not taste death before they see the kingdom of God having come
with power."
The Transfiguration
2And after six days Jesus takes Peter and James and John, and he is leading them
up into a high mountain, alone in private. And he was transfigured in front of
them, 3and his clothes became an exceedingly brilliant white,110 such as no launderer
on earth is able to whiten. 4And Elijah appeared to them, together with Moses, and
they were conversing with Jesus.
5And Peter is responding and saying to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here,
and we should make three shelters, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for
Elijah." 6(For he had not known what to say,111 because they were so frightened.)
7And there came a cloud overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud:
"This is my beloved Son. Listen to him."
8And suddenly, when they looked around, they saw no one else anymore, but only
Jesus, along with themselves.
9And as they were coming down out of the mountain, he admonished them not to
report the things they had seen to anyone, except until such time the Son of Man
109 8:35 The Greek word, ψυχη - psuchē, means either life or soul.
110
9:3 txt -- ⁴⁵ ℵ B C L W itd,k copsa SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ +ως χιων A D E N Σ Φ 0233 lat syr TR RP ‖ lac P
111
9:6 txt
λαλησει ησαν γαρ εκφοβοι A E N Σ RP
λαληση ησαν γαρ εκφοβοιΦ TR
λαλει ησαν γαρ εκφοβοι ⁴⁵vid W
ελαλει ησαν γαρ εκφοβοι syr
λαλησει εκφοβοι γαρ εγενοντοD
λαληση εκφοβοι γαρ εγενοντο C³
αποκριθη εκφοβοι γαρ εγενοντο B C* L SBL TH NA28 {/}
απεκριθη εκφοβοι γαρ εγενοντο ℵ
Mark
should rise from the dead. 10And they kept the matter to themselves, discussing
what the words "rise from the dead" meant.
11And they queried him, saying, "Why do the Torah scholars say that Elijah has to
come first?"
12And he said to them, "Elijah indeed having come first will restore all things. 112
And why is it written about the Son of Man, that he would 'suffer much and be
rejected?'113 13But I tell you that Elijah has indeed 114 come, and they did to him
whatever they wished, just as it is written about him."115
Disciples Accused of Impotence to Heal

14And as they were coming near the other disciples, they 116 saw a large crowd
around them, and the Torah scholars debating with them. 15And all the crowd were
overcome with awe as soon as they saw him, and they were running up to him,
greeting him.
16And he asked them,117 "What are you debating with them?"
17And one from the crowd answered him,118 "Teacher, I brought my son to you,
who has a spirit of speechlessness. 18And wherever119 it seizes him, it convulses
112 9:12a Malachi 4:5-6 (3:23-24 in some Bibles); Luke 1:17; Diatess. 1:5
113 9:12b This word ἐξουδενέω – exoudenéō has been translated throughout both the Old and New
Testaments as both "despised" and "rejected." Isaiah 53:3 says "He was despised and rejected by
men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering."
114 9:13a or, "also."
115 9:13b This statement of Jesus is a problem if you interpret him as saying the scriptures predicted
something that would in the future happen to John the Baptizer. But perhaps that is not what Jesus
was saying at all, but simply referring back to the scriptures that talk about Elijah, not John. There
were some similarities. Both operated under a hen-pecked king, whose wives wanted the prophet
dead: Elijah under Ahab and Jezebel, I Kings 19:1-10, and John under Herod Antipas and Herodias,
Mark 6:14-29; Diatessaron 6:1-2; 13:1-10.
116
9:14 txt ελθοντες…ειδον ℵ B L W itk copsa arm SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ελθων…ειδον syrs ‖ ελθων…ειδεν
A C D E N Σ Φ 067vid (lat) syrp,h TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P
117
9:16 txt αυτους ℵ B D L W latt cop arm eth SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ τους γραμματεις A C E N Σ Φ syr TR RP
‖ lac ⁴⁵ P 067
118
9:17 txt
απεκριθη αυτω εις εκ του οχλου ℵ B D L it NA28 {/}
αποκριθεις εκ του οχλου εις ειπεν αυτω W
αποκριθεις εις εκ του οχλου ειπεν αυτω 067
αποκριθεις αυτω εις εκ του οχλου ειπεν C
αποκριθεις ις εκ του οχλου ειπεν Φ
αποκριθεις εις εκ του οχλου ειπεν A E N Σ itaur,f,l vg syrh TR RP
lac ⁴⁵ P
119 9:18a ὅπου ἐὰν means "wherever," not "whenever." I know, Bauer says that ὅπου means "where"
in all instances except for four instances, those like here where ὅπου ἐὰν occcurs with an aorist
subjunctive verb and means "whenever," because it resembles Semitic syntax. But in all the
instances Bauer mentions, "wherever" makes fine sense as Greek. As for here, the most harmful to
the boy is "wherever." For example, near the cooking fire, or in a little boat, or walking on a ridge of
a mountain on a journey somewhere, these are "where"s, where great harm could easily come to the
boy if he suddenly was convulsed. Indeed, in verse 22 you will see this is exactly what is meant: the
danger of proximity to fire and water. These are "wherevers." It is true that, in a sense, matters of
Mark
him. And he foams at the mouth, and gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked
your disciples to drive it out, and they did not have the power." 120
19And in answer to them, he says, "O unbelieving generation, how long shall I stay
with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him to me."
20And they brought him to him. And seeing Jesus, the spirit immediately
convulsed him violently, and falling onto the ground, he was rolling over, foaming
at the mouth.
21And he asked his father, "Over what period of time has this happened to him?"
And he said, "From childhood. 22And it has often thrown him into both fire or
water, trying to kill him. But if you can do anything, 121 take pity on us and help us."
23Jesus said to him, "If I can?122 All things are possible to one who believes."
24Immediately the boy's father cried out 123 saying, "I do believe! 124 Help my
unbelief!"
25Then Jesus, seeing that a crowd is running together, rebuked the unclean spirit,
saying to it, "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him. And you
may no longer go into him."
26And it shrieked, and convulsed him125 greatly, and came out. And he appeared
as dead, so as to cause many to say, "He's dead." 27But Jesus, taking him by the
hand, lifted him, and he stood up.
proximity are also matters of timing. But the word ὅπου means where, and where does work, so I left
it where. The boy's father tells us in v. 22 that the spirit was purposely trying to harm him, and so it
makes sense that the spirit would convulse the boy "where" there was fire or water. All that said
though, it does sound odd to our English ears to lead out with "wherever' before the context is
established. So I can well accept the rendering of "whenever."
120 9:18b
The word, the verb ἰσχύω is usually translated here as something like, "they could not." It is
illuminating that in v. 23 Jesus throws the onus back on the man making the request: "All things are
possible to one who believes." In other words, it is not an issue of how much power the disciples or
anyone else has, or if they have power at all, but that one need only believe God, in God's power. In
Luke 17:5 the disciples asked Jesus to "increase their faith." But Jesus responded that it was not an
issue of how much faith they had, but if they had any at all, in God.
121
9:22 txt ει τι δυνη ⁴⁵ ℵ B D L W SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ___νη 0274 ‖ ει τι δυνη κε 067 ‖ ει τι δυνασαι C E
N Σ Φ TR RP ‖ ετι δυνασαι A ‖ lac P
122
9:23 txt το ει δυνη ℵ* B Σ itk syrpalmss eth geo SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ ει δυνη ⁴⁵ ‖ τουτο ει δυνη W ‖ ει
δυνη πιστευσαι D itaur,b,d,f,i,l,q vg syrp,h,palms Ambrosiastervid Aug ‖ το ει δυνασαι ℵ² C* L N* ‖ το ει
δυνασαι πιστευσαι A E Nc TR RP ‖ το ει πιστευσαι δυνασαι C³ ‖ ει δυνασαι πιστευσαι Φ ‖ Quid est, si
quid potes? Si potes credere ita ‖ lac P. The TCOGNT: "The extreme compression of the sentence has
given trouble to copyists. Not seeing that in τὸ εἰ δύνῃ Jesus is repeating the words of the father in
order to challenge them, a variety of witnesses have inserted πιστεῦσαι, which has the effect of
changing the subject of the verb "can" from Jesus to the father. As a result the τό now seemed more
awkward than ever, and many of these witnesses omit it."
123
9:24b txt omit ⁴⁵ ℵ A* B C* L W itk syrs copsa arm eth geo SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ μετα δακρυων A² C³ D
E N Σ Φ lat syrp,h,pal pt TR RP ‖ lac P
124
9:24c πιστευω ⁴⁵ ℵ A B C* D L W Φ itd,I,k,l,r¹ vg syrpmss,h,palmss cop SBL TH ΝΑ28 ‖ πιστευω κυριε C³ E
Σ ita,aur,b,f,q TR RP ‖ lac P
125
9:26 txt σπαραξαν αυτον ℵ*,²a A C³ E N Σ Φ latt syrp,h copsa arm eth TR RP ‖ ___αυτον ⁴⁵ ‖
σπαραξας ℵ²b B C* D L W SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ lac P
Mark
28And after he went into a house, his disciples asked him in private: "Why weren't
we able to drive it out?"
29And he told them, "This kind cannot be made to go out by anything except
prayer."126
30And moving on from there, they were passing through Galilee, and he did not
want anyone to know, 31because he was teaching his disciples. And he told them,
"The Son of Man is being transferred into the hands of human beings. And they will
kill him. And three days after127 being killed, he will rise again." 32But they did not
understand the statement, and they were afraid to query him.
Who is the Greatest?

33And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house, he asked them,
"What were you arguing about on the way?" 34But they were keeping quiet, because
on the way they had argued over who was greater.
35And sitting down, he called the Twelve and says to them, "If anyone wants to be
first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all."
36And taking a child he set him in the midst of them. And wrapping him in his
arms, he said to them, 37"Whoever welcomes one child like this on the basis of my
name, is welcoming me; and whoever welcomes me is welcoming not me but the
one who sent me."
Do Not Hinder Other Camps of God's Little Ones

38John said to him, "Teacher, we saw someone who is not following with us
126 9:29 txt προσευχῇ ℵ* B 0274 itk geo¹ Clement SBL NA28 {A} ‖ προσευχῇ καὶ νηστείᾳ (cf. I Cor. 7:5
apparatus) ⁴⁵vid ℵ² A C* D E L N W Σ Φ ita,aur,b,d,f,ff²,i,l,q,r¹ vg syrh copsa geo2 slav Diatessarona,p Basil TR
ms
RP TH ‖ νηστείᾳ καὶ προσευχῇ (cf. I Cor. 7:5) syrs,p,pal arm eth. Church history shows that as time
went on, ascetic elements gained influence, emphasizing the necessity of fasting. But important
representatives of the Alexandrian, the Western, and the Caesarean types of text resisted adding this.
The apostle Paul warns us about this trend in Colossians 2:23- "These indeed have an appearance of
wisdom in promoting rigor of devotion and self-abasement and severity to the body, but they are of
no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh." Aside from the textual evidence, consider the
following four points. 1.) Jesus succeeded in casting this demon out, and he did not have to fast to do
it. (2.) Jesus told the disciples very clearly and specifically, that the reason they could not cast this
demon out, was because of their unbelief, not their lack of fasting. In fact, in the parallel passage in
Matthew 17:20, Jesus said you don't even have to have faith any bigger than a mustard seed to do it,
so fasting won't improve your faith. (3.) If fasting is indeed necessary to cast out this kind of demon,
then how long must you fast? A fast means going without meals, so that would have to be at least
half a day, to even begin to be considered a fast. What do you do with the demoniac in the meantime,
while you are fasting? Imprison him? Shackle him? Drug him? (4.) There is not a single instance in
the Bible where Christ or his apostles had to fast in order to cast out any demon. In fact, it was
important to deal with the demon immediately, and there is not time to fast.
127
9:31 txt μετα τρεις ημερας ℵ B C* D L 0274vid ita,b,i,k,q syrhmg cop SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ τη τριτη ημερα A
C³ E N W Σ Φ itaur,f,l vg syrp,h arm eth TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P
Mark
driving out demons in your name, and we forbade him, because he was not
128
following with us."
39But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for there is no one who shall do a miracle on
the basis of my name, who can then be quick to speak evil of me; 40for someone who
is not against us is for us.129 41For whoever gives you a cup of water because 130 you
are of Christ, truly I tell you: he will by no means lose his reward. 42And whoever
causes one of these believing131 little ones to fall, it would be better for him to wear a
millstone around his neck and be thrown into the depths of the sea.
43"And if your hand causes you to fall, cut it off. It is better for you to go into life
maimed, than with both hands to go away into Gehenna, into the fire unquenchable,
44where
" 'their worm never dies,

and the fire is never quenched.'132
45And if your foot causes you to fall, cut it off. It is better for you to go into life
crippled, than with both feet to be thrown into Gehenna, into the fire unquenchable,
46where

128
9:38b txt
και εκωλυομεν αυτον οτι ουκ ηκολ. ημιν ℵ B syrs,p,pal SBL TH NA28 {B}
και ε__________ οτι ου_______________ 0274
και εκωλυομεν αυτον οτι ουκ ακολ. μεθ ημων L
και εκωλυσαμεν αυτον οτι ουκ ακολ. ημιν C itaur,f copsa,fay eth
ος ουκ ηκολ. ημιν και εκωλυσαμεν αυτον W
ος ουκ ακολ. μεθ ημων και εκωλυομεν αυτον D Aug
ος ουκ ακολ. ημιν και εκωλυσαμεν αυτον vg it syrh arm geo
ος ουκ ακολ. ημιν και εκωλυσαμεν αυτον οτι ουκ ακολ. ημιν A E N Σ Φ syrh** Bas TR RP
129
9:40 txt ημων υπερ ημων ℵ B C W itk syrs,hmg cop arm Bas TR SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ημων υπερ υμων L ‖
υμων υπερ υμων A D E N Σ Φ lat syrp,h ms eth geo RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P 0274. In Luke 9:50, the readings are
switched the other way; that is, NA28 reads υμων υπερ υμων and Byz reads ημων υπερ ημων.
Perhaps this was a dictation / auditory issue, due to the process of itacism?
130
9:41 txt ονοματι ℵ² A B C* L N Σ Φ syrs,p SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ονοματι μου ℵ* C³ E W latt syrh TR RP
‖ τω ονοματι μου D ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P 0274.
131
9:42 txt
τουτων των πιστευοντων ℵ C* iti,k pt DRP (εις εμε is harmonization to Matt)
τουτων των πιστιν εχοντων D
μου των πιστευοντων εις εμε W
τουτων των πιστευοντων εις εμε A B C² L N Φ vg syrp,h copsa eth TR SBL TH
των πιστευοντων εις εμε E Σ arm RP
lac ⁴⁵ P 0274
132
9:44 txt include ὅπου ὁ σκώληξ αὐτῶν οὐ τελευτᾷ καὶ τὸ πῦρ οὐ σβέννυται· A D E N Σ Φ lat syrp,h
(eth) Ir Chrom Aug TR RP ‖ lack v. 44 ℵ B C L W 0274 itk syrs,pal copsa,fay arm geo SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ lac
⁴⁵ P. It is believed by some that these words were added by copyists from verse 48.
133 9:46 The words of verse 46, plus the phrase "into the fire unquenchable" in verse 45 are lacking in
ℵ B C L W 0274 itk syrs copsa,fay arm SBL TH NA28. (See above note on v. 44) It is believed by some
Mark
47And if your eye causes you to fall, yank it out. It is better for you to go into the
kingdom of God one-eyed, than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, 134
48where

49For everyone will be salted with fire.136

50"Salt is good, but if the salt becomes bland, what will you spice it with? Have
salt in yourselves, and cultivate peace among each other."
Chapter 10
Jesus Tested on Divorce
1And getting up to leave from there, he goes into the territory of Judea that is
beyond the Jordan.137 And once again, crowds are going along with him, and as was
his custom he again was teaching them. 2And some Pharisees came and, testing
him, asked him, "Is it permissible for a husband to release a wife?"
3In answer he said to them, "What did Moses command you?"
that these words were added by copyists from verse 48.

134
9:47 txt γεενναν ℵ B D L W 0274 it syrs cop SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ γεενναν του πυρος A C E N Σ Φ lat
syrp,h ms TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P. Gehenna is from the Hebrew "Valley of the Sons of Hinnom," which was a
ravine outside Jerusalem where trash was burned, so perhaps some scribes had in mind "the Hinnom
Valley of Fire." This could also be rendered "into fiery Gehenna."
135 9:48 Isaiah 66:24
136
9:49 txt omit ℵ B L W 0274 syrs copsa arm geo Theo-Heracl Did SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ +καὶ πᾶσα θυσία
ἁλὶ ἁλισθήσεται A C E N Σ Φ itf,l,q vgcl (vgww,st omit ἁλὶ) syrp,h pt eth TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P. Codex D and
many Old Latin mss omit the first phrase of v. 49, and have only "For every sacrifice shall be salsted
with salt." The manuscripts ℵ and C, and some Syriac translations say "For everything in the fire will
be salted with salt." Is sulphur a halide? Leviticus 2:13 says every sacrifice must be salted with salt.
The dative case of fire, πυρι, certainly could have a locative meaning, "in fire" and ℵ and C have εν
πυρι. The problem I have is the word γαρ. How does this verse logically follow what precedes it?
137
10:1 txt και περαν ℵ B C* L 0274 copsa SBL TH NA28 {C} ‖ περαν C² D W itaur,b,d,f,ff²,i,k,l,q vg syrs,p arm
eth geo Aug ‖ του περαν Σc ‖ δια του περαν A E N Σ* Φ syrh TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P. The Matthew parallel
in 19:1 reads simply περαν like C² D W. Did Judea possess territory on the other side of the Jordan, or
were Jesus and company travelling from Capernaum to Judea by way of the other side of the Jordan
in order to avoid Samaria, as Jews usually did? In Israel's conquest of Canaan, the land beyond the
Jordan was given to the tribes of Reduben, Gad and Manasseh. In the Herods' time, the area was
several territories, from north to south: Philip, Hippus, Gadara, the Decapolis, and Peraea. Note that
the word Peraea is related to the Greek word here, περαν. Peraea means the territory beyond the
Jordan. Matthew 19:1, the parallel passage to this one, states that they went to the region of Judea
beyond the Jordan. English translations had difficulty accepting this, such as the NIV, which in the
Mt passage reads "went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan." But by this time,
Judea did not mean "pertaining to the tribe of Judah." Note that rather than Judea, Tyndale says
"Jewry." That actually is a better word for here, that is, the territory where Jews lived. And Jews did
live beyond the Jordan. The Alexandrian text if understanding και as exepegetical or explicative, can
be rendered "the territory of Judea that is beyond the Jordan." Which also agrees with the Mt
passage, and with the Cesarean, Western and Antiochan texts of the Mk passage.
Mark
4They said, "Moses permitted one to write a release of interest form 138 and to
release."
5And Jesus said to them, "It was in view of the hardness of your hearts he wrote
you this instruction. 6But from the beginning of creation he139 'made them male and
female.'140 7For this reason, a human being shall leave his father and mother, 141142
8and the two shall become one flesh. As a result, they are no longer two, but one
flesh. 143 9What therefore God has joined together, a human being must not
separate."
10And when back in the house, the disciples were questioning him about this.
11And he says to them, "Whoever releases his wife and marries another commits
adultery against her, 12and if she after releasing her husband marries another, she
commits adultery."
138 10:4 Deuteronomy 24:1; but note that in the same passage in Deuteronomy, in verse 4, it says that
such a release defiles her. This word ἀποστάσιον – apostásion, "release of interest form," was used to
signify the relinquishment of property. A quit-claim deed, if you will. In the culture of ancient Israel
there was never any provision for a wife to quit her property claim in her husband, since the wife
was considered property of her husband, and never the other way around. The apostle Paul in the
New Testament, however, states in I Corinthians 7:4, "The wife has not authority over her own body,
but rather the husband: and likewise also the husband has not authority over his own body, but
rather the wife." This is a consequence of being "one flesh."
139
10:6a txt αυτους ℵ B C L copsa,fay SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ ο θεος D W itb,d,ff²,k,r¹ ‖ αυτους ο θεος A E N Σ Φ
ita,aur,l,q vg syrs,p,h arm geo Augvid Varim TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P 0274. Compare Mt 19:4
140 10:6b Genesis 1:27
141
10:7a txt μητερα ℵ B syrs ‖ μητερα και προσκολληθησεται προς την γυναικα αυτου D E W Φ
it b,d,ff²,l,(q) vg syrp,h copsa,fay arm eth geo TR RP SBL TH [NA28] {C} ‖ μητερα και προσκολληθησεται τη
γυναικι αυτου A C L N Σ ita,aur,f,r¹ vgmss ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P 0274. The phrase "and be united to his wife" was
added probably to harmonize Mark with the parallel passage in Matthew 19:5 (and Genesis 2:24). And
possibly also, that without this phrase, the words "the two" in verse 8 might be mistaken to refer to
"father and mother" of verse 7. But "the two" can be fairly easily understood to mean the "male and
female" of verse 6. I am confident that the earlier reading of Codices Sinaiticus and Vaticanus–
without the phrase "and be united to his wife," is the correct one, because it is consistent with a
pattern I see when translating this whole passage from the Greek: I see throughout it a marked
difference from Matthew in that Mark in three instances shows an intent to be more gender-
inclusive. The most obvious instance is the whole of verse 12, the concept of a woman divorcing her
husband. This was a concept foreign to Jews, but not to Mark's Roman target audience. The second
instance is what was first discussed above, leaving out "and be united to his wife," possibly so as to
allow the reader to include in his mind the idea of "being united to her husband." And thirdly,
whereas Matthew in 19:8 says, "Moses in view of your hardness of heart permitted you to release
your wives," Mark in verse 5 avoids the gender-specificity of that phrase and says: "In view of your
hardness of heart he wrote you this instruction."
142 10:7b The question arises, as to why I rendered the Greek word ἄνθρωπος - ánthrōpos into the
English "human being," rather than the traditional "man." Is it only the man who leaves father and
mother? Does the woman stay with her father and mother, and the man when he marries her, moves
in with his in-laws? No, that is obviously not the meaning. There is nothing gender-specific about
this leaving of father and mother. Both genders have to leave father and mother, and their new
covenant with their spouses supersedes their obligations to father and mother.
143 10:8 Genesis 2:24
Mark
Little Children Come to Jesus

13And people were bringing little children to him to have him touch them, but the
disciples scolded them.144
14Seeing this, Jesus was indignant, and said to them, "Let the little children come to
me. Do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God is made of such as these. 15Truly I
tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will
certainly not enter it." 16And wrapping them in his arms, he is blessing them,
placing his hands on them.
The Rich Young Man

17And as he was going forth onto the road, someone ran up to him and fell on his
knees before him, asking him, "Good teacher, what should I do so that I will inherit
eternal life?"
18And Jesus said to him, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good except
one, God. 19The commandments you know: Do not murder, do not commit
adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father
and mother.'145"
20And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have kept since my youth."
21And Jesus looked at him and loved him, and said to him, "One thing you are
lacking. Go sell what things you own and give to the poor, and you will have
treasure in heaven. Then come follow me." 146
22But he with face aghast147 because of this word, went away regretting, for he was
owner of much property.
23And looking around, Jesus says to his disciples, "How hard it will be for the ones
144
10:13 txt επετιμησαν αυτοις ℵ B C L itk copsamss SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ επετιμων τοις προσφερουσιν A D
E N W Σ Φ ita,aur,b,d,f,ff²,l,q vg syrs,p,h arm eth geo Bas TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P 0274.
145 10:19 Exodus 20:12-16; Deuteronomy 5:16-20
146
10:21 txt
δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι ℵ B C D Δ Θ Ψ 0274 itaur,b,c,d,f,,ff²k,l vg copsams geo² Clem Hil SBL TH NA28 {A}
δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι ἄρας τὸν σταυρόν A E F H M U Y Γ Π Σ Φ itq (syrh) copsamss slav TR RP
δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι ἄρας τὸν σταυρόν σου 1071
ἄρας τὸν σταυρόν σου δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι W ƒ¹³
ἄρας τὸν σταυρόν σου καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι 346
ἄρας τὸν σταυρόν δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι G N 0257 ƒ¹ 205 ita (syrs,p) (copsamss) geo¹ (arm)
ἄρας τὸν σταυρόν ἀκολούθει μοι 28
lac ⁴⁵ L P Q 33.
The Byzantine text adds the words "take up the cross" in two different places (Cod. B has an umlaut
indicating awareness of the variant.) This added text was perhaps an effort to harmonize Mark's
account with that of Matthew, in Mt 19:21, and Lk 18:22, or perhaps came from Mk 8:34. This kind of
harmonization was a frequent cause of additions made to the Byzantine Greek manuscripts of the
New Testament over the centuries. Many of the Byzantine manuscripts further harmonized by
adding the phrase, “If you wish to be perfect,…” earlier in the passage.
147 10:22 Or perhaps also, "he with face downcast..."
Mark
who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God."

24The disciples were astonished at his words. But in response Jesus says to them
again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God. 148 25It is easier for a
camel149 to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the
kingdom of God."
26And they became even more astonished, saying to each other, "Who, then, can be
saved?"
27Jesus looking at them says, "With human beings it is impossible, but not with
God. For all things are possible with God."
28Peter began to tell him, "Behold how we have left everything and followed you."
29Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or
sisters or mother or father150 or children or fields for my sake and for the cause of the
good news, 30who will not receive a hundred times as much in this present time, of
houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and fields, along with
persecutions, and, in the coming age, eternal life. 31But many first ones will be last,
and the last ones first."

32And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem,151 and Jesus was going on
ahead of them; and they were stunned, and152 followed behind fearing. And taking
148
10:24 txt εστιν ℵ B itk copsa SBL TH NA28 {Β} ‖ εστιν πλουσιον (but πλ. after εισελθειν) W ‖ οι τα
χραματα εχοντες ita ‖ εστιν τους πεποιθοτας επι τοις χρημασιν (D ita,b,d,ff² v. 24 after v. 25) Φ ‖ εστιν
τους πεποιθοτας επι χρημασιν A C E N Σ 0233 itaur,f,l,q vg syrs,p,h pt arm eth geo Clem (Diatess) TR RP
‖ lac ⁴⁵ L P. Matt and Lk do not contain Mk 10:24.
149 10:25 Just as it is impossible, naturally speaking, for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,
Jesus says in v. 27 that it is "impossible" for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Some people
teach that Jesus really instead said "rope to go through the eye of a needle," because he was speaking
in the Aramaic language, and the Aramaic word for camel was also the word for a kind of rope.
Regardless, Jesus would want to invent a simile that was in line with his main point: "something
impossible." His illustration must demonstrate something that is impossible, naturally speaking.
"Camel" is more impossible than "rope," so at worst, camel works just fine, and at best, camel is the
best rendering because it is more impossible.
150
10:29 txt μητερα η πατερα B W it vg copsa SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ μητερα D ‖ πατερα η μητερα ℵ ‖ μητερα
η πατερα η γυναικα C Φ ‖ πατερα η μητερα η γυναικα A E N Σ itf,q syrp TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ L P. The gospel
of Luke includes wife in all Greek editions. It would be very easy for a scribe to accidentally skip
γυναικα since so many of the words all end with the letter α (parablepsis by homoioteleuton). And
there is the factor that wives are not included in v. 30 in the list of things the forsaker will receive
back again. Certainly, by Jesus' teachings, just because a disciple left a non-believing wife for the
sake of Christ and the gospel, does not mean he is allowed to marry again.
151 10:32a This does not mean it was a road that led to Jerusalem, necessarily. The phrase "going up"
here probably is referring to the pilgrimage to Jerusalem required by one of the three "pilgrim
festivals" for which the adult men would "go up" to Jerusalem. Exodus 23:14-17 stated that the men
must present themselves to the Lord. And the temple was where the Presence of the Lord was. It
was the one temple of the One God, for the one people of God. The festival for which they were
"going up" here was most likely the Festival of Unleavened Bread, Exodus 23:14-15.
152
10:32b txt εθαμβουντο και ακολουθουντες A E M N Γ U Π Σ Φ 2 188 1071 1582c 1424 itq vg syrp TR
Mark
the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them the things about to happen to him.
33"See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the
chief priests and to the Torah scholars. And they will condemn him to death, and
hand him over to the Gentiles. 34And they will mock him, and spit on him, and flog
him, and execute him. And after three days he will rise again."
The Ambition of James and John

35And James and John the sons of Zebedee come up to him, saying to him,
"Teacher, we wish that you would do for us whatever we will ask you."
36And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"
37And they said to him, "Grant to us that in your glory, we may sit one on your
right, and one on your left."
38And Jesus said to them, "You don't know what you are asking. Are you able, to
drink the cup I am drinking, or to be baptized the baptism I am being baptized?"
39And they said to him, "We are able."
And Jesus said to them, "The cup which I drink you will drink,153 and the baptism I
am baptized you will be baptized. 40But to sit on my right or on my left is not for me
to grant; they belong rather to those for whom they have already been prepared."
41And when the ten heard, they began to be angry with James and John. 42And
Jesus calling them together says to them, "You know that the ones considered to be
rulers among the nations, lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority
over them. 43But it shall not be so among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great
among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first among you shall
be slave of all. 45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,
and to give his life a ransom for many."
An Obnoxious Beggar Gets His Wish

46And they come into Jericho. And as he was going away from Jericho, plus his
disciples and a large crowd, Bartimaeus (the Son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was
sitting beside the road. 47And hearing that it is Jesus the Nazarene, he began to
shout, and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"
RP ‖ εθαμβουντο και ακολουθουντες αυτον 13 69 124 346 itf ‖ εθαμβουντο οι δε ακολουθουντες ℵ B L

Δ Θ Ψ 1 565 1582* SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ εθαμβουντο ακολουθουντες αυτω W ‖ θαμβουντο οι δε
ακολουθουντες C* ‖ θαμβουντο και οι ακολουθουντες Cc ‖ εθαμβουντο και οι ακολουθουντες 579 ‖
εθαμβουντο D K 0233 11 28 61 157 700 788 ita,b ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P. This variant needs more attention than it
has received.
153
10:39 txt το ποτηριον ℵ B C* L syrp cop arm SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ το μεν ποτηριον A C³ D E W N Φ Σ
0233 it vg TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P. See Matthew 20:23.
Mark
48And many were telling him to be quiet. But he kept shouting much more: "Son
of David, have mercy on me!"
49Jesus stopped and said, "Call him."
So they call the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart! Get up! He's calling you!"
50So throwing his cloak aside, he jumped up and came to Jesus.
51And in answer to him, Jesus said, "What do you want me to do for you?"
The blind man said to him, "Rabboni, that I could see."
52And Jesus said to him, "Go. Your faith has healed you." And immediately he
saw, and was following him in the way.
Chapter 11
The Triumphal Entry
1And when they had come close to Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany on the
Mount of Olives, he sends two of his disciples, 2and tells them, "Go into the village
ahead of you, and just as you enter it you will find a colt154 tied, upon which no one
has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it. 3And if anyone says to you, 'Why are you
doing that?' say, 'The Lord needs it and is sending it back here shortly.' " 155
4And they went, and found a colt tied at a doorway, outside in the street. And
they are untying it. 5And some people standing there said to them, "What are you
doing untying the colt?"
6And they said to them as Jesus said, and they allowed them. 7And they bring the
colt to Jesus, and throw their cloaks on it, and he sat on it.
8And many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others, fronds cut from the
fields. 156 9And those proceeding ahead of him, and those following after, were
154 11:2 πῶλος, a young mount animal, a word used for the foals of both donkeys and horses. But we
know from the other accounts that this was the foal of a donkey.
155
11:3 txt παλιν (back or again) ℵ B C* D L itd copsa eth Or2/4 SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ omit A C² E W Σ Φ
itaur,b,e,f,i,k,l,q vg syrs,p,h,pal arm geo Or2/4 TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P 0233. The witnesses containing παλιν
have it in various places or word sequences.
156
11:8 txt
κοψαντες εκ των αγρων ℵ B L (syrhmg copsa) Or SBL TH NA28 {\}
εκοπτον εκ των αγρων C
εκοπτον εκ των δενδρων και εστρωννυον εν τη οδω N Σ
εκοπτον εκ των δενδρων και εστρωννυον την οδον D
εκοπτον εκ των δενδρων και εστρωννυον εις την οδον A E Φ lat syrp,h (pt) TR RP
omit W
lac ⁴⁵ P 0233
Obviously, "branches" does not mean thick wood, which would be obstacles. Straw or rushes or
fronds or leaves is meant. A στιβας was a bed of straw or leaves. Such beds were made for sacrifices.
But I can also imagine a few other purposes for this. One would be in modern equivalent, giving him
the read carpet treatment. Another would be to give him a drier surface to travel on, as it may have
been muddy. I can see that some scribes might have had trouble accepting that straw could be cut
from "trees," and changed it to "fields." Some such as Weiss say this Byz reading in Mark is a
harmonization to the Matthew account. The omission in W is from homoioteleuton coyping from an
Mark
shouting:
"Hosha na!’157
name of the Lord!’158
10"Blessed is the coming kingdom
of our father David!"159
"Hosha na in the highest!"
11And he went into Jerusalem to the temple, and after looking around at
everything, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve, since the hour was now late.

12And the next day as they were on their way from Bethany, he was hungry.
13And seeing from afar a fig tree that had leaves, he went, if perchance he would
find something on it. And coming upon it he found nothing but leaves. (For it was
not the season of figs.) 14And in response he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit
from you again." And his disciples heard.
15And they come into Jerusalem. And when he had entered the temple, he
proceeded to drive out the ones selling and the ones buying in the temple, and the
tables of the moneychangers and the seats of the ones selling doves he overturned,
16and he did not allow anyone to carry stuff 160 through the temple courts.
17And he started teaching, and said to them, "Is it not written:
exemplar that had the Byz reading.

157 11:9A Ὡσαννά = Aramaic ‫ֹהוׁשע נָא‬- hōšaʻ nāʼ, similar to the Hebrew ‫ֹהוׁשיעָֹה ּנָא‬
ִ - hōšîʻāh nāʼ, an
expression reminiscent of the ‫ֹהוׁשִׁ֣יעָ ֹה ּנָ א‬
ִ in Psalm 118:25 meaning "Help" or "Save, I pray," an
appeal that became a liturgical formula, and as part of the Hallel (Ps. 113-118), it was familiar to
everyone in Israel. The Septuagint Psalm 117:25 has Ὦ Κύριε, σῶσον δὴ - Ō úrie, sōson dē, "O Lord,
save now!" or "Save indeed!" No doubt some in the crowd accompanying him expected him, as the
Messiah ben David, to literally "save now," and deliver them from the Romans and set up the
kingdom of David.
158 11:9B Psalm 118:26
159
11:10 txt βασιλεια του πατρος ℵ B C D E L W lat syrs,p cop arm geo SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ βασιλεια εν
ονοματι κυριου του πατρος A N Σ Φ itf,q syrh TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P 0233. The Byz reading is
exceptionally weak without Codex E and the Syriac Peshitta, and it makes sense only as an accidental
dupication of the phrase "in the name of the Lord" common in the context.
160 11:16 σκεῦος – skeȗos; This is usually translated, "vessel." But it comprises the containers,
equipment, and product– objects of any kind involved in an enterprise. The English word "stuff" best
encompasses all these ideas. Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary defines the noun "stuff," at
definition no. 1, as follows: "materials, supplies or equipment used in various activities:..." See I
Samuel 30:24 in the King James Version as an example of this usage of the English word “stuff.” In
this verse, when the translators of the Septuagint translated the Hebrew into Greek, they translated
it into the Greek word σκεῦος which is the same word as here in Mark 11:16.
Mark
" 'My house will be called

a house of prayer for all nations'?161
But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'162"

18And the chief priests and the Torah scholars heard, and they were looking for a
way to kill him, for they feared him, because the entire crowd was being held enrapt
during163 his teaching.
The Withered Fig Tree

19And when it got late, they would go outside the city.
20And early, as they were traveling along, they saw the fig tree, withered from the
roots. 21And reminded, Peter says to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has
withered."
22And in response Jesus says to them, "Have faith in God. 23Truly I tell you,
whoever can say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' and it is
not being questioned in his heart, but he is believing that what he is saying is
happening, it will happen for him.164
24"Therefore I tell you, whatever you are asking for in prayer, believe that you
have received it,165 and it will happen for you. 25Also, when you stand praying,
forgive, if you are holding anything against anyone, so that your Father in heaven
may also forgive you your trespasses. ²⁶But if you do not forgive, neither will your
Father in heaven forgive your trespasses." 166
161 11:17A Isaiah 56:7

162 11:17B Jeremiah 7:11
163 11:18 ἐπὶ with the dative; a temporal indicator. The entire crowd was always taken away from the
Torah scholars when Jesus was teaching. This would surely be disturbing to them.
164
11:23 txt αυτω ℵ B C D L W lat syrs cop SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ αυτω ο εαν ειπη A E N Σ Φ 0233 itk
syrp,h,pal TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P. The Byz reading does not have K* in support.
165
11:24 txt ελαβετε ℵ B C L W copsamss SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ λημψεσθε D ita,aur,b,d,f,ff²,i,k,l,q vg copsamss eth
geo Cypr ‖ λαμβανετε A E N Σ Φ 0233 syrp copsams Or TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P. The aorist form ελαβετε is
used here, according to Metzger, in a sense corresponding to the Semitic usage of the prophetic
perfect, which expresses the certainty of a future action. In other words, "if you believe that it is as
good as done." Many later copyists, perhaps because they did not understand this, changed the verb
to "you are receiving," and others, for the same reason plus possibly being influenced by the
Matthew parallel passage, changed it to the future, "you will receive." And others changed it to the
present tense "you are receiving," perhaps in order to make it the same tense as the "is happening"
in v. 23 just prior.
166
11:26 txt incl. v. 26 A (C D) E (N Σ) Φ (0233) lat syrp,h pt eth Cypr Spec TR RP ‖ — ℵ B L W itk,l syrs,pal
copsa arm geo SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P. The TCOTGNT: "Although it might be thought that the
sentence was accidentally omitted because of homoeoteleuton, its absence from early witnesses that
represent all text-types makes it highly probable that the words were inserted by copyists in
imitation of Mt 6.15." Yes, homoioteleuton is reasonably proposed here.
Mark
The Authorities Question Jesus' Authority

27And they arrive again in Jerusalem, and as he was walking in the temple, the
chief priests and the Torah scholars come up to him, along with the elders, 28and
they were saying to him, "By what authority are you doing these things? Or, 167 who
gave you this authority, that you may do these things?"
29And Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question. You answer me, and I will
tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30John's baptism— was it from
heaven, or from human beings? Answer me."
31And they were discussing it among themselves, as follows: "If we say, 'From
heaven,' he will say, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' 32On the other hand, dare
we say, 'From human beings'?" (They were fearing the people, for the people all
held that John really was a prophet.)
33And in answer they say to Jesus, "We do not know."
And Jesus says to them, "Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these
things."
Chapter 12
1And he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, and put a
hedge around it, and dug a winepress, and built a watchtower, and leased it out to
tenant-farmers, and journeyed away. 2And in the time of harvest he sent a servant to
the tenants, that he might be paid by the tenants out of the fruit of the vineyard.
3And seizing him they beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4And again he
sent a servant to them, a different one. That one they wounded in the head 168 and
insulted.169 5Yet another he sent, and that one they killed. And he sent many others;
some they beat, some they killed.
6One alone he still had, a beloved son. Finally, him he sent to them, saying, 'They
will respect my son.'
7"But those tenants said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him,
and the inheritance will be ours.' 8And taking him, they killed him, and cast him
167
11:28 txt η τις σοι ℵ B L cop SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ και τις σοι A E N W Σ Φ 0233 latt syrp arm eth geo TR
RP ‖ τι σοι C ‖ om. D itk ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P
168
12:4a txt — ℵ B D L W latt cop SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ λιθοβολησαντες A C (E) N Σ Φ 0233 syrp,h TR RP
‖ — v. 4 syrs ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P
169
12:4b txt ητιμασαν ℵ B L lat copsams SBL TH NA28 ‖ ητιμησαν D ‖ απεστειλαν ητιμωμενον A C E N Σ
(Φ) 0233 TR RP ‖ απεστειλαν ητιμασμενον W ‖ — v. 4 syrs ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P
Mark
outside the vineyard.

9"What then 170 will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill the
tenants, and he will give the vineyard to others.
10"Have you not read this scripture:
' A stone which the builders rejected,

this one has become the chief cornerstone;
11from the Lord this came about,
and it is marvelous
in our eyes'171?"
12And they were looking for a way to arrest him, for they knew he had told the
parable in reference to them. Yet they were afraid of the crowd. And they went
away, leaving him alone.

13And they send some of the Pharisees and Herodians, in order to trap him in a
saying. 14And coming, they say to him, "Teacher, we know that you are honest, and
it matters not to you about anyone, in that you pay no attention to the personage of
people, but rather on the basis of truth you teach the way of God. Is it permissible
to pay172 the tribute173 to Caesar, or not? Should we pay, or should we not pay?"
15But he, perceiving their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why are you testing me? Bring
170
12:9 txt τι ουν ℵ A C D E N W Σ Φ 0233 lat syrp,h copsamss TR RP TH [NA28 ουν] {\} ‖ τι B L itk syrs
copsamss SBL ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P
171 12:11 Psalm 118:22,23
172 12:14A The verb here is δίδωμι, 'give,' and also in the next sentence, 'should we give or should we
not give.' And the verb Jesus used in v. 17 is ἀποδίδωμι, 'give back,' or, 'give up.'
173 12:14B The Greek word translated "tribute" is κῆνσος, a loan word from the Latin word census,
which means just what you would think it means– a head count. The Roman Caesar would charge a
head tax (capita tax) based on a head count or census. The Latin root word for head is cap. Thus, this
tax was a per capita tax, or a capitation. It was a flat tax, having no relation to graduated percentages,
or ability to pay. It was not an income tax. Every head had to cough up the same amount. Black's
Law Dictionary, Sixth Ed., defines a Capitation tax thusly: "A poll tax. A tax or imposition upon the
person. It is a very ancient kind of tribute, and answers to what the Latins called 'tributum,' by which
taxes on persons are distinguished from taxes on merchandise, called 'vectigalia.'" Remember, a
census was forbidden by God, and King David incurred God's wrath when he numbered the people.
(A census tax or capita tax is also the kind expressly prohibited by the Constitution for the United
States of America.) Black's Law Dictionary defines Tribute in turn as: "A contribution which is raised
by a prince or sovereign from his subjects to sustain the expenses of the state. A sum of money paid
by an inferior sovereign or state to a superior potentate, to secure the friendship or protection of the
latter." Now as for coinage, Jesus obviously knew some principles of law. When he said in verse 17,
"Caesar's things give back to Caesar," he recognized that every single coin circulated that bore
Caesar's portrait and inscription, already belonged to Caesar. And everything purchased using
Caesar's coins also belonged to Caesar. The Jewish religious taxes, on the other hand, were paid in
weight of silver– shekels, or even drachmas, but not in Roman coins.
Mark
me a denarius, so that I may look at it." 16And they brought one. And he says to
them, "Whose image is this, and inscription?"
They say to him, "Caesar's."
17And Jesus said to them, "Caesar's things give back to Caesar, and God's things to
God."
And they were amazed at him.
Marriage and the Resurrection

18Then some Sadducees come up to him (Sadducees say there is no resurrection),
and they questioned him as follows: 19"Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's
brother dies and leaves behind a wife and does not leave behind a child, that the
brother of the deceased should take the woman174 and raise up descendants for his
brother.175
20"There were seven brothers. And the first one took a wife, and dying, he left no
descendant. 21And the second one took her, and he died, leaving no descendant. It
was the same with the third. 22In fact, all seven left no descendant.176 Last of all, the
woman also died.
23"In the resurrection, when they rise again,177 of which of them will she be wife?
For all seven had her as wife."
24Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you know
neither the scriptures nor the power of God? 25For when they rise from the dead,
174
12:19a txt γυναικα και ⁴⁵ ℵ B C L W (itk) SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ γυναικα αυτου και A D E Σ Φ lat
syrp,h TR RP ‖ lac N P 0233. The omission of αυτου can be easily explained as a scribal oversight in
view of how many other times the word αυτου appears in the context. I can also imagine an editor
deliberately omitting the αυτου because then the reader might think "his wife" means the surviving
man's own wife. It is more clear to say, the brother should take the woman and produce a
descendant, than to say the brother should take his wife and produce a descendant. At any rate, I
prefer the clarity of the shorter reading, without saying it is the original reading. For the Byz
reading I worded it as "that wife of his" rather than "his wife" for the same reason. The definite
article can act as a demonstrative.
175 12:19b Deuteronomy 25:5; Genesis 38:8
176
12:21-22 txt
και ο τριτος ωσαυτως και οι επτα ουκ ℵ B C L SBL TH ΝΑ28 {\}
ο τριτος ωσαυτως οι επτα και ουκ W
και ο τριτος ωσαυτως και ελαβον αυτην οι επτα και ουκ E Σ Φ TR RP
και ο τριτος ωσαυτως και ελαβον αυτην ωσαυτως και οι επτα και ουκ A
και ωσαυτως ελαβον αυτην οι επτα και ουκ D
lac ⁴⁵ N P 0233
There are a great many other variants among the later manuscripts. These are the Greek
manuscripts 8th century or earlier the readings of which I have access to.
177
12:23 txt εν τη αναστασει οταν αναστωσιν E Φ itq TR RP SBL NA28 [οταν αναστωσιν] {C} ‖ εν τη ουν
αναστασει οταν αναστωσιν A ‖ εν τη αναστασει ουν οταν αναστωσιν Σ vg it(a),aur,(b),ff²,i,l syrs,h with * ‖
οταν ουν αναστωσιν εν τη αναστασει (eth) ‖ εν τη αναστασει ℵ B C* L itk pt TH (Lk 20:33) ‖ εν τη
αναστασει ουν D W itd,r¹ syrp copsamss (Matt 22:28) ‖ εν τη ουναναστασει C² ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P 0233. Here we
have a case where the UBS commentary says scribes omitted words in order to harmonize with the
other synoptic gospels, but that such a pleonasm as this is in accord with Mark's style.
Mark
they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven. 178
26Now about the dead, that they do rise, have you not read in the scroll of Moses, at
the part about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham,
and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 179 27He is not the God of dead people,
but of living. You are badly mistaken!"
The Weightiest Commandment

28And one of the Torah scholars who had approached, after listening to them
debating, recognized that Jesus had answered them well. He asked Jesus, "Teacher,
out of all of them, which commandment is primary?"
29Jesus answered, "Primary is this: 'Hear, O Israel, Yahweh is our God, Yahweh
alone."180 30And you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all
your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' 181 182 31Secondmost is
this: 183 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' 184 There is no other
178
12:25 txt αγγελοι ℵ C D L Σ pm syrh lat SBL NA28 {\} ‖ οι αγγελοι W ‖ αγγελοι οι A Φ pm syrp TR RP
TH ‖ οι αγγελοι οι B copsa Or ‖ αγγελοι θεου οι itl vgs ms ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P 0233
179 12:26b Exodus 3:6. The point is that at the time of God's saying, "I am," present tense, "am the
God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and of Jacob," those three people had long since passed on from
the earth. But Jesus' point is: the saying of God to Moses proved that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were
not dead people, but living at the time God said this. The Sadducees considered Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob to be dead people, and this was one of their errors.
180 12:29 The Greek word represented by "alone" above is εἷς - heȋs, basically meaning "one." But
using the word "one" would be a poor translation, since most readers today would take it to have
some significance in rebuttal of the "trinity." But nothing of the sort was underlying God's words.
The context of God's original words was idolatry. God's commandments did not arise out of a
vacuum, but arose out of a need to counteract some error of humankind. In this case it was that
God's people should have no other gods before Him. The situation was that there were many other
so-called gods, but ‫יֹהוֹה‬, YHVH, alone was to be their God. Paul says, "There may be many so-called
gods, and many lords, but for us there is only one God, and only one lord," I Corinthians 8:5-6. (See
also Mark 2:7; 10:18 for similar uses of the Greek word εἷς. The Hebrew word, echad, was also used
meaning "alone," "only," or even, "first," as the "first" day of the month.) Now God was not
comparing himself to other gods in that other gods were many lords in contrast to our God being one
lord. From small childhood I have puzzled over the odd thought, found in my Bible, represented by
the phrase "The Lord our God is one Lord." It didn't say 'God is one God.' Instead, it said 'God is one
Lord.' God is one Lord? So then it must be otherwise conceivable that one God could be many lords?
You see, "The Lord our God is one Lord" makes no sense. The problem with "The Lord our God is one
Lord" is that it wasn't supposed to be saying "Lord" at all, for "LORD" was the substitute for the
Tetragrammaton, ‫יֹהוֹה‬, YHVH, the name of God, which the Israelites refused to pronounce, for fear
of taking God's name in vain. Thus, when the Jewish scholars in Egypt translated the Hebrew
scriptures into Greek, they perpetuated this misnomer even more, for in the Septuagint, the word
"kurios" or "lord" is used instead of Yahveh, and the quote above in Mark appears to be taken from
the Septuagint. To lessen confusion, it is best to throw out the word "lord" completely; for indeed, it
is not only confusing, but inaccurate.
181 12:30a Deuteronomy 6:4,5
182
12:30b txt σου ℵ B E L ita cop SBL NA28 {\} ‖ σου αυτη πρωτη W itk ‖ σου αυτη πρωτη εντολη A D Σ
lat syr ms TR RP TH ‖ σου αυτη πρωτη παντων εντολη Φ ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P 0233
183
12:31a txt αυτη B L cop SBL NA28 {\} ‖ αυτη εστιν ℵ ‖ ομοια αυτη Ac E W Σ Φ lat (syr) ΤΡ RP TH ‖
δε ομοια ταυτη D ‖ ομοια αυτης A* ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P 0233
184 12:31b Leviticus 19:18
Mark
commandment greater than these."

32And the Torah scholar said to him, "Well done, Teacher. It is on true basis you
have said, that there is one, and there is no other but him; 33and to love him with all
your heart, all your intelligence,185 and all your strength, and to love your neighbor
as yourself, is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34And Jesus, having observed that he had answered thoughtfully, said to him,
"You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one dared to ask him any more
questions.
Whose Son Is the Messiah?

35And continuing to teach in the temple, Jesus said, "How do the Torah scholars
say that the Messiah is the Son of David? 36David himself said, by the Holy Spirit,
" 'Yahweh186 said to my Lord:

"Sit at my right hand
until such time I put your enemies
under187 your feet." '188
37David himself calls him 'Lord,' so how is he his son?"

And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.
Jesus Denounces the Torah Scholars

38Also in his teaching he was saying, "Look warily at the Torah scholars, those
loving to walk around in robes, greetings in the marketplaces, 39and chief seats in
the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets; 40who eat up 189 the houses of
185
12:33 txt － ℵ B L W ita copsamss,(bo) SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ +ψυχης αυτου (also omits ισχουος D ‖ +ψυχης
και εξ ολης της A E Σ Φ 087 lat syrp,h copsams,(bomss) TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P 0233
186 12:36a πεν κύριος τ κυρίῳ, "The LORD said to my Lord," from the Hebrew ְ‫נ‬ℵ ָ‫ם יְ ֹהוָֹה ל‬ℵ ‫ד ִ ֹני‬
ֹ -
nəʾum Yəhōvah laʾdōnōȋ of Psalm 110:1. In this verse, both the Tetragrammaton ‫(יֹהוֹה‬YHVH) and
Adonai are found, together. But one could hardly say, "Adonai said to Adonai." In an attempt to
avoid this, the Masoretes inserted a paseq in between, one of these: |, to make them be in separate
phrases, and thus the Masoretic text reads: ‫׀ ל‬ℵ ְ‫ד ִֹנִ֗י נ‬ℵ‫ם יְ ה ָוָ֨ה‬.
187
12:36c txt υποκατω (Mt 22:44) B D W 0233 syrs copsa geo SBL NA28 {C} ‖ υποποδιον (Ps 109:1 LXX;
Lk 20:43; Ac 2:34) ℵ A E L Σ Φ 087 latt syrp,h,pal arm eth Hilary TR RP TH ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P
188 12:36d Psalm 110:1
18912:40 κατεσθίω - katesthío, the preposition kata attached to ἐσθίω, the verb for eat, serving to
perfectivize, or alternatively, to repetitivize, the verb. Here the verb is also linear (continuous,
progressive) in aspect, showing that there is a gradual process to the eating up, or alternatively a
habitual process, leading to a conclusion of complete devourment. Psalm 14:4 used this same Greek
word in the Septuagint for financial oppression of people. But how can one oppress a house? In the
context of property, κατεσθίω means to appropriate property illegally. We must remember that the
Mark
widows, and for a front, make lengthy prayers. These will receive extra damnation."
The Widow's Offering

41And while sitting opposite the temple treasury, he was watching how the crowd
was dropping copper into the donation chest. And many rich people put in much.
42And when one poor widow came, she put in two lepta (which is equivalent to one
quarter of a penny).
43And calling his disciples to him, he said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor
widow has put in more than all the others putting into the treasury. 44For they all
put in out of the extra they had. But she out of her lack put in everything, all she
had to live on."
Chapter 13
Signs of the Times
1And as he is going forth out of the temple, one of his disciples says to him,
"Teacher, look! What large stones. What great buildings."
2And Jesus said to him, "See all these great buildings? By no means will there be
left here a stone upon a stone190 that will not be thrown down."
3And as he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and
James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4"Tell us, when will these things
be, and what will be the sign that they are all about to be accomplished?"
5And Jesus proceeded to tell them, "See that no one misleads you. 6Many will
come in my name, saying, 'I am He,' and they will deceive many. 7But when you
hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but
the end is not yet. 8Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
Hebrew scriptures, like Deuteronomy 23:19, Psalm 15:1-5, declared it illegal to charge your fellow
Israelite interest on a loan. Yet many did so, including or even especially the priests and officials,
such that the interest "ate up" the equity in the houses of widows, at which point the lenders would
re-possess the houses. Jesus was not the first or the last man of God to decry this practice of charging
fellow believers interest. Nehemiah in 5:10-11, said to the officials, "Stop this taking of
interest!...Give them back, this very day, their fields, their houses..." Ezekiel 22:12, "...you take both
advance interest and accrued interest, and make gain of your neighbors by extortion..." James 2:6,
"Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court?" The Pharisees were
lovers of money, Luke 16:14. Another theory on what this means is that the Pharisees used their
position as judges to get insider information or use trickery in their office, to fraudulently obtain title
to property, or as the trustees or financial managers of widows to use up their household finances, or
to eat up their estates. Or perhaps to make unjust rulings in cases in which they had a pecuniary
interest. They may have done all of the above. As usual, the law of the Spirit is a higher standard
than the letter of the law of Moses. Jesus not only forbade lending with interest, he commanded to
lend without expecting even the principal back, Luke 6:35.
190
13:2 txt ωδε λιθος επι λιθον (see Mt 24:2) ℵ B L W ita,aur,b,d,q syrs,p,h with * copsa,(bo) arm eth geo
Polychrvid SBL TH NA28 {Β} ‖ ωδε λιθος επι λιθω D Σ pm ‖ in templo itk ‖ in templo lapis super lapidem ite
Cypr ‖ λιθος επι λιθω (see Lk 21:6) A E Φ pm itff²,i,l,r¹ vg TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P 0233
Mark
There will be earthquakes in various places, there will be famines. 191 These are the
beginning of birth pains.
9"But you, you watch yourselves. They will deliver you over to courts, and you
will be beaten in synagogues, and you will be stood 192 before governors and kings,
for my sake, to be a witness to them. 10Indeed the gospel must first be preached to
all nations.
11"So when they are taking you delivering you to trial, do not concern yourself
beforehand what you will speak. 193 Rather, whatever is given you in that hour, that
you are to speak. For you are not the ones speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
12"And a sibling will betray a sibling to death, and a parent a child, and children
will rise up against parents and put them to death. 13And you will be hated by all
because of me. But the person remaining to the end, that one will be saved.
14"But when you see the abomination of desolation194 standing where it195 should
not, (Reader, understand),196 then the ones in Judea should flee to the mountains,
15and the one on the rooftop should not come down into the house197 nor go inside
191
13:8 txt
εσονται λιμοι αρχη ℵ² B L SBL TH NA28 {B}
και λιμοι αρχη D
λιμοι ταραχαι W
και εσονται λιμοι και ταραχαι αρχαι A E syrp TR RP
και εσονται λιμοι και ταραχαι Φ
και εσονται λιμοι και λοιμοι και ταραχαι αρχαι Σ (see Lk 21:11)
αρχη ℵ*
lac ⁴⁵ C N P 0233
192
13:9b txt σταθησεσθε ℵ* B E Φ TR-Steph AN RP SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ σταθησεσθαι ℵ² A D L W Σ ‖
αχθησεσθε copsa TR-Scriv-KJV BG ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P 0233
193
13:11 txt λαλησητε ℵ B D L W Σ lat syrs cop geo SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ λαλησητε μηδε μελετατε A E Φ
it syrp,h arm OrTR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P 0233
a,n
194
13:14b txt ερημωσεως ℵ B D L W (itd,ff²,i,n,r¹ ) vg syrs cop arm geo SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ερημωσεως το
ρηθεν υπο δανιηλ του προφητου A E Σ 0233 (itaur,e,k,l,q) vgmss syrp,h TR RP ‖ ερημωσεως το ρηθεν
δια δανιηλ του προφητου Φ ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P
195
13:14c or, "he." The BDF grammar says this is a Contructio ad sensum. Sec. 134(3) A masculine
participle referring to a neuter noun which designates a personal being. Revelation says that people
will be forced to worship an "image" of the beast. Is an image an "it" or a "he"? Both. The image is
given the power of speech. Daniel 9:27 says that the ruler who is to come will set up the
abomination, so the abomination is not the antichrist himself, but something he sets up. Sounds like
the image of the beast, Rev. 13:15. This is why I used the pronoun "it" and not "he." The
abomination is not the antichrist himself, but something he sets up.
196 13:14d Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11
197
13:15b txt καταβατω εις την οικιαν A D E W Σ Φ 0233 latt syrs,h TR RP ‖ καταβατω ℵ B L syrp cop
SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ omit εις την οικιαν μηδε εισελθατω itk (ht. καταβατω- εισελθατω) ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P. It
seems nonsensical to instruct those in Judea to flee to the mountains, but the ones in Judea on their
rooftops should not come down. For how do you flee to the mountains without coming down from
your roof? The only way the NA28 reading would make sense is to understand μηδε as a more
general conjunction, as follows: "the one on the rooftop should not come down and go inside to take
anything out of his house." Thus if this phrase was not originally in the text, it is perfectly
understandable why editors might add it. But the phrase "go inside to take anything out of his
house" could be part of the same command as "not come down," that is, μηδε here does not separate
two distinct commands. The Syriac Peshitta has the shorter reading, and its translators render the
two phrases as one command, e.g., Etheridge: "And he who is on the roof, let him not descend nor
Mark
to get something from his house, 16and the one in the field should not turn back to
get his coat. 17And alas for the ones who are pregnant, and the ones giving milk
during those days! 18And pray that it not happen in winter. 19For those will be days
of suffering, such that has not happened from the beginning of creation when198 God
created until now, nor ever will again. 20And if the Lord had not made those days
short, no flesh would survive. But, because of the elect, those whom he has chosen,
he has made the days short.199 21And at that time, if anyone says to you, 'Look, here
is the Messiah!' or, 'Look, there!' do not believe it. 22For false Messiahs and false
prophets will appear, and they will do signs and miracles, trying to deceive, if
possible, the elect.200 23But you, you be watchful;201 I have told you everything ahead
of time.
24"But in those days, after that suffering,
" 'the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light,
25and the stars will be falling from the sky,
and the forces202 in space
enter in to carry any thing from his house." That is, descend and enter are one complete action that
is forbidden. Murdock has "and let him that is on the roof, not come down and enter [it], to take any
thing from his house." Some other commentators think that the phrase εις την οικιαν was
eliminated by editors as redundant, in view of the εκ της οικιας at the end of the verse. I think that
the rule of textual criticism which says the reading which best explains the rise of the others, is the
original one, would favor the shorter reading here. Nevertheless, since the longer reading is true and
not only does no harm, but also makes for a clearer sense, I choose to include it.
198
13:19 txt ην ℵ B C* L Σ SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ης A C² E W Φ 0233vid TR RP ‖ omit ην εκτισεν ο θεος D it ‖
lac ⁴⁵ N P
199 13:20 This word in the Greek for "made short" is κολοβόω - kolobóō. It has traditionally been
translated here as "those days will be shortened." But that raises more questions than are answered.
Questions such as, will those days start out as regular 24-hour days, but then be shortened to days of
less than 24 hours each? No, it means that "that period of time" will be shortened. So then, does it
mean God changed his mind, that is, that he had originally planned for that period of time to last X
amount of days, but at some point decides to shorten that period of time? No, that would not be
consistent with what is written in either the prophets, or in the New Testament. Thus Mark puts it in
the past tense: "He (the Lord) has made those days short." It has already been decided by the Lord
how long that period of time will be. Their duration will not be changed. They will not be shortened.
The point of this verse is that, if that period of time went on longer, no flesh would survive.
200
13:22 txt τους ℵ B D 083 SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ και τους A C E L W Σ Φ 0233 latt syrp cop arm eth TR RP ‖
lac ⁴⁵ N P.
201
13:23 txt βλεπετε B L W 083 cop SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ βλεπετε ιδου ℵ A C D E Σ Φ 0233 lat syr ms TR
RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P
202 13:25A Possibly, "the heavenly bodies," referring to the planets, stars, and constellations to which
power was ascribed by idolaters and astrologers. Of course, bodies of mass do have power or force of
gravity, and therefore exercise force upon other bodies, including the earth. Indeed, in the parallel
passage in Luke 21, verse 25, it says nations will be in anguish over the violence of the sea and surf,
which we know is affected among other things by the moon. If there is also a rise in sea level from
global warming, it would be even worse. In Isaiah 34:4, the stars and planets are called the armies of
heaven, and armies are forces. Moreover, the principle of parallelism probably applies here, so this
line is to be understood in some meaning parallel to the stars and the sky of the previous line. At any
rate, the heavenly bodies would not be shaken without the forces in space being involved.
Mark
will be shaken.'203
26"And at that time they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds, with great
power and glory. 27And at that time he will send forth the angels,204 and they will
gather together his elect out of the four winds, from the farthest points of the earth
to the farthest points of the horizon.
28"Now learn the parable from the fig tree. When its twig has already become
tender and it puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 29And likewise you,
when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door.
30Truly I tell you: by no means will this age205 pass away before all these things have
happened. 31Sky and earth will pass away,206 but my words will not pass away.
No One Knows the Day or Hour

32"But as to that day or that hour,207 no one knows, not even the angels in heaven,
not even the Son, but only the Father. 33Watch, be alert,208 for you do not know
when the time is. 34It is like a man going away on a journey, leaving his house and
giving the authority of it to his servants, each his task, and the doorman he
admonished to keep watch. 35Thus you must keep watch, for you do not know
when the lord of the house is coming, whether209 in the evening, or at midnight, or
when the rooster crows, or at dawn, 36No good if he comes suddenly, and finds you
sleeping. 37And what I am saying to you, I am saying to all: 'Keep watch!'"
203 13:25B Isaiah 13:10; 34:4; Joel 2:31

204
13:27 txt αγγελους B D L W 083 ita,e,ff²,i,k,q mss SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ αγγελους αυτου ℵ A C E Σ Φ 0233
vg syr copsa arm eth Orlat TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P
205 13:30 ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη; Or, this "generation." The verse following this is a Hebraistic parallelism; that
is, "the sky and earth" being a parallel to the "age" or "world" mentioned here. See the same Greek
phrase in Genesis 7:1, for the "generation" before the flood. God destroyed the entire world, not just
the "generation" or those of the same age as Noah. God destroyed that whole world and scheme of
things, and started a new age. So also here, Jesus is not talking about a small period of time of one
human lifespan, but rather the whole age or aion. The theme of the context was clearly set in vv. 28-
29, by the example of the budding of leaves showing the change of seasons. We are talking about
seasons and times, not generations in a genealogical or racial sense. Furthermore, it is striking how
similar is Peter's parallelism in 2 Peter 3:6-7. There, Peter compares the destruction of Noah's
generation ὁ τότε κόσμος, "the then world," in comparision to οἱ νῦν οὐρανοὶ καὶ ἡ γῆ "the present
heavens and earth."
206 13:31 "Sky and earth," traditionally translated "heaven and earth," but the heavens are the skies,
or everything you see when you look up. Compare Isaiah 34:4, Psalm 102:25-26, Hebrews 1:10-12.
207
13:32 txt η της ωρας B C L AN SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ η της ωρας εκεινης Σ ‖ η ωρας εκεινης 0233 ‖ η
ωρας A E Φ BG RP ‖ και της ωρας ℵ D W syrp? cop TR ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P 083
208
13:33 txt αγρυπνειτε B D ita,d,k copfay SBL NA28 {B} ‖ αγρυπνειτε και προσευχεσθε ℵ (A Σ -θαι) C E L
W Φ 0233 itaur,f,ff²,i,l,q,r¹ vg syrs,p,h pt arm eth Diatessarm Aug TR RP TH ‖ και αγρυπνειτε και
προσευχεσθε copsa geo Jer ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P
209
13:35 txt η οψε η μεσονυκτιον ℵ B C L SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ οψε η μεσανυκτιον W ‖ οψε η μεσονυκτιω
0233 ‖ οψε η μεσονυκτιων Σ ‖ οψε η μεσονυκτιου A D E Φ 0103 TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P
Mark
Chapter 14
Mary Anoints Jesus at Bethany
1And the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread were two days away.
And the chief priests and the Torah scholars were seeking how they might kill him
after arresting him in stealth. 2For210 they were saying, "Not in the festival, or there
will be a riot of the people."
3And when he was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the Leper, and reclining, a
woman came holding an alabaster bottle of very expensive perfume ointment, pure
oil of nardroot. Breaking the alabaster, she poured it out onto his head.
4But there were some who were saying indignantly to themselves, "Why has this
waste of perfume occurred? 5For this perfume could have been sold for over three
hundred denarii211 and given to the poor." And they were scolding her.
6But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why are you causing her hardship? She has
performed a good work with212 me. 7For the poor you always have with you,213 and
you can do well with them214 whenever you want, but me you do not always have.
8She did what was available to her. She was early 215 to anoint my body in
210
14:2 txt γαρ ℵ B C* D L ita,f,ff²,i,k,l,q vg syrpmg SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ δε A C² E Wb Σ Φ 0103 0233 syrp copsa
arm eth TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P
211 14:5 A single denarius was the usual daily wage for a laborer, so 300 denarii would be worth about
a year's wages.
212
14:6 txt εν εμοι rell. Grk. AN BG RP SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ εις εμε 2 579 1424 (Mt 26:10) TR ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P
0233. There may be a few more mss. that read as the TR. But practically all Greek: ἐν, "in," with
dative of "me"; in other words, she has done a good work in the circumstance of me. She has done a
good work by means of my being here. From context we can see that it is a dative of happenstance, of
the conditions; or even a "temporal dative;" for example, "you can always do good works with the
poor, but me you do not always have with you," and Jesus' comment that "she did what was available
to her." (Of the 22 English translations I have on hand, 4 say "on me," 6 "to me," 10 "for me," 1 "as to
me," and 1 "towards me." Sometimes ἐν is simply a substitute for the dative inflection.) This variant
is related to the one in the next verse, where some mss have an accusative phrase and others a dative
phrase.
213 14:7a Deuteronomy 15:11
214
14:7b txt
δυνασθε αυτοις ευ C D W SBL TH NA28 {\}
δυνασθε αυτοις παντοτε ευ ℵ B L copsa
δυνασθε αυτους ευ A E Σ Φ TR AN BG RP
δυνασθε ευ ℵ*
lac ⁴⁵ N P 0103 0233
This variant is related to that in 14:6. The TR (and Peshitta) has both with an accusative meaning, the
NA28 has both with a dative meaning, and the RP has the first in dative, the second in accusative.
215 14:8 προλαμβάνω, literally, "take ahead." Compare the same word in I Cor. 11:21. The Lidell &
Scott lexicon lists this Mark 14:8 occurrence as the only one with an infinitive accompanying; which
DeBrunner, § 392 (2), says is an Aramaism meaning "early to do something." As we first see in Luke
10:38-42, Mary from the beginning showed a good trait of zeroing right in to what was most
important: the person of Jesus, and dropping everything else. Her sister was occupied with the meal
and housework, but Mary was attentive to Jesus himself, while he was still with them. They could
always do housework when Jesus was gone, and they could always eat when Jesus was gone. It is no
wonder that one who attended to and treasured Jesus so much, would be the first to prepare his body
Mark
preparation for its burial. 9Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is preached
throughout the whole world, what she has done will also be told, as an honorable
remembrance of her."
10And Judas of Kerioth, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests, to betray him
to them. 11And hearing this delighted them, and they promised to give him silver.
Then he was planning how he might betray him the best time.
The Passover Supper

12And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they would sacrifice the
Passover lamb, his disciples say to him, "Where are you wanting us to go to make
preparations so you may eat the Passover?"
13And he sends two of his disciples and tells them, "Go into the city, and a man
carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14And wherever he enters say to
the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says: Where is my guestroom, 216 where I may
eat the Passover with my disciples?' 15And he will show you a large upper room
furnished and ready. And there you shall make preparations for us."
16And the disciples left and went into the city, and found things just as he had told
them. And they prepared the Passover.
17And as evening is coming on, he arrives with the Twelve. 18And as they are
reclining and eating, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you: one of you will betray me. One
who is eating with me."
19They began to be very sad and to say to him one by one, "Surely not I?" 217
20And he said to them, "It is one of the Twelve, the one dipping into the bowl with
me. 21Therefore218 indeed the Son of Man is going just as it is written about him. But
woe to that one through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for
that man if he had not been born!"
22And when they were eating, Jesus, after taking a loaf of bread and blessing God,
broke it and distributed to them, and said, "Take ye.219 This is my body."
23And taking a cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from
it.
for its burial.

216
14:14 txt καταλυμα μου ℵ B C D L W Σ vg copsa AN SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ καταλυμα A E P Φ syrp TR BG
RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N 0103 0233
217
14:19 txt μητι εγω ℵ B C L P W itaur,l vg syr cop SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ μητι εγω και αλλος μητι εγω D E
Φ ita,d,f,ff²,i,k,q syrhmg arm geo Or TR RP ‖ μητι εγω ειμι και αλλος μητι εγω ειμι Σ ‖ μητι εγω ειμι και
αλλος μητι εγω itf ‖ μητι εγω ειμι ραββει και αλλος μητι εγω A ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N 0103 0233
218
14:21 txt οτι ο ℵ B L 0103 cop SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ο A C D E P W Σ Φ TR RP ‖ και vg syr ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N 0233
219
14:22 txt λαβετε ℵ A B C D L P W Φ lat syr cop SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ λαβετε φαγετε (Mt 26:26) E Σ
0103vid itff² ms TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N 0233
Mark
24And he said to them, "This is my blood of the covenant, 220 being shed on behalf of
many. 25Truly I tell you: By no means will I drink of the fruit of the vine any more,
until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God."
26And when they had sung a hymn, they went out toward the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter's Denials

27And Jesus is saying to them, "You will all be scandalized, 221 for it is written: 'I will
strike down the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'222 28But after I am raised
up, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
29But Peter said to him, "Even if everyone else will be scandalized, not I."223
30And Jesus says to him, "Truly I tell you: today, this very night, before the rooster
crows two times, you yourself will disown me three times."
31But he kept saying vehemently,224 "Even if I have to die with you, no way will I
disown you." And the rest of them were saying things similar.
Gethsemane
32And they come to an orchard225 the name of which was Gethsemane, and he says
220
14:24 txt της διαθηκης ℵ B C D² L itk copsamss geo¹ SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ το της διαθηκης D* W itd ‖ της
καινης διαθηκης E ita,aur,f,l,q vg syrs,p,h copsamss arm eth geo² ‖ το της καινης διαθηκης A P Σ Φ itb,i,r¹ TR
RP ‖ omit της διαθηκης itff² ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N 0103 0233
221
14:27a txt σκανδαλισθησεσθε ℵ B C* (D) L pm itb,d,ff²,q copsams SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ σκανδαλισθησεσθε
εν εμοι ita,aur,f,i,k,l syrs copsamss ‖ σκανδαλισθησεσθε εν εμοι εν τη νυκτι ταυτη A C² E W Σ Φ 0233vid pm
vgcl syrp,h copsamss TR RP ‖ σκανδαλισθησεσθε εν εμοι εν νυκτι ταυτη N ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P 0103. As for the
word "scandalized," there are almost as many opinions of how to translate this as there are
translators. The most basic meaning is "tripped by a stumbling block." In the New Testament it
usually has an aspect of being defeated in one's faith, sometimes of a temporary lapse and sometimes
of a permanent one; and in some passages, even of falling away to the extent of becoming apostate.
222
14:27b Zechariah 13:7
223 14:29 The word 'else' is not in the Greek, but its meaning is there. The Greek says literally, "Even
if everyone will be tripped up, in contrast, not I." Peter is contrasting himself to everyone else.
224
14:31b txt
ο δε εκπερισσως ελαλει ℵ B D 083 cop SBL TH NA28 {\}
ο δε περισσως ελαλει L
ο δε εκπερισσου ελεγεν μαλλον E 0233 RP
ο δε εκ περισσου ελεγεν μαλλον TR
ο δε πετρος εκπερισσου ελεγεν μαλλον Σ
ο δε πετρος εκ περισσου ελεγεν μαλλον Φ
ο δε πετρος μαλλον περισσως ελεγεν οτι W
ο δε πετρος εκ περισσου ελεγεν A N syrs,h
ο δε πετρος εκπερισσως ελεγεν C
lac ⁴⁵ P 0103
225 14:32 χωρίον - chōríon; a "little field, little farm" a word used in I Chronicles 27:27 for a "treasure
vineyard," and used in some other literature for a suburb. I get the picture of an orchard or grove in
the suburbs that has become a public park because of the proximity of the big city. In the N.T.,
χωρίον usually just means "a spot; a place," but considering that the place was associated with "the
Mount of Olives," Luke 22:39, and also called by John in 18:1 "a garden," and that the word
"Gethsemane" itself means "oil-press," or, according to Jerome, "oil valley," therefore "an olive
Mark
to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." 33And he takes Peter, and also James and
John with him. And he began to be overwhelmed with dread and heaviness. 34And
he says to them, "My soul is too sad, to the point of death. 226 Remain here and stay
awake." 35And going forward a little, he dropped to the ground, and prayed that if
it is possible, the hour might pass aside from him. 36And he was saying, "Abba,
Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not
what I will, but what you will."
37And he comes back, and finds them sleeping, and he says to Peter, "Simon, are
you sleeping? Had you not the self-control to keep awake one hour? 38Keep awake
and pray, that you not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the
flesh is weak."
39And going away again, he prayed, saying the same thing. 40And when he
returned, he again found them sleeping, for their eyelids were weighing down; 227
and they didn't know what to say to him.
41And he comes the third time and says to them, "Are you still sleeping and
resting?228 Enough! The hour has come.229 Behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed
into the hands of sinners. 42Get up, let us go. Behold, the one betraying me has
come near."
The Arrest of Jesus

43And right then while he was still speaking, Judas comes, the one of the Twelve,
along with a crowd230 with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the Torah
orchard having come into disuse and now become a public park" seems most reasonable. It was on
the western slope of the Mount of Olives, just across the Kidron Valley.
226 14:34 ἕως θανάτου; ἕως indicating the upper limit of possibility. In other words, he could not be
more sad, for if he was any sadder, he would die.

227
14:40 txt καταβαρυνομενοι ℵ² A B N Σ 083vid pm SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ καταβαρουμενοι D W ‖
καταβεβαρημενοι ℵ* ‖ βεβαρημενοι C E Φ pm TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P 0233
228 14:41b These verbs, sleep and rest, are inflected in the Greek such that they could be either
indicative or imperative mood, for in Greek morphology the indicative and imperative forms were
identical more often than not. I am not convinced that they were intended as indicative mood.
Translating Mark has led me to believe that Jesus was sharp in speech more often than many are
willing to believe. And if these verbs are indeed imperatives, then in the light of what immediately
follows, one can only interpret them as bitter irony or satire. If the verbs are imperatives, it might be
translated something like, "Go ahead, sleep soundly and get your beauty rest. It is over anyway." The
verb translated as "resting" is ἀναπαύω, which contains the idea of refreshment and cheering up.
Jesus had already used another verb, καθεύδω, for sleeping soundly, so this second verb could have
some other purpose, the purpose of irony. Jesus could have said it out of profound disappointment
with his "friends." Remember also that this takes place shortly after he had told them they would all
abandon him. Moreover, there is definitely a recurrent theme in Mark of Jesus chiding the disciples
for various forms of spiritual unconsciousness.
229
14:41c txt απεχει ηλθεν ℵ A B C E L N Σ 083 itaur,l vg (geo¹) Aug TR RP SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ απεχει
το τελος ηλθεν Φ 0233 it(a),b,(ff²),r¹ syr(s),p,h (arm) geo² ‖ απεχει το τελος και D itd,q ‖ απεχει το τελος
ιδου ηλθεν W ‖ οτι ηλθεν Ψ (itk) ms (eth) ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P
230
14:43b txt οχλος ℵ B L 083 0233 ita,ff²,q syrh cop arm SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ οχλος πολυς A C D E N W Σ Φ
Mark
scholars and the elders.231

44And the one betraying him had given them a signal, saying, "Whomever I kiss is
he; him you arrest and lead away under guard." 45And coming straight up to him,
he says, "Rabbi,"232 and fervently kissed him. 46And they put their hands on him233
and arrested him. 47Then a certain one of those standing near drew a sword and
struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.
48And Jesus said to them in response, "As though after a bandit, you have come
out with swords and clubs to capture me? 49Day after day I was right next to you in
the temple, teaching, and you never arrested me. But, may the scriptures be
fulfilled." 50Then everyone fled, abandoning him.
51And a certain young man had accompanied 234 him, a linen wrap235 thrown over
his bare body. And they236 are seizing him, 52but he escaped237 naked, leaving the
linen behind.
itk,l syrs,p TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P

231 Mk 14:43c The three elements composing the Sanhedrin. The posse was sent from the Sanhedrin.
Those doing the actual arresting were probably temple police officers or soldier types, for the
Sanhedrin was authorized by the Romans to have a company of guards with powers of arrest.
232
14:45 txt λεγει ραββι L (itd,f,ff²,l,q,r¹ vg syrs ) SBL NA28 {\} ‖ λεγει ραββει ℵ B C* TH ‖ λεγει αυτω
ραββει D ‖ λεγει αυτω χαιρε ραββι Φ ‖ λεγει χαιρε ραββει C² W (ita,aur copsa geo²) ‖ λεγει ραββει ραββει
A 0233 ‖ λεγει αυτω ραββι ραββι N Σ (syrp,h) RP ‖ λεγει αυτω ραββει ραββει E ‖ αυτω λεγει ραββι ραββι
Scriv-TR ‖ λεγει ραββι ραββι Steph-TR ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P 083. The Versions are in parentheses because they
have no certain bearing on the spelling variations in the Greek. Read "Rabbi" once: ℵ B C D L W Φ latt
syrs cop geo² SBL TH NA28 ‖ Read "Rabbi" twice: A E N Σ 0116 0233 syrp,h TR RP
233
14:46 txt τας χειρας αυτω ℵ² B D L it(a,k),q syr SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ τας χειρας αυτων ℵ* C W 0233 ‖
αυτω τας χειρας αυτων N Σ ‖ επ αυτον τας χειρας αυτων E Φ (lat) TR RP ‖ τας χειρας αυτων επ
αυτον A ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P 083. All of these variants mean they "put their hands on him." As someone who
has handled every variant between the Alexandrian and the Byzantine texts in the gospels, I can tell
you that one of the most common types of variant is the older manuscripts and the older Greek
language often used the definite article as a possessive, and subsequent scribes / editors clarified it
by adding an actual possessive pronoun. I am certain of this. In our current variant, the original text
was επεβαλον τας χειρας αυτω, with "τας" meaning "their" and αυτω meaning "on him," dative case.
When αυτω "on him," was changed to αυτων, "their," they had to add the words επ αυτον "on him"
as well. That Greek used the definite article for a weak possessive, there should be no doubt.
Another Mediterranean language, Spanish, does this still today. For example, in a restaurant
bathroom you may see a sign saying "lave la manos" or "lave las manos." This means "wash your
hands." There is no need to add a possessive pronoun like "sus" or "tu" for "your." Here is a link
showing that currently, in modern times, the way to say "wash their hands" is simply "lava las
manos." https://www.linguee.com/spanish-english/translation/s+lava+las+manos.html
234
14:51b txt συνηκολουθει ℵ B C L SBL TH NA28 ‖ ηκολουθει D W Φ TR ‖ ηκολουθησεν A E N P Σ 0233
RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ 083 0233
235 14:51c σινδών – sindōn is just the word for linen, and could possibly mean just a sheet, or a night
gown, or even a shirt. But the way it says "thrown over his nakedness" seems to indicate that it was
not daytime clothing.
236
14:51d txt και κρατουσιν αυτον ℵ B C*vid D L lat syrp copsamss SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ και κρατησαντες
αυτον οι νεανισκοι C² ‖ οι δε νεανισκοι εκρατησαν αυτον W (copsamss) ‖ και κρατουσιν αυτον οι
νεανισκοι A E N P Σ Φ itq syrh TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ 083 0233
237
14:52 txt εφυγεν ℵ B C L itaur,k syrp cop SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ εφυγεν απ αυτων A D E N P W Σ Φ lat
syrs,h TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ 083 0233
Mark
Jesus' Trial by the Sanhedrin

53And they led Jesus away to the high priest, and all the chief priests and the elders
and the Torah scholars are gathering together. 54And Peter followed him at a
distance, right up to within the courtyard of the high priest, and remained, sitting
with the guards and warming himself by the fire.238
55And the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find evidence
against Jesus in order to put him to death, and they were not finding it. 56For many
were bearing false witness against him, yet their statements were not consistent.
57Then some appeared and bore false witness against him as follows: 58"We heard
him saying, 'I will destroy this handmade temple, and by three days I will build
another, not handmade.'"239 59Yet not even their testimony was so consistent.
60And after standing up in front of them all, the high priest examined Jesus,
saying, "You are not making any answer? What about this testimony these are
bearing against you?" 61But he was keeping silent, and making no answer at all.
Again, the high priest was examining him, and saying to him, "Are you the
Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?"
62And Jesus said, "I am, and you will all see the Son of Man sitting at the right
hand of Power,240 and coming with the clouds of heaven."
238
14:54 Here Mark and Luke use the word τό φῶς for fire, which is usually translated as "light." This
may lead a translator to want to render it as "torch," which is both a light and a fire. However, John
in this context for fire uses the word ἡ ἀνθρακία, "a heap of burning coals/embers." John again uses
ἡ ἀνθρακία in 21:9, where fish are lying on it cooking, indicating that it is definitely a fire on the
ground. Matthew does not mention a fire or light in this courtyard context at all.
239 14:58 Jesus' actual statement was, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it." (John
2:19; Diatess. 5:34) The perjurers added the word "handmade," and switched the destroying agent
from his hearers, to Jesus himself. (And remember, the statement of Jesus in question took place
right after he had destroyed the operation of the currency exchangers in the temple, lending some
credibility to the notion of Jesus potentially destroying their temple.) Now this saying which they
were attributing to him could be a saying far more inflammatory than meets the eye. The English
word "handmade" is translated from the Greek word, χειροποίητος - cheiropoíētos, which in all ten
occurrences in the Jewish Greek Bible (the Septuagint) means "idol." Especially significant is Isaiah
31:7, where χειροποίητος is used twice for "idol," and is then followed by the phrase, "which their
hands have made," with the constituent words of χειροποίητος broken up and used separately. In
the other occurrences of this word in the New Testament, however, it is not used as meaning idol
exactly. But when these witnesses made their statement, their words could have had a ring insulting
to the temple, at least in the ears of any that had read the Jewish Greek Bible, of which surely there
must have been some. Considering that the bulk of Jesus' enthusiasts were from Galilee, and that
Galilee was far more cosmopolitan than Jerusalem and Judea, and thus more likely to be the
residence of Hellenistic (Greek-speaking) Jews who read the Bible in Greek, the Septuagint, perhaps
this testimony was staged in a way calculated to turn the Galileans against Jesus. For since this word
in the Bible had up to that point only meant "idol," the alleged statement by Jesus could have
sounded to the Greek-speaking Jews like this: "I will destroy this idol temple of yours, and by three
days I will build another, not idolatrous."
240 14:62 The Power being The Mighty One, or God. Yet the right hand is also the position of
"power." The right hand signifies the stronger hand, and therefore the one with which to hold one's
weapon or staff. The left hand is the distaff. The Son of Man can even hold God in his right hand as a
weapon. See Psalm 110:5. Also, Psalm 16:8, "Because Yahweh is at my right hand; I shall not be
shaken." Here Jesus combines Psalm 110:1 with the title "the Son of Man" from Daniel 7:13-14, where
the Son of Man is given authority over all the nations.
Mark
63Then the high priest tearing his robes says, "What more need do we have for
witnesses? 64You have heard the blasphemy. What does it look like to you?" And
they all condemned him as deserving to be put to death.
65And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face and punch him, and say to
him, "Prophesy!" The guards also took241 him with slaps.
Peter Disowns Jesus

66And with Peter still below in the courtyard, one of the maidservants of the high
priest comes, 67and having seen Peter warming himself, and having peered at him,
she says, "You were also with that Nazarene, Jesus."
68But he denied it, saying, "I neither know nor understand what you are saying."
And he moved away, outside into the forecourt.242
69And the maidservant who had seen him began again to say to those standing
around, "This fellow is one of them." 70Again, he was denying it.
And after a little while, again, those standing around were saying to Peter, "You
surely are one of them, for you also are Galilean."243
71Then he began to curse and to swear: "I do not know this man of whom you are
speaking." 72And immediately 244 a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter
remembered the statement as245 Jesus had said it to him: "Before a rooster crows two
times, you will disown me three times."246 And when he thought upon247 it, he wept.
241
14:65 txt ελαβον ℵ A B C L N Σ 067 SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ελαμβανον D W ‖ εβαλλον pm TR BG RP ‖
εβαλον E pm AN ‖ lac P Φ 083 0233. The phrase ραπισμασιν αυτον ελαβον is "completely vulgar" and
perhaps a Latinism, according to BDF § 198 (3), and some commentators think that copyists and early
version translators did not understand it, thus giving rise to other readings.
242
14:68b txt προαυλιον ℵ B L W syrs copsamss geo¹ Diatess ‖ προαυλιον και αλεκτωρ εφωνησεν A C D E
N Σ 067 ita,aur,d,ff²,k,l,q vg syrp,h copsamss,(boms) goth arm eth geo² Eus Chrys; Aug TR RP SBL TH
[NA28] {C} ‖ lac P Φ 083 0233.
243
14:70 txt ει ℵ B C D L lat (syrs) copsa Eus TH NA28 {\} ‖ omit και γαλιλαιος ει και η λαλια σου
ομοιαζει W ita (ει - ει) ‖ ει και η λαλια σου ομοιαζει A E itq syrp,h pt TR RP SBL ‖ ει και η λαλια σου
δηλοι N Σ ‖ lac P Φ 067 083 0233
244
14:72a txt
και ευθυς εκ δευτερου B 0250 latt syrp arm eth Eus SBL TH NA28
και ευθεως εκ δευτερου D W
και εκ δευτερου A C² E Σ syrs,h cop TR RP
και ευθυς ℵL
lac P Φ 083 0233
The reading of C* is disputed.
245
14:72b txt ως ℵ A B C L 0250 syrp copsamss SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ ο D E Σ N syrh RP ‖ ου W TR ‖ lac P Φ
083 0233
246
14:72c txt (see 14:68; 72a; Mt 26:75; Lk 22:61)
οτι πριν αλεκτορα φωνησαι δις τρις με απαρνηση C² L itaur vg syrs,p Aug SBL TH NA28 {B}
οτι πριν αλεκτορα φωνησαι δις απαρνηση με τρις E syrh copsamss TR RP
οτι πριν αλεκτορα φωνησαι δις απαρνηση με τρεις A 0250
οτι πριν αλεκτορα φωνησε δις απαρνηση με τρις N
οτι πριν αλεκτορα δις φωνησαι τρεις με απαρνηση B* itk
οτι πριν αλεκτορα δις φωνησαι τρις με απαρνηση B²
οτι πριν αλεκτορα φωνησαι απαρνηση με τρις Σ
Mark
Chapter 15
Jesus' Examination by Pilate
1And as soon as it was early morning, the chief priests, having made a consultation
with the elders and Torah scholars and the whole Sanhedrin, after first restraining
Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.
2And Pilate examined him: "Are you the king of the Jews?"
And he in answer to him says, "You are the one saying it." 248
3And the chief priests were charging him with many things. 249 4So Pilate again
examined him, as follows: "You are not answering anything? Look how many
things they are charging you with!"250
5But Jesus made no further answer, causing Pilate to be astonished.
6Now every Festival he would release for them one prisoner, whomever they
would make plea for. 7And there was one named Barabbas, bound with the rebels251
who had committed murder during the uprising. 8And when the crowd came up,252
οτι πριν αλεκτορα φωνησαι τρις με απαρνηση ℵ C* W itff²,l,q copsamss eth geo1,(2) (see Mt 26:75;
Lk 22:62)
omit D ita,d
lac P Φ 083 0233
247
14:72d txt
και επιβαλων εκλεεν E 0250
και επιβαλων εκλαιεν ℵ² Ac B*L N Σ syrh TR RP SBL TH NA28 {B}
και επιβαλων εκλαιε B²
επιβαλων εκλαιεν W
και επιβαλων εκλαυσεν ℵ* A*vid C
και ηρξατο κλαιειν D ita,aur,d,ff2,k,l,q vg copsams arm geo goth Aug
και εβαλεν την χειρα κλαιειν copsa
See the endnote on this verse.
248 15:2 The Greek for "You are the one saying that" is Σὺ λέγεις. This means literally, "You are
saying" or, "Are you saying?" This was a Jewish idiom, and you can find some Rabbinic examples
where it was understood as a Yes, and some where it would obviously NOT be understood as a yes.
Therefore, we have to conclude that it is not a yes of any kind. At the same time, it is not a denial.
Which sometimes some people might take as a yes. But as for translation, it should be translated
literally, and left at that. No helper words should be added that might imply an affirmative answer.
See the endnote on this topic at the end of this document.
249
15:3 txt πολλα ℵ A B C D E itff²,k,l q vg syrp cop TR-Steph BG RP SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ πολλα αυτος δε
ουδεν απεκρινατο N W Σ ita vgmss syrs,h copsams arm eth TR-Scriv AN ‖ lac L P Φ 083 0233
250
15:4 txt κατηγορουσιν ℵ B C D W vg eth SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ καταμαρτυρουσιν (Mt 27:13) A E Σ 0250
syrp,h copsa arm TR RP ‖ καταμαρτυρουσειν N ‖ lac L P Φ 083 0233.
251
15:7 txt στασιαστων ℵ B C D N W SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ συστασιαστων E TR RP ‖ συνστασιαστων A Σ
0250 ‖ lac L P Φ 083 0233. The NA28 apparatus lists N (022) reading συστασιαστων, while the
Muenster online transcription and Swanson say it reads στασιαστων. Tischendorf shows it reading
συνστασιαστων apparently not differentiating συσ and συνσ. The vg syr cop versions appear to
support the NA28 reading. There is the similarity in meaning between the word μετα occurring just
prior and the prefix συν-. I wonder if this was a factor.
252
15:8a txt αναβας ο οχλος ℵ* B itaur,ff²,l,r¹vid vg copsa eth SBL TH NA28 {Β} ‖ αναβας ολος ο οχλος D
ita,d ‖ αναβοησας ο οχλος ℵ² A C E N W Σ syrs,p,h ms (arm) geo TR RP ‖ ολος ο οχλος itk ‖ lac L P Φ 083
0250 0233
Mark
they began to ask Pilate that he do for them just as he usually did.253
9And Pilate answered them, saying, "Do you wish that I release to you the king of
the Jews?" 10For he knew it was because of envy that the chief priests had handed
him over.
11But the chief priests had stirred up the crowd to ask that he release Barabbas to
them instead.
12And Pilate when he answered again, said to them, "What then should I do with
the one you call the king of the Jews?" 254
13And they shouted back, "Crucify him."
14And Pilate said to them, "Why? What crime has he committed?"
But they shouted all the more, "Crucify him!"
15So Pilate, wanting to make the crowd contented, released Barabbas to them, and
Jesus, after scourging him, he handed over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Mock Jesus

16And the soldiers led him away, inside the palace, that is, the Praetorium, and
they are calling together the whole cohort. 255 17And they are draping on him a
purple robe, and setting around him a crown of interweaving thorns. 18And they
began to salute him: "Hail, King of the Jews!" 19And they were striking his head
with a cane, and spitting on him. And dropping their knees, they were doing
homage to him. 20And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the purple
robe and put his own garments on him.
The Crucifixion
And they are leading him out to crucify him. 21And a certain Simon passing by, a
Cyrenian coming from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, they
conscript to carry his cross. 22And they bring him to the place Gulgolta [‫] ֻּג ְל ֻּגלְתָּ א‬,
which when translated is "skull" place. 256 23And they were holding out to him
253
15:8b txt εποιει ℵ B W cop SBL NA28 {\} ‖ αει εποιει A Cvid D E N Σ lat syrh TR RP TH ‖ lac L P Φ
083 0250 0233. I say it is not possible to tell what Greek text the early versions were translating from,
since the imperfect form of the verb εποιει already means "habitually or usually did".
254
15:12b txt ον λεγετε ℵ C E Σ (N 0250 λεγεται) syrp,h (eth) RP SBL TH [NA28] {C} ‖ λεγετε B ‖ — A D
W latt syrs copsa arm geo Aug ‖ lac L P Φ 083 0233
255 15:16 A cohort, if a complete one, was a thousand soldiers, (one tenth of a legion) commanded by
ten centurions, who commanded a hundred men each. The number here could have been from 600
to 1,000 soldiers, assuming that all the men were present at that moment.
256 15:22 Γολγοθὰν τόπον "Golgotha place." The nominative form, ἡ Γολγοθᾶ - hē Golgothâ
probably due to Greek phonological dissimilation from Γολγολθᾶ, Golgolthâ, (Mt. 27:33 Δ)=Aramaic
‫ג ְֻלג ְֻל ָת‬ℵ = Hebrew ‫ ג ְֻלגֹלֶׁ ת‬which means skull. The "Gulgolta" in the English rendering above
represents more the Hebrew than the Aramaic. The place was probably a higher piece of ground. It
Mark
wine257 mixed with myrrh.258 He, however, did not take it. 24And they crucify him.
And they divide259 his garments, casting a lot for them, who would take what.
25And it was the third hour260 when they crucified him. 26And the notice of the
charge against him was written above him: THE KING OF THE JEWS. 27And with
him they crucify two bandits, one to the right and one to the left of him. 261 29And
those passing by were defaming him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha, the one
destroying the temple and building in three days! 30Save yourself by coming
down262 from the cross."
31Likewise also the chief priests, making fun with one another along with the
Torah scholars, were saying, "Others he saved. Himself he cannot save. 32Let263 the
Messiah, the king of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and
was to the northwest, outside the walls built by Herod the Great, but inside the walls built by Agrippa
under Claudius subsequent to these events. It had already frequently been used as a place for
executions, hence the name.
257
15:23a txt αυτω ℵ B C* L itn syrs copsamss arm SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ αυτω πιειν A C² (D πειν) E P Σ 0250
lat syrp,h,pal copsamss eth TR RP ‖ lac N W Φ 083 0233
258 15:23b Myrrh is part of Eastern incense blends for meditation and centering. Ancient Greek and
Roman physicians used the herb to treat wounds. It also removes mucus from the respiratory tract,
acts as a lung tonic and stimulant, and as an anti-inflammatory agent. And wine of course is a
sedative, and you "give wine to those in bitter distress," Proverbs 31:6
259
15:24 txt διαμεριζονται ℵ A B C D E L 0250 RP SBL TH NA28 ‖ διαμεριζοντο Σ ‖ διεμεριζον TR ‖ lac N
W Φ 083 0233
260 15:25 That is, the third hour from 6 a.m. when the daytime starts, which makes this 9:00 a.m. So
also the remaining references to time in Mark: the darkness came over the land at noon, and lasted
until 3:00 p.m., when Jesus cried out to the Father. See the endnote in my Diatessaron regarding the
differing clock systems and divisions of the day used by the synoptic evangelists in contrast to John.
261 15:28 txt omit verse ℵ A B C D 047 059 itd,k syrs copsa,fayvid Eusebian Canonstxt Ammonius SBL TH
NA28 {A} ‖ include verse: Καὶ ἐπληρώθη ἡ Γραφὴ ἡ λέγουσα, Καὶ μετὰ ἀνόμων ἐλογίσθη E L P Σ 083
itaur,ff²,l,n,r¹ vg syrp,h,pal mss arm eth geo Ps-Hippolytusvid Origenvid Eusebian Canonsmss Jerome Vigiliusvid
TR RP ‖ lac N W Φ 0233. TCOTGNT: "The earliest and best witnesses of the Alexandrian and the
Western types of text lack ver. 28. It is understandable that copyists could have added the sentence
in the margin as a note pointing out Lk 22:37, and from there it got put into the text of Mark itself.
There is no reason why, if the sentence were present originally, it should have been deleted. It is also
significant that Mark very seldom expressly quotes the Old Testament." With an opposing view, John
Burgon pointed out in "The Causes of the Corruption of the Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels," pp.
77-78, that there were early lectionary instructions to skip v. 28, and that this may have led to
omission in copies. There are many Byzantine minuscules which omit the verse.
262
15:30 txt καταβας ℵ B D L 059vid 083 itk,l,n vg SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ και καταβα A C Σ itd,ff² TR RP ‖ και
και καταβα E ‖ και καταβηθι P 0233vid ‖ lac N W 0184 0250. The papyrus 059 is damaged here, but it
looks like there is not room enough for the longer Byzantine reading, and it looks like there is a s
(sigma) before the visible apo.
26315:3b "Let come down" represents the one Greek word "come down," which is in the 3rd person
imperative. In English we do not have a 3rd person imperative, and this has traditionally been
signaled by the word "let." But the reader must not think it is a command to the soldiers to "let him
come down." It is rather a command to someone whom the speakers are not actually addressing.
Mark
believe."264
Even the ones crucified with him were shaming him.
The Death of Jesus

33And when it was the sixth hour, darkness came over the whole land, 265 until the
ninth hour. 34And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 266 "Elohi, Elohi,
ləma267 shə aqtani?"268— which when translated is, "My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?"
35And some of the bystanders hearing were saying, "Behold, he is calling Elijah."
36And one ran, and after filling a sponge with sour wine, stuck it on a reed and was
helping him to drink, saying, "Back off. Let's see if Elijah comes to take him down."
37But Jesus expired, letting out a loud cry.
264
15:32c txt πιστευσωμεν ℵ A B C* E L 083vid pm vgmss syrh TR SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ πιστευσωμεν αυτω
C³ D P Σ 059vid 0233 pm itff²,k,l,n vgmss syrp copsa arm eth Eus RP ‖ lac N W 0184
265 15:33 or "the whole earth."
266
15:34 txt μεγαλη ℵ B D L 059 083 itff²,k,u cop SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ μεγαλη λεγων A C E N P Σ 0233 itl vg
syrp,h arm Eus TR RP ‖ lac W 0184. In the image of 059, at the end of the 2nd line, the word φωνη is
clearly seen, then μεγαλη faintly, and after that there is clearly not enough room for the word
λεγων at the end of the third line, before the fourth line begins with ηλει ηλει.
267 15·34 Metzger: The reading ηλει ηλει of Codex Bezae et al represents the Hebrew ℵ ‫"( ִלי‬my God"),
and has been assimilated to the parallel in Mt 27:46. The great majority of uncials and minuscule
manuscripts read ελωι ελωι, which represents the Aramaic ℵ ‫"(לָ ִֹהי‬my God"), the ω (ō) for the α
sound being due to the influence of the Hebrew ℵ‫לֹהי‬. The spelling λεμα (ℵ, C, 72, al) represents the
Aramaic ָ‫למ‬ℵ ְ ("why"), which is also probably behind the λιμα of A, ƒ¹³ al, whereas the λαμα of B, D, al
represents the Hebrew ‫"( ָל ָמֹה‬why"). All Greek manuscripts except Codex Bezae read σαβαχθανι or
something similar, which represents the Aramaic ‫"( ְׁשב ְקתנִ י‬thou hast forsaken me"). The reading
ζαφθανι of D is a scholarly correction representing the Hebrew of Psalm 22:1, which is ‫"(עֲז ְבתנִ י‬thou
hast forsaken me").
268
15:34c txt
ελωι ελωι λεμα σαβαχθανι L SBL NA28
ελωι ελωι λεμα σαβαχθανει ℵ² C
ελωι ελωι λεμα σαβακτανει ℵ*
ελωι ε[λωι] λε[μα ζαβαχθ[ανι] 083
ελωι ελωι λειμα σαβαχθανι 0233
ελωι ελωι λιμα σαβαχθανι P RP
ελωι ελωι λειμα σαβαχθανι E
ελωι ελωι λιμα σιβακθανει A
ελωι ελωι λαμα σαβαχθανει N Σ TH
ελωι ελωι λαμα ζαβαφθανει B
ελωι ελωι λαμμα σαβαχθανι TR
ηλει ηλει λαμα σαβαχθανι 059
ηλει ηλει λαμα ζαφθανει D
lac W
Mark
38And the veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom. 39And the
centurion, standing across from and facing him, seeing the way that he died, 269 said,
"This man truly was the Son of God."
40And there were also women watching from a distance, among whom were both
Mary the Magdalene and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses; and
Salome, 41they who270 when he was in Galilee used to follow him and provide for
him, plus many others who had come up to Jerusalem with him.
The Burial of Jesus

42And evening had now come, and since it was Preparation Day,271 that is, before
the Sabbath, 43Joseph of Arimathea came, a respected council member, himself also
looking forward to the kingdom of God, who, taking courage, went in to Pilate and
asked for the body of Jesus. 44But Pilate doubted that he was already dead, 272 and
calling the centurion to him, asked him if he had already died. 45And knowing from
269
15:39 txt ουτως εξεπνευσεν ℵ B L copsa,fay SBL TH NA28 {C} ‖ εξεπνευσεν ‖ ουτως κραξας
εξεπνευσεν A C E N Σ itaur,ff²,(i),l,n,q vg syrp,h eth Aug RP ‖ ουτω κραξας εξεπνευσεν 0233vid TR ‖
κραξας εξεπνευσεν W syrs arm geo Orlat ‖ ουτως αυτον κραξαντα και εξεπνευσεν D ‖ illegible 083 ‖ lac
P 059 0184. Wieland Willker has a special PDF discussing the reading of GA 083 for this variant,
including images of the manuscript: http://willker.de/wie/TCG/prob/Mk-15-39-083.pdf
270
15:41 txt αι ℵ B 083 0184 itd,ff²,k,q syrs,p cop SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ αι και D E N Σ 0233 itn syrh TR RP ‖
και A C L W vg ‖ lac P 059
271 15:42 txt προσαββατον ℵ B* C W 083 0233 pm TR RP SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ προ σαββατον 0212 ‖ προς
σαββατον A B² E L Σ pm ‖ πριν σαββατον D ‖ lac N 0184. The word "evening" at first causes confusion.
For if evening had already come, then a new day had started, right? So it was no longer "Preparation
(Day)," because evening had come and the Sabbath had started, right? No, in fact the word
"preparation" always means the day of the week we call Friday; see Luke 23:54; John 19:14, 31;
Josephus: Jewish Antiquities xvi. 6. 2 §163. (There is no word "day" in the Greek here.) The point is,
"Preparation Day" does not mean the 24 hours leading up to the evening that starts the Sabbath.
Instead it means simply "Friday." Even the word "day" in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments,
unfortunately would sometimes mean that period of time during which it is "daytime" or "sunlit,"
and other times it also means the 24 hours "between the evenings." As in all languages, most words
of the Biblical languages have more than one meaning, but when it comes to matters like this that
require precision, it is frustrating. This very problem was the reason for there being held at that
time two differing interpretations regarding the Biblical timing of the Passover. The Pharisees and
the Galileans and Jesus had one timing for the Passover, and the Sadducees (and the temple that
year) had another.
272 15:44 There are three main interpretations of this statement about Pilate's reaction to Joseph's
petition. First, here are the words literally according to their main lexical glosses: "But Pilate
marvelled if he has died / is dead (perfect tense)." Obviously, it does not make good English
translated this way. The problem word is the conditional conjunction translated "if," the Greek word
ει (ei). Of the 22 English translations I have on hand, 7 here render it "if," 2 "whether," 12 render it
"that," and 1 leaves it untranslated. Both Bauer and Blass say it means "that" after verbs of emotion,
such as perhaps here and also as in I John 3:13, "Do not marvel if (that) the world hates you," plus
other examples which are not the most standard of "if" phrases, because the verbs are not in the
subjunctive mood; and also after verbs of knowing or not knowing: John 9:25; Acts 19:2; I Cor. 1:16;
7:16. Bauer also says that ei frequently means "whether" before indirect quotes of questions, such as
in "Tell us if (whether) you are the Christ," "were watching him if (whether) he would heal on the
Sabbath." Thus the following renderings are also possible: "He was surprised that he was already
dead." "He was amazed that he was already dead." "He wondered whether he had already died."
Anyway, all of these renderings work, and all of their scenarios could have potentially prompted
Pilate to verify the death with the centurion.
Mark
the centurion, he granted the corpse273 to Joseph.

46And having bought linen, he took him down and wrapped him in the linen, and
laid him in a tomb which was hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone up against
the entrance of the tomb. 47And Mary the Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses
were watching where he was laid.
Chapter 16
The Empty Tomb
1And when the Sabbath had passed, Mary the Magdalene, and Mary the mother of
James, and Salome, bought spices so that they might go and anoint him. 2And very
early on the first day of the week, they are coming upon the tomb, as the sun broke.
3And they were saying to each other, "Who will roll away for us the stone from the
entrance of the tomb?" 4And when they look up, they behold: the stone has been
rolled away! For it was very large. 5And entering into the tomb, they saw a young
man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe. And they were greatly
alarmed.
6But he says to them, "Do not be alarmed. You are seeking Jesus the Nazarene,274
who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. Behold the place where they laid
him. 7But go tell his disciples and Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee.
There you will see him, just as he told you."
8And going out,275 they fled from the tomb. For276 trembling shock277 was holding
273
15:45 txt πτωμα ℵ B L eth SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ πτωμα αυτου D syrs ‖ σωμα A C E W Σ 083 0233 lat
syrp,h cop TR RP ‖ lac N P.
274
16:6 txt τον Ναζαρηνον τον εσταυρωμενον "the Nazarene who was crucified" A B C E (W) Σ TR
RP SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ τον Ναζωραιων τ. ε. L ‖ τον εσταυρωμενον "who was crucified" ℵ* D ‖ lac N P
083 099 0233. Scrivener says twe have a case of homoioteleuton. The Sahidic Coptic omits verses 2-7.
The Vulgate, the Bohairic Coptic and the Syriac Peshitta include "the Nazarene," but this does not
tell us whether their Greek exemplars had the definite articles or not.
275
16:8a txt εξελθουσαι ℵ A B C D L Σ 083vid RP SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ εξελθουσαι ταχυ E TR ‖ ακουσασαι
εξηλθον και W ‖ ακουσασαι εξηλθον απο του μνημειου και 099 ‖ lac N P 0233
276
16:8b txt γαρ ℵ B D W 083 099 latt syrp copsa arm eth SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ δε A C E L Σ syrh TR RP ‖ lac
N P 0233
277 16:8c τρόμος καὶ ἔκστασις means literally "tremors and ecstasy," but Greek sometimes used a
method of modifying a word whereby you place a second word following with an "and" in between.
This is called parataxis. One could render this above, "tremors of shock." (But the singular number
of the verb here for "hold," ἔχω, is not a factor. The rules governing number agreement of verbs
state that when a verb has two or more co-ordinate words as its subject, and the two subjects are
both singular and separated by καί, and the verb stands before the first subject, as is the case here,
then the verb agrees in number with the first subject. So here, the Greek verb would be singular
either way, parataxis or not.) For another example of this kind of parataxis, see Luke 2:47, "amazed
at the intelligence and his answers," meaning, "amazed at his intelligent answers." As for the
meanings of the words, they must have experienced trauma that caused them to be put out of their
senses (out of their senses = ecstasy, shock, bewilderment, being spaced out) accompanied by
tremors, anxiety, and racing heart beat. That is what medically is called shock.
Mark
them; and they said nothing to anyone, 278 because they were afraid.279 280
278 16:8d "They said nothing to anyone" is subordinate to the "for" at the beginning of the sentence.
It is part of the idea of their fleeing from the tomb. That is to say, they said nothing to anyone who
was there at the tomb, but instead fled from the tomb because of their trembling, bewilderment, and
fear. For there were in fact other people there outside the tomb, the guards at least. See my
Diatessaron.
279 16:8e Some interpreters maintain that the Greek word here for "they were afraid," ἐφοβοῦντο,
should be translated "they were afraid of..." They maintain that this verb is always transitive, and
requires an object. See the endnote at the end of this document, entitled "Does the Greek verb
PHOBEW require an object?" which explores this question.
280
16:9 txt lack vv. 9-20 ℵ B (itavid lacuna, but not enough room for the longer ending) syrs copsams
armmss geo1,A Origen Epiphanius1/2 Eusebius mssacc. to Eusebius Jerome mssacc. to Jerome Ammonius Victor-
Antioch Euthymius ‖ add only shorter ending (itavid lacuna, but not enough room for the longer ending)
itk ‖ add first the short then the long ending L 083 099 syrhmg copsamss ethmss ‖ add only longer ending, vv. 9-
20" A C D W 099 lat syrc,p,h Irenlat Eusmss Hiermss Tatian Didymus? ‖ add expanded longer ending W
Hiermss ‖ lacuna ⁴⁵ N P Φ. The text of "longer ending of Mark" is found at the end of this document
in a long end note discussing it and the other endings of Mark.
Mark
Table of Witnesses to Mark

(nothing after VIII century cited)
symbl Alt Date Contents
⁴⁵ III 4:36-40; 5:15-26, 38-43 6:1-3, 16-25, 36-50; 7:3-15,
25-37 8:1, 10-26, 34-38, 9:1-9, 18-31; 11:27-33, 12:1,
5-8, 13-19,24-28
⁸⁴ VI 2:2-5, 8-9, 6:30-31, 33-34, 36-37, 39-41
⁸⁸ IV 2:1-26
ℵ* 01 IV all of Mark
ℵ² 1st corr. IV-VI all of Mark
or ℵc
ℵ³ 2nd corr. VII all of Mark
A 02 V all of Mark
B 03 IV all of Mark
B¹ IV all of Mark
B² VI-VII all of Mark
C 04 V lacks 1:1-17; 6:32- 8:5; 12:30- 13:19
C¹ V all of Mark
C² VI all of Mark
C³ IX all of Mark
D 05 V all of Mark, but 16:15-20 is supplement
E 07 VI all of Mark
L 019 VIII lacks 10:16-30; 15:2-20
N 022 VI lacks 1:1-5,20; 7:4-20; 8:32- 9:1; 10:43- 11:7; 12:19-
14:25; 15:23-33, 42-end
P 024 VI 1:2-11; 3:5-17; 14:13-24,48-61; 15:12-37
W 032 IV/V lacks 15:13-38
Σ 042 VI all of Mark
Φ 043 VI 1:1- 14:62
047 VIII all of Mark
059 w/0215 IV/V 15:20,21,26,27,29-38 (omits 15:28)
064 w/074,09 VI Mark parts
0
067 VI 9:14-22; 14:58-70
069 V 10:50-51; 11:11-12
072 V/VI 2:23- 3:5
Mark
080 VI 9:14-18,20-22; 10:23-24,29

083 VI/VII 13:12-14, 16-19, 21-24, 26-28; 14:29-45; 15:27- 16:8,
shorter ending, (9-10 in Sinai)
087 VI 12:32-37
099 VII 16:6-8, w/ shorter ending; 16:9-18
0103 VII 13:34- 14:25
0116 VIII 13:21- 14:67
0126 VIII 5:34- 6:2
0134 VIII 3:15-32; 5:16-31
0143 VI 8:17-18, 27-28
0146 VIII 10:37-45
0167 VII 4:24-29,37-41; 6:9-11,13,14,37-39,41,45
0184 VI 15:36-37, 40-41
0187 VI Mark 6:30-41
0188 IV 11:11-17
0212 Diatessar III 15:40,42
on
0213 V/VI 3:2-3,5
0214 IV/V 8:33-37
0233 VIII
0250 VIII
0263 VI 5:26,27,31
0274 V 6:56- 7:4,6-9,13-17, 19-23, 28-29, 34-35; 8:3-4,8-11;
9:20-22,26-41; 9:43- 10:1, 17-22
0292 VI 6:55- 7:5
LATIN
itk 1 IV/V 8:8- 16:8, and shorter ending
ite 2 V lacks 1:1-20; 4:8-19; 6:10- 12:37; 12:40- 13:2,3-
24,27-33; 13:36- 16:20
ita 3 IV lacks 1:22-34; 15:15- 16:20
itb 4 V lacks 13:11-16; 13:27- 14:24; 14:56- 16:20
itd 5 V lacks 16:6-20
itff² 8 V all of Mark?
itf 10 VI lacks 12:5- 13:32; 14:53-62; 14:70- 16:20
itl 11 VIII all of Mark
itq 13 VI/VII lacks 1:7-21; 15:5-36
Mark
itr¹ 14 VII lacks 14:58- 15:8; 15:32- 16:20

itaur 15 VIII all of Mark
itn 16 V 7:13-31; 8:32- 9:10; 13:2-20; 15:22- 16:13
ito 16 VII 16:14-20
iti 17 V 2:17- 3:29; 4:4- 10:1; 10:33- 14:36; 15:33-40
itt 19 V/VI 1:2-23; 2:22-27; 3:11-18
COPTIC
copsin Sinaitic III/IV 1:12-44, 2:21- 4:17, 5:1-26, 6:5- 16:8
Coptic
copc Curetoni III/IV 16:17-20
an Coptic
MARK ENDNOTES
Mark Endnote #1
Mark's beginning all his sentences with the conjunctions καί and δέ
In the narrative prose of the gospel of Mark, practically every sentence

begins with one of the above words for "and." (The split between the two is
something like 90% καί and 10% δέ.) The problem is, in English it is bad
style to start many sentences with "and," let alone all of them. So the
translator is left with the tension between on the one hand not letting even
one letter pass from God's word, and on the other hand the desire for good
English style and therefore wanting to drop the initial "and"s.
I shall first address Mark's use of καί. I have read of several factors that
may have come to bear as to why Mark began so many of his sentences with
καί.
1. Semitic Influence. The writer, being Jewish, and whose native language
was Aramaic and whose scriptures were Hebrew and Aramaic, and
probably also the Jewish-Greek of the Septuagint, wrote a brand of Greek
influenced by the syntax of those Semitic languages. Since Hebrew had no
other mechanism to indicate past, present, or future, and neither did it show
relationship between clauses, like subordination, purpose and result, it
instead added clauses and events together in a long chain connected by
"and"s. Thus to one idea which was complete in itself, a second idea is
added, also complete in itself, connected usually in Hebrew by ְ‫(ו‬wə) and in
Mark
Greek by καί, and then a third complete idea in like manner connected, and
so on.
2. Vulgarity or Unsophistication. Yet the above chaining with "and" was
not at all exclusively Semitic. Aristotle, in Rhetorica 3.9, p. 1409a, 24
following, describes two opposing styles of Greek: the εἰρομένη (running
and continuous) style, like the above described chain of complete ideas
separated by καί, in contrast to the κατεστρομένη (compact) or ἐν περιόδοις
(periodic) styles. The former was the plain and unsophisticated language of
all periods, and the latter the more artistically developed prose.
3. Demarcation of Sentences. The Greek New Testament was originally
written using only capital letters; and there were no spaces between words,
and there were no spaces in between sentences. Neither did they use any
punctuation like periods. So there was no way you could tell when one
sentence ended and another began. Or was there? Some speculate that the
conjunctions καί and δέ served as markers of the beginning of a new
sentence.
If this third theory is valid, then the translator may properly render those
sentence-initial conjunctions into the equivalent coding employed by
English to demarcate sentences: By using a period, followed by two spaces,
followed by a capital letter. So if a translation drops the "and" and instead
uses these English markers, the period and spaces, etc., where the Greek had
a καί, then that translation does in fact translate the καί. The English
equivalent of the Greek is in fact provided. That is what translating is.
Yet, if this were in fact the way to signal the beginning of sentences, why
did only Mark use it consistently? John, for example, uses οὖν in somewhat
the same way. But in a book in the N.T. written with more literary
sophistication, like the epistle to the Hebrews, the sentences are begun with
much greater variety of conjunctions and particles.
In Mark, however, even if those conjunctions were in fact employed for
sentence demarcation, they would not always have been there for that
reason. It is a matter of some interpretation, therefore, as to whether they
are there to mark the beginning of a sentence, or whether they mean
something like, "and," "also," "then," "even." Also, the "and" may in fact be
there in the middle of a sentence, and a difference of interpretation exist as
to where the sentences begin and end. When a present-day printed Greek
New Testament edition capitalizes a letter to indicate the beginning of a
new sentence, that merely reflects the interpretation of those editors as to
where the new sentence began. This is a matter of interpretation, as are also
Mark
paragraph divisions. By leaving all the "and"s in there, the English reader is
allowed the opportunity to see other possibilities of sentence division, and
other possible turns of meaning involving καί and δέ.
4. By "turns of meaning involving καί and δέ," I am speaking in terms of
"discourse analysis." Specifically here, thematic development, continuities,
discontinuities, points of departure, parentheticality, etc. Some discourse
analysis of New Testament Greek has been done by a linguist associated
with the Summer Institute of Linguistics, Mr. Stephen H. Levinsohn. In his
book entitled Discourse Features of New Testament Greek, Dallas, SIL,
(1992), Levinsohn treats this issue of the conjunctions καί and δέ beginning
sentences, but largely only as found in the gospels of Matthew, Luke, and
John, and in Acts.
His general observations are found on page 31, that passages characterized
by the use of the coordinate conjunction καί may be considered "straight
narrative." He goes on:
If the verb is initial in the sentence, the event concerned is in

natural sequence with the previous one. If some constituent
precedes the verb, this generally occurs at a point of discontinuity
in the story, and indicates the point of departure for what follows,
as well as the basis for relating what follows to the context.
Sentences in the narrative are associated together or separated from
each other solely on the basis of such features.
Though Koine Greek writers can and do present some passages
of straight narrative, they have the option of linking sentences in
other, more marked ways. One way is through a developmental
conjunction such as δέ. (Footnote: More accurately, δέ is a
developmental-antidevelopmental conjunction, since it also
introduces parenthetical comments.)
His observations regarding the gospel of Mark specifically are limited to

the following on page 32:
In Matthew, Luke and Acts, δέ is used to mark development both

between incidents (high-level usage) and within incidents (local
usage). In Mark's gospel, however, δέ generally funtions locally; it
is rarely used to indicate development from one incident to another.
Mark
and on page 39:
Mark practically never uses δέ to introduce a new incident (1:32

and 7:24 are rare exceptions). In other words, Mark seldom
presents one incident as developing from the previous one. Even
Mark's local usage of δέ is generally limited to specific contexts.
Most commonly, δέ is used in Mark's gospel in instances
involving switch or contrast, whether or not there is a point of
departure.
Examples of δέ in connection with a point of departure include:
• a contrastive condition, as in 2:21-22;
• a temporal setting with contrasting overtones, as in 4:29;
• other points of departure involving contrast, as in 4:11, 34;
• a reference to the new individual through whom the story will
develop, as in 5:33, 36 and 6:22.
Examples of sentences containing δέ which begin with a verb,
when there are contrastive overtones, include Mark 2:20 and 6:16.
Only occasionally does δέ occur in sentences with an initial verb
when there are no contrastive overtones. Examples include Mark
7:20 and 9:25.
Another function of δέ is to introduce parenthetical comments,
particularly those that are significant for the further development of
the story, as in Mark 1:30a and 2:6.
(Palmer's note: the above bulleted "reference to the new individual through
whom the story will develop, as in 6:22" is from a variant of the Greek text
found in neither the UBS 4th edition nor the Nestle-Aland 27th Edtition.)
I Dave Palmer have observed that in many modern English translations,
when the Greek conjunction δέ is used to mark a parenthetical statement, it
is translated with the English word "now." One example is Mark 2:6, in the
context of Jesus teaching and healing in the Capernaum synagogue, verse 6
is often rendered: "Now some scribes were sitting there..." However, I am
loath to use the word "now," preferring that it be reserved as a time marker,
since time markers are so rare. When you read my translation, you can
know, that when you see the word "now," it means "now."
The gospel of Mark has the distinction of being the book in the New
Testament most extreme in its frequency of beginning sentences with the
two conjunctions. There are three other gospels, Matthew, Luke and John,
Mark
each with its own distinctive style. Why force all four of them into one
identical style of English, when God deliberately gave us four different
accounts authored by four unique individuals with their own style? Why
not allow the author of Mark to be seen as unsophisticated and vulgar in
style, which in fact he was? Why not let the four gospels be recognizably
different in style even after rendered into English? This, plus my
willingness to let the readers make their own interpretations of the "and"s,
led me to leave them all in there.
Therefore, please, let no one pounce judgmentally upon a translation for
dropping a lot of the "and"s, condemning the translator for "taking away
from God's word," and neither should others make condescending
conclusions about a translation that retains all the "and"s, as surely having
been done by an unskilled translator using an interlinear and lexical glosses.
Mark Endnote #2
Mark's frequent use of the present tense for the past
The gospel of Mark very frequently uses present tense verbs intermixed
with past tense verbs, even alternating several times back and forth within
the same sentence. This is something found far more frequently in Mark
than anywhere else in the Greek New Testament. The only pigeon-hole in
the grammars into which to potentially file this practice, has the label on it,
"historical present."
The definition of the historical present states that the present indicative
form of a verb (present time, linear or continuous aspect, statement of fact)
can be used to replace the aorist indicative form (past time, punctiliar
aspect, statement of fact) in a narrative, in describing events at which the
narrator imagines himself present right now, and gives the readers also a
feeling of being right there themselves. Supposedly, according to the
definition, the aspect remains punctiliar in spite of the present linear form.
This device gives the narrative an increased vividness and immediacy.
DeBrunner, in discussing "historical presents" in the gospel of John, sees
that the circumstances, or all that is secondary, are given in a past tense, and
the main action is likely to be represented by the present, and then the
concluding events are again put into the aorist because there, an historical
present would not be natural.
Mark
In a way, Mark's usage conforms essentially to this definition, but not

completely. Take for example Mark 6:1, Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ἐκεῖθεν, κα ἔρχεται εἰς
τὴν πατρίδα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀκολουθοῦσιν αὐτ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ , "And he moved
on from there, and comes into his home town, and his disciples are
accompanying him." Here the first verb, "moved on," is in the aorist, and is
secondary in importance to the present tense verbs, "comes" and "are
accompanying." The present tense verbs "comes" and "accompanying" are
setting the scene for the next story, while the past tense verb, "he moved
on," is hardly as important. But ultimately, Mark is doing the opposite of
DeBrunner's description of John: Mark is using the present tense to set the
circumstances, and the aorist for the main event, which follows: "He began
to teach in the synagogue," 6:2. Another way in which Mark does not
conform to the above formal rule of historical presents is that Mark often
uses them with their linear (continuous) aspect where such linear aspect is
clearly intended or appropriate.
The comment of Blass about this in Mark specifically is that the Aramaic
participial sentence may have contributed to its frequency. I agree that the
effect in Mark is similar to the "circumstantial participle." In fact I say that
the effect is better than that of the participle when put into English. Let's
rephrase the above Mark 6:1 making the ἀκολουθοῦσιν participial in English
rather than present tense: "And he moved on from there, coming into his
home town, his disciples accompanying." The use of the present indicative
makes it more clear than does the participle.
Here is the same verse using aorists instead of the presents: "And he
moved on from there and came into his home town, and his disciples
accompanied him." Well, it's okay. But if you read Mark at his brisk pace,
with an endless string of simple past statements of fact, it gets monotonous.
The present tenses liven it up, and truly, it is more like the way most
English speakers I know, actually speak.
See how familiar the following quote sounds to you. "I'm walking through
Northgate Mall, and I run into Ashley, and she says, 'What are you doing?'
And I'm like, 'Duh, I'm going shopping.'"
This narrative is describing events that took place in the past. The narrator
uses six verbs, but not a single one of them is past tense. Yet this is
acceptable to the ears of most English speakers, apart from perhaps the most
ivory tower of English professors. No doubt most people would admit it is
not the paragon of English style. As for reading my translation of Mark, the
present tenses may sound a bit strange to you at first. But if you continue
Mark
reading, after a while you get used to it. At any rate, it is Mark's style. And
the flip side of Mark's unsophistication is his honesty and
unpretentiousness, thanks to which we get some of the most frank
descriptions of the disciples and of other elements in the narrative.
Though it is often that Mark uses present indicative verbs participially, he
does at least as often use them with a punctiliar aspect, just as the mall girl
above said, "and I run into Ashley..." The verb run is in the present tense,
yet is something that happens once and is concluded, for she does not keep
running into Ashley repeatedly. Nor is she saying that it is her custom or
way of life to run into Ashley. Thus, though Mark's usage often does not
conform to the formal definition of the historical present, it often does.
To show just how often Mark uses present tense for the verbs, here is a
three-verse chunk of text from chapter 5, verses 38-40, in which there are
only a couple past tense verbs in the narrative. And I am not saying this is
the largest such chunk; it merely happened to be close to the previous
passage I was referring to above, and I caught sight of it.
38 And they are coming into the house of the synagogue ruler, and
he sees an uproar, and weeping and much loud wailing.
39 And when he had come in he says to them, "Why are you
making a commotion and weeping? The child is not dead but
sleeping."
40 And they laughed him to scorn. Then, having put them all out,
he takes the father of the child, and the mother, and the ones who
were with him, and he goes in where the child was.
Note: The words in v. 39 "and when he had come in" are not from a past
tense verb, but an aorist participle, and participles do not tell past-present-
future. Same with the "having put them all out" in v. 40- aorist participle.
The meaning of the aorist in the participle is that the action takes place in
"punctiliar kind of action," that is, at one point, as opposed to progressively
over a longer period of time, or continuously, or habitually, or repetitively.
Only when in the indicative mood do the verbs potentially tell us past-
present-future.
Following is a catalogue of the verbs in the above passage:
15 Greek verbs total

Mark
present progressive indicative 8 53% are coming, sees, says, making a

commotion, weeping, sleeping, takes, goes in
progressive participle 2 13% weeping, loud wailing
punctiliar participle 2 13% when he had come in, having put out
past punctiliar indicative 2 13% has died, laughed to scorn
past progressive indicative 1 7% was
Of the four gospel authors, Luke uses this "historical present" device the
least, because, according to Blass, Luke regarded it as vulgar. This is quite
to be expected, since Luke was the most educated of the four gospel
authors. But the fact is, the same style as Mark may be found in the
Septuagint, the papyri, Josephus, modern Greek, and yes, in the great
classical Greek writers. In this world, there are rules, whether of grammar
or whatever else, and then there is what people actually do.
I doubt that as Mark was writing his account, he was cognizant of any
grammatical rules governing the "historical present." And if he had been, I
doubt that he would have followed them all the time anyway. In
conclusion, if there is a well defined "historical present," Mark does not
come close to always conforming to it. And even if he did, he would have
been over-using it, for Mark uses a present-tense verb for the past very, very
frequently. No, whatever the formal nomenclature for it, if there is such,
Mark's use of present tense verbs for the past is simply an unsophisticated,
every-day, man-on-the-street style, which is also very common in the
English of our time. And translating Mark's present tenses into English
presents does work, so I see no compelling reason not to do so.
Indeed, in this decision I am in good company. There is another English
translation that translated all the Greek present tenses into English present
tenses, and that translation is only the best-selling piece of English literature
of all time on the planet Earth, the King James Version Bible. Ironically, it is
held up as having great "literary beauty," and being great English. The fact
is, the King James Version was written in common, popular English, such as
using the present tense for the past. It also more closely followed Greek
word syntax than do modern translations. To some of us, 400 years later,
the phrase, "And Jesus saith unto him" sounds sophisticated. But in fact, the
word "saith" was the present tense, third person, singular form for "say." In
modern English, "Jesus says to him."
No doubt there are other interpretations of Mark's use of the historical
Mark
present, but that is all the more reason to leave the verbs in the present in
English: so that the reader may have the opportunity to see them and so
interpret them.
Mark Endnote #3
Mark 2:23, ἤρξαντο ὁδὸν ποιεῖν
This phrase if translated using the most frequently translated English

words, (the "lexical glosses"), would be, 'began to make or do a way or path.'
The form ἤρξαντο is the 3rd person, plural, aorist, indicative, middle voice,
of the verb ἄρχω or ἄρχομαι (árchō or árchomai), which means to begin. We
must understand that they began to do something they were not doing up
to that point. (These grammatical details are pertinent to my argument, so
please bear with me as it develops.)
The word ποιεῖν (poieȋn) is the linear infinitive form of the word ποιέω
(poiéō) meaning 'to do' or 'to make,' depending on the context. The
combination of ἤρξαντο (3rd pl.) or ἤρξατο (3rd sing.) with a following
infinitive is very common in both the New and Old Testaments, found well
over a hundred times.
This passage here in Mark is usually translated something like, 'as they
made their way,' or, 'as they went along.' I find these simply unacceptable.
The first adds the possessive pronoun 'their,' which is unwarranted, and the
second is a little better, but they both ignore the fact that the word ἄρχομαι
when in the aorist middle, ἤρξαντο, as here, always takes the infinitive. The
infinitive here is ποιεῖν (poieȋn), to do or to make. We can absolutely rule out
'plucking' as what the disciples were beginning to do. And the disciples
were not 'beginning to go along,' or 'beginning to make their way.' Because
the verse had already stated that they were 'passing through the grainfields.'
For the Greek infinitive is translated as an English participle like "making"
only when it is with the article, but the article is not present here. No, we
must show them starting some new activity once they were already passing
through the grainfields. That is what ἄρχομαι means.
The 3rd person aorist middle of ἄρχομαι (ἤρξαντο or ἤρξατο) occurs well
over a hundred times in both the New Testament and the Old, and it is
always followed by an infinitive. I have not found an exception. Vincent in
his Word Studies says this phrase is a Latinism, where he says Mark adopts
Mark
the Latin phrase iter facere, "to make a way." But this conjecture violates the
required presumption that the writer used ordinary grammar. Since Mark
did in fact use this exact ἄρχομαι construction 25 times elsewhere in the
ordinary Greek way: with an infinitive, and Mark's examples in fact
comprise one third of the occurrences in the whole New Testament, the
burden to overcome the presumption that Mark used ordinary grammar is
too great to be overcome by a conjecture of a Latinism.
Then Vincent says, "The same idiom occurs in the Septuagint, Judges 17:8;
ποιῆσαι ὁδὸν, 'as he journeyed.' " But Vincent neglects to point out that, first
of all, the whole thing is a genitive phrase, preceded by τοῦ, "belonging to or
characterized by his to journey," and secondly, it is not preceded by ἤρξατο.
So I do not see the comparability. He also fails to mention that ὁδὸν is
followed by the word αὐτοῦ, which would make it say "his journey," which
possessive pronoun we do not have here in Mark. There is in Mark simply
no indication that a possessive pronoun is called for, as: "their way." It is
true that in Greek, as in German and some other Indo-European languages,
the possessive pronoun need not be supplied where possession is obvious.
But, in that situation in Greek, from what I have seen, the article is found
instead. Here we have no article. Neither is possession obvious. I again fail
to see the comparability.
Another argument against the phrase ἤρξαντο ὁδὸν ποιεῖν being a Latinism
meaning, "to make their way,” in my mind, is that the Douay-Rheims
translators did not see it that way. You see, the Douay-Rheims was a
Roman Catholic translation based muchly on the Latin Vulgate. The NAB is
also a Catholic translation, whose translators we can presume, know Latin.
And they did not see this as a Latinism either. I reject the argument of
Vincent and others, therefore, that this phrase in the Greek represents a
Latinism.
And others in their attempt to justify departing from the "ἤρξαντο followed
by infinitive" rule, point to Acts 11:4, where Peter explained starting from
the beginning, ἀρξαμενος ἐξετίθετο. But there, archomai is a linear participle.
There is no infinitive there in Acts, so I fail to see the comparability.
Still another argument is that ἄρχομαι is a pleonasm here, that is, an extra
wordiness not adding anything significant to the meaning. I strongly
disagree. I have never seen ἄρχομαι used pleonastically in the gospel of
Mark, not in the third person, aorist, middle voice, indicative aspect; it
always signals the beginning of an activity.
Even if they were not "beginning to make a way," they were certainly not
Mark
"beginning to pluck," since "pluck" is a participle instead of the required

infinitive. So what was it the disciples were 'beginning' to do that they were
not already doing?
Some have translated this phrase "they began to make a path" through the
grain. But this does not seem sensible, for there would be no need to make a
path through the grain, because one can pluck from the plants that are right
next to the road. Yet it is possible there was no road, or that they were
taking a shortcut right through a particularly large field of grain. Perhaps
those translating it such, had in mind the finely developed doctrine of the
scribes as to what constituted unlawful harvesting on the Sabbath. Over the
centuries it was decided that it was permitted to walk through a grainfield if
the plants were only ankle high; but if the plants were at least knee high, it
was not permissible, for then one's legs might inadvertently knock some of
the ripened grain off the heads, and thereby 'work' by doing what
constituted 'threshing.' But here, it was not that the disciples were
inadvertently knocking off heads of grain, for they were deliberately
plucking them off and de-husking them between their hands. Still, this
interpretation has merit, and I consider it the second best interpretation. At
least it is faithful to the ἤρξαντο - infinitive rule. Jesus' response is revealing,
as to the comparison he used, to illustrate what his disciples were doing.
David, he says, broke the law because he was hungry and in need, and that
is a valid excuse in Jesus' mind. So also now, the disciples may be
technically breaking the law by doing what officially constituted
"threshing," but since they are hungry and in need, mercy and compassion
are weightier matters of the law than those technicalities.
Now in Mark's phrase ἤρξαντο ὁδὸν ποιεῖν, "began to do or make a way,"
the word ὁδὸν is the accusative case, singular form of the word ὁδός (hodós),
which means 'way' or 'road' or 'journey.' But just like our English word
'way,' it is very often used metaphorically, as meaning 'a systematic course
of action," or also "a way of doing something." The Bible speaks of the 'way
of peace' (Isaiah 59:7-8; Rom. 3:17), the 'ways of the Lord,' etc. In the early
days of the church, when people referred to the first Jewish believers in
Jesus as the Messiah, they called their set of beliefs and practices ἡ ὁδός, (hē
hodós), "the way," Acts 9:2, 19:9, 23, 22:4, 24:14, 22.
Aristophanes in "Plutus" at 506 used hodós to mean a course of action: εἰ
παύσει ταύτην βλέψας ποθ’ ὁ Πλοῦτος, ὁδὸν ἥντιν’ ἰὼν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀγάθ’ ἄν
μείζω πορίσειεν, "if Plutus...drove out [Poverty], it would be the greatest
blessing possible for the human race."
Mark
Plato used the word hodós as follows in his Laws, 810e: θαρροῦντα τὴν νῦν
ἐκ τῶν παρόντων λόγων τετμημένην ὁδὸν τῆς νομοθεσίας πορεύεσθαι, "to
proceed boldly along the path of legislation marked out in our present
discourse..."
I have not seen the word ποιέω used for the idea of "make a road."
Thucydides in his Histories, at 2.100.2, when describing improvements to a country
made by king Archelaus, including the making of roads, did not use ποιέω, but said
Ἀρχέλαος...καὶ ὁδοῦς εὐθείας ἕτεμε..., "Archelaus...also cut straight roads."
In Tragedy, the verb ἀνύειν was used in phrases with ὁδόν or κέλευθον
meaning "make one's way," or "win."
Ποιέω often means the same as πράσσω. Ποιέω was used, for example to
say "good doings or practices." Herodotus used ποιέω this way in his
Histories, 3.75.1 about king Cyrus: ἔλεγε ὅσα ἀγαθὰ Κῦρος Πέρσας πεποιήκοι,
"he recounted all the good that Cyrus had done to Persia..."
In fact ποιέω can itself mean something similar to the metaphorical hodós,
i.e., "practice" or "custom." Speaking of polygamy in Histories, at 5.40.2,
Herodotus said ...γυναῖκας ἔχων δύο διξὰς ἱστίας οἴκεε, ποιέων οὐδαμῶς
Σπαρτιητικά. "...he had two wives and kept two households, a thing which is
not at all customary at Sparta."
In light of the above word studies, the ὁδὸν ποιεῖν in Mark 2:23 could even
be a Hebraistic redundancy: "they practiced a practice." If it means
something like, "they began to do a custom," or "began to practice a way,"
then it could be explained a couple of ways. One, that since they were all
unemployed, and perpetual travelers, it was a way of life for them to eat
from the fields of others. Or two, more like Plato's ὁδὸν τῆς νομοθεσίας
πορεύεσθαι, "to proceed along the path of legislation..."
Thus in my humble opinion the most satisfactory explanation of these
words is that Mark is explaining Jewish things to us, as he often does,
thanks be to God. Mark is here editorializing, as he often does for the
benefit of his non-Jewish readers. In this case he is explaining lest the
readers think the disciples were doing something wrong like stealing or
trespassing. Mark probably wanted them to know that this was an
acceptable way of the Jews, the allowable Jewish practice of "plucking the
heads," of Deuteronomy 23:25, "If you enter your neighbor's grainfield, you
may pluck the heads with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to your
neighbor's standing grain."
It may well be that it was foreseen that this passage would be scandalous
in the eyes of many future readers. To wit, if Mark had not explained this
Mark
for us in his gospel, then wherever this gospel is translated throughout the
world, into the remotest tribal language, this passage would raise eyebrows
among the tribespeople, as follows. "Jesus and his disciples would trespass
and steal their neighbors' food!?" I assure you that the stealing of food is
what tribespeople will zero in on, and continue to do so, even after you
explain any Sabbath issue. Thus it is that Mark tells us that this practice was
acceptable; it was a "path of legislation." It was an acceptable way, a Jewish
way, a custom.
Mark Endnote #4
Mark 3:9; πλοιάριον προσκαρτερῇ...ἵνα μὴ θλίβωσιν αὐτόν
I see three possibilities of interpretation here:

(1) This clause expresses a concern that something might happen, or is like
a ὅπως clause, or also like the "infinitive of result," expressing a result, with
the previously stated condition as a deterrent to prevent the result. Since
θλίβωσιν is the present subjunctive, this theory is possible. That idea would
be that Jesus wanted to use the presence of the boat as a threat to deter the
people, that if they would not queue up in a civilized manner to be healed
in turn, he would get into the boat, and then none of them could be healed.
Thus, "he told his disciples that a boat should be on hand for him, because
of the crowd, so that they would not crush him."
But, I see two problems with this interpretation; one, is that it does not say
that Jesus actually got into the boat at this time; and two, that it seems out of
character for Jesus to threaten them with withdrawal, out of concern for his
own injury. One thing I perceived out of translating Mark is how "close to
the edge" Jesus lived; indeed, a few paragraphs later we see that his family
did not approve. Jesus was not a wimp as far as fear and desire for self-
preservation. The point is that Jesus would not be concerned about the
crowd merely pressing in upon him. Instead, here I think that he was in
mortal danger of being literally crushed under a pile of bodies. The Greek
word ἐπιπίπτω – epipíptō originally meant an attack, like when an army or a
lion would "fall upon" its prey (though it can also be used figuratively).
One might even translate it here, "leaped upon" him. I picture Jesus
struggling to stay standing, because at the very least, he was getting
knocked from a domino effect, if not actually having people landing on him
after leaping over the people that had been in their way. At any rate, I do
Mark
not think the mere presence of a boat nearby would succeed in deterring the
desperate crowd of sick people.
(2) On the other hand, the present subjunctive in this situation could also
mean something similar to μέλλει - méllei, that something is about to happen.
And ἵνα μὴ sometimes is an expression of apprehension, BDF §370(1), cf.
LXX Daniel 1:10. Thus, "a boat should be kept handy for him, because of the
crowd, in case they should crush him." In other words, Jesus would use the
boat in the event that the crowd got too overwhelming.
I have chosen stronger shades of meaning of the words than some. I don't
think the scene was very genteel. Picture people without medicine available
as we know it, and without money even if it was, who had heard that Jesus
could and did completely heal any ailment, and they walk, in desperation,
from as far away as Idumea, and Sidon, and when they arrive to Jesus, they
merely "press upon him"? Since people dug through a roof above him to get
to him when he was in a house, imagine what hordes of desperate people
would do when Jesus was standing out in the open, on the beach. Jesus
simply wanted to have an escape route ready, in order to prevent his
suffocation, in case it came to that, so that he could continue doing the
Father's work. His time had not yet come for him to die. But I think he
wanted to heal as many people as possible, not withdraw from them on the
boat just out of reach.
(3) The third possibility is that the present subjunctive of προσκαρτέρω,
"that a boat be continually at hand," is meant as a wish for the near future.
Thus, "he told his disciples that in the future a boat should be ready for him,
because of the crowd, so that then they would not crush him."
This latter seems the most likely, for later, and only later, do we see, in
Mark 4:1, that Jesus used the new strategy to deal with large crowds: "a very
large crowd collects around him, such that he boards a boat to sit on the
lake, and all the crowd was on the land up to the water's edge." Boarding
the boat and floating separate from the crowd made it possible for Jesus to
teach them at all, for it is hard to teach when you are trying to keep your
footing.
Mark
Mark Endnote #5
Mark 14:72, ἐπιβαλλω
The words "when he thought upon" are translated from the Greek word
ἐπιβαλλω (epibállō), which hyper literally means "throw upon," or, "throw
over," and which is in the punctiliar participle form. There are three schools
of thought on how to translate this: one, as I have it above.
The second school objects, saying the idea of "think upon" is redundant
since it already states that Peter "recalled" the statement. And they point to
uses of the word where it appears to mean somewhat the same as ἄρχομαι
(árchomai), or "begin to do something," and they render it something like,
"And he broke down and wept," or, "he burst into tears." As for the
objection regarding the redundancy of "thinking upon," I see them as two
quite different actions: merely remembering something is very different
from reflecting upon something.
The third school translates epibállō as a reflexive, which is in fact possible,
since there are plenty of examples of transitive active verbs of action being
used reflexively, that is, as though in the middle voice, where the agent acts
upon himself. In fact epibállō (along with its compounds) is one of the two
verbs with which this is most common, according to Blass. This school
would translate this something like, "And after having thrown himself
down, he wept." I consider this possible, since the word is also used in the
New Testament for "pour." Thus, "And having poured himself upon [the
ground], he wept," or, "having flung himself, he wept." This latter is what I
had chosen for my first edition of my Diatessaron. This solution has the
attractive trait to it that one need not supply any English words as being
implied, unlike with the other two possibilities. And it seems to fit well
with Matthew's account which says he wept "bitterly." I can easily imagine
one dropping to the ground because of the bitterness or strength or abandon
of one's sobbing.
Mark Endnote #6
Mark 15:2, Συ λεγεις
In Mark 15:2, Jesus' answer to Pilate's question, "Are you the king of the Jews,"
Mark
the words I translated: "You are the one saying that," the words in the Greek are Σὺ
λέγεις – Sù légeis. This means literally, "You are saying," or, "Are you saying?" Is
this an affirmative response or not?
On the one hand, the presence of the personal pronoun "su" is not necessary for
the sense, nor for the completeness of the sentence (because the suffix on the word
for "say" indicates 2nd person). This can mean that "su" is being emphasized. So
some contrast could be indicated, contrasting what "you" say, to what "I" say. This
is more clearly so in John 18:34, where Jesus says, ἀφ’ ἑαυτοῦ σὺ τοῦτο λέγεις –"Of
yourself do you say this, or have others told you about me?" And in John 18:37,
where Jesus says Σὺ λέγεις ὅτι βασιλεύς εἰμι. Ἐγὼ εἰς τοῦτο..., "You are saying that
I am a king; I am saying that for this: I came into the world to testify to the truth."
See DeBrunner, § 277 (2). There is also some contrast intended by "su" in Matthew
26:64, Σὺ εἶπας· πλην λέγω ὑμῖν..., (plēn légō humȋn), "You said it. But I say to
you,...". And if Jesus wanted to be unambiguously affirmative, he could have
answered as he did in Mark 14:62 to the high priest's question, "Are you the
Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?" There, Jesus' answer was an unmistakably
affirmative, ἐγώ εἰμι (egō eimi), "I am."
Bauer interprets the Σὺ λέγεις here as, "That is what you maintain." Or perhaps it
is a question like in John's account: "Is that what you maintain?" For such uses of
λέγειν see Mark 6:14-15; 8:29. In this sense, I could see it as a response arising out
of Jesus' awareness of the prosecutorial import of Pilate's question. That is, Pilate
was considering charging Jesus with claiming to be a king, an act treasonous to
Caesar. And a non-answer on the part of Jesus would better fulfill his destiny as
given in Isaiah 53:7, that like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and as a sheep before
its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
On the other hand, in some contexts where the phrases Σὺ λέγεις and the similar
Σὺ εἶπας (you said) are given in answer, we have reason to believe they were
understood by the hearers as affirmative answers. In Matthew 26:25, after Jesus
had declared to his disciples that one of them would betray him, they each in turn
said, "Surely not I, Lord?" When Judas Iscariot asked the same, Jesus' answer to
him was, Σὺ εἶπας, "You said it." And in Luke 22:70 when the Sanhedrin asked
Jesus if he was the son of God, Jesus answered, ὑμεις λέγετε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι (you are
saying that I am). This was taken by the Sanhedrin as a blasphemous "yes," for they
then said, "Why do we need any more testimony? For we ourselves have heard
from his own mouth." However, knowing the more complete text of the
conversation as found in Matthew, the reaction of the Sanhedrin could have been in
response to his later saying, as in Matthew 26:64, "You said it. But I say to you,
from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and
Mark
coming on the clouds of heaven."

If someone wanted to simply say “Yes” as an answer to a question, all they had to
say in Greek is Ναί, of which there are many examples in the Greek New
Testament. In Matthew alone:
9:28 Ἐλθόντι δὲ εἰϛ τὴν οἰκίαν, προσῆλθον αὐτ οἱ τυφλοί, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ
Ἰησοῦς, Πιστεύετε ὅτι δύναμαι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι; Λέγουσιν αὐτ , Ναί, κύριε.
13:51 ¶ Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Συνήκατε ταῦτα πάντα; Λέγουσιν αὐτ , Ναί, κύριε.
17:25 Λέγει, Ναί. Καὶ ὅτε εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν, προέφθασεν αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς,
λέγων, Τί σοι δοκεῖ, Σίμων; Οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς ἀπὸ τίνων λαμβάνουσιν τέλη ἢ
κῆνσον; Ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτῶν, ἢ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων;
21:16 καὶ ε πον αὐτ , Ἀκούεις τί οὗτοι λέγουσιν; Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦϛ λέγει αὐτοῖς, Ναί:
οὐδέποτε ἀνέγνωτε ὅτι Ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων κατηρτίσω α νον;
If we take Jesus' Σὺ λέγεις as an affirmative response, however, it would not be

accurate to translate it as simply, "Yes." Better would be something like "As you
say," or "You've got it," or "You are saying rightly."
When translating this phrase in Mark, Sù légeis, it is impossible to stay
completely neutral by simply translating the Greek words literally, and adding no
English words. For in English, the words "You are saying" would not be a complete
sentence. The English word "say" is always transitive, requiring an object in the
sentence. In other words, the sentence must tell what is said. Thus, when you look
at various English translations, you will find distinct differences.
We would be remiss if we did not consider the question, in light of other sources
as well, as to whether Jesus actually considered himself the king of the Jews. And
we must consider both ideas in the question: first, there is the question of kingship
at all, and secondly there is the question whether he is king of the Jews. He
admitted to being God's Anointed One, when Peter declared so in answer to Jesus'
question, "Who do you say I am?" (Matthew 16:15-20) But significantly, Jesus
used this as a segue to say, "I will build my church."
All four gospels have Pilate asking Jesus, "Are you the king of the Jews," Mt
27:11, Mk 15:2, Lk 23:3, Jn 18:33. And in all four gospels Jesus' answer contains
the words σὺ λέγεις. But The three synoptic gospels have no detail in the
conversation between Jesus and Pilate; they have Σὺ λέγεις as Jesus' entire answer.
The gospel of John, however, it takes four verses after Pilate asks him if he is the
Mark
king of the Jews, to cover Jesus' answers and Pilate's responses. In John, the words
Σὺ λέγεις are found both immediately after Pilate's question, in verse 18:34, which
all translations interpret as a question, "Are you saying this...?" and then also three
verses later the words Σὺ λέγεις are found as a statement, "You are saying that..."
Thus John's gospel is by far the most detailed in its recounting of Jesus'
conversation with Pilate, and sheds the most light on the question at hand, that is,
whether Jesus considered himself the king of the Jews.
In John's gospel, Jesus admits to being a king, but makes three qualifications to
his kingship: (1.) His kingship is not of this world, 18:36; (2.) His kingship is not
from this place, 18:36; and (3.) kingship is not the reason he was born into the
world, 18:37.
Throughout Jesus' ministry, he urged secrecy upon those he healed, and upon
demons, that they not reveal who he was. After the feeding of the 5,000, John tells
us Jesus knew that many in the crowd wanted to come and take him to make him
king by force (6:15). Jesus circumvented even the possibility of that. It seems that
the possibility of his being King of the Jews was to be first offered to and
considered by the Sanhedrin. (Jesus himself said they sit in Moses' seat, Matthew
23:2.) If they were willing, John was the Elijah who was to come, Matthew 11:14.
But the leaders were not willing. They alone did not submit to John's baptism, Luke
7:29-30. True, when Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, he did not
refute or controvert those hailing the arrival of the Son of David, the King of Israel.
Then when tried by the Sanhedrin, Jesus acknowledged being the Messiah, the Son
of David, and hence the King of the Jews. The Sanhedrin however rejected him as
such, and thereby rejected him on behalf of the whole nation of Israel. Then kicked
in Jesus' prophecy that "the kingdom will be taken away from you and given to a
people who will produce its fruit," Matthew 21:43. So by the time Jesus was tried
by Pilate, Jesus had ceased to be officially offered as the Messiah. Yet could it be
that God in his patience once again was holding out his Son to the leaders through
Pilate: "Would you have me release to you the King of the Jews?" But they once
again responded, "No, let his blood be on us and on our children!" Shudder at the
words. And so it would be.
Does this leave open the possibility that Jesus answered affirmatively to Pilate
that he was the king of the Jews? I think not. Pilate's reaction is telling. We are
told that Pilate is astonished that Jesus gave no answer, not to even a single charge.
You see, according to Mark 15:26, "king of the Jews" was the charge against him
that was made notice of over his head at his crucifixion, the charge for which the
Sanhedrin executed him. Thus, we may say that the Sanhedrin alleged that he
claimed to be king of the Jews, and Pilate asked him if this charge was true, and
Mark
Jesus says to Pilate, "Are you alleging so?" In Roman law, an averment when
unrebutted, thereafter stood as valid. Jesus did not rebut, to the astonishment of
Pilate. But this was Jesus' destiny: "As a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he
did not open his mouth." Jesus neither confirmed nor denied the charges. Prophecy
states that Jesus would not answer the charges. And he did not answer.
Something else to consider, is that Jesus had already consistently avoided
disclosing that he was the king of the Jews, avoided disclosing it to the general
Jewish populace. Why would he now readily admit it to the Roman governor?
I concluded ultimately to render the phrase Σὺ λέγεις as I did, because there is
no compelling evidence from other Biblical Greek usage that it is an idiom for
simply “Yes.” I have been shown some Rabbinic examples where it was
understood as a Yes, and some where it would obviously not be understood as a yes.
Therefore, I have to conclude that it is not a yes of any kind. At the same time, it is
not a denial. Which sometimes some people might take as a yes.
But as for translation, it should be translated literally, and left at that. No helper
words should be added that might imply an affirmative answer. Because it was not
always an affirmative answer.
Here are a couple Rabbinic examples:
As cited by Thayer in 1894, pp. 40-41:
Jerusalem Talmud, ed. Wagenseil, Tract Sota, p. 1001; see also tract. Kilaim, fol.
32, col. 2. Thayer states it this way:
"The story relates to the famous Judah 'Hakkodesh," who in the second century is
reputed to have codified the Mishna. The substance of it ... runs as follows: "When
Rabbi Judah was on his dying bed and the fatal hour was at hand, the inhabitants of
Sepphoris (where he dwelt) in an excess of sorrow spread abroad the saying,
"Whoever shall tell us that the Rabbi is dead we will slay." Therefore, when he had
breathed his last, the son of Kaphra betakes himself to them, with head covered and
raiment torn, and addresses them as follows: "Holy men and heavenly powers laid
hold at the same time on the Tables of the Law, and each party endeavorerd to get
possession of them, but the heavenly powers prevailed, and they carried off the
Tables." Thereupon the citizens of Sepphoris inquire, "Has Rabbi Judah fallen
asleep?" The son of Kaphra replies, "Ye have said." Then they rent their robes, etc."
Mark
Thayer footnotes: "The story is also given in Schwab's French translation of the
Talmud, vol. ii., p. 316 (Paris, 1878)
On p. 42 Thayer suggests a Hebrew phrase such as ken dibarta as the equivalent.
Here is a blog entry that was brought to my attention, apparently posted by a Matt
Colvin. I think it has some very good points.
Alastair has asked me to blog about something Jesus said during His earthly
ministry. This being Lent, I thought it might be good to focus on something he
repeats three times during the Passion week. Thrice Jesus answers a question by su
eipas “you have said (it),” or su legeis “you say (it)”. With this reply, He is
answering momentous questions: “Is it I [who am to betray you], Lord?” by Judas
(Mt. 26:25); “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” by the High Priest
(Mt. 26:64); and “You are the king of the Jews?” by Pilate (Mt. 27:11, Mk. 15:2,
Lk. 23:3, Jn. 18:37). The reply to all three is mistranslated by many Bibles as “It is
as you say,” i.e. a direct affirmation of the proposition put in the question. It is
amusing to look at the NKJV and find “It is as you say” – the italics indicating the
translators’ supplements.
David Daube, in an article on Judas, traces Jesus’ utterance to the Hebrew ‘amarta,
which Strack-Billerbeck equate with wie du sagst, so ist es: “as you say, so it is.”
But this is not the true meaning of the phrase. Daube cites an episode from t. B. K.
Kelim 1:6, which concerns a dispute over whether a certain entrance to the Temple
had required a washing of hands and feet. After the war with Rome, Rabbi Simon
the Modest, in the presence of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, professed that he used
to enter that particular gate without washing. “Whereupon Eliezer, a giant in
learning and piety yet rudely domineering, asked him which was more esteemed, he
or the High Priest. Simon kept silent. Eliezer: “You are ashamed to admit that the
High Priest’s dog was more esteemed than you.” Simon: “Rabbi, you have said it.”
Eliezer: “By the Temple service, they would break even the High Priest’s head with
their clubs [were he to enter unwashed]; what would you do that the guard might
not find you?”
R. Simon’s use of ‘amarta is a reply to Eliezer’s rude comparison of himself with

the High Priest’s dog. It is a mistake to read it as “Yes, you’re absolutely right.” It is
far more subtle than that: something more like, “I take no responsibility for the
Mark
proposition you have just put. It came out of your mouth, not mine. To say more
would be to cross a line into impropriety.”
Consider: a straight “Yep” would be absolutely inappropriate in Judas’ case. “One

of you is going to betray me.” Judas: “Is it I, Rabbi?” Jesus: “Bingo.” This would be
mere fatalism, not Biblical prophecy. Judas becomes a sort of Oedipus, betraying
the Messiah malgré lui. But Jesus’ answer is a non-denial, not a straight affirmation.
Judas will betray, but not because Jesus has compelled him.
The answers given on the witness stand before the Sanhedrin and Pilate would be
less troublesome if they were reduced to “yes.” But there, too, Jesus has His reasons
for evasion. Of course, Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One. And the
reaction of His opponents to his use of su eipas is to treat it as a “yes.” But this is
because in their eyes only a denial of His Messiahship would do. As for Pilate, N.T.
Wright points out that his question is in the form of a statement: “You are the king
of the Jews” – su ei ho basileus twn Ioudaiwn. The answer “Thou sayest” has a
further nuance to it: You think you are asking, but you are in fact declaring. Pilate
will end by writing Jesus’ title on a sign over His head.
Jesus’ answer before the Sanhedrin and Pilate is of a piece with the rest of His
earthly ministry. He never denies His messiahship, but He seldom asserts it
verbally. Rather, by His actions, He lets the Father and Spirit testify of Him, while
He testifies of Them. Of course, He is the king of the Jews. But recall to what
lengths he had gone to avoid oral professions of it. When John’s disciples asked him
if He was the Coming One, “or do we wait for another”, Jesus directed them to
“Tell John what you have seen and heard,” and adverted to His miracles and His
preaching of the kingdom. When confronted by the Pharisees about the crowds who
were hailing Him as Messiah, He replies that if they do not do it, the stones will cry
out. He tells the Jews that “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not
true…There is one who testifies.” What wonder then that when on the witness
stand, Jesus still refuses to testify? “You will see the Son of Man coming in the
clouds, and sitting at the right hand of God.” The Father will vindicate Him. He
does not need to argue His way to a “not guilty” verdict.
Klaas Schilder likes to point out that though Jesus is in the dock, it is really the
Sanhedrin and Pilate who are on trial. Jesus is pronouncing sentence on them. He
has come to Israel and done the works of His Father. All Israel is on trial to see
what she thinks of God’s anointed. Peter passed the same test with his profession:
Mark
“You are the Christ, the son of the living God,” and Jesus congratulated him. But
then He immediately commanded his disciples to tell no one (Mt. 16:20).
The Jews of Jesus’ day took His reticience for a “yes”: “What further need of
witnesses? You have heard the blasphemy.” But many modern Jews take it as a
“no.” A. Kolatch, The Second Jewish Book of Why, p. 71:
Many Jewish scholars believe that Jesus considered himself a prophet only. They
reject the contention of Christian scholars that when Jesus used the phrase “Son of
Man” in his preaching (first mentioned in Daniel 7:13, where the Aramaic phrase
bar enash is used), he was referring to himself as the Messiah. The phrase “Son of
Man,” in the Jewish view, is used in the third person, and more likely than not,
when Jesus used the phrase he was referring to someone other than himself. Jewish
scholars also point to the fact that there is little evidence in the Synoptic Gospels
(Matthew, Mark, Luke) – the earliest account of the life of Jesus – that Jesus
regarded himself as the Messiah.
“Little evidence”?? What kind of evidence did Kolatch want? Miracles?
The trial continues to this day. Who do you say that He is?
Matt Colvin holds a PhD in Classics from Cornell University, and has published
articles in Oxford Studies in Ancient Philosophy and the Classical Quarterly. He has
worked as a quarry truck driver, and a teacher at Mars Hill Academy in Cincinnati,
OH (to which he will return this fall). He blogs at Fragmenta.
The above Rabbinic example shows that the idiom does not mean “It is as you say.”
It really is a non-answer. Sometimes it was understood as yes, sometimes not. So,
we should just translate it literally.
There is no example of this exact phrase in the Septuagint that is an answer to a yes-
or-no question. What instances there are in the LXX are below:
1 Kings 3:23 Σὺ λέγεις means “you are claiming.” This is the famous dispute
between the two women as to whose son it was that was the living baby, and King
Solomon wisely settled it. He said to one of them, “You are claiming ‘My son is
the living one.’” Then in the same verse, σὺ λέγεις appears again, when he says to
the other woman, “You say, ‘No, on the contrary, my son is the living one.’”
Mark
1 Kings 18:11 Καὶ νῦν σὺ λέγεις “And now you are saying, ‘Go tell your
master…”
1 Kings 18:14 you are saying, same as 18:11
2 Esdras 15:12 οὕτως ποιήσομεν, καθὼς σὺ λέγεις. “This we have done, just as you
say.”
2 Esdras 16:8 καὶ ἀπέστειλα πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγων Οὐκ ἐγενήθη ὡς οἱ λόγοι οὗτοι, οὓς
σὺ λέγεις, ὅτι ἀπὸ καρδίας σου σὺ ψεύδῃ αὐτούς. Here it means “these words
which you are saying.” Nothing like “yes.”
Amos 7:16 καὶ νῦν ἄκουε λόγον κυρίου Σὺ λέγεις Μὴ προφήτευε ἐπὶ τὸν Ισραηλ
καὶ οὐ μὴ ὀχλαγωγήσῃς ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ιακωβ· “And now, listen: A word of the
Lord: ‘You say, “Do not prophesy against Israel…”
Jeremiah 39:25 καὶ σὺ λέγεις πρός με Κτῆσαι σεαυτῷ ἀγρὸν ἀργυρίου· And you
say to me, “Buy yourself the field with silver”
Jeremiah 39:36 καὶ νῦν οὕτως εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν, ἣν σὺ
λέγεις Παραδοθήσεται εἰς χεῖρας βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος ἐν μαχαίρᾳ καὶ ἐν λιμῷ καὶ
ἐν ἀποστολῇ “And now thus the Lord God of Israel has spoken concerning this
city, of which you say, ‘It shall be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon
by the sword…’”
Jeremiah 39:43 καὶ κτηθήσονται ἔτι ἀγροὶ ἐν τῇ γῇ, ᾗ σὺ λέγεις Ἄβατός ἐστιν ἀπὸ
ἀνθρώπων καὶ κτήνους καὶ παρεδόθησαν εἰς χεῖρας Χαλδαίων. And there shall still
yet be fields bought in the land, about which you say, ‘It shall be destitute of man
and beast…’”
Jeremiah 47:16 καὶ εἶπεν Γοδολιας πρὸς Ιωαναν Μὴ ποιήσῃς τὸ πρᾶγμα τοῦτο, ὅτι
ψευδῆ σὺ λέγεις περὶ Ισμαηλ. But Godolias said to Joanan, “Do not do the thing,
for you are saying lies about Israel.”
Mark
Mark Endnote #7
DOES THE GREEK VERB ΦΟΒ Ω REQUIRE AN OBJECT?
Some interpreters maintain that the Greek word in Mark 16:8 for "they were
afraid," ἐφοβοῦντο, should be translated "they were afraid of..." They
maintain that this verb always requires an object. The answer to this
question would have much bearing on whether the longer ending of Mark
naturally follows, or if the original ending was lost.
Friederich Blass says in § 149 that this verb (he lists verbs in present
infinitive form, i.e., φοβεῖσθαι) is usually transitive. Bauer's lexicon does
comment that "for they were afraid of..." is an odd way to end the eighth
verse. My opinion is that, if this verb is required to be transitive there, it is
the guards that they were afraid of, since the guards were probably still
present at the tomb. See my Diatessaron.
Further, some say that it is odd for a sentence to end with γάρ, but this is not
true. There is nothing unusual about γάρ being placed either before or after
other words. Even in English this word order would not be odd. The word
γάρ is an explanatory word which might nicely be rendered as "they were
afraid, you see."
The verb φοβέω - phobéō is in the imperfect in Mark 16:8, so I have located
all occurrences of this verb in the imperfect to be found in the Greek New
Testament, and typed them below. It can be seen that only very rarely is
φοβέω - phobéō not transitive. The intransitive ones are Mark 10:32, only
one out of twelve.
ἐφοβοῦντο (third person, plural, imperfect, as in 16:8)
Mark 9:32 οἱ δὲ ἠγνόουν τὸ ῥῆμα, καὶ ἐφοβοῦντο αὐτὸν ἐπερωτῆσαι.

32But they did not understand the statement, and they were afraid to
query him.
Mark 10:32 Ἦσαν δὲ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἀναβαίνοντες εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα, καὶ ἦν

προάγων αὐτοὺς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἐθαμβοῦντο, οἱ δὲ ἀκολουθοῦντες
ἐφοβοῦντο.
Mark
32And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going
on ahead of them; they were stunned, while those following were fearing.
And taking the Twelve aside again, he began to tell them the things about to
happen to him.
Mark 11:18 καὶ ἤκουσαν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς, καὶ ἐζήτουν πῶς
αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσιν· ἐφοβοῦντο γὰρ αὐτόν
18And the chief priests and the Torah scholars heard, and they were
looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him,
Mark 11:32 ἀλλὰ εἴπωμεν, Ἐξ ἀνθρώπων; – ἐφοβοῦντο τὸν ὄχλον,

ἅπαντες γὰρ εἶχον τὸν Ἰωάννην ὄντως ὅτι προφήτης ἦν.
32On the other hand, dare we say, 'From human beings'?" (They were
fearing the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet.)
Mark 16:8 καὶ ἐξελθοῦσαι ἔφυγον ἀπὸ τοῦ μνημείου, εἶχεν γὰρ αὐτὰς
τρόμος καὶ ἔκστασις· καὶ οὐδενὶ οὐδὲν εἶπαν, ἐφοβοῦντο γάρ.
καὶ ἐφοβοῦντο ἐρωτῆσαι αὐτὸν περὶ τοῦ ῥήματος τούτου.

And they were afraid to ask him about this statement.
Luke 22:2 καὶ ἐζήτουν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς τὸ πῶς ἀνέλωσιν

αὐτόν, ἐφοβοῦντο γὰρ τὸν λαόν.
2and the chief priests and the Torah scholars were still yet looking for a
way to put him to death, because they were still yet fearing the people.
John 9:22 ταῦτα εἶπαν οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ ὅτι ἐφοβοῦντο τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, ἤδη
γὰρ συνετέθειντο οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι ἵνα ἐάν τις αὐτὸν ὁμολογήσῃ Χριστόν,
ἀποσυνάγωγος γένηται.
22His parents said these things because they were fearing the Jews. For
the Jews had already decided that anyone who acknowledged Him to be the
Christ, would be put out of the synagogue.
Acts 5:26b ἐφοβοῦντο γὰρ τὸν λαόν, μὴ λιθασθῶσιν.

for they were afraid of being stoned by the people.
Acts 9:26 καὶ πάντες ἐφοβοῦντο αὐτόν, μὴ πιστεύοντες ὅτι ἐστὶν

μαθητής.
Mark
and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a
disciple.
ἐφοβούμην (first person, singular, imperfect)
Luke 19:21 ἐφοβούμην γάρ σε, ὅτι ἄνθρωπος αὐστηρὸς εἶ,

21For I was afraid of you, since you are an austere man
ἐφοβεῖτο(third person, singular, imperfect)
Mark 6:20 ὁ γὰρ Ἡρῴδης ἐφοβεῖτο τὸν Ἰωάννην, εἰδὼς αὐτὸν ἄνδρα
δίκαιον καὶ ἅγιον,
20for Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
Mark Endnote #8
WHAT IS THE AUTHENTIC ENDING OF THE GOSPEL OF MARK?
lack vv. 9-20 ℵ B (itavid lacuna, but not enough room for the longer ending)
syrs copsams armmss geo1,A Epiphanius1/2 Eusebius mssacc. to Eusebius Jerome mssacc.
to Jerome Ammonius Victor-Antioch Euthymius // add only shorter ending (itavid
lacuna, but not enough room for the longer ending) itk // add first the short then
the long ending L Ψ 083/0112 099 579 ℓ1602 syr hmg copsamss ethmss // add only
longer ending, vv. 9-12" with critical marks ƒ¹ 22 138 205 1110 1210 1221 al.
(about 70 witnesses tot.) // add only longer ending, vv. 9-12" A C D G H K M S U
W Y Γ Δ Θ Π Σ Ω ƒ¹³ 28 33 lat syrc,p,h copbo Irenlat Eusmss Hiermss Tatian
Didymus?1 // add expanded longer ending W Hiermss // lacuna ⁴⁵ F N P Q Φ 304
1420 2386.
Here is a composite of all forms of the ending of the gospel of Mark:
The Short Ending:

L Ψ 083 099 274mg 579 ℓ1602 itk syrhmg copsamss ethmss:
(L): "Where you shall find also these things." (Φέρετε ποῦ καὶ ταῦτα:)
And all the things announced they shortly reported to those around Peter.
1
From a work called “de Trinitate,” not ascribable for certain to Didymus, but nevertheless
a 4th century document.
Mark
And after these things also Jesus himself sent out through them, from the
rising as far as the setting of the sun, the holy and enduring proclamation of
eternal salvation. Amen.
The Longer Ending:

9 And having risen early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to
Mary the Magdalene, from whom he had expelled seven demons.
10 She went and reported to the ones mourning and weeping, who had
been with him.
11 And they, when they heard that he was living and was seen by her, did
not believe it.
12 And after these things he was manifested in a different form to two of
them as they were walking along in the country.
13 And those went and reported to the rest; neither did they believe those.
14 And finally, once when they had reclined, he was manifested to the
Eleven themselves, and he denounced their disbelief and hardness of heart,
in that they had not believed the ones who had seen him risen.
(W) And they excused themselves, saying, "This age of lawlessness and
unbelief is under Satan, who does not allow the truth and power of God to
prevail over the unclean things dominated by the spirits. Therefore reveal
your righteousness now." They spoke to Christ; and Christ responded to
them, "The limit of the years of Satan's power is completed, but other
terrible things draw near. And for those who have sinned I was handed
over to death, that they might return to the truth and no longer sin, in order
that they might inherit the spiritual and incorruptible glory of righteousness
in heaven. But after you have gone into all the world,..."
Longer Ending, continued:

15 And he said to them, "After you have gone into all the world, proclaim
the good news to the whole creation.
16 "The person who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the person
who does not believe will be condemned.
17 "And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they
will drive out demons, they will speak in new tongues,
18 "they will pick up serpents, and should they drink something deadly it
would in no wise hurt them; they will lay their hands on sick ones, and they
will have health again."
Mark
19 And so the Lord after speaking to them was taken up to heaven, and
sat at the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord co-working
and confirming the word by the signs accompanying.
The last twelve verses of Mark as found in the King James Version, verses
9-20, are known as The Longer Ending of Mark. The paragraph before verse
9 is called The Shorter Ending, and is found in one Italic manuscript as the
only ending to the gospel, and in some other manuscripts is found in
combination with verses 9 through 12 as shown. The paragraph beginning
with (W) remains in only one Greek manuscript today, Codex
Washingtoniensis, or "W," although Jerome speaks of others extant in his
time. These latter two passages are so undoubtedly inauthentic that they
will not be examined here.
Mark 16:9-20, known as "The Longer Ending of Mark:"
PROBLEM 1: The connection between verse 8 and verses 9-20 is abrupt and
awkward. Verse 9 begins with the masculine nominative participle anastas,
which demands for its antecedent a masculine topic, i.e., Jesus; but the
subject of the last sentence of verse 8 is the women, not Jesus" (Zondervan's
NIV Bible Commentary, Vol II p 204):
8 And going out, they fled from the tomb. For trembling shock
was holding them; and they said nothing to anyone, because
THEY were afraid.
9 And having risen early on the first day of the week, HE appeared
first to Mary the Magdalene, from whom he had expelled seven
demons.
There is a lack of transition from the plural female topic of verse 8 to the
masculine singular of verse 9. That is not how Greek worked. That is not
even how English works. Even by English rules, when you change the
subject of narrative or conversation, you have to use a proper noun. If you
change the subject with a pronoun, no one knows who or what you are
talking about. This problem is one indicator that verses 9-20 were not
originally part of the gospel of Mark.
Mark
PROBLEM 2: The last twelve verses of the gospel of Mark as found in the
King James Version, or footnoted in recent translations, (chapter 16, verses
9-20) are not found in the two earliest complete Greek manuscripts of the
New Testament. As the UBS textual commentary states, they are also absent
from many of the oldest translations of Mark into other languages, for
example, the Latin, Sinaitic Syriac, and Georgian translations. Clement of
Alexandria and Origen show no knowledge of the existence of these verses;
furthermore Eusebius and Jerome attest that the passage was absent from
almost all Greek copies of Mark known to them. The original form of the
Eusebian sections (drawn up by Ammonius) makes no provision for
numbering sections of the text after 16:8. Not a few manuscripts which
contain the passage have scribal notes stating that older Greek copies lack it,
and in other witnesses the passage is marked with asterisks or obeli, the
conventional signs used by copyists to indicate an inauthentic addition to a
document. Other manuscripts which do contain the passage place it in
differing locations in Mark, and still another Greek manuscript that contains
the long ending has a large addition following verse 14. There is also
another ending entirely, a shorter one, found in other Greek manuscripts.
Add to all this the internal consideration that none of the endings are
written in Mark's style and vocabulary. Another major internal
consideration is how awkwardly verse 9 connects the line of thought from
verse 8, or rather fails to connect.
See Metzger, Bruce M., A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament,
on behalf of and in cooperation with the Editorial Committee of the United
Bible Societies' Greek New Testament: Kurt Aland, Matthew Black, Carlo M.
Martini, Bruce M. Metzger, and Allen Wikgren (Stuttgart, United Bible
Societies, Corrected Edition, 1975) for the details, which are compelling
evidence in favor of the spuriousness of the passage. The Editorial
Committee concludes:
"Thus, on the basis of good external evidence and strong internal

considerations it appears that the earliest ascertainable form of the
Gospel of Mark ended with 16:8. (Three possibilities are open: (a)
the evangelist intended to close his Gospel at this place; or (b) the
Gospel was never finished; or, as seems most probable, (c) the
Gospel accidentally lost its last leaf before it was multiplied by
transcription.) At the same time, however, out of deference to the
Mark
evident antiquity of the longer ending and its importance in the

textual tradition of the Gospel, the Committee decided to include
verses 9-20 as part of the text, but to enclose them within double
square brackets to indicate that they are the work of an author other
than the evangelist."
It is true that Mark 16:9-20 was utilized in the 180’s by Irenaeus, in the 170’s by
Tatian, around 160 by Justin, and probably by the unknown author of Epistula
Apostolorum, around 150. Many other patristic writers, such as Hippolytus,
Ambrose, and Augustine, also used the passage.
Eusebius of Caesarea, a church father who died in the year 339, said, in “Questiones
ad Marinum” published by Cardinal Mai, in his “Nova Patrum Bibliotheca”
(Romae, 1847,) vol. IV, pp. 255-7 the following:
Πῶς παρ μ ν τῷ Ματθα ὀψέ σαββ των φα νεται ἐγεγερμένος ὁ Σωτήρ, παρ δ
τῷ Μ ρκ πρω τῇ μι τῶν σαββ των.
Τούτου διττὴ ἂν εἴη ἡ λύσις· ὁ μ ν γ ρ τὸ κεφ λαιον αὐτὸ τὴν τοῦτο φ σκουσαν
περικοπὴν ἀθετῶν, εἴποι ἂν μὴ ἐν ἄπασιν αὐτὴν φέρεσθαι τοῖς ἀντιγρ φοις τοῦ
κατ Μ ρκον εὐαγγελ ου· τ γοῦν ἀκριβῆ τῶν ἀντιγρ θων τὸ τέλος περιγρ φει τῆς
κατ τὸν Μ ρκον ἱστορ ας ἐν τοῖς λόγοις τοῦ ὀφθέντος νεαν σκου ταῖς γυναιξὶ καὶ
εἰρηκότος αὐταῖς “μὴ φοβεῖσθε, Ἰησοῦν ζητεῖτε τὸν Ναζαρηνόν.” καὶ τοῖς ἐξῆς, οἷς
ἐπιλέγει· “καὶ ἀκούσασαι ἔφυγον, καὶ οὐδενὶ οὐδ ν εἰπον, ἐφοβοῦντο γ ρ.” Ἐν
τούτ γ ρ σχεδὸν ἐν ἅπασι τοῖς ἀντιγρ φοις τοῦ κατ Μ ρκον εὐαγγελ ου
περιγεγραπται τὸ τέλος· τ δ ἑξῆς σπαν ως ἔν τισιν ἀλλ’ οὐκ ἐν πᾶσι φερόμενα
περιττ ἂν εἴη, καὶ μ λιστα εἴπερ ἔχοιεν ἀντιλογ αν τῇ τῶν λουπῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν
μαρτυρ ᾳ, ταῦτα μ ν οὖν εἴποι ἄν τις παραιτούμενος καὶ π ντη ἀναιρῶν περιττὸν
ἐρώτημα. Ἄλλος δέ τις οὐδ’ ὁτιοῦν τολμῶν ἀθετεῖν τῶν ὁπωσοῦν ἐν τῇ τῶν
εὐαγγελ ων γραφῇ φερομένων, διπλῆν εἶνα φησι τὴν ἀναγνωσιν, ὡς καὶ ἐν ἑτέροις
πολλοῖς, ἑκατέραν τε παραδεκτέαν ὑπ ρχειν, τῷ μὴ μᾶλλον ταύτην ἐκε νης, ἢ
ἐκε νην ταύτης, παρ τοῖς πιστοῖς καὶ εὐλαβέσιν ἐγκρ νεσθαι.
Καὶ δὴ τοῦδε τοῦ μέρους συγχωρουμένου εἶναι ἀληθοῦς, προσήκει τὸν νοῦν
διερμηνεύειν τοῦ ἀναγνώσματος· εἰ γοῦν διέλοιμεν τὴν τοῦ λόγου δι νοιαν, οὐκ ἂν
εὕροιμεν αὐτὴν ἐναντ αν τοῖς παρ τοῦ Ματθα ου ὀψ σαββ των ἐγηγέρθαι τὸν
Σωτῆρα λελεγμένοις· τὸ γ ρ “ἀναστ ς δ πρω τῇ μι τοῦ σαββ του” κατ τὸν
Μ ρκον, μετ διαστολῆς ἀναγνωσόμεθα· καὶ μετ τὸ ἀναστ ς δ , ὑποστ ξομεν· καὶ
Mark
τὴν δι νοιαν ἀφορ ζομεν τῶν ἑξῆς ἐπιλεγομένων. εἶτα τὸ μ ν ἀναστ ς ἂν, ἐπὶ τὴν
παρ τῷ Ματθα ὀψέ σαββ των. τότε γ ρ ἐγήγερτο· τὸ δ ἐξῆς ἑτέρας ν
διανο ας ὑποστατικὸν, συν ψωμεν τοῖς ἐπιλεγομένοις· πρω γ ρ τῇ μι τοῦ
σαββ του ἐφ νη Μαρ ᾳ τῇ Μαγδαληνῇ. τοῦτο γοῦν ἐδηλωσε καὶ ὁ Ἰω ννης πρω
καὶ αὐτὸς τῇ μι τοῦ σαββ του φθαι αὐτὸν τῇ Μαγδαληνῇ μαρτυρήσας. οὕτως
οὖν καὶ παρ τῷ Μ ρκ πρω ἐφ νη αὐτῇ. οὐ πρω ἀναστ ς, ἀλλ πολὺ πρότερον
κατ τὸν Ματθαῖον ὀψ τοῦ σαββ του. τότε γ ρ ἀναστ ς ἐφ νη τῇ Μαρ ᾳ, οὐ τότε
ἀλλ πρω . ὡς παρ στασθαι ἐν τούτοις καιροὺς δύο. τὸν μ ν γ ρ τῆς ἀναστ σεως
τὸν ὀψ τοῦ σαββ του, τὸν δ τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπιφανε ας, τὸν πρω , ὃν ἔγραψεν ὁ
Μ ρκος εἰπὼν (ὃ καὶ μετ διαστολῆς ἀναγνωστέον) ἀναστ ς δέ· εἶτα
ὑποστ ξαντες, τὸ ἑξῆς ῥητέον, πρω τῇ μι τοῦ σαββ του ἐφ νη Μαρ ᾳ τῇ
Μαγδαληνῇ, ἀφ’ ἧς ἐκβεβλήκει ἑπτ δαιμόνια.
ΙΙ. Πῶς κατ τὸν Ματθαῖον ὀψ σαββ των ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ τεθεαμένη τὴν
ἀν στασιν, κατ τὸν Ἰω ννην ἡ αὐτὴ ἑστῶσα κλα ει παρ τῷ μνημε τῇ μι του
σαββ του.
Οὐδέν ἂν ζητηθε η κατ τοὺς τόπους, εἰ τὸ ὀψ σαββ των μὴ τὴν ἑσπερινὴν ὥραν
τὴν μετ τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ σαββ του λέγεσθαι ὑπολ βοιμεν, ὥς τινες ὑπειλήφασιν,
ἀλλ τὸ βραδὺ καὶ ὀψ τῆς νυκτὸς τῆς μετ τὸ σ ββατον, κ.τ.λ.
The key section is translated as follows: "For, on the one hand, the person who
rejects the passage itself – the pericope which says this – might say that it does not
appear in all copies of the Gospel of Mark. At any rate, the accurate copies end
their text of the Marcan account with the words of the young man who appeared to
the women and said to them, "Do not fear. You are seeking Jesus the Nazarene"
and so forth, proceeding to where it says, ‘And having heard, they fled, and they
said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.'
"That is where the text does end, in almost all copies of the Gospel according to
Mark. The material that comes next seldom appears; it is in some copies but not in
all, and may be spurious, especially since it implies a contradiction to the witness of
the other Gospels. This, then, is what someone might say to avoid and completely
do away with a superfluous question.
"On the other hand, someone else, who dares to set aside nothing at all which
appears, by whatever means, in the text of the gospels, says that the reading, like
many others, is double, and each of the two must be accepted,in that they are
Mark
approved in the opinion of the faithful and pious; not this one instead of that one, or
that one rather than this one.
"Well then, allowing this portion [of Mark] to be really authentic, our business is to
interpret the sense of the passage."
End Quotation of Eusebius. You can read this on page 113, download Roger
Pearse’s PDF of this free here.
We see from the above that scribes were far more afraid to omit anything, however
suspect it was, than to add something to the text. Which is another prop for the
tenet, that the shorter reading is generally to be preferred. That tenet has that going
for it, that scribes were more afraid to remove anything than to add something, at
least for longer passages. If just one word or one letter, omissions are more likely
than additions.
I say that, since Eusebius indicates that some people stated that the Gospel of Mark
ended at verse 16:8 in "almost all the copies" in the 4th century, it bolsters the
reputation of the two or three manuscripts currently extant which omit the long
ending of Mark, and these must therefore be considered the most significant
manuscripts for consideration. Thus we can say, that though a majority of late
copies now contain it, the "majority text" used to omit it. What value is there, then,
in a "majority text" derived from counting up only the recent and late copies, when
in the 3rd and 4th centuries, the majority of manuscripts read so differently from the
present majority?
The conclusion is, we must "weigh" each manuscript and witness, not "count" them.
Thus, the testimony of Codex Vaticanus is more important than the testimony of
4,000 cursives from the much later centuries.
Some might refer us to John William Burgon, and his book, "The last twelve verses
of the Gospel according to S. Mark vindicated against recent critical objectors
established.," pp. 41-51. In it Burgon attempts to lessen the impact of the testimony
of Eusebius and Jerome about the longer ending of Mark not being found in the
accurate copies, and being absent in almost all the copies of Mark.
Burgon spends some time questioning the authenticity of the document provided by
Cardinal Mai entitled "Quaestiones ad Marinum," and its quotations of Eusebius.
Mark
Why? Because it appears to be a CONDENSED version of Eusebius, Burgon says.

But then, on p. 44, Burgon says, "Let it, however, be candidly admitted that there
seems to be no reason for supposing that whenever the lost work of Eusebius comes
to light, (and it has been seen within about 300 years,) it will exhibit anything
essentially different from what is contained in the famous passage which has given
rise to so much debate,..."
In the succeeding pages, Burgon's main point seems to be that Eusebius is playing
Devil's advocate, that "some may say that..." Well, Eusebius does not contradict or
refute or dismiss those statements from such advocate.
Burgon's purpose was to show that Eusebius did not question the authenticity of the
passage. In fact, Burgon himself quotes Eusebius, on p. 45, where Eusebius says
about the last 12 verses of Mark, Καὶ δὴ τοῦδε τοῦ μέρους συγχωρουμένου εἶναι
ἀληθοῦς, προσήκει τὸν νοῦν διερμηνεύειν τοῦ ἀναγνώσματος· "Well then, allowing
this portion to be really authentic, our business is to interpret the sense of the
passage."
Thus, Burgon himself shows us that Eusebius did in fact question the
authenticity of the longer ending of Mark. Eusebius only allows for the sake
of argument that it is "really genuine." That does not sound to me like
Eusebius believed it to be authentic. Eusebius did not include the passage
in his “Eusebian Canons.”
Some interpreters of this Eusebius passage make a point something along

these lines: that Eusebius was only quoting other people's statement that the
longer ending of Mark was absent from most of the copies, and thus we
cannot say for certain that it was a fact that it was so absent. But would
Eusebius really allow such a weighty statement to go uncontradicted, if the
statement were not true? I think it is obvious that he would not. Thus it is
safe to conclude that it was common knowledge, and accepted as fact in the
4th century, that many, if not most, Greek manuscripts at the time, did not
contain Mark 16:9-20.
The trail of evidence of the Longer Ending being added to Mark is fairly
clear:
Eusebius (4th century) in his letter to Marinum shows indication that most
Mark
manuscripts of Mark in his day ended at 16:8, and did not contain the
Longer Ending of Mark. The Eusebian canons did not include 16:9-20
either.
Victor of Antioch (5th century) in his commentary on the gospel of Mark

admits that the verses 16:9-20 "do not appear in the existing Gospel with
most copies." But he says that the better Palestinian copies included it, and
he and others added together what material was in the Palestinian gospel
about the Resurrection, to the other copies. This comment appears in many
minuscules. [Note that Victor is not saying “Egyptian manuscripts” lack the
Longer Ending of Mark. He is ‘of Antioch.’]
Victor of Antioch's pertinent Greek text from Cramer's Catena Vol. 1:

ἰ δὲ καὶ τὸ,"αναστὰς δὲ πρωῒ" μετὰ τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα παρὰ πλείστοις ἀντιγράφοις
οὐ κεῖνται ἐν τ παρόντι ὐαγγελίῳ, ὡς νόθα νομίσαντες αὐτὰ ε ναι, ἀλλ’ ἡμεις ἐξ
ἀκριβῶν ἀντιγράφων ἐν πλείστοις εὑρόντες αὐτὰ, καὶ κατὰ τὸ Παλαιστιναῖον
ὐαγγέλιον, ὡς ἔχει ἡ ἀλήθεια Μάρκου, συντεθείκαμεν καὶ τὴν ἐν αὐτ
ἐπιφερομένην δεσποτικὴν ἀνάστασιν, μετὰ τὸ "ἐφοβοῦντο γὰρ," τουτέστιν ἀπὸ τοῦ
"αναστὰς δὲ πρωῒ πρώτῃ σαββάτου" καὶ καθ’ ἑξῆς, μέχρι τοῦ "διὰ τῶν
ἐπακολουθούντων σημείων. Ἀμήν."
Translation:
'But even if the words "And having risen early" along with the words
following, do not appear in the existing Gospel with most copies, as they are
considered spurious, we however, having found them in most of the
accurate copies, and in accordance with the Palestinian Gospel, exactly as
the truth of Mark really is, we have added together also the that in it, that
follows the Master's resurrection, after the words "for they were afraid," that
is, from "And having risen early on the first day of the week" and so on, up
to the words "by the signs accompanying. Amen." '
Severus of Antioch (520 CE), in his Homily 77, says at that time "In the more
accurate copies, therefore, the gospel according to Mark has the end until
the [statement]: "For they were afraid." [verse 8] But in some (copies) these
things, too, stand in addition: And having arisen early on the first day of the
week he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out
seven demons."
Mark
Thomas of Harkel in the year 616 published his translation of the NT into
Syriac, called the "Harklean Syriac." We have 8 manuscripts of his work
surviving today, and 6 out of those 8 contain a marginal note very similar,
as follows: "In a few of those more accurate manuscripts, the Gospel of
Mark finishes at ‘for [they were afraid].’ But in others, instead, they add
even..."
So we see that it is not a trait of Alexandrian manuscripts to omit the Longer

Ending of Mark, but rather in fact the LE was absent from most of the
accurate Greek manuscripts of the Syrian region as late as the 7th century.
PROBLEM 3: The passage contains a statement that is contrary to the

gospel of Luke.
The statement is found in verses 12 and 13 about the two walking

to Emmaus:
12 And after these things he was manifested in a different form to

two of them who were walking along in the country.
13 And those went and reported to the rest; neither did they believe
those.
This is contrary to Luke 24:13, 33-35 where we read:
13 And behold, two of them during that same day were making
their way toward a village sixty furlongs from Jerusalem, which
was called Emmaus...
33 And they got up and returned that same hour to Jerusalem, and
found the Eleven and those with them assembled together,
34 saying, 'The Lord really has risen, and he appeared to Simon.'
35 And the two told what things happened on the way, and how
Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
Luke says the rest responded "The Lord really has risen," thus
agreeing with the two. The others agreed that Jesus was alive,
because Simon Peter had already come back and told them the
same thing as the two were telling them. But "Mark" 16:13 says
Mark
the rest disbelieved the two. Thus, Mark 16:12-13 contradicts what
Luke 24:33-35 says. So then, we either have to believe that the
scriptures contain an error, or else believe that one of these
passages is not scripture. The problem of the contradiction is
solved, by concluding from the objective external evidence that the
longer ending of Mark is not scripture, therefore we do not have a
case here of scripture contradicting other scripture.
Some say that there is not a contradiction between Mark in the TR and Luke,
because later in Luke, in 24:40-41, it says
"40And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his
feet. 41But, since they were still not believing, out of joy and
astonishment, he said to them, "What do you have to eat in this
place?"
But I say this is another event. Both the passages I compared are about
people walking in the countryside. Mark says the apostles did not believe
that specific report, and Luke said the apostles did believe that specific
report. This is not about some unbelief generally, but about this specific
report of the ones who returned from a walk in the country. It is indeed a
contradiction.
There are other contradictions involving the ending of Mark also, that do
not show themselves until you do a harmonization of the gospels, as I have.
My harmonization, called Palmer's Diatessaron, will come out when I have
finished translating all four gospels. But for now, see the excerpt at the end
of this document, of the resurrection portion of the existing Palmer's
Diatessaron.
PROBLEM 4: The passage contains another statement that is impossible to

harmonize with the other gospels. Mark 16:9 says, “…he appeared first to
Mary the Magdalene, from whom he had expelled seven demons.”
This statement is impossible to reconcile with the other gospels, particularly

John. It appears that Jesus first appeared to all the other women EXCEPT
Mary the Magdalene, as they were heading back from the tomb to the
Mark
apostles. Then, Jesus went back to the tomb and appeared to Mary the
Magdalene alone, since she had stayed longer than the other women at the
tomb. See my harmony of the gospels.
PROBLEM 5: The passage can be easily taken to teach doctrines that are
contrary to teachings found elsewhere in the New Testament.
Verses 17-18 say Jesus said,
17And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name
they will drive out demons, they will speak in new tongues, 18they
will pick up serpents, and should they drink something deadly, it
would in no wise hurt them; they will lay their hands on sick ones,
and they will have health again.
In the book of I Corinthians, chapter 12, verses 7-11, 29-31, on the other
hand, the apostle Paul teaches that not all believers will speak in tongues
and not all believers will have the gift of healing. A new Christian,
unfamiliar with the rest of scripture, might question whether he has truly
believed, thinking, "These things have not happened in my life, so I must
not be a real Christian." How discouraging this was to me personally at one
time. And if the new Christian were to deliberately drink deadly poison, he
would be putting God to the test, as Satan urged Christ to do when he
suggested that he throw himself off the highest point of the temple. Jesus
responded that although the scriptures promise the believer that God's
angels will not allow his foot to strike against a stone, it would be sin to
deliberately put oneself in harm's way (for example, drinking deadly
poison), for the scriptures also say, "Thou shalt not put the Lord your God
to a test." But, in violation of this prohibition, there is a practice by some
churches, based on this passage, of handling deadly snakes in church.
Scores of Christians therefore die each year from snake bites in church,
giving unbelievers a legitimate and justified basis to mock Christians.
SUMMARY: The evidence, both external and internal, is conclusive that the
Mark 16:9-20 pericope is not part of the original Gospel of Mark. In
addition, it cannot be harmonized with the Gospel of Luke. It appears that
Mark
the author of Mark 16:9-20 considered verse 8 to be an inappropriate ending

and felt the need to add to it a better conclusion. I suggest that the
following is what he did: In verses 9-14, he summarized the endings of
Matthew, Luke and John, plus Acts, and perhaps Colossians 1:23, but
carelessly. Then the contents of verses 15-20 are for the most part taken
from the book of Acts. He took some historical happenings of miraculous
events such as tongues speaking, healing of the sick, and the apostle Paul
being bitten by a snake but not being harmed, and tacked them on following
Mark 16:8 because he knew from his vantage point looking back, that these
are what in fact happened next. The problem is that the way it is written, he
has in effect put them into Jesus' mouth as if Jesus was saying that all people
who believe in him would have these things happen to them.
It is true that there is a great deal of early testimony from early church
writers in favor of the long ending of Mark. This evidence, however, does
not convince me that the long ending of Mark was penned by Mark. What
it shows is that verses 9-20 were added quite early.
In view of these things, I did not include Mark 16:9-20 in my "Palmer's
Diatessaron." I believe it is very clear that Mark 16:9-20 is not scripture. I
believe that to include Mark 16:9-20 in the text of the New Testament does
far more harm than good.
I believe that one important impetus for the making of and the popularity
of Tatian's Diatessaron was the fact that Mark's gospel did have such a
seemingly incomplete ending. People wanted the material from Luke and
John included with Mark's material.
Other Free Online Resources
James Snapp Jr. who views the long ending as authentic:

RESOURCES FOR THE STUDY OF MARK 16:9-20
http://www.curtisvillecc.com/AuthSupplx.html
Wieland Willker:
The endings of the Gospel of Mark
http://www.willker.de/wie/TCG/TC-Mark-Ends.pdf
Michael D. Marlowe:
Mark 16:9-20
http://www.bible-researcher.com/endmark.html
Mark
Ben C. Smith:
The Endings of the Gospel of Mark
http://www.textexcavation.com/marcanendings.html
To read a harmony, a blending of the four gospels into one seamless story, read
my “Palmer’s Diatessaron,” which you can download free in PDF.
Here is the link as well:
https://bibletranslation.ws/trans/diatessaronpalmerniv.pdf
David Robert Palmer

Luke
LUKE
Luke
Chapter 1
Introduction
1Since many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things fully
attested among us, 2as delivered to us by the original eyewitnesses who
became stewards of the word, 1 3it seemed good to me also, having
meticulously traced everything again from the top, to write it down in
sequence for you, O most excellent Theophilus, 4so that you may know the
reliability of things you have been told.
The Birth of John the Baptizer Foretold

5It came about in the time of Herod, king of Judea, that there was a priest,
Zechariah by name, of the rotation of Abijah.2 He had a wife from the
daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6Both were upright in the
sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and
requirements of the Lord. 7But a child they did not have, because Elizabeth
was barren. And they were both advanced in age.
8And it came about, that once when his rotation was on duty and he was
serving as priest before God, his lot fell 9(normal custom for the priesthood)
to go into the temple of the Lord, and to burn incense. 3
10The hour of incense came, and all the people in the assembly were
NOTE regarding the critical apparatus in these footnotes. Due to feedback I have received
about what manuscripts I cite, that there was some "cherry-picking" of which minuscules
to cite, I have changed my footnotes. In order to make it objective, I now use only one
criteria that is objective: I only cite witnesses 8th century or earlier, and I cite all witnesses
8th century or earlier that I have access to. The result is very revealing.
1
1:2 Or, "as delivered to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and
servants of the word." The word I translated "became" is the Greek word γίνομαι -
gínomai, which usually means became, or came about, or happen. But Luke often uses
γίνομαι in place of the simple word in Greek for "to be." That is why most translations
translate it here as simply "were." But the reason I did not translate it that way, is that it
would result in a non-Lukan use of the title "the Word" for Jesus. For you see, if we say,
they were eyewitnesses and servants of the word from the beginning, that would be the
only possible explanation of the idea of "being eyewitness of the word." That means they
beheld Jesus as the word, in the Johannine concept of I John 1:1 and John 1. Otherwise,
what would it mean? That they saw Jesus write the word down? But I do not believe that is
what Luke is saying. I believe he is saying that the men who were the first eyewitness of
Jesus, were given the trust of being stewards of the word, of the message. See Acts 1:21-22,
which Luke also wrote. There we read how it was decided that the original eyewitnesses
became official stewards of the word.
2
1:5 The priests were divided up into divisions that took turns in rotation, doing the
priestly duties.
3
1:9 It is said that a priest received only once in his lifetime, if at all, the privilege to enter
inside the shrine to burn incense. The Levites were divided into 48 semi-annual rotations.
So a particular priest's rotation was on duty only about twice a year. Then as to the
individual who would go inside to burn incense, it was the custom of the priesthood to
decide whose turn it was by casting lots. Zechariah's lot fell.
Luke
praying outside. 11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at

the right side of the altar of incense. 12Seeing it disturbed Zechariah, and
4
fear fell over him. 13But the angel said to him: "Fear not, Zechariah, for
your request was heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you
shall call his name John. 14Joy and gladness will be with you, and many will
rejoice over his birth. 15For he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. Wine
and intoxicating beverages by no means shall he drink, and he will be filled
with the Holy Spirit, beginning yet in his mother's womb. 16He will turn
many of the children of Israel toward the Lord their God. 17And he will
procede in front of Him, in the spirit and power of Elijah, such that the
hearts of fathers will turn 5 toward their children, 6 and the disobedient
toward the outlook of the righteous: a prepared people will be arranged for
the Lord."
18Zechariah said to the angel, "By what will I know this?7 For I am old,
and my wife is well advanced in age."
19And in answer the angel said to him, "I am Gabriel, one who stands in
the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you
these glad announcements. 20And behold, you will be silent and unable to
speak, until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my
words, which will be fulfilled in their time."
4
1:12 See the Septuagint, Psalm 54:5.
5
1:17A The Greek says John will proceed in the power of Elijah "to turn." The verb for turn,
ἐπιστρέφω - epistrephw, is in the infinitive form, ἐπιστρέψαι - epistrepsai. This is an
"infinitive of result," a Hebraism.
6
1:17B The wording "the Fathers," in English tends to mean "all the fathers." But in this
context, the number of fathers is set by verse 16, "He will turn many." Thus, there would
be many fathers whose hearts will turn ἐπὶ τέκνα - epi tekna (toward children.) There is no
possessive pronoun "their" here in the Greek. But if we leave it out here, in English, if
someone's heart "turns toward children," that might be understood to mean, he decides he
now wants to have children. This verse must be an allusion to Malachi 4:6 in the Hebrew,
and not the Septuagint. In the Hebrew it is fathers, plural, and children, generic. The
Septuagint says ὃς ἀποκαταστήσει καρδίαν πατρός πρὸς υἱὸν, "who will turn the heart of
the father to the son." Several translations make the word πατήρ (pateer) generic here,
and so translate it as "parents to their children." I can understand that. But so many
people already have an understanding of this verse, based on what seems to be a reality in
this world that there are more children and fathers estranged, than children from their
mothers. For example, the Bible says "Who ever heard of such a thing as a mother killing
her child and eating him?" Apparently, it is harder to believe that a mother would do that
to her child, than a father. Note that Malachi in the Hebrew also says that He will turn the
hearts of the sons to the fathers. The question is, what is broken? Is it more fathers
estranged from their children, and children angry at their fathers? Or mothers to the same
extent? I think it is the former. That is why I am leaving it fathers and children, because
that is more what is broken in the absence of the power of the Spirit.
7
1:18 Zechariah may have felt his question justified in that Abraham asked the same thing–
for a sign. See Genesis 15:8. But this reflects a lack of belief in God's statements. Jesus said
later, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be
given it except the sign of Jonah." (Diatess. 11:17-18; Mt 12:38-39; Lk 11:16, 20) The apostle
Paul said, "For Jews require a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom..." (I Cor. 1:22)
Luke
21And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and wondering about his
delay in the temple. 22And when he came out, he was not able to speak to
them, and they knew: a vision he had seen in the temple. He kept
motioning to them, and remained mute. 23And when his days of service
were completed, he went home.
24After those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she hid herself for
five months. 25"The way the Lord has done this for me," she said, "these are
days he has looked with concern upon me, to take away my disgrace among
the people."
The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent out from God, to a
town in Galilee named Nazareth, 27to a virgin pledged to be married to a
man named Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was
Mary. 28And the angel went in to her, and said, "Hail, O favored one! The
Lord is with you."8
29She was very troubled by the utterance, and wondered what sort of
greeting this might be. 30Then the angel said to her, "Fear not, Mary, for you
have found favor with God. 31You shall conceive in your womb, and shall
bear a son, and you are to call his name Jesus. 32This man will be great, and
will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give him
the throne of his father David, 33and he will reign over the house of Jacob for
ever; and of his kingdom there will be no end."
34And Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen, since I am not
knowing a man?"9
35And in answer the angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon
you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. For this reason
also, the one to be born will be called holy,10 the Son of God. 36And behold,
Elizabeth your relative, even she in her old age, has conceived a son, and
8
1:28 txt σοῦ “…you.” ℵ B L W syrpal copsa arm geo Origenlem Ps-Gregory-Thaumaturgus
Peter-Alexandriaacc. to Cyril Serapion Gregory-Nyssavid Epiphanius Hesychius John-Damascus;
Jerome Quadvultdeus NA28 {A} ‖ σοῦ. εὐλογημένη σὺ ἐν γυναιξίν. “…you. Blessed are you
among women.” A C D E 0233 ita,aur,b,d,e,f,ff²,l,q,r¹ vg syrp,h mss eth slav Diatessaron Eusebius Ps-
Athanasius Theodotus-Ancryravid; Tertullian Ambrose Augustine TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ N P Q
T.
9
1:34 "I am not knowing a man," with the verb for know in the continuous aspect, is a
euphemism meaning, "I am not being intimate- having sex with a man, now or in the near
future."
10
1:35 The one to be born would already have been called holy, in that it would be a
firstborn male; see Exodus 13:2, 14-16.
Luke
this is the sixth month with her, she who was called barren. 37Therefore
with God, nothing11 will be impossible."

38"Here am I, the slave girl of the Lord," Mary said. "May it be to me
according to your statement." Then the angel left her.
Mary Stays With Elizabeth

39At that time Mary got up and went with speed to the hill country, to a
town of Judah, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah, and greeted
Elizabeth. 41And it came about that when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the baby in her womb did leap, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy
Spirit. 42And she shouted out in a loud voice, saying, "Blessed are you
among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43And why does it
come to me, that to me the mother of my Lord should come? 44For when the
sound of your greeting came into my ears, the baby in my womb did leap in
exultation.12 45Blessed is she who believed that there will be a completion of
the things announced to her from the Lord!"
Mary's Song
46And Mary said:
"My soul does magnify the Lord,13
11
1:37 Literally, "Because with God every saying will not be impossible," ὅτι οὐκ ἀδυνατησει
παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ πᾶν ῥῆμα. The BDF grammar states that ῥῆμα - hrēma here is Hebraistic in
use: "thing, matter, event," and that οὐκ…πᾶν is also a Semitism, resulting in the whole to
mean, "nothing will be impossible with God." But I can't help but feel that Mary's response,
"Let it be to me according to your ," harks back to the use of  by the angel,
and that the angel told of Elizabeth's case as assurance that "therefore, in view of this, as
for my statements to you also, not one statement will be impossible." Still, this is
reminiscent of Genesis 18:14 in the Septuagint: Μὴ ἀδυνατήσει παρὰ τ Θε ῥῆμα? "Is
anything too hard for the LORD?" That was when the angel of the LORD had announced to
the aged Sarah that she would bear a son. There, the word ῥῆμα - hrēma is used as
meaning "anything."
12
1:44 Leapt in ἀγαλλιάσις - agalliasis. This word is found only in Biblical and ecclesiastical
literature. It refers primarily to messianic exultation. Some of the other occurrences are:
later in this chapter, v. 46, where Mary rejoiced in "God my Savior," i.e., God + a form of the
word Yeshua; in Psalm 44:8, exulting in God; Hebrews 1:9, the Messiah is anointed with the
oil of gladness more than his peers; Acts 2:46, the church fellowshiped in Messianic
exultation; and Jude 24, it is an exceeding joy found in the presence of God himself.
13
1:46 Mary probably had in mind Psalm 34:3, "O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt
his name together," and "My soul shall make its boast in the Lord," Psalm 34:2. And so she
says, "My soul does magnify the Lord." It is reminiscent also of the "Bless the Lord, O my
soul...bless his holy name" of Psalm 103:1; and also of 104:1, 35, and 146:1, where in the
Septuagint the Greek sentence is startlingly identical to Mary's, only that the imperative
mood of the verb 'magnify' is changed to the indicative. Note: It was Semitic to use the
nominative case for vocative, so Mary could still have been addressing her soul, as in the
Psalms, i.e., "Magnify the Lord, O my soul." The songs of Mary and Zechariah are the most
Luke
47and my spirit did rejoice

in God my Savior,
48because he looked toward
the lowly station of his servant.
So behold: all generations after now
will consider me blessed,
49because the Mighty One
did great things for me.
And holy will be his name, 14
50and his mercy
to those who fear him,
into age after age.15
51Power he wrought with his arm.
He scattered those who were proud
in the thoughts of their heart.
Semitic parts of Luke.

14
1:49 ...ὁ δυνατός, καὶ ἅγιον τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ εἰς γενεὰς καὶ γενεὰς τοῖς
φοβουμένοις αὐτόν. Traditionally, this ὁ δυνατός, καὶ ἅγιον τὸ ὄνομα is considered an
example of the Hebraistic use of καί to co-ordinate words with independent clauses; so
Friedrich Blass, and thus read: "The Mighty One did great things for me, wherefore his
name is holy." But ἅγιον is ambiguously both masculine and neuter, and the flow seemed
to group together "his name and his mercy" as that which is holy. In the Greek, ἅγιον τὸ
ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ…τοῖς φοβουμένοις, "holy his name and his mercy," the
words 'holy,' 'name,' and 'mercy' are all three neuter singular; 'name' and 'mercy' are
subjects; and 'holy' is the predicate adjective, and there is no verb, except the implied
copula verb ἐστίν, 'is'. The O-V-S syntax is more common when a single verb has a double
subject. Ἐστίν is by far the copula most frequently omitted but implied in Greek, and a
preference for omission is observed in (1) proverbs, (2) impersonal constructions,
especially those expressing possibility or necessity, (3) questions, and (4) exclamations.
And the τοῖς φοβουμένοις, "to those who fear him," is something like an "ethical dative,"
(also a Semitism), thus meaning, "his name and his mercy will be holy in the eyes of those
who fear him." For is not the kindness and forbearance of God meant to lead you to
repentance and holiness? (Romans 2:4) For other examples of the ethical dative, see Jonah
3:3, Acts 7:20, II Peter 3:14, and possibly the ἔρχομαί σοι of Rev. 2:5. We have examples of
the ethical dative in English literature also. See Milton's Paradise Lost, Book I, Lines 25-26:
"I may assert Eternal Providence, And justify the ways of God to men." In other words,
justify the ways of God in the eyes of men, in the sight of men.
15
1:50 Mary through the anointing of the Holy Spirit looks both backward and forward:
backward to the "from everlasting to everlasting, to generation of generations" of Psalm
103:17, and forward, as in Psalm 146:10, "into age after age," in harmony with Paul in
Ephesians 2:7, that God sent Yeshua "so that in the ages to come he might show the
exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." In Psalm
89:1, the "From everlasting until everlasting" covers both past, present and future. But the
"time" tense here is still relative to and set by verse 48 as the future, where she speaks of
"all the ages from now on." Her phrase in the Greek, "into age after age," εἰς γενεὰς καὶ
γενεὰς, is almost identical to the Greek phrase of Psalm 146:10. This same phrase is also
used in Lamentations 5:19, and Psalm 49:11 (and many others) as a parallelism to "for ever."
Psalm 146 is clearly a Psalm she loved. Psalm 45:17 says, "I will cause your name to be
celebrated in all generations; therefore the peoples will praise you for ever and ever." This
shows that "all generations" is a parallelism to "for ever and ever." See the preceding
footnote about the verb "is" being omitted when expressing possibility. "And holy may be
his name, and his mercy to those who fear him."
Luke
52He pulled down rulers from

their thrones
and lifted high the humble.
53Hungry ones he filled up
with good things
and rich ones he sent away empty.
54He helped his servant Israel,
and remembered16 about mercy
55''to Abraham and his seed for ever,'
as he said to our fathers."
56Mary remained with her about three months, and then returned to her
home.
The Birth of John the Baptizer

57And the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth to give birth, and she produced a
son. 58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had magnified his
mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.
59And it came about that on the eighth day, they came to circumcise the
child, and they were about to call him by the name of his father, Zechariah,
60and his mother responded and said, "No! He shall be called John."
61And they said to her, "There is no one among your relatives called by
that name."
62Then they signaled to his father, to find out what he wanted him to be
called. 63And he asked for a tablet, and wrote as follows,17 "His name is
John." Everyone was surprised. 64And immediately his mouth was opened,
and also his tongue, and he spoke, blessing God.
65An awe came over everyone who lived around them, and all through the
hill country of Judea these things were being discussed. 66And everyone
who heard, kept thinking about it, saying, "What then will this child be?"
For the hand of the Lord was certainly with him.
16
1:54 The Greek verb is an infinitive, an infinitive of illustration or result, a Hebraism; so
also several instances in Zechariah's song.
17
1:63 Literally, "he wrote, saying..," ἔγραψεν λέγων, a Semitism for "he wrote as
follows:..."
Luke
Zechariah's Song
67And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he
prophesied, saying:
68"Blessed be the Lord,

the God of Israel,
because he has turned to concern himself
and has accomplished redemption
for his people.
69He has raised up a horn18 of salvation for us
in the house of David his servant
70as he has said through the mouths
of his holy prophets
since eons ago,
71salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72to demonstrate mercy to our fathers
to remember his holy covenant,
73the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74to give us rescue from the hand
of our enemies,
that we may serve him without fear
75in holiness and righteousness before him
all our days.
76Yes and you, child, will be called
a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord
to prepare his paths,
77to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78because of the tender feelings of our God
with which the Sunrise from on high
will look over us
79to appear to those sitting in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet along the path of peace."
18
1:69 Horn in the Old Testament symbolizes strength.
Luke
80And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he was in the
deserts, until the days of his being presented to Israel.
Chapter 2
The Birth of Jesus
1And it came about in those days, that a decree went out from Caesar
Augustus, that all the inhabited earth should be registered. 19 2This was the
first registration that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.
3And all were making their way to be registered, each to his own town.
4Thus Joseph also went up, from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea,
to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the
house and line of David; 5to be registered along with Mary, the one pledged
to him, who was pregnant. 6And it came about that while they were there,
the days for her to give birth were completed, 7and she bore her firstborn
son. And she swaddled him20 and placed him in a feeding trough, because
there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels

8And there were shepherds in that same region, camping out in the fields,
keeping watch over their flocks by night. 9And an angel of the Lord came
upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone all around them, and they were
19
2:1 The whole inhabited earth... This is hype, commonly used in order to magnify the
emperors. The meaning is the whole empire. The registration here is the recording of the
names for the purpose of adding everyone to the tax rolls. The phrase could also be
translated that a census should be taken of all the inhabited earth. The tax is a poll tax, or head
tax, or a capitation, as forbidden in the constitution for the U.S.A. This was a form of
tribute forced upon the conquered by the conqueror.
20
2:7 Or swathed, or podded. In this practice, the baby was bound up tight with bands of
cloth =band-ages, for reasons which may be reasonably guessed. The cloth would absorb
any blood, amniotic fluid and wax still present after cleaning; this would have both
practical and ceremonial cleanness ramifications, since the mother's blood was
ceremonially unclean. The dead were wrapped somewhat similarly. Furthermore, the
infant wrapped in such a way would be prevented from rolling. This last reason could have
been especially applicable in Jesus' case, since he was placed in a stone feeding trough. The
stone surface was not necessarily level or even. In addition, swaddling could have
prevented the infant from rolling or flopping its limbs during travel on an animal. Native
Americans swaddled a papoose to a sled of sorts to facilitate traveling. Traveling or not, a
woman of that circumstance had a heavy burden of chores, and the swaddling could have
kept the infant out of trouble while mother's eye was not upon it. Many Mediterranean
lands practiced swaddling well over a thousand years later. See also Job 38:8,9; Ezekiel 16:4-
6. Note that the Ezekiel passage implies that a baby not swaddled, is unclean, and
undignified. (The passage refers to Jerusalem.) It is important that a translation of this
Luke text use the same word as used in Job and Ezekiel, so that the reader catches the
connection.
Luke
terrified. 10And the angel said to them, "Fear not. For behold, I am
announcing to you a great joy that will be with all the people. 11Because for
you is born this day, in the town of David, a Savior, who is Messiah the
Lord. 12And this will be a sign to you: you will find a baby swaddled, and
lying in a feeding trough."
13And suddenly, there was with the angel a great company of the army of
heaven, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest realms!
And on earth peace, good will toward men!" 21
15And it came about that when the angels had departed from them into
heaven, the shepherds were saying to one another, "Let's go over to
Bethlehem, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made
known to us."
16And they went speeding, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby
lying in the feeding trough. 17And once they had seen, they gave an exact
report22 of the message spoken to them concerning this child. 18And all who
heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19As for Mary,
she memorized these words, and pondered them in her heart. 20And the
shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, because of the fact that all
the things which they had heard and seen, were just as it had been told to
them.
21
2:14 txt ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία ℵ² B² E L P Ξ 0233vid (syrpalmss εὐδοκία σου) arm eth geo
Origen2/5 Ps-Gregory-Thaumaturgus Eusebius Ps-Athanasius Apostolic Consitutions
Didymus-Philo-Carpasia Epiphanius Severian Chrysostom Marcus-Eremita Paul-Emesa Cyril
Proclus Theodotus-Ancyra Hesychius Theodoret TR RP ‖ ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκίας “to mortals
of his good pleasure” ℵ* A B* D W itd vgww,st copsa Irenaeuslat Origengr2/5,lat Cyril-Jerusalem
Gaudentius Jerome4/15 Augustine2/41 SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ hominibus bonae voluntatis
(=ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκίας 372) ita,aur,b,β,e,f,(ff2),l,q,r¹ vgcl Irenaeuslat Origenlat Athanasiuslat; Hilary
Ambrosiaster Ambrose Chromatius Jerome11/15 Augustine39/41 msacc. to Erasmus ‖ καὶ ἐν ἀνθρώποις
εὐδοκία syr(s),(p),h Origen1/5 ‖ lacuna C N. The UBS textual commentary says that the
majority text reading is probably a scribal oversight, because, “at the end of a line εὐδοκίας
would differ from εὐδοκία only by the presence of the smallest lunar sigma, little more
than a point, for which it might have been taken— thus ⲈⲨⲆⲞⲔⲒⲀc.” Also according to the
UBS textual commentary, the earlier reading is a Semitizing construction characteristic of
Luke chapters 1 and 2. This Semitic expression is found in Hebrew in the Dead Sea Scrolls
in several Qumran Hymns: "the sons of his (God's) good pleasure," 1 QH iv.32 f.; xi.9; and
"the elect of his (God's) good pleasure," viii.6; and also in Aramaic, in a fragment from
Qumran, "among men of his good pleasure," see J. A. Fitzmeyer, S.J. (Theological studies,
XIX [1958], pp. 225-227. The Sahidic translation of this phrase of the angels' song reads,
"And peace upon earth among men of his desire." Similarly, later in this gospel, a voice
from heaven says about Jesus, "You are my beloved son; in you I had good pleasure." See
Galatians 6:16. Interesting that the same people who object to the NA28 text in Luke 2:14
where instead of "peace, goodwill toward men," it limits the blessing to "men of his good
pleasure," yet in Revelation 22:21 where the NA28 text says "the grace of the Lord Jesus be
with all," they object, and prefer that that blessing be only to the saints. This shows that
the TR-only and KJV-only mentality is not reasonable, neither spiritual, but a cult following
of one translation, and carnal, like where Paul says some say, "I am of Paul," and others, "I
am of Apollos," etc.
22
2:17 txt διεγνώρισαν TR RP ‖ ἐγνώρισαν NA28
Luke
Jesus Presented in the Temple

21And when the eighth day had arrived, the time to circumcise him, he
was called the name Jesus, the name called by the angel before he was
conceived in the womb.
22And when the days of their23 cleansing according to the Law of Moses24
had been completed, they took him up to Jerusalem to present him to the
Lord, 23as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "Every male to open a womb25
shall be called holy to the Lord,"26 24and to offer a sacrifice, in keeping with
what is said in the Law of the Lord: "a pair of doves or two young
pigeons."27
25And behold, a man was in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This
man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the
Holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been communicated to him by the Holy
Spirit, that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Anointed.
27And he came by the Spirit into the temple, at the same time that the
parents of the child Jesus brought him to do for him what the custom of the
Law required. 28And Simeon took him into his arms and blessed God, and
said:
29"Now, Master, keeping your word,

you are dismissing your slave in peace.
30For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31which you have prepared in the sight
of all the peoples;
32a light to be a revelation for the Gentiles,28
and the glory of your people Israel."
33And the child's father 29 and mother were marveling at the things being
23
2:22a txt αυτων 76 rell. Gk. itq syrp,h copsa AT RP NA28 ‖ αυτου D 118 205 209
ita,aur,b,c,d,e,f,ff²,g¹,l,r¹ vg syrs copsams arm Ir-lat (Adv. Haer 3.10.5.157-9) ‖ αυτον Θ* ‖ omit pt
Chrys Diatess-Pers. ‖ αυτης TR ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ C F N P Q T. The TR reading is found only in the
Catenae. Manuscript 76 is listed for the majority reading since some had claimed it reads as
the TR, but this has been confirmed as not true.
24
2:22b Leviticus 12:1-8
25
2:23a Or, "every male to inaugurate a womb," or "every offspring first to open a womb, if
it is male."
26
2:23b Exodus 13:2,12-16
27
2:24 Leviticus 12:8
28
2:32 In a physical sense, as is intended here, a Gentile is any person or nation that is not
Israelite; that is, not a blood descendant of Jacob. (God had changed Jacob's name to Israel.).
Luke
said about him. 34And Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary, his mother:
"Behold, this one is being laid down to cause the stumbling or rising of
many in Israel, 30 and to be a sign that will be continually denounced – 35yes
a sword will be run through your own soul too– so that the thoughts of
many hearts will be revealed."
36And there was also a prophetess, Hannah, daughter of Penuel, of the
tribe of Asher. This woman had grown to be very old, having lived with a
husband for seven years after her virginity, 37and then being a widow to
eighty-four years of age, one who hardly left the temple, but served night
and day, in fasting and praying. 38And coming up at that very time, she
gave thanks to God, 31 and spoke about the child to all those expecting
redemption in Jerusalem.
39And when they had completed everything required by the Law of the
Lord, they returned to their own town of Nazareth. 40And the child grew
and became strong;32 he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was
upon him.
The Boy Jesus at the Temple

41Now his parents would go every year to Jerusalem for the festival of
Passover. 42And when he turned twelve years old, 33 they went up,
29
2:33 txt ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ℵ B D L W vg itd syrs copsa Cyril-Jerusalem Jerome Aug NA28 {B} ‖
Ἰωσὴφ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ ethPP ‖ ὁ Ἰωσὴφ A N ‖ Ἰωσὴφ E ita,aur,b,β,e,f,ff²2,l,q,r¹ vgmss syrp,h,pal pt (ethTH)
Hesychiusvid Hilary RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ C P Q T Ξ. Erasmus has πατὴρ "father" in all 5 of his
editions. Said he, “In some Greek manuscript I read ‘Joseph’ instead of ‘father’; in my
opinion it has been changed by someone who feared that Joseph be called Jesus’ father”
(“In Graecis aliquot codicibus lego pro pater, Ioseph; quod arbitror immutatum a quopiam, qui
vereretur Ioseph vocare patrem Iesu...”; ‘aliquot’ added in 1519—ASD VI–5, p. 484 ll. 42–44;
similarly in Resp. ad annot. Ed. Lei, ASD IX–4, p. 126 ll. 506–509). So we see that Erasmus
figured that copyists changed the original "father" to Joseph, for the very same reasons
that KJV Onlyists prefer the reading "Joseph." But they forget that the KJV calls Joseph
Jesus' father in several other passages. Erasmus was correct, but the KJV does not follow
him here.
30
2:34 “I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone…” “A stone of stumbling, a rock of offense…”
“The person who trips over that stone will be turned into powder…” On the other hand,
many new Israelites will rise up or stand up, as a result of Gentiles being grafted into the
Olive Tree. This is the same word as used for resurrection, and also for some brand new
thing or person coming into existence. See for example Isaiah 56:6-8.
31
2:38b txt θε ℵ B D L N W ita,d syrh NA28 ‖ κυρίῳ A E syrp copsa TR RP
32
2:40 txt ἐκραταιοῦτο ℵ B D L W lat syrs cop Orlat NA28 {/} ‖ ἐκραταιοῦτο πνεύματι (from
1:80) A E itaur,f,q,(r¹) syrp,h mss (Epiph) TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ C F P Q T
33
2:42 Greek, καὶ ὅτε ἐγένετο – kai hote egeneto, "and when he became" twelve... Luke does
not use " kai hote egeneto" as a transitional phrase. Never once in his gospel or in Acts did
Luke use even just the word "hote" in a transitional phrase, but rather, he always used it to
indicate precisely the timing of something. Here Jesus, the Lamb of God, is just turning
twelve shortly before the Passover festival. This may mean that Jesus' birthday was in our
late March or early April.
Luke
according to the custom of the Festival. 43And when the days were
completed and they were returning home, the boy Jesus remained in
Jerusalem, and his parents34 were not aware of it. 44Thinking he was in their
company, they went a day's journey, and then began looking for him among
their relatives and acquaintances. 45And when they did not find him, they
went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46And it came about that after three
days they found him, sitting in the temple, in the midst of the teachers, both
listening to them and questioning them. 47And all those who heard him
were amazed at the understanding of his responses. 35 48And when his
parents saw him, they were stunned. His mother said to him, "Son, why
have you treated us this way? Look at how distressed your father and I are,
searching for you."
49And he said to them, "Why would you be searching for me? Shouldn't
you have known that I would have to be among my Father's things?" 36
50But they did not understand what he said to them.
51Then he went down with them and arrived in Nazareth, and continued
to subordinate himself to them. But his mother was recording all these
words in her heart.37 52And Jesus kept growing in wisdom and stature, and
in favor with God and with people.
Chapter 3
1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, with Pontius Pilate
34
2:43b txt
εγνωσαν οι γονεις ℵ B D L W lat syr(s),hmg copsa SBL TH NA28 {/}
εγινωσκων οι γονεις 700
εγνωσαν ιωσηφ και η μητηρ 892 1071 2542
εγνωσαν ο ιωσηφ και η μητηρ Δ 1424
εγνω ιωσηφ και η μητηρ A C N it (syrp,h) pt TR RP
Interesting that most translations of the Byzantine text, or of the Textus Receptus, do not
show that the verb εγνω is singular. For example, the KJV says "Joseph and his mother
knew not of it." In contrast, the Geneva Bible shows that the verb is singular, by rendering
it as follows: "Ioseph knew not, nor his mother." What is really potentially informative
here is the word coming before the more famous variant. Which form of the verb γινωσκω
came first and led to the other, and why?
35
2:47 The Greek says literally, "were amazed at his understanding and his responses." This
is probably an example of hendiadys, which according to BDF §442(16), when used with the
conjunction καί (and), accomplishes the coordination of two ideas, one of which is
dependent on the other, and serves in the NT to avoid a series of dependent genitives.
Blass gives this verse, Lk 2:47, as an example of hendiadys.
36
2:49 Jesus is not remarking against the fact that his parents came to find him, but that it
took them a 3-day search to find him But Jesus is saying that no searching around was
necessary because they should have figured he would be in the temple, and look there first.
For the temple is "his Father's things."
37
2:51 Compare Genesis 37:11.
Luke
governor of Judea, and Herod as tetrarch 38 of Galilee, his brother Philip

tetrarch of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias as tetrarch of Abilene,
2during the high priesthood of Hananiah 39 and Kayafa, the word of God
came upon John the son of Zechariah in the desert. 3And he appeared, in all
the areas around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for
forgiveness of sins, 4as it is written in the scroll of the words of Isaiah the
prophet:
"The voice of one calling in the desert,

make the paths straight for him.
5Every valley shall be filled up,
every mountain and hill laid low.
The crooked places shall be made straight,
the rough ways smooth.
6And all flesh shall see
the salvation of God.'40"
7So John would say to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You
spawn of snakes! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Then
produce fruit characteristic of repentance. And do not begin to say to

yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that God can
raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 9Even now the axe is
poised at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good
fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."
10And the crowds would ask him, "What should we do then?"
11And in answer he would say to them, "The person who has two tunics
should give away to the one who has none, and the person who has
foodstuffs should do the same."
12Revenue agents also came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher,
what should we do?"
13He said to them, "Collect nothing in excess, beyond what is prescribed
for you."
38
3:1 From the Greek tetra, four, and arche, to rule. As a monarch is a one and only ruler of a
realm, in the same way a tetrarch is a ruler of one fourth of a realm. (Which implies that
there must exist three other one-fourth divisions of the realm.)
39
3:2 The Greek says Hannas, which is short for the Greek, Hananos, which in turn is the
Greek form of the Hebrew name Hananiah.
40
3:6 Isaiah 40:3-5a
Luke
14Some soldiers were also questioning him, saying, "And us, what should
we do?"
And he told them, "You should no longer shake down anyone, nor frame
anyone, always staying content with your pay."
15And all the people were waiting expectantly, wondering in their hearts if
John might possibly be the Anointed One.
16John responded speaking to everyone, "I baptize you in water, but one
who is more powerful than I is coming, the thongs of whose sandals I am
not worthy to untie. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire: 17his
winnowing fork is in his hand to clear out his threshing floor, gathering the
wheat into the barn; but the chaff he will burn up in unquenchable fire."
18And with many and varied other exhortations John was preaching the
good news to the people.
19But when Herod the Tetrarch was rebuked by him, regarding Herodias
his brother's wife, and all the other evil things he had done, 20Herod piled
this on top of them all: he shut John up in prison.
The Baptism of Jesus

21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And
as he was praying, the heavens were torn open, 22and the Holy Spirit
descended on him in the bodily form of a dove. And a voice came from
heaven said, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
The Genealogy of Jesus

23And this Jesus, being about thirty years old, 41 was the son, so it was
41
3:23a καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν Ἰησοῦς ἀρχόμενος ὡσεὶ ἐτῶν τριάκοντα.. Most translations render
this something like, "And Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his
ministry." The trouble with that is that the words "his ministry" are not in the Greek. The
usual reasoning for this rendering is that the word "began," ἄρχω is reminiscent of Luke's
use of the same word, and in the same middle voice, in Acts 1:1, where he says he wrote
about all that Jesus "began both to do and to teach." I find this an unacceptable leap. The
KJV says, "And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age..." The trouble with that
is, how can you begin to be about thirty? The thirtieth year has a beginning, but "about
thirty" does not. So what was it that was beginning? The lexical authorities on koine
Greek tell us that the word ἄρχω in the middle voice is often pleonastic or superfluous, in
accordance with late Jewish usage; so Josephus, Dalman, Worte; and JWHunkin on the
Pleonastic ἄρχομαι in the New Testament. Acts 1:1 is specifically given as an example of
this; thus Acts 1:1 would be "everything he did and taught." Here in Luke 3:23, both εἰμι
and ἄρχω are in the continuous aspect. The word αὐτὸς could be its demonstrative use.
Thus I translated this passage, "And this Jesus, being about thirty years old, was the son, so
it was thought, of Joseph..."
Luke
thought, of Joseph,42
the son43 of Eili, 24the son of Matthat,

the son of Levi, the son of Melki,
the son of Yannai, the son of Joseph,
25the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos,
the son of Nahum, the son of Esli,
the son of Naggai, 26the son of Maath,
the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein,
the son of Josech, the son of Joda,
27the son of Yoanan, the son of Rhesa,
the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel,
the son of Neri, 28the son of Melki,
the son of Addi, the son of Cosam,
the son of Elmadam, the son of Er,
29the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer,
the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat,
the son of Levi, 30the son of Simeon,
the son of Judah, the son of Joseph,
the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim,
31the son of Melea, the son of Menna,
the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan,
the son of David, 32the son of Jesse,
the son of Obed, the son of Boaz,
the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon,
33the son of Amminadab, the son of Aram, 44
42
3:23b See the endnote at the end of this document, comparing this genealogy to
Matthew's genealogy.
43
3:23c Probably, son-in-law of Eili. (In Hebrew this name Eili starts with the consonant
Ayin, a gutteral stop. The NA27/UBS Greek text and the 1550 Textus Receptus have it
spelled Eili, but the Hodges & Farstad "Majority Text" has a Greek rough breathing mark in
front, so spelled "Heli.") In that culture, the word "son" was used more broadly. Ben Crick
of England has a good commentary on this, as follows: "The genealogies in Matthew 1 and
Luke 3 are both ostensibly of Joseph, not of Mary. But whereas Matt. 1:16 gives Jacob as the
father of Joseph, Luke 3:23 states that Joseph was the son of Heli. How do we explain this?
We know that Mary had a sister (John 19:25), but nowhere is a brother mentioned. So if
Heli had no son, his inheritance would pass to his nearest male relative, in this case his son-
in-law (Numbers 27:1-11), provided he was of the same tribe (Numbers 36:1-9). Therefore
we should read in Luke 3:23 that Joseph was son-in-law of Heli. So Heli was Mary's father,
and Mary was descended from David. Gabriel's words to Mary, "the Lord God shall give
unto Him the throne of His father David," (Luke 1:32) confirm this.
44
3:33 txt τοῦ Ἀμιναδὰβ τοῦ Ἀράμ (Matt 1:3,4) A (D Ἀμειναδαβ) E Nc ita,aur,d,f,ff2,l,q,r1 vg syrp goth
geo² TR RP ‖ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ τοῦ Ἀδμὶν τοῦ Ἀρνει ⁴vid ℵ* copsa and other versions ‖ τοῦ Ἀμιναδὰβ
τοῦ Ἀδμὶν τοῦ Ἀρὰμ 0102 ‖ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ τοῦ Ἀρνει (syrs added “between the lines: Burkitt)
Luke
the son of Hezron, the son of Perez,

the son of Judah, 34the son of Jacob,
the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham,
the son of Terah, the son of Nahor,
35the son of Serug, the son of Reu,
the son of Peleg, the son of Eber,
the son of Shelah, 36the son of Cainan,45
the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem,
the son of Noah, the son of Lamech,
37the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch,
the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel,
the son of Cainan, 38the son of Enos,
the son of Seth, the son of Adam,
the son of God.
Chapter 4
The Temptation of Jesus
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the
Spirit into the desert, 2being tempted forty days by the devil. And he ate
nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
3And the devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, speak to this stone,
that it become a loaf of bread."
4And Jesus responded to him, "It is written, 'A human being shall not live
on bread alone.'46"
WHmg ‖ τοῦ Ἀμιναδὰβ τοῦ Ἀδμὶν τοῦ Ἀρνὶ (ℵ¹ Ἀρνει) (L Ἀδμεὶν) NA28 {C} ‖ τοῦ Ἀδμειν
τοῦ Ἀρνει B WH ‖ τοῦ Ἀμιναδὰβ τοῦ Ἀράμ τοῦ Ἰωραμ itb,e (syrh) ‖ τοῦ Ἀμιναδὰβ τοῦ Ἀράμ
τοῦ Ἀρνὶ N ‖ τοῦ Ἀμιναδὰβ τοῦ Ἀράμ τοῦ Ἀδμὶ τοῦ Ἀρνὶ arm geo ‖ τοῦ Ἀρὰμ τοῦ Ἀμιναδὰβ
του Ἀρμὶν του Ἀρνίν syrpalms,(ms) ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ C P Q T Ξ syrc. There is, in the words of the
Editorial Committee of the UBS' Greek New Testament, a "bewildering array of readings"
for the first half of this verse. They go on: "the Committee adopted what seems to be the
least unsatisfactory form of text, a reading that was current in the Alexandrian church at
an early period. Although the reading τοῦ Ἀμιναδὰβ τοῦ Ἀράμ is supported by an
impressive range of witnesses (A D 33 565 1079 many versions), with a reading that involves
three names (such as that adopted by the Committee) Luke's entire genealogy of Jesus falls
into an artistically planned pattern, even more elaborate than Matthew's (cf. Mt 1:17); thus,
from Adam to Abraham, 3 x 7 generations; from Isaac to David, 2 x 7 generations; from
Nathan to Salathiel (pre-exilic), 3 x 7 generations; from Zerubbabel (post-exilic) to Jesus, 3 x
7 generations, making a total of 11 x 7, or 77 generations from Adam to Jesus."
45
3:36 txt τοῦ Καϊνὰμ ⁴vid ℵ B L SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ τοῦ Καϊναν A N 0102 syrp,h copsamss TR RP
‖ Elam syrs ‖ omit ⁷⁵vid D itd ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C P Q T Ξ syrc. The man Kainan does not appear in this
spot in the Hebrew text, but does in the Septuagint. The genealogy in the Sepuagint differs
very greatly from that in the Hebrew. Which also changes the number of years in human
history.
46
4:4 txt ἄνθρωπος ℵ B L W syrs copsa OrGr½,lat NA28 {B}‖ ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι
Luke
5Then leading him upward,47 the devil showed him all the kingdoms of
the inhabited earth, in a moment of time. 6And he said to Jesus, "All this
authority and their glory I will give to you, for it has been handed over to
me, and I give it to whomever I wish. 7Now then, if you worship in front of
me, it will all be yours."
8In answer Jesus said to him,48 "It is written: 'You shall worship Yahweh
your God, and him only shall you serve.'49"
9Then the devil led him into Jerusalem, and had him stand on the gable of
the temple. And he said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself
down from here. 10For it is written:
'He will command his angels

concerning you
to guard you carefully,
11and they will bear you up in their hands,
so you will not strike your foot
against a stone.'50"
12Jesus answered and said to him, "It says: 'You shall not test Yahweh your
God.'51"
13And having carried out every sort of temptation, the devil left him until
an opportune time.
Jesus Begins to Preach

14And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and a rumor
about him spread throughout the whole region. 15And he taught in their
synagogues, being praised by everyone.
θεοῦ A E 0233 syrp,h arm geo Or½ Titus-Bostra Asterius-Amasea TR RP ‖ ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλ'
ἐν παντὶ ῥήματι θεοῦ D 0102 latt ‖ ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ ῥήματι ἐκπορευομένῳ διὰ
στόματος θεοῦ pt eth Diatess. Deuteronomy 8:3 The Editorial Committee for the United
Bible Societies' Greek text says, "The shortest reading, which has good and early support,
must be original; the longer forms of text have been assimilated by copyists to the
Matthaean parallel (Mt 4:4) or to the Septuagint of Dt 8:3, either verbatim or according to
the general sense. If any of the longer forms of text had been original, its omission from ℵ
B L W 1241 syrs copsa would be unaccountable."
47
4:5 txt αὐτὸν NA28 {\} ‖ αὐτὸν ὁ διάβολος εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν TR RP
48
4:8a txt omit ℵ B D L W Ξ ℓ2211 lat syrs,p copsa arm geo NA28 {\} ‖ Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου
Σατανᾶ A E 0102 it syrh (pt) TR RP
49
4:8b Deuteronomy 6:13
50
4:10-11 Psalm 91:11,12
51
Luke
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and went into
the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. And he stood up to
read. 17And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling
the scroll, he found the place where it is written:
18"The Spirit of Yahweh is upon me,

because he has anointed me;
He has sent me52
to preach good news to the poor,
to announce release for the prisoners
and sight for the blind,
to send off the crushed into liberty,
19to proclaim the year
of Yahweh's favor..."53
20And having closed the scroll, he gave it back to the attendant and sat
down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21And
he began to speak to them: "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

22All were speaking well of him and amazed at the gracious words coming
from his mouth. And they were saying, "Isn't this Joseph's son?"
23And he said to them, "No doubt you will quote to me this proverb:
'Physician, heal yourself! The things we heard were happening in
52
4:18 txt omit ℵ B D L W Ξ lat syrs copsa goth Origen Eusebius Didymus TH NA28 {\} ‖ include
ἰάσασθαι τοὺς συντετριμμένους τὴν καρδίαν “to heal the brokenhearted” A 0102 itf vgcl
syrp,h,pal mss Irenaeuslat TR HF RP ‖ lac. ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ C N P Q T. The standard textual criticism
arguments are: (1), lectio brevior lectio potior (“the shorter reading is the better reading” -
unless homoioteleuton or otherwise explains omission), and (2), that the first reading best
explains the other reading; that is, there is no good explanation why scribes might have
omitted the phrase, but an explanation why scribes might have added the phrase is that the
additional phrase completes the gap compared to the Isaiah passage- it harmonizes Luke to
Isaiah. But there would be nothing remarkable about Jesus selecting and reading only the
phrases that were pertinent to what he wanted to say. Indeed, all Greeek editions agree
that Jesus did not finish the sentence from Isaiah; and that is why some translations,
including mine, end the quotation with an ellipsis...” Moreover, Jesus also adds a phrase
from a totally different passage in Isaiah, 58:6, “to set at liberty those who are oppressed.”
To me, the fact that Jesus selected another phrase from a completely different passage as
well, just proves how selective he was being for phrases, and that lends more credibility to
the idea that he skipped one phrase from the Isaiah 61 passage. Another interesting fact is
that the phrase sight to the blind here in Luke 4:18 is not found in the Hebrew of Isaiah 61,
but only in the Septuagint, the ancient translation of the Old Testament into Greek.
53
4:19 Isaiah 61:1,2 When Jesus read this passage, he did not read to the end of the
sentence. The next phrase was about the Lord's vengeance.
Luke
Capernaum, do here in your home town.'"

24And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his home town.
25I tell you, in Elijah's days, during the three years and six months that the
sky was shut and there was a great famine covering the whole land, it is a
fact that there were plenty of widows in Israel. 26Yet it was not to any of
them that Elijah was sent, but to Zarephath in the country of Sidon, to a
widow woman there. 27Again, in the case of Elisha the prophet, there were
plenty of lepers in Israel, and not one of them was cleansed; only Naaman
the Syrian."
28And all the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard these
things. 29They got up and drove him outside the town, intending to throw
him down the cliff. 30But he walked right through them, and went on his
way.
Jesus' Teaching Has Authority

31And he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath
began to teach them. 32And they were amazed at his teaching, because his
word was authoritative.
33And in the synagogue there was a man who had a demon, an unclean
spirit. He shouted out with a very loud voice, 34"Ha! What business do you
have with us, Jesus, you Nazarene? Have you come to destroy us? I know
who you are— the Holy One of God!"
35And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him!" And
the demon threw him down before them all and came out of him, doing him
no damage.
36And astonishment overwhelmed them all, and they spoke to each other,
saying, "What is this message, that with authority and power he commands
unclean spirits, and they come out?" 37And a rumor went out about him
into every place in that region.
Jesus Heals All in Capernaum

38And rising up out of the synagogue, he went into the home of Simon.
And Simon's mother-in-law was suffering a high fever, and they asked him
about her. 39So he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.
And she got up at once and proceeded to wait on them.
40And as the sun was setting, everyone who had anyone ill with various
Luke
kinds of sickness brought them to him, and laying his hands on each one of
them, he was healing them. 41Moreover, demons were coming out from
many, shouting and saying, "You are the Son of God!" And he would
rebuke them, not allowing them to speak, because they knew him to be the
Messiah.
Jesus Keeps Moving

42And when day came, he left and went off to a solitary place. And the
crowds were searching for him, and they came up to him and detained him
from leaving them. 43But he said to them, "I must preach the kingdom of
God to the other towns also, because on that basis I was sent." 44And he
kept on preaching in the synagogues of Jewdom.54
Chapter 5
1And it came about that as he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret,
with the crowd pressing urgently around him and listening to the word of
God, 2he saw two boats standing idle by the lake; the fishers had gotten out
of them, washing the nets. 3And getting on board one of the boats, which
was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from shore. And sitting down,
he taught the people from the boat.
4And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into the
deep, and let down your nets for a catch."
5And in response Simon said, "Master, working hard through the whole
night we took nothing. But on the basis of your word, I will let down the
nets."
6And when they had done so, they had enclosed a great number of fish,
and their nets were beginning to tear. 7So they signaled to their partners in
54
4:44 txt εἰς τὰς συναγωγὰς τῆς Ἰουδαίας ⁷⁵ ℵ B Qvid syrs,h copsa NA28 {B} ‖ ἐν ταῖς
συναγωγαῖς τῆς Ἰουδαίας C L ‖ εἰς τὰς συναγωγὰς τῶν Ἰουδαίων W ‖ εἰς τὰς συναγωγὰς τῆς
Γαλιλαίας D arm? ‖ ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς τῆς Γαλιλαίας A E ita,aur,b,d,e,f,ff²,l,q,r¹ vg syrp,hmg pt
eth arm? geo TR RP ‖ lac N P T Ξ. There are five different readings here in the Greek
manuscripts. Where the earliest say he was preaching in the synagogues "of Judea," some
manuscripts say, "of the Jews," others say, "to the Jews," others (the majority) say, "of
Galilee," and others say "their synagogues." It is apparent that the copyists responsible for
the reading "of Galilee" were trying to correct the seeming difficulty of the words "of
Judea," when the context before and after indicates that Jesus was traveling in Galilee; and
other copyists were motivated by the desire to harmonize Luke with the accounts of
Matthew and Mark. The reading "of Judea," however, can be translated as "the land of the
Jews," or something to that effect, which in meaning would be inclusive of Galilee.
Luke
the other boat to come and help them, and they came, and they filled both
the boats, such that they began to sink.
8And when Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away
from me Lord; I am a sinful man!" 9For astonishment had seized him and all
those with him, at the catch of fish that they had taken, and likewise also
James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon.
10But Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid. From now on you will be
catching human beings." 11And when they had pulled the boats to shore,
they gave it all up and followed him.
A Leper Healed Spreads the Word

12And it came about that he was in one of the towns, and behold, a man
covered with leprosy.55 And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and
begged him, saying, "Lord, if you are willing, you can cleanse me."
13And reaching out his hand, he touched him, saying, "I am willing. Be
cleansed." And immediately the leprosy left him.
14And he ordered him to tell no one, but "Go, show yourself to the priest,
and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to
them."56
15But word about him was spreading all the more, and many crowds
would walk alongside to listen, and to be healed of their sicknesses. 16And
he would take retreat in deserted places, and pray.
The Paralytic Lowered Through the Roof

17And it came about during one of the days that, as he was teaching,
Pharisees and teachers of the Torah also were sitting there, who had come
from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power
of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.
18And behold, men carrying on a pallet a man who was paralyzed. And
they were trying to carry him in, to lay him before him. 19And not finding a
way to carry in because of the crowd, they went up onto the roof, and
lowered him with his bed down through the tiles, into the middle, in front
of Jesus.
55
5:12 The Greek word was used for various diseases of the skin— not necessarily leprosy.
56
5:13 Jesus is following the Law, Leviticus 14, as to what to do regarding healing of leprosy.
In all the history of Israel subsequent to the giving of the Law and Leviticus 14, no Jew had
ever been verified as healed of leprosy.
Luke
20And when Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven
you."
21And the Torah scholars and Pharisees began to reason as follows: "Who
is this fellow who speaks blasphemy! 57 Who can forgive sins but God
alone?"
22But knowing their reasonings, Jesus in response said to them, "Why are
you debating this in your hearts? 23Which is easier: to say 'Your sins are
forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 24But so that you may know that
the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins..." He said to the
paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, pick up your mat and be on your way
home." 25And immediately he stood up, in full view of them, and taking up
that upon which he had been lying, he went away toward home, praising
God. 26Everyone was stunned with amazement. And they glorified God,
and were filled with awe, saying, "We have seen remarkable things today."
A Revenue Agent Joins Jesus

27And after these things he went out, and he saw a revenue agent 58 by the
name of Levi, sitting at the taxes post, and he said to him, "Follow me."
28And he rose up and followed him, giving it all up.
29Then Levi held a great banquet for him at his house. And there was also
a large crowd of revenue agents and others who were reclining with him.
30And the Pharisees and their Torah scholars59 grumbled to his disciples,
57
5:21 The Greek for blasphemy is in the plural, an idiomatic pluralization of abstract topics
that frequently serves as a designation of concrete phenomena. Here it would mean
something more like "words of blasphemy," referring to the one incident of blasphemy in
verse 20. Other examples of this kind of plural are Matthew 14:9, 15:19.
58
5:27 The Greek word here translated "revenue agent" is τελώνης, a combination of the
words τέλος for excise off the end tally, and the word ὠνέομαι which means to "buy."
Hence, tax-buyers, or tax owners. The accounts receivable which the due taxes
represented were purchased by something like collection agencies. According to Bauer,
the τελώναι were not the holders of the 'tax farming' contracts themselves, (the actual
holders were called publicani), but were subordinates (Latin, portitores) hired by the
publicani. The higher officials, the publicans, were usually foreigners, but their underlings
were taken, as a rule, from the native population, from the subjugated people. The
prevailing system of tax collection afforded the collector many opportunities to exercise
his greed and unfairness. Moreover, since the tax was forced upon the conquered by the
conqueror, the collectors of the tax were personal reminders to the populace that they, the
payers of the tax, were conquered. Hence the collectors of the tax were particularly hated
and despised as a class. They were pre-judged to be both embezzlers, and traitors or
collaborators with the occupying foreign power.
59
5:30a txt φαρισαιοι και οι γραμματεις αυτων B C L W Ξ lat SBL NA28 {/} ‖ φαρισαιοι και οι
γραμματεις ℵ (D) it copsamss ‖ γραμματεις και οι φαρισαιοι F ‖ γραμματεις αυτων και οι
φαρισαιοι A N itr¹ (copsams) TR RP ‖ lac ⁴ ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ P Q T. These are meaningfully
different, since having the possessive pronoun first, as in “their Torah scholars and
Pharisees” makes it sound like “their” refers to the Jews as possessors, and both Torah
scholars and Pharisees as the subject, whereas “the Pharisees and their Torah scholars”
Luke
saying, "Why do you eat and drink with revenue agents and sinners?" 60
31And Jesus responded and said to them, "It is not the healthy who need a
doctor, but those who are sick. 32I have not come to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance."

33They then said to him, "The disciples of John are often fasting and
making prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but yours go on eating
and drinking."
34And Jesus said to them, "Can you make the members of the bridegroom's
party fast during days in which the bridegroom is with them? 35But the days
will come. Yes, when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then in
those days they will fast."
36And he also spoke a parable to them: "No one tears a patch from a new
garment and places it onto an old garment. For then, he will both tear the
new, and the patch from the new will not match the old. 37And no one puts
new wine in old wineskins. For then, the new wine will burst the
wineskins, and it will be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. 38On the
contrary, new wine must be put in new wineskins.61 39And no one after
drinking old wine wants the new, for he says, 'The old is better.' "
Chapter 6
Man Over the Sabbath
1And he happened during a Sabbath62 to be passing through grainfields,
and his disciples were plucking and eating the heads, rubbing them in their
makes it sound like only a subset of the Torah scholars, those belonging to the sect of the
Pharisees, is being talked about. Compare Mark 2:16.
60
5:30 The Mishnah associated tax collectors with murderers and highway robbers.
(Nedarim 3:4 and Bava Qamma 10:2)
61
5:38 txt omit ⁴ ⁷⁵ ℵ B L W cop NA28 {/} ‖ καὶ ἀμφότεροι συντηροῦνται (Matt 9:17) A C D
E latt syr mss TR RP
62
6:1a txt σαββάτῳ ⁴ ℵ B L W itb,c,l,q,r¹ syrp,hmg,pal copsa eth ΝΑ28 ‖ τοῖς σάββασιν Lect pt (Mt
12:1; Mk 2:23 ‖ σαββάτῳ δευτεροπρώτῳ A C D E 0233 ita,aur,d,f,ff² vg syrh arm Epiph Chrys Isid
TR RP ‖ σαββάτῳ δευτέρῳ geo ‖ sabbato mane ite ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P Q T. The UBS textual
commentary: “In the opinion of a majority of the Committee, although σαββάτῳ
δευτεροπρώτῳ is certainly the more difficult reading, it must not for that reason be
adopted. The word δευτεροπρῶτος occurs nowhere else, and appears to be a vox nulla that
arose accidentally through a transcriptional blunder. (Perhaps some copyist introduced
πρώτῳ as a correlative of ἐν ἑτέρῳ σαββάτῳ in ver. 6, and a second copyist, in view of 4:31,
wrote δευτέρῳ, deleting πρώτῳ by using dots over the letters—which was the customary
way of cancelling a word. A subsequent transcriber, not noticing the dots, mistakenly
combined the two words into one, which he introduced into the text.)”
Luke
hands.63 2But some of the Pharisees said, "Why are you doing what on a
Sabbath is not permissible?"64
3And in answer to them Jesus said, "Have you never read what David did
when he and those with him were hungry? 4How he went into the house of
God, and taking the loaves of offering, he ate, and gave to the ones with
him, which was not permissible to eat, except for the priests only?"
5Then he said to them, "The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."
6And it came about that on another Sabbath, he went into the synagogue
and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was shriveled.
7And the Torah scholars and the Pharisees were carefully watching him,
whether he would heal on the Sabbath, in order to obtain cause to prosecute
him. 8But he knew their reasoning, and said to the man with the shriveled
hand, "Get up and stand in view." And he got up and stood.
9Then Jesus said to them, "I ask you, is it permissible on the Sabbath to do
good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?"
10And looking around at them all, he said to him, "Stretch out your hand."
He did so, and his hand was restored. 11And they were filled with rage,65
and discussed with each other what they should do to Jesus.
The Twelve Apostles

12And it came about in those days that he went out into the hills to pray,
and spent the whole night praying to God. 13And when it was day, he
called his disciples to him, and from them he selected twelve, whom he then
designated apostles: 14Simon, whom he also named Peter, and his brother
Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; 15Matthew and Thomas;
James son of Halphaeus and Simon the Zealot; 16and Judas son66 of James;
and Judas of Kerioth,67 who became a betrayer.
63
6:1 This was the allowable practice of "plucking the heads," see Deuteronomy 23:24, 25,
"If you enter your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat grapes until you are fully satisfied, but
do not put any in a container. If you enter your neighbor's grainfield, you may pluck the
heads with your hands, but you must not put a sickle to your neighbor's standing grain."
64
6:2 The Greek word translated "permissible" is the impersonal participle ἔξεστιν -
éxestin, which is derived from the same root as ἐξουσία - exousía, the word for authority. If
an activity was ἔξεστιν, that means it was "loosed," or ruled by the rabbis to be something
"allowed" by the Torah. If something was not ἔξεστιν, as is the case here, that means it was
"bound," that is, the rabbis had adjudged that it was forbidden by the Torah.
65
6:11 Greek, ἀνοία - anoia, a word much like our English word 'mad,' which can mean
both anger and insanity. You could say Jesus' opponents went out of their minds with rage.
Anger often overcomes better judgment. Thus anoia is often translated as 'folly.'
66
6:16a Or brother
67
6:16b This man's name is usually written Judas Iscariot. "Iscariot" is probably from the
Hebrew words ‫איׁש ְק ִרֹּיוֹת‬,
ִ ish Qerioth, which mean a man from Kerioth. Kerioth was a town
Luke
Blessings and Woes

17And when he came down, he stopped at a level place with them and
with a large crowd of his disciples, and with a great multitude of the people
from all of Judea and Jerusalem, and from the coastal areas of Tyre and
Sidon 18who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. And
those oppressed by unclean spirits were being cured. 19And the entire
crowd was trying to touch him, because power was going out from him,
and curing everyone.
20And he lifted his eyes toward his disciples, and began to speak:
"Blessed are you who are poor,

for yours is the kingdom of God.
21Blessed are you who go hungry now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22Blessed are you
when people hate you,
excommunicate you and shame you
and cast out your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
23"Rejoice in that day, and skip for joy! For behold, great is your reward in
heaven, because the same things their ancestors did to the prophets.
24"But woe to you who are rich,

because you have received
your comfort.
25Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to those who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
26Woe to you when all people68
in southern Judea, which would make this Judas the only one in the circle of thirteen (Jesus
and the twelve disciples) that was not from Galilee.
68
6:26 txt παντες οι ανθρωποι ⁷⁵ A B E P Q R Ξ -650 Lat copsa TR SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖
Luke
speak well of you,

for the same their ancestors did
to the false prophets.
Love Your Enemies

27"But I say to you who are listening, love your enemies, treat well the ones
hating you, 28bless the ones cursing you, pray for the ones insulting you.
29To the one striking you on the cheek, offer the other cheek also. And the
person taking your jacket, do not prevent him from taking your shirt as
well. 30To everyone asking you, give, and from the one forcefully taking
your things, do not demand them back. 31And just as you wish people
would do to you, do likewise to them.
32"And if you love the ones loving you, what credit is that to you? For the
sinners also love the ones loving them. 33And if you do good to the ones
doing good to you, what credit is that to you? The sinners also do the same.
34And if you lend to the ones from whom you foresee repayment, what
credit is that to you? Sinners also lend to sinners, in such a way they may
receive the equal back. 35But love your enemies, and do good and lend,
expecting nothing, and great will be your reward, and you will be children
of the Most High, for he is kind to the unthankful and evil. 36Be
compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. 69
The Law of Reciprocity

37"Do not be judgmental, and you will not be judged. Do not be
condemning, and you will not be condemned. Be forgiving, and you will be
forgiven.
38"Be giving, and it will be given to you. A generous container:
compacted, shaken70 and running over they will hand into your arms. For
with the standard you measure out, it will be measured back to you."
Correcting Others
39And he also spoke a parable to them: "Can a blind person lead a blind
παντες ανθρωποι W ‖ οι ανθρωποι παντες ℵ ‖ οι ανθρωποι D L -997 vgCL syrs,p mss

Marciontxt RP ‖ lac C N T
69
6:36 Exodus 34:6-7; Psalm 103:8-14; Joel 2:13; Jonah 4:10-11
70
6:38 In other words, settled. Along with being pressed down and compacted, the
container would be holding the most it possibly could.
Luke
person? Will they not both fall into a ditch? 40A student is not above the
teacher, but rather, every student when fully trained will be like his teacher.
41"Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but the log that is in
your own eye you do not consider? 42How are you able to say to your
brother, 'Brother, allow me to take out the speck that is in your eye,' while
you are not seeing the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first get
the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly the speck that is in
your brother's eye, to remove it.71
A Tree and its Fruit

43"Now there is no good tree producing bad fruit, nor again a bad tree
producing good fruit. 44For each tree is known by its own fruit. For they do
not gather figs from thornbushes, neither do they pick a grape from a brier.
45"The good person, out of the good stockpile of his heart, brings forth
good, and the evil person out of the evil, brings forth evil. For out of the
abundance of the heart one's mouth speaks.
The Two Kinds of Builders

46"And why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord,' and yet not do the things
which I say? 47Anyone who comes to me and hears my words and does
them, I will show you what that person is like. 48That person is like a man
building a house, who dug and deepened and laid a foundation on the rock.
And when a flood occurred, the river dashed against that house, but was
not able to shake it, because it was well built.
49"But the one who has heard them and not done them, is like a man who
built a house on the ground without a foundation, against which dashed the
river, and very soon it collapsed, and the destruction of that house was
great."
Chapter 7
One Centurion's Faith with Authority
1When he had finished all his sayings in the ears of the people, he entered
71
6:42 Note that Jesus is not forbidding the correcting of others, nor telling us not to
remove a speck from someone else’s eye. But strangely enough, that is how many people
interpret this passage. Rather, what this passage is saying is that we should examine
ourselves before we correct others. And then do correct others. See Luke 17:3, and several
other passages in the New Testament.
Luke
Capernaum. 2And the slave of a certain centurion,72 who was very valuable
to him, was sick and about to die. 3And having heard about Jesus, he sent
elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. 4So when
they came to Jesus, they were pleading earnestly with him, saying, "He is
worthy that73 you confer this upon him, 5for he loves our nation, and he
built us the synagogue."
6So Jesus went with them. And when he was not far from the house, the
centurion sent friends saying to him as follows: "Lord, don't trouble
yourself, for I am not fit that you should enter under my roof. 7So also
neither did I consider myself worthy to come to you. But say with a word
that my slave must be healed. 74 8For I too am a man stationed under
authority, having soldiers under myself. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he
goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my slave, 'Do this,' and
he does."
9And when Jesus heard these words, he was amazed at him, and turning
to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, not in Israel have I found
such faith."
10And when the ones who had been sent returned to the house, they found
the slave well.
72
7:2 A Roman military officer commanding from 50 to 100 men, 100 if the cohort was a
complete one. A full cohort— 1,000 men, would have ten centurions, each commanding 100
of the men.
73
7:4 Interestingly, this message from the Roman centurion in Luke 7:4 contains a Latinism
in the Greek. In the phrase Ἄξιός ἐστιν παρέξῃ τοῦτο, the use of the relative pronoun
instead of the customary ἵνα (hina) is a Latinism: dignus qui with the subjunctive.
74
7:7b The Greek verb for heal here, ἰάομαι, is in the 3rd person, singular, aorist,
imperative, passive form, ἰαθήτω. This is difficult to construe, and that is why later
copyists changed it to the simple future indicative passive form ιαθήσεται in conformity
with the Matthew account in 8:8. Perhaps the copyists thought that the imperative form
reflected badly on the centurion as being too demanding, as thus: "Say in a word, and let
my servant be healed." And if the copyists felt a desire to do this, it is also very possible
that here is an instance of Matthew making more palatable the Greek of a written Greek
original Spruchquelle as compared to Luke's more conservative and word for word
reproduction, rather than the scenario that Matthew translated the Aramaic of an Aramaic
Spruchquelle into the future indicative in Greek, but Luke into the aorist imperative. As for
the word 'and' here, καί, it is here used as an explicative καί and introducing a command in
indirect quotation; in other words, to particularize the word to be spoken, as thus: "But say
in a word, namely, that my slave be healed." This use of καί is not terribly uncommon in
the New Testament, and this rendering preserves an imperative mood. Moreover, it is
preceded here by εἰπον, which regularly precedes discourse. As for the centurion's
peremptory tone, how remarkable is it that a soldier, and a commanding officer at that,
would have that kind of personality? He was a bold man, but he humbled his tone well
enough by twice stating that he was not worthy. It is commendable to be bold in this way,
as indeed the Lord commended him for it. But how bold really was it? For after all, he had
heard that Jesus was already doing such things as he was requesting, and was doing it for
everybody who asked, and also some who did not ask. So it wasn't so bold and demanding
after all, with the exception of expecting the same for a Gentile, which he covered by
admitting his unfitness.
Luke
Jesus Raises a Dead Man at Nain

11And it came about that on the next day, he went into a town called Nain,
and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. 12And as he
approached the town gate, behold, a dead person was being carried out, the
only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a considerable crowd
from the town was with her. 13When he saw her, the Lord was moved with
pity for her, and he said to her, "Don't cry."
14And he went up to the coffin and touched it, and the pallbearers stood
still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, rise up!" 15And the dead man
sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him back to his mother.
16And fear took hold of all, and they praised God, saying, "A great prophet
has been raised up among us," and, "God has come to help his people."
17And this news about him spread throughout the land of the Jews and the
surrounding country.
Jesus and John the Baptizer

18And John's disciples reported to him about all these things. And after
calling two of his disciples to him, John 19sent word to the Lord, as follows:
"Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect another?"
20And when they had come to him, the men said, "John the Baptizer sent
us to you saying, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect
another?'"
21In that same hour he healed many people of diseases and sicknesses and
evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22And in answer, he
said to them, "Go and report back to John what things you saw and heard:
The blind see again, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear,
the dead are raised, and good news is preached to the poor. 23And tell him,
'Blessed be whoever is not offended on account of me.' "75
75 7:23 Why did Jesus tell John this? Would John be offended by all the good works here
recently listed? Not likely. It is more likely that what John would be offended by was Jesus'
non-abstentious lifestyle, or even what in John the ascetic's view might be "shady"
practices. John had already testified earlier, emphatically and with certainty, that Jesus
was the Expected One. But now it appears, John was having his doubts about him. Jesus
was apparently a contrast to John in the following: He did not worry too much about
ceremonial washing (Diatess 5:45, 14:1-10; 5:25; Matt. 15:1-20; Mark 7:1-23; John 3:25,26,
John 2:6). He de-emphasized the concept of clean v. unclean foods (Diatess 14:9; Matt.
15:11,17; Mark 7:15-19). He did not fast, or at least did not teach his disciples to fast
(Diatess. 7:24; Matt. 9:14; Mark 2:18; Luke 5:33). He drank alcohol, enabling Pharisees to
dare call him a "drunkard," (Luke 7:33, 34; Matt. 11:18-19; Diatess. 10:30). He associated
with "shady" characters (Diatess 7:22, 10:30, 10:35-36, 21:1, 24:19; Matt. 9:11; Mark 2:16; Luke
5:30; Matt. 11:19; Luke 7:34, 7:39, 15:1-2, 19:7). He violated the Sabbath by allowing his
Luke
24And as John's messengers were leaving, he began to speak to the crowd

about John: "What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed getting
swayed to and fro by the wind? 25On the contrary, what did you go out to
see? A man dressed in delicate clothes? Behold, those in expensive clothes
and living in luxury are in royal palaces. 26On the contrary, what did you
go out to see? A prophet? Yes indeed I tell you, and more than a prophet.
27This is the one about whom it is written:
'Behold, I am sending my messenger

before your face,
who will prepare your way
before you.'76
28I tell you, among those born of women, no one is greater than John the
Baptizer. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."
29(And all the people who heard, even the revenue agents, vindicated God,
having been baptized with the baptism of John. 30But the Pharisees and the
lawyers, not baptized by him, rejected the purpose of God for themselves.)
31"To what, then, shall I compare the people of this generation? And what
are they like? 32They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling
out to one another and saying:
'We played the flute for you,

and you didn't dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you didn't cry.'
33For John the Baptizer came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and
you say, 'He has a demon.' 34The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and
you say, 'Behold a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of revenue agents and
sinners.' 35Regardless, wisdom is vindicated by all her children."77
disciples to husk grain (Mark 2:23-28; Matt. 12:1-8; Lk 6:1-5). He did not pay the two-
drachma tax, except for only the 2 people who were discovered, out of the total of 13 in his
party (Diatess. 17:22-26; Matt. 17:24-27. On this tax, which was voluntary at best, and illegal
at worst, see my endnote in my translation of the gospel of Matthew.) It remains today,
that some who consider themselves righteous are offended by these truths about Jesus'
lifestyle. But "Blessed be whoever is not offended on account of me." "For the kingdom of
God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy
Spirit." Romans 14:17
76
7:27 This quote appears to be a blend of Exodus 23:20 and Malachi 3:1.
77
7:35 Greek τέκνων; perhaps a misunderstanding of the Aramaic for "works." Which
Luke
A Prostitute Washes Jesus' Feet with her Tears

36But one of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went to the
Pharisee's house and reclined.78 37And behold, a woman who was being a
sinner in that town came, who having learned that he is reclining at the
Pharisee's house, had brought an alabaster bottle of perfume, 38and
appeared behind Jesus, weeping at his feet. And with the tears she began to
bathe his feet. And with the hairs of her head she was wiping off, and
earnestly kissing his feet, and anointing them with the perfume.
39When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he thought to himself
as follows, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who and of what
sort is the woman touching him— that she is a sinner."
40And Jesus spoke up, and said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell
you."
"Tell me, teacher," he says.
41"Two men were debtors to a certain moneylender. One owed five
79
hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42And as they did not have the
money to pay him back, he freely forgave them both. Now which of them
will love him more?"
43In answer Simon said, "I suppose the one whom he freely forgave more."
And he said to him, "You have judged correctly." 44And turning toward
the woman, he was saying to Simon, "Do you see this woman? Your house I
entered. Water you did not give me for my feet, but this woman bathed my
feet with her tears, and wiped them off with her hair. 45A kiss you did not
give me, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped earnestly
kissing my feet. 46With oil you did not anoint my head, but this woman
with perfume anointed my feet. 47For which reason, I tell you, her many
sins have been forgiven, that she loved much. But someone who has been
forgiven little, loves little."80
would make sense: emphasis on ALL. You have to look at ALL the works of a person, not
judge on superficial things like eating and drinking, which in fact Paul says in Romans
14:17, but of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
78
7:36 In that time and culture, those eating a meal lay on a futon of sorts, on their sides
and resting on an elbow, with their feet off the floor. That is how the woman could both
stand behind him at his feet, and wipe his feet with her hair.
79
7:41 A denarius was a coin worth about a day's wages.
80
7:47 Verse 47 is difficult in terms of Greek exegesis, and can't help but be influenced by
one's existing beliefs regarding sin and salvation. Are the woman's many sins forgiven
because she loved much? Or does she love much because her many sins are forgiven?
Consult the many English translations, and you will be surprised to see which falls on
which side of this problem. Nevertheless, a few things are clear: Jesus means to point out
Luke
48And he said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

49And those reclining with him began to say to themselves, "Who is this
who even forgives sins?"
50But he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go with peace."
Chapter 8
Jesus' Financiers
1And it came about after this that he traveled about through one city and
village after another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.
The Twelve were with him, 2and also some women who had been cured of
evil spirits and diseases: Mary, called the Magdalene,81 from whom seven
demons had come out; 3and Joanna the wife of Kuza, the manager of
Herod's household; and Susanna; plus many others; these women were
providing for them out of their own means.

4And when a great crowd was coming together, people from every one of
those towns coming toward him, he spoke by means of a parable: 5"The
sower went out to sow his seed. And in the process of sowing, some seed
fell beside the way and was trampled on, and the birds of the sky devoured
it. 6And other seed fell on rock, and after it grew, it withered, having no
way to get moisture. 7And other seed fell in the midst of thorns, and the
thorns grew up and choked it. 8And other seed fell into good soil, and
when grown it produced fruit a hundredfold."
After he said these things, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear, hear."

9And his disciples asked him the intent 82 of this parable, 10and he said, "To
that the woman loved more because she was forgiven more. And also clear is where Jesus
declared in verse 50 that it was her faith that had saved her. And it was not faith without
repentance. For her weeping and humility could indicate repentance, and since Jesus knew
the hearts of all humans (John 2:24-25; Diatess. 5:36), he apparently knew that in her was
true repentance.
81
8:2 A Magdalene is someone who is from the town of Magdala, just as a Seattleite is
someone who is from the city of Seattle.
82
8:9 The Greek word is the 3rd person, singular, present, optative form of the verb 'to be.'
It says, literally, "What is the being of this parable?" Except in optative mood. "What is
this parable supposed to be? Except there must be a word which encompasses both
'meaning' and 'reason for being.' Thus, "What is this parable meant to accomplish?" The
word 'essence' comes to mind, but 'essence' does not include the "reason why you speak in
Luke
you it is given such that you will know the mysteries of the kingdom of
God, but to the rest in parables,83 so that,
"'Though seeing, they will not see,

and though hearing,
they will not understand.'84
11 "This, then, means the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12And the
ones beside the way are those who when they hear, next comes the devil,
and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and
be saved. 13And the ones on the rock are those who when they hear, receive
the word with joy. They are also ones who have no root, and believe for a
time, and in the time of trial shrink back. 14And the seed falling in the
thorns, these are those who hear, and as they go, are choked by the worries
and riches and pleasures of life, and do not bear fruit to the end. 15And the
seed in good soil, these are those who when they hear the word, retain it in
a good and worthy heart, and bear fruit with perseverance.
16"Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it with a bucket, or puts it
under a bed, but instead puts it on the lamp stand, so that those coming in
may see the light. 17For there is nothing hidden that will not be made
manifest, nor secret, that will not become clearly known, and come into
illumination. 18Watch therefore how you listen, for whoever has, it will be
granted him, and whoever has not, even what he seems to have will be
taken away from him."
parables" idea. The word 'intent' encompasses the meanings "import, significance, and
meaning," and also the mood of potential. We know this 'why' meaning must be part of the
meaning of the disciples' question, both because of Jesus' answer, explaining 'why' he used
parables; and also from the parallel account in Matthew 13:10, where the disciples say
simply, "Why do you speak to the people in parables." (In Mark it is very ambiguous.) Luke
elsewhere in his Greek uses the word 'to be' for the meaning and intent of impersonal
events. See for example, Acts 2:12, where in reference to the disciples' speaking in dozens
of languages simultaneously, the onlookers say, literally, "What does this wish to be?" But
instead of the verb 'to be' in the optative mood, 'to be' is an infinitive, and the verb 'thelo'
for 'wish, will' is used with it. However, Luke uses the exact same inflection of this same
verb in Luke 3:15 as here in 8:9, where the crowd wonders if John the Baptizer might
possibly be the Messiah.
83
8:10a Or, "To you it is granted (perfect tense) to know the mysteries of the kingdom of
God, but to the rest in parables, so that..." The problem with this latter reading is
determining what verb is to be implied or supplied for the phrase "but to the rest in
parables." This is why I interpreted the infinitive as one of result: "such that you will
know." Then the same idea, that is the idea, "in such a way," easily carries over to the "but
to them in parables."
84
8:10b Isaiah 6:9
Luke

19And his mother and brothers came to him, and were not able to get near
him because of the crowd. 20And it was reported to him, "Your mother and
brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you."
21But he in answer said to them, "These are my mother and brothers, the
ones hearing and doing the word of God."
Jesus Commands the Elements

22And it came about during one of those days that he and his disciples had
gotten into a boat, that he said to them, "Let's cross over to the other side of
the lake." And they put out to sea.
23And as they sailed, he fell asleep. And a storm of wind came down onto
the lake, and they were being swamped, and in great danger.
24And after approaching him, they roused him, saying, "Master, we are
going to die!"
And when he was awake, he rebuked the wind, and the roughness of the
water, and they stopped, and it was calm. 25And he said to them, "Where is
your faith?"
But they were amazed and fearful, saying to one another, "Who then is
this? For he even commands the wind and the water, and they obey him!"

26And they sailed down into the territory of the Gadarenes, which is 85
opposite Galilee. 27And as he was going on shore, a man from the town met
him, demon-possessed, and not having put clothes on for quite some time,
and who was living not in a house but in the tombs.
28And when he saw Jesus, he fell down before him crying out, and in a
loud voice he said: "What business is there between you and me, O Jesus,
you son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torture me!"
29For Jesus was commanding the evil spirit to come out of the man. For
85
8:26 txt γαδαρηνων A E R W syrc,s,p,h Diatesssyr mssacc to Or mssacc to Titus-Bostra TR RP ‖
γερασηνων ⁷⁵ B D ita,aur,b,d,e,f,ff²,l,q,r¹ vg syrhmg copsa mssacc to Or mssacc to Titus-Bostra SBL TH
NA28 {C} ‖ γεργεσηνων ℵ L Ξ syrpal arm eth geo Diatessarm Or Titus-Bostra Epiph Cyrlem
Hesych ‖ lac C N P Q T. Note that both syrp,h read Gadarenes in all 3 synoptic gospels.
Topographically (the right cliffs, and the prepositional phrase of Lk 8:26, "down to the
territory of...which is opposite Galilee"), and culturally (the raising of pigs), Gadarenes is
the most likely. I am puzzled why any Bible translation would be content having different
cities in different gospels in their version. I settle on Gadarenes for all 3 gospels.
Luke
many times it had possessed him, and he would be bound with chains and
leg irons and guarded, but tearing the bonds apart, he would be driven by
the demon into solitary places.
30And Jesus questioned him: "What is your name?"
And he said, "Legion.86" For many demons had entered into him. 31And
they were pleading with him that he not order them to depart into the
Abyss.
32And a considerable herd of pigs was feeding there on a hillside, and they
begged him to allow them to enter into them, and he allowed them.
33So coming out from the man, the demons entered into the pigs, and the
herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and drowned.
34And seeing what had happened, the herders fled, and reported it to the
town and to the farms. 35And they came out to see what had happened.
And they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had
gone out sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed, and in his right mind, and they were
afraid. 36And the ones who had seen reported to them how the demon-
possessed man had been cured. 37And all the population of the
neighborhood of the Gadarenes asked him to go away from them, for they
were overcome with great fear. So he got into the boat and turned back.
38But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging to
accompany him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, 39"Return to your house,
and recount all the things God has done for you." And he went, throughout
the whole town, proclaiming what things Jesus had done for him.

40And it came about that upon his return, a crowd was welcoming him, for
they were all expecting him. 41And behold, a man had come whose name
was Jairus, and this man was a synagogue ruler. And falling at Jesus' feet,
he begged him to come to his house, 42because he had an only daughter,
about twelve years of age, and she was dying.
And as he was on his way, the crowds were pinching him in. 43And a
woman suffering a flow of blood since twelve years, who had spent
everything she owned on doctors and not been able to get healing from
86
8:30 Among the Romans a legion was a select body of soldiers— a complete army of
cavalry and infantry, numbering from 4,200 to 6,000 men, usually with approximately an
equal number of auxiliary troops, thus totaling about 10,000. The legion was divided into
ten cohorts of 1,000 each. In this case, a more general meaning of the word legion probably
applies: a very large number.
Luke
anyone, 44came up behind and touched the tassel 87 of his cloak, and
immediately her flow of blood stopped.
45And Jesus said, "Who was it touching me?"
When everyone denied it, Peter said, "Master, the crowds are pushing in
together and jostling you."
46But Jesus said, "Someone touched me, for I sensed power go out from
me."
47Then the woman, seeing that she was not going unnoticed, came,
trembling.88 And falling at his feet, she related before all the people the
reason she had touched him, and how she had been instantly healed. 48And
he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go with peace."
49While he was still speaking, someone comes from the synagogue ruler's,
saying, "Your daughter has died. Don't trouble the teacher any more."
50But having heard, Jesus responded to him, "Don't be afraid. Only
believe, and she will be healed."
51And when he went into the house, he did not allow anyone to enter with
him except Peter and John and James, and the father of the maiden and the
mother. 52And all were weeping and wailing for her. But he said, "Do not
weep. She is not dead but sleeping." 53And they laughed scornfully at him,
knowing that she had died.
54Then, holding her hand, he called out, as follows: "Damsel, wake up!" 89
55And her spirit returned, and she stood up at once, and he ordered that she
be given something to eat. 56And her parents were astonished. Then he
charged them not to tell anyone what had happened.
Chapter 9
1And having called the Twelve together, he gave them power and
authority over all the demons and diseases, in order to heal. 2And he sent
them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to cure, and said to them: "Take
90
87
8:44 See Numbers 15:38, Deut. 22:12
88
8:47 The reason for her fear was probably because she knew she had violated the Rabbi's
cleanness. As a woman with a flow of blood, she was perpetually unclean ceremonially
(Leviticus 15:25-31), and the others in the crowd, were they to touch her, would be unclean
as well.
89
8:54 The Greek verb is ἐγειρω and would generally mean "rouse yourself; wake up; get
up." In figurative use it means, "wake up from death," or in the passive, "be raised from
the dead." So also with the Greek word ἀνιστημι, which means "stand up," but which
spiritually means "rise from the dead."
90
9:2 txt ἰᾶσθαι B syrc,s WH NA25 ‖ ἰᾶσθαι τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς ℵ A D L Ξ ita,aur,b,d,e,ff²,l,q,r¹ vg arm
Luke
nothing for the journey— neither staffs, nor knapsack, nor bread, nor
91
silver, neither have two tunics each. 92
4"And into whatever house you might enter, there remain, and from there
go forward. 5And all the places that do not welcome you, going forth from
that town, shake the dust off your feet, as a testimony against them."
6And going forth they went throughout all the villages, preaching the
good news, and healing everywhere.
Herod Hears of Jesus

7Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was going on, and kept
becoming perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised
from the dead, 8and by some that Elijah had appeared, and still others that a
prophet, one of the Ancients, had come back to life.
9But Herod said, "John, I beheaded. Who, then, is this I hear such things
about?" And he tried to see πhim.
(eth) geo [NA27] {C} ‖ ἰάσασθαι τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς 070 ‖ ἰάσασθαι τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας W ‖ ἰᾶσθαι
τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας C E TR RP ‖ ἰᾶσθαι πάντας τοὺς ἀσθενοῦντας itf ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ N P Q T. I
think the additions were only natural and that the variety of them betrays their
spuriousness.
91
9:3a txt μήτε ῥάβδους A C² TR RP ‖ μήτε ῥάβδον ℵ B C* D E* L W TH NA28 {\} ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵
N P Q T. The UBS (singular) reading would mean Jesus is saying, "Take nothing for the
journey, neither a staff..." Whereas in Mark 6:8, both Greek texts say that Jesus instructed
them "that they should take nothing for the trip except a staff only." Did an Alexandrian
copyist accidentally change the number of this word to the singular in conformity with the
surrounding subjects in the phrase? Or did a later copyist that gave us the Byzantine
tradition change it to the plural in an attempt to eliminate the contradiction with Mark
6:8? Some interpreters say that the plural of staffs is similar to how Jesus tells them, later
in the same verse of Luke 9:3, not to take more than one tunic. So let us suppose that that
is true, that Jesus told them to take only one staff each, instead of more than one staff each.
Then the question arises: why would anyone take more than one staff anyway? And have
you ever seen anyone use more than one staff at a time? I think I have seen that once or
twice in my lifetime, and that was because the person was lame or injured. (Actually, in
2007 I just met a guy who does use two walking sticks; he is not injured. They are metal,
somewhat like ski poles. It seemed ridiculous to me; he is apt to catch one on something
and trip over it.) But we have no reason to think here that any of the disciples was lame or
injured. The only other reason that I could come up with as a reason why the disciples
might take more than one staff each, was to carry a spare staff. To do that would not make
much sense to me though, as someone who has done a lot of hiking in my lifetime (for lack
of automobile roads in my part of New Guinea). I would not want to carry the extra weight
or bulk for insufficient reason. But then again, I hiked in rain forest, where I could cut
myself a new walking stick at any time without any trouble finding one. The disciples, on
the other hand, were hiking in a place much more arid, where it would not be near as easy
to find another walking stick after the rocky surface had worn down their first one.
92
9:3b txt ἀνὰ δύο A C³ D E* W itd syrh Basil TR RP SBL (NA28: [ἀνὰ] δύο) {C} ‖ δύο ℵ B C* L Ξ
070 ita,aur,b,e,f,ff²,l,q,r¹ vg syrs,c,p,pal copsa arm eth geo WH TH ‖ “and not even two” syrs ‖ lac ⁴⁵
⁷⁵ N P Q T.
Luke

10And when the apostles returned, they reported to him what things they
had done. Then he took them, and retreated in private toward a town called
Bethsaida. 93 11But the crowds who knew, followed him. So, welcoming
them, he spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and the ones having
need of healing, he cured.
12But the daylight began to decline, and the twelve approached and said to
him, "Dismiss the crowd, so they can go to the surrounding villages and
farms to sleep and find supplies. Because here, we are in a remote place."
13And he said to them, "You give them something to eat."
But they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fish, unless we
were to go and buy food for all this crowd." 14For there were about five
thousand men.
And he said to his disciples, "Get them to recline in groups of about fifty
each." 15And they did so, and got them all to recline. 16And taking the
loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them and
broke them, and gave to the disciples to set before the people.
17And they all ate and were satisfied, and their leftovers picked up were
twelve large baskets of fragments.

18And it came about that, when he was praying in private, the disciples
93
9:10 txt
εἰς πολιν καλουμενην Βδα. ⁷⁵ ℵ¹ B L Ξ* (syrs) copsa TH NA28 {B}
εἰς κωμην λεγομενην Βδα. D (itd)
εἰς τοπον ερημον ℵ*,² 157 syrc mss
εἰς ερημον τοπον 1241
εἰς κωμην καλουμενην Βδα. εἰς τοπον ερημον Θ itr¹
εἰς τοπον καλουμενον Βδα. Ψ
εἰς τοπον ερημον καλουμενον Βδα. ita,aur,b,e,f,ff²,l,q vg
εἰς ερημον τοπον πολεως κλουμενης Βδα(ν). A ƒ¹³ 565
εἰς τοπον πολεως κλουμενης Βδα(ν). ƒ¹ 205 700
εἰς τοπον ερημον πολεως κλουμενης Βδα(ν). C E N W Ξc syr(p),h (arm) (eth) (geo) TR RP
lac ⁴⁵ F P Q T
I think the great variety of readings in the Greek manuscripts here arose from many
scribes’ simplistic understanding of the preposition εἰς having to mean “into Bethsaida,” or
"in Bethsaida," and then changing the text in order to eliminate a perceived contradiction.
But Luke in his gospel and Acts often uses the preposition εἰς to mean “toward,” "in the
direction of." There is no contradiction here in the UBS/NA28 text with other gospels,
since the rendering, “retreated toward Bethsaida” allows them to have stopped before
reaching Bethsaida, stopped in a deserted place. The reading in the UBS text best explains
the rise of all the other readings, and is original. The usual renderings of the Majority Text,
such as “retreated into a deserted place belonging to the city of Bethsaida” sound
concocted and unnatural do they not?
Luke
were with him, and he queried them, saying, "Who do the crowds maintain
me to be?"
19And they in answer said, "John the Baptizer; and others, Elijah; and
others that a prophet, one of the Ancients, has risen again."
20And he said to them, "But you, who do you maintain me to be?"
And Peter in answer said, "The Christ94 of God."
Jesus Predicts His Death

21But he, admonishing them, charged them to tell this to no one, 22saying,
"The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the
chief priests, and Torah scholars, and be killed, and on the third day be
raised again."
23Then toward everyone he was saying, "If someone wants to come after
me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily, 95 and follow me.
24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for
my sake, this one will save it. 25For how does it benefit a human being
when he has gained the whole world, but has lost or been forfeited his very
self? 26For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, that person the Son
of Man will be ashamed of, when he comes in his glory, and of the Father,
and of the holy angels. 27But truly I say to you: There are some, of the ones
standing here, who will certainly not taste death until they see the kingdom
of God."
The Transfiguration
28And it came about, something like eight days after these words, that
having taken Peter and John and James, he went up into the mountain, to
pray. 29And it came about that as he prayed, the appearance of his face was
different, and his clothes were a glistening white. 30And behold, two men
were conversing with him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31who, having been
made visible in glory, were relating about the exodus 96 of him, which was
soon to be coming true in Jerusalem.
32But Peter and the ones with him were heavy-eyed with sleepiness. But
94
9:20 That is, the Anointed One of God, or God's anointed; the one God chose and enabled
to be the Messiah, prophet, priest and king of Israel.
95
9:23 txt καθ' ἡμέραν "daily" ⁷⁵ ℵ*,²b A B L R W Ξ itaur,f vg syrc,p,h** copsamss Did TR TH
NA28 {/} ‖ omit ℵ*,²a C D it syrs,hmg copsams Or? RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P Q T
96
9:31 A euphemism for death, like our phrase, "passing on."
Luke
when they had fully woken up, they saw his glory, and the two men
standing with him. 33And it came about that as those were moving off from
Jesus, Peter said to him, "O Master, it is good for us to be here, and we
should make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for
Elijah." (Not knowing what he is saying.)
34And as he was saying these things, a cloud came, and it began to
overshadow them. And they were afraid as they went into the cloud.
35And a voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, the Chosen
One; listen to him."
97 36And when the voice happened, they found Jesus
alone. And they kept quiet and told no one in those days anything that they
had seen.
The Disciples Accused of Impotence to Heal

37And it came about that during the following day, as they were coming
down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 38And behold, a man in
the crowd shouted out, saying, "Teacher, I beg of you to look at my son;
because he is my only born, 39and behold, a spirit takes over him and he
suddenly cries out, and it convulses him with foaming at the mouth. And it
hardly goes away from him, wearing him out. 40And I pleaded with your
disciples that they cast it out, and they were not able to."
41And in response Jesus said, "O unbelieving and perverted generation,
how long must I be with you, and put up with you? Bring your son here."
42And even as he was approaching Him, the demon dashed him to the
ground, and thrashed him back and forth. But Jesus rebuked the unclean
spirit, and the child was restored to wholeness, and He gave him back to his
father. 43And all were struck by the majesty of God.
And while everyone marvelled at all that he was doing, he said to his
disciples, 44"You place into your ears these words. For the Son of Man is
about to be transferred into98 the hands of human beings."
97
9:35 txt ἐκλελεγμένος ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ ℵ B L Ξ ita,aur,ff²,l vgst syrs,hmg copsa arm (eth) NA27 {B} ‖
ἀγαπητός (Mk 9:7) A C* E N P W itb,e,f,q vgcl,ww syr(c),p,h,pal geo MarcionT,E Cyril Tertullian
Ambrose TR RP ‖ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ηὐδόκησα D ‖ ἀγαπητός, ἐν εὐδόκησα C³ itd (ms) ‖ lac Q T.
It is much easier to explain why copyists would change it to "beloved," than why they
would change it to "chosen." This is an example of "scribal assimilation," where the
copyists, whether deliberately, or merely because they were more familiar with the other
gospels, changed the reading to harmonize it with Matthew's gospel, or even Luke's
account of the baptism of Jesus, where God says, "My beloved Son." Or perhaps the concept
of "chosen son," since God had only one son, was too difficult, leading copyists to change it
to agree with Matthew.
98
9:44 Turned over to, delivered into the custody or jurisdiction of.
Luke
45But they were not understanding this statement, and the meaning was
being kept hidden from them, with the result that they did not see it.99 And
they were afraid to ask him about this statement.
Who Is the Greatest?

46So100 contention came into101 them, as to who of them was greatest.102
47And Jesus, knowing103 the contention of their hearts, took a child by the
hand, and stood him next to himself. 48And he said to them, "Whoever
welcomes this child on the basis of my name, is welcoming me, and
whoever welcomes me, is welcoming the one who sent me. For the person
who is smallest among you all, that is who is great."
Do Not Hinder Other Camps of God's People

49And in response, John said, "Master, we saw someone casting out
demons in your name, and we tried to stop104 him; for he is not following
you together with us."105
99
9:45 The verb "to see" in the Greek is in the infinitive form, which DeBrunner [§391(5)]
says is an "infinitive of result." This would mean that, instead of the meaning being hidden
"with the intended purpose that they would not see it," the sense would be a little weaker,
that it was hidden from them, "and the result was that they did not see it."
100
9:46a Verse 46 begins with the conjunctive or transitional particle δέ. The sense seems
to be still connected to v. 45, in that there, Jesus admonished them to be sure to understand
that he was soon going to be apparently defeated, but they did not understand this, and
indeed, as illustration that they did not understand, a contention next arose in them as to
who of them is greatest in Jesus' imminent (so they thought) rising to rule over Israel.
101
9:46b The Greek phrase is the verb εἰσέρχομαιcombined with the prepositional phrase
ἐν αὐτοῖς. ἰσέρχομαι means "enter into," and the preposition ἐν would usually mean "in,"
but speaking of a group, as here, could mean "among." The BAG lexicon gives two
possibilities for εἰσέρχομαι, both "entered into them," 1 b β on p. 232d, and "arose among
them," 2 b on p. 233b. The BDF Greek Grammar in §202 under "Eis-" says the preposition
"en" here is used as "eis," or "into." And in §218, Blass is adamant that the "" here in
Luke 9:46 is an example of the "hyper-correct use of "en" (in) for "eis" (into), the most
obvious and certain of which are Lk 9:46 'came into them, into their hearts' (cf. v. 47)..."
The thing for Blass that re-inforces in his mind that the debate "entered their hearts," is
that in the next verse, it says Jesus "knew what was in their hearts." This makes much
sense. Yet no English translation that I possess follows Blass in this. But for me, the
combination of Bauer and Blass are authorities too great to controvert.
102
9:46c The Greek verb "to be" here is in the optative mood, which DeBrunner says is an
example of Luke's use of the optative when following a secondary tense, to introduce
indirect discourse.
103
9:47 txt ειδως ℵ B copsa arm eth geo TH NA28 {C} ‖ ιδων A C D E L W Ξ latt (Or) Jer TR
RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ N P Q T.
104
9:49 The Greek verb for "stop" or "bar," κωλύω, is in the imperfect form, which
DeBrunner in §326 says is a "conative imperfect," which means "tried to prevent." A little
over half of my English translations agree, and render this as "tried to" stop, or something
similar.
105
9:49 According to DeBrunner, BDF §193(1), this is an "associative (commitative) dative,"
thus, not meaning "following us," but rather, "following [you] together with us."
Luke
50But Jesus said to him, "Do not stop such, for someone who is not against
you is for you."
Jesus Rejected by a Samaritan Village

51And it came about that the days leading to his being taken up were
running out, and he set his face to head toward Jerusalem. 52And he sent
out messengers before his face. And when they proceeded forth they went
into a Samaritan village, so as to prepare it for him. 53And they did not
welcome him, because his face was heading toward Jerusalem.
54And when they saw this, the disciples James and John said, "Lord, do
you will that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume
them?" 106
55But when he turned to them, he rebuked them. 107 108 56And they moved
on, to a different village.
The Cost of Following Jesus

57And as they were proceeding on the way, someone said to him, "I will
follow you, wherever you might go."
58And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have dens, and the birds of the sky,
nestling places, but the Son of Man has nowhere he can lay his head."
59And to another man, he said, "Follow me."
But he said, "Lord, give me leave to first go and bury my father."
60But Jesus said to him, "Leave those who are dead to bury their dead
themselves; and you, after you have come away, 109 you publicize the
106
9:54 txt ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ ℵ B L Ξ itaur,e,l vg syrc,s copsa ethmss arm geo¹ Diatess Cyril Jerome NA27 {B}
‖ add αὐτοὺς ὡς καὶ Ἠλίας ἐποίησεν "even as Elijah did?" A C D E W it d,f syrp,h,pal pt geo² Basil
(Chrysostom) TR [HF] RP ‖ add αὐτοὺς ὡς Ἠλίας ἐποίησεν ita,b,q,r¹ vgmss (Ambrosiaster)
Gaudentius Augustine.
107
9:55 txt ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ ℵ A B C E L W Ξ 047 itaur,e,l vgst syrc,s copsa ethpt Basil Cyril-Jerusalem
Jerome NA27 {A} ‖ add καὶ ε πεν, Οὐκ οἴδατε ποίου πνεύματός ἐστε D itd geo (Epiphanius)
Chrysostom Theodoretvid ‖ add καὶ ε πεν, Οὐκ οἴδατε οἵου πνεύματός ἐστε ὑμεῖς ita,b,f,q,r¹
vgcl,ww syrp,h,pal pt arm goth Ambrosiaster Ambrose Clement? Chrysostom Epiphanius
Didymus TR HF RP. Not counting the latter MS, the main additions are: “...and said, ‘You do
not know what spirit you are of / will be.’”
108
9:55-56 txt ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ ℵ A B C D E L W Ξ 047 itl vgst syrs copsa ethpt Basil Cyril-Jerusalem
Epiphanius Jerome Marcion Chrysostom Didymus NA27 {A} ‖ add Ὁ γὰρ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου
οὐκ ἦλθεν ψυχὰς ἀνθρώπων ἀπολέσαι, ἀλλὰ σῶσαι itf,q syrc,p,h,pal pt arm Clement? Ambrose
ΤR HF RP ‖ add Ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου ἦλθεν ψυχὰς ἀνθρώπων ἀπολέσαι, ἀλλὰ σῶσαι it a,b,r¹
‖ add Ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Ἀνθρώπου ἦλθεν ψυχὰς ἀπολέσαι, ἀλλὰ σῶσαι itaur,e vg.
109
9:60 Or, "after you have gone away." It could mean, either after the man leaves Jesus, or
after the man leaves (comes away from) the dead. In Greek, the word for "come" was the
same as the word for "go." The context here allows the possibility of either. Something
Luke
kingdom of God."
61And another also said, "I will follow you, Lord. But first give me leave to
say farewell to my household."
62But Jesus said, "No one putting hand to plow and looking back to the
things behind, is cut out for the kingdom of God."
Chapter 10
Jesus Sends Out the Seventy-Two
1And after these things, the Lord appointed another seventy-two,110 and
sent them out two by two before his face, into every town and place where
he himself was about to go. 2And he was saying to them, "The crop is large,
but the workers are few. Request therefore of the lord of the harvest, that he
send out workers into his harvest. 3Be on your way. Behold, I am sending
you out like sheep in the midst of wolves. 4You must carry no moneybag,
no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one along the way.111
5"And into whatever house you enter, first you say, 'Peace to this house.'
6And if a child of peace is there, your peace will settle upon him.
Otherwise, it will bounce back onto you. 7And in that same house you are
to remain, eating and drinking the things belonging to them; for the worker
is worthy of his pay; you are not to be moving from house to house.
8"And into whatever town you enter that 112 they welcome you, eat the
things being set before you, 9and heal the sick in it, and say to them, 'The
kingdom of God has drawn over you.' 10But into whatever town you enter
that they do not welcome you, go out into the streets of it, and say, 11'Even
the dust sticking to us from your town onto our feet, we are shaking off to
you. Even so, know this, that the kingdom of God has drawn near.' 12I
assure you, it will be more bearable for Sodom in That Day, than for that
town.
13"Woe to you, Khorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that
else to think about is that in this one conversation between Jesus and the man who wanted
to bury his father, three different Greek words are used that could be translated "leave" in
English: ἐπιτρέπω ("give me leave"), ἀπέρχομαι (twice, "go off" and "come away"), and
ἀφίημι ("leave").
110
10:1 txt ἑβδομήκοντα δύο ⁷⁵ B D 0181 ita,aur,b,d,e,l vg syrc,s copsa arm geo Diatess Adam
AposCon Ambrosiaster Aug MarcionA SBL (NA28 [δύο]) {C} ‖ ἑβδομήκοντα ℵ A C E L W Ξ
itf,q,r¹? syrp,h eth MarcionT Ir-lat Clem Or Eus Bas Cyr Thodoret; Tert Ambrosevid Jer TR RP
TH ‖ ἑβδομήκοντα μαθητάς Lect (syrpal) ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P Q T. See Endnote #2 at the end of this
document, which more fully discusses this question.
111
10:4 The meaning of the Greek is such that these commands and prohibitions are
generally valid, for the whole campaign, and not just right now as they are first leaving.
112
10:8 A Hebraism, the substituting of καί for ὁτι. Also in verse 10.
Luke
took place in you took place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented
long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 14In any case, it will be more
bearable in the judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. 15And you,
Capernaum, will you be exalted up to heaven? You will go down to
113
Hades!
16"The person who listens to you is listening to me, and the one rejecting
you, is rejecting me. And the one rejecting me, is rejecting the one who sent
me."
17And the seventy-two 114 returned, with joy, saying, "Lord, even the
demons submit themselves to us in your name."
18And he said to them, "I was watching as Satan fell from heaven like
lightning.
19"Behold, I have given you authority to tread upon snakes and scorpions,
and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will by any means harm
you. 20Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits submit to you; but
rejoice that your names are written down in heaven."
21In that same hour, he exulted in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise you,
Father, O Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from
the learned and intelligent, and revealed them to babes. Yes, O Father, for
that is what was pleasing in your sight.
22"Everything has been turned over to me by my Father, and no one knows
who the Son is, except the Father; and who the Father is, except the Son, and
those to whom the Son decides to reveal it."
23And after he had turned toward his disciples privately, he said, "Blessed
are the eyes that see what you see. 24For I tell you, many prophets and
113
10:15 This sentence is quite different in the Majority Text, as also Matthew 11:23. It
appears that what I have above, is the original reading. But various transcriptional factors
involving the way Greek was written without spaces between words (see the UBS Textual
Commentary) and also seemingly a better contextual sense, caused copyists to change the
verbs from "will you be exalted" to "you who are exalted," and from "you will go down," to
"you will be brought down." Regarding the "You Capernaum, you who are exalted to
heaven," the context speaks of what chance each city had to see the light, and experience
the kingdom of God having drawn near over them. It does make sense to me, as perhaps to
some of the manuscript copyists, that the point Jesus is making is that Capernaum, having
been Jesus' base of operations, and his "own town," had already been lifted up to heaven,
compared to any other town, in terms of the kingdom of heaven having drawn near. But
the UBS textual commentary says, "The unexpected expression, 'And you, Capernaum, will
you be exalted to heaven?' is a sharp and startling interrogation, entirely in the manner of
Jesus' use of vivid language."
114
10:17 txt ἑβδομήκοντα δύο ⁷⁵ B D R 0181 ita,aur,b,d,e,l vg syrs,hmg copsa arm geo Diatess
Adam AposCon (Ambrosiaster) Aug SBL (NA28 [δύο]) {C} ‖ ἑβδομήκοντα ⁴⁵ ℵ A C E L N W Ξ
itf,i,q syrc,p,h,pal eth Ir-lat HippArab Clem Or Eus Chrys TR RP TH ‖ ἑβδομήκοντα μαθηταί
1243 ‖ lac P Q T. See Endnote #2 at the end of this document, which more fully discusses
this question.
Luke
kings wanted to see what you are seeing, and did not see it, and to hear
what you are hearing, and did not hear it."
The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25And behold, a lawyer arose, testing him, saying, "Teacher, what must I
do to inherit eternal life?"
26And he said to him, "What is written in the law? What is your reading of
it?"115
27And he in answer said, "You shall love Yahweh your God from your
whole heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all
your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."
28And He said, "You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live."
29But wanting to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my
neighbor?"
30In reply, Jesus said, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho,
and he fell among bandits. And they, when they had stripped him and
inflicted wounds, went away, leaving him half dead. 116 31And by chance a
priest was going down that road, and when he saw him, he avoided him.
32And likewise also a Levite, when he came near that place and saw, 117
passed on around. 33But a Samaritan came traveling by him, and when he
saw, was moved with pity. 34And he approached and stopped up his
wounds, and applied olive oil and wine. And mounting him on his own
animal, he took him to an inn and took care of him. 35And on the morrow,
he took out two denarii,118 gave them to the innkeeper, and said, 'Take care
of him, and whatever you spend beyond this, I will reimburse you when I
115
10:26 The Greek says literally, "How do you read it?" The BDAG lexicon says this means
"What does it say."
116
10:30 txt ἡμιθανῆ ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ ℵ B D L Ξ TH NA28 {/} ‖ ἡμιθανῆ τυγχάνοντα A C E N 070 TR
RP ‖ lac P Q T. The BDAG lexicon says this reading means "leaving him for half dead, as
indeed he was." The BDF grammar §414(1) glosses the word τυγχάνειν as "happen to be."
Thus: the bandits supposed that he was half dead without knowing for sure, but it so
happens that he was indeed half dead.
117
10:32 txt
κατα τον τοπον ελθων και ιδων ⁷⁵ ℵ² B L Ξ 070 SBL TH
γενομενος κατα τον τοπον και ιδων ⁴⁵
γενομενος κατα τον τοπον και ιδων αυτον D lat
[γενομενος] κατα τον τοπον ελθων και ιδων NA28 {/}
γενομενος κατα τον τοπον ιδων αυτον syrs,c,p arm
γενομενος κατα τον τοπον ελθων και ιδων αυτον A syrh cop
γενομενος κατα τον τοπον ελθων και ιδων C N W TR RP
omit (h.t.) ℵ*
lac PQT
118
10:35 One denarius was worth a day's wage.
Luke
return.'
36"Which of these three seems to you a neighbor for the one who fell
among bandits?"
37And he said, "The one who did the mercy with him."
And Jesus said to him, "Go yourself and do likewise."
Jesus at Mary and Martha's House

38And when he moved on, he entered a certain village. And a woman by
the name of Martha hosted him for dinner. 39There was also a sister to that
one, named Mary, and she having sat down at the Lord's feet, was listening
to his word.
40But Martha was being drawn away by many chores of hospitality. But
when she did come over, she said, "Lord, doesn't it concern you that my
sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her therefore that she should help
carry the load with me."
41But in answer, Jesus said to her, "Martha, Martha. You are getting
concerned and agitated over many things. 42But there is only one thing that
warrants it. For Mary has selected the good portion, which will not be taken
away from her."
Chapter 11
Prayer
1And it came about when he was praying in a certain place, that as he was
finishing, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, even as
John taught his disciples."
2And he said to them, "When you pray, say:
" 'Father, 119 hallowed be your name.

May your kingdom come. 120
119
11:2a txt ⁷⁵ ℵ B (L arm +ἡμῶν) itaur vg syrs Marcion Tertullian Or Cyril SBL TH NA28 {A}
‖ add ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς (harmonization to Mt 6:9) A C D P W it(a),b,d,e,f,(ff²,i)l,q,r¹* syrc,p,h
copsa eth geo Diatess Orig TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N Q T.
120
11:2b txt σου ⁷⁵ B L vg syrc,s arm Diatesssyr (Marcionacc. to Tertullian) Or; Tertullianvid Augvid
SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ σου·γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημά σου ita vgmss copsa geo ‖ σου· γενηθήτω τὸ
θέλημὰ σου, ὡς ἐν οὐραν , οὕτω καί ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ℵ* ‖ σου· γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημὰ σου, ὡς ἐν
οὐραν , καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ℵ³ 070vid A C D P W itaur,b,d,e,f, ff²,i,(l),q,r¹ vgmss syrp,h eth ‖ σου· γενηθήτω τὸ
θέλημὰ σου, ὡς ἐν οὐραν , καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ℵ² E itaur,b,d,e,f,ff²,i,(l),q,r¹ vgmss syrp,h eth (Titus-
Bostra) Cyril TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N Q T.
Luke
3Give us each day our daily bread.

4And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves also forgive
everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.’ ” 121
5And he said to them, "Suppose one of you shall have a friend, and will go
to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, 6because a
friend of mine has shown up, from a journey toward me, and I have nothing
to set before him.'
7"That one inside may say in answer, 'Do not cause me hassles. The door
is already shut up, and my children are in bed with me. I can't get up to
give you something.' 8I tell you, even if he will not get up and give you
something because of being your friend, yet because of brash persistence on
your part he will get up, and give you as much as you need.
9"So I say to you: Keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking,
and you will find; keep knocking, and it will be opened to you. 10For
everyone who keeps asking, receives; and the person who keeps seeking,
finds; and to the one who keeps on knocking, it will be opened. 122
11"And which father among you, if his child will ask for a fish, will hand
him a snake instead?123 12Or again, if he asks for an egg, will hand him a
scorpion? 13If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts
to your children, how much more will the Father from heaven give the Holy
Spirit to those who ask him?"
121
11:4 txt ⁷⁵ ℵ*,³ B L itaur vg syrs copsa arm geo Marcion Tertullian Or Cyril Aug ‖ add ἀλλὰ
ῥῦσαι ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ (harmonization to Mt 6:13) ℵ² A C D E W itaur,b,d,e,f,ff²,i,l,q,r¹* vgmss
syrc,p,h pt eth Diatesssyr (Titus-Bostra) TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P Q T. (Swanson erroneously cites
P here where in fact it has lacuna, acc. to McFall.) The first corrector of Codex Sinaiticus
transposes the words to after "earth" in another addition to the text earlier.
122
11:10 The "continuous" aspect of the Greek verbs here is a part of their meaning that is
essential to this passage. In fact, the whole point of the parable is persistence, verse 8. So
to translate v. 9 as, “Ask, and it will be given to you,” would be incorrect and misleading.
Someone might interpret it to mean that you will only have to ask once.
123
11·11
⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ B itff²,i,l syrs copsa arm MarcEp Or TH NA28 {B}
αρτον μη λιθον επιδωσει αυτω η ℵ L itaur,b,c,(d),f,r¹vg Aug
αρτον μη λιθον επιδωσει αυτω η και A D E R W itq syrc,p,h eth geo Adam Sev RP
αρτον μη λιθον επιδωσει αυτω ει και TR
αρτον μη λιθον επιδωσει αυτω και εαν αιτησι ωον μη επιδωσει αυτω σκορπιον η και C
lac NPQT
Editors opposing the Byz reading say it is a harmonization to Matthew 7:9.
Luke
Jesus and Baalzibbul

14And he was casting out a demon of muteness. And it came about that
after the demon went out, the mute man spoke. And the crowd was
amazed.
15But some of them said, "It is by Ba'al-zibbul,124 the prince of demons, that
he drives out demons." 16And others, testing him, wanted from him a sign
out of heaven.
17But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided
against itself is desolated, and a house divided against itself falls. 18So also,
if Satan was divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? I say this
because you claim I drive out demons by Baal-zibbul. 19Now if I drive out
demons by Baal-zibbul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So
then, they will be your judges. 20But if I am driving out demons by the
finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own castle, his possessions
are safe. 22But when a stronger one than he comes and overpowers him, he
takes away the armor upon which his confidence was based, and divides
out the spoils.
23"The person who is not with me is against me, and the one not gathering
with me is scattering."
24"When an evil spirit comes out of a human being, it goes through
waterless places, seeking rest. And not finding it, at that time 125 it says, 'I
will return to the house from which I came out.' 25And when it arrives, it
finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 26Then it goes
and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they
come inside and live there. And the final condition of that human is worse
than the first."
27And it came about that as Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the
crowd lifted up her voice and said to him, "Blessed are the womb that bore
you, and the breasts on which you sucked."
124
11:15 The Greek manuscripts say Beelzeboul. The KJV and NKJV say Beelzebub, even
though there is not one Greek manuscript that says that; only a few Latin and Syriac.
Beelzeboul comes from the Hebrew Ba'al-zibbul. "Ba'al" means Lord or Prince. Ba'al was a
Canaanite god, the son of Dagon, the god of grain. Baal was the bull prince, the bull being a
symbol of fertility. Ba'alzebub, as in the Hebrew text of II Kings 1:2, is a derisive alteration
of Ba'alzibbul meaning "Prince of flies." In this way the followers of Yahweh made fun of
Ba'al. Later the name Baalzebub became associated with the Aramaic Beeldebaba, "enemy."
125
11:24 txt τοτε λεγει ⁷⁵ ℵ² B L Ξ 070 itb,l syrh copsa Orlat [NA28] {C} ‖ λεγει ⁴⁵ ℵ* A C D E
R W ita²,aur,d,f,ff²,i,q,r¹ vg syrc,s,p arm eth geo TR SBL TH RP ‖ lac N P Q T. The NA28 has the
word τοτε in square brackets because it is suspect as a scribal assimilation to the parallel in
Matthew 12:44.
Luke
28But he replied, "Blessed rather126 are those who hear the word of God
and obey it."
The Sign of Jonah

29And as the crowds were pressing together upon him, he began to say,
"This generation is a wicked generation; it asks for a sign. And no sign will
be given it except the sign of Jonah.127 30For just as Jonah was a sign to the
Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. 31The Queen of
the South will be raised at the judgment with the men of this generation and
condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the
wisdom of Solomon, and behold, one greater than Solomon is here. 32The
men of Nineveh will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn
it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, one greater than
Jonah is here.
The Light of the Body

33"No one after lighting a lamp puts it out of view, or under a basket, 128 but
rather on the lamp stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34The
lamp of the body is your eye. When your eye is open and generous, your
entire body is brightly lit also. But when your eye is suspicious and
129
stingy, your body is in darkness also. 35See to it, therefore, that the light
in you is not darkness. 36If then your whole body is brightly lit, not having
any part dark, it will all be lighted, like when the lamp by its brightness
126
11:28 Or possibly, "Well yes, but blessed more are those who..."
127
11:29 Matthew 12:40 (DRP) says, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the
belly of the huge sea creature, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the
heart of the earth." And further, according to II Kings 14:25, the prophet Jonah was from
Gath Hepher, in Galilee, in the territory of the tribe of Zebulun (Joshua 19:13), only one hill
over from Nazareth, if not the same hill. Jonah volunteered to be killed in order to save the
rest of the souls on the boat, would be dead for 3 days, and then would come back to life.
Jonah said about himself that he was in Sheol / Hades (Jonah 2:2). This is yet another way
in which Jonah was a sign of Christ.
128
11:33 The reading that includes the words "or under a basket" is that of ℵ A B C D W Δ Θ
Ψ ƒ¹³ 28 33 ita syr(c) al. However, those words are absent from ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ L Ξ 070 ƒ¹ 205 syrs
copsa arm geo al. The UBS textual commentary says, "Since Luke preferred not to use
μόδιον in 8:16, a word which is present in the parallel in Mark (and Matthew), it may well
be that the word, with its clause, was absent from the original form of the present passage
also. On the other hand, since the clause is attested by weighty and diversified external
evidence, a majority of the Committee was unwilling to drop it altogether and
compromised by enclosing the words within square brackets."
129
11:34 Literally, "if your eye is evil." From the Hebrew, ‫ עַּ יִ ן ָה ַּרע‬- 'ayin ha'ra; see
endnote at the end of my translation of the gospel of Mark, for a full discussion of this
concept: http:‖www.bibletranslation.ws/trans/markwgrk.pdf
Luke
illumines you."
Six Woes
37And as he was speaking, a Pharisee asks him to have lunch with him; so
having gone inside, he reclined. 38And the Pharisee when he saw, was
shocked that he did not first baptize before the meal.130
39And the Lord said to him, "As it is, you Pharisees clean the outside of the
cup and platter, but the inside of you is loaded with acquisitiveness 131 and
wickedness.
40"O foolish ones! Did not the one who made the outside, make the inside
also? 41But the things lying within132 give to the poor, and behold, all things
are now clean for you.133
42"But woe to you, Pharisees! For you tithe the mint, and even the rue 134
and every kind of garden herb, and neglect the justice and the love of God.
But these latter things you ought to practice, without leaving the former
undone.
43"Woe to you, Pharisees! For you love the prominent seats in the
synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces.
130
11:38 The Greek word βαπτίζω was used for the ceremonial dunking of not only human
beings' bodies (vessels), but for the ceremonial dunking of dishes and hands as well. But
because the word has been transliterated into English only in the case of dunking the
human body, English speakers have not acquired a full understanding of what it means.
This translator therefore thought it best to transliterate the word in every instance.
131
11:39 Acquisitiveness means continuously acquiring things, always wanting more things.
This is wickedness, both because it makes an idol of possessions over and above God, and
also because there are so many people who have little. It has already been established in
the gospel of Luke, 3:11, that one fruit characteristic of repentance, was to give away extra
things you had, to the poor.
132
11:41a Somewhat a play on words. Their inside is "loaded up" with wickedness, and
Jesus segues from that to the idea of the inside of their warehouse, or perhaps their platter,
being loaded up with goods, which is evil in itself; but if they give what is lying inside to the
poor, the inside of their vessel will be clean. Another play on words is that in New
Testament Greek, "vessel" sometimes means your body, which is your container or dish, so
to speak.
133
11:41b A variable here is the dative case of the words meaning "for you" in the phrase
πάντα καθαρὰ ὑμῖν ἐστιν. Some translations say "for you," others "to you," and others
leave it untranslated altogether. The rendering "clean for you" is easy enough to
understand. Clean "to you" could be an "ethical dative," meaning "clean in your sight."
For the N.T. teaches that some things are clean to some people, but unclean to others,
depending on their conscience. Perhaps here, the giving to charity changes the evil
conscience of the rich. When a rich person is rich selfishly, he has an evil conscience, and
his wealth can be unclean in his own eyes, whereas if he is generous, he no longer feels
guilty? Something to think about. Paul said in Romans 14:14, "to him that thinks any thing
to be unclean, to him it is unclean."
134
11:42 Another garden herb, ruta graveolens. Deuteronomy 14:22 commands the Israelites
to give God a tithe from all their crops. But according to the Mishnah (Shebi'ith IX 1; cf.
Billerb. II 189) it was not necessary to tithe the rue. Hence Jesus' words, "even" the rue.
Luke
44"Woe to you!135 For you are like graves that are not marked, and the
people when walking over them do not know it."136
45And in response, someone from the class of lawyers says to him,
"Teacher, in saying these things, you are insulting us also."
46But he said, "And to you lawyers also, woe! For you make people carry
loads oppressive to bear, and you yourselves, not one of your fingers do
you touch to such loads.
47"Woe to you! For you build mausoleums for the prophets, and it was
your forefathers who murdered them. 48So then, approving witnesses you
are, to the deeds of your forefathers; for they do the killing of them, and you
do the building.
49"For this reason also the wisdom of God has said, 'I am sending to them
prophets and apostles; and some of them they will kill, and some of them
they will persecute,' 50with the result that the blood of all the prophets
spilled since the founding of the world will be demanded of this generation,
51from the blood of Abel, up until the blood of Zechariah, who perished
between the altar and the sanctuary; yes, I tell you, all will be demanded of
this generation.
52"Woe to you, lawyers! For you have taken away the key to the door of
knowledge. You yourselves have not gone in, and the ones going in you
have barred."137
53And then as he went forth from there, 138 the Torah scholars and
Pharisees began to be extremely hostile, and to provoke him to speak
135
11:44a omit ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ ℵ B C L ita,aur,e,ff²,l vg syrs,c copsa arm geo TH NA28 {\} ‖ γραμματεις
και φαρισαιοι D itd,i,r¹ ‖ γραμματεις και φαρισαιοι υποκριται A E W itb,f,q syrp,h pt TR RP ‖
lac N P Q T
136
11:44b Jesus is bringing up an analogy much more grave than is apparent, unless one is
familiar with Numbers 19:16-22. At stake is whether someone remained an Israelite, or was
cut off from Israel. If an Israelite touched a grave, he was unclean for seven days. If after
he touched a grave, he did not do the prescribed cleansing process, he was to be cut off
from Israel.
137
11:52 The Greek verb I translated "barred" is κωλύω, which is related to the word for
"limb" of the body, κῶλον. Thus we get a picture of someone blocking the way by putting
their arm across the way, like a bar. So even after someone figured out how to enter, in
spite of the key being withheld, the lawyers would still further block the way, probably by
passing a law against it, and enforcing that law. Even as the international pictogram for
something which is forbidden by law, is the picture of the activity, with a bar across it.
Even when not making it illegal, the "clergy" down through the ages to the present time,
have in other ways led the "laity" to believe that the Bible is either too hard to understand
or translate without their key, without being initiated into their clergy club, or else it is
against church policy, or something like that.
138
11:53a txt κακειθεν εξελθοντος αυτου ⁷⁵ (-ντες ) ℵ B C L syrhmg copsa TH NA28 {\} ‖
κακειθεν εξελθοντος ⁴⁵vid ‖ λεγοντος δε αυτου ταυτα προς αυτους A E W syrp,h TR RP ‖
λεγοντος δε ταυτα προς αυτους ενωπιον παντος του λαου D (it) (syrs,c,hmg) arm ‖ lac N P Q T.
Wieland Willker suggests that perhaps the reading "as he went forth from there" was
deemed unacceptable since the place where Jesus was speaking was not stated.
Luke
unpreparedly139 about a great variety of topics, 54ambushing him, to pounce

on something coming from his mouth. 140
Chapter 12
Warnings and Encouragements
1When a vast multitude had gathered, such that they were trampling on
one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Be on your guard against
the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2But 141 there is nothing
covered up that will not be revealed, and nothing secret that will not be
made known. 3Therefore, what things you have said in the darkness, will
be heard in the light, and what you have spoken close to an ear in the
cellars, will be proclaimed on the housetops.
4"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of the ones killing the body, and
after that having nothing worse left to do. 5But I will suggest to you whom
you should fear. Fear the one who after the killing, has the power to cast
into Gehenna. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
6"Are not five sparrows sold for a penny? 142 And not one of them is
forgotten before God. 7But in your case, even the hairs of your head, each is
numbered. You should not be afraid. You matter more than many
sparrows.
8"But I tell you, whoever stands up for me before human beings, the Son of
Man also will stand up for him before the angels of God. 143 9Whereas the
one disowning me before human beings, will be disowned before the angels
of God. 10And everyone who will speak a word against the Son of Man, it
139
11:53β The Greek verb I translated "to provoke to speak unpreparedly" is ἀποστοματίζω,
of which we do not have a large sampling in Greek literature. You will find a great variety
of renderings of it in the English translations. I have stuck with the most ancient and
traditional interpretation.
140
11:54 txt omit ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ ℵ B L syrs copsa TH NA28 {\} ‖ ινα ευρωσιν κατηγορησαι αυτου D ‖
ινα κατηγορησουσιν αυτου A W* ‖ ινα κατηγορησωσιν αυτου C E Wc lat vg syr(c,p),h TR RP
‖ lac N P Q T
141
12:2 The particle δέ is meant to make a contrast here, between hypocrisy, in v. 1, and the
disclosure of v. 2. For hypocrisy entails a covering up of one's true inner motives, a
pretention. A hypocrite has a secret life.
142
12:6 Literally, "two assarion," which were little fragments of brass coin. It imeans,
practically, "a pittance, a trifle, a doit." We say, "I sold it for peanuts." We don't say exactly
how many peanuts, like "I sold it for three peanuts." That is not the point.
143
12:8 This is not a standard Greek sentence, but "Biblical Greek," like that in the
Septuagint, which is to say, Greek influenced strongly by the Semitic languages. Here we
have a very unusual use of the Greek preposition ἐν, the lexical gloss of which is "in" in
English; thus: "Whoever confesses in me before humans, I will also confess in him before
the angels of God." It is a Semitic principle of, "You do something in my advantage,
something 'for' me, and I will do something in your advantage, something 'for' you, in
exchange." Blass, §220(2), and Bauer, IV 5, say it means "whoever acknowledges me before
men, him also I will acknowledge before the angels of God."
Luke
will be forgiven him. But to the person who blasphemes against the Holy
Spirit, it will not be forgiven.
11"And when they deliver you over to the synagogues, and to the rulers
and to the authorities, do not worry how or what you should defend, or
what you should say. 12For the Holy Spirit will instruct you in that very
hour what needs to be said."
False Financial Security

13And someone in the crowd said, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the
inheritance with me."
14But he said to him, "Man, who appointed me judge or arbiter over you
two?"
15And he said to them, "Watch out, and be on your guard against every
form of covetousness. For the life of one is not in the abundance of one's
possessions."144
16And he spoke a parable to them as follows: "The land of a certain rich
man yielded abundantly, 17and he was thinking to himself, 'What shall I do?
For I have no place where I can stack my produce.'
18And he said, 'This is what I will do. I will pull down my warehouses,
and build bigger ones, and there I will stack all my wheat, and all my goods.
19And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have much goods sitting there into
many years. Relax, eat, drink, be merry." '
20But God said to him, 'You fool, this very night they are demanding your
soul back from you,145 and the provisions you have made, whose will they
144
12:15 Greek: οὐκ ἐστιν ἐκ των ὑπαρχοντων αὐτ is the word
posing some difficulty. Bauer, 3 f, says this means, "He does not live because of..." For the
whole 3 f section he gives the meaning, "of the reason which is a presupposition for
something: by reason of, as a result of, because of. This calls to my mind the verse in Proverbs
where it says, "Guard your heart, for out of it are the issues of life."
145
12:20 Bauer says this is a figure of speech, found in other writers such as Cicero, and
Epictetus, using the concept of a human being's life as a loan. And that now, "they," the
creditors, are demanding payment in full, of the loan, "calling in the loan." The Greek verb
for "demand back," ἀπαιτέω, is used only twice in the N.T., both times by Luke, one time
here, and the other time being in the Sermon on the Mount in Luke 6:30b, "...from the one
forcefully taking your things, do not demand them back." It is used nine times in the
Septuagint: four times for the demanding of repayment of loans, twice for extortion; once
for the demand by Pharaoh for all the gold and silver of the land; and finally, one time in
Isaiah 30:33, very much like Luke's use here. That occurrence is also for God's demanding
of someone's life prematurely, the life of the king of Assyria. The exact phrase there is Σὺ
γὰρ πρὸ ἡμερῶν ἀπαιτηθήσῃ, the same 3rd person, singular, passive inflection on ἀπαιτέω
as on the verb ἐκζητέω in Luke 11:50, "so that the blood of all the prophets that has been
spilled from the foundation of the world, would be demanded of this generation."
However, here in Luke 12:20 we have 3rd person plural, and active voice: "they are
demanding." Apart from Bauer's explanation,m this reminds me of the place in the
prophet Daniel, in chapter 4 verses 13 & 17, where it says, "This sentence is by the decree of
Luke
be?'
21"Such is the person saving up for himself, and not becoming rich to
146
God."
True Financial Security

22And to his disciples, he said, "Because of this I say to you, do not worry
about life, what you will eat, nor about the body, what you will wear. 23For
life means more than food, and the body more than clothes.
24"Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap, and God feeds
them. How much higher priority you are than birds!
25"Now which of you by worrying is able to add onto his lifespan one
foot?147 26If therefore you cannot accomplish even this very little thing, why
the angelic watchers, and the decision is the command of the holy ones, in order that the
living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind..." It implies in v.
17 that there exists a council of some sort, composed of "holy ones," that is, angels, who
make decisions on behalf of God. See also Psalm 82:1, "God stands in the assembly of gods,
and in their midst, he judges gods." Sometimes angels are referred to as gods, or "sons of
god." But the point I am making is that such a council of angels, like the group who
decided when Nebuchadnezzar was to die, are a "they," plural, like when God told the rich
man here in Luke, "they are demanding your soul back from you." So in this instance, it
would make sense to render it "This very night they are demanding your soul back from
you." Most English translations render this as a passive with an unexpressed subject or
agent, i.e., "your soul is being demanded of you." This is because in Indo-European
languages this syntax is a phenomenon called the "3rd person plural with unexpressed
indefinite subject used to form a passive." It should be noted that this is not an Aramaism
or Semitism. In the long list of Semitisms in Koine Greek in the BDF grammar on p. 273,
this "3rd person plural with unexpressed indefinite subject" is not to be found. Indeed,
examples of this syntax may be found in classical Greek writings, in Latin, German, Spanish
and French etc. as well. In fact, in Indo-European languages in general, a passive sentence
may be formed with a third person plural verb form with or without an impersonal subject.
But in the Greek New Testament, this is not consistently rendered as passive in English by
Greek scholars. For example, in Revelation 12:6: ἵνα ἐκεῖ τρέφωσιν αὐτὴν is rendered in the
KJV as " that they should feed her there." Though most do, such as the NASB: "so that
there she would be nourished." But why should Greek do that, when it has the common
passive verb forms? In Revelation 12:14, just 8 verses later, and even talking about the
same subject, the Greek in Revelation uses the passive form of the same verb: τρέφεται!
146
12:21 Though he was rich in his own eyes, and rich to his neighbors, he was not rich to
God. To God, he was "wretched, pathetic, poor, blind, and naked," Revelation 3:17-18. It is
preposterous for a human being to think he is rich, when his very life he possesses only as a
loan. The Greek word translated "to" in the phrase "to God," is the preposition εἰς, used
with the accusative form of the word God. Luke also uses this preposition with the
accusative as meaning "in." Thus Tyndale translated this, "and is not rich in God." His
rendering may well be right. It is perhaps possible this could alternatively mean,
"becoming rich with God as the goal, becoming rich for the sake of God," as opposed to
becoming rich for oneself. Scripture elsewhere teaches us that there exists a very rare
breed: a rich believer, who makes much money for the purpose of giving it away for the
cause of spreading the gospel, or otherwise advancing the kingdom of God. And in the lists
of spiritual gifts, there is a gift called "the gift of giving." Certainly, people cannot keep
giving as their full-time ministry, unless they keep earning. Though it is naturally
impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, with God it is possible.
147
12:25 Literally, one cubit. There was an expression in classical Greek, πήχυιον ἐπὶ χρόνον
= "only one cubit of time." It is legitimate therefore to translate this as "a single hour to his
life."
Luke
do you worry about the rest?

27"Consider the lilies, how they grow. They neither labor nor weave. But I
tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor, was bedecked like one of
these. 28Now if God thus clothes the wild grass, which is here this day and
the next is thrown into the stove, how much more would he rather clothe
you, O you of little faith?
29"And you also should not seek after how you will eat and how you will
drink; that is, do not be anxious. 30Because all these things, the nations of
the world are striving for. But your Father knows that you have need of
these things. 31Only seek instead his kingdom, and these things will be
included for you.
32"Do not be afraid, little flock; for it has given your Father pleasure to give
you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions, and give to the poor: make for
yourselves money bags unfailing, a stockpile not shrinking; in the heavens,
where neither a thief ever gets close, nor a moth ever destroys. 34For where
your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Be Ready
35"You must keep your waists girded and your lamps burning, 36and you
must be like people waiting for their own master, waiting for when he
returns from the wedding celebrations, so that when he arrives and is
knocking, they may immediately open for him. 37Happy are those slaves
who when the master arrives, he finds watching. Truly I tell you, he will
gird himself and bid them recline, and after coming in, he will serve them.
38Those slaves are happy, whether he arrives in the second watch and finds
them so, or even in the third watch. 39And this you know, that if the
manager of the household knew what hour the thief was coming, he would
not have allowed his house to be broken into. 40You also must be the same,
because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you would not think he
would."
41Then Peter said, "Lord, are you saying this parable to us, or to everyone
else as well?"
42And the Lord said, "So who is the faithful and sensible steward, whom
the master will place over his domestic service, to be giving out rations in
due time? 43Happy will be that slave who when his lord comes, he finds
doing so. 44Truly I tell you, he will place him over all his possessions.
45"But if that slave says in his heart, 'My master is taking his time to come,'
Luke
and he begins to slap around the workboys and the workgirls, and to eat
and drink and get drunk, 46the master of that slave will come at an hour he
is not expecting, and at a time he does not know, and will cut him in two,
and appoint him his inheritance with the unbelieving.
47"And that slave, knowing the will of his master, and not having prepared
or done in accordance with his will, he will be lashed many times.
48Whereas the one not knowing, and having done things deserving of
scourgings, he will be lashed few times. So then, anyone to whom much has
been given, much will be required of him, and from him to whom much has
been entrusted, that much more will be demanded.
Jesus Causes Division

49"I have come to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already
kindled! 50But I have a baptism to be baptized, and how tormented I am
until that has been accomplished.
51"You think that I have come to provide peace on the earth. Not at all, I
tell you, but rather division. 52For from now on, five in one household will
be divided: three against two, and two against three. 53Father will be
divided against son, and son against father; mother against daughter and
daughter against mother; mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law, and
daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
Judge For Yourselves

54And he was also saying to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in
the west, right away you say, 'A rainstorm is coming,' and it happens so.
55And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It will be hot,' and it happens.
56Hypocrites! The face of the earth and sky you know how to interpret, but
this present time you do not know how to interpret?
57"And why also do you not judge equity yourselves? 58For as you are
going with your adversary to court, on the way make every effort to be free
of him,148 lest he drag you before the judge, and the judge hand you over to
the officer, and the officer throw you in prison. 59I tell you, no way will you
come out of that place, until you have paid back the very last penny."
148
12:58 That is, by satisfying him, coming to a settlement with him.
Luke
Chapter 13
Repent or Perish
1And some who were present at that time, were reporting to him about the
Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their
sacrifices.149 2And in response he said to them, "Do you think that because
they suffered these things, those Galileans were sinners, more so than all the
rest of the Galileans? 3Not at all, I tell you; but on the other hand, if you do
not repent, you shall all likewise perish. 4Or those eighteen, on whom the
tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think they were debtors worse
than all the rest of the people living in Jerusalem? 5Not at all, I tell you; but
on the other hand, if you do not repent, you shall all likewise perish."
6And he continued with this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his
vineyard. And he came seeking fruit on it, and did not find any. 7And he
said to the vine dresser, 'Look, it has been three years already I have been
coming, seeking fruit on this fig tree and not finding it. Cut it down. Why
is it still using up the soil?'
8"But in answer, he says to him, 'Sir, leave it for this year also, until such
time I have dug and put manure around it; 9and if in the future it does
produce fruit, so much the better. 150 But if not, then you would cut it
down.'"
A Crippled Woman Healed on the Sabbath

10And he was teaching in one of the synagogues during the Sabbath.
11And behold, a woman having had a spirit of disability for eighteen years
was there. And she was bent over double, and not able to look up at all.
12And when Jesus saw her, he called to her and said to her, "Woman, be set
free from your disability." 13And he laid hands on her; and she became erect
at once, and was praising God.
14But in response, the synagogue ruler, being indignant that Jesus had
healed during the Sabbath, was saying to the crowd, "There are six days in
which you are supposed to work; you should therefore be coming during
149
13:1 Bauer says this means, "whom Pilate ordered to be slain even as they were
sacrificing." And so, their own blood would mingle on the ground with the blood of the
animal they were sacrificing. A literal rendering of this is a vivid and grabbing figure of
speech, and it is a shame to turn this into a bland dynamic equivalent in English.
150
13:9 The words "so much the better" are not in the Greek text, but we have to put
something there. This is a legitimate ellipsis. The Greek says only, "And if indeed in the
future it does produce fruit– but if not, then you would cut it down."
Luke
those to be healed, and not during the day of rest."

15But the Lord answered him, and said, "You hypocrites! Who among you
on the Sabbath does not free his ox or his donkey from its stall, and after
leading it out, give it drink? 16But this woman, a daughter of Abraham,
whom Satan has kept bound lo these eighteen years, she should not be freed
from this bondage on the day of rest?!"151
17And with his saying these things, all his opponents were being
humiliated, and the whole crowd was cheering, for all the glorious things
being accomplished by him.
The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast
18Then he said, "What is the kingdom of God like? And to what may I
compare it? 19It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his
garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the sky nested in its
branches."
20And again he said, "To what may I compare the kingdom of God? 21It is
like yeast that a woman took and folded into three measures 152 of dough
until the whole was leavened."
The Narrow Door

22And he was going through every city and village teaching, even as he
was making his journey toward Jerusalem. 23And someone said to him,
"Lord, are those being saved going to be few?"
And he said to him, 24"Make every effort to go in through the narrow door.
For many, I tell you, will try to enter, and not be able to. 25Once the master
of the house has gotten up and closed the door, after that you may begin to
stand outside, and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' and in
answer he will say to you, 'I don't know where you are from.' 26At that time
151
13:16 The number six signifies human effort, which falls short of seven, God's perfection
or completion. This woman was enslaved for eighteen years, three times six, three times
the normal human effort. What better day than the seventh, the day of rest, for someone
to be set free from the slavery of working six days three times? See Deuteronomy 15:1,
"Every seventh year you must cancel debts." And 15:12, "If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a
woman, sells himself to you and serves you six years, in the seventh year you must let him
go free." This woman was kept in bondage three sets of six years, and not being set free.
Yet this synagogue ruler was telling her to keep working six days for the rest of her life!
For a fuller discussion of this important concept, see my treatise entitled, "What is
Sabbath?"
152
13:21 Greek: three sata, about 5 gallons, or 22 liters.
Luke
you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in
our streets.' 27And then at that time he will say to you as follows: 'I don't
know where you are from. Get away from me, all you workers of
unrighteousness.' 28In that place there will be weeping, and gnashing of
teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in
the kingdom of God, and you are being cast outside, 29and people will have
come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and be
reclined in the kingdom of God. 30And behold, there are those who are last,
who will be first; and there are those who are first who will be last."
Jesus Laments Jerusalem

31In that hour, some Pharisees came up to him, saying to him, "You should
move on, and get out of this place, because Herod is trying to kill you."
32And he said to them, "Go tell that fox: 'Behold, I am casting out demons
and accomplishing healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I
will reach my goal.'153 33Regardless, I would have to be continuing on today
and tomorrow and the next day. For it is not possible for a prophet to be
killed outside Jerusalem!
34"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kills the prophets, and stones those sent to
it! How often I have wished to gather your children, as a hen does her
brood under her wings, and you were not willing. 35Behold, your154 house
is now abandoned to you. 155
I tell you, you will not see me, until the day
when you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"157
156
153
13:32 The Greek for the last phrase, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ τελειοῦμαι could also possibly be
translated, "and on the third day I will be finished." But this saying of Jesus seems related
to verse 22 of this same chapter, that he was making his way to Jerusalem. The verb
τελειόω can also mean to reach the end of something, like a journey, so it makes sense to
translate it that way in view of what he says in verse 33. That verse implies that he will
reach Jerusalem in three days. Reaching his goal of arriving in Jerusalem, he says, is
essential, because it is not possible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.
154
13:35a The Greek pronoun for "you" is plural, as also the "you" all three times in this
same verse.
155
13:35b txt {A} ὑμῶν ⁷⁵ ℵ A B L W itaur,e,ff²,i vgww,st syrs copsa arm Irlatv.l. Epiphanius; Aug TH
NA28 {B} ‖ ὑμῶν ἔρημος D E N ita,b,d,f,l,q,r¹ vgcl syrc,p,h pt geo Irlat ΤR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C P Q T. Many
manuscripts add the word ἔρημος, "desolate." This may be to harmonize Luke with
Matthew 23:38. But this was not necessary, since the word ἀφίημι, translated "left" in most
translations, also can mean "abandon." The meaning seems to be, that their house,
whether it means their temple, or their lineage, or their houses, will be abandoned by Jesus,
since he tells them they will not see him again until he fulfills Psalm 118:26. Abandoned to
them alone without him. What is their temple without the high priest? What is their
lineage without the Lion of Judah? What are their homes without the Light of Humankind?
156
13:35c txt ἕως [ἥξει ὅτε] εἴπητε (ἥξει ἡ ἡμέρα ita,b,f syrc,h) D WH ΝΑ28 {C} ‖ ἕως ἂν ἥξῃ ὅτε
εἴπητε itaur,(d),(ff²),l,q,r¹ vg Aug TR RP ‖ ἕως ἂν ἥξει (itacism for ἥξῃ?) ὅτε εἴπητε A N W
Cyrillem ‖ ἕως εἴπητε ⁷⁵ B L TH ‖ ἕως ἂν εἴπητε ⁴⁵ ℵ (Epiphanius) (ἕως or ἕως ἂν iti vgms
copsamss,fay arm eth geo) ‖ ἀπ’ ἄρτι ἕως ἂν εἴπητε copsamss ‖ lac C P Q T. According to the UBS
Luke
Chapter 14
Jesus at a Pharisee's House
1And it came about that when he went into the house of a certain ruler of
the Pharisees on a Sabbath, to eat bread, they were watching him closely.
2And behold, a man with dropsy was right in front of him.158
3And in response, Jesus said to the lawyers and Pharisees as follows: "Is it
permissible during a Sabbath to heal, or is it not?" 4But they kept quiet.
And after grasping him, he healed him, and dismissed him.
5And he said to them, "Who among you whose son or ox159 should fall
into a pit during the Sabbath day, would not immediately pull him out?"
6And they were not able to rebut these words.
7And toward those who had been invited, he was speaking a parable,
referring to how they were claiming the most prestigious seats, saying to
them as follows: 8"When you are invited by someone to a banquet, do not
recline at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you
is invited by him, 9and the one who invited both you and him comes and
says to you, 'Yield place to this person.' And then you would proceed with
embarrassment to make for160 the last seat. 10Instead, when you are invited,
make your way to the least desirable place and recline, so that when the one
who invited you comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, move up to a better
place.' Then there will be honor for you in front of all your fellow dinner
guests. 11For anyone who exalts himself will be humbled; and the one who
textual commentary, there was apparently an effort to smooth over a very rare usage on
Luke's part of ὅτε with the subjunctive mood, as found in Codex D. Or they may have
succumbed to the temptation to assimilate Luke to Matthew 23:39. Note that the footnote
in the UBS4 Greek New Testament is erroroneous in its citation of ⁷⁵ and ⁴⁵, having them
switched.
157
13:35d Psalm 118:26 ‫ בְשֵׁ ם י ְהו ָּה‬,‫;בָּרּוְך הַ בָּא‬
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26b8.htm
158
14:2 The sentence opens with καὶ ἰδοὺ, "And behold." Perhaps the "behold" could mean
similar to the exclamation, "what do you know." Like this: "And what do you know, there
was a man with dropsy right in front of him." At any rate, it was apparently a set-up.
159
14:5 txt υιος η βους "son or ox" ⁷⁵ B E N W ite,f,q syrp,h copsa geo RP SBL NA28 {B} ‖ η
υιος η βους "either son or ox" ⁴⁵ ‖ ονος η βους "donkey or ox" ℵ K L ita,aur,b,ff²,i,l,r¹ vg
syr(s),pal ,fay arm (eth) TR ‖ ο υιος η βους A ‖ υιος η βους η ονος "son or donkey or ox" syrc ‖
προβατον η βους "sheep or ox" D itd ‖ lac C P Q T. UBS TCGNT: John Mill conjectured that
υἱός is a corruption of the old Greek word ὄϊς ("a sheep"); see John Mill, Novum Testamentum
Graecum, 2nd ed. (Leipzig, 1723), p. 44, § 423.
160
14:9 The Greek verb κατέχω - , which I translated "make your way toward,"
generally means to take, to occupy. But the verb also was a nautical term meaning "head
for, make for, steer toward." I chose that shade of meaning here, because the emphasis
seems to be the embarrassment you would feel the whole time you are picking your way, in
front of everyone, toward the back seat all the way from the front one. The emphasis
seems to be on the long, embarrassing process, rather than on the point of taking the seat.
Luke
humbles himself will be exalted."

12And he was also saying to the man who had invited him, "When you
make a breakfast or dinner, do not call your friends, or your siblings or
relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back in return, and that
would be repayment for you. 13Instead, when you make a banquet, invite
the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; 14and you will be blessed,
because they do not have the means to repay you. For it will be repaid to
you, you see, at the resurrection of the righteous."
The Parable of the Great Banquet

15And after hearing these things, one of the dinner guests said to him,
"Blessed is the person who will eat bread 161 in the kingdom of God."
16And Jesus 162 said to him, "A man was holding a great banquet, and
invited many people. 17And at the hour of the banquet, he sent his slave out
to tell those who were invited, 'Come, for it is now ready.'
18"And they all alike began to ask to be excused. The first one said to him,
'I have bought a field, and I urgently have to go out and see it. I ask you,
consider me excused.'
19"And another one said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my
way to try them out. I ask you, consider me excused.'
20"And another one said, 'I have married a wife, and for this reason I am
not able to come.'
21"And when he came back, the slave reported these things to his master.
Angered then, the master of the house said to his slave, 'Quick, go out into
the boulevards and lanes of the town. And the poor, the crippled, the blind,
the lame, lead them here.'
22"And the slave said, 'Master, what you have commanded has been done,
and still there is room.'
23"And the master said to the slave, 'Go out into the trails and the fence
lines, and urgently invite them to come in, so that my house will be filled.
24You can be sure, I tell you, that not one of those men who were invited,
will taste of my banquet!'"
161
14:15 txt αρτον ⁷⁵ ℵ¹ Ac B D L N P R latt syrp,h copsa Cl Eus Epiph TR TH NA28 {/} ‖
αριστον A* E W 047 syrs,c Cyrlem RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C Q T
162
14:16 The Greek says “he,” not “Jesus.”
Luke
Jesus Qualifies the Crowds

25And great crowds were going along with him, and he turned around,
and said to them, 26"If someone is coming with me, and does not spurn his
father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, and
yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27Anyone that does not
take up his own cross and follow after me, cannot be my disciple.
28"For who of you wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and
count the cost, whether he has enough for completion? 29It would be no
good if he lays the foundation, and not being able to finish, all those
observing start to ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build, and
was not able to finish.'
31"Or what king, going out to another king to meet in battle, does not first
sit down to consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand, to
match the one who is coming against him with twenty thousand? 32For
indeed if not, while he is still at a distance he sends out a delegation, and

asks what are the conditions for peace.163
33"In the same way, then, any of you who does not say good-bye to
everything that he has, cannot be my disciple.
34"Salt then is a good thing; but if the salt itself becomes bland, what will it
be spiced with? 35It is fit neither for the soil, nor for the manure pile; 164 they
throw it out.
"Whoever has ears to hear, hear."
163
14:32 DeBrunner, §155(2), regarding double accusatives, says this phrase ἐρωτᾷ τὰ πρὸς
εἰρήνην, with both τὰ and εἰρήνην being accusative case, is equivalent to the Hebrew ‫ׁשָ אל‬
‫ ְלׁשָ לום‬- šāʾal lәšālôm, and that it means "he inquires after his well-being." He says there
are several examples in the Septuagint, and refers us to R. Helbing, "Die Kasussyntax der
Verba bei den Septuaginta," 40. Another possibility according to DeBrunner, is: "he greets
him (and pays homage to him)." He then refers us to Foerster. This translator does not
have access to Helbing's or Foerster's works, so looked for LXX examples himself, and the
closest thing he found was Psalm 122:6, Ἐρωτησατε δὴ τὰ εἰς εἰρήνην Ἱερουσαλὴμ, "Pray
now for the things that lead to the peace of Jerusalem."
164
14:35 For salt at that time, do not picture purely refined, white, fine-grained sodium
chloride like we use now. There are many speculations as to what this verse implies about
the salt of that day. Bauer says that salt was sometimes used as fertilizer. Another scholar
says that salt was sometimes used to make the soil of one's enemies infertile! And why
would someone put salt on a dung heap? To preserve it? Or was it to amend it, stretch it?
The best explanation I have heard is that the word salt would have been understood to
mean any substance that tasted salty, including, say, potassium nitrate, which could be
used for fertilizer. And Ben Crick of England says that the word salt would have been used
of any chemical salt, which would include a whole range of substances called "halides" (the
Greek word for salt here is "halas"), such as fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine and
astatine. Fortunately, the moral of the parable remains clear: unless you give up all your
possessions, and take up your cross and follow like Jesus, you are salt that is not salty, so is
not useful for anything.
Luke
Chapter 15
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1And all the tax collectors and the sinners were coming up next to him, to
listen to him. 2And both the Pharisees and the Torah scholars were
complaining, saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners, and eats with them."
3But he spoke this parable to them, as follows: 4"What man among you
who has a hundred sheep and is missing one of them, does not leave behind
the ninety-nine in the desert, and go out after the lost one, until he finds it?
5And when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And
upon returning home he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to
them, 'Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep that was lost.' 7I tell you,
in just the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner
repenting, than over ninety-nine righteous persons having no need of
repentance.
The Parable of the Lost Coin

8"Or what woman having ten drachmas, 165 if she loses one drachma, does
not light a lamp and sweep the house clean, and search diligently until such
time she finds it? 9And when she has found it, she calls her friends and
neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me; for I have found the drachma
that was lost.' 10In just the same way, I tell you, rejoicing breaks out among
the angels of God over one sinner repenting."
The Parable of the Lost Son

11And he said, "A certain man had two sons. 12And the younger of them
said to the father, 'Father, pay out to me the applicable share of the
holdings.' So he divided to them the life savings.
13"And not many days later, having gathered everything together, the
younger son journeyed off, to a far away country, and there he wasted his
estate, living indulgently. 14And after he had spent everything he had, a
severe famine took place over that whole country, and he himself began to
be without. 15And so going forth, he joined on with one of the citizens of
that country, who sent him into his fields to tend swine. 16And he was
165
15:8 A drachma was worth about a day's wage.
Luke
craving to be fed of166 the carob pods167 that the swine were eating, and no
one gave him any.
17"And when he came to himself,168 he was saying, 'How many hired men
of my father's have more than enough food, and here I am, 169 perishing with
hunger. 18I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I
have sinned against heaven, and before you. 19I am no longer worthy to be
called your son; make me as one of your hired men." '
20"And he arose and went to his father. But while he was still a long way
off, his father saw him, and was moved with pity. And he ran out, flung his
arms around him and kissed him. 21But the son said to him, 'Father, I have
sinned against heaven, and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called
your son.'
22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick, bring out the best robe and
drape it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes to his feet, 23and
bring the fattened calf, and slaughter it, and let us feast and celebrate; 24for
this my son was dead and is alive again; was lost and has been found!' And
they proceeded to celebrate.
25"But his elder son was in the fields. And as he was getting close to the
house, he heard the sound of music and of dancing. 26And calling over one
of the workboys, he was asking what it was all about.
27"And he told him, 'Your brother has returned, and your father has
slaughtered the fattened calf, because he has him back safe and sound.'
28"Then he was angry, and refused to go inside. And his father, after
166
15:16a txt χορτασθηναι εκ ⁷⁵ ℵ B D L R itd,e,f syr(c),pal copsa eth (Cyr) Aug TH NA28 {B} ‖
γεμισαι την κοιλιαν αυτου απο A N P Q it(a),aur,b,ff²,i,q,r¹ vg syrs,p,h arm geo(²) Cyrlem
Ambrose Chrom Jer TR RP ‖ γεμισαι την κοιλιαν και χορτασθηναι απο W ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C E T.
Some people think the NA28 reading is a harmonization to Lk 16:21. Some major
translations that are usually based on the NA text follow the BYZ here instead, such as the
NASB and the NIV.
167
15:16b Greek, κεράτιον, meaning "little horn,' so named because of the shape of the pods
of the species Ceratonia siliqua, Arabic "kharrubah," meaning bean pod; aka. Cods of Syria,
aka. St. John's Bread, alluding to an erroneous notion, based on folk etymological
comparisons of the Greek for "husk" and "locust", that the locusts John the Baptizer lived
on were instead carob pods; from a leguminous tree having pods 9 inches long and 1 inch
broad, once common in the forests of Galilee (Arthur Penrhyn Stanley, Sinai & Palestine in
connection with their history, ii 146, 1858), and considered a food grain of lower grade; the
pods that the Prodigal Son eyed longingly in the pig pens, Luke 15:16; cf. Lychophron, from
675 to 678, III BC. For further examples showing that "carob pod" was the meaning of the
Greek word keration, see Aristotle, Polybius, 26, 1, 4, II BC; Dioscurides 1, 114, I AD; Aëtius,
Treatment of Diseases of the Eye, 160, 3, VI AD; F. G. Kenyon & H. I. Bell, Greek Papyri in the
British Museum I-V, 131, 7, 1893-1917.
168
15:17a That is, "came to his senses." There was another expression as antonym, "he was
beside himself," said of Jesus in Mark 3:21, that is, "he is out of his senses" or "out of his
right mind."
169
15:17b txt λιμω ωδε ⁷⁵ ℵ B L ite,ff² syrpal,h NA28 {/} ‖ ωδε λιμω D N R lat syrs,c,p cop arm
geo ‖ λιμω A P Q W copsams TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C E T
Luke
coming out, was pleading with him. 29But in response he said to his father,
'All these years I have been serving you, and not once did I ever deviate
from your instructions. Yet to me, you have never given so much as a baby
goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours
comes who ate up your life savings with prostitutes, you slaughter for him
the fattened calf!'
31"But he said to him, 'Dear child, you are always with me, and everything
that is mine is yours. 32But to celebrate, and be cheered up, is only right; for
this your brother was dead and is alive again; was lost, and has been found!'
"
Chapter 16
The Shrewd Money Manager
1And then toward his disciples he was saying: "There was a rich man, who
had a business manager. And accusations were brought to him against this
man, that he was wasting his property. 2So having summoned him, he said
to him, 'What is this I am hearing about you? Surrender the records of your
management; for you can no longer be manager.'
3"And the manager said to himself, 'What will I do, now that my master is
taking away the management from me? I am not strong enough to dig. I
am ashamed to beg. 4I know what I will do, so that after I am removed from
my management, people will welcome me into their homes.'
5"And calling in each and every one of his master's debtors, he said to the
first one, 'How much do you owe my master?'
6"And he said, 'A hundred baths of olive oil.'
"And he told him, 'Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write "fifty." '
7"Then, to another one he said, 'And you, how much do you owe?'
"And he said, 'A hundred kors of wheat.'
"He says to him, 'Take your bill and write "eighty."'
8"And that master gave credit to the unrighteous manager, in that he had
acted shrewdly. For the children of this age are more shrewd toward their
own generation than are the children of light. 9And as for me, I say to you,
make friends for yourselves by means of the undependable170 wealth, so that
16:9 The Greek word “adikos” here is usually rendered “unrighteous, but can also mean
170
“untrustworthy, undependable,” as indeed Jesus uses it here and in vv. 10-11 with that
meaning. Jesus is also making a play on words, on the word Mammon (here rendered
Wealth), which word is based on a Semitic root for “dependable, reliable.” The idea of
mammon was a wealth to such an extent that one could relax and feel secure and confident
Luke
when it fails, they may welcome you into perpetual dwellings.

10"The person who is faithful with little, is also faithful with much, and the
one who is undependable with little is also undependable with much. 11If
therefore you do not prove faithful with the undependable wealth, who will
trust you with the true? 12And if with someone else's property you have not
turned out to be faithful, who will grant you property of your own?
13"No house slave is able to serve two masters; for he would either spurn
the one and love the other, or devote himself to the one and despise the
other. You cannot serve both God and Wealth."
14And the Pharisees had been listening to all this and, being moneylovers,
were sneering at him.
15And he said to them, "You are ones who justify yourselves before human
beings, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among
human beings, is detestable in God's sight.
16"The law and the prophets were 171 until John; from that time on the
kingdom of God is being proclaimed, and everyone is pushing their way
into it. 17But it is easier for sky and earth to pass away, than for one serif of
the law to fall. 18Anyone who dismisses his wife and marries another is
committing adultery, and he who marries her who has been dismissed by a
husband, is committing adultery.172
The Rich Man and Lazarus

19"Now a certain man was rich, and used to put on a purple robe and fine
linen, and live it up splendidly every day. 20But a beggar, Lazarus by name,
was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21and he kept longing in vain to eat
the scraps dropping from that rich man's table. In contrast, the dogs would
at least come and lick his sores.
financially. But Jesus here is saying that it will fail. Jesus calls it the wealth that is ἀδικίας,
which means "unrighteous, unreliable, fraudulent, false, untrustworthy." When Jesus says
“unrighteous Mammon,” he is saying something like “insecure security.” And this is the
same word he used to describe the manager. A false manager, an undependable manager.
Another play is the contrast of the undependable property with the "true" or "real"
property. Wherever I have the word "undependable," you can substitute the word "false,
dishonest" as in whoever is false with little, is also false with much;" and, "false wealth."
171
16:16 There is no verb in this sentence in the Greek. But the only word in Greek
customarily allowed to be omitted but implied, is the simple copula. That is, the verb "is."
And since it is talking about something that was in the past, and plural, therefore we supply
the word "were."
172
16:18 Why is this said here, at this time? The context is Jesus scolding the Pharisees for
being apparently righteous, but being detestable in God's sight. Therefore I believe that
what is happening here is that the Pharisees commonly divorced and remarried, and would
justify it somehow. But Jesus was known to have taught a stricter view of divorce than
even the strictest school of the Pharisees.
Luke
22"Now the beggar came to die, and was carried off by the angels to
Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died, and was buried. 23And in
Hades, when he lifted up his eyes, from being in torment, he sees Abraham
far away, and Lazarus in his bosom.173 24So after calling out to him, he said,
'Father Abraham, have pity on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his
finger in water, to cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'
25"But Abraham said, 'Son, recall that in your lifetime, you received your
good things, while Lazarus likewise received his bad; so now here, he is
comforted, and you are suffering. 26And besides all this, between us and
you a great chasm has been fixed, such that those who want to go from here
to you are not able to, neither can anyone cross over from there to us.'
27"And he said, 'Then I beg you, father, please send him to my father's
house, 28since I have five brothers, in order that he solemnly warn them not
to also come to this place of torment.'
29"But Abraham says, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them take
heed to them.'
30"And he said, 'Hardly, father Abraham; but if someone from the dead
goes to them, they will repent.'
31"And he said to him, 'If they are not taking heed to Moses and the
Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'"
Chapter 17
A Brother Who Sins
1And he said to his disciples, "It is not possible for there not to come things
that cause people to fall. Nevertheless, woe to that person by whom such
comes! 2It would be better for him if a mill stone is lying around his neck
and he is thrown into the sea, than that he cause one of these little ones to
fall.
3"Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, 174 rebuke him, and if he repents,
forgive him. 4And if he sins against you seven times in a day, 175 and seven
173
16:23 Also in v. 22, εἰς τὸν κόλπον Ἀβραάμ "Abraham's side." Compare John 13:23, where
John's place at the Passover meal was ἐν τ κόλπῳ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ "in the bosom of Jesus," and
John 1:18, where Jesus Christ the Son is said to be εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς "in the bosom
of the Father."
174
17:3 txt ἁμάρτῃ ℵ A B L W ita,aur,b,f,ff²,l vgww,st syrc,s,p,h,pal copsa arm geo¹ Clem Bas SBL TH
NA28 {A} ‖ ἁμάρτῃ εἰς σε E N itd,e,q,r¹ vgcl mss eth geo² Ambrose Aug TR RP ‖ ἁμαρτήσῃ εἰς
σε D ‖ lac ⁷⁵ C P Q T Ξ. See also Matt 18:15.
175
17:4a Or possibly, as some translations say, "seven times a day." This latter reading
would be a great deal more forgiving to do. Yet, Jesus in another place said we must forgive
someone "seventy times seven" times, or perhaps "seventy-seven times." It seems to me,
Luke
times he turns toward you,176 saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him."
Faith and Duty

5And the apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith."
6But the Lord said, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you could
say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would
obey you.
7"Now who of you having a servant plowing or tending the sheep, when
he comes in from the field would say to him, 'Come right over here and
recline'? 8Would he not instead say to him, 'Fix something I can eat, and
after you have girded yourself, serve me while I eat and drink, and after
these things, you shall eat and drink'? 9Neither does he thank the servant
that he has done what he has been told. 10In the same way, you also, when
you have done all the things that were prescribed for you, you should say,
'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we are supposed to have
done.'"
Ten Healed of Leprosy

11And it came about that as he was on his way to Jerusalem, he was
passing through the middle of Samaria and Galilee. 12And as he was
coming into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him, who stopped and
stood at a distance. 13And they called out loudly, saying, "Jesus, Master,
have pity on us!"
14And when he saw this, he said to them, "Go show yourselves to the
priests." And it came about that as they went, they were cleansed.
15And one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned and
came back, praising God with a very loud voice. 16And he fell on his face at
Jesus' feet, thanking him. And he was a Samaritan.
17So in response Jesus said, "Were there not ten cleansed? Where then are
that the spirit of the teaching would also apply if someone sins against you seven times
every day, but does turn to you seven times each day, saying, "I repent." Because really,
that about describes our relationship with God, how many times he has to forgive us. And
most of us don't even repent that many times a day, though we have need of it.
176
17:4b txt
επιστρεψη προς σε ℵ B D L it syrs,c,pal pt arm geo Cl SBL TH NA28
επιστρεψη E
της ημερας επιστρεψη προς σε A itaur,e vg syrp,h copsa
της ημερας επιστρεψη επι σε TR
της ημερας επιστρεψη N W itf RP
lac ⁷⁵ C P Q T Ξ
Luke
the other nine? 18Were none found to have come back to give glory to God,
except this foreigner?"
19And he said to him, "Get up and go your way; your faith has saved you."
The Coming of the Kingdom of God

20And when he was questioned by the Pharisees as to when the kingdom
of God was coming, he answered them as follows: "The kingdom of God
does not show with careful observation, 21neither will people say, 'Behold,
here,' or 'Behold, there.' For behold, the kingdom of God is within you."
22And he said to the disciples, "Days are coming, when it is one of the days
of the Son of Man you will long to see, and you will not have that
experience. 23And people will say to you, 'Behold, there!' or 'Behold, here!'
Do not go, neither follow after them. 24For just as lightning shines forth
flashing from one end of the sky to the other, so shall it be with the Son of
Man in his day. 25But first he must suffer much at the hands of this
generation and be rejected.
26"And just as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of
the Son of Man. 27People were eating, drinking, marrying, being given in
marriage, up until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood
came, and destroyed them all.
28"It was just the same in the days of Lot. People were eating, drinking,
buying, selling, planting, building, 29but the day that Lot left Sodom, fire
and sulfur rained down from heaven, and destroyed them all.
30"Along those lines will be the day in which the Son of Man is being
revealed. 31In that day, if someone is on the roof, and his stuff is in the
house, he should not go down to get it, and the one in the field should
likewise not turn back around. 32Remember Lot's wife. 33Whoever tries to
save his life will lose it, and whoever loses it will keep it alive. 34I tell you,
in that night there will be two men on one couch; one will be taken, and the
other left. 35There will be two women together grinding grain; one will be
taken, and the other left."177
37And they in response are saying to him, "Where, Lord?"
177
17:36 The King James Version has verse 36, "Two men shall be in the field; the one shall
be taken, and the other left." But if you read an original 1611 King James Version, you will
find a marginal note that says that the verse 17:36 was absent from most of their Greek
manuscripts. You can view an actual scan of this marginal note, from just such a KJV, at:
http:‖www.bibletranslation.ws/gfx/luke17-36.jpg
Luke
And he said to them, "Where the body is, there also the eagles178 will be
gathered."
Chapter 18
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
1And he was speaking a parable to them, with the moral that they ought
always to pray, and not to lose heart, 2as follows: "There was a judge in a
certain city, who had no fear of God, and no regard for man. 3But there was
a widow in that city, and she kept on coming to him, saying, 'Give me
redress from my adversary.'
4"And for some time he had been refusing, but after all this, he said to
himself, 'Even if I don't fear God, nor have regard for man, 5just because this
widow is causing me trouble, I will avenge her, lest all her coming in the
end wears me out.' "
6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust kind of judge was saying.
7So God, would he not bring about the avenging of his elect, who keep
crying out to him day and night? And is he slow to respond to them? 8I tell
you, he would bring about justice for them, in short order. However, when
the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on the earth at all?"179
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Revenue Agent

9And also, to some, who were convinced within themselves that they were
righteous, and looking down on everyone else, he told this parable: 10"Two
men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee, and the other a revenue
agent. 11When the Pharisee stood, he was praying inside himself as follows:
'O God, I thank you that I am not like other people, who are swindlers,
178
17:37 Greek: ὁ ἀετος, a word used for both eagles and vultures. Yet this is apparently a
quote by Jesus of the parable in Job 39:30, where the parallel in the Septuagint to ὁ ἀετος is
ἱέραξ, a hawk, v. 26. Both Aristotle and Pliny in their Histories class the vulture among the
eagles. Both eagles and vultures are classified as unclean in the law of Moses, Lev. 11:13,
Deut. 14:12, in that they both eat carrion (in Job 39:30 ὁ ἀετος is eating carrion). Yet
generally speaking, where ὁ ἀετος is eating carrion, vultures may be assumed to be meant.
Now T.W. Manson, in "Sayings of Jesus," says the eagle would emphasize the swiftness of
the coming of the Day of the Son of man. It is true that the eagle in passages such as Job
9:26, and Rev. 12:14, is a symbol of swiftness. I also get some amount of meaning in this
verse that the eagles are acting as a form of messenger, which again, the eagle sometimes
symbolizes, but not vultures as much. But the main emphasis here about the bird is not
that of messenger, but that of a clear sign in the sky. Still, either 'eagles' or 'vultures'
would be an acceptable rendering here.
179
18:8 "any at all" is from the Greek ἆρα, a particle not directly translatable, but which
indicates irritatedness or impatience or displeasure.
Luke
dishonest, adulterers, or indeed, like this revenue agent. 12I fast twice a
week, I tithe of everything I get.'
13"But the revenue agent, standing a distance off, was not even willing to
lift his eyes toward heaven, but was beating his chest, saying, 'O God, be
merciful to me, a sinner.'
14"I tell you, this latter went down to his house justified, rather than the
former. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who
humble themselves will be exalted."180
The Little Children and Jesus

15And people were bringing little children to him, so that he would touch
them. But when the disciples saw this, they started rebuking them. 16But
Jesus called them over to him, saying, "Allow the children to come to me,
and stop preventing them, for of such is the kingdom of God. 17Truly I tell
you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will
certainly not enter it."
The Rich Young Ruler

18And a certain ruler queried him as follows: "Good teacher, with what
done will I inherit eternal life?"
19And Jesus said to him, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good,
except God alone. 20The commandments you know: Do not commit
adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not give false testimony, Honor
your father and mother."
21And he said, "All these I have kept since childhood."
22And when Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is still one thing
lacking with you. Everything you have, sell and hand out to the poor, and
you will have treasure in heaven, and then come follow me."
23But hearing these words made him very sad, for he was extremely
wealthy. 24And when Jesus saw this, he said, "How hard it is for those who
have wealth to go into the kingdom of God. 25Indeed, it is easier for a
camel181 to go through the eye of a needle, than for the rich to enter into the
180
18:14 Though the Greek pronouns and articles in this sentence are singular, I have felt
free to generalize and neuterize to the plural, in view of the fact that the sentence begins
with the Greek word πας, which means "all" or "everyone." This is a general and plural
subject.
181
18:25 Just as it is impossible, humanly speaking, for a camel to go through the eye of a
needle, Jesus says in v. 27 that it is "impossible" for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Luke
kingdom of God."
26And those who heard said, "Who then CAN be saved?"
27And he said, "Things impossible with human beings are possible with
God."
28And Peter said, "Behold, we have left behind our own things to follow
you."
29And he said to them, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left
house or wife or siblings or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom
of God, 30who will not receive back many times as much in this present
time; and in the coming age, eternal life."

31And after having taken the twelve aside, he told them, "Behold, we are
going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about
the Son of Man will be carried out. 32For he will be handed over to the
Gentiles, and be made fun of and mistreated and spit upon, 33and after
scourging him they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise again."
34And they understood none of these things. Indeed, this statement was
hidden from them, and they did not realize the things being said.
An Obnoxious Beggar Gets His Wish

35And it came about that when he was drawing near to Jericho, a blind
man was sitting beside the road, begging. 36And when he heard the crowd
going through, he was inquiring what this was all about. 37And they
informed him that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by. 38Then he cried out,
saying, "Jesus, son of David, have mercy on me!"
39And those leading the way were rebuking him, that he should be quiet.
But he was shouting that much more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"
40And after stopping, Jesus ordered that he be brought to him. And when
he had come near, Jesus asked him, 41"What do you want me to do for you?"
And he said, "Lord, that I could see again."
Some people teach that Jesus really instead said "rope to go through the eye of a needle,"
because he was speaking in the Aramaic language, and the Aramaic word for camel was also
the word for a kind of rope. Regardless, Jesus would want to invent a simile that was in line
with his main point: "something impossible." His illustration must demonstrate something
that is impossible, naturally speaking. "Camel" is more impossible than "rope," so at worst,
camel works just fine, and at best, camel is the best rendering because it is more impossible.
Luke
42And Jesus said to him, "See again; your faith has saved you." 182 43And at
once he saw again, and he was following him, giving glory to God. And all
the people also, when they saw, gave praise to God.
Chapter 19
Zacchaeus the Revenue Officer
1And he entered, passing on through Jericho. 2And behold, there was a
man called by the name of Zacchaeus, and he was a revenue officer, and he
was rich. 3And he was trying to see who Jesus was, but being prevented by
the crowd, since he was small in stature. 4And after running on forward
ahead, he climbed up onto a sycamore tree, so that he could see him, for he
was about to pass that way.
5And when Jesus arrived to the place, he looked up and said to him,
"Hurry down, Zacchaeus, for today I need to stay at your house."
6And he hurried down, and took him in gladly. 7And all who had seen
this were complaining, saying, "He has gone in to stay the night with a
sinful man."
8And Zacchaeus stood up,183 and said to the Lord, "Look, one half of all I
possess, Lord, I am giving to the poor, and where I have defrauded anyone
of anything, I am making restitution threefold."
9And Jesus said in reference to him, "Today, salvation has come to this
house, in view of the fact that this man too is a son of Abraham. 10For the
184
Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost."
The Parable of the Ten Servants

11And as they were listening to these things, he included and spoke
another parable, because he was drawing near to Jerusalem, and they
thought that the kingdom of God was about to be appearing shortly. 12He
182
18:42 Or, "your faith has healed you." As also in many other places in Luke.
183
19:8 Some translators interpret ἵστημι here as "stopped," seeing the situation as the
grumblers grumbling while Zacchaeus and Jesus were still in their presence. So then
Zacchaeus would have stopped and said the things he said in response to those
complaining. I do not see it that way. I think that Jesus and Zacchaeus had already gone
into Zack's house and were reclined, when Zack stood up to say what he says in verse eight.
I could be wrong.
184
19:10 Jesus is the Good Shepherd of Ezekiel 34:16, and not a false shepherd of Ezekiel
34:4, and does search for that which was lost, as in Ezekiel 34:11. The exact same form of
the Greek article and noun for "the lost,"τὸ ἀπολωλός, occurs also in the Septuagint in
Ezekiel 34:4, 16. The translator should word the Ezekiel passages and here exactly the same
way, so that the readers get the connection.
Luke
said therefore, "A certain man well born journeyed off to a far country, to
receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13Now after calling ten of
185
his servants, he had given to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do
business until such time I return.'
14"But his subjects hated him, and they sent ambassadors behind him
saying, 'We do not want this man to be king over us.'
15"And it came about that when he returned, he had received the kingship.
And he ordered his servants to be summoned to him, those to whom he had
given the money, in order to find out what they had earned.
16"So the first one came, reporting as follows: 'Lord, your mina has grown
to ten minas.'
17"And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant. Since with a little you
have proven faithful, be therefore ruler over ten cities.'
18"And the second one came, saying, 'Your mina, Lord, has become five
minas.'
19"So he said to that one, 'And you, you shall be over five cities.'
20"And the other one186 came, saying as follows: 'Lord, here is your mina,
which I have been keeping laid away in a napkin. 21For I was afraid of you,
since you are a demanding man; you collect what you did not deposit, and
reap what you did not sow.'
22"He says to him, 'By your own mouth I judge you, you wicked servant.
You knew, did you, that I am a demanding man, collecting what I did not
deposit, and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then did you not put my
money in the bank, and I having returned would collect it with interest?'
24And to some standing there he said, 'Take the mina away from him, and
185
19:13 That is, he gave the ten servants one mina each. The mina, which was originally a
Semitic word that the Greek language had long since borrowed, was equivalent to 100
drachmas. One drachma was not insignificant in purchasing power. Culling Greek
literature, you can find quite a variance: some times and places, one drachma could buy
you one sheep, but was only one-fifth the price of an ox. Other times, one drachma could
buy you an ox. Either way, a mina was worth at least 100 sheep. That is a lot of money.
Anyone could take that amount of money and by investing, turn it into more.
186
19:20 Or, "another one," or, "a different one." There is a theory that this parable of the
Ten Minas is drawn from Matthew's parable of the Ten Talants of 25:14-30, in which there
are only three servants, and here Luke has "fatigued" of maintaining his version's
uniqueness from Matthew, and reverted back to following Matthew's version exactly. On
the other hand, Jesus may well have used modified versions of the parable at various times.
Still, there are things about this Lukan version that do not add up, literally. The first
servant is given one mina, and then in most translations, he says, "Your mina has made ten
minas more." Then Jesus says in verse 24, 'Take the mina away from him, and give it to the
one who has ten minas.' But, if he started with one mina, and made ten minas more,
wouldn't he have eleven minas, and not ten? So, perhaps the aforementioned theory is
true; or else, the phrase usually translated, "made ten minas more," can be translated
something like I have it: "increased to ten minas." Note also that the "western text" omits
v. 25.
Luke
give it to the one who has ten minas.'

25"And they said to him, 'Lord, he has ten minas!'
26'"I tell you,187 to everyone who has, it will be given, but the one who has
not, even such that he has will be taken away from him. 27But as for my
enemies, those who had not wanted me to be king over them, bring them
here, and slay them in front of me.'"
The Triumphal Entry

28And having said these things, he was pressing his way onward, going up
to Jerusalem. 29And it came about that as he drew near to Bethphage and
Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent away two of his
disciples, 30saying, "Go into the village ahead of you, in which as you are
entering you will find a colt188 tethered, upon which no one has ever yet sat,
and you are to untie it and bring it. 31And if someone asks you, 'Why are
you untying it,' say this, 'The Lord needs it.'"
32And when the ones who were sent went, they found things just as he
had told them. 33And as they were untying the colt, the owners of it said to
them, "Why are you untying the colt?"
34And they said, "The Lord needs it."
35And they brought it to Jesus, and after throwing garments of theirs on
the colt, they mounted Jesus upon it. 36And as he was proceeding along,
people were spreading their cloaks in the road beneath.
37And having come near now to the descent of the Mount of Olives, the
whole company of disciples started rejoicing, to lift God up with a loud
voice for all the miracles that they had seen. 38They were saying,
"Blessed is the king who comes

in the name of the Lord!189
Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest!"
39And some Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher! Rebuke your
187
19:26 txt λεγω ℵ B L ita syrp copsa arm TH NA28 {\} ‖ λεγω γαρ A D E N W (itb,e,f vg: dico
autem) syrh,s TR RP ‖ lac ⁷⁵ C P Q T Ξ. There seems to be confusion as to whether the lord
speaking is the lord character within the parable, or the Lord himself outside the parable.
188
19:30 πῶλος, a young mount animal, a word used for the foals of both donkeys and
horses. But we know from the other accounts that this was the foal of a donkey.
189
19:38 Psalm 118:26
Luke
disciples!"
40And he in answer said, "I tell you, if these go silent, the stones will cry
out."
41And as he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, 42saying, "If you,
yes ironically you,190 191 had only known what would bring you peace 192 on
this very day!193 But now it is hidden from your eyes. 43For the days will
come upon you that your enemies will throw a palisade up against you, and
encircle you, and press in on you from every side, 44and throw you to the
194
ground, you and your children within you, and there will not be left
within you a stone upon a stone, in retribution for the fact you did not
recognize the time of your gracious visitation."195

45And when he had entered the temple, he proceeded to drive out the
vendors,196 46telling them, "It is written, 'And my house shall be a house of
190
19:42a txt
εν τη ημερα ταυτη και συ ℵ B L ethpp Or TH NA28 {B}
και συ εν τη ημερα ταυτη D itd,f,q copsa ethTH (geo) (Marcus Irlat) Orlat
και συ και γε εν τη ημερα ταυτη A iti (arm) Basil
συ και γε εν τη ημερα σου ταυτη ita,ff²,l,r¹
και συ και γε εν τη ημερα σου ταυτη E N R W itaur vg syr(p),h (Diatessyr,arm) (Eus) TR RP
lac ⁷⁵ C P Q T
191
19:42b Jesus says, "yes, even you," because of the irony that the city of Jerusalem, whose
name includes the Semitic root word for peace, did not recognize what would bring it
peace, and did not recognize the Prince of Peace.
192
19:42c txt ειρηνην ℵ B L copsa (Diatesssyr) Marcus Irlat Or½ Did TH NA28 {B} ‖ ειρηνην σου
A E N W ita syrc,s,p,h,palms arm eth geo (Diatessarm) Or½ Eus⅘ Basil Cyr TR RP ‖ ειρηνην
σοι D itaur,d,e,f,ff²,i,l,q,r¹ vg Orlat Eus⅕ Jer ‖ lac ⁷⁵ C P Q T
193
19:42d This exact phrase, τὰ πρὸς εἰρήνην appeared also in Luke 14:32, where I translated
it, "the conditions for peace."
194
19:44a The Greek verb for "dash to the ground," ἐδαφίζω, in reference to a city, means
both "raze to the ground," as in the Septuagint in Isaiah 3:26, and also "dash to the
ground," as in Psalm 136:9, Hosea 10:14, 14:1 and others. Here both meanings have to apply
for the one instance of the word: you, referring to Jerusalem, the city, will be razed to the
ground, and her children will be dashed to the ground.
195
19:44b The Greek words usually translated "because," here, "because you did not
recognize," are the words ἀντι followed by the relative pronoun. A literal translation of
this would be, "in exchange for the fact that you did not recognize your gracious
visitation." For the previously mentioned disasters were also a visitation. A visitation,
rendered in Greek by the word ἐπισκοπη, could be both a negative one, or a positive one. A
gracious visitation was predicted for them and offered many times in the Hebrew
scriptures, and earlier in the gospel of Luke, in Zechariah's song in Luke 1:78, where he said
"because of the tender feelings of our God with which he Sunrise from on high will look
over - ἐπισκέπτομαι us. Since they forfeited their gracious ἐπισκοπη, God would give them
a calamitous one in exchange, in repayment, in retribution, instead.
196
19:45 txt τους πωλουντας ℵ B L syrpal cop geo TH NA28 {/} ‖ τους πωλουντας και
αγοραζοντας N ‖ τους πωλουντας και τους αγοραζοντας ‖ τους πωλουντας εν αυτω και
αγοραζοντας A E R W latt syr(s,c,p),hmg TR RP ‖ τους πωλουντας εν αυτω και αγοραζοντας
και τας τραπεζας των κολυβιστων εξεχεεν και τας καθεδρας D ‖ lac ⁷⁵ P Q T
Luke
prayer,'197 but you have made it 'a haunt of bandits.' 198"

47And he was teaching daily in the temple. And the chief priests and the
Torah scholars, along with the leaders of the people, were trying to kill him.
48Yet they were not finding any way they could do it, because the entire
crowd was hanging on him, listening to him.
Chapter 20
The Authorities Question Jesus' Authority
1And it came about during one of those days of his teaching the crowd in
the temple and preaching the good news, that the high priests and Torah
scholars and elders came up, 2and they said to him as follows: "Tell us, by
what authority are you doing these things? Or, who is the one who gave
you the authority for these things?"
3And in answer Jesus said to them, "I will also ask you something, that you
must tell me: 4John's baptism, was it from heaven, or from human beings?"
5So they discussed it among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,'
he will say, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' 6But if we say, 'From
human beings,' all the people will stone us, because they are convinced that
John was a prophet.'"
7And they professed not to know where it was from. 8And Jesus said to
them, "Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things."

9And he began to speak this parable to the crowd: "A man planted a
vineyard, and leased it out to tenant-farmers, and journeyed away for quite
some time. 10And in the time of harvest, he sent a servant to the tenants, so
they could pay him rent out of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants,
after beating him, sent him away empty-handed. 11And he proceeded to
send a another servant; and that one also, after beating and insulting him,
they sent away empty-handed. 12And he proceeded to send a third; and
that one also they threw out, after injuring him.
13"So the owner of the vineyard said, 'What should I do? I will send my
beloved son; maybe him, they will respect.'199
197
19:46a Isaiah 56:7
198
199
20:13 txt εντραπησονται ℵ B C D L Q it syrs,c,hmg cop arm geo TH NA28 {/} ‖ ιδοντες
εντραπησονται A E N R W vg itaur,f syrp,h TR RP ‖ lac ⁷⁵ P T
Luke
14"But when they saw him, the tenants discussed it among themselves,
saying, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance will be ours.'
15And they threw him outside the vineyard and killed him."What then will
the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come, and he will kill those
tenants, and he will give the vineyard to others."
And those who heard this said, "May it never be!"
17But he, after looking at them, said, "Why then is this written:
'A stone which the builders rejected,

this one has become the chief cornerstone'?200
18Everyone who trips over that stone will be broken into pieces; upon
whomever the stone falls, it will turn him into powder."
19And at that time, the Torah scholars and high priests wanted to lay their
hands on him, yet they were afraid of the people. For they knew that he
had spoken this parable in reference to them.

20And beginning to watch him closely, they sent spies presenting
themselves as sincere, in order to catch some statement of his, such that they
could hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor.
21And they questioned him as follows: "Teacher, we know that you talk
straight, and you teach straight; that is, you do not acknowledge personage,
but only on the basis of truth you teach the way of God. 22Is it permissible
201
for us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar, or not?"
200
20:17 Psalm 118:22
201
20:22 The Greek word translated "tribute" is φορος. The Roman Caesar would charge a
head tax (capita tax) based on a head count or census. The Latin root word for head is cap.
Thus, this tax was a per capita tax, or a capitation. It was a flat tax, having no relation to
graduated percentages, or ability to pay. It was not an income tax. Every head had to cough
up the same amount. Black's Law Dictionary, Sixth Ed., defines a Capitation tax thusly: "A
poll tax. A tax or imposition upon the person. It is a very ancient kind of tribute, and
answers to what the Latins called 'tributum,' by which taxes on persons are distinguished
from taxes on merchandise, called 'vectigalia.'" Remember, a census was forbidden by God,
and King David incurred God's wrath when he numbered the people. (A census tax or
capita tax is also the kind expressly prohibited by the Constitution for the United States of
America.) Black's Law Dictionary defines Tribute in turn as: "A contribution which is
raised by a prince or sovereign from his subjects to sustain the expenses of the state. A sum
of money paid by an inferior sovereign or state to a superior potentate, to secure the
friendship or protection of the latter." Now as for coinage, Jesus obviously knew some
principles of law. When he said in verse 25, "Caesar's things give back to Caesar," he
recognized that every single coin circulated that bore Caesar's portrait and inscription,
already belonged to Caesar. The Jewish religious taxes, on the other hand, were paid in
weight of silver– shekels, or even drachmas, but not in Roman coins.
Luke
23But he perceived their trickery, and said to them, 202 24"Show me a

denarius. Whose image does it bear, and whose inscription?"
And they said, "Caesar's."
25And he said to them, "Well then, Caesar's things give back to Caesar, and
God's things to God."
26And they were not able to catch him in a saying in the presence of the
people; and having been astonished by his answer, they remained silent.
Marriage at the Resurrection

27Then some of the Sadducees approached (Sadducees say there is no
resurrection), and they questioned him 28as follows: "Teacher, Moses wrote
for us, 'If a man's brother dies having a wife, and that deceased is childless,
that the man should take the wife of his brother, and raise up descendants
for his brother.'203
29"Well, there were seven brothers. And the first one, who had taken a
wife, died childless. 30And the second one204 31took her, and the third one,
and in fact, all seven in the same way, left behind no child, and died. 32Last
of all, the woman also died.

33"So the woman, in the resurrection, whose wife is she going to be? For
all seven had her as wife."
34And Jesus said to them, "The children of this age marry and are given in
marriage; 35but those considered worthy to taste of that age and of the
resurrection from the dead, will neither marry nor be given in marriage,
36nor will they be able to die any more, for they will be like the angels and
be children of God, since they are children of the resurrection.
37"But that the dead are rising, even Moses intimated so, at the part about
the bush, the way he says Yahweh is the God of Abraham, and the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38Now God is not the God of dead people, but
of living, for to him all of those are alive."
39And one of the Torah scholars said in response, "Teacher, well said."
202
20:23 txt αυτους ℵ B L 0266vid ite cop arm TH NA28 {/} ‖ αυτους τι με πειραζετε A D E N P
W lat syr TR RP ‖ αυτους τι με πειραζετε υποκριται C ‖ lac ⁷⁵ Q T
203
20:28 Deuteronomy 25:5; Genesis 38:8
204
20:30 txt και ο δευτερος ℵ B D L 0266 itd,e cop geo TH NA28 {/} ‖ και ελαβεν ο δευτερος
την γυναικα και ουτος απεθανεν ατεκνος A E P W lat syr(c) (ms) TR RP ‖ και ε....... lac N ‖ lac
⁷⁵ C Q T
Luke
Whose Son Is the Messiah

40Indeed, no longer did any of them dare to question him. 41So he said in
reference to them, "How do they maintain the Messiah to be the son of
David? 42For David himself says in the scroll of the Psalms,
'Yahweh205 said to my Lord:

"Sit at my right hand
43until such time I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.'206"
44So, David calls him Lord. How then is he his son?"
Jesus Denounces the Torah Scholars

45And with the entire crowd listening, he said to the disciples, 46"Beware of
the Torah scholars, wanting to walk around in robes, and loving the
greetings in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues, and places
of honor at banquets; 47they devour the houses of widows, and for a front,
make lengthy prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."
Chapter 21
The Widow's Offering
1And when he looked up, he saw rich people putting their gifts into the
donation chest. 2Then he saw a penniless widow dropping there two
lepta,207 3and he said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more
than all the rest. 4For they all put in their gifts out of the extra they had, but
she out of her lack put in all she had to live on."
Signs of the Times

5And as some of them were talking about the temple, how with such
205
20:42 πεν κύριος τ κυρίῳ, "The LORD said to my Lord," from the Hebrew ְ‫נ‬ℵ ‫ם יְ ֹהוָֹה‬
ָ‫ל‬ℵ‫ד ִ ֹני‬ ֹ - nəʾum Yəhōvah laʾ ōnōȋ of Psalm 110:1. In this verse, both the Tetragrammaton
‫( יֹהוֹה‬YHVH) and Adonai are found, together. But one could hardly say, "Adonai said to
Adonai." In an attempt to avoid this, the Masoretes inserted a paseq in between, one of
these: |, to make them be in separate phrases, and thus the Masoretic text reads: ‫׀ ל‬ℵ‫ד ִֹנִ֗י‬
ְ‫נ‬ℵ‫ם יְ ֹה ָוָֹ֨ה‬.
206
20:43 Psalm 110:1
207
21:2 Two small, thin copper coins, totaling about one fourth of one cent.
Luke
beautiful stones and gifts it was adorned, he said: 6"These things that you
are looking at, days will come in which there will not be left a stone upon a
stone that will not be thrown down."
7And they questioned him as follows, "Teacher, so when will these things
be, and what sign will happen when they are all about to take place?"
8And he said, "See to it that you are not led astray. For many will come in
my name, saying, 'I am He,' and, 'The Lord is near.' Do not go off after
them. 9So when you hear of wars and unrest, do not be alarmed; for these
things need to happen first, but the end does not come immediately."
10Then, he was saying to them, "Nation will rise up against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom, 11and there will be mega-quakes, and famines
and epidemics in various places, and frightful and awesome signs from
heaven.
12"But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will
persecute you, handing you over to synagogues and prisons, being led all
the way up to kings and governors for the sake of my name; 13it will work
out for you to be a testimony. 14Put it in your hearts therefore, not to be
practicing how to answer in defense; 15for I will give you utterance and
wisdom that none of those opposing you will be able to stand against or
rebut.
16"But you will also be turned in by parents and siblings and relatives and
friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17And indeed you will be
hated by everyone because of my name. 18Yet not a hair of your head will
perish: 19by your enduring, you shall gain your lives. 208
20"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will
know209 that her desolation is near. 21Then, those in Judea should flee to the
208
21:19 κτήσασθε ( ℵ L R W 047 κτήσασθαι) D E itd,i Origen Apostolic Constitutions Gregory-
Nyssa Macarius/Symeon Marcus-Eremita Cyril Hesychius TR HF RP ΝΑ27 {C} ‖ κτήσεσθε (A
κτήσεσθαι) B ita,e,f,ff²,l,q,r¹,s vg syrc,s,p,h,(pal) copsa arm eth geo Jerome Augustine WH Weiss Trg
NA25 ‖ σώσετε (ἑαυτούς for τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν) Marcionacc to Tertullian ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ C N P Q T.
The UBS editorial committee says it is slightly more probable that the reading of Codex
Sinaiticus and many other early witnesses, is the correct one, which have the verb κτάομαι
- ktáomai in the imperative mood. That would be a command to the disciples to preserve
their lives. The committee says it would be more likely that copyists would have changed
this verb to conform it to the future tense of the rest of the verbs in the context, more
likely than the other way around. Note that the other gospels have the same idea in the
future indicative. In some languages the difference between the two readings would not be
translatable. I note that in the UBS4 apparatus, the reading of the Syriac is not given. (Is
there a translatable difference between “you will gain your lives” and “you shall gain your
lives”?) There is also discrepancy as to the reading of itq.
209
21:20 The Greek word for "know" here, γινώσκω, is in the form of γνῶτε, which could be
either imperative or subjunctive mood, since in this case the form would be identical.
Imperative would be in English, "when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know
- or then you should know,- that her desolation is near." Subjunctive would be in English,
Luke
mountains, and those within Jerusalem should get without, and those in the
fields should not go into her. 22For those are days 210 of vengeance, in
fulfillment of all that is written. 23Alas for the ones who are pregnant, and
the ones giving milk during those days! For it will be a great calamity upon
the land,211 and wrath toward this people.212 24And they will fall by the edge
of the sword, and be taken captive to all the nations; and Jerusalem will be
trampled over by Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are played out.
25And there will be signs in the sun, the moon and the stars, and on earth
anxiety of the nations, in uncertainty over the roar and surge of the sea,
26people holding their breath in fear and anticipation because of the things
overtaking the world; for the forces of space will be shaken.
27"And then at that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud,
with power and great glory. 28So when these things are beginning to take
place, stand yourselves tall and lift up your heads, because your redemption
is drawing near."
29And he spoke a parable to them: "Consider the fig tree, indeed all the
trees. 30When they are now putting forth leaves, you see for yourselves and
know that summer is now near. 31So also you, when you see these things
taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32Truly I tell you:
this age will by no means pass away until this all has taken place. 33Sky and
earth will pass away, but my words will certainly not pass away.
34"But watch yourselves, that your hearts not be held back 213 by over-
"when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you know - or would know - or will
know, - or should know, that her desolation is near."
210
21:22 In the Greek, the word for "day" is anarthrous here, that is, without the article.
You will see some translations saying "the days" or "the time," and others saying "days," or
"a time." This question regarding the Greek definite article is one of the translation issues
most revealing of the translators' doctrinal preconceptions. Here, for example, it can
reveal whether you believe that the prophecies will have a double fulfillment, or only one
fulfillment. That is, are these prophecies partially fulfilled in the time and deeds of Titus in
70 A.D., and more fully fulfilled in the tribulation? Or are they solely fulfilled during the
time of Titus? Or solely or primarily fulfilled in the tribulation? And prior to the time of
Titus, some of God's people no doubt believed that these prophecies had been fulfilled
during the time and deeds of Antiochus Epiphanies, either partially or primarily. I have 24
English translations on hand, and they split down the middle; half say "the days" and half
say "days" or equivalent. We must interpret this passage by the rest of scripture, and do it
in reliance on the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which leads us into all truth. We also must
use common sense in light of the context here. This passage, in light of v. 24, seems to be
including the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. Therefore, we must say in v. 22 about the
Great Tribulation, that those are "days" of tribulation, not the only ones.
211
21:23a Or, "upon the earth"
212
21:23b txt τω λαω ℵ A B C D L N lat SBL TH ΝΑ28 {\} ‖ εν τω λαω E W syrh TR RP ‖ επι
τω λαω 1424 vg: ira populo huic (KJV) ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ P Q T. Coptic: "for this people." Often too
much is made of the Greek preposition εν, as it is often no more than a marker of the dative
case. I translate both the NA28 and Majority Text as "wrath toward this people."
213
21:34 Or, "desensitized." The Greek word is βαρέω, which normally means "weighed
down." But this is a metanymous meaning, as is the word for heart. The heart is not
Luke
indulgence and drunkenness, and by ordinary concerns of this mortal life,

and that day come upon you suddenly 35like a trap. For it will come upon
everyone who lives over the face of the whole earth. 36So you must be
watchful at all times, praying that you might manage214 to avoid all these
things about to come to pass, and stand before the Son of Man."
37And he was spending the days teaching in the temple, and the nights he
was going out and lodging on the hill called the Mount of Olives. 38And all
the people would get up early to come to the temple and hear him.
Chapter 22
The Contract on Jesus
1And the Festival of Unleavened Bread, called Passover, was approaching,
2and the chief priests and the Torah scholars were still yet looking for a way
to put him to death, because they were still yet fearing the people.215
3Then Satan entered into Judas, the one called Ish Keriot, who was one of
their number, of the Twelve. 4And he went away, and discussed with the
chief priests and the commanders of the temple guard how he might hand
him over to them. 5And they were delighted, and contracted to give him
money. 6And he accepted, and was looking for the best time for handing
him over to them, without the crowd.
The Passover Supper

7And the day of Unleavened Bread arrived in which it was customary to
slaughter216 the Passover. 8And he sent Peter and John, saying, "Go, prepare
literally weighed down. The spiritual strength, alertness, sensitivity, sharpness, and
passion might be lessened by the things mentioned.
214
21:36 txt κατισχυσητε ℵ B L T (W κατισχυσατε) 070 cop SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ καταξιωθητε A
C D E N R latt syr TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ P Q.
215
22:2 This verse makes no sense unless you take into consideration the imperfect aspect
of the Greek verbs for 'trying' and 'fearing.' Imperfect here means just that: incomplete
and ongoing action. They had been trying to kill him already since Luke 19:47-48, and
20:19. The reason they still had not accomplished killing him, was because they were STILL
YET fearing the people. So if someone tells you that the aspect (continuous vs. punctiliar)
of N.T. Greek verbs is unimportant, don't believe them, no matter how big a name they are.
Those big names are the ones who came up with the nonsensical mainstream rendering, as
follows: "And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to kill him, for they feared
the people." This makes it sound like the reason they wanted to kill Jesus was that they
were afraid of the people. But that is not the case. The exact opposite is true: their fear of
the people was what was still preventing them killing Jesus. See Endnote #4, at the end of
this document, which discusses this more fully.
216
22:7 Greek: θύω. It could also be translated "to sacrifice," or, "to celebrate" the
Passover. But the meaning "celebrate" only applied when the celebration included the
slaughtering of something.
Luke
the Passover for us so we can eat it."

9And they said to him, "Where do you want us to prepare it?"
10And he told them, "Behold, at the point of your arriving into the city a
man carrying a water jar will encounter you. Follow him to whatever house
he goes into. 11And say to the owner of the house, 'The teacher says to you,
"Where is the guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?" '
12And that person will show you a large upstairs room all furnished. You
shall prepare it there." 13So when they went, they found things just as he
had told them; and they prepared the Passover.
14And when the hour had come, he reclined, and the twelve disciples
along with him. 15And he said to them, "It is with great longing and
anticipation I have wanted to eat this Passover with you before my
suffering. 16For I tell you: I will certainly not eat it again217 until such time it
has been fulfilled in the kingdom of God."
17And after taking hold of the cup, he gave thanks, and said, "Take this,
and share it among yourselves; 18for I tell you: By no means will I drink of
the fruit of the vine from this point on until such time the kingdom of God
has come."
19And after taking the bread and giving thanks, he broke it and gave it to
them, saying, "This is my body, being given for you. This you should do as
a commemoration of me."218
20And the cup after the meal219 in the same way, saying: "This cup is the
new covenant in my blood, being poured out for you.
21"But lo, the hand of the one betraying me is with mine on the table.
22Therefore indeed the Son of Man is going out exactly as is planned. Even
so, woe to that man through whom he is betrayed!"
23And they began to debate with each other which of them therefore might
be the one about to do this.
24Then there also arose another dispute among them, as to which of them
217
22:16 txt ὅτι οὐ μὴ φάγω ⁷⁵vid ℵ A B L 0211 ita copsa Apollinarus Cyr Tit-Bost Epiph TH
NA28 {B} ‖ οὐκέτι μὴ φάγομαι D ‖ οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ φάγω C* N ‖ ὅτι οὐκέτι οὐ μὴ φάγω C² E P W
itaur,b,(d),e,f,ff²,i,(l),q,(r¹) vg arm eth (geo) Orlat TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ Q T. The word "again" is not in
the Greek, but implied. Thus, some copyists apparently felt obliged to add the Greek word
οὐκέτι, to both clarify the meaning, and also to harmonize Luke with Mark 14:25, and
perhaps also with Matthew 26:29, which says, "from now on."
218
22:19 "This you should do" is referring to the Passover. From now on, they and we
should do the Passover in commemoration of Jesus' death on our behalf. Both the
unleavened bread and the Passover lamb or kid are His body figuratively. Note that Codex
D has a much shorter reading of vss. 19-20, but it is alone in this, and is notoriously
unreliable. So no serious consideration should be given it when it is all alone.
219
22:20 Or possibly, "with" the meal.
Luke
was considered to be greater.

25And he said to them, "The kings of the nations lord it over them, and
those exercising authority over them are called 'benefactors.' 26But not so
with you. Rather, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, 220
and the leader as the one who serves. 27For who is greater: the one
reclining, or the one serving? Is it not the one reclining? Among you
though, I am as the one serving.
28"But you are the ones who have stuck with me through my trials; 29and I
am assigning to you a kingdom, just as my Father did to me, 30such that you
will eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, 221 and sit upon thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Jesus Predicts the Disciples' Crisis of Faith

31"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has obtained permission to have you all, to
sift you all like wheat.222 32But I have prayed for you, that your faith will not
completely die. And you, when you have come back around, strengthen
your brothers."
33But he said to him, "Lord, I am prepared to go with you both to prison
and to death."
34But Jesus said, "I tell you, Peter: the rooster will not crow this day, until
you have denied three times that you know me."
35And he said to them, "When I sent you without purse, knapsack and
sandals, did you lack anything?"
And they said, "Nothing."
36Then he said, "But now, he who has a purse should bring it, or a
knapsack likewise, and he who does not have a sword, should sell his cloak
and buy one. 37For I tell you, this which is written has to be fulfilled in me:
'And he was considered one of the outlaws.'223
Yes indeed, that about me is reaching fulfillment."
220
22:26 The youngest, as in Acts 5:6, customarily performed the menial tasks, and
submitted to the elders.
221
22:30 txt ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ μου ⁷⁵ ℵ A B L N Q T W latt syr cop TR HF TH NA28 {\} ‖ ἐν τῇ
βασιλείᾳ D itd,e,l vgmss syrc ‖ omit E 047 geo3 RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C P.
222
22:31 The Greek does not say "all," but we need to put in some indicator in English that
the Greek pronoun "you" is in the plural. Jesus was not saying this about Peter only, but
about all of the apostles.
223
22:37 Isaiah 53:12
Luke
38So they said, "Lord, look. There are two swords here."
And he said to them, "That is enough."
Gethsemane
39And after going out, he proceeded as was his custom to the Mount of
Olives; and his disciples followed him also. 40And coming upon the place
he said to them, "Pray not to come into temptation." 41And he withdrew
from them, about a stone's throw away. And having dropped his knees, he
was praying, 42as follows: "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from
me. However, not my will, but yours be done." 43And an angel from
heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. 44And being in agony, he was
praying more earnestly; and his sweat became like drops of blood falling
onto the ground.224
45And after rising from prayer and returning to the disciples, he found
them sleeping, out of sorrow. 46And he said to them, "Why are you
sleeping? Get up and pray, that you not go into temptation."
Jesus Arrested
47While he was yet speaking, behold, a crowd, and the one called Judas,
one of the Twelve, was leading them. And he came up to Jesus, and kissed
him.225 48But Jesus said to him, "Judas, with a kiss you betray the Son of
Man?"
49And seeing what was going to be happening, those around him said,
"Lord, shall we strike with swords?" 50And one of them struck the servant
of the high priest, and cut off his right ear.
51But in response Jesus said, "Let that be enough of that." And he touched
his ear and healed him.
52Then, toward those coming against him, the chief priests, temple officers
and elders, Jesus said, "As though after a bandit, you have come out with
swords and clubs? 53Every day with me being next to you in the temple you
didn't lay your hands on me. But this is the hour for you, and the authority
of darkness."
224
22:43-44 Some consider the words in these verses to be an extra-canonical tradition
which got added to the gospel of Luke. They are absent in very early and geographically
widespread manuscripts and witnesses. See Endnote #3 at the end of this document which
discusses this.
225
22:47 The Greek literally says, "And he came up to him, to kiss him." But this is probably
a Semitism, called "the infinitive of result."
Luke
Peter's Denials
54And after seizing him, they took him and led him into the house of the
high priest; and Peter was following at a distance. 55And since people had
lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and were all sitting together, Peter
was sitting among them. 56But a maidservant noticed him sitting toward
the fire, and after studying him, she said, "This man also was with him."
57But he denied it, saying, "I don't know him, woman."
58And shortly thereafter, another person who saw him was saying, "You
are also one of them."
And Peter was saying, "Man, I am not."
59And after about an hour had passed, someone else was affirming, saying,
"Definitely, this man was also with him; he is also Galilean."
60But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about." And
immediately as he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 61And the Lord
turned and looked at Peter, and he remembered the statement of the Lord,
how he had said to him, "Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me
three times." 62And he went off outside, and bitterly wept.
Before the Sanhedrin

63And the men guarding Jesus were making fun of him as they beat him
up. 64After blindfolding him, they were asking him, "Prophesy, who is it
that hit you?" 65And they were saying many other insulting things against
him.
66And as the day broke, the elders of the people and the high priests and
the Torah scholars were assembled, and they brought him over into their
Sanhedrin, 67saying, "Tell us whether you are the Christ."
And he said to them, "If I told you, you would certainly not believe, 68and
if I asked questions, you would certainly not answer. 226 69Nevertheless,
from now on, the Son of Man will be sitting at the right hand of the power
of God."
70So they all said, "You are the Son of God then?"
And he was saying to them, "You are saying that I am." 227
226
22:68 txt αποκριθητε ⁷⁵ ℵ B L T Apoll Cyr SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ αποκριθητε μοι vgms copsa
Ambrose ‖ αποκριθητε μοι η απολυσητε A D E N itaur,b,d,f,ff²,(i),(l),q,r¹ vg syrc,s,p,h arm geo
Aug TR RP ‖ αποκριθητε μοι η απολυσητε με/μοι ita ‖ omit verse ite vgms ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C P Q
227
22:70 "You are saying that I am" is literally what the Greek says, and this expression
Luke
71And they said, "What more need do we have for witnesses? For we
ourselves have heard from his own mouth."
Chapter 23
Jesus Before Pilate and Herod
1And the whole assembly of them got up, and they took him before Pilate.
2And they began to accuse him, as follows. "We found this man misleading
our nation228 and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and claiming to be a
king himself, the Christ."
3So Pilate examined him, saying, "Are you the king of the Jews?"
And he in answer to him was saying, "You are the one saying that." 229
4And Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, "I find no causa
capitalis in this man."230
5But they were getting more insistent, saying, "He incites the people,
teaching throughout the entire land of the Jews, starting from Galilee and all
the way to here."
6And when Pilate heard this, he asked, "Is the man a Galilean?" 231 7And
when he had confirmed that he was in fact from Herod's jurisdiction, he
referred him to Herod, who was in Jerusalem too for those days.
comes from the Semitic word “ ’amarta.” It is neither a yes nor a no. This was a Jewish
idiom, and you can find some Rabbinic examples where it was understood as a Yes, and
some where it would obviously NOT be understood as a yes. Therefore, we have to
conclude that it is not a yes of any kind. At the same time, it is not a denial. Which
sometimes some people might take as a yes. But as for translation, it should be translated
literally, and left at that. No helper words should be added that might imply an affirmative
answer. See the endnote on this topic at the end of my translation of Mark’s gospel. The
Sanhedrin would not be satisfied with anything less than a vehement denial from Jesus.
Thus the Sanhedrin's reaction, of needing no more witnesses or evidence. But even what
Jesus had already said here earlier, in 22:69, that Jesus would be seated at the right hand of
God, that would be offense enough. What is different about Luke here, is that he uses ἔφη,
the imperfect form of φημί here, which I translated "kept saying." Luke does not use the
continuous aspect indiscriminately or insignificantly.
228
23:2 txt το εθνος ημων ⁷⁵ ℵ B D L N T lat syr SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ το εθνος A E W ita,r¹
MarcionE TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C P Q. Both main text streams contain the definite article with
ἐθνος, which article can serve as a weak possessive pronoun. Usually it is the Byzantine
stream supplying the expressly possessive word, but here we have the roles reversed. The
English translator could legitimately render both of these readings in English as "our
nation." And that is what thetranslators of the Coptic may have done, as they read "our
nation."
229
23:3 The Greek says literally, "You are saying." See footnote on 22:70, and on Mark 15:3.
It is not a “yes” answer.
230
23:4 That is, basis for capital punishment. It was understood that the only reason the
Jewish authorities would bring a criminal to Pilate, was for adjudication of the death
penalty and execution. The Jewish authorities otherwise were allowed to execute
judgment with their own courts and laws, short of execution; see John 18:31.
231
23:6 The word εἰ here (usually "if") being an interrogative particle, introducing direct
interrogative discourse, taking the place of ὅτι. See BAGD V.; BDF § 440(3).
Luke
8Now Herod was very glad when he saw Jesus. He had been wanting for
quite some time to meet him, because of hearing about him, and he hoped
to see something miraculous happening through him. 9So he was plying
him with a considerable amount of questions; but Jesus never gave any
response at all. 10And the chief priests and the Torah scholars were
standing there throughout, vehemently accusing him.
11Then Herod, together with his soldiers, after treating him with contempt
and mocking him by draping a splendid robe around him, sent him back to
Pilate. 12Which caused Herod and Pilate to become friends with each other
that same day (for they had previously always been hostile toward each
other).
13And Pilate summoned the high priest, together with the rulers and the
people, 14and he said to them, "You have brought this man up to me as
someone inciting the people to treason, and here now is my finding after
trying him in your presence. I have found in this man no basis for the
charges you are bringing against him. 15And neither has Herod, for he has
sent him back to us. So you see, nothing being done by him is worthy of
death. 16Therefore, having scourged him, I will release him." [[17Now he
was obligated by custom according to the festival to release one person to
them.]] 232
18But they all together shouted back, saying, "Away with this man!
Release to us Barabbas!" 19(He was someone who had been thrown in
prison because of a certain uprising and murder that took place in the city.)
20But Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, called out to them again. 21But they
cried out, saying, "Crucify him, crucify him!"
22But a third time, he said to them, "Why? What crime has this man
committed? Having scourged him therefore, I will release him."
23But with loud shouts the crowd kept urgently demanding that he be
crucified. And their shouts prevailed, 24and Pilate decided to grant their
request. 25And he released the man who had been thrown into prison for
insurrection and murder, the one whom they had asked for, and Jesus he
handed over to their will.
23:17 These words now called verse 17 are not found in ⁷⁵ A B L T 070 ita vgms copsa and
,
232
included, with minor variants, as harmonized to Matthew 27:15 and Mark 15:6, in the
following: ℵ E (N συνήθειαν for ἀνάγκην) W itaur,b,e,f,ff ,l,q,r1 vg syrp,h (ms) arm eth geo Eusebian
2
Canons; Augustine. And the following include these words in a different place- after verse
19: D itd syrc,s. There is over all a great variation in the additions, not detailed here, which is
a sign of inauthenticity. The UBS editorial committee gives the omission an A rating of
certainty.
Luke
The Crucifixion
26And as they led him away, they seized a Cyrenian, Simon, who was
returning from the country, and they placed the cross on him, to carry it
behind Jesus. 27And a great multitude of the people were following him,
and women who were mourning and lamenting him.
28But Jesus turned to them, and he said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not
weep for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. 29For behold,
days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the
wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' 30At that time
they will begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us,' and to the hills, 'Cover
us.'233 31For if they do these things when the tree is green, what will happen
when it is dry?"234
32Now two others, criminals, were also being taken with him to be
executed.235 33And when they came to the place called The Skull [‫] ֻּג ְל ֻּגלְתָּ א‬,
there they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right and one
on his left. 34And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know
what they are doing."236 And they cast lots, for dividing out his clothing.237
35And the people stood there, watching. Now the rulers were also there,
sneering at him, saying, "He saved others; he should save himself, if this is
the one chosen the Christ of God."
36And the soldiers, when they were approaching bringing him vinegar,
also made fun of him. 37They also were saying, "If you are the king of the
Jews, save yourself."
233
23:30 Hosea 10:8
234
23:31 This sentence employs the Greek preposition ἐν with a dative case object of the
preposition. The ἐν could be an indicator of the circumstances in which something
happens, or the time in which something happens, or the object to which something
happens. So this could also possibly be translated, "...if they do these things to a green
(healthy, sap-filled) tree, what will happen to the dry?" It could mean "if these things
happen to a righteous, fruitful person, what will happen to the unfruitful?" And it could
also mean, "if they do these things in good and prosperous times, what will they do in bad
times?" Perhaps this is a proverb current at that time, but no one knows for sure.
235
23:32 The Greek syntax here may be more properly translated, "Now two other
criminals were also being taken with him to be executed." Later Greek manuscripts were
possibly modified to take away this possibility. But Jesus had predicted in Luke 22:37 that
he would be considered one of the outlaws.
236
23:34a txt And Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." with
minor variants: ℵ*,³ (A omit “Father”) C D¹ (E with *) L N Q 0250 itaur,b,e,ff2,l,r1 vg syrc,p,h,pal pt arm
eth geo Diatess Irenlat Clement Or Euseb Chryst Cyr TR RP TH ‖ omit ⁷⁵ ℵ² B D* W 070 ita,bc,d
syrs copsa NA28 {A} ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P T. See the Endnote about this verse at the end of this
document.
237
23:34b ‫גֹורל‬
ָּ ‫ י ַפִׁילּו‬,‫לְבּושִׁ י‬-‫ו ְעַל‬ ;‫ְבגָּדַ י לָּהֶ ם‬ ‫י ְחַ לְקּו‬. https://mechon-
mamre.org/p/pt/pt2622.htm
Luke
38Now there was also a notice inscribed above him: "THIS IS THE KING
OF THE JEWS."
39And one of the criminals hung there was deriding him, saying, "You are
the Christ, aren't you? Save yourself and us."
40But in response the other one was rebuking him, saying, "Don't you fear
God at all, considering that you yourself are in this same judgement? 238
41And we indeed justly; for we have gotten back what was fitting to how we
have lived. But this man, he has done nothing wrong."
42And then he was saying, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your
kingdom."
43And Jesus said to him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in
Paradise."
Jesus' Death
44And it was now about noon,239 and darkness came across the whole land
until 3:00 p.m., 45for the sun was darkened. 240
And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46And crying out with a
loud voice, Jesus said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." 241 And
after he had said this, he expired.
238
23:40 Or, perhaps an Aramaism as follows, "since you are in this same fate?"
239
23:44 Greek, "the sixth hour," that is, the sixth hour from 6 a.m. when the daytime
starts, which makes this 12:00 noon. So also the remaining references to time in Luke: the
darkness lasted until 3:00 p.m. (Grk-the ninth hour), when Jesus cried out to the Father.
See the endnote in my Diatessaron regarding the differing clock systems and divisions of
the day used by the synoptic evangelists in contrast to John.
240
23:45 txt τοῦ ἡλίου ἐκλιπόντος ⁷⁵* ℵ C*vid L 070 syrhmg (syrh σκοτισθέντος) Origengr,lat
mssacc. to Orig SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ τοῦ ἡλίου ἐκλείποντος ⁷⁵c B Origen ‖ ἐσκοτίσθη ὁ ἥλιος
ita,b,e arm geo Diatessaron ‖ καὶ ἐσκοτίσθη ὁ ἥλιος (A ἐσκορτίσθη) C³ (D itd ἐσκοτίσθη δὲ) E Q
R W itaur,f,ff²,l,q vg syrc,s,p,pal eth Marcionacc. To Epiphaniusvid Origenlat mssacc. to Orig TR RP ‖ τοῦ ἡλίου
ἐκλιπόντος καὶ ἐσκοτίσθη ὁ ἥλιος C²vid (UBS5) ‖ omit C² (NA28) ‖ lacuna ⁴⁵ N P T. The
phrase with ἐκλείπω could be translated, "from an eclipse of the sun." The Classical Greek
writers Thucidides, Herodotus and Aristophanes used this word, when referring to the sun
or moon, as meaning "suffer eclipse." But the event in this passage, Jesus' crucifixion, took
place during Passover, which was always during a full moon, so an eclipse of the sun by the
moon was not possible. Neither are there any astronomical records of the moon eclipsing
the sun during that time. So the only rendering that is truly incorrect, would be "eclipse."
To most people, an eclipse of the sun would mean that the sun was eclipsed by the moon. I
imagine it is theoretically possible for some other kind of heavenly body to have eclipsed
the sun, but I know of no astronomical records of such. Regardless, the rendering "eclipse"
is just too misleading, since that word almost always means eclipse by the moon. The
Majority text reads "καὶ ἐσκοτίσθη ὁ ἥλιος, "and the sun was darkened." But this textual
variance need not make any difference, since the lexical authorites say that, in the passive
voice, in which both ἐκλείπω and σκοτίζω are, either one of them can mean "was
obscured."
241
Lk 23:46 See Psalm 31:5 (6) in the Hebrew https://mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2631.htm
‫ תחלים ל לא‬:
‫ ַאפְ קִׁ יד רּוחִׁ י‬,‫ְבי ָּדְ ָך‬
Luke
47Now the centurion when he saw what had happened, was giving glory
to God, by saying, "This really must have been a righteous man."
48And all the crowds who had gathered around for this spectacle, when
they observed what took place, they were turning away, beating their
breasts. 49But all those who knew him, including the women 242 who had
followed with him from Galilee, stood off at a distance throughout,
watching these things.
Jesus' Burial
50And behold, there was a council member named Joseph, who was a
good and righteous man 51(he was not going along with their decision and
actions), from Arimathea, a city in Judea, who was looking forward to the
kingdom of God. 52This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
53And when he had taken it down he wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a
hewn-out tomb, which no one was lying in yet. 54And it was the day of
Preparation, and the Sabbath was coming on.
55Now some women had followed close behind, which were the ones who
had come with him from Galilee. They observed the tomb, and how his
body was interred. 56Then when they returned home, they prepared spices
and perfumes. And for the Sabbath though, they did rest, in keeping with
the commandment;
Chapter 24
The Resurrection
1but at the crack of dawn on the first day of the week, they went to the
tomb, carrying the spices they had prepared. 243 2But they found the stone
had been rolled away from the tomb.
Jesus Appears to the Women

3And when they went inside, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
4And it happened that as they stood hesitating about this, behold, two men
242
23:49 Tatian’s Diatessaron: “the wives of those who had followed with him.” In Syriac
the difference between “women” and “wives” was the letter dalath. With it meant “wives.”
243
24:1 txt αρωματα ⁷⁵ ℵ B C* L lat pt syrpalms SBL TH NA28 ‖ αρωματα και τινες συν αυταις.
p) ελογινζοντο δε εν εαυταις· τις αρα αποκυλισει ημιν τον λιθον 070 ‖ και τινες συν αυταις.
p) ελογινζοντο δε εν εαυταις· τις αρα αποκυλισει τον λιθον D cop sa ‖ αρωματα και τινες συν
αυταις A E W itf,q,r¹ (syr pt Eus) TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P Q T.
Luke
appeared to them, in gleaming robes.

5And when terror came over them, such that they had bowed their faces
down to the ground, the men said to them, "Why are you looking for the
living among the dead? 6He is not here, but is risen! Recall how he spoke to
you while still in Galilee, 7saying that the Son of Man must be transferred
into the hands of sinful mortals, and be crucified, and on the third day rise
again."
8And they did recall his statements. 9And when they returned from the
tomb, they related all these things to the Eleven and to all the rest.
10Now it was the Magdalene Mary, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of
James, and the others with them who were telling these things to the
apostles; 11and these statements appeared to them as nonsense, and they did
not believe them.
12But Peter got up and ran to the tomb, and after stooping down, he sees
only the linen bandages. And he went away, wondering to himself what
had happened.
On the Road to Emmaus

13And behold, that same day, two of them were on their way to a village
named Emmaus, which was seven miles244 from Jerusalem. 14And these two
were conversing with each other about the outcome of all these things.
15And it came about, that they are in conversation, and Jesus himself has
come up, walking along with them. 16Their eyes, however, were being
restrained, so as not to recognize him.
17And he said to them, "What is this discussion you are having with each
other as you walk along?" And they came to a stop, 245 looking dismal.
18And in response, the one named Cleopas said to him, "Are you just
visiting Jerusalem, 246 and unaware of the things happening in it during
244
24:13 Greek: sixty stadia, or about 11 kilometers.
245
24:17 txt και εσταθησαν ⁷⁵ ℵ A* B (L εστησαν) 070 079 ite syrpal copsa SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖
και εστε Ac E N P W vg ita,aur,b,f,ff²,l,r¹ syr(s,c),p,h TR RP ‖ omit D itd eth Cyr ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C Q T.
The Robinson-Pierpont punctuates this differently as well. Whereas the NA28 text has a
question mark after περιπατοῦντες, the RP has a comma. The NA text reads " 'What is this
discussion you are having with each other as you walk along?' And they came to a stop,
looking dismal." The RP text reads, "What is this discussion you are having with each other
as you are walking along and looking dismal?"
246
24:18 Or possibly, "Are you the only one living near Jerusalem who is unaware of the
things happening..." But this is less likely, because in the Greek, the word for "living,"
παροικέω, is in the present indicative, not a participle, neither a noun. It seems to be a
transitive verb expcting an object. Such as “visiting Jerusalem,” or “living IN Jerusalem.”
And the phrase "who is not aware" would be a stretch. Moreover, the Greek does not say
"in Jerusalem," but rather just "Jerusalem." The word παροικέω generally meant "living as
Luke
these days?"
19And he said to them, "What things?"
And they said to him, "The things concerning Jesus the Nazarene, who
was a prophet powerful in deed and in word, in the eyes of both God and
all the people; 20how the chief priests and our rulers handed him over for
the sentence of death, and how they crucified him. 21And here we had been
hoping he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more,
he is already spending his third day in the grave since when these things
took place.247
22"And not only that, now some of our women have confounded us. They
were at the tomb early this morning, 23and not finding his body, they came
back, claiming also to have seen a vision of angels, which were maintaining
that he was alive. 24So some of our number went to the tomb, and found it
just as the women had said; but him they did not see."
25And he said to them, "O you thick headed, and slow of heart to believe
on all the things the prophets have spoken! 26Were not these things
required for the Christ to suffer in order to go on into his glory?" 27And
beginning with Moses, and through all the prophets, he interpreted for
them the things in all the writings that were about himself.
28And they came near to the village to which they were going, and he
pretended to go on farther. 29And they urged him insistently, saying,
"Lodge with us, because it is near evening, and the daylight is almost gone."
And he went inside, to lodge with them.
30And it came about that as he reclined with them, he took bread, gave
thanks and broke it, and was distributing it to them. 31Then their eyes were
opened, and they recognized him. And he disappeared from them.
32And they said to each other, "Weren't our hearts burning within us as he
talked to us on the road, as he explained the scriptures to us?" 33And after
rising up that very hour, they returned to Jerusalem, and found the Eleven
and those with them all gathered together, 34who were saying that the Lord
really was risen, and had appeared to Simon. 35And then the former were
recounting the events on the road, and how he was made known to them in
a stranger, a pilgrim, living as a visitor," and only rarely meant just "live or inhabit next to"
without the connotation of being an alien or stranger.
247
24:21 DeBrunner says in §129 that rather than the impersonal "it is the third day," that
this phrase τρίτην ταύτην ἡμέραν ἄγει ἀφ’ οὗ ταῦτα ἐγένετο means "he is already spending
the third day" [in the tomb]. Bauer agrees with this as well. The Greek does not supply a
subject here, but some third person singular subject is implied, and the verb ἄγω in phrases
about time, means "spend."
Luke
the breaking of the bread.
Jesus Appears to the Apostles

36And while they were speaking these things, he stood in the midst of
them, and he is saying to them, "Peace be with you."
37But alarmed they were, and terrified, thinking they were seeing a ghost.
38And he said to them, "Why are you troubled? And for what reason are
doubts arising in your hearts? 39Behold my hands and my feet, that I am
me. Touch me, and know, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as
you see me having." 40And when he had said this, he showed them his
hands and his feet.
41But, since they were still not believing, out of joy and astonishment, he
said to them, "What do you have to eat in this place?" 42So they handed him
a piece of broiled fish.248 43And he took it, and ate it in front of them.
The Ascension
44And he said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I
was still with you, how all the things written about me in the law of Moses
and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled." 45Then at that time he
opened their minds to understand the scriptures.
46And he said to them, "This is what is written: the Christ was to suffer,
and to rise from the dead the third day, 47and that repentance and
forgiveness of sins is to be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning
from Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49And I am sending
my Father's promise down upon you. So you are to stay put in the city until
such time you are endued with power from on high."
50Then he led them outside, as far as Bethany. And after lifting up his
hands, he blessed them. 51And it came about that as he was blessing them,
he parted from them, and was taken up into heaven.
52And they, after worshiping him, returned back to Jerusalem with great
rejoicing. 53And throughout those days they were continually at the temple,
praising God.
24:42 txt μερος ⁷⁵ ℵ A B D L W itd,e syrs copsa Clem Orvid Cyr½ Ps-Ath Aug¼ Diatess-
248
Arab½ SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ μερος και κηριον ita Jerome Diatess-Arab½ ‖ μερος και απο
μελισσιου κηριου Ec N itb,q syrc,p,pal,h with* pt Justindub Amphil Tert Cyr½ Epiph Jer TR RP ‖
μερος και απο μελισσιου κηριον E* itaur,t,ff²,l,r¹ vg arm geo Cyril-Jerusalem Proclus; Aug¾
Varimadum ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C P Q T
Luke
Table of Witnesses to Luke

Nothing later than 8th century cited, and everything 8th century and
Symbl Alt Date
Contents
³ VI/V 7:36-45, 10:38-42
II
⁴ III 1:58-59,62-80,2:1,6,7, 3:8-38, 4:1,2,29-32,34,35,
5:3-8,30-39, 6:1-16
⁷ III- 4:1-3
IV
(?)
⁴² VII/ 1:54,55; 2:29-32
VIII
⁴⁵ III 6:31-41,45-49, 7:1-7; 9:26-41, 45-62, 10:1, 6-22,
26-42, 11:1, 6-25, 28-46, 50-54, 12:1-12, 18-37,
42-59, 13:1, 6-24, 29-35, 14:1-10, 17-33
⁶⁹ III 22:41, 45-48, 58-61
⁷⁵ early 3:18-22,33-38; 4:1-2,34-44; 5:1-10,37-39; 6:1-
III 4,10-49; 7:1-32,35-39,41-43,46-50; 8:1-56; 9:1-
2,4-62; 10:1-42; 11:1-54; 12:1-59; 13:1-35; 14:1-
35; 15:1-32; 16:1-31; 17:1-15,19-37; 18:1-18;22:4-
71; 23:1-56; 24:1-53
⁸² P. Gr. IV/V 7:32-34, 37, 38
2677
⁹⁷ VI/V 14:7-14
II
¹¹¹ III 17:11-13, 22-23

ℵ* 01 IV
all
ℵ² or ℵc 1st corr. IV-
VI all
ℵ³ 2nd corr. VII
all
A 02 V
all
B 03 IV
all
B¹ IV
all
B² VI-
VII all
C 04 V
lacks 1:1-2; 2:5-42; 3:21- 4:25; 6:4-36; 7:17-8:28;
12:4- 19:42; 20:28- 21:20; 22:19- 23:25; 24:7-45

C¹ V
C² VI
C³ IX
D 05 V all
Luke
E 07 VI all
L 019 VIII all
N 022 VI lacks 1:1- 2:23; 4:3-19,26-35; 4:42- 5:12; 5:33-
9:7,21-28,36-58; 10:4-12; 10:35- 11:14; 11:23-
12:12,21-29; 18:32- 19:17; 20:30- 21:22; 22:49-57;
23:41- 24:13,21-39,49-end
P 024 VI 1:1-13; 2:9-20; 6:21-42; 7:32- 8:2; 8:31-50; 9:26-
36; 10:36- 11:4; 12:34-45; 14:14-25; 15:13- 16:22;
18:13-39; 20:21- 21:3; 22:3-16; 23:20-33; 23:45-
24:1; 24:14-37
Q 026 V 4:34- 5:4; 6:10-26; 12:6-43; 15:14-31; 17:34-
18:15; 18:34-19:11; 19:47- 20:17; 20:34- 21:8;
22:27-46; 23:30-49
R 027 VII all
T 029, V 6:18-26; 18:2-9,10-16; 18:32- 19:8; 21:33- 22:3;
w/0113, 22:20- 23:20; 24:25-27,29-31
0125,
0139
W 032 IV/V all
Ξ 040 VI 1:1-9,19-23,27-28,30-32,36-66; 1:77-
2:19,21,22,33-39; 3:5-8,11-20; 4:1,2,6-20,32-43;
5:17-36; 6:21- 7:6,11-37,39-47; 8:4-21,25-35,43-
50; 9:1-28,32,33,35; 9:41- 10:18,21-40; 11:1-4,24-
33
047 VIII all
070 w/0110, VI 3:19-30; 8:13-19; 8:56- 9:9,12,13-16; 10:21-39,41-
0124, 11:6,24-42; 12:5- 13:32; 16:4-12; 21:30- 22:2,54-
0178, 65; 23:4- 24:26
0179,
0180,
0190,
0191,
0193,
0202
079 VI 7:39-49; 24:10-19
0102 VII 3:23- 4:8,10-16,18,19,21-43;21:4-18
0108 VII 11:37-45
0116 VIII 3:1- 4:20
0147 VI 6:23-35
0171 300 22:44-56, 61-64

Luke
0181 IV/V 9:59-10:14
0182 V 19:18-20,22-24
0212 Diatessar III 23:49-51,54
on
0233 VIII all
0239 VII 2:27-30,34
0250 ℓ1561 VIII all
0253 VI 10:19-22
0265 VI 7:20,21,33-35
0266 VI 20:19-25,30-39
0267 V 8:25-27
0291 VII/ 8:45- 9:2
VIII
LATIN
ite 2 V lacks 8:30-48; 11:4-24
ita 3 IV lacks 11:12-26; 12:37-59
itb 4 V lacks 19:26- 21:29
itd 5 V all of Luke

itff² 8 V
lacks 9:48- 10:20; 11:45- 12:6
itf 10 VI all of Luke

itl 11 VIII
lacks 11:28-37
itq 13 VI/V lacks 23:23-35; 24:11-39

II
itr¹ 14 VII all of Luke
itaur 15 VIII lacks 21:8-30
ita² 16 V Luke 11:11-29; 13:16-34
iti 17 V 10:6- 14:2214:29- 16:4; 16:11- 23:10
itπ 18 VII 14:8-13
its 21 VI/V 17:3-29; 18:39- 19:47; 20:46- 21:22
II
itβ 26 VII 1:64- 2:51
SYRIAC
syrc Curetonia III/I
Syriac V
syrs Sinaitic III/I Luke 2:48- 3:16, 7:33- 15:21, 17:24- 24:44
Syriac V
syrp Peshitta V
syrpal VI/V
Luke
II
syrh VII
COPTIC
copsa Sahidic IV
Coptic
copfay Bohairic IV
Coptic
copbo Bohairic IX
Coptic
ARMENIA
arm V
GEORGIAN
geo V
ETHIOPIC
eth VI
Luke
Luke Endnotes
Luke Endnote #1 – Genealogies conflict?
Matthew's and Luke's genealogies appear to give conflicting genealogies

of Joseph the husband of Mary.
Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:28-38
MATTHEW LUKE
Abraham Abraham
Isaac Isaac
Jacob Jacob
Judah Judah
Perez Perez
Hezron Hezron
Aram Aram
Amminadab Amminadab
Nahshon Nahshon
Salmon Salmon
Boaz Boaz
Obed Obed
Jesse Jesse
David David
Solomon Nathan
Rehoboam Mattatha
Abijah Menna
Asa Melea
Jehoshaphat Eliakim
Joram Jonam
Uzziah Joseph
Jotham Judah
Ahaz Simeon
Hezekiah Levi
Manasseh Matthat
Amos/Amon Jorim
Josiah Eliezer
Jeconiah Joshua
Luke
Shealtiel Er
Zerubbabel Elmadam
Abiud Cosam
Eliakim Addi
Azor Melki
Zadok Neri
Achim Shealtiel
Eliud Zerubbabel
Eleazar Rhesa
Matthan Joanan
Jacob Joda
Joseph Josech
Jesus Semein
Mattathias
Joseph
Jannai
Melki
Levi
Matthat
Heli
Joseph
Jesus
It should be noted that though Matthew states in 1:17 that there are
three sets of 14 generations, there are only 13 generations in his 3rd set.
He also left out two generations from the second set which would have
made that set 16 generations. After Josiah came Jehoiakim and
Jehoiachin, according to 2 Kings 23:34 – 24:6. Thus it seems Matthew
made these sets for some purpose such as to be a memorization aid or
teaching aid.
Following is taken from an article on the Internet, formerly on carm.org:
Both Matthew 1 and Luke 3 contain genealogies of Jesus. But there is

one problem. They are different. Luke's Genealogy starts at Adam and
goes to David. Matthew's Genealogy starts at Abraham and goes to
David. When the genealogies arrive at David, they split with David's
sons: Nathan (Mary's side) and Solomon (Joseph's side).
Luke
There is no discrepancy because one genealogy is for Mary and the

other is for Joseph. It was customary to mention the genealogy through
the father even though it was clearly known that it was through Mary.
First, realize that the Bible should be interpreted in the context of its
literary style, culture, and history. Breaking up genealogies into male
and female representations was acceptable in the ancient Near East
culture since it was often impolite to speak of women without proper
conditions being met: male presence, etc. One genealogy is of Mary and
the other of Joseph, even though both mention Joseph. In other words,
the Mary was counted "in" Joseph and under his headship.
Second, do any critics actually think that those who collected the
books of the New Testament, and who believed it was inerrant, were
unaware of this blatant differentiation in genealogies? Does anyone
actually think that the Christians were so dense that they were unaware
of the differences in the genealogy lists, closed their eyes and put the
gospels into the canon anyway hoping no one would notice? Not at all.
They knew the cultural context and had no problem with it knowing
that one was of Joseph and the other of Mary.
Third, notice that Luke starts with Mary and goes backwards to
Adam. Matthew starts with Abraham and goes forward to Joseph. The
intents of the genealogies were different which is seen in their styles.
Luke was not written to the Jews, Matthew was. Therefore, Matthew
would carry the legal line (from Abraham through David) and Luke the
biological one (from Adam through David). Also, notice that Luke's
first three chapters mention Mary eleven times; hence, the genealogy
from her. Fourth, notice Luke 3:23, "And when He began His ministry,
Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age, being supposedly the son of
Joseph, the son of Eli," This designation "supposedly" seems to signify
the Marian genealogy since it seems to indicate that Jesus is not the
biological son of Joseph.
Finally, in the Joseph genealogy there is a man named Jeconiah. God
cursed Jeconiah (also called Coniah), stating that no descendant of his
would ever sit on the throne of David, "For no man of his descendants
will prosper sitting on the throne of David or ruling again in Judah,"
(Jer. 22:30). But Jesus, of course, will sit on the throne in the heavenly
kingdom. The point is that Jesus is not a biological descendant of
Jeconiah, but through the other lineage -- that of Mary. Hence, the
prophetic curse upon Jeconiah stands inviolate. But, the legal adoption
of Jesus by Joseph reckoned the legal rights of Joseph to Jesus as a son,
not the biological curse. This is why we need two genealogies: one of
Luke
Mary (the actually biological line according to prophecy), and the legal
line through Joseph.
Again, the early church knew this and had no problem with it. It is
only the critics of today who narrow their vision and require this to be a
"contradiction" when in reality we have an explanation that is more than
sufficient.
Luke Endnote #2
Did Jesus send out seventy, or seventy-two?

( ἑβδομήκοντα or ἑβδομήκοντα δύο?)
Luke 10:1, 17; Diatessaron 18:10, 15
There are witnesses both ample and ancient ( ⁴⁵ now is known to

support 70 in 10:17) to both readings, though somewhat favoring
"seventy-two." Both the Nestle-Aland 28th Edition and the UBS 5th
Edition of the Greek text put the δυο, the "two," in square brackets, and
the UBS editorial committee gives it a [C] rating of certainty. This
means that they decided on "72," but had difficulty in deciding to do so,
and therefore placed the δυο in brackets to indicate the great degree of
doubt that it has a right to be there.
Since the manuscript consideration is almost a stand-off, interpreters

then discuss what stronger or more likely numerological symbolism
there is for one reading over the other. Discussion invariably leads to
Genesis chapter 11, where God broke up the single world language into
many nations. There, one can count seventy nations in the Hebrew text.
Yet, in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures
made by Jewish translators in Egypt before the time of Christ, one can
count seventy-two nations. If it were only Alexandrian witnesses which
read "72" in Luke 10:1, an argument might be made that they were
overly influenced by the Septuagint, which was also produced in
Alexandria. But this is not the case, since the chief representatives of
both the Alexandrian, as well as the Western groups of Greek
manuscripts, read "72," along with most of the Old Latin and the Sinaitic
Syriac. And on the other hand, Codex Sinaiticus, one of the primary
Alexandrian manuscripts, reads "70."
Luke
The implication some interpreters see, is that by appointing 70, Jesus

drew on the Jewish tradition of there being 70 nations in the world, to
show that his message was intended for everyone in the whole world.
And that that was intended to be in contrast to when he sent the Twelve
out earlier, and forbade them to go into any Samaritan village; whereas
here in the case of the 70 / 72, there is no such prohibition. Paul says,
"the gospel is to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile." (Romans 1:16)
The Lord himself said in John 10:16, "Other sheep I also have, which are
not of this fold; those also I am to bring, and my voice they will hear,
and the result will be one flock, one shepherd."
Regarding the above-mentioned decision by the Editorial Committee of

the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament to include the "-two" in
square brackets, one of the members of the committee disagreed with
that decision, for he regarded "72" as undoubtedly the original reading.
That member was the late Kurt Aland. His written dissent, as published
in the book, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, Metzger,
Bruce M., on behalf of and in cooperation with the Editorial Committee
of the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament: Kurt Aland,
Matthew Black, Carlo M. Martini, Bruce M. Metzger, and Allen Wikgren
(Stuttgart, United Bible Societies, Corrected Edition, 1975), is worthy of
being printed below, as follows.
The concept of "70" is an established entity in the

Septuagint and in Christian tradition. The number of examples
of "70" in the Old Testament is overwhelming: there are
always 70 souls in the house of Jacob, 70 elders, sons, priests,
and 70 years that are mentioned in chronological references to
important events. The number 72 appears only once, where,
amid many other numbers, 72 cattle are set aside for a
sacrificial offering (Num 31:38). If 72 occurs in the Letter of
Aristeas (as the number of translators of the Septuagint) as
well as in III Enoch, these sporadic instances are not to be
compared in significance with the tradition involving 70.
Consequently it is astonishing that the reading ἑβδομήκοντα
⸆δύο appears at all in [Luke] 10:1 and 17, and that it has such
strong support. A reading that in the Gospels has in its support
⁷⁵ B D, the Old Syriac, the Old Latin, etc., etc., is ordinarily
regarded at once as the original reading. If in addition the
opposing reading lies under the suspicion of ecclesiastical
Luke
"normalizing," the testimony becomes irrefutable. The

opposing witnesses represent entirely an ecclesiastical
normalizing. That they are in the majority is altogether
understandable; if they are ancient, this only proves how early
the normalizing process began to operate. For these reasons
ἑβδομήκοντα ⸆δύο should be printed without square brackets.
K.A.
In other words, why would some copyists change the number away
from the symbolically significant "seventy" to a symbolically
insignificant "seventy-two"? It is more likely that the copyists who did
the changing of the originals were the ones who changed it to "seventy"
in order to make it line up with the strong tradition of 70 in the Bible
and Jewish tradition. (This latter is part of what Kurt Aland calls
"normalizing." There are many instances in the Greek New Testament
where the original reading is very obscure, or is poor grammar, or is a
very unpopular teaching. Later copyists tended to smooth over these
passages, or "normalize" them.)
There may be no symbolism at all involved in the number "seventy-

two." Unless there is significance that it is divisible by twelve. Six
times.
Well then, since the messengers were sent out two by two, let's examine
how each number is divisible by two. If Jesus sent out seventy, that
means there were 35 pairs of them. If Jesus sent out seventy-two, that
means there were 36 pairs of them.
There may be no symbolism at all in what number of emissaries Jesus

sent out. Yes, it is possible that he did intend some symbolism. But we
should beware lest we change original holy writ just because we want a
symbolism in it. It is possible Jesus did not intend any symbolism.
Here is a breakdown of some English translations I have checked. Those

reading "70" are: Tyndale, KJV, NKJV, ASV, RSV, NRSV, NASB, AMP,
CBW, CJB, ISV, HCSB, WEB, GW, EMTV, Phillips, Recovery, Darby,
Weymouth. Those reading "72" are: CSB, DRP, DRB, GNB, JB, NIV,
TNIV, REB, NLT, NCV, CEV, NET, ESV, MOUNCE, EHV; and the NAB
reads "seventy[-two], and says "seventy-two" in the section heading.
Note that the HCSB which read 70 has changed to 72 in the CSB.
Luke
Luke Endnote #3
Luke 22:43-44
43And an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him.

44And being in agony, he was praying more earnestly; and his sweat
became like drops of blood falling down onto the ground.
Omit vv 43,44: ⁶⁹, ⁷⁵ ℵ²a A B N R T W 0211 124 158 179 579 713 788
1071* Lect½ itf syrs copsa,bomss arm geo some Greek mssacc. to Anastasius-
Sinaita; Greek and Latin mssacc to Hilary Ambrose Jerome (Recent research
by Thomas Wayment* has made the omission in ⁶⁹ certain.)
Transpose Lk 22:43-44 after Mt. 26:39 ƒ¹³
Transpose Lk 22:43-45a (add καὶ ἀναστ ς ἀπὸ τῆς προσευχῆς) after Mt.
26:39 Lect½
Include with minor variants: ℵ*,²b D E F G H K L M Q X Γ Δ* Θ Λ Π* Ψ

0171 0223 ƒ¹ 13c 28 157 180 205 346 565 597 700 828½ 892* 1006 1009
1010 1071c 1230 1241 1242 1243 1253 1292 1342 1344 1365 1424 1505
1546 1646 2148 2174 ℓ184½ ita,aur,b,c,d,e,ff2,i,l,q,r1 vg syrc,p,h,pal copbopt
eth slav Diatessaronarm Justin Irenaeusgr Hippolytusacc. to Theodoret Origendub
Ps-Dionysius Ariusacc. to Epiphanius Eusebian Canons Didymusdub Epiphanius
Chrysostom Theodore Nestorius Theodoret all versions and most Greek
mssacc. to Anastasius-Sinaita John-Damascus; Hil,ary Greek and Latin mssacc. to
Jerome Augustine Quodvultdeus. The uncial 0171 is defective here, but
indicates probable presence of the words.
Include with asterisks or obeli: Δ* Πc 892c mg 1079 1195 1216 copbomss
Here is what the Editorial Committee of the United Bible Societies'

Greek New Testament says about the passage in "A Textual
Commentary on the Greek New Testament, corrected edition, 1975
"The absence of these verses in such ancient and widely diversified

witnesses as (69vid),
⁷⁵ ℵ A B T W syrs copsa,bo armmss geo Marcion Clement
Origen al, as well as their being marked with asterisks or obeli
(signifying spuriousness) in other witnesses (Δ* Πc 892c mg 1079 1195 1216
Luke
copbomss) and their transferral to Matthew's gospel (after 26:39) by family

13 and several lectionaries (the latter also transfer ver. 45a), strongly
suggests that they are no part of the original text of Luke. Their
presence in many manuscripts, some ancient, as well as their citation by
Justin, Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Eusebius and many other Fathers, is proof
of the antiquity of the account. On grounds of transcriptional
probability it is less likely that the verses were deleted in several
different areas of the church by those who felt that the account of Jesus
overwhelmed with human weakness was incompatible with his sharing
the divine omnipotence of the Father, than that they were added from
an early source, oral or written, of extra-canonical traditions concerning
the life and passion of Jesus. Nevertheless, while acknowledging that
the passage is a later addition to the text, in view of its evident antiquity
and its importance in the textual tradition, a majority of the Committee
decided to retain the words in the text but to enclose them within
double square brackets.
In the 5th edition of their Greek New Testament, the committee gives
the absence of these verses in the original text an A rating of certainty.
*Thomas A. Wayment, "A New transcription of P.Oxy 2383 ( ⁶⁹");

NovT 50 (2008) 351-57
Luke Endnote #4
Is the saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are
doing," original scripture?
Luke 23:34
The saying attributed to Jesus while on the cross, "Father, forgive them,
for they do not know what they are doing" is not found in most of the
earliest (pre-5th century) Greek manuscripts. Neither is it found in the
earliest translations of Luke's gospel into other languages.
Omit: ⁶⁶, ⁷⁵ ℵ²a B D* W Θ 070 0241 31* 38 435 579 597* 1241 1808*
2622L 2633 ita,bc,d syrs copsa,bomss
Include with minor variants: ℵ*,²b (A omit “Father”) C D³ (E with *) F G H

(K ειπεν for ἔλεγεν) L M N Q U X Γ Δ Λ Π Ψ 063 0211 0250= ℓ1561 ƒ¹
(ƒ¹³) 2 28 33 131 157 158 180 205 565 597c 700 713 828 892 1006 (1009
Luke
ποιῶςιν) 1010 1071 1079 (1195 ἅ for τί) 1216 (1230 1253 Ιησοῦς
ἐσταυρωμένος ἔλεγεν) 1242 1243 1292 1342 1344 1365 1424 1505 1546
1646 2148 2174 Lect itaur,b,c,e,ff2,l,r1 vg syrc,p,h,pal copbopt arm eth geo
slav Diatess Irenaeuslat Clement Origen Eusebius Chrystostom Cyr
Here is what the Editorial Committee of the United Bible Societies'

Greek New Testament says about the passage in "A Textual
Commentary on the Greek New Testament, corrected edition, 1975
"The absence of these words from such early and diverse witnesses
⁷⁵ B D* W Θ ita,d syrs copsa,bo
mss
as is most impressive and can scarcely
be explained as a deliberate excision by copyists who, considering the
fall of Jerusalem to be proof that God had not forgiven the Jews, could
not allow it to appear that the prayer of Jesus had remained
unanswered. At the same time, the logion, though probably not a part
of the original Gospel of Luke, bears self-evident tokens of its dominical
origin, and was retained, within double square brackets, in its
traditional place where it had been incorporated by unknown copyists
relatively early in the transmission of the Third Gospel."
When I pondered what reasons could have possibly prompted copyists

to add this passage to the gospel, it occurred to me that elements in the
early church might not have wanted the Lord himself to be outshined by
Stephen. For Stephen in Acts 7:60 said something similar. Yet Jesus
himself predicted in John 14:12, "The person who believes in me, truly,
truly I say to you, the works that I do, that one also shall do, and even
greater than these shall do, because I am going to the Father." (DRP) On
the other hand, Stephen may have done what he did because he was
following Christ’s known example.
Luke Endnote #5
The Linear Aspect in the Gospel of Luke
The primary semantic content of a New Testament Greek verb, other

than its lexical definition, was its "aspect" or "kind of action." Of these,
there were three primary categories: the punctiliar aspect, the linear
aspect, and the combined aspect. See Sections 318 through 356, in the
book entitled, "A Greek Grammar of the New Testament and Other
Early Christian Literature," by Blass and DeBrunner, and translated and
Luke
edited by Funk, the University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London

(1961).
Luke used the linear aspect much more discriminatingly than did Mark
for example. Because of this, we should pay that much more attention
to the linear aspect in Luke, and in fact, this makes all the difference for
a proper understanding of several passages, some of which are shown
and discussed below.
Luke 1:34 ε πεν δὲ Μαριὰμ πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον· Πῶς ἔσται τοῦτο, ἐπεὶ ἄνδρα οὐ
γινώσκω;
34And Mary said to the angel, "How will this happen, since I am not
knowing a man?"
Mary asks how she could have a baby nine months from then, since she
was not having sex with a man at the time, nor in the near future.
Luke 5:33
Οἱ δὲ ε παν πρὸς αὐτόν· ⸆Οἱ μαθηταὶ Ἰωάννου νηστεύουσιν πυκνὰ καὶ δεήσεις
ποιοῦνται, ὁμοίως καὶ οἱ τῶν Φαρισαίων, οἱ δὲ σοὶ ἐσθίουσιν καὶ πίνουσιν.
33They then said to him, "The disciples of John are often fasting and
making prayers, and likewise those of the Pharisees, but yours go on
eating and drinking."
Luke 6:46 Τί δέ με καλεῖτε· Κύριε κύριε, καὶ οὐ ποιεῖτε ἃ λέγω;

46"And why do you keep calling me 'Lord, Lord,' and yet not do the
things which I say?
Luke 11:9
Κἀγὼ ὑμῖν λέγω, αἰτεῖτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν· ζητεῖτε, καὶ εὑρήσετε· κρούετε,
καὶ ἀνοιγήσεται ὑμῖν·
9So I say to you: ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will
find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Luke 11:10 πᾶς γὰρ ὁ αἰτῶν λαμβάνει, καὶ ὁ ζητῶν εὑρίσκει, καὶ τ κρούοντι
ἀνοιγήσεται.
10For everyone who keeps asking, receives; and the person who keeps
seeking, finds; and to the one who keeps on knocking, it will be opened.
The moral of that story is the virtue of brash persistence.

Luke
Luke 16:21
καὶ ἐπιθυμῶν χορτασθῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν πιπτόντων ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης τοῦ
πλουσίου· ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ κύνες ἐρχόμενοι ἐπέλειχον τὰ ἕλκη αὐτοῦ.
21and he kept longing in vain to eat the scraps dropping from the table
of that rich man. In contrast, even the dogs at least would come and lick
his sores.
In this passage, the contrast Jesus is making between the rich man and
the dogs, would be lost, unless our translations show the linear aspect.
The point is that the beggar kept on longing to eat what was falling from
the rich man's table, but never did. His longing never ceased, or ended.
The imperfect was not named that for no reason; imperfect means
ongoing, uncompleted action in the past. In contrast, the dogs would at
least come and lick his sores.
Luke 18:3
χήρα δὲ ἦν ἐν τῇ πόλει ἐκείνῃ καὶ ἤρχετο πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγουσα· Ἐκδίκησόν με
ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀντιδίκου μου.
3But there was a widow in that city, and she kept on coming to him,
saying, 'Give me redress from my adversary.'
The linear aspect, the continuousness of the widow's coming, is the

whole moral of the story. There are not Greek words in the Greek text
specifically meaning "kept on" coming. That "kept on" aspect is
indicated by the markers affixed to the verb stem, that is, the inflection.
Luke 18:7
ὁ δὲ θεὸς οὐ μὴ ποιήσῃ τὴν ἐκδίκησιν τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν αὐτοῦ τῶν βοώντων
⸆αὐτ ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός, καὶ ⸆μακροθυμεῖ ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς;
7So God, would he not bring about the avenging of his elect, who keep
crying out to him day and night? And is he slow to respond to them?
Again, as in the previous example, the moral of the parable of the

persistent widow, is to come "continually" and "persistently" and
"habitually" with the same request, until you get it.
καὶ ἐζήτουν οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς τὸ πῶς ἀνέλωσιν αὐτόν, ἐφοβοῦντο

γὰρ τὸν λαόν.
2and the chief priests and the Torah scholars were still yet looking for a
Luke
way to put him to death, because they were still yet fearing the people.
This is the passage most dependent on the linear aspect. The passage
does not make much sense without it. First, observe how various
translations have rendered it. I have put them in groups according to
how they rendered the Greek causal coordinating conjunction, γαρ.
KJV And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him;
for they feared the people.
ASV And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put
him to death; for they feared the people.
Darby and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill
him; for they feared the people.
YLT and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how they may
take him up, for they were afraid of the people.
WEB The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him
to death, for they feared the people.
CBW So the high priests and the scribes continued to seek how they
might put Him to death, for they were afraid of the people.
Phillips Now as the feast of unleavened bread, called the Passover, was
approaching, fear of the people made the chief priests and scribes try
desperately to find a way of getting rid of Jesus..
NASB and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for
some way to get rid of Jesus, for they were afraid of the people.
JB and the chief priests and the scribes were looking for some way of
doing away with him, because they mistrusted the people.
RSV And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him
to death; for they feared the people.
NKJV And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might kill
Him, for they feared the people.
NIV and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for
TNIV and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for
Recov. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking a way to do
away with Him, for they feared the people.
NAB and the chief priests and the scribes were seeking a way to put
him to death, for they were afraid of the people.
REB and the chief priests and the scribes were trying to devise some
means of doing away with him; for they were afraid of the people.
Luke
NRSV The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put
Jesus to death, for they were afraid of the people.
JNT and the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers began trying to
find some way to get rid of Yeshua, because they were afraid of the
people.
NCV The leading priests and teachers of the law were trying to find a
way to kill Jesus, because they were afraid of the people.
CEV The chief priests and the teachers of the law of Moses were
looking for a way to get rid of Jesus, because they were afraid of what
the people might do.
ISV So the high priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put
him to death, for they were afraid of the crowd.
NET The chief priests and the experts in the law were trying to find
some way to put Jesus to death; for they were afraid of the people.
ESV And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to put him
to death; for they feared the people.
HCSB The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put
Him to death, because they were afraid of the people.
Tyndl and the high Priests and Scribes sought how to kill him, but they
feared the people.
Wey and the High Priests and the Scribes were contriving how to
destroy Him. But they feared the people.
Mess The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way to
do away with Jesus but, fearful of the people, they were also looking for
a way to cover their tracks.
BBE And the chief priests and the scribes were looking for a chance to
put him to death, but they went in fear of the people.
NLT The leading priests and teachers of religious law were actively
plotting Jesus' murder. But they wanted to kill him without starting a
riot, a possibility they greatly feared.
GW The chief priests and the scribes were looking for some way to kill
Jesus. However, they were afraid of the people.
I have found no grammatical or lexical authority for a purely

adversative meaning of γαρ. The closest thing to an adversative use is
said to be one passage in Matthew where γαρ is used in combination
with other conjunctions; but here in this Luke passage it is used by itself.
Luke
The Matthew passage:
Matt 15:27
ἡ δὲ ε πεν, Ναί, κύριε, καὶ γὰρ τὰ κυνάρια ἐσθίει ἀπὸ τῶν ψιχίων τῶν
πιπτόντων ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης τῶν κυρίων αὐτῶν.
27But she said, "True, Lord; yet the dogs certainly eat of the crumbs
falling from their master's table."
But if there is any adversative meaning here at all, it would be contained

in the conjunction και, not in γαρ.
Perhaps The Message and the New Living Translation see an ellipsis
implied in the Luke passage. Perhaps that is why they supply so many
English words that are not indicated in the Greek. I don't see an ellipsis.
I note that none of the above translations except the BBE conveys the
imperfect aspect of the Greek verb for "fearing," that is, the leaders were
still fearing the people; their fear was "imperfect," that is, ongoing.
Tynd. = William Tyndale, 1527, public domain

Douay = The Douay-Rheims, by Martin, Allen and Bristow, New
Testament published in 1582; Roman Catholic, public domain
RSV = Revised Standard Version, 1946, 1971 Edition, Copyright © 1971,
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches
of Christ in the United States of America
ESV - English Standard Version, Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles,
a division of Good News Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois. All rights
reserved. http://www.gnpcb.org/home/esv/ ;
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1581343167/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1/
104-8504291-2345559
HCSB = Holman Christian Standard Bible, © 2001, Broadman & Holman
Publishers, Lifeway Christian Resources, 127 Ninth Avenue North,
Nashville, TN 37234. http://www.broadmanholman.com/hcsb/default.asp
JBP = J.B. Phillips, 1958, Revised 1972, Copyright Mrs. Vera Phillips and
the J.B. Phillips Estate?, published by Harper Collins
BBE = The Bible in Basic English, 1949, 1964, Published by Cambridge
Press. Now Public Domain in the USA, as far as I know.
NASB = New American Standard Bible, 1963, 1995 updated edition,
Copyright © 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, a corporation not for
profit, La Habra, California; All Rights Reserved
Luke
JB = Jerusalem Bible, 1966, Copyright © 1968 by Darton, Longman &

Todd, Ltd. and Doubleday & Company, Inc. (Roman Catholic)
NAB = New American Bible, 1970, New Testament revised 1986,
Copyright © 1986 by Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (Roman
Catholic), Washington D.C. All rights reserved.
NIV = New International Version, 1973, Copyright © 1984 by the
International Bible Society, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Zondervan
Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Hodder Headline, Plc.,
Sevenoaks, Kent, England. All rights reserved.
TNIV = Today's New International Version, Copyright © by the
International Bible Society, Colorado Springs,
Colorado. http://www.tniv.info/
NKJV = New King James Version, 1979, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas
Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee
Recov. = Recovery Version, 1985, Revised 1991, Copyright © 1991 by
Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, California (the "Local Church"; notes
by Witness Lee.)
NCV = New Century Version, 1987, Copyright © 1991 by Word
Publishing, Nashville, Tennessee
NRSV = New Revised Standard Version, 1989, Copyright © 1989 by
Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches
of Christ in the United States of America
JNT = Jewish New Testament, Copyright © 1989 by David H. Stern, All
rights reserved. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications,
Jerusalem, Israel
CEV = Contemporary English Version, 1995, Copyright © 1995 by the
American Bible Society, New York, New York
GW = God's Word, 1995, GOD'S WORD is a copyrighted work of God's
Word to the Nations. Quotations are used by permission. Copyright ©
1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved.
NLT = New Living Translation, 1996, Copyright © 1996 by Tyndale
Charitable Trust, Wheaton, Illinois. All rights reserved.
WEB = World English Bible, "World English Bible" is a trademark of
Rainbow Missions, Inc. Permission is granted to use the name "World
English Bible" and its logo only to identify faithful copies of the Public
Domain translation of the Holy Bible of that name published by
Rainbow Missions, Inc. The World English Bible is not copyrighted. The
domain names eBible.org and mpj.cx are trademarks of Michael Paul
Johnson.
NET = New English Translation, Copyright © 1997, 1998, 1999 by
Luke
Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. and the authors. All rights reserved. For
free usage information, please read the BSF web site copyright statement
for fair use statements.
ISV = International Standard Version, 2000, Copyright © 2000 The ISV
Foundation, Santa Ana, California, The Davidson Press, ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.
DRP = David Robert Palmer, translations from the Greek. Download,
copy, print, and quote them at will. Do not change them.
https://www.bibletranslation.ws/palmer-translation/
John
The Gospel According to
JOHN
Gospel of John
Chapter 1
The Word Became Flesh Among Us
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made, and without him not one thing was
made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light for
humankind. 5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not
mastered it. 1
6There came a man sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a
witness to testify about that light, so that through him all people might
believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came rather to bear witness to the
light. 9The true light, which gives light to every human being, was coming
into the world.
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the
world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, and his
own did not receive him. 12But to all who did receive him, to those believing
on his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children
generated, not from bloods, nor from body desire, nor from a man's
decision, but born of God.
14 And the Word became flesh, and moved his tent in among us; and we
beheld his glory, the glory as of an only begotten from a Father, full of grace
and truth.
15 John testifies concerning him, and he cries out, saying: "This is he of
whom I said, 'The one coming after me has outranked me, because he
existed before me.'"
16 And out of his fulness we have all received, yes, grace upon grace. 17For
the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus
Christ. 18No one has ever seen God; but the Only Begotten Son, 2 who is in
1
1:5 The Greek verb is καταλαμβάνω - katalambáno. There is a double meaning to the
Greek word. It conveys both the idea of to understand, and to overpower and seize. But
the same duplicity is found in our English words. For example, the word apprehend can
mean both to catch & seize, or also to understand; the word grasp can mean to catch and
seize, or also to understand; the English verb, to master, can mean both to overcome, or
also to understand. The darkness has never caught up to the light or enveloped it or
swallowed it up, so has never been able to comprehend it, or overcome it, or extinguish it.
2
1:18 txt ὁ μονογενὴς υἱὸς A E 047 ita,aur,b,e,f,ff2,l vg syrc,h,pal arm eth geo1 Irenlat 1/3;
Clementfrom Theodotus1/2 Clement1/3 Hippol Orlat1/2 Letter of Hymanaeus Alexander Eust Eu4/7
Serapion1/2 Ath Basil1/2 Greg-Naz Chrys Theodore Cyril1/4 Proclus Theodoret John-Dam;
Tert Hegemonius Vict-Rome Ambst Hilary5/7 Ps-Priscillian Ambrose10/11 Faust Greg-Elvira
Phoeb Jer Aug Varim TR RP TH ‖ ὁ μονογενὴς vgms Ps-Vig1/2 ‖ εἰ μὴ ὁ μονογενὴς υἱὸς Wsupp
‖ μονογενὴς υἱὸς θεοῦ itq copsa Irlat1/3 Ambrose1/11vid ‖ μονογενὴς θεὸς ⁶⁶ ℵ* Β*,c C* L syrp,hmg
Gospel of John
geo2 Orgr2/4 Irlat Did Cyr1/4 SBL NA28 {B} ‖ ὁ μονογενὴς θεὸς ⁷⁵*,c ℵ¹ Clement2/3
Clementfrom Theodotus1/2 Orgr2/4 Eus3/7 Basil1/2 Greg-Nyssa Epiph Serap Cyr2/4 ‖ lacuna D N P Q
T 070 syrs. (The above list accounts for all Papyri and uncials containing at least a portion
of gosp. of John) The variant μονογενὴς θεὸς, has been translated by some as God the Only
Son, and God the only begotten, and, the only son who is God, as opposed to the rest of God's
children, who, though also sired by God, are not God. In the UBS textual commentary, the
editorial committee gave the reading “μονογενὴς θεὸς” a B rating of certainty. Their main
reasons were that this was the earliest reading, and that this was the most difficult reading
(one of the canons of textual criticism is that the more difficult reading be preferred, since
copyists would tend to smooth over or simplify, rather than the other way around.) The
testimony to the NA27 reading is impressive, and it is over 200 years earlier than the
Majority Text reading, since the earliest MT reading is supported by the old Italic
manuscript No. 3 (ita), which is IV century, and the NA27 has support Papyrus 66, the year
200. But there are those who say that the reading “μονογενὴς θεὸς” is far too difficult to be
genuine. I understand this point of view, since it is very hard to translate. Just witness the
widely divergent renderings of this reading in current English Bible translations. Alan
Wikgren dissented from the UBS committee majority, and said, "It is doubtful that the
author would have written μονογενὴς θεὸς, which may be a primitive, transcriptional error
in the Alexandrian tradition (γς / θς). At least a D decision would be preferable." Bart
Ehrman says the θεὸς “God” reading is an “orthodox corruption,” a reading introduced by
orthodox scribes in order to make this scripture a more clear refutation of the
Adoptionists. This idea has merit, especially since the same early manuscripts ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ and
B contain the seeming orthodox corruption in John 7:8, “I am not YET going up to this
feast.” On the other hand, I propose we examine the “orthodox corruption” idea from a
different angle, as follows. Today, there are many Byzantine Text advocates who argue
that the θεὸς reading here was introduced by Egyptian Gnostics, (others say semi-Arians),
that is, introduced by the NON-orthodox. The Byzantine advocates say that the idea of a
“begotten God” is Gnostic or Arian and heretical. If that is so, then the Byzantine reading
could be the “orthodox corruption” of sorts, in order to more clearly refute the heretics.
Whether or not it was Gnostics, or semi-Arians, who introduced the θεὸς reading, and
whether or not a semi-Arian type rendering is the only possible rendering of the
Alexandrian reading, the θεὸς reading may be taken advantage of by Gnostics, and thus the
later change to the seemingly more orthodox υἱὸς “Son” reading.
The Liddell and Scott lexicon defines μονογενής as follows:
1. The only member of a kin or kind; hence generally, "only, single" παῖς, Hesiodus: Opera
et Dies 376 (3rd cent. B.C.), Herodotus: Historicus 7.221, cf. Ev. John 1:14, Ant. Lib. 32.1; of
Hecate, Hes. Th. 426
2. "unique." of τὸ ὄν, Parmeno 8.4 (3rd cent. B.C.); εἷς ὅδε μ. οὐρανὸς γεγονώς Pl. Ti.31.b, cf.
Procl. Inst. 22; θεὸς ὁ μ. Sammelb. 4324.15. [Note "God the μονογενής" here, from Proclus:
"Institutio Theologica" 5th century A.D.]
3. μ. αἷμα "one and the same" blood, dub. 1 in E. Hel. 1685
4. Gramm., having one form for all genders, A.D. Adv. 145.18
5. Name of the foot _ _ _ u, Heph. 3.3
The Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich Lexicon 2nd Ed. defines μονογενής as follows:
(Hesiodus +; LXX; Josephus; loanword in rabbinical lit.) "ONLY" (so mostly, incl. Judges
11:34; Tobit 3:15; 8:17) of children: of Isaac, Abraham's only son (Josephus, Ant. 1, 222) Hb
11:17. Of an "only" son (Plut., Lycurgus 31, 8: Josephus, Ant. 20, 20) lk 7:12; 9:38. Of the
daughter (Diod. S. 4, 73, 2) of Jairus 8:42. --Also "unique" (in kind) of something that is the
only example of its category (Cornutus 27 p. 49, 13 εἷς κ. μονογενὴς ὁ κόσμος ἐστί.
μονογενῆ κ. μόνα ἐστίν='unique and alone'; Pla., Timaeus 92c). Of the mysterious bird, the
Phoenix 1 Cl 25:2.--In the Johannine lit. μονογενής is used only of Jesus. The meanings
"only, unique" may be quite adequate for all its occurrences here (so M-M., RSV et al.;
DMoody, JBL 72, '53, 213-19; FCGrant, ATR 36, '54, 284-87). But some (e.g. WBauer, Hdb.)
prefer to regard μονογενής as somewhat heightened in meaning in John and 1 John to
"only-begotten" or "begotten of the Only One," in view of the emphasis on γέννασθαι ἐκ
θεοῦ (Jn 1:13 al.); in this case it would be analogous to πρωτότοκος (Ro 8:29; Col 1:15 al.).
τὸν υἱὸν μ. ἔδωκεν Jn 3:16 (Philo Bybl. [100 AD] in Euseb., Pr. Ev. 1, 10, 33: Cronus offers up
his μονογενὴς υἱός) ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός τοῦ θεοῦ v. 18; cf. Jn 1:34 variant reading τὸν υἱὸν
τὸν μ. ἀπέσταλκεν ὁ θεός 1 Jn 4:9; cf. Dg 10:2. ON the expr. δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς
μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός Jn 1:14 see Hdb. ad loc. and PWinter, Zeitschrift fuer Rel. u.
Geistesgeschichte 5, '53, 335-65 (Engls.). Cf. also Hdb. on vs. 18 where, beside the rdg.
μονογενὴς θεός (considered by many the orig.), or a God begotten of the Only One, another
rdg. ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός is found. Mpol. 20:2 in the doxology διὰ παιδὸς αὐτοῦ τοῦ μονογενοῦς
Gospel of John
the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
The Pharisees Question John

19And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent 3 priests and Levites
from Jerusalem in order to ask him, "Who are you?" 20And he confessed,
and did not resist; but confessed, "I am not the Anointed One."
21And they asked him, "Who then? Are you Elijah?"
And he says, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"4
And he answered, "No."
22They said therefore to him, "Who are you? So we may give an answer to
those who sent us, what do you say about yourself?"
23He said, "I am just as Isaiah the prophet said: 'the voice of one calling in
the wilderness, "Prepare the way for the Lord." ' " 5
24And those who were sent were of the Pharisees. 25And they questioned
him and said to him, "Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Anointed
One, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
26John answered them as follows: "I baptize in water, but among you
stands one you do not know, 27the one coming after me, 6 7 the thong of
Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.--On the mng. of μονογενής in history of religion cf. the material in Hdb.3
25f on Jn 1:14 (also Plut., Mor. 423A Πλάτων...αυτ δή φησι δοκεῖν τοῦτον [SC. τὸν κόσμον]
εῖναι μονογενῆ τῳ θεῳ καὶ ἀγαπητόν; Wsd 7:22 of σοφία: έστι ἐν αὐτῇ πνεῦμα νοερὸν ἅγιον
μονογενές.--Vett. Val. 11,32) as well as the lit. given there, also HLeisegang, Der Bruder des
Erloesers: Αγγελος I '25, 24-33; RBultmann J, 47, 2; 55f; FBuechsel, TW IV 745-50. M-M.*
Since Christ is both God and man, he can explain God to men. There is also an Eastern
concept of the firstborn son which we Westerners do not fully appreciate. The firstborn
son received the greater inheritance of all the father has and is. This glory would be
compounded by being the only son from a father.
3
1:19 txt omit πρὸς αὐτόν ⁶⁶* ⁷⁵ ℵ C³ L Wsupp Orlem TR RP SBL ‖ +πρὸς αὐτόν B C* ita,aur,b
syrc,p,pal copsa arm eth geo Chryslem Cyril TH [NA28] {C} ‖ +πρὸς αὐτόν after Λευίτας ⁶⁶cvid A
ite,f,ff ,l,q,r vg syrh Aug ‖ lac ⁴⁵ D N P syrs. In my opinion, all the added words are explanations
2 1
deemed necessary by various copyists, and the shorter reading best explains the origin of
the others. The added words are not at all necessary anyway.
4
1:21 Deuteronomy 18:14-20
5
1:23 Isaiah 40:3 Or, "He said just what the prophet Isaiah said: ..." A matter of
interpretation here is how to place the quotation marks. Is John the Baptizer the one
saying, "just as Isaiah the prophet said"? (NASB, NAB, NKJV, CBW, JB, JBP) Or is it John the
apostle narrating who said it? (NIV, NRSV, NCV, CEV, NLT, JNT, REB) It is reasonable to
think that John the Baptizer was aware of how the Isaiah passage pertained to himself, and
that he so stated. Verse 20 says that he confessed and did not resist. In other words, he
communicated openly and freely about what he believed he was. On the other hand, it may
be well to leave it such that the Isaiah prophecy is applicable to both John the Baptizer and
to the two witnesses in Revelation 11:3-12, one of which is Elijah.
6
1:27a txt ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ¹²⁰ ℵ² B* C* L N* T W 083 ita syrs,c NA28 ‖ ὀπίσω
μου ἐρχόμενος ℵ* ‖ Αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος A B² C² E Nc* 047 lat syrp,h TR RP ‖ lac
⁴⁵ D P Q V Y 0233.
Gospel of John
whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."

28These things happened in Bethany, 8 on the other side of the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
Behold the Lamb of God

29The next day he sees Jesus coming toward him, and says, "Behold! The
lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I
said, 'After me will come a man who has outranked me because he existed
before me.' 31And I myself did not know him, but the reason I came
baptizing in water was that he might be revealed to Israel."
32Then John testified, saying: "I have seen the Spirit come down from
heaven like a dove, and it remained upon him. 33And I myself had not
known him, but the one who sent me to baptize in water, he told me, 'On
whomever you see the Spirit coming down and remaining upon, this is the
one who will baptize in the Holy Spirit.' 34And now I have seen, and now9 I
have testified, that this is the Son of God."10
John and Andrew Have Found the Messiah

35The next day, again, John was standing with two of his disciples. 11 36And
7
1:27b txt omit ⁵ ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ¹¹⁹vid ℵ B* C* L N* T W 083 syrs,c cop NA28 ‖ ὃς ἔμπροσθέν μου
γέγονεν A B² C² E Nc* 047 lat syr(p),h mss TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ D P Q V Y 0233.
8
1:28 txt {A} ἐν Βηθανίᾳ ἐγένετο ⁵vid (the word Βηθανίᾳ is visible but not ἐγένετο) ⁵⁹ ⁷⁵
A B C* E L Wsupp 047 itaur,f,ff²,l,q (ita,b,e,r¹) vg syrp,h,palmss Or Eus (Epiph) (mssacc. to Chrysostom)
Chrys; Ambst Aug HF RP PK SBL TH NA28 {C} ‖ ἐν Βηθανίᾳ ἐγένοντο N ‖ ἐγένετο ἐν Βηθανίᾳ
⁶⁶ ℵ* it ‖ ἐν Βηθαβαρᾷ ἐγένετο (Joshua 18:22 LXX) C² Tvid 083 (syrs,palmss) copsamss arm geo Or
Eus (Epiph) (mssacc. to Chrysostom) Cyr TR ‖ ἐγένετο ἐν Βηθαραβᾷ (Joshua 18:22 Heb.; 15:6, 61
Grk. LXX; cf. also Judges 7:24 LXX) ℵ² (syrhmg) ‖ lac ⁴⁵ D P Q. Origen declares that in his
time, "nearly all the manuscripts" said Bethany. But, he preferred Bethabara, because, he
said, he could not find a Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, but only the one near
Jerusalem, plus he was attracted to the edifying etymology of Bethabara, "house of
preparation," (about which he was mistaken; actually means "house [or place] of passing
over) versus the meaning of Bethany, which is "house of obedience." See the endnote at
the end of this document which delineates the above again but dealing only with the place
name and not the other words in the phrase. For a map of the pertinent areas and a full TC
discussion by Jeremy M. Hutton, use this download URL:
http:‖www.bibletranslation.ws/down/Hutton.pdf
9
1:34a There is no word "now" in the Greek, but the verb is in the perfect aspect, which
means a past action continuing to present results.
10
1:34b txt ὁ υἱός τοῦ θεοῦ ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵c ℵ² A B C E L N P 047 083 0233 itaur,f,l,q vg syrp,h,palmss
¾
arm eth geo Or Aster Chrys Cyril John-Dam; Aug TR RP NA28 {B} ‖ ὁ υἱός ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ¹²⁰ ‖ ὁ
υἱός τοῦ ___ ___ ⁷⁵* (two more words illeg.) ‖ ὁ ἐκλέκτος τοῦ θεοῦ ℵ* itb,e,ff2* syrc,s Ambr,
Aug ‖ ὁ ἐκλέκτος υἱός ita,ff2c vgmss syrpalmss (syrpalms ὁ μονογενὴς υἱός) copsa ‖ lac ⁵ ¹⁰⁶ D
Q T V. The new ECM edition of John's gospel will cite ⁵vid ¹⁰⁶vid in favor of the ὁ ἐκλέκτος
τοῦ θεοῦ reading.
11
1:35 John the son of Zebedee and Andrew the brother of Peter
Gospel of John
seeing Jesus walking, he says, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"

37The two disciples heard him saying this, and they followed Jesus. 38And
Jesus turned around; and seeing them following, says to them, "What do
you want?"
And they said to him, "Rabbi," (which when translated is Teacher),
"where are you staying?"
39He says to them, "Come, and you will see."
They went therefore, and saw where he was staying, and spent the rest of
that day with him, it being about 10 a.m.
40Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two hearing from
John and following Jesus. 41This man first thing finds his own brother
Simon, and he tells him, "We have found the Messiah" (which when
translated is Anointed One).
42He led him to Jesus.
Looking at him, Jesus said, "You are Simon son of John. 12 You will be
called Kephas" (which when translated is Rock.)13
Philip and Nathaniel

43The next day Jesus decided to go forth into Galilee; and he finds Philip.
And Jesus says to him, "Follow me."
44And Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip
finds Nathaniel, and tells him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the
Law, and also the prophets wrote: Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth."
46And Nathaniel said to him, "Is it possible for anything good to be from
Nazareth?"
Philip says to him, "Come and see."
12
1:42a txt Ἰωάννου ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ¹⁰⁶ ℵ B* (Ιωανου) L Wsupp 33 ita,b,f,ff²,r¹ vgmss copsa NA28 {B} ‖
Ἰωαννᾶ Θ vgww,st ‖ Ἰωανᾶ 1241 ‖ Ἰωνᾶ A B² E 047 0233 (itq) vgcl (vgmss Bariona) syrs,p,h,pal ms arm
eth geo Serap Epiph Chrys Cyrlem TR RP ‖ frater Andreae ite ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C D N P Q T 070.
According to BDF §53(2), Ἰωνᾶ is a shortening of Ἰωάν(ν)ης, partly due to the influence of
the Syriac word for the same (both renderings of the Hebrew ‫)יוחנן‬. (So also in Matt.
16:17.) This phenomenon of Ἰωνᾶ as a shortened subsitute for Ἰωάν(ν)ης is also found in
Septuagint manuscripts. Ἰωάν(ν)ης is also shortened to Ἰωανάν or Ἰωανάμ as in Luke 3:30,
the ancestor of Christ. Compare 1 Esdras 9:23 with its variant reading. My electronic copy
of the LXX there has Ιωανας. The ing James Version in 1 Esdras 9:23 renders that name as
Jonas, while the RSV says Jonah there.
13
1:42 Greek, Petros. The writers of the gospels translated the name from the Aramaic
language, which Jesus spoke, to the language of the readers— Greek, because they
apparently desired that their readers know the man as Rock, which is the English
translation of Petros. In that spirit of the writers, we English speakers are to know him as
Rock. With that in mind, I have nonetheless from this point on used the Anglicized
transliteration of Petros, which is Peter, since it is so familiar.
Gospel of John
47 When Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward him, he says about him,
"Behold a true Israelite, in whom there is no artifice."
48 Nathaniel says to him, "Where do you know me from?"
And Jesus answered and said to him, "I saw you while you were under the
fig tree, before Philip called you."
49 Nathaniel answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are the
King of Israel."
50 Jesus answered and said to him, "You believe because I told you I saw
you under the fig tree? You shall see greater things than that." 51 He then
says to him, "Truly, truly I say to you, you shall all see14 heaven torn open,
and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
Chapter 2
Water Into Wine
1And on the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus'
mother was there, 2and both Jesus and his disciples had been invited to the
wedding. 3And when wine was lacking, Jesus' mother says to him, "They
have no wine."
4Jesus says to her, "What business is there between you and me, woman?
My time has not yet come."
5His mother says to the servants, "Whatever he tells you, do."
6And there were six stone water jars lying there, for the ceremonial
washing of the Jews, each holding from two to three measures. 15
7Jesus says to them, "Fill the jars with water." So they filled them to the
brim.
8And he tells them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the master of the
banquet." And they took some.
9When the master of the banquet tasted the water become wine, not
knowing where it had come from, but the servants having drawn the water
knowing, the master of the banquet calls the bridegroom, 10and says to him,
"Everyone sets out the good wine first, and the cheaper after they have
become drunk. You have kept the good wine till now."
11 This, the first of the miraculous signs, Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and
14
1:51 txt ὄψεσθε ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ Willoughby Papyrus ℵ B L WS ita,b,ff²,l cop arm Epiph Or SBL TH
NA28 {/} ‖ ἀπ' ἄρτι ὄψεσθε (Mt 26:64) A E 047 0233 ite,q,r¹ syr TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁵⁹ C D N P Q T
083 syrs,c
15
2:6 Twenty to thirty gallons, or from 75 to 115 liters. Each measure contained 72 sextarii or
pints.
Gospel of John
manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum, he and his mother, and brothers,
and his disciples, and there they stayed for a few days.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple

13 And the Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14 And in the temple he found those selling cattle, sheep and doves, and the
money changers sitting. 15 And having made a whip out of ropes, he
expelled all from the temple, including the sheep and the cattle, and he
poured out the coins of the money changers, and overturned the tables,
16 and he said to those selling the doves, "Take these out of here! Do not
make the house of my Father a house of commerce!"
17 His disciples remembered that it is written: "The zeal for your house will
consume me."16
18 The Jews 17 responded therefore and said to him, "What sign are you
showing us, that you can do these things?"
19 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days
I will raise it."
20 Then the Jews said, "This temple was built in forty-six years, and you in
three days will raise it?" 21But he had spoken of the temple of his body.
22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered
that he had said this, and they believed the scripture, and the word that
Jesus had spoken.
23 And while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover during the Festival, many
believed in his name— seeing the miraculous signs he was doing. 24But
Jesus on his part did not commit himself to them, because he knew all
people, 25and because he had no need that anyone testify about a person, for
he knew what was in the person.
Chapter 3
You Must Be Born Again
1And there was a man of the Pharisees18 named Nicodemus, a ruler of the
16
2:17 Psalm 69:9
17
2:18 Wasn't Jesus a Jew? Wasn't the apostle John a Jew? Why does the gospel of John set
"the Jews" apart from Jesus as opposing camps? See the endnote at the end of this
document, entitled, "The phrase 'the Jews.'"
18
3:1 ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τῶν Φαρισαίων,.ánthrōpos ek tōn Pharisaiōn, "a person of the
Pharisees." This may be a Semitic way of saying, "A Pharisee person," or simply, "A
Gospel of John
Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night, and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that
you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one would be able to do
these miraculous signs you are doing, unless God were with him."
3Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly I say to you, Unless one is
born again, from above, it is not possible to see the kingdom of God."
4Nicodemus says to him, "How is it possible for someone who is old, to be
born? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"
5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born from water
and spirit, it is not possible to enter into the kingdom of God. 6That born
from flesh is flesh, and that born from Spirit is spirit. 7You should not be
surprised that I said to you, 'You19 must be born from above.' 8 The wind
blows where it will, and the sound of it you hear, but you do not know
where it is coming from, and where it is going. Such is everyone born from
the Spirit."20
9Nicodemus answered and said to him, "How can these things be?"
10 Jesus answered and said to him, "You are Teacher for Israel, and not
familiar with these things?21 11Truly, truly I tell you, we are saying what we
know, and testifying to what we have seen, and you people do not accept
our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13And no one has gone
up into heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of
Man.22 14And as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, in like manner the
Son of Man must be lifted up, 15so that everyone who believes in him may
have eternal life.
Pharisee." Except that that would usually be done with both "man" and "Pharisee" in the
same part of speech as each other, "the adjectival use of a substantive."
19
3:7 The Greek is in the plural.
20
3:8 Or possibly also: "So it is with everyone born from the Spirit." The question is,
whether Jesus is likening the people themselves, what they are like after they have been
born of the Spirit, or likening the process of how they become born of the Spirit. The Greek
verb "is," could mean either here. It would not be very assuring if Jesus is saying the
process is so mysterious. He must be saying that those who are born of the Spirit, are
strange and inscrutable to those who are only born of the flesh. Just as God and his Spirit
are strange and inscrutable to the natural man. Still, the process of second birth would also
seem strange and mysterious to the natural man.
21
3:10 Nicodemus should have known these concepts from I Samuel 10:6,7,9,11; Ezekiel
11:19,20; 18:31,32; 36:26,27; Isaiah 26:11-19
22
3:13 txt ἀνθρώπου ⁶³acc Swanson ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ B L T Ws 083 086 copsa,ach²,fay geo² Diatess
Orlat2/4 Eus Adamant Greg-Naz Apollinaris Greg-Nyssa Did Epiph3/4 Cyril14/16 (Cyril1/16
θεοῦ) Theodoret¼; Jer⅓ SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ ἀνθρώπου ὁ ὢν ἐν τ οὐραν Ac E N 047
ita,aur,b,f,ff²,j,l,q,r¹ vg syrp,h pt arm eth geo¹ Hipp Orlat2/4 Adamantlat Eust Ps-Dionysius
Amphilochius Epiph¼ Chrys Paul-Emesa Cyril1/16 Hesychius Theodoret¾ John-Dam; Hilary
Lucifer Ambst Ambrose Chromat Jer2/3 Aug TR RP ‖ ἀνθρώπου ὁ ἐν τ οὐραν A* ‖ ὁ ὤν ἐκ
τοῦ οὐρανοῦ syrs ‖ ὃς ἦν ἐν τ οὐραν ite syrc,pal Zeno ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁶³acc Mnstr C D F P Q X 070
0233.
Gospel of John
16"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, so that
everyone who believes in him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but
that the world might be saved through him. 18The person who believes in
him is not condemned. The person who does not believe, is condemned
already, because he has not believed in the name of God's only begotten
Son.
19 And this is the condemnation:
The light
has come into the world.
And human beings
loved the darkness
more than the light,
because their works
were continually evil.
20 For everyone practicing evil things, hates the light, and does not come
toward the light, so that his works may not be exposed. 21But one doing the
truth comes toward the light, so that his works may be manifest, that they
have been accomplished in God."23
"He Must Increase; I Must Decrease"

22After these things, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean territory,
and there he was spending time with them, and baptizing. 23And John also
was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there,
and they were coming and getting baptized. 24For John was still not yet
thrown into prison.
25Then a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a certain 24 Jew25
23
3:21 Some interpreters end the quotation at the end of verse 15; they believe John is
speaking in verse 16 on, and not Jesus.
24
3:25a Some manuscripts: "some Jews." Both the plural and the singular are evenly well
attested in the best manuscripts. John always used the plural, other than perhaps in this
passage. For this reason, it is more likely that copyists changed the singular to conform it
to John, than that they changed it from the plural to something unique in John.
25
3:25b Since this passage is in John, and John customarily refers to himself in an
anonymous way, in the third person, there is a good possibility that such is the case here
also. An argument would not be out of character for John. Jesus named John and his
brother James "the sons of thunder," (Mark 3:17; Diatess. 9:2) which seems to indicate that
John was hotheaded and judgmental. See also Luke 9:49 & 54 (Diatess. 17:31 & 18:2) for
other examples of John's former attitude to people who differed from his own circle.
Gospel of John
about ceremonial washing. 26 And they came to John and said to him,
"Rabbi, he who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, about whom
you testified, behold, that man is baptizing, and everyone is moving to
him."
27 John answered and said, "A human being is not able to receive a thing
that is not given to him from heaven. 28You yourselves bear me witness that
I said, 'I am not the Anointed One, but am sent ahead of him.' 29 The one
possessing the bride is bridegroom, and the one standing and hearing him,
the friend of the bridegroom, who rejoices with a joy on account of the voice
of the bridegroom. That joy, my joy, is therefore fulfilled. 30He must
increase, and I must decrease.
31 "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the
earth is of the earth, and speaks of the earth. The one who comes from
heaven is above all;26 32what he has seen and heard, this he testifies to, and
no one accepts his testimony. 33The person who accepts his testimony has
vouched that God is truthful. 34For he whom God has sent speaks the words
of God; because to him God gives the Spirit without measure. 35The Father
loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. 36The person who
believes in the Son, has eternal life, but the one who disobeys the Son will
not see life, but rather, the wrath of God remains upon him."
Chapter 4
The Samaritan Woman at the Well
1Then, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was
making and baptizing more disciples than John, 2(although Jesus himself
was not baptizing, but his disciples), 3he left Judea, and went back into
Galilee.
4But he had to pass through Samaria.27 5Thus it is he comes to a town in
Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son
Joseph. 6And Jacob's well was there. So there Jesus was, sitting down by
26
3:31 ἐρχόμενος ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστίν· ³⁶vid ⁶⁶ ℵ¹ A B E L Ws 047 083 086 itaur,f,q vg
syrs,p,h,pal ,fay Orpt TR RP TH [NA28] {\} ‖ ἐρχόμενος ⁷⁵ ℵ* D ita,b,d,e,ff²,j,l,r¹ syrc copsa arm geo
Hipp Orpt Eus Tert Hilary Ambros Aug ‖·lac ⁴⁵ C Ν P Q T 0233.
27
4:4 Samaria was the district north of Judea and south of Galilee. For Jesus to get to Galilee
from where he was (Judea), he had to pass through Samaria in between; either that or go all
the way around the east side of the Jordan River and Sea of Galilee, as some Jews would
actually do, wanting so much to avoid Samaria. See the endnote at the end of this
document, entitled, "The meaning of the phrase, 'The Jews' in the Gospel of John," which
discusses this situation.
Gospel of John
the well, tired from the journey. It was about 6 p.m.

7A woman of Samaria comes to draw water. Jesus says to her, "Give me a
drink." 8(For his disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)
9Then the Samaritan woman says to him, "How is it you, being a Jew, are
asking for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews do not use
dishes in common with Samaritans.)
10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it
is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he
would have given you living water."
11 She says to him, "Sir, you do not have a bucket, and the shaft is deep.
Where then do you hold the living water? 12Are you greater than our
forefather Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and also
his sons and his animals?"
13 Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks from this water
will thirst again, 14but whoever drinks from the water which I will give him
will never thirst again. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a
fountain of water springing up into life without end."
15 The woman says to him, "Sir, give me this water. Then I wouldn't get
thirsty, and neither would I have to keep coming over here to draw."
16 He says to her, "Go call your husband, and come back here."
17 The woman answered and said to him, "I do not have a husband."
Jesus says to her, "Commendably, you said, 'I do not have a husband.'
18 For you have had five husbands, and he you now have is not your
husband. This you have said honestly."
19 The woman says to him, "Sir, I am perceiving that you are a prophet.
20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that the place
where one must worship is in Jerusalem."
21 Jesus says to her, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you 28 will
worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22You
Samaritans worship what you do not know. We worship what we know, for
salvation is of the Jews. 23Nevertheless, a time is coming, and is now come,
when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for
indeed that is the kind the Father seeks as those worshiping him. 24God is
spirit, and those worshiping him, must worship in spirit and in truth."
25 The woman says to him, "I do know that Messiah" (called Christ) "is
coming. When he comes, he will teach us everything."
28
4:21 In the Greek, "you" is in the plural.
Gospel of John
26Jesus says to her, "I, the one speaking to you, am he."
Lift Your Eyes, See My Food and My Harvest

27And at this point his disciples came, and they were surprised that he was
talking with a woman. Still, no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are
you talking with her?"
28Then, the woman left her water jar, and went away into the town. And
she says to the people, 29"Come, see a man who told me everything I ever
did. Could he be the Messiah?"
30They were proceeding out of the town and coming toward him. 31In the
meantime, his disciples were pleading with him, saying, "Rabbi, eat."
32But he said to them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about."
33His disciples therefore were saying to each other, "Has someone brought
him something to eat?"
34Jesus says to them, "That I may do the will of him who sent me, is food to
me, 29 and that I may finish his work. 35Do you not say, 30 'There is four
months yet,31 and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your
eyes, and look upon the fields. For they are white even now 32 for harvest.
36 The one harvesting is taking his wages, and gathering fruit resulting in
eternal life, so that 33 the one sowing and the one harvesting may rejoice
29
4:34 Ἐμὸν βρῶμά ἐστιν ἵνα ποιήσω - emòn brōma estin hína poiēsō, literally, "My food is
that I may do." The hína in this passage is usually translated like an infinitive, "to do," and
rightly enough, see BDF §393 and BAG p. 377, II. This is very much like the hína in I
Corinthians 4:3– ἐμοὶ δὲ εἰς ἐλάχιστόν ἐστιν ἵνα ὑφ’ ὑμῶν ἀνακριθῶ ἢ ὑπὸ ἀνθρωπίνης
ἡμέρας· ἀλλ’ οὐδὲ ἐμαυτὸν ἀνακρίνω·- "It is a very small thing to me that I might be judged
by you..." See also I Cor. 9:18, "My reward is that I may make the gospel free of charge..."
As for the pronoun “ἐμὸς” in the text above in John 4:34, most interpreters apparently
consider it a non-reflexive one, and meaning the same as μου and simply meaning "my."
Blass, § 285(1), says “ἐμὸς” is used as a reflexive for ἐμαυτοῦ - emautoũ. I think that
considering the context, "I have food you do not know about," and the pre-position of ἐμὸς
here (emphasis), that this means something like, "For me, that I can do the will of him who
sent me, is food, and that I can finish his work." You think I have no food, but for me, this
is food:..."
30
4:35a Most interpreters claim this is a proverb, and they translate this as above. But I
have not seen them give evidence that there was any such proverb. Perhaps instead the
disciples had just recently been remarking, as they traveled through grain fields, that
harvest time was four months away, and Jesus used their remark as a segue. So maybe one
should translate this, "Were you not saying, 'There is four months yet, and then comes the
harvest?'" This event could have actually taken place a month or two after the Passover,
and so this was actually happening four months before harvest time.
31
4:35b txt Ἔτι ⁶⁶ ℵ A B C Wsup 083 syrs,p,h,pal copsa arm Orpt TR HF RP NA27 {\} ‖ omit ⁷⁵ D L
047 086 itd syrc Orpt ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P.
32
4:35b The word ἤδη at the end of verse 35 is sometimes interpreted to be with the next
sentence, and sometimes with this sentence. Thus there are two possible renderings; one is
as I have it in my English text above, and the other is as follows: "For they are white for
harvest. 36 The one harvesting is already taking his wages,..."
33
4:36 txt omit ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ B C L N Ws Ψ 083 ite,r¹ SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ και (so that both) ℵ A D 047
Gospel of John
together. 37For the saying, 'One is the sower and another is the reaper,' is
true in this: 38I have sent you to harvest what you have not worked. Others
have done the hard work, and you have joined in their labor."
The Woman's Talk Bears Fruit

39And many of the Samaritans from that town had believed in him because
of the woman's word testifying, "He told me everything I ever did." 40When
therefore the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to remain with them,
and he remained two days. 41 And, because of his word, many more
believed.
42And to the woman they said, "No longer because of your talk do we
believe; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man truly is
the Savior of the world."
The Official's Son Stays Alive

43And after the two days he departed from there into Galilee. 44(Now Jesus
himself testified, that in his own native place a prophet has no honor.)
45When then he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him– having
seen all the things that he had done in Jerusalem at the festival, for they also
had gone to the festival.
46He came again therefore to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the
water wine. And there was a certain royal official there whose son lay sick
at Capernaum. 47When this man heard that Jesus was coming out of Judea
into Galilee, he went to him and asked that he would come and heal his son,
for he was about to die.
48Jesus therefore said to him, "Unless you people see miraculous signs and
terrifying omens, you will never believe."
49The royal official says to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."
50Jesus says to him, "Go. Your son stays alive."
The man believed the word that Jesus had said to him, and departed.
51And even as he was going back down, his servants met him saying that his
boy was living. 52He therefore ascertained from them the exact time in
which he had gotten better. They therefore said to him, "The fever left him
yesterday at 7 p.m."
lat syrp,h Ir-lat TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P T

Gospel of John
53 Then the father realized: that was the hour in which Jesus had said to
him, "Your son stays alive." And he and his whole household believed.
54 Again, this second miraculous sign Jesus performed while coming out of
Judea into Galilee.
Chapter 5
Jesus Heals in the Spa on the Sabbath
1After these things, there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem. 2Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate 34 a pool, which
in Hebrew35 is called Bethesda,36 having five colonnades. 3In these a great
34
5:2a A gate in the north which allowed the sheep destined to be sacrificed to access the
temple.
35
5:2b It is possible that the word "Hebrew" is meant to mean the language of the Hebrews,
as opposed to Greek. By that time the language of the Jews was mostly Aramaic, the
language of their former conquerors to the north. Indeed, parts of the Old Testament were
originally written in Aramaic. In the words of Bruce Metzger, "Aramaic was the mother
tongue of the great majority of Jews at that time. Though the rabbis and learned scribes
still had fluent command of the classical Hebrew of the Old Testament, it was approaching
the status of a dead language for the ordinary Jewish population. During the exile in the
sixth century B.C. the Jews had begun to use Aramaic, a Semitic language related to Hebrew
somewhat as Spanish is related to Portuguese. At the beginning of the Christian era, in the
synagogues of Palestine as well as of Babylon, the text of the Old Testament was read not
only in the original Hebrew but also in an Aramaic paraphrase (called a Targum) for the
benefit of those who knew little or no Hebrew. At least two dialectal forms of Aramaic were
current in Palestine. The dialect used in Galilee was recognizably different in
pronunciation from the southern dialect spoken in and around Jerusalem (Matt. 26:73 or
Diatessaron 30:11). It is altogether probable that Jesus grew up in his home at Nazareth
using Aramaic as his mother tongue. In later life he doubtless acquired some facility in
speaking Greek and in reading Hebrew. His teaching and preaching to the common people
would have been carried out in Aramaic; his debates with the learned teachers of the law
may have been conducted in Hebrew. When he occasionally conversed with non-Jewish
persons (for example, the Roman centurion and the Syro-Phoenician woman), he probably
used Greek, the lingua franca of the Greco-Roman world." (From THE NEW TESTAMENT, Its
Background, Growth, and Content, by Bruce M. Metzger; Abingdon Press, 1987; pp. 32-33)
36
5:2c txt Βηθεσδα A C Ec 047 063 (Βηθ__δα) (0233vid __θεσδα) itf,q vgmss syrc,p,hmg gr,(pal) arm
geo Amphilochius Didymusdub Chrysostom Cyrillem TR RP SBL TH ‖ Βησθεσδα N ‖ Βηζαθα L
ite ‖ Beth(h)zet(h)a itb,ff²* vgmss ‖ Βηθζαθα ℵ itl (Eusebius) (Cyril) NA28 {C} ‖ Βηθσαϊδα ( ⁶⁶*
c
Βηδσαϊδάν ⁶⁶c Βηδσαϊδα) ⁷⁵ B E* T Wsupp itaur,ff² vg syrh (copsa,pho,ach²) eth Diatessarons
Tertullian Chromatius Jerome WH ‖ Βελζεθα D it(a)d,r¹ (ita Belzatha) ‖ lacuna ⁴⁵ Q syrs. It has
been suggested by Milik that Bethzatha is from an Aramaic intenstive plural of the original
for Bethesda. Bethesda, though widely supported by later manuscripts of several text
types, is suspect in the eyes of some as a scribal alteration originally introduced because of
its edifying etymology: ‫ ֵבית ֶׁח ְס ָד‬ℵ- "Beyt Chesda," "House of [Divine] Mercy." Though the
UBS textual commentary states that the Copper Scroll discovered at Qumran (one of the
"Dead Sea Scrolls") contains a reference to a pool at Betheshdathayim, this has
subsequently been disproven. It states that this word, the termination of which signifies
the Hebrew dual number, appears to be connected with the Aramaic for "to pour out."
Thus, perhaps therefore, ‫ ֵבית‬ℵ‫ ְׁש ָדא‬- "Beyt Eyshda," or "Place of out-pouring [water]." In
a new paper by Reinhart Ceulemans, "The Name of the Pool in Joh 5,2. A Text-Critical Note
Concerning 3Q15" ZNW 99 (2008) 112-15, he says, "one of the reasons for the fact that this
reading BETHESDA is embedded that much, can be found in one verse from the Copper
Scroll (3Q15), discovered at Qumran. This scroll contains a reference to a certain pool (viz.
3Q15 11,12), which is often linked to the pool mentioned in Joh 5,2. Equally often this verse
Gospel of John
number of disabled people used to lie, the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. 37 38
5And one man was there who had had a disability thirty-eight years. 6When
Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had had his condition now for a
long time, he says to him, "Do you want to get well?"
7The invalid answered him, "Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool
when the water is stirred, and while I am going, someone else goes down
ahead of me."
8Jesus says to him, "Stand up. Pick up your mat and walk." 9And
immediately the man became well, and he picked up his mat and walked.
And that day was during a Sabbath.
10 The Jews therefore said to the man who had been healed, "It is a Sabbath,
has been interpreted as “corroborating the reading BETHESDA. The reason for this was the
reading of the 3Q15 verse as edited in the standard edition, provided by J.T. Milik in 1962.
Very recently, a new impressive two-volume restoration of the Copper Scroll appeared, the
first volume of which contains a new edition (Le Rouleau de cuivre de la grotte 3 de
Qumrân (3Q15). Expertise – Restauration – Epigraphie I, par D. Brizemeure et alii (STDJ
55.1), Leiden 2006). The Qumran text does not feature a dalet or res with waw, but only a
cursive waw in the form of a res. Thus, according to the new edition, this line only
mentions some sort of installation (building) with two reservoirs, and contains no proper
name. This directly contradicts the assertions of Milik, who drew a parallel to the place
name BETHESDA, which he regarded the text of Joh 5:2. This means that the Copper Scroll
cannot be of any use when trying to answer the text-critical questions concerning this
Johannine passage. Thus the reason for supporting the reading BETHESDA is significantly
weakened; in the future this variant should not deserve the maximum momentum which it
received in the past." This “Bethesda” may well have been the same place as the twin pools
near the present-day St. Anne's Church. There would have been a colonnade on each of the
four sides and another between the pools, holding up a covering under which the people
would lie. As for the name Bethzatha, it has eclectic textual support, along with Eusebius.
It was the name of the northern extension of the city of Jerusalem. I Maccabees 7:19
mentions a "great cistern" at Bethzaith. Bethsaida is suspect as an assimilation to the town
of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee, as mentioned in John 1:44.
37
5:3 txt {A} omit v. 3b ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ B C* L T itq syrc copsa,pbo,ach2 arm geo Amphil SBL TH NA28
{A} ‖ add v. 3b ἐκδεχομένων τὴν τοῦ ὕδατος κίνησιν Ac E (Wsupp) 0233 ite,f,ff2 vg, syrp,h,pal pt arm
ethpp geo Chrys Cyrlem TR HF RP ‖ παραλυτικῶν ἐκδεχομένων τὴν τοῦ ὕδατος κίνησιν D
ita,aur,b,d,j,l,r¹ vgms (ethTH) ‖ lacuna ⁴⁵ P syrs. According to the UBS textual commentary, this
small group of five words contains two non-Johannine words, ἐκδέχεσθαι and κίνησις. See
note on v. 4 for some information that pertains also to this variant. For a Swanson-style
table of the variants in this passage, right-click this link:
http://www.bibletranslation.ws/trans/pachart.pdf , and choose "save as."
38
5:4c txt {A} omit v. 4 ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ B C* D T Ws itd,f,l,q vgww,st syrc copsa,pbo,ach2 arm geo Amphil SBL
TH NA28 {A} ‖ add v. 4 with major variations ἄγγελος γὰρ κυρίου κατὰ καιρὸν ἐλούετο ἐν τῇ
κολυμβήθρα καὶ ἐτάρασσε τὸ ὕδωρ. ὁ οὖν πρῶτος ἐμβάς μετὰ τὴν ταραχὴν τοῦ ὕδατας ὑγιὴς
ἐγίνετο οἵῳ δήποτ’ κατείχετο νοσήματι A E L N 0233 ita,aur,b,e,ff2 j,rl vgcl, syrp,pal pt eth Diddub Chrys
Cyrlem-, Tert Hilary Ambrose TR RP ‖ add v. 4 w/asterisks or obeli 047 syrh. Some manuscripts
replaced the clearly absurd "bathing" by the angel (found in A Π Ψ 0211 579), which was
the initial reading of this, with "an angel would come down into" (L Θ 063). According to the
UBS textual commentary, the added words in vv. 3b-4 contain the following non-Johannine
expressions and words: κατὰ καιρόν, ἐμβαίνω, ἐκδέχεσθαι, ἐκδέχομαι, κατέχομαι, κίνησις,
ταραχή, and νόσημα -- the last three words only here in the New Testament. They say that
the additions may have been made in order to explain how the water gets stirred in verse 7.
There should not be any doubt that this passage was not in the original gospel of John. For
a Swanson-style table of the variants in this passage, right-click this link:
http://www.bibletranslation.ws/trans/pachart.pdf , and choose "save as." See also
Wieland Willker's excellent commentary on this variant.
Gospel of John
and not lawful 39 for you to carry your40 mat."

11He answered them, "The man who made me well, he told me, 'Pick up
your mat and walk.' "
12They asked him, "Who is the man telling you to pick up41 and walk?"
13But the man who was healed had not known who it was, for Jesus had
slipped away, a crowd being in the place.
14After these things Jesus finds him at the temple and said to him, "Behold,
you are well. Do not sin any longer, or something worse might happen to
you." 15 The man went away and reported to the Jews that Jesus was the one
who had made him well.
Hear the Voice of the Son and Live

16And for this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and looked for a way to
kill him, 42 because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17But he
answered them, "My Father is working continuously up to now, so I also am
working." 18For this reason the Jews tried all the more to kill him, because
not only was he breaking the Sabbath, 43 but he was also saying God was his
own father, making himself equal to God.
39
5:10 The Greek word translated "lawful" is the impersonal participle “ἔξεστιν” - éxestin,
which is derived from the same root as ἐξουσία - exousía, the word for authority. If an
activity was “ἔξεστιν,” that means it was "loosed," or ruled by the rabbis to be something
"allowed" by the Torah. If something was not ἔξεστιν, as is the case here, that means it was
"bound," that is, the rabbis had adjudged that it was forbidden by the Torah.
40
5:10b txt σου “your” ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ C* D L N Ws 0233 lat syr cop arm SBL NA28 {/} ‖ omit A B C³
E 047 ite TR RP TH ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P Q T 070. The possessive pronoun is not necessary, since in
Greek it was permissible to render the definite article as a possessive if the context
warranted.
41
5:12 txt omit ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ B C* L copsamss,ly SBL TH NA28 ‖ τον κραβ(β)ατ(τ)ον σου Ac C³ D E N
047 0233 latt syr copsams,pbo TR RP‖ omit entire verse A* Ws ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P Q T 070
42
5:16 txt καὶ ἐζήτουν αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι ὅτι A E N 047 0233 ite,f,q,r¹ syrp,h pt TR RP ‖ ὅτι ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵
ℵ B C D L W ita,aur,b,d,ff²,l vg syr(s),c copsa TG WH NA27 SBL {\} ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P Q T 070. No umlaut in B.
43
5:18 The Greek verb translated "breaking" here, is λύω - lúō. Bauer says it here means
"abolish," that in John Jesus is presented as abolishing the Sabbath. The Bagster / Moulton
lexicon agrees with this also. The meaning would depend on whose point of view the
statement is taken from. That is, whether John is stating what "the Jews" saw Jesus as
doing, or whether John is stating his own view of what Jesus was doing. Certainly, from the
Pharisees' point of view, Jesus was both violating the Sabbath, and since he was a Rabbi, by
his example, also abolishing the Sabbath. It seems obvious that it would not be John's view
that Jesus violated the Sabbath, for it is the teaching of the New Testament, and of Christ
himself, that Jesus Christ kept the law. It is agreed by all, however, that Jesus definitely set
aside the prevailing Jewish concept of the Sabbath day. It may also be safely asserted that
the majority of Christ's followers understand the New Testament to teach that subsequent
to Pentecost the 7th day Sabbath observance is no longer a requirement. There is ample
evidence in the N.T. of this. As for the apostle John, he wrote this his gospel relatively a
long time after the life of Christ, and thus by the time of its writing, the Christian non-
observance of the Sabbath day was already well established. See my treatise entitled,
"What is Sabbath."
Gospel of John
19Therefore Jesus responded and said to them, "Truly, truly I say to you,
the Son is not able to do anything of himself,44 but only what he sees the
Father doing; for whatever things that One does, these things also the Son
does likewise. 20For the Father loves the Son, and shows him every thing
that he does. And indeed, greater works than these he will show him, such
that you will be constantly amazed. 21For just as the Father raises the dead
and makes them alive, in this way also the Son makes alive those whom he
wishes. 22Moreover, the Father judges no one, but instead has given all
judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son just as they honor the
Father. The person who does not honor the Son is not honoring the Father
who sent him.
24"Truly, truly I say to you, the person who hears my word and believes
the One who sent me, has eternal life, and is not going into judgment, but
has crossed over out of death into life. 25Truly, truly I say to you, a time is
coming, and is now come, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of
God,45 and the ones who hear will live. 26For just as the Father has life in
himself, so he has granted to the Son also to have life in himself. 27And to
him46 he has given authority to do the judging, because he is the son of a
human.47
28"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming, when all those in the
graves will hear his voice, 29and stream out, the ones who have done good
into a resurrection of life, and the ones who have done evil into a
resurrection of judgment.48 30I from myself am not able to do a thing; only
as I hear do I judge, and my judgment is righteous, because I am not seeking
my own will, but the will of Him49 who sent me.
44
5:19 According to Bauer, ἀφ’ ἑαυτοῦ is an expression known in Classical Greek using the
preposition ἀπό to indicate the originator or authorizer of the action. So also 5:30; 7:17;
7:28; 8:28, 42; 10:18; 11:51; 14:10; 15:4; 16:13; 18:34
45
5:25 txt τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ A D E L W TR RP NA27 {\} ‖ τοῦ θεοῦ 070 ‖ τοῦ υἱοῦ
τοῦ ἀνθρώπου syrhmg,pal Chrysb ‖ lac C N P Q T 0210 0233.
46
5:27a txt κρίσιν ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ(*),2 A B L N W 070 it vgcl syrc Or SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ καὶ κρίσιν D E
047 lat syrp,h TR RP ‖ lac C P Q T 0210 0233
47
5:27b Or, "The Son of Man." "Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he
himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death he might render powerless
him who had the power of death, that is, the devil," Hebrews 2:14. "For we do not have a
high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in
all things as we are, yet without sin," Hebrews 4:15. And because Jesus became flesh and
overcame the flesh, the Father gave him jurisdiction of all flesh, John 17:2.
48
5:29 Isaiah 26:19 - 27:1, Daniel 12:1-3
49
5:30 txt omit ⁶⁶,⁷⁵ ℵ* A B D L N W 070 ita,d,e,f,q vg syrp,s,c copsa,ly Or SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖
πατρος E 047 itb,ff²,l,r¹ pt TR RP ‖ lac C P Q T 0233 syrs
Gospel of John
Testimonies About Jesus

31 "If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. 32There is another
who testifies about me, and I know that the testimony which he testifies
about me is true.
33 "You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth. 34I do not accept
testimony from a human being; but I am saying these things so that you
may be saved. 35That one was a burning and shining lamp, and in his light
you were willing to exult, for a time.
36 "But I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works which
the Father has given me to finish, the same works which I am doing, they
testify about me that the Father has sent me. 37And the Father who sent me,
He has testified about me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor
seen His form. 38 And His word, you do not have living in you, because the
one He has sent, him you do not believe. 39You diligently study the
Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life. And these
are the ones that testify about me. 40 Yet you refuse to come to me that you
may have life.
41 "I do not accept praise from human beings; 42but I know you, that you do
not have the love of God in yourselves. 43I have come in my Father's name,
and you do not accept me; if someone else comes in his own name, him you
will accept. 44How is it possible for you to believe, accepting honor from
one another, and not seeking the praise from the only God?
45 "But do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. The one
accusing you is Moses, on whom you have placed your hope. 46For if you
were believing Moses, you would be believing me, for he wrote about me.
47But since you are not believing his writings, how will you believe my
statements?"
Chapter 6
1After these things, Jesus went across to the other side of the Sea of Galilee
(the Sea of Tiberias). 2And a large crowd followed him, because they had
seen the miraculous signs he had been performing on the sick.
3Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he was sitting, with his
disciples. 4And the Passover was near, the festival of the Jews. 5Then, lifting
up his eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus
Gospel of John
says to Philip, "Where might50 we buy loaves so that these people can eat?"
6But he said this testing him, for he himself had known what he was about
to do.
7Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii51 are not enough loaves for
them to each get a little!
8One of his disciples, Andrew the brother of Simon Peter, said to him,
9"There is a youth here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are
they in the face of so many?"
10 Jesus said, "Get the people to recline." Now there was plenty of green
grass in the place. The men therefore reclined, the number about five
thousand. 11Then Jesus took the loaves, and after giving thanks, he
distributed to those reclining,52 and likewise from the fish, as much as they
wanted.
12 And when they were full, he says to his disciples, "Gather the fragments
that are left over, so that nothing is wasted." 13So they gathered, and filled
twelve large baskets53 with fragments of the five barley loaves left over by
those who had eaten.
14 Then the people, having seen the miraculous sign he had done, were
saying, "This surely is the Prophet who was to come into the world." 54
15 Jesus therefore, knowing that they were about to come and take him by
force to try to make him king, withdrew again55 into the mountain, himself
alone.
50
6:5 txt αγορασωμεν (subj) ℵ A B D E L N W 047 SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ρασωμεν ⁶⁶ ‖
αγορασομεν (fut) TR RP ‖ αγορασωσιν ⁷⁵vid ‖ lac C P Q T 0233
51
6:7 About 8 months of a man's wages
52
6:11 txt omit ²⁸ ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ* A B L N W lat syrc,p,h copsa,pbo arm SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ +τοῖς
μαθηταῖς οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ ℵc D E 047 itb,d,e,j syrs copach² TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C P Q T 070 0233. (Codex
B has an umlaut.) Some people object to the shorter reading because they say that it
creates a contradiction to the other gospels, but that is not so. Just because one account
does not go into as much detail as to how Jesus distributed it to the crowd, does not make it
a contradiction. He distributed it via the disciples, we know from other gospels.
53
6:13 κόφινος - kóphinos, a large, heavy basket for carrying things. Interestingly, the
baskets used in the feeding of the 4,000 later on were a smaller basket. In the accounts of
the feeding of the 5,000, all four gospels use the Greek word kóphinos, but in the account of
the feeding of the 4,000, both the gospels containing the story used the Greek word σπυρίς -
spurís. A kóphinos was used for many things, including carrying manure, while a spurís
was a smaller basket used for carrying edibles.
54
55
6:15 txt ανεχωρησεν παλιν ⁷⁵ ℵ2 A B D L N itb,d,e,f,q,r¹ syrs,h,pal copsa arm TR SBL TH NA28
{/} ‖ φευγει παλιν ℵ* vg ita,aur,ff²,l ‖ φευγει και ανεχωρησεν παλιν syrc ‖ ανεχωρησεν E W 047
syrp Or RP ‖ lac ⁶⁶ C P Q T 070 0233
Gospel of John

16And when evening had come, his disciples had gone down to the lake,
17 and gotten into a boat, and were proceeding across the lake toward
Capernaum. And now darkness came, and Jesus had not yet 56 come to
them, 18 and as a great wind was blowing, the lake was becoming very
rough. 19 Then, after having rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia,57 they
behold him walking on the lake, and getting close to the boat, and they were
afraid.
20But he says to them, "It is I. Don't be afraid."
21Then they willingly took him into the boat. And immediately the boat
was at the shore to which they were headed.
"I Am the Bread Come Down out of Heaven"

22The next day, the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the lake
realized58 that no other boat had been there except one, 59 and that Jesus had
not gotten into the boat with his disciples, but his disciples had gone away
alone. 23 (Other boats, from Tiberias, arrived near the place where they had
eaten the loaves, where the Lord had given thanks.) 24When therefore the
crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the
boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.
25And finding him across the lake, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you
get here?"
26Jesus answered them, and said, "Truly, truly I say to you, you are looking
for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the
loaves and were satisfied. 27 Do not work for food that perishes, but for food
that abides, resulting in eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For
him God the Father has sealed."
28They therefore said to him, "What should we do in order to be working
56
6:17 txt ουπω (not yet) ²⁸vid ⁷⁵ ℵ A B D L N W ita coppbo SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ουκ (not) A E
047 lat syr copsa,ly TR RP ‖ lac ⁶⁶ C P Q T 070 0233
57
6:19 This is about halfway across the lake. (Three or three and a half miles, or five or six
kilometers.)
58
6:22a txt ειδον (knew) ⁷⁵ A B L N W it syrp,h SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ιδων (saw) E 047 TR RP ‖
ειδεν (saw) ²⁸ ℵ D ‖ lac ⁶⁶ C P Q T 070 0233
59
6:22b txt ἕν καὶ ⁷⁵ ℵc A B L N W itaur,(b),f,ff²,l,q,(r¹) vg ,pbo,ach²,mf eth Aug SBL NA28 {A} ‖ ἕν ἐκεῖνο
εἰς ὃ ἐνέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ E ita,d,(e) (syr) arm geo Cyrlem TR RP ‖ ἕν ἐκεῖνο εἰς ὃ
ἀνέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ 047 ‖ ἕν ἐκεῖςνο εἰς ὃ ἐνέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ℵ*
copsa ‖ ἕν εἰς ὃ ἐνέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ Dc ‖ ἕν εἰς ὃ ἐνέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ
Ἰησοῦ καὶ D* ‖ ἕν εἰς ὃ ἐνέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ syrh ‖ ἕν εἰς ὃ ἐνέβησαν οἱ μαθηταὶ
Ἰησοῦ καὶ itd ‖ lac ²⁸ ⁴⁵ ⁶⁶ C P Q T 070 0233 syrs (illeg.)
Gospel of John
the works of God?"

29Jesus answered, and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you
believe in that one whom he has sent."
30So they said to him, "What miraculous sign then are you performing, so
that we may see, and believe you? What works are you working? 31Our
forefathers ate the manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread
out of heaven to eat.'60"
32Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly I say to you, the bread out of
heaven is not given you by Moses; no, the real bread out of heaven my
Father is giving you. 33For the bread of God, is the one coming down out of
heaven and giving life to the world."
34They said therefore to him, "Sir, give us that bread evermore."
35Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. The person who comes to me,
would never hunger, and the one believing in me would never thirst. 36 But
as I told you,61 you have seen me and still you are not believing. 37All flesh
that62 the Father gives to me will come to me, and the one who comes to me,
I would certainly not drive away. 38For I have come down from heaven not
to do my will, but the will of him who sent me. 39And this is the will of him
who sent me: that of all flesh that he has given me, I would not lose any of it,
but raise it63 up at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father: that
60
6:31 Exodus 16:4; Psalm 78:24-25; Nehemiah 9:15
61
6:36 John 5:38, 47; Diatess. 8:15, 17
62
6:37 See the footnote on 6:39.
63
6:39 Note all the neuters. This is said to be an example of the phenomenon of
'anacoluthon.' This would mean that the inflections have 'followed suit,' so to speak; that
is, they have been attracted to or assimilated by the neuter gender and singular number of
the relative pronoun, which in turn had been attracted to those same traits of its
antecedent, τὸ θέλημα - tò thélēma, that is, 'the will' in verse 39. (And the relative pronoun
was used in a Hebraistic construction, "παν...μη.") {Look up §§ 293-297 in Blass} But I am
not convinced of anacoluthon here. For I have seen John deliberately use the neuter
relative pronoun, and other neuter pronouns, in other passages as well, where the subject
is people. See 6:37, 39, 17:2, 24, and, I believe also 17:11-12, where I go against the trend
which has been to interpret the Father's gift to the Son as "the name," rather than the
disciples. John sometimes refers to people collectively as a gift and as a neuter thing. This
sounds strange to our ears. But people are a "thing" when they are something given;
especially since most of the Greek words for gift, the substantive forms of the verb John
uses for give, are of the neuter gender. John six times uses a neuter singular pronoun for
the collective unity of human beings that compose the gift that the Father has given him, in
6:37, 39, 17:2, 11, 12, 24. Though some say this is an instance of what is called "attraction of
the relative," where the relative pronoun is neuter because it followed suit after a neuter
noun before it, in this case the word for "will," yet, the circumstances for that are not
present in all of the six instances mentioned earlier, and to me it is significant that John
uses a neuter pronoun construction six times, when the number of the flesh in Biblical
number symbolism is six. John uses the neuter pronoun construction as interchangeable
with "flesh" in 17:2, and with "humans" in 17:6. The word "flesh" is a common Hebraistic
way to refer to mortal humanity. Furthermore, it is interesting how reminiscent this
phrase is of Job 19:25-26, where he says of the last day, "in my flesh shall I see God." Jesus
uses this phrase, "I will not lose any of the flesh He has given me, but raise it up at the last
day." Moreover, the flesh the Father gives him, is quickened by means of eating the living
Gospel of John
anyone looking to the Son and believing in him would have eternal life, and
I would raise him up at the last day."
41Then the Jews started grumbling about him, because he said, "I am the
bread having come down out of heaven." 42And they were saying, "Isn't this
the Jesus son of Joseph whose father and mother we know? How can he
now say, 'I have come down out of heaven'?"
43Jesus answered and said to them, "Stop grumbling among yourselves.
44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I
would raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: 'And they
shall all be taught by God.'64' Everyone who has heard and learned from the
Father, comes to me. 46Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one
who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47Truly, truly I say to you, the
person who does believe in me 65 has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life.
49Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, and they died. 50But this is
bread coming down out of heaven such that one may eat of it and would
not die. 51I am the living bread come down out of heaven. If someone eats
of this bread, he will live for ever. Namely, the bread is my flesh, which I
will give for the life of the world."
52Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, saying, "How
can this man give us his66 flesh to eat?"
53Jesus therefore said to them, "Truly, truly I say to you, unless you eat the
flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54The
person eating my flesh and drinking my blood has eternal life, and I will
raise him up at the last day. 55For my flesh is true food,67 and my blood is
flesh of the Son of Man, Ch. 6 v. 54: "The one eating my flesh and drinking my blood has
eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
64
6:45 Isaiah 54:13
65
6:47 Jesus is referring back to verse 29, where he says "This is the work of God, that you
believe in that one whom he has sent." There is a Greek textual difference here, in that
later manuscripts added the words "in me" to verse 47. That is understandable, yet not
necessary, since the idea "in me" was implied anyway. The reader is expected to have a
long enough attention span to remember the previous context given in verse 29.
66
6:52 txt omit ⁷⁵vid ℵ C D E L W 047 Lect itd,ff² Orgr Cyr½ TR RP ‖ αυτου ⁶⁶ B T ita,aur,b,e,f,j,q,r¹
vg syr cop arm eth geo Orlat Macarius/Symeon Chrys Cyr½ SBL [NA28] {C} ‖ lac A N P Q 070.
Codex B has an umlaut here. The text without the possessive pronoun αυτου is almost
certainly original. Note that every and all translations based on the Textus Receptus or Byz
text, which omit αυτου, still render this in English “his flesh.” “How can this man give us
his flesh to eat?” And so did the early translations, Latin, Syriac, Coptic, Armenian,
Georgian, Slavic, render the definite article as a possessive. This is permissible in Greek, if
the context warrants it, and this is a frequent phenomenon in the Greek text of the New
Testament, both the textual variant, and the lack of the possessive pronoun but still
meaning possessive.
67
6:55a He is the real bread out of heaven, John 6:32, 55; Diatess. 13:39, 45; while the bread
during Moses was the type or shadow of the real. (Colossians 2:17; Hebrews 8:5; 10:1)
Gospel of John
true68 drink. 56The one eating my flesh and drinking my blood abides in me,
and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father has sent me, and I live by means of
the Father, so also that person eating me will live by means of me. 58This
bread coming down out of heaven is not like the bread the forefathers ate
and then died. The person eating this bread will live for ever." 59These
things he said while teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
A Teaching Too Scandalous for Some

60Then many of his disciples hearing said, "This is a hard teaching. Who
can listen to it?"
61But knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this,
Jesus said to them, "This is shocking you? 62Then what if you were seeing
the Son of Man ascend to where he was before?69 63 Spirit is what makes
alive; flesh counts for nothing. The words that I have spoken to you are
spirit, and they are life. 64Yet some of you are not believing." For Jesus had
known from the beginning who the ones not believing were, and who the
one was, who would betray70 him. 65He went on to say, “This is why I told
you that no one has the ability to come to me, unless it is given to him from
the Father.”
66From this,71 many of his disciples drew back, and no longer went along
with him.
67Jesus therefore said to the twelve, "You are not thinking of leaving too,
are you?"
68
6:55b txt αληθης…αληθης ⁶⁶c ⁷⁵ ℵ2a B C L T W itq cop arm geo Cl Or SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖
αληθως...αληθως ⁶⁶* E 047 0250 ita,aur,b,d,e,f,ff²,r¹ vg TR RP ‖ αληθης…αληθως ℵ2b ‖
omit…αληθως ℵ* ‖ αληθως...omit και το αιμα μου αληθως εστιν ποσις D ‖ lac A N P Q 070
0233
69
6:62 According to Friedrich Blass, this is a weak NT version of the Classical Greek
"aposiopesis." For the interrogative word "what" is not present in the Greek, leaving this
sentence with the feeling of incompletion. Aposiopesis in the strict sense is a breaking off
of speech due to strong emotion or to modesty, generally thought not to occur in the NT.
On the other hand, a NT form of aposiopesis takes the form of the omission of the apodosis
to a conditional subordinate clause (the protasis), which is also classical. If such were the
case here, then the implied apodosis would be something like, "would you then still take
offense, or be shocked?" Then the whole sentence would be, "If you were observing the
Son of Man ascending to where he formerly existed, would you then still be shocked?"
What therefore is the sense here? What is Jesus asking? If they would be more shocked
watching him ascend to his former state of non-flesh? Or would they be less shocked
watching him ascend to his former state of convincing majesty and authority, and
therefore see that he is entitled to put forward a teaching (eating human flesh) so shocking
to the Jewish sense of a ceremonially clean diet?
70
6:64 Rare NT occurrence of the future participle.
71
6:66 ἐκ τούτου – ek toútou; Opinion is split on whether this means "because of this
teaching," or, "from this point on."
Gospel of John
68Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the
words of eternal life. 69And we have believed and have come to know that
you are the Holy One of God."72
70Jesus responded to them, "Have I not chosen you, the Twelve, for myself?
Yet one of you is a devil."73 71He was speaking of Judas, son of Simon of
Kerioth; for he, one of the Twelve, was going to betray him.
Chapter 7
Jesus' Brothers Judge Him Falsely
1And after these things, Jesus was walking around in Galilee, for he was
not wanting to walk in Judea, because the Jews were seeking to kill him.
2But the Jewish Festival of Booths was near. 3So his brothers said to him,
"Remove yourself from here and go to Judea, so that your disciples there also
will see the miracles you are doing. 4For no one who wants to become
famous, acts in secret. If you really are doing these things, show yourself to
the world." 5For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
6Jesus therefore said to them, "The time for me has not yet come. But for
you the time is always suitable. 7The world cannot hate you, but me it
hates, because I testify about it, that its works are evil. 8You go up to the
festival. I am not74 going up to this festival, because for me the time is not
72
6:69 txt ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ θεοῦ ⁷⁵ ℵ B C* D L W itd copsams,pbo SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ ὁ χριστός
Turtullian (Mk 8:29) ‖ ὁ χριστὸς ὁ ἅγιος τω θεοῦ ⁶⁶ copsamss,ach² Cyrillem ‖ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ itb
syrc ‖ ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ (Mt 16:16) ita,aur vg syrs arm geo¹ Victorinus-Rome ‖ ὁ χριστὸς
ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος (Mt 16:16) E N 0250 itf*,ff²,q,r¹ syrp,h,pal mss eth geo² slav Chrystostom
Cyrilcomm; Cyprian1/2 Quodvultdeus1/6 (others of Cypr and Quod do not contain ὁ χριστὸς)
TR RP ‖ omit ὅτι σὺ ε ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος 047 ‖ lac A P Q T 063 070 078 0210
0233 0306. Besides the Mk and Mt passages imitated, look at Jn 1:49 and 11:27.
73
6:70 Or, "one of you is an enemy." Greek: διάβολος - diábolos. This is the Greek word that
the Jewish translators of the Septuagint, the Jewish Bible that was translated into Greek
prior to the time of Jesus, had chosen to translate the Hebrew 'ha-satan' in I Chronicles
21:1, Job 2:1, and Zechariah 3:1. It means "slanderer, accuser, adversary." Jesus is probably
not calling Judas "the devil," although the devil did later enter inside Judas, John 13:2, 27;
Diatess. 28:22, 44. This can be translated that Judas was a devil, because he was a son of the
devil, a fact proven by his deeds, John 8:41, 44; Diatess. 15:38, 40. It could be that Jesus here
is making a contrast between the fact that he had selected the twelve "for himself," yet one
of them is his adversary.
74
7:8 txt οὐκ (not) ℵ D ita,aur,b,d,e,ff² vg syrc,s arm eth geo Diatess Porphyryacc. to Jerome Epiph
Chrys Cyr; Ambst, Aug SBL NA28 {C} ‖ οὕπω (not yet) ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ B E L N T 047 070 0250 itf,q
vgmss syrp,h,hgr,pal copsa,pbo,ach2 Basil TR RP TH ‖ lac ⁴⁵ A C P Q 0233. The currently
dominant theory about the reading "not yet going up" is that it was introduced early in the
transmission of the text ( ⁶⁶, about the year 200), to alleviate the seeming inconsistency
between verse 8 and what Jesus actually did in verse 10. It is understandable if copyists
wanted to defend Jesus, to keep him from appearing to be a liar. Yet I say, that if that was
their goal, they did not accomplish it, one, because Jesus was still deceptive, in that he
"went up, not openly, but in secret," v. 10. Even without the word "yet" added, Jesus still
deceived his brothers, and also those in Jerusalem who were trying to kill him. It is
ethically permissible to lie to those trying to kill you. And two, the presence of the word
Gospel of John
yet fully come." 9And having said these things, he remained in Galilee.
Jesus Goes Up for Sukkot

10And when his brothers had gone up to the festival, then he also went up,
not openly, but in secret. 75 11The Jews therefore were looking for him in the
festival, and saying, "Where is that fellow?"
12And there was much whispering about him in the crowds. Some were
maintaining, "He is a good man."
Others were saying, "No. On the contrary, he is misleading the people."
13Though none would speak about him openly, for fear of the Jews.
14And when it was already the middle of the festival, Jesus went up to the
temple, and was teaching. 15The Jews then were marveling, saying, "How
does this man know letters, not having received instruction?"76
16Jesus therefore answered them and said, "My teaching is not mine, but
rather his who sent me. 17If someone is inclined to do His will, he will find
out about the teaching, whether it is from God, or I am speaking from
myself. 18One who speaks from himself is seeking his own glory. But one
seeking the glory of Him who sent him, such a one is true, and there is no
unrighteousness in him. 19Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of
you performs the law. Why are you trying to kill me?"
οὕπω is not necessary for a third time in this context for the purpose of defending Jesus
from deception, seeing that Jesus already said it two other times: in verse 6 and verse 8, so
he still basically did not actually deny altogether that he would go up to this feast ever. On
the other hand, since the reading "not yet" is found in the earliest manuscripts, including
the ones currently thought to be the most reliable, and included in the vast majority of
manuscripts, it is understandable why the UBS editorial committee gives their reading only
a C rating of certainty. As for me, I have not seen any convincing argument as to why the
copyists who produced those manuscripts not containing the word "yet," why they might
have deleted it. It is much easier to explain why copyists might add the word "yet," than
why they might delete it.
75
7:10 txt ἐν κρυπτ ℵ D ita,b,d,e,r¹ syrs,c copsa,pbo,ach2,mf geo Aug2/7 ‖ ὡς ἐν κρυπτ ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ B
E L N W 047 070 0250 itaur,f,ff²,l,q vg syrp,h,pal arm Basil Chrys Cyrlem Gaud Jer Aug5/7 TR
RP SBL [NA28] {C} ‖ lac A C P 063 0233. It seems probable to me that ὡς was added for the
same reason οὕπω was, to soften the appearance that Jesus was 'deceiving' people. What
would be the mechanism by which it might have been accidentally omitted?
76
7:15 Normally the only source of advanced knowledge of the religion, was by being a
formal disciple of a Rabbi. Such instruction was very repetitious, rote, and had to be
reproduced exactly by the disciple, with exactly the same words, the exact same method of
delivery. And the disciple was absolutely never to ad lib, or improve on, or make a new
application of, or omit any minutiae received from his Rabbi. Thus when a man was
teaching, it could be immediately detected which Rabbinical school he was a disciple of.
But Jesus' teaching must have been unrecognizable as to its Rabbinical source, yet
knowledgeable of Hebrew and the scriptures, and well said, to cause the leaders of Judaism
to marvel. Jesus appealed to these scruples, in John 12:50, when he described his own
discipleship under his Father, when he says, "And I know, that his commandment means
eternal life. Therefore, what things I speak, just as the Father has said them to me, I speak
them just so."
Gospel of John
20The crowd responded, "You have a demon. Who is trying to kill you?"
21Jesus answered and said to them, "One work I did, 77 and you are all
appalled. 22Why is it78 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from
Moses, but rather from the patriarchs) and during the Sabbath you
circumcise a man?79 23If a man receives circumcision during the Sabbath so
that the law of Moses not be broken, why are you incensed at me that I have
made the whole man whole during the Sabbath? 80 24Judge not by
appearances, but judge the righteous judgment." 81
Is Jesus the Anointed One?

25Then some of the Jerusalemites were saying, "Is this not the man they are
trying to kill? 26And behold he is speaking openly, and they say nothing to
him. Could it be the authorities have actually come to know that this is the
Christ? 27Except this man, we know where he is from; but the Christ, when
77
7:21 They were still indignant that he had worked on the Sabbath, healed the cripple on
the Sabbath the last time he was in Jerusalem, in John 5:8-10; Diatessaron 8:3-4.
78
7:22a The Greek words I translated "Why is it," are “διὰ τοῦτο.” Remember, the verse
numbers are very late additions to the text. Some translations include these words, “διὰ
τοῦτο,” with the beginning of the sentence that starts in verse 22, others with the tail end
of the sentence of verse 21: "I did one work, and you are all amazed about it." Some
translations even leave these words untranslated.
79
7:22b It was commanded that when a male child was born, he be circumcised on the
eighth day. (Gen. 17:12; Ex. 22:30; Lev. 12:3) If the eighth day happened to fall on a Sabbath,
no matter; they had to cut part of the boy off on the Sabbath, even though that was
working on the Sabbath. But now there is the question of how to translate the Greek word
ἄνθρωπος - ánthrōpos here in vv. 22 & 23, which is generally translated "human being," or,
"person," as distinguished from God, angels, demons, and animals. But it is not "human
beings" that were circumcised on the eighth day, but only male infants. Thus we have
translations like the NIV that render “ἄνθρωπος” as "child," or the NCV, as "baby," or the
NLT and CEV as "son," or the JNT as "boy," and CBW as "male child." But adult males were
also circumcised; for example, an adult male slave that an Israelite purchased, or also, an
adult gentile convert to Judaism. (Gen. 17:12; Josh. 5:2-8; Acts 16:3) Thus the REB translates
“ἄνθρωπος” here as "someone." But were such adult males circumcised on the eighth day?
Eighth day from what? Their conversion? For the eighth day requirement would seem to
be the only compelling reason for performing the rite on a Sabbath day. But I can find no
mention in the scriptures of the eighth day involving the circumcision of adults. Therefore
it seems reasonable to use the word "son," or "male child." Yet, because of the comparison
Jesus makes in v. 23 with the grown man he had healed, "if a man receives circumcision on
the Sabbath...why are you incensed at me that I have made the whole man whole on the
Sabbath." For a male baby is still a "man" in broad terms.
80
7:23 Circumcision involves cutting off part of a man, so what Jesus is asking, is, “You cut
off part of a man on the Sabbath, so how can you be upset with me if I made the whole man
whole on the Sabbath?”
81
7:24 τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνετε – tēn dikaían krísin krínete; "judge the righteous
judgment." The definite article in this use may well be "anaphoric," in that it is meant to
refer back to something with which they are already familiar: that judgment commanded
in Deuteronomy 16:18. The Greek there in the Septuagint is κρινοῦσι ...κρίσιν δικαίαν -
"they shall judge a righteous judgment," without the article. For indeed, those Jesus was
probably talking to were judges. The scribes “γραμματεῖς” also sat in judgment, being one
component of the Sanhedrin, and the subjects of Deuteronomy 16:18 were “κριτὰς καὶ
γραμματοεισαγωγεῖς” - "judges and clerks."
Gospel of John
he comes, no one will know where he is from."

28Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, "Yes, me you
know, and you know where I am from. Yet I have not come of myself. True
rather is the One who sent me; him you do not know. 29I know him,
because I am from him, and that One has sent me."
30Then they were trying to seize him, yet no one laid a hand on him,
because his hour had not yet come. 31But many of the crowd put trust on
him, and they were saying, "When the Christ comes, will he perform more
signs than this man has done?" 32The Pharisees heard these whisperings of
the crowd about him, and the chief priests and the Pharisees sent officers82
to arrest him.
33Jesus continued and said, "Just a short time more I am with you, and
then I am going away, to the One who sent me. 34You will look for me, and
will not find me, and where I am, you are not able to come."
35The Jews therefore said among themselves, "Where is this man about to
go, that we will not find him? Is he about to go into the Dispersion among
the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? 36What is the meaning of this statement
that he said, 'You will look for me and will not find me, and where I am you
are not able to come'?"
37And in the great and final day of the festival, there stood Jesus. And he
cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, he should come to me; and drink,
38he who believes on me. As the scripture has said, streams of living water
will flow from His belly."83 39Now this he said in reference to the Spirit,
82
7:32 Probably temple police officers or guards. Rome did authorize the Sanhedrin to have
a company of guards with powers of arrest.
83
7:38 Or, some other interpreters would punctuate this as follows: "If anyone is thirsty, he
should come to me and drink. The person who believes on me, as the scripture has said,
'streams of living water will flow from his belly." They interpret this as saying that the
streams of living water will flow from the believer's belly (popularized by Watchman Nee.)
Whereas the way I have it worded, the water flows from Christ, and the believer drinks of
Him, the Living Water, (Jeremiah 17:13) the Rock in the desert, which Moses struck, Exodus
17:6, Numbers 20:8, Psalm 78:15,16. See also Isaiah 12:3; Zechariah 14:8; Joel 3:18; Psalm
147:18; Isaiah 48:21; Isaiah 30:25; 32:2; John 15:26; Revelation 22:1. The river flows out of His
core, not ours. We drink of Him; I Cor. 10:4, "they all drank the same spiritual drink. For
they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ." The
gospel of John contains several allusions to Exodus, such as the Passover lamb, the manna
from heaven, the snake up on the pole, and here is another one: Moses striking the rock
and water coming forth from the rock. But if you interpret this as meaning streams of
living water will come out of OUR, the believers' bellies, then you must find the scripture in
the Hebrew Bible which says anything even similar to this. But there is none, except
perhaps Isaiah 58:11. But based on my exposure to the Bible, the word κοιλία, which is the
Greek word here for "belly" or "core," also in places has the connotation of "the core of the
earth," or the core of a huge rock or mountain. For example, there are scriptures that liken
the belly to the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:40, "For as Jonah was three days and three
nights in the belly- κοιλίᾳ of the huge sea creature, so the Son of Man will be three days
and three nights in the heart of the earth." Or Isaiah 8:19, "And if they should say to you,
Seek those who have in them a divining spirit, and them that speak out of the earth, them
Gospel of John
whom those believing in him were about to receive. For the Spirit was not
yet present, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
40Some in the crowd therefore who heard these words were saying,
"Surely this man is the Prophet."84
41Others were saying, "This man is the Christ."
The former85 were then saying, "What? The Christ comes from Galilee?
42Didn't the scripture say that the Christ comes from the seed of David and
from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?" 43A split therefore
occurred in the crowd because of him. 44And some of them wanted to arrest
him, but no one laid a hand on him.
Unbelief of the Jewish Authorities

45Then the officers went to the chief priests and Pharisees, and those said
to them, "Why have you not brought him?"
46The officers answered, "Never has someone spoken so, like this man
speaks."
47The Pharisees therefore answered them, "Have you also been deceived?
48Has anyone of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed on him? 49As
that speak vain words, who speak out of their belly -κοιλίας: shall not a nation diligently
seek to their God? Why do they seek to the dead concerning the living?" (Brenton) On the
other hand, I concede that a great many of the occurrences of κοιλία in the Septuagint are
about reproduction (from men also), the issue from one's body. This can be made
analogous to being "Born of water" as opposed to "born of the Spirit." In other words,
could Jesus be saying here in John chapter 7 that those who believe in him, will reproduce
spiritually? Are we able to give the Living Water to others, and cause them to be born? In
the very next verse, 7:39 John says, "Now this he said in reference to the Spirit, whom those
believing in him were about to receive." So how would the Holy Spirit flow out of our
bellies? How would that be so? This would be a teaching not found anywhere else in the
Bible. We can give others the Bread, the Word, but I have not seen any scripture that says
we can give others the Living Water of Life. The emphasis of this passage in John seems to
be the quenching of OUR thirst, by receiving the Spirit. It is not a passage speaking of us
quenching the thirst of others. Verse 38 makes sense only as following an invitation to
drink from God, not a promise that others will drink from us. There is simply no contextual
relevance for that idea. Jesus is the rock, and our wellspring. He is the Living Water, as he
said to the Samaritan woman at the well. The BDF grammar discusses this passage in
§466(4) under Anacoluthon, "The resumption of a suspended case by a pronoun in another
case (the suspended subject [or object] is a construction belonging to the popular idiom.)"
Then the section specifically about this passage, section (4), states, "Anacoluthon (without
a relative clause) following an introductory participle (nearly always in the nominative) is
common: Jn 7:38. This construction is Semitic, but a comparable usage is found in classical
Greek; cf. K.-G. II 106f.; Mlt. 225 [356].– Mayser II 3, 189ff.; Ursing 65ff.; M.-H. 423ff.; Rob. 435-
7."
84
85
7:41 οἱ δὲ; the δε supposedly complementary to an earlier "ghost" μεν at the beginning of
verse 40. Verse 40 starts out Ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου, "of the crowd," with no μεν present and the
subject only implied. Granted it is a typical situation for a μεν / δε combination. But the
fact remains that there is no μεν there, so an anaphoric use of the article here is at least as
likely, in my truly humble opinion.
Gospel of John
for this crowd, cursed are they, not understanding the law."
50Nicodemus, the one who had come to him previously, who was one of
them, says to them, 51"Our law does not judge the man unless it first hears
from him, and knows what he is doing, does it?"
52They answered and said to him, "You aren't from Galilee too, are you?
Investigate and see, that no prophet arises out of Galilee." 86
The Woman Caught in Adultery
53And each went to his home.87
Chapter 8
1But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2And at dawn he showed up in
the temple again, and all the people were coming toward him. And having
sat down he was teaching them. 3And the Torah scholars and the Pharisees
are bringing toward him a woman caught in adultery. And after they stood
her in the midst, 4they say to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the
86
7:52 txt reading first:
ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας προφήτης οὐκ ἐγείρεται T Treg SBL TH NA28 SBL
ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ὁ προφήτης οὐκ εγιρεται ⁶⁶*
ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλα________φ__η_οὐκ ἐγείρεται ⁷⁵
ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας προφήτης οὐκ εγιρεται N
ἐκ τῆς Γαλειλαίας προφήτης οὐκ ἐγείρεται B
ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας προφήτης οὐκ ἐγήγερται L
προφήτης ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας οὐκ ἐγείρεται ℵ D W
προφήτης ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας οὐκ εγιρεται ⁶⁶c
προφήτης ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας οὐκ ἐγείγερται E
προφήτης ἐκ τῆς Γαλιλαίας οὐκ ἐγήγερται 047 0233vid TR AT HF (RP: ἐγηγέρται)
lacuna A C P Q
The reading of ⁶⁶ and the Sahidic Coptic, and possibly also ⁷⁵ , is, "the Prophet does not arise
out of Galilee." Papyrus 66 is our earliest or second earliest of all the Greek manuscripts of
the gospels. The other manuscripts do not have the article, "the." And the Majority Text
says, no prophet "has arisen." A prophet had in fact come out of Galilee before. According
to II Kings 14:25, the prophet Jonah was from Gath Hepher, in Galilee, in the territory of the
tribe of Zebulun (Joshua 19:13), only one hill over from Nazareth, if not the same hill. This
is yet another way in which Jonah was a sign of Christ.
87
7:53 txt include 7:53- 8:11 D (with MUCH variation) L*vid 047 (only 8:3-11) 0233 TR AT HF RP
// include with scribal marks E (only 8:2-11) // include only 8:3-11 047 // omit 7:53- 8:11 ³⁹ ⁴⁵
⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ A B C Lc N T W 070 NA27 {Α} // lac P Q. Note: in some manuscripts, this passage is
in other locations in John, and in some it is even found in the gospel of Luke. Eusebius (EH
III.39.17) indicates that the passage was in the Gospel According to the Hebrews. The
advocates of the Byzantine text argue that because of markings on ancient copies that
indicated boundaries for lectionary readings, some copyists mistook those markings for
edit marks meaning “delete,” and so did not include the pericope in their copies. I believe
this is probably correct, and that this passage does belong here. For more details, see the
endnote at the end of another document, and also download this
https:‖www.bibletranslation.ws/trans/pachart.pdf.
Gospel of John
act of adultery. 5In the Law, Moses charged us to stone such women. What
then do you say?" 6But this they were saying tempting him, in order that
they might obtain basis to accuse him.
But Jesus bent down and was writing in the dirt 88 with his finger, not
pretending.89 7And after they kept on questioning him, he straightened up
and said to them, "The one among you who is sinless should be first to
throw a stone at her." 8And after bending down again, he continued writing
in the dirt.
9And after they heard this, they went away, one by one, starting with the
oldest, until he alone was left, and the woman still in the midst. 10And
Jesus straightened up, and said to her, "Woman, where are they? Has no
one condemned you?"
11And she said, "No one, sir."
And Jesus said, "Neither am I condemning you. Go, and sin no more."
The Validity of Jesus' Testimony

12Jesus then spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. The
person who follows me will not walk around in the darkness, but on the
contrary, he will have for himself the light of life."
13The Pharisees therefore said to him, "You are testifying about yourself.
Your testimony is not valid."
14Jesus answered and said to them, "Even if I testify about myself, my
testimony is valid, because I know where I came from, and where I am
going. But you do not know where I am coming from, or where I am going.
15You judge by the flesh; I judge no one. 16But even if I judge, my judgment
is valid, because I am not alone: it is I and the one who sent me. 17Now even
in your law it is written, that the testimony of two persons is valid. 90 18I am
88
8:6a Rabbi Zev Porat points out that Jesus had just declared himself the fountain of living
waters, in Jn 7:38, and now that the Jewish leaders had turned away from that fountain,
Jeremiah 17:13 was being fulfilled in two ways: they were put to shame, and their names
were being written in the dirt. "Thou hope of Israel, Yahweh! All that forsake Thee shall be
ashamed; they that turn away from Thee shall be written in the dirt, because they have
forsaken Yahweh, the fountain of living waters."
‫ ִכי עָ זְ בּו ְמקור‬,‫עֹ זְ ֶׁביָך ֵיבֹׁשּו; יסורי ( ְוסּורי) ָבאָ ֶׁרץ יִ כָ ֵתבּו‬-‫ כָ ל‬,‫יג ִמ ְקוֵֹה יִ ְש ָראֵ ל יְ ֹהוָֹה‬
.‫יְ ֹהוָֹה‬-‫חֹּיִ ים אֶׁ ת‬-‫}מיִ ם‬
89
8:6b txt μὴ προσποιούμενος E G H K 2* 18 27 35 65* 475 532 579 682 1212 1505 1519 2561mg
2253 2907 TR-Scriv RP ‖ omit phrase D Μ S U Γ Λ Ω 047 0233 ƒ¹ ƒ¹³ 2c 7 8 9 28 65c 115sup 118
700 1071 1203 1216 1243 1514 TR-Steph Beza 1598 AT HF BG [NA27] ‖ προσποιούμενος 1194 ‖
lac. A C F P
90
8:17 Deutronomy 19:15
Gospel of John
one testifying about myself, and the one who sent me is testifying about me,
the Father."
19Then they were saying to him, "Where is your father?"
Jesus answered, "Neither me nor my father do you know. If you knew me,
you would know my father also." 20These statements he spoke in the
treasury, teaching in the temple, and no one seized him, because his hour
had not yet come.
21Continuing, he said to them, "I am going; and you will seek me, and you
will die in your sins. Where I am going, you are not able to come."
22So the Jews were saying, "Is he going to kill himself, that he says, 'Where
I am going, you are not able to come'?"
23And he said to them, "You are from below, I am from above; you are of
this world, I am not of this world. 24I said to you that you will die in your
sins. For if you do not believe that I am who I am, 91 you will die in your
sins."
25Therefore they were saying to him, "Who are you?"
Jesus said to them, "Why am I even speaking to you at all?92 26I have many
things to say about you, and to judge. But the one who sent me is true, and
I, what things I hear from him, those are the things I speak in the world."
27They did not understand that he was speaking to them of the Father.
28Then Jesus said, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will find out
that I am he,93 and of myself94 I do nothing, but rather exactly as the Father
91
8:24 ὁτι ἐγώ εἰμι – hoti egō eimi; literally, "that I am." This could also be translated "that
I am he," meaning, the expected one, the Messiah. But that does not make as much sense,
because his listeners responded to this by asking "Who are you?" If they had understood
Jesus to be saying he was the Messiah, they would not have asked that question. It could be
that when Jesus said this, it was meant to remind them of Exodus 3:14, where God told
Moses his name was "I am the one who is," or something to that effect, like here, "I am who
I am," or "I am who I will be," etc. Or, another possible good rendering could be, "Unless
you believe who I am..."
92
8:25 The BADG lexicon says, “την αρχην John 8:25, as nearly all the Gk. fathers understood
it, is emphatically used adverbially=ὅλως at all (Plut., Mor. 115b; Dio Chrys. 10 [11], 12; 14
[31], 5; 133; Lucian, Eunuch. 6 al.; Ps.-Lucian, Salt. 3; POxy 472, 17 [c. 130 AD]; Philo, Spec.
Leg. 3, 121; Jos., Ant. 1, 100; 15, 235 al…. The BDF grammar §160 says the Τὴν ἀρχὴν, “the
beginning,” here is an adverbial accusative, and means something like, “To begin with…”
or, “at all.” The words ὅ τι are ambiguous, since the original manuscripts did not have
spaces between words, nor punctuation. Thus it could have been, and I say was, ὅτι, “that”
or “why.” “That I am even speaking to you at all!” or “Why am I even speaking to you at
all.” Those translations which say “from the beginning” need to put the word “from” in
italics, because it is not there in the Greek, and indeed the Greek New Testament is full of
instances of a phrase meaning “from the beginning” and this is not one of them. Especially
with αρχην being accusative case. The BDF gives many examples from Clement in which
την αρχην means “to begin with.” The Greek textual ambiguity in οτι discussed in a note at
the end of this document.
93
8:28a ὁτι ἐγώ εἰμι - hoti egō eimi; literally, "that I am." Possibly meaning, "I am he,"
meaning, the expected one, the Messiah. Or it could simply mean, "You will find out who I
am." But it could also be that when Jesus said this, he was saying merely "I am," and it was
Gospel of John
has taught me, those things I speak. 29And the one who sent me is
continually with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do the
things pleasing to him." 30As he was speaking these things, many believed
in him.
The Children of Abraham

31Jesus was therefore saying to the ones who had believed in him, "If you
continue in my word, you are true disciples of mine, 32and you will know
the truth, and the truth will make you free."
33They responded to him, "We are seed of Abraham, and to no one have
we ever been enslaved. How do you mean, that we will become free?"
34Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly I say to you, everyone doing sin is a
slave of sin. 35And the slave does not abide in the house in perpetuity; the
Son abides in perpetuity. 36If therefore the Son should make you free, you
will be free indeed. 37I know that you are seed of Abraham; yet you are
trying to kill me, because my word has no room in you. 38The things that I
have seen with the Father, I speak, and you then the things you have heard
from your father,95 you are doing."
39They answered and said to him, "Our father is Abraham."
Jesus says to them, "If you were children of Abraham, you would be doing
the works of Abraham. 40But as it is, you are trying to kill me, someone who
has spoken to you the truth he has heard from God. This, Abraham did not
do. 41You are doing the works of your father."
They said to him, "We were not conceived in fornication. 96 We have one
unclear what he was claiming to be. Or that he meant to remind them of Exodus 3:14,
where God told Moses his name was "I am the one who is," or something to that effect, like
here, "I am who I am," or "I am who I will be," etc.
94
8:28b According to Bauer, ἀπ’ ἐμαυτοῦ is an expression known in Classical Greek using the
preposition “ἀπό” to indicate the originator or authorzer of the action.
95
8:38 txt ηκουσατε παρα του πατρος ⁷⁵ B L W ? arm geo Or Cyr NA28 {B} ‖ ηκουσατε παρα
του πατρος υμων ℵ² C itf syrhmg,pal ? Chrys ‖ εωρακατε παρα τω πατρι υμων D E 047 0250
ita,aur,d,e,f.l,q,r¹ vg syrs,p,h ms eth Aug Spec TR RP ‖ εωρακατε παρα του πατρος ⁶⁶ 070
copsa,pbo,ach²? ‖ εωρακατε παρα του πατρος υμων ℵ* ‖ lac A P T 0233
96
8:41 What is the train of thought? If two different gods were their father, they would be
conceived in fornication? Or is it, if both a god and a human were their father, they would
be conceived in fornication? And is there a god that commits fornication? The only
interpretation that makes sense here is that they are taking a dig at Jesus' conception, that
he was conceived before Mary was married. In the Greek, the pronoun "we" is emphatic.
The meaning is: "We are not the mamzers here. We, unlike you, were not conceived in
fornication." The Greek here for "We were not conceived in fornication" is Ἡμεῖς ἐκ
πορνείας οὐ γεγεννήμεθα. The Septuagint Greek in Deut. 23:2 (v. 3 in some ed.) is οὐκ
εἰσελεύσεται ἐκ πόρνης εἰς ἐκκλησίαν κυρίου, "one born of a whore shall not enter into the
assembly of the Lord." This is an idea close to what is here in John, and it was rendered
from the Hebrew word ‫ מ ְמזֵר‬- mamzēr, which is also used in Zechariah 9:6 for a "mongrel"
Gospel of John
father: God."
The Children of the Devil

42Jesus said to them, "If God were your father, you would love me, for I
went out from God and have arrived here. For neither did I come of myself,
but that One sent me. 43What is the reason you do not understand my
speech? Because you are not able to tolerate97 my word. 44You are of your
father, the Devil, and the yearnings of your father you want to do. That one
has been homicidal from the beginning, and in the truth he has never stood
still, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he is speaking
from his own things,98 for he is a liar, and the father of the lie.99 45So I,
because I am saying the truth, you do not believe me. 46Who of you is
convicting me of a sin? If I am saying the truth, why is it you do not believe
me? 47The ones who are of the Father hear the statements of the Father.
This is why you do not hear; you are not of God."
people. Thus there is alternatively a remote possibility that the Judeans could be making a
slur on Galileans and Jesus as one, an attitude they in fact held in their hearts toward them,
since "Galilee of the Gentiles" were a result of more intermarriage with Gentiles than were
Judeans.
97
8:43 The Greek verb translated "tolerate" is the infinitive form of “ἀκούω,” which
primarily means "to hear." But here John is using the word similarly to how he used it in
chapter 6 verse 60, where some of Jesus' disciples said, "This is a hard teaching; who can
hear it?" In other words, who can bear to hear it, or more specifically, who can "stay and
listen" to it. They could not bear to listen to it, so they walked away. (This is also in line
with what Jesus says in v. 37, "My word has no room in you.) This must be the meaning
here, for Jesus compares them in this trait, to their father, the Devil, who does not "stand in
the truth." In other words, he does not stick around to hear it. When the truth is being
spoken, he is shifty and restless and unable to stand. He cannot bear to hear it. He leaves,
and that is sometimes what the Greek word for "stand" means, to be still. To be still while
someone is speaking, is a form of submission and openness. So, Jesus says, "like father, like
son." The Devil is a liar, and the father of same. In Greek, the word for "hear" is also the
word for "listen." The only distinction is whether the context indicates will on the part of
the person hearing.
98
8:44a Is this a contrast to verse 42 where Jesus says about himself, that he did not come of
himself? It is not totally identical wording in the Greek. Different translations supply
various nouns here, such as "from his own nature," or "his own inventions," or "his own
resources," or, "his own language."
99
8:44b The Greek word translated "the lie" at the end of verse 44, is αὐτός, and in an
oblique case; that is, the 3rd person pronoun is here used without concord in number,
gender, and case, to any noun present in its context. Thus, different translations supply
various words. The BDF grammar, for John 8:44b, refers you to section 282(3), which says
that αὐτοῦ is an attributive genitive, in a seemingly oblique case, (not in formal
number/gender/case concord with any immediate noun or referent) which here is to be
referred through ψεύστης to ὅταν λαλῇ τὸ ψεῦδος, in other words, "the lie." But it also says
that an interpretation such as that of the YLT is possible— "because he is a liar — and also
his father." The BAGD lexicon says, "The oblique cases of αὐτός very often (in a fashion
customary since Homer) take the place of the 3rd person personal pronoun; in particular
the genitive case replaces the missing possessive pronoun." It says, in this case referring to
a noun to be supplied from the context.
Gospel of John
The Authorities Attempt Stoning for Claim of Pre-Eminence of

Abraham
48The Jews answered and said to him, "Do we not rightly say that you are
a Samaritan, and have a demon?"
49Jesus answered, "I do not have a demon. Quite the opposite, I am
honoring my Father. And you are dishonoring me. 50It is not me seeking
my glory. There is One seeking, and judging. 51Truly, truly I say to you, If
someone follows my word, death he will by no means see, into all time."
52The Jews said to him, "Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham
died, and also the Prophets, and you say, 'If someone follows my word,
death he will by no means experience, into all time.' 53Are you greater than
our forefather Abraham, who died? And the Prophets also died. What sort
of man do you reckon yourself?"
54Jesus answered, "If I glorify myself, that glory of mine is worthless. My
Father is the one glorifying me, the one that you say is your God. 55And you
have never known him, but I know him. Now if I were to say that I do not
know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him, and his word I am
following. 56Abraham, your forefather, made exultation yearning to see my
day. And he saw it, and was thrilled."
57The Jews therefore said to him, "You are not yet fifty, and you have
beheld Abraham?" 100
58Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly I say to you, before Abraham was, 101 I
am." 102 59Then they picked up stones to throw at him. But Jesus hid himself,
100
8:57 Several early witnesses say Ἀβραὰμ ἑωρακέν σε, "Abraham has seen you?" But
other early witnesses say Ἀβραὰμ ἑώρακας - 'Abraàm heōrakas, "you have seen Abraham?"
It is understandable why copyists might have thought the latter less sensible, since Jesus
had just said that Abraham had seen Jesus' day. So they corrected it to "Abraham has seen
you." The UBS committee said the reason the Jews would say "You have seen Abraham"
rather that "Abraham has seen you" is that the former assumes the superiority of Abraham,
which they would have held. The sense I got, before I read the UBS commentary, of what
the Jews were actually saying, was that the Jews wondered, "How do know that Abraham
was thrilled? How do you know what Abraham's emotions were? Did you behold his
countenance? See the expressions on his face?"
101
8:58a γενέσθαι - genésthai, punctiliar infinitive of γίνομαι – gínomai. This word can
mean "to become," or "to come into existence," or "to appear," or simply, "to be." The
rendering "before Abraham was born, I am" makes it sound like Jesus was born before
Abraham. But rather than birth, the emphasis is on existence, and this includes pre-
eminence.
102
8:58b ἐγώ εἰμι - egō eimi; literally, "I am." The basic meaning is that Jesus existed before
Abraham. But many interpreters, in view of the reaction of the hearers, maintain that
Jesus meant to remind them of Exodus 3:14, where God told Moses his name was "I am the
one who is," or something to that effect, like here, "I am who I am," or "I am who I will be,"
etc. These interpreters ask, "Why else would they want to stone him?" This interpretation
is certainly possible, and has merit. But they could also still have wanted to stone him just
for saying he was alive before Abraham, thus making himself immortal, and also greater
than their hero, Abraham.
Gospel of John
and went forth from the temple.103
Chapter 9
Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
1And as he was going along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2And his
disciples queried him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents,
that he would be born blind?"104
3Jesus answered, "Neither that this man sinned, nor his parents, but that
the works of God might be displayed in him. 4We must be working at the
works of him who sent me, while it is day. Night is coming, when no one
can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
6When he had said these things, he spit on the ground, and made mud
with the saliva, and rubbed the mud on the man's eyes. 7And he said to
him, "Go, wash in the pool of 'Siloam' " (which when translated is "Sent").
He went therefore and washed, and came back seeing.
8His neighbors therefore, and those who had previously observed him
being a beggar, were saying, "Isn't this the man usually sitting and
begging?"
9Some were saying, "This is the same man."
Others were saying, "No; he only looks like him."
He himself kept saying, "I am the one."
10They were saying therefore to him, "How were your eyes opened?"
11He answered, "The man named Jesus made mud and rubbed my eyes
with it, and he told me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' So when I went and
washed, I saw again."
12And they said to him, "Where is that man?
He says, "I don't know."
The Authorities Investigate the Healing

13And they take him to the Pharisees, the man who had once been blind.
103
8:59 txt ἱεροῦ ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ* B D W ita,aur,b,d,e,ff²,l,f¹ vg syrs copsa,pbo,ach² arm geo¹ Orvid Cyr½ Aug SBL
TH NA28 {A} ‖ ἱεροῦ καὶ διελθὼν διὰ μέσου αὐτῶν ℵ² ‖ ἱεροῦ διελθὼν διὰ μέσου αὐτῶν καὶ
παρῆγεν οὕτως A E it(f),q vgms geo² TR RP ‖ ιερου διελθων δια μεσου αυτων και διηγεν ουτως
047 ‖ ιερου διελθων δια μεσου αυτων και παρηγεν αυτους 0233 ‖ ἱεροῦ καὶ διελθὼν διὰ
μέσου αὐτῶν ἐπορεύετο καὶ παρῆγεν οὑτως ℵ¹ C L N 070 (syrp,h,pal) (eth) Ath (Socrates)
(Cyr½) ‖ lac ⁴⁵ P Q T. The phrases after ἱεροῦ are suspiciously like the διελθὼν διὰ μέσου
αὐτῶν ἐπορεύετο of Luke 4:30.
104
Jn 9:2 The Pharisees taught that an unborn child could sin.
Gospel of John
14And the day on which Jesus had made mud and opened his eyes had been
a Sabbath.105 15So again, the Pharisees also asked him how he came to see.
And he told them, "He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and now I see."
16Some of the Pharisees therefore were saying, "This man is not from God,
because he does not keep the Sabbath."
But others were saying, "How can a sinful man do such miracles?" So
there was a split among them.
17Then they are talking to the blind man again: "What do you say about
him? For it was your eyes he opened."
And he said, "He is a prophet."
18The result was the Jews did not believe about him that he used to be
blind and then saw; until they summoned the parents of the one who had
received his sight. 19And they questioned them, saying, "Is this your son,
the one you say was born blind? And if so, how does he now see?"
20His parents therefore answered and said, "We know that this is our son,
and that he was born blind. 21But how he now sees, we do not know. Or
who opened his eyes, we do not know. Ask him; he has majority. He will
speak for himself." 22His parents said these things because they were
fearing the Jews. For the Jews had already decided that anyone who
acknowledged Him to be the Christ would be put out of the synagogue.
23This is why his parents said, "He has majority; ask him."
24Then the man who had been blind they summoned a second time. And
they said to him, "Give credit to God. We know that this man is sinful." 106
25He then answered, "Whether he is sinful, I do not know. One thing I
know: Whereas I used to be blind, now I see."
105
Jn 9:14 The Mishnah, Tractate Shabbat, leaf 108, side 2, forbade treating ailments on the
Sabbath unless it were life threatening. In chapter 7 of tractate Shabbat, preparations
during the Sabbath of medications whose preparation activity would approximate the act
of “kneading” or “grinding” were forbidden. neading and grinding were extended to
many acts that were not kneading or grinding per se. The making of clay on the Sabbath
also was forbidden, since that was a part of “building.” MISHNA II.: The principal acts of
labor (prohibited on the Sabbath) are forty less one--viz.: Sowing, ploughing, reaping,
binding into sheaves, threshing, winnowing, fruit-cleaning, grinding, sifting, kneading,
baking, wool-shearing, bleaching, combing, dyeing, spinning, warping, making two spindle-
trees, weaving two threads, separating two threads (in the warp), tying a knot, untying a
knot, sewing on with two stitches, tearing in order to sew together with two stitches,
hunting deer, slaughtering the same, skinning them, salting them, preparing the hide,
scraping the hair off, cutting it, writing two (single) letters (characters), erasing in order to
write two letters, building, demolishing (in order to rebuild), kindling, extinguishing (fire),
hammering, transferring from one place into another. These are the principal acts of labor-
-forty less one.
106
9:24 Literally, "Give glory to God." Or give credit to God, that he knows the truth
anyway, so you might as well admit that this man is sinful. Give up on trying to hide the
truth from God.
Gospel of John
26They said therefore to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open
your eyes?"
27He answered them, "I told you already, and you didn't listen. Why do
you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?"
28And they ridiculed him and said, "You are the disciple of that one. We
are disciples of Moses. 29We know for sure that God has spoken to Moses;
but this fellow, we don't know where he comes from."
30The man answered and said to them, "Well, there certainly is something
strange in this, that you don't know where he comes from, and he opened
my eyes.107 31We know that God does not hear the sinful. But if someone is
God-fearing, and practicing his will, this kind he hears. 32Since time began,
reports have not been heard that someone opened the eyes of one born
blind. 33If this man were not from God, he would not have been able to do
anything."
34They answered and said to him, "You were born totally in sin, and you
are teaching us?" Then they threw him out.
Spiritual Blindness
35Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and finding him, he said, "Do
you believe in the Son of Man?" 108
36That one answered and said, "And who is he, sir, 109 so that I may believe
in him."
107
9:30 The reason it is strange, is because the Pharisees and the Traditions of the Elders
taught that there were 3 miracles that would prove that someone was the Messiah if one
performed them: 1, heal a leper; 2, heal a mute person; 3, heal a person who had been born
blind. In other words, they knew perfectly well, or should have known, that this man
performing this, had come from God as the Messiah. They also knew Daniel’s precise
timetable for the Messiah’s arrival. Here they had a man born in the right town,
Bethlehem, arriving at the right time, AND performing miracles that only the Messiah
could perform. So for them to say, “We don’t know where he comes from,” would be
strange at best, but a lie in reality. They did know.
108
9:35 txt υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ B D W itd syrs copsa,pbo,ach²,mf eth Or SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖
υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ A E L 047 070 0233 0250 0306 lat syrp,h TR RP ‖ lac. ⁴⁵ C N P Q T.
109
9:36
κα τίς ἐστιν ἔφη κ ριε ⁷⁵ B W
πεκρί η ἐκε νος κα τίς ἐστιν ἔφη κ ριε ⁶⁶*
πεκρί η ἐκε νος κα τίς ἐστιν κ ριε ⁶⁶c
κα ἔφη τίς ἐστιν κ ριε 070
πεκρί η κα τίς ἐστιν κ ριε ita
εἶπεν τίς ἐστιν κ ριε copsa,ach
πεκρί η ἐκε νος τίς ἐστιν κ ριε A
πεκρί η ἐκινος κα εἶπεν, κ ριε τίς ἐστιν ℵ*
πεκρί η ἐκινος κα εἶπεν κ ριε κα τίς ἐστιν ℵ¹
πεκρί η ἐκε νος κα εἶπεν τίς ἐστιν κ ριε L 0306 lat
πεκρί η ἐκε νος κα εἶπεν κα τίς ἐστιν κ ριε D E 047 0233 syrh
lac. ⁴⁵ C N P Q T. Verse 9:11 has πεκρί η ἐκε νος κα εἶπεν variants as well.
Gospel of John
37Jesus said to him, "Not only have you seen him, but he is the one talking
with you."
38And he said, "I believe, Lord." And he worshipped him. 110
39And Jesus said, "For judgment I have come into this world, so that those
not seeing may see, and that those seeing, may become blind."
40Some of the Pharisees heard these words, some who were with him, and
they said to him, "And us, we are not blind, are we?"
41Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sins. But as
you are now saying, 'We see,' your sins remain.
Chapter 10
The Good Shepherd
1"Truly, truly I say to you, someone not entering the sheep fold through
the door, but instead climbing up another way, that one is a thief and a
bandit. 2But the one entering through the door, is the shepherd of the
sheep. 3The doorkeeper opens for this one, and the sheep hear his voice.
And he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them forth. 4When he has
brought out all his own, he goes on before them, and the sheep follow him,
because they know his voice. 5But a stranger they will not follow, but will
flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."
6This parable Jesus told them, but they did not understand what the
principles were that he was speaking to them.
7Again therefore Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly I say to you, I am the
door of the sheep. 8All who came before me111 are thieves and bandits; but
the sheep did not hear them. 9I am the door. If anyone enters through me,
he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief
110
9:38 – 9:39a txt ὁ δὲ ἔφη, Πιστεύω, κύριε· καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτ . καὶ ε πεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ⁶⁶
ℵ² A B E L 0306 ‖ ὁ δὲ ἔφη, Πιστεύω, κύριε· καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτὸν. καὶ ε πεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς D ‖
ὁ δὲ ἔφη, Πιστεύω, κύριε· καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτ . καὶ ε πεν Ἰησοῦς 070 ‖ ὁ δὲ ε πεν,
Πιστεύω, κύριε· καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτ . καὶ ε πεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς 047 ‖ ὁ δὲ ἔφη, Πιστεύω, κύριε·
καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτ . καὶ ε πεν, Ναί, κύριε πεπίστευκα ὅτι σὺ ε ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ εἰς τὸν
κόσμον ἐρχόμενος. καὶ ε πεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς 0233 (c.f. Jn 11:27) ‖ omit ⁷⁵ ℵ* W itb,(1) copsams,ach²,mf ‖
omit vss 38 and 39 entirely Diatessaronv ‖ lac. ⁴⁵ C N P Q T. (Re the reading of 0233, the exact
words of Martha in 11:27 were: Ναί, κύριε· ἐγὼ πεπίστευκα ὅτι σὺ ε ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ
θεοῦ ὁ εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἐρχόμενος). The use of ἔφη is rare in John, but ⁶⁶ adds it in 9:36 and
⁷⁵ adds it in the same verse in a different place.
111
10:8 txt ηλθον προ εμου ⁶⁶ ℵ2a A B D L W itd vgmss syrh with * eth Or¾ Diddub Severian
Hesych; Luc Fautstus-Milevis Jer5/9 Aug1/6 SBL [NA28] {C} ‖ εισηλθον προ εμου 0250 ‖ ηλθον
προς εμου 0233 ‖ προ εμου ηλθον arm geo Diatessarm Velantiniansacc. to Hippolytus Or¼,lat;
Abrosiaster Greg-Elv Jer4/9 Aug2/6 TR ‖ ηλθον ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ ℵ*,2b E 047 ita,b,e,f,ff2,l,q,r1 vg syrs,p,pal
copsa,pbo,ach2 Diatesssyr Basil Chrys Cyr; Ps-Cypr Aug3/6 RP ‖ lac ⁴⁴ C P 070 0306
Gospel of John
does not come, except to steal, and to kill, and to ruin. I have come so they
might have life, and have it more.
11"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the
sheep. 12The wage earner, not being a shepherd, and for whom the sheep
are not his own, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and flees,
and the wolf seizes them and scatters them. 13For he is a wage earner,112 and
it matters not to him about the sheep.
14"I am the good shepherd, and I know mine, and mine know me. 15Just as
the Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the
sheep. 16Other sheep I also have, which are not of this fold; those also I am
to bring, and my voice they will hear, and the result will be one flock,113 one
shepherd. 17For this my Father loves me, that I lay down my life, such that I
will take it up again. 18No one takes it from me; I lay it down of myself. I
have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again; this
order I received from my Father."
19Because of these words, there was again a split among the Jews. 20Many
of them were saying, "He has a demon, and he's crazy. Why are you
listening to him?"
21Others were saying, "These are not the expressions of someone
demonized. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"
The Authorities Attempt Stoning for Claim of Equality With

God
22Then came the Festival of Dedication 114 at Jerusalem. It was winter,
112
10:13 txt ὅτι μισθωτός ἐστιν ⁴⁴Avid ⁴⁵ ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ B D L itd,e syrs,pal cop eth arm SBL TH
NA28 {\} ‖ W omits Ὁ δὲ μισθωτὸς φεύγει, but also ὅτι μισθωτός ἐστιν ‖ Ὁ δὲ μισθωτὸς ἐστιν
μισθωτὸς A* ‖ Ὁ δὲ μισθωτὸς φεύγει, ὅτι μισθός ἐστιν Ac ‖ Ὁ δὲ μισθωτὸς φεύγει, ὅτι
μισθωτός ἐστιν E 047f (φευγη) 0233 0250vid lat syrp,h goth TR RP ‖ lac. C N P Q T 070 0306.
Some say that Ὁ δὲ μισθωτὸς φεύγει was omitted by haplography. Others say that it was
added to clarify that it was not the wolf being spoken of as fleeing in v. 13, since the wolf
was the immediately prior subject.
113
10:16b The King James Version and most of the English translations before it, read "one
fold," even though not one single Greek manuscript says that. The KJV followed the
reading of the Latin Vulgate instead of the Greek, as is often the case in the Textus
Receptus.
114
10:22 Hanukkah, or Feast of Lights, an annual festival for eight days beginning on the
25th day of the month of Kislev. During the Seleucid Dynasty, (That is, either the reign of
one of the four generals of Alexander the Great, the one of the four generals who came to
rule Syria, or one of his descendants. He and his descendants are called the Seleucid kings)
one of the rulers, Antiochus Epiphanes, ransacked Jerusalem, and made observance of the
Sabbath, circumcision, and possession of Hebrew scriptures capital offenses. He abolished
Jewish worship, and pagan altars were erected in many cities of Judea. His edicts were
enforced by the utmost cruelty, and the climax of his sacrilege was when in December of
167 B.C. a female pig was sacrificed on the great altar of burnt offering in the temple area.
After Antiochus died, his successor made an agreement with Judas Maccabaeus that
Gospel of John
23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the Portico of Solomon. 24Then
the Jews surrounded him, and were saying to him, "How long are you
keeping our souls in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us clearly."
25Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works
that I am doing in the name of my Father, these testify for me. 26Yet, you are
not believing, because you are not of my sheep. 115 27My sheep hear my
voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28And I give to them eternal
life, and they will by no means perish, into all time, and no one will snatch
them out my hand. 29My Father, the one who gave them to me, he is greater
than all,116 and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30I
and the Father are one."

31Again, the Jews lifted up stones in order to stone him. 32Jesus responded
to them, "Many good works I have shown you from the Father. For which
work of them are you stoning me?"
33The Jews answered him,117 "Not for good works are we stoning you, but
for blasphemy, because you, being a human, are making yourself God." 118
34Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I have said, "You are
gods"'?119 35Why, since he called those to whom the word of God came
'gods,' and the scripture cannot be voided, 36do you say to the one the Father
has consecrated and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because he
said, 'I am the Son of God'? 37If I am not doing the works of my Father, do
included the purification and proper use of the temple. The rededication of the temple
took place in December, 164 B.C., exactly three years after it was defiled by the swine's
flesh. A feast to celebrate this restoration was instituted, and was kept annually from then
on. This was the Feast of Dedication, today called the festival of Hanukkah.
115
10:26 omit ⁶⁶c ⁷⁵ ℵ B L W itaur vg copsa,ach² arm geo¹,B Orgr,lat Apoll Cyr; Aug SBL TH NA28
{B} ‖ καθως ειπον υμιν A D E 047 0233 ita,b,d,e,f,ff²,l,r¹ syrs,p,h,(pal) coppbo eth geo Cyrlem TR RP ‖
καθως ειπον υμιν οτι ⁶⁶* ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P Q T
116
10:29b txt ὃς δέδωκέν μοι μείζων πάντων E 047 HF RP ‖ ὃ δέδωκέν μοι πάντων μεῖζων ℵ L
W ‖ ὃς έδωκέν μίζων πάντων ⁶⁶* ‖ ὃς έδωκέν μοι μίζων πάντων ⁶⁶c ‖ ὃς δέδωκέ μοι
πάντων μεῖζών TR ‖ ὅς ἐδωκέ.. ... ....των μεῖ..ν ⁷⁵ ‖ ὃς δέδωκέν μοι πάντων μεῖζόν Bc ‖ ὅς
δέδωκέν μοι μεῖζον πάντων Α ‖ ὃ δέδωκέν μοι πάντων μεῖζόν B* NA28 {D} ‖ ὃ δεδωκώς μοι
πάντων μείζων D ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P Q T 070 0233.
117
10:33a txt omit ⁴⁵ ⁶⁶ ℵ A B L W latt syr copsa SBL NA28 {/} ‖ λεγοντες D E 047 ite vgms mss
TR RP ‖ lac ⁷⁵ C N P Q T 070 0233
118
10:33b ποιεῖς σεαυτὸν θεόν This could also be translated, "you are reckoning yourself to
be God." For the verb ποιέω, "make," was sometimes used in mathematics just like we use
the word "make" in English sometimes: "two plus two makes four." It might also be
translated, "you are deeming yourself God," or, "you are calling yourself God."
119
10:34 Psalm 82:6, identical to the letter, to the Septuagint. And get a load of 81:1 (82:1 in
English) in the Septuagint: Ὁ θεὸς ἔστη ἐν συναγωγῇ θεῶν, ἐν μέσῳ δὲ θεοὺς διακρινεῖ -
"God stands in the assembly of gods, and in their midst, he judges gods." Some interpreters
take "gods" as figurative speech ascribing god-like power to human judges and rulers, as in
Psalm 58:1. It was widely held in the ancient world that the universe was judged by a
college of gods. So it is said that the Psalmists simply made use of the familiar figure of
speech.
Gospel of John
not believe me. 38And if I am doing them, even if you do not believe me,
believe the works, so that you may acknowledge and know 120 that the Father
is in me, and I in the Father." 39And again they were trying to arrest him.
And he got out of their grasp.
40And he went back to the other side of the Jordan, to the place where John
had earlier been baptizing, and he stayed there a while. 41And many came
to him. And they were saying, "Though John performed no miraculous
sign, everything John said about this man was true." 42And many there
believed in him.
Chapter 11
The Death of Lazarus
1Now a certain man was ailing, Lazarus from Bethany, the village of Mary
and her sister Martha. 2And the Mary who anointed the Lord with
perfumed ointment and wiped his feet off with her hair, was the one whose
brother was ailing. 3The sisters therefore sent to him, saying, "Lord, behold,
the one you love is ailing."
4And when he heard, Jesus said, "This sickness is not to death, but rather
for the glory of God, in order that the Son of God be glorified through it."
5(But Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.) 6When then he
heard that he was ailing, at that time he actually121 remained in the place in
which he was, for two days. 7Only then, after this, he says to the disciples,
"Let us go back to Judea."
120
10:38 txt καὶ γινώσκητε ⁴⁵ ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ itr1vid syrpal copsa,pbo,ach2 arm eth geo Ath Theodoretvid;
Hilary SBL NA28 {B} ‖ καὶ γεινωσκητε B TH ‖ καὶ γινωσκηται L ‖ καὶ γινωσκεται W ‖ καὶ
πιστεύσητε A Ec itaur,f vg syrp,h Basil Cyrlem John-Dam; Aug TR RP ‖ καὶ πιστευήτε ℵ ‖ omit D E*
(homoioteleuton) ita,b,d,e,ff2,l syrs Ps-Eustath Did Cyr; Tert Cypr Zen Ps-Prisc Niceta Chrom Varim
‖ lac C N P. John uses two different aspects of the same word for "know," γινώσκω -
ginōsko, the first, γνῶτε, being punctiliar in aspect, and the second, γινώσκητε - ginōskēte,
being linear or continuous in aspect. Later copyists appear to have considered the second
ginōsko to be redundant, and either replaced it with "believe," or they omitted any second
word entirely. It is easy to sympathize with them, for this earlier reading is hard to
interpret. Consult all the English translations, and you will see quite a variety of
renderings. The first, punctiliar 'know,' may be thought of as the point that you turn to
know, i.e., 'acknowledge or decide or want,' and the second, linear 'know' would be what
you do from that point on. The punctiliar form is generally just the unmarked, that is,
unremarkable form, and the linear form is the one needing interpreting. The punctiliar in
the subjunctive mood here just means that you come to know at some point.
121
11:6 Here is the particle μεν, supposedly anacoluthic, that is, not following through to its
expected conclusion, which in the case of μεν means without its usual complementary δε
following. However, I see it as complemented by the word ἔπειτα – épeita at the beginning
of verse 7. If this épeita were not complementary to μεν, then the phrase ἔπειτα μετὰ
τοῦτο, "thereupon after this," would be redundant, a "pleonasm." But that is not the sense
I get. I get the sense that a contrast is meant relative to the timing, in order to confirm the
unexpected behavior of Jesus.
Gospel of John
8The disciples are saying to him, "The Jews were just now trying to stone
you, and you are going back there?"
9Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of day? If someone walks
around in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this
world. 10But if someone walks around in the night, he stumbles, because the
light is not with him."
11He said these things. And after this, he is saying to them, "Our friend
Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going in order to wake him up."
12The disciples therefore said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, that will
help him." 13But Jesus had spoken of his death, whereas they thought he
was speaking of the repose of sleep.
14So then, Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus died. 15And for your sakes I
am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
16Then Thomas, the one called the Twin, said to the rest of the disciples,
"Let us go also, and die with him."
"I Am the Resurrection and the Life"

17Arriving therefore, Jesus found him already in the tomb four days since.
18Now Bethany was close to Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia apart, 122 19and
many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them regarding
their brother. 20When therefore Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she
went to meet him; but Mary stayed put in the house. 123
21Martha therefore said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother
would not have died. 22Even now, I know that whatever things you ask
God for, God will grant you."
23Jesus says to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24Martha says to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at
the last day."
25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection, and the life. The person who
believes in me, even though he dies, will live; 26and everyone who is living
and believes in me, will never die. Do you believe this?"
27She says to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the
Christ, the Son of God, the one expected to come into the world."
122
11:18 About 3 kilometers, less than 2 miles.
123
11:20 The Greek literally says, "But Mary was in the house sitting down." This is said to
be an idiom, meaning "Mary stayed put in the house." If this is true, then whether she was
standing, or pacing, or sitting down, is not the issue. This is similar to how the word for
"stand" sometimes means to "stop," or "stay still."
Gospel of John
28And having said this she went off, and discreetly invited her sister Mary,
as follows, "The Teacher is here, and is asking for you." 29That one then,
when she heard, quickly got up and was coming toward him. 30(Jesus had
not yet come into the village, but was still at the place where Martha had
met him.) 31The Jews therefore who were with Mary in the house and
consoling her, when they saw how she quickly got up and went out, they
followed her, thinking, "She is going to the tomb, to grieve there."
32Mary therefore, when she arrived where Jesus was, fell at his feet when
she saw him, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would
not have died."
33Then Jesus, when he saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with
her weeping, he heaved with deep emotion,124 and churned inside himself.
34And he said, "Where have you laid him?"
They are saying to him, "Lord, come and see."
35Jesus showed tears.
36The Jews therefore were saying, "See how he loved him."
37But some of them said, "Shouldn't he who opened the eyes of the blind
man, also have been able to make it so this man would not have died?"
Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead

38Then Jesus, again heaving inside himself, arrives at the tomb. And a
cave it was, and a stone was there, covering over it. 39Jesus says, "Take
away the stone."
Martha, the sister of the one who was dead, says, "Lord, by now he smells;
124
11:33 Greek: ἐνεβριμήσατο τ πνεύματι - "snorted in his spirit." The verb is
ἐμβριμάομαι - embrimáomai, of which there is a relatively small sampling in all of Greek
literature. In classical literature it was used a few times for the snorting of horses. Bible
occurrences are limited to Daniel 11:30 in some editions of the Septuagint, for "angered;"
Matt. 9:30 and Mark 1:43 for "sternly admonish;" and Mark 14:5 for "scold;" and other than
those, these two instances here in John 11:33, 38. I can well envision how a scolding or
stern warning can be a snorting of sorts. But how do you snort or scold in your spirit? The
main lexicons like Lidell & Scott; and Bauer; and the back of the UBS Greek text, say here it
means "be deeply moved." Bagster/Moulton says "to be greatly fretted or agitated." As for
snorting, humans are known to snort when heaving in crying and at the same time trying
to suppress the sobs. Snorts happen. It is significant to me that for the crying that Jesus
did in v. 35, John used the verb δακρύω - dakrúō, instead of one of the more usual words for
weeping or crying. With δακρύω there is more emphasis on the secretion or exuding of
fluid, than on the sound or other considerations like with the other verbs. I get the
impression that Jesus was holding his strong emotions in. I notice that Weymouth also, in
his translation, rendered this, "curbing the strong emotion of His spirit." Certainly, the
simple fact that John twice says the emotion was inside, "in his spirit," and "inside
himself," gives this credibility. There is somewhat of a trend in the most recent
translations to render this something more pertaining to anger. I do not agree with that.
Still, my rendering, "heaved with deep emotion" leaves room for that possibility.
Gospel of John
it is the fourth day."

40Jesus says to her, "Did I not tell you, that if you believed, you would see
the glory of God?"
41They therefore took away the stone. 125 And Jesus lifted his eyes
aboveward, and said, "Father, I thank you, that you have heard me. 42But I
already126 knew that you always hear me. Only for the sake of the crowd
standing around did I say this, so that they may believe that it was you who
sent me."
43And having said these things, he shouted out with a loud voice,
"Lazarus, come out!" 44The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound
up with bandages, and his face wrapped in a handkerchief.
Jesus says to them, "Untangle him and allow him to go."
Sanhedrin Decides Jesus Must Die

45Many of the Jews therefore, of those who had come to Mary and seen
what he did, believed in him. 46But some of them went to the Pharisees, and
told them what things Jesus had done. 47So the chief priests and the
Pharisees assembled a Sanhedrin.
And they were saying, "What are we doing, that this man is performing so
many signs? 48If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him,
and the Romans will come, and take away both our place127 and our nation."
49But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them,
"You people know nothing. 50Neither are you considering how it is
expedient for you128 that one man129 die for the people, and not the whole
125
11:41 txt λίθον ⁵⁹vid ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵vid ℵ B C* D L W 0233 lat syr copsa,ach² arm SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖
λιθον ου ην A 0250 itf syrh ‖ λίθον οὗ ἦν ὁ τεθνηκὼς κειμένος C³ E 047 TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ N P Q
T 070.
126
11:42 ᾔδειν, pluperfect of ο δα – oîda. No word "already" is actually present here, but the
point of the pluperfect is that Jesus had already known before he asked.
127
11:48 Perhaps, "our place of worship," or temple.
128
11:50a txt υμιν ⁴⁵ ⁶⁶ B D L 0233 ita,aur,b,d,e,ff²,l vgcl Orlat Josippus Chryslem SBL TH NA28 {B}
‖ ημιν A E W 047 065 0250 itf,r¹ vgst,ww syrs,p,h,pal copsamss,ach² arm eth geo Or Eustath Cyr¾
Hilary Aug3/9 TR RP ‖ omit ℵ copsams,pbo Chryscom Cyr¼ Theod Ambrose Aug6/9 Jerome Photius
‖ lac ⁶ ⁵⁹ ⁷⁵ C N P 070. The UBS Textual Commentary: "The second person pronoun is
strongly supported...and is in accord with the tone of contempt represented by the closing
words of ver. 49. The omission of the pronoun in ℵ and a few other witnesses may be
accidental or under the influence of 18:14." Note that in John 12:19, the Pharisees have a
similar strange way of talking to each other in the 2nd person although perhaps including
themselves: 'Then the Pharisees said to each other, "Observe, that you are not prevailing at
all. Behold, the world has gone after him!" '
129
11:50b Greek ἄνθρωπος - ánthrōpos, the primary meaning of which is "human being,"
such that the primary meaning here is that "one human being in our nation die on behalf
of the whole nation." Yet, the goat which was to be sacrificed on behalf of the whole
people, to make atonement for the whole nation, to which John is connecting this passage,
Gospel of John
nation perish."
51But this, from himself he did not say. But rather, being high priest that
year, he prophesied, that Jesus was about to die for the nation. 52And not
for the nation only, but such that the children of God scattered about, he
would gather also, into one people.130
53Thus from that time on they were resolved that they would kill him.
54Therefore, Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but departed
from there to an area next to the desert, to a town called Ephraim, and there
he stayed, along with his disciples.131
55But then the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to
Jerusalem from out of the country before the Passover, to purify themselves.
56They were watching for Jesus therefore, and speaking with one another, as
they stood in the temple, "How does it seem to you? That he is not coming
to the festival at all?" 57Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given
orders, that if anyone knew where he was, he should report it, so that they
might arrest him.
Chapter 12
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
1Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where
Lazarus132 was, whom Jesus133 had raised from the dead. 2So they made a
supper for him there, and Martha was serving, and Lazarus was one of
those reclining with him. 3Then Mary, having taken a litre134 of expensive
ointment of pure oil of nardroot, anointed the feet of Jesus, and with her
hair, she wiped his feet. And the house was filled with the smell of the
was to be a goat male of sex, Leviticus 16:5-10, as was also the scapegoat, and the sin
offering was a ram, a male sheep. See also Leviticus 9:3, 15. The Passover lamb or kid, also,
was to be male in sex, Exodus 12:5. Therefore, it did not seem appropriate to change the
traditional reading over to a gender neutral one.
130
11:52 Ephesians 3:6; 2:15; John 10:16; I John 2:2; Romans 4:9,12; 11:25,26; Gal. 3:26-29; 6:16;
Eph. 2:19,20; Rev. 21:9-14
131
11:54 This verse is another indication that the author of this gospel sometimes uses the
term "the Jews" as referring to the Judeans, or the inhabitants of Judea and Jerusalem. See
the endnote at the end of this document discussing the term "the Jews."
132
12:1a txt omit ℵ B L W 0218 ita,aur,e,r¹ syrp,pal copsa,pbo eth Orlat Amph Chrys Chromvid SBL
TH NA28 {A} ‖ ο τεθνηκως ⁶⁶ A D E 065 047 0217vid 0233 0250 itb,d,f,ff² vg syrs,h ,ach,ach²
arm geo Ps-Eustathius Cyrlem Aug TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ C N P 070
133
12:1b txt εκ νεκρων ο ιησους A D E L W 047 065 0217vid 0233 TH ‖ εκ νεκρων ιησους ⁶⁶ B
SBL NA28 {\} ‖ ιησους εκ νεκρων ℵ* ‖ ο ιησους εκ νεκρων ℵ² ‖ εκ νεκρων it copsamss TR RP
‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ C N P 070
134
12:3 In modern litres, about one half litre, or about a pint. The litra was a loanword
from the Latin libra, for "pound," a 12-ounce pound.
Gospel of John
ointment.
4But Judas the Keriothite, one of his disciples, the one about to betray him,
says, 5"Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii 135 and
given to the poor?" 6But he said this not because it mattered to him about
the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag, he
would steal from what was put in.
7Jesus said therefore, "Leave her alone. It was that she kept it for the day
of my burial.136 8The poor you always have with you, but me, you do not
always have."
135
12:5 About a year's wages.
136
12:7 txt ινα...τηρηση "so she may keep it for the day of my burial" or "it was that she
keep it for the day of my burial" ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ B D E L Q W 0217vid lat syrs,hmg cop arm SBL TH
NA28 {\} ‖ τετηρηκεν "she has kept it for the day of my burial" A 047 065 0233 itf syrp,h TR
RP ‖ omit vss 7,8 0250 (h.t. ειπενουν-εγνωουν) ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P 070 0218. Some interpreters
say there are two narrative uncertainties here: (1) as to whether Mary poured out the
entire bottle on Jesus at this time and place; (2) as to which Mary this was and was she at
the tomb. The Luke story seems to indicate Mary of Magdala, the prostitute, but here in
John it seems to be Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, assuming those are
two different people. Was this Mary sister of Lazarus at the burial preparation later? But I
do not think the latter question matters, since the Mark account explains that. In Mark
14:8 it says προέλαβεν μυρίσαι τὸ σῶμά μου εἰς τὸν ἐνταφιασμόν, she was early to prepare
me for burial, or she did it ahead of time. So, this Mary did not have to be in the group on
the day Jesus died. Furthermore, other gospel accounts, though they name a few of the
women that wanted to anoint Jesus' body, they state that there were other unnamed
women with those as well. Mt 27:55: "Many women..., among whom were..." Lk 23:55 just
says "women." (Lk 24:1, the same group of women previously talked about, also later came
to the tomb intending to anoint.) So, Mary of Bethany could have been one of those
women. But ultimately, it was only Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus who ever actually
anointed Jesus' body with anything. As for the first question, did the woman pour out the
whole bottle at the banquet, I don't see that as being solved with either reading. In the
BYZ, Jesus could be understood as saying, "Leave her alone. She has kept it (the remainder)
for the day of my burial." So, either reading could be interpreted that she still has some left
for the day of his burial. Another thing to consider is that the word ἐνταφιασμός can also
mean "preparation" for burial. Therefore this event could have been this Mary's
idiosyncratic way of ceremonially preparing Jesus' for burial. In fact, that is what the
gospel of Mark says, she did it ahead of time. The NA28 reading is perceived as the more
difficult reading. Two conjectural emendations have been suggested: P. Schmiedel:
ινα...ποιησῃ, "so that she may prepare me for the day of my burial." And W. ühne, ινα
τι...τηρησῃ, "Why should she keep it for the day of my burial?" Note that a recent Bible
translation, the Holman Christian Standard Bible, went with the Byzantine reading here,
perhaps because they perceived the NA28 reading too difficult? The NRSV adds words as
follows: "She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial." This interprets
the ἵνα as relating to her purchase, rather than the reason she should be left alone now by
the disciples. The NIV says, "It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day
of my burial," with 'It was intended' in lower brackets. Weymouth: "allow her to have kept
it for the time of my preparation for burial." But I think that more difficulty was percieved
in the NA28 reading than is really there, and that the NA28 reading says that this Mary,
whoever she was, intended to use the rest of the nardroot on Jesus on the day of his actual
burial (though she never got a chance to do so). This still does not contradict Mark, since
here she still poured out some of it ahead of time. Judas' objection to her use of it cannot
be trusted as a valid indicator of whether she poured all of it out at this time, since he was
insincere and incorrect. Both of the two main readings can be interpreted as Mary saving
part of the nard for the future day of burial. But the NA28 reading is perceived as too
difficult, because Jesus, being the all-knowing son of God, would not have said let her save
it for my burial, when in fact only the two men will ever anoint his body. For this reason it
seems more likely that the BYZ reading is an amelliorating of the difficulty. The reading of
Family 13 with ὁτι instead of ἱνα is a clue as well.
Gospel of John
9Then the137 great crowd of the Jews found out that he was there, and they
came, not only because of Jesus, but also that they might see Lazarus, whom
he had raised from the dead. 10So the chief priests resolved that they would
kill Lazarus also, 11for many of the Jews were going out because of him, and
then believing in Jesus.
The Triumphal Entry

12The next day, the great crowd that had come for the festival, hearing that
Jesus is arriving into Jerusalem, 13took the fronds of palm trees, and went
out into a merging with him. And they were crying out:
"Hosha na!’ 138

name of the Lord,139
the king of Israel!’
14And Jesus, having found a young donkey, took his seat upon it, just as it is
written:
15"Fear not, O daughter of Zion;

Behold, your king is coming
sitting on the foal of a donkey."140
16These things his disciples did not know at first, but once Jesus was
glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written in
reference to him, and that these things they had done to him.
17The crowd therefore, the one that had been with him when he called
Lazarus from the tomb and raised him from the dead, had been bearing
137
12:9 Anaphoric article, referring back to the crowd already mentioned as having come up
to the area in preparation for the Passover.
138
12:13a Ὡσαννά = Aramaic ‫ֹהוׁשע ָנ‬ℵ - hōšaʻ nāʼ, similar to the Hebrew ‫ֹהוׁשיעָ ֹה ָּנ‬ℵִ -
hōšîʻāh nāʼ, an expression reminiscent of the ָ‫ֹהוׁשִׁ֣יעָ ֹה ּנ‬ℵ
ִ in Psalm 118:25 meaning "Help"
or "Save, I pray," an appeal that became a liturgical formula, and as part of the Hallel (Ps.
113-118), it was familiar to everyone in Israel. The Septuagint Psalm 117:25 has Ὦ Κύριε,
σῶσον δὴ - Ō úrie, sōson dē, "O Lord, save now!" or "Save indeed!" No doubt some in the
crowd accompanying him expected him, as the Messiah ben David, to literally "save now,"
and deliver them from the Romans and set up the kingdom of David.
139
12:13b Psalm 118:26
140
12:15 Zechariah 9:9
Gospel of John
witness. 18Because of this141 the crowd had come out to join him, that they
had understood him to have done this sign. 19Then the Pharisees said to
each other, "Observe, that you are not prevailing at all. Behold, the world
has gone after him!"
Jesus Ponders Crucifixion

20And among those going up to worship at the festival, were some Greeks.
21These, then, came up to Philip, he from Bethsaida, Galilee. And they
beseeched him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." 22Philip comes and tells
Andrew; Andrew and Philip come and tell Jesus.
23And Jesus responds to them as follows: "The hour has come, that the Son
of Man should be glorified. 24Truly, truly I say to you, if a kernel of wheat
does not fall to the ground and die, it remains only one; but if it dies, it bears
much fruit. 25The person who loves his life loses it, and the one who hates
his life in this world will preserve it into eternal life. 26If someone is serving
me, he must follow me; and where I am, there also my servant will be. If
someone is serving me, my Father will honor him.
27"Now, my soul has become troubled. And what shall I say– 'Father, save
me from this hour?' No, for this very thing I have arrived to this hour."
28"Father, glorify your name."
Then a voice came from heaven: "I both have glorified it, and will glorify
again." 29The crowd therefore standing and hearing was maintaining
thunder to have happened. Others were saying, "An angel spoke to him."
30Jesus answered and said, "Not for my sake has this voice happened, but
for you. 31Now comes judgment of this world. Now the ruler of this world
will be thrown out. 32And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will attract all
mankind to me." 33Now this he was saying signaling what manner of death
he was about to die.
34The crowd then responded to him: "We have heard out of the law that
the Christ remains for ever, so how is it you are saying that the Son of Man
is to be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"
35Jesus therefore said to them, "The light is among you 142 a little while
141
12:18 txt υπηντησεν αυτω ο οχλος ⁶⁶* ⁷⁵c E it coppbo ‖ υπηντησεν αυτω οχλος ⁷⁵* ‖
υπηντησεν αυτω και ο οχλος B* ‖ και υπηντησεν αυτω και ο οχλος B¹ ‖ και υπηντησεν αυτω
ο οχλος ⁶⁶c A L Q 0233 itaur,f vg syrh copsa (NA28 [και]) {/} ‖ και υπηντησαν αυτω οχλος W ‖
και υπηντησεν αυτω οχλος πολυς ℵ ‖ και υπηντησαν αυτω οχλοι D ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P 047 070
142
12:35 txt εν υμιν "among you" ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ B D L W SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ μεθ υμων "with you"
A E syrs,p coply,pbo TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁵⁹ C N P Q T 047 070 0233
Gospel of John
longer. Walk, while you have the light, so that darkness does not overtake
you. For the person walking in darkness does not know where he is going.
36While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may be children
of light."
Jesus spoke these things, then went away and was hidden from them.
The Authorities Continue in Unbelief

37But, though having done so many signs right in front of them, they were
not believing in him, 38so that the word of Isaiah the prophet would be
fulfilled, which said,
"Lord, who has believed our report?

And the arm of the Lord,
to whom has it been revealed?"143
39Because of this they were not able to believe: that again, Isaiah said,
40"He has blinded their eyes,

and he has hardened their hearts,
so that they would neither see
with their eyes,
nor understand with their hearts,
nor look back around,
such that I would heal them."144
41(Isaiah said these things, because145 he saw Jesus' glory, so he spoke about
him.)
42Even so, many even of the rulers believed in him. But, because of the
Pharisees, they were not confessing it, for fear they would be put out of the
synagogue. 43For:
They loved the approval
143
12:38 Isaiah 53:1
144
12:40 Isaiah 6:10
145
12:41 txt ὁτι ⁶⁶ ⁷⁵ ℵ A B L ite syrpal copsa,pbo,ach² arm eth geo¹ Cyr⅔ SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖
ὁτε D E ita,aur,b,d,f,ff²,r¹ vg syrs,p,h geo² Orlat Eus Marcellus Greg-Nyss Diddub Chrys Cyr⅓ John-
Dam; Hilary Ambrosiast Ambr Jer Aug Varim Ps-Vig TR RP ‖ επει W ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁵⁹ C N P Q T
047 070 0233
Gospel of John
of human beings
over and above
the approval of God.146
44But Jesus cried out, and said, "The person believing in me is not believing
in me but in the one who sent me, 45and the one looking upon me, is looking
upon the one who sent me. 46I have come into the world as a light, so that
everyone believing in me may not abide in darkness.
47"And if someone hears my sayings and does not keep them, 147 I do not
judge him. For I did not come in order to judge the world, but to save the
world. 48The person rejecting me and not believing my statements, has
what judges him: the word which I spoke, that will judge him at the last
day. 49For I from myself have not spoken; rather, the Father who sent me,
he has given me commandment, what I should say, and how I should
speak. 50And I know, that his commandment means eternal life. Therefore,
what things I speak, just as the Father has said them to me, I speak them just
so."
Chapter 13
The Passover Supper
1And before the Festival of Passover, Jesus, aware that the hour had come
for him to pass on from this world to the Father, and having loved those of
his own in the world, loved them to the end. 2And supper having started,148
with the devil having already put it in the heart of Judas son of Simon of
Kerioth to betray him, 3and aware that the Father had given all things into
his hands, and that he had come forth from God and to God he was going,
4Jesus rises from the supper and lays down his clothing, and taking a towel,
146
12:43 The words are in the character of a solemn pronouncement or verdict.
147
12:47 txt ακουση...και μη φυλαξη "hears and does not keep" ⁶⁶* ⁷⁵ ℵ A B L vg syr
copsams,cw arm DiatessEphrem SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ακουση...και φυλαξη "hears and keeps" ⁶⁶c
D 070 it vgms copsamss,pbo ‖ ακουση...και μη πιστευση "hears and does not believe" E 047 0233
0250 itq syrhmg TR RP ‖ ακουση...και πιστευση "hears and believes" S 0211 1424*(Swanson) ‖
μη ακουση...μηδε φυλαξη "neither hears nor keeps" W ‖ lac ⁴⁵ C N P Q T
148
13:2 txt γενομενου ⁶⁶ ℵ² A D E 047 0233 ita,aur,b,e,f,ff²,l,q vg Chrys Severian Cyrlem; Aug
Spec TR RP ‖ γινομενου ℵ* B L W 070 itd,(r¹) arm eth Or SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ ______νου ⁷⁵ ‖
lac ⁴⁵ C N P. I have translated the Byz variant as an inceptive aorist, "and supper having
started." The KJV rendering, "And supper being ended," must mean that the part of
actually eating was finished; but Jesus and the disciples remained in the celebration for
hours after this, for chapters, so I think it is doubtful that the meal was finished. My
rendering "and supper having started," essentially means the same as the Alexandrian
reading, "during supper."
Gospel of John
he fastened it around himself. 5Then, he is putting water into a basin. And

he began to wash the feet of the disciples, and to wipe them off with the
towel in which he was girded.
6Thus he comes to Simon Peter. Who says to him, "Lord, You are washing
my feet?"
7Jesus answered, and said to him, "What I am doing, you do not know yet,
but after these things, you will know."
8Peter says to him, "No way will you ever wash my feet."
Jesus answered him, "Unless I wash you, you have no place with me."
9Simon Peter says to him, "Lord. Not just my feet, but my hands and my
head as well."
10Jesus says to him, "One who is bathed has no need, except for the feet, to
wash, but is clean on the whole. And you men are clean; though not all of
you." 11For he already knew of the one betraying him; for this reason he
said, "Not all of you are clean."
12When therefore he had washed their feet and taken his clothes and
reclined again, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done for you?
13You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly you say so, for I am. 14If
therefore I, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought
to wash the feet of one another. 15For I have given an example for you, so
that just as I have done, you also might do. 16Truly, truly I say to you: A
servant is not greater than his lord, neither an emissary greater than the one
who sent him. 17Since these things you are knowing, blessed are you if you
do them.
18"I am not speaking about all of you; I know whom I have chosen; but, so
that the scripture is fulfilled, 'Someone eating my bread has lifted up his
heel against me.'149
19 "Yes indeed: 150 I am telling you before it happens, so that when it
149
13:18 Psalm 41:9
150
13:19a Greek: ἀπαρτὶ - apartì. Most Greek NT editions (TR HF RP SBL NA28, but not TH)
have ἀπ’ ἄρτι – ap' árti, which if it were two separate words, would mean, "from now."
(The original Greek manuscripts were all-capital letters, and there were no punctuation
marks or spaces, so APARTI could be understood as either one word APARTI, or AP' ARTI, a
contraction for APO ARTI.) If however as DeBrunner says, it was originally one word,
“ἀπαρτὶ,” before the diacritics and spaces were added, then it could mean something
similar to "amen." Or, it could also mean adverbially, "exactly," as in "I am telling you
exactly before it happens, so that..." As for the rendering, "from now on," this would seem
a strange juncture at which to say that, since Judas was only a few hours away from doing
it. How many times "from now on" in the next hour or so was he going to predict it? The
awkwardness of this "from now on" idea is reflected by the various translations' attempts
to get around it. Some (Weymouth, JB Philips, CB Williams, Beck) got around the problem
of predicting the one event "from now on," by pluralizing and generalizing it, i.e., "from
now on I will tell you things ahead of time, so that when they happen..." Others (KJV, NKJV,
Gospel of John
happens, you may believe who I am. 151 20Truly, truly I say to you, The
person who accepts whomever I send, is accepting me; and the person who
accepts me, is accepting the One who sent me."
21When he had said these things, Jesus was disturbed in his spirit, and he
testified, and he said, "Truly, truly I say to you: One of you will betray me."
22The disciples were looking at one another, puzzling over about whom he
was speaking. 23 One of his disciples was reclining in the bosom of Jesus, the
one Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore nods to this one to inquire of Jesus
24
about whom he was speaking.152 25That one therefore simply leaned back
onto the chest of Jesus and says to him, "Lord, who is it?"
26Jesus replied, "It is that one for whom I shall dip and give the piece of
bread." After dipping the piece of bread therefore, he takes it and gives it to
Judas, the son of Simon of Kerioth.153
27And after the bread transaction, at that time Satan entered into that one.
Then Jesus says to him, "What you are doing, do quickly."
28But none of those reclining knew why he said this to him. 29For some
thought that since Judas was in charge of the money bag, Jesus was telling
him, "Buy things we need for the festival," or, that he should give something
to the poor. 30When therefore that one had taken the piece of bread, he
immediately went out. And it was night.
Where Is Jesus Going?

31Then after he had gone out, Jesus says, "Now is the Son of Man glorified,
and in him God is glorified. 32If God is glorified in him,154 God will also
Darby, RSV, ESV, JB, NIV, NLT, JNT, REB, NRSV) coped with it by dropping out the "from" of
ἀπό altogether. These rendered it something like, "I am telling you now before it
happens..." And thirdly, there are the translations (Young's, ASV, Recovery, NASB, NAB)
that left it, "from now on," and also singular as the Greek says, awkward as it may be. See
also Rev. 14:13, where DeBrunner says it was originally one word, ἀπαρτὶ, and it would
make sense that ναί (yes) was added by later copyists as a replacement for the same idea.
151
13:19b Or, "you may believe that I am he," or, "may believe that I AM," or, "may believe
that I am who I am."
152
13:24 Other manuscripts (B C L X 068) read: Simon Peter therefore nods to this one, and
says to him, "Say who it is." Codex Sinaiticus has a longer variation of the latter.
153
13:26 txt Ἰσκαριώτου ℵ Β C L 068 0233 vgs(st,ww) eth Or SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ απο Καρυωτου
D ‖ Ἰσκαριώτῃ ⁶⁶ A W 047 latt syr cop TR RP ‖ lac ⁷⁵ N P Q T. The BYZ reading would
rendered "Judas of Kerioth, son of Simon" while the UBS reading would be "Judas, son of
Simon of Kerioth." And the reading of Codex D would be "Judas of Kerioth, son of Simon
from Kerioth."
154
13:32 txt εἰ ὁ θεὸς ἐδοξάσθη ἐν αὐτ καὶ ℵ¹ A C¹ E 047 0233 ite,f,q,r¹ vg syrp copsa,pbo arm
eth geo(¹) Orlem; Hilary Ps-Prisc Aug½ Ps-Vigil½ TR [TG] RP SBL [NA28] {C} ‖ καὶ ⁶⁶ ℵ* B C* D
L W ita,aur,b,d,ff²,l vgmss syrs,h,pal pt,ach²,mf Cyril Theodoret; Tert Ambr Aug½ PsVigil½ WH TH ‖
lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ N P Q T 068 070.
Gospel of John
glorify the Son in himself, and glorify him at once.

33 "Children, I am with you only a little while longer. You will seek me,
and just as I said to the Jews, I now say to you also: 'Where I am going, you
are not able to come.'
34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I
have loved you, so you also should love one another. 35By this will
everyone know that you are my disciples: if you have love among one
another."
36 Simon Peter says to him, "Lord, where are you going?"
Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you are not able to follow me now, but
you will follow155 later."
37 Peter says to him, "Why am I not able to follow you now? I will lay
down my life for you."
38 Jesus answers, "You will lay down your life for me? Truly, truly I say to
you, a rooster will not crow, until such time you deny me three times.
Chapter 14
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me. 2In
my Father's house there are many abodes. Otherwise, would I have told
you that I am going to prepare a place for you?156 3And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come back and take you in with myself, so that where I
am, there you may be also. 4And where I am going, you know the way." 157
Jesus the Way to the Father

5Thomas says to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going—158 how
is it we know the way?"159
6Jesus says to him, "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes
to the Father except through me. 7If you have come to know me, you will
155
13:36 txt omit ⁶⁶ ℵ B A C* L W 0233 itaur,e,f,ff²,q,r¹ syrp,h SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ μοι D E 047
itb,d copsa TR RP ‖ lac ⁷⁵
156
14:2 See chapter 13 verse 36.
157
14:4 txt οιδατε την οδον ⁶⁶c ℵ B C* L Q W ita,r¹vid copsams,pbo SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ οιδατε
και την οδον οιδατε ⁶⁶* A D E N 047 itaur,b,d,e,f,ff²,q vg syrs,p,h,pal copsamss,ach² arm ethpp
geo Chrys Cyrlem; Ambr Aug TR RP ‖ lac ⁷⁵ 060 068 0233
158
14:5a txt omit ⁶⁶ B C*vid L W ita,b syrs copsamss,ach²,pbo SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ και ℵ A C² D E N
Q 047 lat syrp,h copsamss TR RP ‖ lac ⁷⁵ 060 068 0233
159
14:5b txt οιδαμεν την οδον B C* ita,b,e (copsams,pbo) TG WH NA25 ‖ την οδον οιδαμεν D ‖
δυναμεθα την οδον ειδεναι ⁶⁶ A C² E N Q W 047 lat syrp,h copsa,ach² TR RP SBL TH NA28
{/} ‖ την οδον ειδεναι δυναμεθα ℵ ‖ lac ⁷⁵ 0233
Gospel of John
come to know my Father as well; indeed, from now on you know him, and
have seen him."
8Philip says to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and that will satisfy us."
9Jesus says to him, "All this time I have been with you, and you have not
come to know me, Philip? The person who has seen me has seen the Father;
how is it you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Do you not believe that I am in
the Father and the Father is in me? The statements which I say to you I do
not speak from myself, but the Father abiding in me is doing his works. 160
11Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. But if not,
believe because of those works. 12The person who believes in me, truly,
truly I say to you, the works that I do, that one also shall do, and even
greater than these shall do, because I am going to the Father. 13Indeed,
whatever you shall request in my name, this I will do, so that the Father
may be glorified in the Son. 14If you ask me161 for something in my name, I
will do it.
Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

15"If you love me, you will keep162 my commandments. 16And I will ask
the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be ever
with you, 17the Spirit of truth, which the world is unable to receive, because
it neither perceives him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides
among you, and will be163 in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I am
coming to you. 19Just a little while longer and the world will be seeing me
no more; but you will be seeing me. Because I will be living, you also will
live. 20In that day you will know, that I am in my Father, and you in me,
and I in you. 21The person who has my commandments and also keeps
160
14:10 See Isaiah 26:12, "Yahweh, you will establish peace for us, since you have also
performed for us all our works." And Galatians 2:20, "I am no longer living, but Christ lives
in me; and what life I now live in the flesh, I am living by faith in the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself up for me."
161
14:14a txt με "me" ⁶⁶ ℵ B E W 060 itf vg syrp,h RP SBL TH NA28 {B} ‖ omit A D L Q
it a,aur,d,e,q,r ¹ vgmss copsa,pbo,ach²,fay eth Cyrillem; Vict-Rome Aug⅔ TR ‖ omit entire verse itb vgms
syr s,pal arm geo Diatessf,l,t ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ C N P T 047 0233.
162
14:15 txt τηρήσετε (fut ind act 2nd pl) B L copsa,pbo,ach²,fay geo² Euseb½ Theodore-Heraclea
Meletius Macarius/Symeion½ Epiph Chrysostcom Cyrilcom SBL TH NA28 {C} ‖ τηρήσητε (aor
subj act 2nd pl) ⁶⁶ ℵ 060 arm geo¹ Cyril ‖ τηρησηται ⁶⁶ ‖ τηρήσατε (aor imper act 2nd pl)
A D E Q ita,aur,b,d,e,f,ff²,q,r¹ vg Orlat Euseb½ Basil Dyddub Macarius/Symeion½ Chrysostlem Cyrillem
Novat Vict-Rome Lucifer Ambrosiast Hegem Ambr Jer Aug Sepc Ps-Vigilius TR RP ‖ lac ⁷⁵ C
N P 0233.
163
14:17 txt εσται ⁶⁶c ℵ A E L Q TR RP ΝΑ27 {C} ‖ εστιν ⁶⁶* B D* W goth WH ‖ εστειν Dc ‖ lac
⁷⁵ C N P T 047 060 070 0233.
Gospel of John
them, that is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me, will be
loved by my Father, and I also will love him, and will reveal myself to him."
22Judas (not the Keriothite) says to him, "Lord, and on what basis is it that,
to us, you intend to reveal yourself, and not to the world?"
23Jesus answered, and said to him, "If someone loves me, he will keep my
word, and my Father will love him; and we will come to him, and make our
abode with him. 24One who does not love me will not keep my word. And
the word that you are hearing is not mine, but the Father's, who sent me.
25"These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26But the
Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, that one
will teach you all things, and remind you of all the things I have said to you.
27"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives,
do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
28"You heard how I said to you, 'I am going away, and will be coming to
you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, for
the Father is greater than I. 29And now I have told you, before it happens,
so that when it happens, you will believe. 30I will not speak with you much
longer, for the ruler of this world is coming. And he has no pull in me;
31but, just as the Father has commanded me, this I do, so that the world may
know that I love the Father.
"Arise, let us leave here."
Chapter 15
"I Am the Vine, You Are the Branches"
1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer. 2 Every branch in me
bearing no fruit, he removes, and every branch bearing the fruit, he cleans,
so it may bear more fruit. 3You are now clean, because of the word which I
have spoken to you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. Just as the branch is not
able to bear fruit from itself, unless it abides in the vine, in the same way
neither are you, unless you abide in me.
5"I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in me and I in
him, this one bears much fruit, for without me you can produce nothing. 6If
someone does not abide in me, he is thrown aside like the branch that164 is
164
15:6 Greek: καί, as substitute for ὅτι - hóti, "that." A colloquialism drawn from Hebrew.
As for "the branch," I believe the article is anaphoric, referring back to something either
previously mentioned or that is otherwise familiar to the reader, and that would be verse 2
in this chapter, the branch bearing no fruit. It is said that vine growers when they pruned
would hang the trimmings aside and dry them, for later use as fuel in their fires. Another
Gospel of John
withered; and they gather such and cast them in the fire, and they are
burned. 7If you abide in me, and my sayings abide in you, ask 165 whatever
you will, and it will happen for you. 8In this my Father is glorified, that you
bear much fruit, and be166 my disciples.167
9"Just as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you; abide ye in my
love. 10If you keep my commandments, you are abiding in my love, just as I
have kept my Father's commandments and am abiding in his love. 11These
things I have spoken to you, so that my joy may be 168 in you, and that your
joy may be full. 12This is my commandment: that you love one another, as I
have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: that one lay down one's
life for one's friends. 14You are my friends, if you practice the things I am
commanding you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does
15
not know what his lord is doing. But you I have called friends, because all
things that I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you. 16You
have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and appointed you, that you go
and bear fruit, and that your fruit might abide, so that whatever you ask the
Father in my name, it may be granted to you. 17These instructions I am
reference of the anaphoric article could be to the principle as in Isaiah 56:3, where the
eunuch says, "I am only a dry tree." For "dry" is an antonym of "fruitful." Contrast this to
Psalm 1:3, where a tree with plenty of water produces fruit in season, and its leaves do not
wither. The anaphoric article could also be referring back to John 15:2, to "the unfruitful
branch." (See also Psalm 80:15-16.) The dry branch became dry in the first place because it
did not abide in the vine. At the same time, one could gather from this that the branch
dried up after it was pruned off. The simple language of John can lead you in many
directions, and this may be intentional on the part of God. Whether a branch can be "on
the vine" and yet not be "abiding in the vine" is the question. This does seem to be the case
here. For every branch starts out "on the vine," but Jesus says that some are cut off for the
very fact that they are unfruitful. In nature, a branch can still be connected, and yet be
unfruitful or wither, if something has interrupted the flow of the sap from the trunk, or if
something has diseased only that branch. Now, in the phrase "they gather αὐτὰ," the topic
is neuter plural, which can take a singular verb. I translated αὐτὰ as "such" because I insist
the topic is still generally "the" unfruitful branch of 15:2. By the way, FYI, in the phrase,
"he is thrown aside," the aorist is a "gnomic" aorist. (Normally the aorist would be
rendered, “he was thrown aside.”) A gnomic aorist expresses an action that is valid for all
time; either because it fills the void left by the non-existent perfective present, or because
the author had some real example in mind when he is telling a parable narrative. And we
do have a mini parable here. (Re. gnomic aorists, see BDF §333, which specifically mentions
John 15:6,8.) Cross-references for this passage: Ps. 80:15-16; Ez. 15:4-6; 19:10; Matt. 3:10.
165
15:7 txt αιτησασθε ⁷⁵ A B D L 0233 ita,f SBL NA28 {/} ‖ αιτησεσθε ℵ E 047 vg TR RP ‖ lac
⁶⁶ C N P T W
166
15:8a txt γενησθε (aor subj) ⁶⁶ B D L 0250 it vg Amphil Chrys½ Cyrcomm Aug SBL TH
NA28 {C} ‖ sitis (pres subj) ita,d,e,q,r¹ ‖ efficiamini (pres pass subj) "be made, be proven"
itaur,b,ff² ‖ possitis fieri "be able to become" itf ‖ γενησεσθε (fut ind) ℵ A E 047 0233 syr
Chrys½ Cyrlem TR RP ‖ lac ⁷⁵ C N P T W
167
15:8b Compare the parable of the wheat and the tares, Matt. 13:26, Diatessaron 11:27,
where the species of plant was not evident until they bore fruit. Until the seed heads
appeared, the wheat and zizania plants looked exactly alike.
168
15:11 txt η A B D 0233 lat syr copsa SBL NA28 {/} ‖ μεινη ℵ E L 047 itf,r¹ TR RP ‖ lac ⁶⁶
⁷⁵ C N P T W
Gospel of John
giving you, so that you will love one another.169
For This the World Hates You

18 "If the world hates you, be assured that it hated me first, before you. 19If
you were of the world, the world would like its own; but because you are
not of the world, and indeed rather I have chosen you out of the world, for
this the world hates you. 20Be mindful of the word that I said to you, 'A
servant is not greater than his lord.' 170 If they persecuted me, they will
persecute you also. If they took my word to heart, they will take yours to
heart also. 21But all these things they will do against you because of my
name, for they do not know the One who sent me. 22If I had not come and
spoken to them, they would have no sin; but now, they have no excuse for
their sin. 23One who hates me also hates my Father. 24If I had not done
works among them which no one else has done, they would have no sin; but
now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father. 25But so that
the word written about them in the law might be fulfilled, 'They hated me
without a cause.'171
26 "When 172 the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the
Father, the Spirit of Truth, who flows forth from the Father, he will bear
witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been
with me from the beginning.
Chapter 16
1 "These things I have spoken to you so that you may not fall away. 2They
will cause you to be put out of the synagogue; but an hour is coming such
that everyone who kills you will reckon to be offering up religious service to
God. 3And these things they will do, because they have not known the
Father, neither me. 4But these things I have spoken to you, so that when the
hour of them comes, you might remember them, 173 that I told you.
169
15:17 The subjunctive mood is so often interchangeable with the imperative and future,
and the subjunctive also took the place of the optative mood. This subjunctive here could
be an optative meaning, an attainable wish on Jesus' part. It would be sad if we only got a
picture of Jesus issuing commands, and miss the pathos of Jesus' heart, that he yearns to
see us loving one another.
170
15:20 John 13:16; Diatessaron 28:32
171
15:25 Psalm 35:19; 69:4
172
15:26 txt omit ²² ⁶⁶ ℵ B ite,l copsamss,ly Epiph SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ δε A D E L 047 065 (it)
syr copsamss,pbo TR RP
173
16:4 txt
ωρα αυτων μνημονευητε αυτων ⁶⁶vid ℵ² A B 0233 syrp,h Cyrlem SBL TH NA28 {B}
Gospel of John
The Holy Spirit Will Finish My Work

"And I have not told you these things from the beginning, because I was
with you. 5But now, I am going to the one who sent me, and none of you is
asking me, 'Where are you going?' 6Instead, because I have spoken these
things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7But I am telling you the truth: it
works out better for you that I go away, for if I were not to go away, the
Counselor would not come to you. Whereas if I go, I will send him to you.
8And when he has come, that one will refute174 the world concerning sin,
and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment; 9concerning sin,
because they do not believe in me; 10concerning righteousness, because I am
going to the Father and you will be observing me no longer; 11and
concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
12"I have many things yet to say to you, but you are not able at the present
time to bear it. 13But when that one comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide
you in all the truth. For he will not speak from himself, but rather, whatever
things he hears he will speak; and he will report to you the things that are
coming. 14That one will glorify me, because from mine he will take, and
report it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine; this is how I said, 'from
mine he will be taking, and report it to you.'
16"A little while, and you will be observing me no longer; 175 and another
little while, and you will see me."176
ωρα αυτων μνημονευητε ℵ¹ itaur,b,e,f,l,q,r¹ vg pt Cypr Aug

ωρα αυτων μνημονευετε L
ωρα μνημονευητε αυτων ℵ* 054 047 itff² syrpal pt (arm) (eth) geo TR RP
ωρα μνημονευετε αυτων E
ωρα μνημονευετε D* ita,d syrs copsa,pbo,ach²
ωρα μνημονευσητε D¹
lac ⁷⁵ C N P T W
174
16:8 It is hard to chose an English word to render the Greek word here, ἐλέγχω. For
example, if you chose the word "convict," it sounds odd that the Holy Spirit convict the
world of righteousness. Our word "convict" we use only when convincing someone
regarding something bad; but the Greek word has a bigger semantic range. But "convince"
is not wide enough in range either, because “ἐλέγχω” means more than that; it means to
convince someone they are wrong about something. But no matter which word you chose,
it is necessary to add various helper words at various places, since one English word is not
enough. I suggest you look up all verses that use ἐλέγχω and then you will have a more
complete sense of what it means.
175
16:16a txt ουκετι ⁶⁶ ℵ B D L N W 068 0233 lat syrh SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ου A E 047 054
it a,d,e syrs,p TR RP ‖ lac ⁵ C
176
16:16b txt omit ⁵ ⁶⁶ ℵ B D L W 0250 it copsa,ly geo² Or SBL TH NA28 {A} ‖ οτι υπαγω προς
τον πατερα A E N 047 068vid lat syr coppbo (arm) eth geo¹ Chrys Cyril Vict-Romevid Aug TR
RP ‖ οτι εγω υπαγω προς τον πατερα 054 ‖ οτι υπαγω προς τον πατερα μου 0233 ‖ lac C. Jesus
said "because I am going to the Father" in verse 10.
Gospel of John
The Disciples' Pain Will Be Turned to Joy

17Then some of his disciples said to one another, "What is this that he is
saying to us, 'A little while, and you will not be observing me; and another
little while, and you will see me'? And, 'because I am going to the Father'?"
18They kept saying therefore, "What is this 'little while'? 177 We don't know
what he is saying."
19Jesus knew178 that they were wanting to query him, and he said to them,
"Is it this you are deliberating among yourselves about, that I said, 'A little
while and you will not be observing me, and another little while and you
will see me'? 20Truly, truly I say to you, You will weep and lament, and the
world will be cheered. You179 will be in pain. But your pain will be turned
into joy. 21In the case of the woman about to give birth, she has pain,
because for her the hour has come. But when she has delivered the child, no
longer is she mindful of the distress, because of the joy that a human being
is brought forth into the world. 22Thus you also, now you do have pain; but
I will see you again, and your hearts will be cheered, and your joy, no one is
taking away from you. 23 And in that day you will not query me at all.
Truly, truly I say to you: whatever you will ask the Father in my name, he
will grant it to you. 24Up to now you have not asked anything in my name;
ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be full.
25"These things I have spoken to you in allegories; an hour is coming when
I will no longer speak to you in allegories, but I will tell you about the
Father plainly. 26In that day you will make requests in my name, and I am
not saying to you that I will make request of the Father on your behalf. 27For
the Father himself likes you, because you have liked me, and have believed
that I came forth from God. 28I went forth from the Father and have come
into the world; I am taking leave of the world, and going my way back to
the Father."
29His disciples are saying, "There, now you are talking with clarity and not
speaking any allegory. Now we know that you know all, and with you
30
177
16:18 txt omit ⁵ ⁶⁶ ℵ* D* W ita,b,d,e,ff2,r1 syrpal copsa arm geo ‖ +ὃ λέγει ℵ² A B D² E L N 054
068 0233 0250 itaur,f,q vg syrs,p,h coppbo,ach2 eth Or Cyr-lem Ambrst Aug TR RP SBL TH [NA28] ‖
lac ²² ⁴⁵ P Q T 070
178
16:19 txt omit ⁵ ⁶⁶ ℵ B D L W 068vid SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ ουν A E N 047 054 TR RP ‖ δε
0233 ‖ lac ²² C P
179
16:20 txt omit ⁵ ⁶⁶ ℵ* B D it syrs copsamss,ly SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ δε ℵ² A E L N W 047 054
it vg syrh copsamss ‖ lac ²² C P 068 0233
aur
Gospel of John
there is no need that someone query you. By this we believe that you have
come forth from God."
31 Jesus answered them, "For now you believe. 32Behold, an hour is coming,
and indeed has come, that you will be scattered apart, each to his own, and
me you will have abandoned, alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father
is with me.
33 "These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In
the world you do have tribulation; but be of good cheer: I have overcome
the world."
Chapter 17
Jesus Prays for Himself
1 Jesus spoke these things, and when he had lifted up his eyes to heaven, he
said:
"Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son, so that the Son may glorify
you; 2inasmuch as to him you have granted jurisdiction of all flesh, so that to
all flesh that 180 you have given him, he may grant 181 to them eternal life.
3And this is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and the one whom
you have sent, Jesus Christ. 4I have glorified you upon the earth, having
finished182 the work which you have given me to do. 5And now, Father,
glorify thou me, along with yourself, with the glory which I used to have
along with you, before the existence of the world.
Jesus Prays for His Disciples

6 "I have made known your name to the humans of the world that you have
given to me. They had been yours, and you gave them to me, and they have
taken your word to heart. 7Now they are persuaded that all the things you
have given to me are183 indeed from you; 8for the sayings which you gave to
180
17:2a See the footnote on 6:39.
181
17:2b txt δώσῃ αὐτοῖς ℵ² A C 0250 TR SBL NA28 {/} ‖ δ ς αὐτ ¹⁰⁷ W ‖ δώσω αὐτ ℵ*
0109 ‖ δώσει αὐτοῖς B E N 047 054 0301 RP TH ‖ δ ς αὐτοῖς L ‖ ____ αὐτοῖς ⁶⁶ ‖ ἔχῃ D ‖ lac
⁶⁰ ⁷⁵ 0233. The Coptic language did not distinguish between the aorist subjunctive and
the future indicative.
182
17:4 txt τελειωσας ⁶⁶ ℵ A B C L N W 0109 0301 (itb,ff²) copsamss SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖
ετελειωσα D E 047 054 lat copsams,ly,pbo TR RP ‖ lac ⁶⁰ ⁷⁵
183
17:7 txt εισιν ⁸⁴ ℵ B C L N W 054 0109 itaur,b,d,e,f,ff²,q copsa SBL TH NA28 {/} ‖ εστιν A D E
047 mss TR RP ‖ lac ⁶⁶ ita,l Remember the peculiar Attic rule that neut. pl. subjects take a
singular verb.
Gospel of John
me I have given to them, and they accepted and knew for sure that I came
forth from you, and they believed that you had sent me. 9I am making
request concerning them; not concerning the world am I making request,
but only concerning those whom you have given to me. For they are yours;
10indeed everything of mine is yours, and of yours is mine. And I am
glorified in them; 11yes, no longer am I to be in the world, yet they are in the
world, and I am coming to you. O holy Father, keep them in your name,
that flesh that184 you have given to me, so that they may be one, just as we
are one. 12While I was with them,185 I kept them in your name, that flesh
that186 you have given to me, and I stood guard, and not one of them met
destruction, except the Son of Destruction,187 so that the scripture may be
brought to completion.
13"But now I am coming to you, and I am speaking these things in the
world, so that they may have in them my joy brought to completion. 14I
have given them your word, and the world has hated them, because they
are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15I am not asking that you
take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.
16They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17Sanctify188 them
in the truth; your word is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I also
have sent them into the world. 19And on their behalf I sanctify myself, so
that they also may be ones sanctified in truth.
Jesus Prays for All Believers

20"And not concerning these only am I making request, but also concerning
the ones who through their word believe in me, 21that they all may be one.
184
17:11 This is not referring to “your name,” but to those the Father has given him; see
John 18:9. See the footnote on 6:39.
185
17:12a txt μετ’ αὐτῶν ⁶⁰ ⁶⁶ ℵ B C* D* L W lat cop Did SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ μετ’ αὐτῶν ἐν
τ κόσμῳ A C³ D² E N 047 054 it(a),f,q syr ms arm TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ P Q T 0233.
186
17:12b This is not referring to “your name,” but to those the Father has given him; see
John 18:9. See the footnote on 6:39.
187
17:12c ὁ υἱὸς τῆς ἀπωλείας. Jesus is referring to Judas Iscariot. The appellation "Son of
Destruction" is full of meaning. Destruction personified is “ Ἀπολλύων,” Apollyon, another
name for the Destroyer demon, who is king over the demons in Abaddon, or the Abyss,
Revelation 9:11. The word "son" here means both one who is like his father, and one who is
"heir" of his father's station. See as another example of this use of "son," the "sons of the
kingdom" or "heirs of the kingdom," in Matthew 8:12; Diatessaron 10:21. Another thing
one must take note of is that the Antichrist is also called the Son of Destruction, in 2
Thessalonians 2:3. Certainly, two things that Judas and the Antichrist have in common are,
One, that Satan dwelt in their hearts, and Two, that scripture long ago predicted their
destiny and their inheritance, to be in that place that God has reserved for the eternal
destruction of such as they.
188
17:17 ἁγιάζω - hagiázō; dedicate or set something apart for God's holy purposes.
Gospel of John
Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, so let them also be in us, so that
the world might believe that you sent me. 22The glory which you have
given to me, I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as we
are one: 23I in them, and you in me, so that they may become fully
developed into one,189 that the world may know that you sent me, and that
you have loved them just as you loved me.
24 "O Father, that flesh that190 you have given to me, I desire that where I am,
they might also be along with me, so that they may behold that glory of
mine, which you have given to me, for you loved me before the foundation
of the world.
25 "O righteous Father, indeed the world has not known you, but I have
known you, and these have known that you sent me. 26And I have made
known to them your name, and will do so in the future, so that the love with
which you have loved me might always be in them, and I also in them."
Chapter 18
Gethsemane
1After he said these things, Jesus went forth with his disciples to the other
side of the wadi Kidron, where there was a garden, into which he himself
went, and also his disciples. 2And Judas, the one betraying him, knew the
place, because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.
Jesus Arrested
3Judas therefore, after taking the cohort191 and some guards, from the high
priests and from the Pharisees, comes there, with lamps and torches and
weapons. 4Then, aware of all the things coming upon him, Jesus went
forward, and he says to them, "Whom are you seeking?"
5They answered him, "Jesus the Nazarene."
189
17:23 This is the way the apostle Paul understood it; see Ephesians 4:11-16. Paul says that
God gave the apostles and other offices so that someday the believers will be fully
developed into one, in unity with God and with one another. Apparently, neither Jesus nor
Paul expected such oneness to occur in his own lifetime. Just as with the individual new
birth, maturity is a process and not instantaneous at birth, so also it is with the corporate
man, that maturity is a process, and not instantaneous at its creation. But, if you believe
that Jesus was asking that this unity take place at once, then surely you must admit that
Jesus’ prayer has gone ungranted, up to and including this present day.
190
17:24 See the footnote on 6:39.
191
18:3 A cohort, if a complete one including reserves, was a thousand soldiers, (one tenth of
a legion) commanded by ten centurions, who commanded a hundred men each. The
number here was probably the lesser, about 600 soldiers, but could have been up to 1,000.
Gospel of John
He says to them, "I am he.

And Judas the one betraying him is also standing there with them. 6When
therefore he said to them, "I am he," they moved away backward, and fell to
the ground. 7Again therefore, he asked them, "Whom are you seeking?"
And they said, "Jesus the Nazarene."
8Jesus answered, "I told you that I am he. If therefore it is me you are
seeking, allow these to go their way." 9In order that the word which he had
said would be fulfilled: "Of those you have given me, I have not lost even
one."
10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the servant of the
high priest, and cut off his right ear. And the name of the servant was
Malchus. 11Jesus therefore said to Peter, "Put the sword in the sheath. The
cup which the Father has given me, am I not to drink it?"
Jesus Taken to Hananiah

12 Then the cohort and its chiliarch and the guards from the Jews took Jesus
prisoner and bound him, 13and they led him to Hananiah first, for he was
father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest for that year. 14And
Caiaphas was the one having advised the Jews that it was expedient that
one man die instead of the people.
Peter's First Denial

15 And Simon Peter was following Jesus, along with another disciple. And
that other disciple was known to the high priest, and he entered with Jesus
into the courtyard of the high priest, 16but Peter had stopped outside, at the
door. The other disciple therefore, who was known to the high priest, went
out and spoke to the doormaid, and brought Peter in. 17Then the
maidservant, the doorkeeper, says to Peter, "You are not also one of this
man's disciples, are you?"
He says, "No I am not."
18 And the servants and the guards stood by a fire they had made, for it
was cold, and they were warming themselves. So Peter also was with them,
standing and warming himself.
The High Priest Questions Jesus

19 The high priest, then, questioned Jesus, about his disciples and about his
Gospel of John
teaching.
20Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world. I always taught
in a synagogue or in the temple, where all the Jews come together, and not
said any of it in secret. 21Why ask me? Ask the ones who have heard what I
spoke to them. You see, they know what things I said."
22As he was saying these things, one of the guards standing by gave Jesus
a whack, saying, "Is that how you answer the high priest?"
23Jesus answered him, "If I spoke wrongly, testify to the wrong; but if
acceptably, why are you hitting me?" 24 (Hannaniah had sent him to
Caiaphas the high priest bound, you see.)
Peter's Second and Third Denials

25And Peter was standing and warming himself. They said therefore to
him, "Are you not also one of his disciples?"
He denied it and said, "No I am not."
26One of the servants of the high priest, who was a relative of him whose
ear Peter had cut off, says, "Did I not see you with him in the garden?"
27Again therefore, Peter denied it, and immediately a rooster crowed.
Jesus Before Pilate and Herod

28They then are leading Jesus away from Caiaphas toward the Praetorium;
and it was very early. And they entered not into the Praetorium, so that
they would not be defiled but rather might eat the Passover. 29 So Pilate
came outside to them. And he says, "This man? You are bringing what
kind of charge against him?"
30They answered, and said to him, "If he were not doing wrong, we would
not have brought him over to you."
31Pilate therefore said to them, "You take him, and you judge him
according to your law."
The Jews said to him, "For us it is not lawful to execute anyone." 32So the
word of Jesus would be fulfilled, which he had spoken indicating by what
means of death he was going to die.
33So Pilate went back into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus, and he
said to him, "You are the king of the Jews?"
34Jesus answered, "From yourself are you saying this, or have others
spoken to you about me?"
Gospel of John
35 Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? It was your people and your chief priests
who handed you over to me. What have you done?"
36 Jesus answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were
of this world, my servants would have fought so that I not be handed over
to the Jews. But in fact192 my kingship is not from here."
37 Pilate therefore said to him, "So then you ARE a king."
Jesus answered, "You are saying that I am a king; I, for this reason have
been born, and for this reason have come into the world: to testify to the
truth. Everyone on the side of truth hears my voice."
38 Pilate says to him, "What is truth?" And with that said, he went out
again to the Jews, and says to them, "I find in him no causa capitalis.193 39But
there is a custom with you that I release to you one prisoner during the
Passover. Would you therefore have me release to you the king of the
Jews?"
40 They then shouted back, saying, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now
Barabbas was a bandit.
Chapter 19
1 At that time therefore, Pilate took Jesus and scourged him. 2And the
soldiers, after weaving a wreath of thorns, set it on his head, and threw a
purple robe around him. 3Then they were approaching him and saying,
"Hail, O king of the Jews," and giving him slaps in the face.
4 And Pilate went outside again, and says to them, "Look, I am bringing
him out to you, so that you will know that I find no causa capitalis in him."
5Jesus came outside therefore, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple
robe. And Pilate says to them, "Behold the man."
6 When therefore the chief priests and their officers saw him, they shouted
out, saying, "Crucify! Crucify!"
Pilate says to them, "You take him yourselves and crucify him. As for me,
I do not find causa capitalis in him.
7 The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and according to that law, he
192
18:36 The Greek words for "but in fact" are νῦν δὲ, "but now." Usually the particle “νῦν”
is an indicator of present time. But sometimes it is a transitional or contrastive particle.
Another possible translation of this here would be, "But at the present time, my kingship is
not from this place." But would this make any difference theologically? It would not
change the fact that at the time Jesus is saying it, his kingship was not from this place.
Unless the fact is that Jesus' kingdom never will, at any time, be "from here." Will humans
from here anoint him king in the future? Or is his kingship in fact granted to him from
heaven?
193
18:38 Basis for capital punishment.
Gospel of John
deserves to die because he called himself the son of God."

8When therefore Pilate heard this information, he was more afraid, 9and he
entered the Praetorium again, and says to Jesus, "Where are you from?" But
Jesus did not give him an answer.
10 Pilate then says to him, "To me you are not speaking? Do you not know,
that I have authority to free you, and I have authority to crucify you?"
11 Jesus answered, "You would have no authority over me if it had not been
given you from above. Because of this, the one who handed me over to you
has the greater guilt."
12 From this point on Pilate tried to free him; but the Jews shouted out,
saying, "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar! Everyone
calling himself a king is opposing Caesar."
13 When therefore Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus outside, and
he sat down on the judgment seat, at a place called The Pavement, but in
Hebrew called Gabbatha. 14And it was Preparation for the Passover, about
6:00 am. And he says to the Jews, "Behold, your king."
15 They then shouted out, "Away with him! Away with him! Crucify him!"
Pilate says to them, "Shall I crucify your king?"
The chief priests responded, "We have no king but Caesar."
16 At that time therefore he handed him over to them, to be crucified.
The Crucifixion
They took Jesus therefore. 194 17 And carrying the cross by himself, he
proceeded forth, to what is called the Skull Place, which in Hebrew is
pronounced Gulgolta [‫] ֻּג ְל ֻּגלְתָּ א‬, 18where they crucified him, and with him,
two others, one on this side and one on the other, and Jesus in the middle.
19And Pilate also wrote a notice and put it on the cross, and it was inscribed:
"JESUS THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS." 20Many of the Jews
therefore read this notice, because the place where Jesus was crucified was
close to the city, and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, and in Greek.
21 The chief priests of the Jews therefore were saying to Pilate, "Do not
write 'The King of the Jews,' but rather: 'He SAID, I am King of the Jews.'"
194
19:16 txt παρέλαβον οὖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν Β L ita,aur,b,e,ff²,n,r¹ (eth) Cyrillem SBL TH NA28 {Β}·‖
παρέλαβον οὖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἤγαγον DS ‖ παραλαβόντες οὖν τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπήγαγον αὐτόν
ℵ¹ ‖ οἱ δὲ παραλαβόντες αὐτὸν ἀπήγαγον ⁶⁶vid ‖ οἱ δὲ παραλαβόντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπήγαγον
⁶⁰vid N W ‖ οἱ δὲ λάβοντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπήγαγον αὐτὸν ℵ* ‖ οἱ δὲ παρέλαβον τὸν Ἰησοῦν
καὶ ήγαγον 054 ‖ παρέλαβον δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ ἤγαγον A E 065 TR RP ‖ lac ⁴⁵ ⁷⁵ C D P Q T
047 0233 syrs.
Gospel of John
22 Pilate answered, "What I have written I have written."

23 The soldiers then, when they crucified Jesus, took his garments and made
four shares, a share for each soldier, plus the tunic. For the tunic was
seamless, woven continuously from the top through the whole. 24They said
therefore to one another, "We should not tear it, but cast lots as to whose it
shall be." So that the scripture would be fulfilled,
"They divided my garments

among them;
and cast lots
over my clothing,"195
those things therefore the soldiers did.

25 And near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, and his mother's sister; and
the Mary belonging to Clopas, and the Magdalene Mary. 26Jesus therefore,
seeing his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing near, says to his
mother, "Dear woman, behold your son."
27 Then he says to the disciple, "Behold, your mother." And from that time
on, that disciple took her into his own home.
Jesus' Death
28 Jesus, knowing that after these things, all things were now completed,
next says, "I am thirsty," so that the scripture would be fulfilled. 196 29A
container full of vinegar 197 was sitting there, so after sticking a sponge full of
the vinegar around a hyssop stem, they held it out to his mouth. 30When
therefore he had received the vinegar, Jesus said, "It is finished." And after
he bowed his head, he gave up his spirit.
31 The Jews therefore, since it was Preparation Day,198 asked Pilate that their
legs be broken and they be taken away, so that the bodies would not remain
on the cross during the Sabbath; for that day was great among Sabbaths. 199
195
19:24 Psalm 22:18
196
19:28 Psalm 22:15
197
19:29 Psalm 69:21; This was a sour wine, a cheaper drink than regular wine, and yet more
refreshing to the thirst.
198
19:31a The word "preparation" always means the day of the week we call Friday; see
Luke 23:54; John 19:14, 31; Josephus: Jewish Antiquities xvi. 6. 2 §163. (There is no word
"day" in the Greek here.) "Preparation Day" does not mean the 24 hours leading up to the
evening that starts the Sabbath. Instead it means simply "Friday."
199
19:31b Or, "That day of sabbath was higher." Sabbath days at the beginning of a festival
week were higher Sabbaths. The Saturday of Passover week was called the Great Sabbath.
Gospel of John
32The soldiers came therefore, and broke the legs of the first one, and of the
other crucified with him, 33but when they came to Jesus they realized he was
already dead, and did not in his case200 break the legs. 34 But one of the
soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately there came out
blood and water. 35And the one who has seen has borne witness, and his
testimony is reliable, and he knows that he is saying something true; so you
may believe. 36And these things happened so that the scripture would be
fulfilled:
"Not a bone of it shall be broken."201
37And again, another scripture says:
"They shall look upon him

whom they have pierced."202
Jesus' Burial
38And after these things, Joseph from Arimathea, who was a disciple of
Jesus, but secretly because of the fear of the Jews, made request of Pilate that
he might take the body of Jesus; and Pilate consented. He went therefore,
and took his body. 39 And Nicodemus, the one who earlier had come to Him
by night, came as well, carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a
hundred pounds.203 40They then took the body of Jesus, and bound it in
linen cloths, with the spices, as is the burial custom with the Jews. 41And
there was in the place where he was crucified, a garden, and in the garden a
new tomb, one in which no one had ever yet been laid. 42So, since it was
Preparation for the Jews, and because the tomb was close at hand, that is
where they laid Jesus.
But the fact is, Deuteronomy 21:22-23 commanded that hung corpses be removed before
the end of any day, not just days of sabbath.
200
19:33 Verse 33 begins with the particle "de," as complement to the particle "men" in
verse 32, contrasting two cases.
201
19:36 Numbers 9:12; Exodus 12:46; Psalm 34:20
202
19:37 Zechariah 12:10
203
19:39 Greek, "a hundred litras," a loan-word from the Latin, libra. The libra was the
Roman pound, which was comprised of 12 ounces, so when translated to 16-ounce pounds,
it comes to about 75 pounds, or 34 kilograms.
Gospel of John
Chapter 20
The Empty Tomb
1 And on the first day of the week, very early while still dark, Mary the
Magdalene is coming to the tomb; and she sees the stone having been
removed from the tomb. 2She runs therefore, and goes to Simon Peter and
to the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and she says to them, "They
have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we 204 don't know where they have
put him."
3 Peter therefore went out, and the other disciple also, and they were going
toward the tomb. 4And the two were running together; and the other
disciple ran faster ahead, and came to the tomb first. 5And after stooping
down, he sees the linen cloths lying there. He did not enter inside, however.
6Then comes Simon Peter also, following behind him. And he entered into
the tomb, and he observes the linen cloths lying there, 7and also the sweat
cloth which used to be on his head, except not lying with the linen cloths,
but folded up in one place apart. 8Then at that time the other disciple
entered, the one who had arrived to the tomb first; and he saw and
believed.205 9For they did not yet understand the scripture that he had to
rise from the dead.
Jesus Appears to Mary of Magdala

10 The disciples then went back to their own homes. 11But Mary stayed
with the tomb, and there she stands, outside, weeping. As she thus was
weeping, she stooped down into the tomb, 12and she beholds two angels in
white, one sitting at the head and one sitting at the foot of where the body of
Jesus had been lying.
13 And they say to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?"
She says to them, "They have taken my Lord away, and I don't know
where they have put him."
204
20:2 Some people make much of the fact that John mentions only Mary the Magdalene by
name, as if she were the only woman who went to the tomb, as a contradiction of the other
gospels, like the gospel of Mark, which names three women. But this view reflects a very
shallow, careless, and probably prejudiced reading of John. For here in John, Mary the
Magdalene says "We" don't know where they have put him, indicating that she was not
alone. And so also, most other so-called contradictions between the four gospels may be
resolved by those truly wanting to know the truth, and not coming to it with prejudice.
205
20:8 Believed what? Not that Jesus had risen from the dead. We know they did not
believe he was risen from the dead, because later when the women came to them and told
them they had seen Jesus walking around, none of the eleven apostles believed the women.
Here it is saying that John believed Mary's report that the body of Jesus was missing.
Gospel of John
14 When she had said these things, she looked toward the rear, and beholds
Jesus having been standing; and she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 Jesus says to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking
for?"
She, thinking he is the gardener, says to him, "Sir, if it is you who took
him, tell me where you put him, and I will get him.
16 Jesus says to her, "Mary."
She when she turned around, says to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which
means Teacher).
17 Jesus says to her, "Do not cleave to me, for I have not yet ascended to the
Father; but go to my brothers, and tell them: 'I am ascending to my Father
and your Father; to my God and your God.'"
18 Mary goes, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and also
announcing those things he had said to her.
Jesus Appears to the Ten Apostles

19 Then, when it was evening on that first day of the week, with the doors
locked where the disciples were, because of the fear of the Jews, Jesus
appeared, and stood in their midst. And he says to them, "Peace be with
you." 20 And when he had said this, he showed them both his hands and his
side. Therefore the disciples rejoiced, seeing the Lord.
21 Then Jesus again said to them, "Peace be with you. As the Father has
sent me, so also I send you." 22And having said this, he blew,206 and says to
them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23Whose ever sins you forgive, they are
forgiven them; whose ever you retain, they are retained."
Jesus Appears to Thomas

24 But Thomas, one of the Twelve, the one who was called the Twin, was
not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples were telling him,
"We have seen the Lord."
But he said to them, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and
put my finger into the place from the nails, and put my hands into his side,
206
20:22 ἐμφυσάω - emphusáō, breathe out or blow; the same verb used in Genesis 2:7 to
translate the Hebrew verb ‫נָפח‬, used for how God breathed into the nostrils of the dust-
man the breath of life, causing the man to become a living being. Here in John, there is no
object for the verb; I do not believe we are to imagine that Jesus approached each of the ten
individually, and breathed upon each of them in turn.
Gospel of John
there is no way I will believe."

26 And after eight days, his disciples again were inside, and Thomas with
them. Jesus is appearing, even though the doors were locked. And he stood
in the midst, and said, "Peace be with you." 27Thereupon he says to Thomas,
"Bring your finger here, and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it
into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believing."
28 Thomas responded and said to him, "My Lord and my God."
29 Jesus says to him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed.
Blessed are those believing207 without having seen."
30 While208 therefore Jesus did also do many other signs in the sight of his
disciples which are not written in this book, 31these have been written so
that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ,209 the Son of God, and that
believing, you might have life through his name.
Chapter 21
Resurrection Fish & Bread
1 After these things, Jesus revealed himself another time to his disciples, on
the Sea of Tiberius. And this is how he revealed himself. 2Simon Peter, and
Thomas called the Twin, and Nathaniel from Cana of Galilee, and the sons
of Zebedee, and two other disciples of his, were together. 3Simon Peter says
to them, "I am going to fish."
They say to him, "We are also coming with you."
They went, and embarked in the boat. And throughout that night, they
caught nothing. 4And now that it is turning morning, Jesus had stood at the
shoreline. However, the disciples have not realized that it is Jesus. 5Jesus
therefore says to them, "Children, have you no fish?" 210
They answered, "No."
207
20:29 The Greek word translated "believing" here is a linear participle, and not in the
indicative mood, and therefore it does not indicate past, present or future time. Quite
often in Greek, the linear aspect in a situation like this means a near future event. In other
words, "Blessed are those who are going to be believing, without having seen."
208
20:30 There is a μεν here, complemented by a δε at the beginning of verse 31, which
accomplishes the setting off for the purpose of contrast, of the signs mentioned in v. 30,
and what was done with them, compared to the signs mentioned in v. 31, and what was
done with them.
209
20:31 That is, the promised Anointed One, the Messiah, Ha-Moshiach.
210
21:5 The Greek word translated "fish" is προσφάγιον - prosphágion; "a relish;" a
derivative from a prepositional expression, the preposition προς (toward or with) affixed to
the word “φαγεῖν” (to eat.) According to Moeris (204.24), second century, προσφάγμα is
Hellenistic for the Attic ὄψον, "side dish." In other words, what is eaten besides bread.
And according to Bauer, ὄψον often meant simply "fish." (This word ὄψον is later also used
in its diminutive form, in verse ten of this chapter.)
Gospel of John
6And he said to them, "Cast the net into the area to the right of the boat,
and you will find something." They cast it therefore, and they were not
strong enough to retrieve it, because of a fullness of fish.
7So that disciple whom Jesus loved says to Peter, "It is the Lord." When
therefore Simon Peter heard that it is the Lord, he fastened his cloak around
himself, for he was stripped for work,211 and he threw himself into the lake
8(for they were not far from shore, but only about two hundred cubits 212
away), while the other disciples came in the boat, towing the fish net. 9As
they get down therefore onto the beach, they see a fire of coals established,
and fish lying on it, and bread.
10 Jesus says to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have now caught."
11 Simon Peter therefore got up, and dragged the net to the beach, very full of
fish, 153 of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn.
12 Jesus says to them, "Come, eat breakfast." And not one of the disciples got up
the courage to challenge him, "Who are you?" For they knew it was the Lord.
13 Jesus comes, and he takes the bread and distributes to them, and the fish likewise.
14 This was now the third time Jesus had revealed himself to the disciples after
having risen from the dead.
Jesus Reappoints Peter

15 When therefore they had eaten breakfast, Jesus says to Simon Peter,
"Simon son of John,213 do you love me more than these?"
He says to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
He says to him, "Feed my lambs."
16 Again, he says to him a second time, "Simon son of John, do you love
me?"
He says to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
He says to him, "Pastor my sheep."
17 He says to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt that he said to him the third time, "Do you love me." And
he says to him, "Lord, you know all. You know that I love you."
211
21:7 According to Chrysostom, Dio Chrysostom 55[72], the mariners would wear only
underwear while working.
212
21:8 Equivalent to 100 yards, or 92.4 meters.
213
21:15 The Byzantine text reads "Simon son of Ἰωνᾶ - Jonah." According to BDF §53(2),
Ἰωνᾶ is a shortening of Ἰωάν(ν)ης, partly due to the influence of the Syriac word yon for
the same (both renderings of the Hebrew ‫)יוחנן‬. (So also in Matt. 16:17.) This phenomenon
of Ἰωνᾶ as a shortened subsitute for Ἰωάν(ν)ης is also found in Septuagint manuscripts.
Gospel of John
Jesus says to him, "Feed my sheep." 214 18Truly, truly I say to you: When
you were younger, you would dress yourself, and walk around where you
wanted; but after you have become old, you will stretch out your hand, and
someone else will dress you, and lead you somewhere you will not want."
19This he said signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And
having said this, he says to him, "Follow me."
And What About John?

20Peter turned around, and sees the disciple whom Jesus loved following,
that is, the one who in the supper had leaned back onto His chest and said,
"Lord, who is the one betraying you?" 21So when he saw this one, Peter says
to Jesus, "Lord, and what about him?"
22Jesus says to him, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to
you? You follow me." 23This therefore is the word that got out to the
brothers: that that disciple would not die. But Jesus had not said to him that
he would not die; rather, "If I want him to remain until I come, what is that
to you?"
24That disciple is the one who is bearing witness to these things, and the
one who wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
25And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if written in
detail, I reckon not even the world itself would be able to hold the books
that would be written.
214
21:17 Up until the time we see the Lord, it will continue to be the topic of discussion, the
meaning of why Jesus used the verb ἀγαπάω in vv. 15 and 16, but φιλέω in v. 17; and why
Peter used the verb ο δα in vv. 15 and 16, but γινώσκω in v. 17; and whether the reason
Peter was hurt was that Jesus asked him three times, or that Jesus changed the verb the
third time, etc.
John
Note that NO textual witnesses later than 8th century are cited, and ALL
witnesses 8th century or earlier ARE cited. I have done this is because
so many readers have objected that critical apparatuses cherry-pick the
manuscripts. So I have made it very simple with this one very objective
criterion. If the words are God's words, they will show up prior to the
9th century surely.
Witnesses to Gospel of John

(nothing after 8th century, and everything before 9th century)
symbl Alt Date Contents
² VI Jn 12:12-15
⁵ III Jn 1:23-31, 33-40; 16:14-30; 20:11-17, 19-20,
22-25
⁶ IV Jn 10:1- 2:4-7,9,10; 11:1-8,45-52
²² III Jn 15:25- 16:2,21-32
²⁸ III Jn 6:8-12, 17-22
³⁶ VI Jn 3:14-18, 31-32, 34,35
³⁹ III Jn 8:14-22
⁴⁵ III Jn 4:51,54; 5:21,24; 10:7-25; 10:30- 11:10, 18-
36, 42-57
⁵² II Jn 18:31-33, 37-38
⁵⁵ VI/VII Jn 1:31-33, 35-38
⁵⁹ VII Jn 1:26,28,48,51, 2:15-16, 11:40-52,
12:25,29,31,35, 17:24-26, 18:1-2,16-17,22,
21:7,12-13,15,17-20,23
⁶⁰ VII Jn 16:29-30,32-33, <p> 17:1-6,8-9,11-15,18-25,
18:1-2,4-5,7-16,18-20,23-29,31-37,39-40, 19:2-
3,5-8,10-18,20,23-26
⁶³ 500 Jn 3:14-18; 4:9-10
⁶⁶ Bod 200 Jn 1:1- 51, 2:1-25, 3:1-36, 4:1-54, 5:1-3a, 5-47,
mer 6:11,35-71, 7:1-52, 8:1-59, 9:1-41, 10:1-42,
Pap 11:1-57, 12:1-50, 13:1-38, 14:1-26, 29-30; 15:2-
yrus 26; 16:2-4, 6-7, 10-33, 17:1-26, 18:1-40, 19:1-
2 42, 20:1-20, 22-23, 25-31, 21:1-9; fragments of
46 other pages (14:26-21:9, with lacunae).
⁷⁶ VI Jn 4:9,12
⁸⁰ III Jn 3:34
⁸⁴ VI Jn 5:5; 17:3,7,8
⁹⁰ II Jn 18:36- 19:7
John
⁹³ V Jn 13:15-17
⁹⁵ III Jn 5:26-29, 36-38
ℵ* 01 IV
ℵ¹ 1st IV-VI
corr.
ℵ² 2nd VII
corr.
A 02 V
B 03 IV all
B¹ IV
B² VI-VII
C 04 V all
C¹ V
C² VI
C³ IX
D 05 V all of Jn except 1:16- 3:26
E 07 VI all
L 019 VIII all of Jn except 21:15-end
N 022 VI Jn 1:1-21; 1:39- 2:6; 3:30- 4:5; 5:3-10,19-26;
6:49-57; 9:33- 14:2; 14:11- 15:14; 15:22- 16:15;
20:23-25,28-30; 21:20-end
P 024 VI Jn 1:29-40; 2:13-25; 21:1-11
Q 026 V Jn 12:3-20; 14:3-22
T 029 V Jn 1:24-32; 3:10-17; 4:52- 5:7; 6:28-67; 7:6- 8:31
W 032 V all of Jn, but 1:1- 5:11 is supplement
047 VIII all
054 VIII Jn:16:3- 19:41
060 VI Jn 14:14-14-17,19-21,23-24,26-28
065 VI Jn 11:50 - 12:9; 15:12- 16:2; 19:11-24
068 V Jn 13:16-17,19-20,23-24,26-27; 16:7-9,12-
13,15-16,18-19
070 VI Jn 3:23-26; 5:22-31, 38-39; 7:3-12; 8:13-22, 33-
9:39; 11:50-52, 54-56; 12:33-34
083 VI/VII Jn 1:25-41; 2:9- 4:14, 34-50
086 VI Jn 1:23-26; 3:5- 4:18,23-35,45-49
091 VI Jn 6:13-14,22-24,38-42,44-45,47-52,54-62
0101 VIII Jn 1:29-32
0104 VII Jn 6:71- 7:46
0109 VII Jn 16:30- 17:9; 18:31-40
John
0127 VIII Jn 2:2-11

0145 VII Jn 6:26-31
0162 III/IV Jn 2:11-22
0210 VII Jn 5:44; 6:1-2,41-42
0212 III Jn 19:38
0216 V Jn 8:51-53; 9:5-8
0217 V Jn 11:57- 12:7
0218 V Jn 12:2-6,9-11,14-16
0233 VIII Jn
0238 VIII Jn 7:10-12
0250 VIII Jn
0256 VIII Jn 6:32-33,35-37
0260 VI Jn 1:30-32 (1:16-18 Fayumic Coptic)
0264 V Jn 8:19-20, 23-24
0268 VII Jn 1:30-33
0301 V Jn 17:1-4
0306
ℓ1602 VIII
LATIN
ite 2 V Jn except 18:12-25
ita 3 IV all John
itb 4 V Jn except 7:44- 8:12
itd 5 V Jn except 1:1- 3:16; 18:2- 20:1
itff 8 V Jn except 17:16- 18:9; 20:23- 21:8
²
itf 10 VI all John
itl 11 VIII lacks 1:1-16; 6:32-61; 11:56- 12:10; 13:34-
14:22; 15:3-15; 16:13- 21:25
itq 13 VI/VII lacks 10:11- 12:38; 21:9-17,18-20
itr¹ 14 VII lacks 1:1-15
itaur 15 VIII all of John
itn 16 V 19:13-17,24-42
itπ 18 VII 3:34-36; 6:39-41; 7:24-38; 9:22-32; 11:19-
21,26,27,38-48; 20:25-30
itp 20 VIII Jn 11:14-44
itj 22 VI 1:8- 4:29; 5:3-20; 5:29- 7:45; 8:6- 11:1,12-34;
18:36- 19:17; 19:31- 20:14
itρ 24 VII/VI 13:3-17
II
John
Acts of the Apostles
The Acts of the Apostles
Chapter 1
¹I made my previous account, O Theophilus, about all that Jesus began
both to do and to teach, ²up until the day he was taken up, after he had
given orders through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen; ³to
whom also he showed himself to be alive, following his suffering, by
many convincing proofs (being seen by them over a period of forty
days) and telling them things about the kingdom of God.
⁴And convening them around himself, he ordered them: “Do not leave
Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard
about from me.
⁵For John baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy
Spirit, not many days from now.”
⁶When therefore they were gathered together, they queried him,
saying, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to
Israel?”
⁷And he said to them, “It is not for you to know the times and the
seasons, which the Father has placed within his own authority; ⁸but you
will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will
be my witnesses, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to
the farthest part of the earth.” ⁹And after he had said these things, he
was lifted up away while they were watching. And a cloud removed
him from their view. ¹⁰And as he was going, they were concentrating
intently into the sky, and behold! Two men dressed in white clothing
had been standing beside them.
¹¹And they said: “Men of Galilee, why are you standing looking into
the sky? This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will
come in the same manner in which you saw him go into heaven.”
¹²At that time they went back into Jerusalem, from the hill called the
Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s walk away.
¹³And when they got back inside the city, they went up into the upper
room where they were staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew,
Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of
Halphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. ¹⁴These all
with one mind were devoting themselves persistently to prayer, along
with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus and his brothers.
¹⁵And during those days Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren,
(altogether the company of persons was about 120). He said,
¹⁶“Brethren, it was necessary for that scripture to be fulfilled which the
Holy Spirit spoke beforehand through the mouth of David concerning

Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus, ¹⁷because he
was numbered among us and obtained one share of this ministry.”
¹⁸(This man therefore had bought himself a field out of the payment
from unrighteousness, and after falling headlong, he burst open in the
middle, and all his intestines spilled out. ¹⁹And it became known to
everyone living in Jerusalem, so that the field is called in their language,
“Hakeldama.” This means “Field of Blood.”) ²⁰“For it is written in the
book of Psalms: ‘Let his settlement be desolate, and be in it no
inhabitant,’ and, ‘Let his position be taken by someone else.’ ²¹So then, it
must be out of the men who have been with us during the whole time
the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, ²²beginning from the baptism
of John all the way until the day he was taken up from us; one of those
who were witnesses of his resurrection with us.”
²³And they nominated two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was
surnamed Justus; and Matthias.
²⁴And getting down in prayer, they said, “You, Lord, are knower of all
hearts. Reveal which one of these two you have chosen ²⁵to receive this
place of ministry and apostleship, from which Judas turned aside to go
to his own proper place.”
²⁶And they cast lots over them, and the lot fell to Matthias. And he
was added in with the eleven apostles.
Chapter 2
¹And when it was time for the Day of Pentecost, they were all together
in one place, ²and suddenly there came the sound of words from heaven
as if being carried by a swirling wind, and it filled the entire house
where they were sitting. ³And there appeared to them tongues of flame,
dividing apart, just as if a fire, and it came to rest on each one of them,
⁴and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in
other languages, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
⁵Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem who were devout men
from all the nations under heaven. ⁶And as the sound of this was
produced, a crowd gathered on, and they were captivated, because each
one was hearing them speaking in their own particular language. ⁷And
they were astonished, and marveling, saying, “Behold, these people who
are speaking, are they not all Galileans? ⁸So how are we each hearing
them in our own particular language in which we were born?
⁹Parthians, Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia; Jews also
from Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia; ¹⁰both Phrygia and Pamphylia;
Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; and Romans who are visiting,
¹¹both Jews and proselytes; Cretans and Arabs; we hear them telling the
mighty deeds of God in our own languages!” ¹²And they were all
stunned and struggling. Some were saying to each other, “What does
this mean?”
¹³But others were saying with scorn, “They are full of new wine.”
¹⁴But Peter stood forward, along with the Eleven, and he lifted up his
voice, and spoke out boldly to them: “Men of Judea, and all you living
in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and take heed to my words. ¹⁵For
these people are not drunk, as you are thinking, since it is the third hour
of the day. ¹⁶But rather this is what was spoken through the prophet
Joel:
¹⁷ ‘And it will be, in the last days,’ God says,

‘I will pour out of my spirit onto all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters will prophesy,
and your young will see visions,
and your older will dream dreams;
¹⁸and onto both my male servants and my female servants
will I pour out from my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
¹⁹And I will provide wonders in the heaven above,
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and atmosphere of smoke;
²⁰the sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood
before that great and terrible Day of the Lord is come.
²¹And it will be, that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved.’
²²”Men of Israel, listen to these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man

commended to you from God by powerful deeds and wonders and
signs, which God performed through him in your midst, as you
yourselves know, ²³this man, who was handed over according to the
established plan and foreknowledge of God, you lifted up, to be nailed
by the hand of Torah-less men, ²⁴him God has raised again, breaking the
bonds of death, since it was never possible for him to be held by it.
²⁵For David says regarding him,
‘I have foreseen the Lord going before me through it all.

Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
²⁶For this reason my heart was cheered,

and my tongue did rejoice,
and my flesh also now will dwell in hope,
²⁷because you will not abandon my soul in Hades,
nor will you assign your holy one to see decay.
²⁸You have made known to me the paths of life.
You will fill me with joy with your company.’
²⁹Brothers, I venture to say with certainty to you about the patriarch

David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb remains among
us to this day. ³⁰But because of being a prophet, and knowing that God
had sworn to him with an oath that fruit of his loins would sit on his
throne, ³¹it was in reference to the resurrection of the Messiah he spoke,
with foresight, that He was not abandoned in Hades, nor did His flesh
see decay. ³²This man Jesus, God raised to life, to which we all are
witnesses. ³³Having been exalted then to the right hand of God, and
having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has
poured out this which you are seeing and hearing. ³⁴For David did not
ascend to heaven, yet he says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right
hand, ³⁵until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ ³⁶Therefore
let all the house of Israel know for a certainty, that the one whom you
crucified, God has made that same Jesus both Lord and Messiah.”
³⁷And when they heard this, they were shocked. And they said to
Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”
³⁸And Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized each one of you in
the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. And you will
receive for yourselves the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹For the promise is to
you, and to your children, and also to everyone far off, however many
the Lord our God will call.”
⁴⁰With many other words also, he was solemnly testifying to them,
saying, “You must be saved from this perverse generation.” ⁴¹The ones
therefore who accepted his message were baptized, and about three
thousand souls were added during that day.
⁴²And they were devoting themselves continually to the teaching of the
apostles, and to the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread, and to the
prayers. ⁴³And fear came into every soul, and many wonders and signs
were taking place through the apostles. ⁴⁴And all the believers were
together, and possessing everything in common. ⁴⁵And they were
selling their property and possessions, and distributing the proceeds to
everyone, according to whomever had the need. ⁴⁶And every day they
were as one mind, devoting themselves constantly in the temple, and

breaking bread from house to house, sharing food with gladness and
simplicity of heart, ⁴⁷praising God, and having favor in the eyes of all the
people. And the Lord was adding to the assembly daily, those who
were being saved.
Chapter 3
¹Now Peter and John went up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour
of prayer, ²and a man lame from his mother’s womb was being carried,
whom they would place daily at the gate of the temple called the
Beautiful Gate so he could ask for charity from those going into the
temple; ³who when he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he
asked to receive charity. ⁴And Peter, after studying him together with
John, said, “Look at us.”
⁵So he was holding his attention on them, expecting to receive
something from them.
⁶And Peter said, “Silver and gold, I have none. But what I do have,
this I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and
walk!” ⁷And he gripped him by the right hand and lifted him. And his
feet and ankles were instantly strengthened, ⁸and springing up, he
stood, and started walking around. And he went into the temple with
them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹And all the people saw
him walking and praising God, ¹⁰and they recognized him, that this was
the man usually sitting at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to ask for
charity, and they were filled with amazement and wonder over what
had happened to him. ¹¹And as he was holding on to Peter and John, all
the people ran together toward them in admiration, at the gate called
Solomon’s Gate.
¹²But when Peter saw this, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel,
why are you marveling over this, and why are you looking upon us as if
our own power or godliness caused him to walk again? ¹³The God of
Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his
servant Jesus, whom you delivered over to and disowned before the face
of Pilate. He had made the judgement to release him, ¹⁴but you rejected
the holy and righteous one, and asked that a murderer be released on
pardon to you, ¹⁵and you killed the architect of life, whom God has
raised from the dead, to which we all are witnesses. ¹⁶And it is on the
basis of faith in his name, Jesus’ name, that this man whom you see and
know has been made firm, and this faith, which is through that Jesus,
has given this man complete healing in front of you all. ¹⁷So now,
brothers, I realize it was because you were unaware, that you acted so,
and likewise your leaders. ¹⁸But in this way were fulfilled the things
God had foretold through the mouths of all the prophets— that his
Anointed had to suffer. ¹⁹Repent therefore, and turn yourselves around,
so that your sins be wiped away, ²⁰so that times of refreshing may come
from having access to the Lord, and he send the pre-appointed Messiah
to you, Jesus, ²¹whom heaven must take in until the time of the
restoration of all things, about which God has spoken through the
mouths of his holy prophets since long ago.
²²For indeed Moses said to our fathers, 'The Lord God will raise up for
you a prophet like me from your brethren. To him you must take heed,
in accordance with everything he says to you, ²³and it will be that every
soul who does not listen to that prophet will be utterly cut off from
among the people.' ²⁴And indeed all the prophets from Samuel and
those in succession, as many as have spoken, have also predicted these
days. ²⁵You are the heirs of the prophets, and of the covenant which
God set in place with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And through
your seed will all the families of the earth be blessed.' ²⁶God, having
now raised up his servant, has sent him to you, blessing you first, in
order to turn each of you from your wicked ways.”
Chapter 4
¹And as they were talking to the people, the priests and the captain of
the temple guard and the Sadducees pressed upon them, ²all worked up
because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the
resurrection of the dead, ³and they put their hands on them and placed
them under guard until morning (for by then it was evening). ⁴But
many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men
came to be about 5,000.
⁵And the next morning an assembly of the leaders and elders and
Torah scholars was convened in Jerusalem, ⁶including Hananiah the
high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and all the ones
who were relatives of the high priest, ⁷and after they had stood them in
their midst, they were inquiring, “By what power or what name did you
do this?”
⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Leaders of the
people, and elders of Israel, ⁹If we are on trial for a good deed done to a
lame man, as to by what means he was healed, ¹⁰be it known to you all,
and to all the people of Israel, that in this name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God has raised from the dead, in
that name this man is presented before you healthy. ¹¹This Jesus is ‘the
stone that you builders rejected; he has become the cornerstone.’ ¹²And
salvation is not in anyone else, for there is not even another name under
heaven given among man by which we must be saved.”
¹³Now when they observed the confident speech of Peter and John,
and considered the fact they were uneducated and ordinary men, they
were amazed. And they recognized them, that they had been with
Jesus. ¹⁴And as they saw that the man who was with them was
standing, the one who had been healed, they had nothing to say in
rebuttal. ¹⁵And after ordering them to go out of the Sanhedrin, they
were conferring with one another, ¹⁶saying, “What shall we do with
these men? For to be sure, a notable sign has happened through them,
well known to everyone living in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
¹⁷But, so it does not spread to the people any further, let us threaten
them to speak no longer in this name to anyone.” ¹⁸And after
summoning them, they gave them orders not to utter at all nor to teach
in the name of Jesus.
¹⁹But in response Peter and John said to them, “Whether it is right in
God’s eyes to obey you rather than obey God, you decide. ²⁰Because for
us, it impossible to not tell the things we have seen and heard.”
²¹But they threatened them further, and then released them, having
found no way to punish them, because of the people. For they were all
praising God over what had happened. ²²For the man on whom this
sign of healing had happened was over forty years old. ²³So being
released they went to their own people and reported what things the
chief priests and elders had said to them.
²⁴And who when they heard, they with one mind lifted their voice to
God, and said, "Master, you who made the heaven and the earth and the
sea and all things in them, ²⁵who said by the mouth of our father David
your servant, through the Holy Spirit, 'Why have the nations raged, and
the peoples devised vain things? ²⁶The kings of the earth rise up, and
the rulers assemble together against the Lord and against his Anointed.'
²⁷For in fact they have assembled in this city against your holy servant
Jesus whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with
the nations and the assemblies of Israel, ²⁸to do those things which your
hand and your design have fore-ordained to happen. ²⁹And now, Lord,
look upon their threats, and give to all your servants the ability to speak
your word with boldness, ³⁰by stretching forth your hand so that curing
and signs and wonders will happen through the name of your holy
servant Jesus.”
³¹And as they were making this request, the place in which they were
assembled was shaken, and they all were filled with the Holy Spirit, and
they spoke the word of God with boldness. ³²Now the hearts and souls
of the multitude of those who had believed were one, and not one
person said any of the possessions belonging to him were his own, but
instead were held in common for every one of them. ³³And with great
power the apostles gave the testimony about the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. ³⁴For not even one
among them was needy. Because whoever of them were owners of
lands or houses, they were selling, and they would bring the proceeds of
the things that were sold, ³⁵and donate it at the feet of the apostles. Then
it was distributed to each person, according as anyone had the need.
³⁶Thus it was that Joseph, who was nicknamed Barnabas by the
apostles (which when translated is Son of Encouragement), a Levite,
Cypriot by birth, ³⁷who was the owner of a field, he sold it and brought
the proceeds and donated it at the feet of the apostles.
Chapter 5
¹Then a man named Hananiah, together with his wife Saphira, sold
some property, ²and part of the proceeds he secretly set aside for himself
(his wife also aware) and part he brought to the feet of the apostles and
donated.
³And Peter said, “Hananiah, why has Satan emboldened your heart to
lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly set aside for yourself part of the
proceeds from the field? ⁴Was not the field yours, and after it was sold,
the proceeds still within your rights to keep? What happened, that put
this issue in your heart? It was not to people that you lied, but to God.”
⁵And after Hananaiah heard these words, he fell down dead. And
great fear gripped all those who were listening. ⁶And the young men
got up, and when they had wrapped him, they carried him out and
buried him. ⁷And there was an interval of about three hours, and then
his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸And Peter
responded to her, “Tell me, was this how much you sold the land for?”
And she said, “Yes, this much.”
⁹And Peter said to her, “What happened, that you two were united to
tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who buried your
husband are at the door. They will also carry you out.” ¹⁰And she
immediately dropped near his feet and died. And when the young men
came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out, and buried her
next to her husband. ¹¹And great fear came over the whole assembly,
and over all those who heard these things. ¹²And through the hands of
the apostles many signs and wonders were happening among the
people, and they were regularly at the Portico of Solomon with one
accord. ¹³But none of the rest dared to be seen with them. (Though the
people thought highly of them.)
¹⁴Even so, more believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both
men and women; ¹⁵with the result that they also brought out their sick
into the streets and placed them on pallets and mats, in case if Peter
came by even his shadow might pass over one of them. ¹⁶And the
multitude from the cities surrounding Jerusalem also collected there,
carrying the sick and those being tormented by unclean spirits, who
were healed, all of them.
¹⁷But the high priest rose up, and all those with him, which was the
sect of the Sadducees. They were filled with jealousy, ¹⁸and they put
their hands on the apostles and placed them in custody publicly. ¹⁹But
during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison,
and led them out, and said, ²⁰ “Go, stand in the temple, and speak to the
people all the words of this life.”
²¹They took heed, and at about dawn they went into the temple, and
were teaching. And when the high priest and those with him had
opened for business, they called together the Sanhedrin and all the
senate of the sons of Israel, and sent men to the jail to have them
brought. ²²But when the attendants got there, they found they were not
in the prison, and went back and reported, ²³saying, “We found the jail
locked up securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we
opened it, we found no one inside.”
²⁴And as the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard
these words, they were completely at a loss as to what might become of
it all. ²⁵Then someone came and reported to them, “Behold, the men you
had put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.”
²⁶At that time the captain went out, along with the attendants, and
brought them, not with force, because they were afraid of the people,
not wanting to be stoned.
²⁷And they brought them and stood them in the Sanhedrin. And the
high priest interrogated them, ²⁸saying, “We very strictly charged you
not to teach in this name, and behold you have filled Jerusalem with
your teaching. And you intend to bring upon us this man’s blood.”
²⁹And in answer Peter and the apostles said, “We ought to obey God
rather than humans. ³⁰The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom
you killed by hanging him to a tree. ³¹This man God has exalted to his
right hand as a Ruler and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel and

forgiveness of sins. ³²And we are witnesses of these matters, as is also
the Holy Spirit, which God gave to those who obey him.”
³³And those hearing this were enraged, and began planning to kill him.
³⁴But a certain man in the council stood up, a Pharisee by the name of
Gamaliel, a teacher of the law respected by all the people. And he
ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. ³⁵And he said to
them, “Men, Israelites, take heed to yourselves over these men, what
you intend to do. ³⁶For prior to these days, Theudas had risen up,
declaring himself to be someone, to whom a number of men attached
themselves, about four hundred. He was killed, and all who obeyed
him were dispersed and came to nothing. ³⁷After that, during the days
of the registration, Judas the Galilean rose up and drew away people
after him. That man also perished, and all who obeyed him were
scattered. ³⁸And the ones now, I am telling you, stand back from these
men, and leave them alone. Because if this argument is of man, or this
effort, it will come to an end. ³⁹On the other hand, if it is of God, you
will not be able to stop them. And no good you are found being
opponents of God.”
With that they obeyed him. ⁴⁰And they called for the apostles, and
beat them, and ordered them not to speak on the name of Jesus, and
released them. ⁴¹They as a result were proceeding from the presence of
the Sanhedrin rejoicing that they were considered worthy to be despised
for the sake of that name. ⁴²And every day, in the temple, and from
house to house, they never ceased teaching and preaching the Messiah
Jesus.
Chapter 6
¹Now during those days, with the number of disciples having
multiplied greatly, there arose some grumbling from the Greek speakers
toward the Hebrew speakers, that their widows were being overlooked
in the daily distribution of food. ²Then the Twelve called the multitude
of the disciples to them, and said, “It is not fitting that we abandon the
word of God to minister money matters. ³So, brothers, search out seven
men of you who are witnessed to be full of the Spirit and of wisdom,
whom we will appoint over this office; ⁴whereas we will be devoted to
prayer and service of the word.”
⁵And this word was pleasing before all the multitude, and they chose
Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; and Philip, and
Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a
proselyte from Antioch. ⁶Whom they set before the apostles. And they
prayed and laid their hands on them.
⁷And the word of God grew, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem
multiplied greatly. A large crowd of the priests also was coming to obey
the faith. ⁸And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great
signs and wonders among the people.
⁹But some men stood up, debating with Stephen, men from what was
called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians and
Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, ¹⁰and they were not able
to withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which he was speaking.
¹¹Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard him
speaking blasphemous things against Moses and against God.” ¹²And
that stirred up the people, and the elders, and the Torah scholars. And
having stood ready nearby, they seized him and took him to the
Sanhedrin. ¹³They also had arranged false witnesses, who were now
saying, “This man never stops saying things against this holy place and
the law. ¹⁴For we have heard him saying that this Jesus the Nazarene
will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down
to us.” ¹⁵And everyone sitting in the Sanhedrin who watched him saw
his face was like the face of an angel.
Chapter 7
¹But the high priest said, “Are these things true?”
²And he said, “Brothers and fathers, listen: The glorious God appeared
to our father Abraham while he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in
Haran, ³and He said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives, and
go to whatever country I will show you.’
⁴At that time he left Chaldea, and lived in Haran. And then, after his
father died, God removed him to this country in which you now live.
⁵Yet he did not give him tenure in this country, not even a foothold, yet
promised to give it for a possession to his seed after him, this while he
had no child. ⁶But God spoke this: ‘Your seed will be aliens in the
country of others, who will enslave them and treat them badly for 400
years. ⁷And whatever nation enslaves them, I will judge,’ said God, ‘and
after those things they will come out, and will worship me in this place.’
⁸And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and thus Abraham
begat Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac Jacob, and
Jacob the twelve patriarchs. ⁹And the patriarchs, out of envy, sold
Joseph off to Egypt. Yet God was with him. ¹⁰And He rescued him from
all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the eyes of Pharaoh
king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt, and over his entire
household.
¹¹But a famine came over all of Egypt and Canaan, and great suffering,
and our fathers were not finding food. ¹²So when Jacob heard there was
bread in Egypt, he sent our fathers out the first time. ¹³And during the
second time, Joseph allowed himself to be recognized by his brothers,
and his race became evident to Pharaoh.
¹⁴So Joseph sent word inviting his father to come, Jacob and the whole
clan, 75 souls in all, ¹⁵and Jacob went down to Egypt. And he and our
fathers died, ¹⁶and were transferred to Shechem and laid in the tomb
which Abraham had bought with a payment in silver from the sons of
Hamor in Shechem.
¹⁷Now just as the time was drawing near for the promise which God
had declared to Abraham, the people grew in strength and were
multiplied in Egypt, ¹⁸until such time another king arose who did not
know Joseph. ¹⁹This man dealt shrewdly with our race. He mistreated
our fathers, causing their newborn babies to be thrown out, so they
would not survive.
²⁰At which time Moses was born, and he was very good looking. For
three months he was nurtured in the house of his father. ²¹Then when
he was put out, the daughter of Pharaoh took him as a son for herself.
²²And Moses was trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was
powerful in his words and his deeds.
²³But when he reached 40 years old, it came upon his heart to go check
on his brothers the sons of Israel. ²⁴And when he saw one being injured
he defended him, and he got vengeance for the one getting the worse, by
striking the Egyptian. ²⁵Now he thought his brothers would understand
that God would give salvation to them through his hand. But they did
not understand. ²⁶And on the following day he appeared to some of
them, who were fighting, and he attempted to reconcile them in peace
saying, “Men, you are brothers. Why are you injuring each other?”
²⁷But the one injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, “Who
appointed you ruler and judge over us? ²⁸Do you intend to kill me the
same way you killed that Egyptian yesterday?”
²⁹And with this said, Moses fled. And he became an alien camping out
in Midian, where he begat two sons. ³⁰And when he was forty years old,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in the desert of Mount Sinai, in
the flame of a burning thorn bush.
³¹And Moses saw it and marvelled at the vision. As he approached it
therefore to investigate, there came the voice of the Lord: ³² ‘I am the
God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ But Moses
started to tremble and dared not to look.
³³And the Lord said to him, ‘Remove the sandals from your feet;
because the place on which you are standing is holy ground. ³⁴I have
looked, I have seen the ill treatment of my people in Egypt, and I have
heard their groans, and I have come down to rescue them. And now,
you come; I will send you to Egypt.’
³⁵This Moses, the one they had denied saying, ‘Who appointed you
ruler and judge;’ this man God sent as ruler and redeemer by means of
the angel appearing to him in the bush. ³⁶This man led them forth,
performing wonders and signs, in Egypt and in the Red Sea, and in the
desert for forty years. ³⁷This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel,
‘God will raise up a prophet for you like me out of your brothers.’ ³⁸This
is the one who was present in the congregation in the desert, who was
with the angel speaking to him in Mount Sinai, and who was with our
fathers. He who received living oracles to give to us. ³⁹To whom our
fathers refused to be obedient, but pushed him away, and turned their
hearts toward Egypt, ⁴⁰saying to Aaron, ‘Make gods for us that will go
before us. Because this Moses who led us out of Egypt, we do not know
what happened to him.’ ⁴¹And they molded a calf in those days, and led
a sacrifice up to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
⁴²And God turned away, and gave them up to worship the heavenly
bodies, just as it is written in the scroll of the prophets: ‘Have you
presented Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices for forty years in the
desert, O house of Israel? ⁴³Yet you carried around the booth of Moloch,
and the star of your god Saturn. The images which you made, you
worshiped them. I therefore will deport you beyond Babylon.’ ⁴⁴The
tent of testimony was there for our fathers in the desert, just as the one
speaking had directed Moses to make it according to the model which
he had seen. ⁴⁵Which then our fathers had passed on to them, and they
with Joshua, took it into the land possessed by the nations whom God
drove away from the face of our fathers until the days of David. ⁴⁶Who
found favor before God and asked to find a tent for the God of Jacob.
⁴⁷But Solomon built a house for him. ⁴⁸But the Most High does not
dwell in hand-made things. As the prophet says, ⁴⁹’Heaven is my
throne, and Earth is my foot-stool. What kind of house will you build
for me?’ says the Lord, ‘or what place for my rest? ⁵Has not my hand
created all these things?’
⁵¹O you stiff-necked people, and uncircumcised in hearts and ears, you
always resist the Holy Spirit. Just as your fathers were, so are you.
⁵²Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? And they
killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One, of whom
you now are become the betrayers and murderers. ⁵³Who have received
the law by the direction of angels, and not kept it.”
⁵⁴Now those hearing these things had been seething inside, and were
grinding their teeth at him. ⁵⁵But he, being filled with the Holy Spirit,
gazed intently into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus
standing at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶And he said, “Look! I can see
heaven open, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
⁵⁷But they howled loudly while plugging their ears, and with one
accord charged upon him, ⁵⁸and when they had cast him outside the
city, they proceeded to stone him. And the witnesses laid their cloaks at
the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹And as they stoned Stephen, he
was calling out, and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰Then he
dropped to his knees, and he cried out with a loud voice: “Lord, do not
hold these sins against them.” And after he said these things, he died.
Chapter 8
¹And Saul was in agreement with his killing. Then there occurred at
that time a great persecution against the congregation at Jerusalem, and
they all became scattered over the territories of Judea and Samaria,
except for the apostles. ²But some devout men recovered the body of
Stephen, and made a great lamentation over him.
³Meanwhile Saul was ravaging the church, entering house to house,
dragging off both men and women and handing them over to prison.
⁴But those who were scattered consequently passed through preaching
the word. ⁵Thus Philip, having gone down to a city of Samaria,
preached Christ to those people.
⁶And those crowds, when they heard, and saw the signs he was
performing, with one mind took heed to the things that were spoken by
Philip. ⁷For many had unclean spirits, which came out with loud
shrieks, and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.
⁸And so there was great joy in that city.
⁹Now there was a man in that city named Simon who had been
practicing sorcery and astonishing the nation of Samaria, declaring
himself to be someone great. ¹⁰To whom all would pay attention, from
the small to the great, saying, “This is what you call the great power of
God.” ¹¹And they were paying attention to him because it was for quite
a while he had been astonishing them with his sorceries. ¹²But when
they believed what Philip had preached about the kingdom of God and
the name of Jesus Christ, they were getting baptized, both men and
women. ¹³And Simon himself also believed, and after he was baptized,
he was staying close to Philip, and when he saw the great signs and
miracles that were happening, he was astonished.
¹⁴And when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had
welcomed the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, ¹⁵who
went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
¹⁶For He had not yet fallen on even one of them. They were baptized
ones, but baptized only in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷Then at that
time, they laid their hands on them, and they did receive the Holy Spirit.
¹⁸Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given by the laying on of
the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, ¹⁹saying, “Give me this
authority also, so that whoever I lay my hands on receives the Holy
Spirit.”
²⁰But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you
presumed to buy the gift of God with money! ²¹There is no part or place
for you in this thing, because your heart is not pure before God.
²²Repent therefore of this evil of yours, and ask of the Lord if the intent
of your heart will be forgiven. ²³For I see you being with bitter poison
and the bondage of unrighteousness.”
²⁴And in response Simon said, “Pray to the Lord on my behalf so that
nothing you said will befall me.”
²⁵When therefore they had given solemn testimony, they also returned
to Jerusalem speaking the word of the Lord, evangelizing even more
Samaritan villages.
²⁶Then an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying: “Get up, and go
down southward on the road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This
is desert.)
²⁷And he got up and went, and behold, an Ethiopian man, who was an
official eunuch of the Kentakee (queen of the Ethiopians) in charge of all
her finance. He had come to worship at Jerusalem. ²⁸And he was going
back home, and was sitting on his chariot and reading the prophet
Isaiah.
²⁹And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and meet this chariot.”
³⁰So Philip ran up to him. And he heard him reading Isaiah the
prophet and said to him, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
³¹And he said, “How would I truly be able to, unless someone guides
me?” And he invited Philip up, to sit with him.
³²And the passage of scripture he was reading was,
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.

And as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
³³In his meekness his right was taken away.
Who will describe his generation?
For his life is being removed from the earth.”
³⁴So in response the eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you please, about
whom is the prophet saying this? About himself? Or about someone
else?”
³⁵Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with that very
scripture, he told him all the good news about Jesus. ³⁶And as they were
proceeding along the road, they came upon some water, and the eunuch
said, “Look, water. Is there anything forbidding me to be baptized?”
³⁸And he ordered the chariot to stop, and the two went down into the
water, both Philip and the eunuch, and Philip baptized him. ³⁹And
when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched
Philip up, and the eunuch saw him no more. He sure was rejoicing as
he went on his way.
⁴⁰Then Philip was found in Azotus, and he preached the gospel to all
the towns as he passed through, until he arrived at Caesarea.
Chapter 9
¹Now Saul was still breathing threats of murder against the disciples of
the Lord. And he approached the high priest, ²and obtained letters from
him to the synagogues at Damascus, to the effect that anyone he found
belonging to The Way, both men and women, he could bind them and
bring them to Jerusalem. ³When therefore he was on his way, it came
about, that as he was getting close to Damascus, suddenly a light from
heaven shone all around him, ⁴and he fell to the ground. He heard a
voice. It was saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
⁵And he said, “Who are you, Lord?”
And He said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for
you to kick against the goads.”
⁶Then, trembling and awe-struck, he said, “Lord, what do you want
me to do?”
And the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and it will be
told you what you are to do.”
⁷Now the men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing
the voice, but not seeing anyone. ⁸Then Saul got up off the ground, and
though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So leading him by the
hand, they took him into Damascus. ⁹And he went three days without
seeing, and neither ate nor drank.
¹⁰Now there was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Hananiah, and
the Lord spoke to him in a dream, “Hananiah.”
And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
¹¹And the Lord said to him, “Get up, go to the street called Straight
Street, and inquire in the house of Judas for a man named Saul of
Tarsus. For behold, he is praying, ¹²and in a vision he has seen a man
named Hananiah come in and lay hands on him so that he would see
again.”
¹³But Hananiah answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people
about this man, what bad things he has done to your saints in Jerusalem;
¹⁴and he has authority here from the high priest to bind all those who
are called by your name.”
¹⁵And the Lord said to him, “Go. For this man is to me a choice vessel
to bear my name before the Gentiles, and even before kings, and before
the sons of Israel as well. ¹⁶Indeed I will show him what things he
himself is destined to suffer for the sake of my name.”
¹⁷So Hananiah went, and came into the house. And he placed his
hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord has sent me—Jesus, who
appeared to you in the road on which you came—so that you may see
again, and so you may be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
¹⁸And immediately there fell off of him something like scales from his
eyes, and he saw again, and he rose up and was baptized. ¹⁹And after
receiving food, he gained strength. And he was with the disciples in
Damascus a few days, ²⁰and then immediately began preaching Jesus in
the synagogues, saying “This is the Son of God.”
²¹And those hearing were amazed, and saying, “Is this not the man
who ravaged those in Jerusalem connected to this name? Was this not
also the reason he had come here, to take them chained up before the
high priests?”
²²And Saul was getting stronger and stronger, and confounding the
Jews who lived in Damascus, proving that this man was the Messiah.
²³And after many days of this had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill
him. ²⁴But their plan was made known to Saul. Now they were also
keeping close watch on the gates, both by day and by night, so as to kill
him. ²⁵So the disciples took him away at night by way of the wall
instead. They lowered him down in a basket.
²⁶And when he arrived in Jerusalem, he kept trying to join with the
disciples, and everyone was afraid of him, not believing he was a

disciple. ²⁷But Barnabas came beside him, and led him to the apostles,
and recounted to them how the Lord had appeared to Saul on the road,
and that He had spoken to him, and how in Damascus Saul had spoken
boldly in the name of Jesus.
²⁸So he was with them at Jerusalem going in and out, speaking boldly
in the name of the Lord, ²⁹both speaking to and debating with the Greek-
speaking Jews. They however were taking steps to kill him. ³⁰And
when the brethren found out, they took him to Caesarea, and assigned
him out to Tarsus.
³¹Then the church throughout all of Judea, Galilee and Samaria had
peace, and it was strengthened. And proceeding in the fear of the Lord
and the assurance of the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers.
³²Now it came about that as Peter was going through all those areas, he
went to be with the saints that were living in Lydda. ³³And he found
there a man by the name of Aeneas, who was paralyzed, lying in bed for
eight years. ³⁴And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ is healing
you. Get up and make your bed.” And he got up immediately. ³⁵And
everyone living in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the
Lord.
³⁶And in Joppa there was a disciple by the name of Tabitha, which
when translated means Dorkas. This woman was wholly occupied with
the good works and charitable giving that she was doing. ³⁷And it came
about that during those days she became ill, and died. And after they
washed her, they placed her in the upper room. ³⁸And since Lydda was
close to Joppa, and the disciples heard that Peter was in that town, they
sent two men to him, begging him, “Please come to our town without
delay.”
³⁹So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him
up into the upper room. And all the widows came forward, weeping,
showing him the coats and garments that Dorkas had made when she
was with them. ⁴⁰But Peter put everyone outside, and he got down on
his knees, and prayed. Then he turned toward the body, and said,
“Tabitha, get up.” And she opened her eyes. And when she saw Peter,
she sat up. ⁴¹And lending her a hand, he lifted her up, and called the
saints and widows, and presented her to them alive. ⁴²And this became
known throughout all of Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. ⁴³And
it came about that Peter stayed on for a considerable number of days in
Joppa, with a tanner, Simon.
Chapter 10
¹Now a man in Caesarea by the name of Cornelius, the centurion of the
cohort called The Italian Cohort, ²a devout and God-fearing man along
with his whole household, who was doing many charitable deeds for
the Jewish people, and praying to God continually, ³saw distinctly at
about the ninth hour of the day in a vision, that an angel of God had
come in to him, and who said to him, “Cornelius.”
⁴And Cornelius looked upon him, and became very afraid, and said,
“What is it, Lord?”
And he said to him, “Your prayers and your deeds of charity have
gone up as a memorial before God. ⁵And now, send men to Joppa, and
invite a Simon to come to you who is nicknamed Peter. ⁶This man is
staying as a guest with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
⁷So when the angel speaking to him had left, he called two of his house
servants from among those who attended him, and a devout soldier,
⁸and after recounting it to each one of them, he sent them to Joppa.
⁹The next day, as those men were walking the road and getting close to
the city, Peter went up onto the roof to pray, around the sixth hour.
¹⁰Then he became very hungry, and wanted to eat. And while they were
preparing it, a trance came over him, ¹¹and he sees heaven being
opened, and then a container coming down, something like a giant
bedsheet tied at the four corners, being lowered to the earth. ¹²In it were
all the four-footed animals, and all the things that creep on the ground,
and all the birds of the sky.
¹³And there came a voice to him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”
¹⁴But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord. Because never have I ever eaten
anything common or unclean.”
¹⁵And the voice spoke again to him a second time: “What God has
made clean you must not call unclean.”
¹⁶And this happened three times; then the container was immediately
taken up into heaven. ¹⁷Then, as Peter was puzzling inside himself as to
what might be the meaning of the vision he had seen, behold, the men
who were sent by Cornelius had ascertained the house of Simon and
stood at the gate. ¹⁸And they called out, asking if Simon who was
nicknamed Peter was staying as a guest there. ¹⁹And as Peter was
reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are
looking for you. ²⁰Get up instead, and go downstairs, and leave with
them, not questioning anything, since I have sent them.”
²¹So Peter went down and said to the men, “Here I am, the one you are
looking for. What is the reason you are here?”

²²And they said, “Cornelius the centurion, a righteous man and fearing
God, and vouched for by the whole Jewish nation, he has been directed
by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from
you.”
²³He invited them inside therefore as his guests. And the next day he
rose up and left with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa
accompanied him. ²⁴And the following day he came into Caesarea. And
since Cornelius was expecting him, he had called together his relatives
and his close friends. ²⁵And it came about that as Peter was entering,
Cornelius met him and fell at his feet and worshipped him.
²⁶But Peter lifted him up saying, “Stand up. I myself am also a human
being.”
²⁷And as he was talking with him he went inside, and finds many
people gathered. ²⁸And he said to them, “You know full well how it is
unlawful for a Jewish man to join with or visit someone of another race.
Yet God has shown me to call no human being common or unclean.
²⁹This then is the reason I came without objection to the summons. I ask
therefore, what is the reason you have summoned me?”
³⁰And Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was in my house
praying, at the ninth hour, and behold, a man in radiant clothing stood
before me. ³¹And he said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been answered,
and your deeds of charity have gone up as a memorial before God.
³²Send therefore to Joppa and call for Simon who is knicknamed Peter.
This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner, by the
sea.’ ³³Right away then I sent men to you, and you on your part did well
getting here. Now therefore, we all are present before God, to hear all
the things told to you by the Lord.”
³⁴Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, “I truly understand now,
that God is not a discriminator of faces, ³⁵but that a person of any nation
who fears him and works at righteousness is acceptable to Him. ³⁶This
is the word which He sent to the sons of Israel, that announces peace
through Jesus Christ: This man is the Lord of everyone.
³⁷You know the thing that happened throughout the whole land of the
Jews, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached,
³⁸the man from Nazareth, Jesus, how God anointed him with the Holy
Spirit and power, who traveled around doing good and healing all those
oppressed by the Devil, because God was with him. ³⁹And we are
witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and Jerusalem;
whom then they killed by hanging him to a tree. ⁴⁰This man God raised
up on the third day, and granted him to be visible; ⁴¹not to all the people
but to witnesses chosen beforehand by God; to us, who ate and drank
with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴²And he commanded us to
preach to the people and to solemnly testify that this man is the one
appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³All the
prophets testify: that all who believe on him are to receive forgiveness of
sins through his name.”
⁴⁴While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon
everyone who was listening to the word. ⁴⁵And those believers who
were of the Circumcision, who had come with Peter, were astonished
that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out upon Gentiles also. ⁴⁶For
they were hearing them speaking in tongues and glorifying God. Then
Peter responded: ⁴⁷”Can anyone forbid water baptism to these people,
who received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” ⁴⁸And so he ordered them
to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to
remain for several days.
Chapter 11
¹Now those apostles and brothers who were living throughout Judea,
they heard that Gentiles had also received the word of God. ²And when
Peter went up to Jerusalem, they began to argue against him, those who
were of the Circumcision.
³They were saying, “You have gone indoors with uncircumcised men,
and you ate with them!”
⁴So Peter began explaining to them step by step, saying, ⁵”I was in the
city of Joppa, praying, and in a trance, I saw a vision: a container,
something like a giant bedsheet, being let down out of heaven by its four
corners, and it came close to me. ⁶When I looked inside, I recognized
and saw the four-footed animals of the earth, and the wild beasts, and
the creeeping things, and the birds of the sky. ⁷And then I heard a voice
saying, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
⁸But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord. Because never has anything common
or unclean ever gone into my mouth.’
⁹The voice came back a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made
clean you must not call unclean.’
¹⁰And this happened three times, then it was all pulled back into
heaven. ¹¹And behold, right then three men stood at the house in which
I was staying, sent from Caesarea to me. ¹²And the Spirit said to me, ‘Go
with them, not questioning anything. And these six brothers went with
me also, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³Then he related to us how
he saw an angel who had stood in his house and had said, ‘Send to
Joppa and summon Simon who is knick-named Peter, ¹⁴who will speak
words to you by which you and all your household will be saved.’
¹⁵And so, as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as upon
us at the beginning. ¹⁶Then I remembered the statement of the Lord. As
he said, ‘John baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy
Spirit.’ ¹⁷If therefore God has given them the same gift as to us when we
also believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to have been able to
hold back God?”
¹⁸And after they heard these things they calmed down, and they
glorified God, saying, “So, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance
unto life.”
¹⁹Those then who had been scattered as a result of the persecution in
connection to Stephen, they had gone as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus
and Antioch, generally speaking the word to no one except Jews only.
²⁰But there were a few of them, Cypriot and Cyrenian men, who had
gone into Antioch speaking to Greeks as well, preaching the good news
about the Lord Jesus. ²¹And the hand of the Lord was with them, and
the number of those who believed and turned to the Lord was large.
²²And the report about them was heard as far as the ears of the
congregation that was in Jerusalem, and they assigned Barnabas out to
Antioch. ²³Who, when he arrived and saw the blessedness that is from
God, was glad, and exhorted them all to continue in the Lord with
determination in their hearts. ²⁴For he was a good man, and full of the
Holy Spirit and faith. And a great number of people were brought to
the Lord. ²⁵Then he went away to Tarsus, to look for Saul, ²⁶and when
he found him he brought him to Antioch. And so it came about that, for
a whole year they joined forces to work with that congregation, and to
teach a considerable throng of people. It was also in Antioch the
disicples were first called “Christians.”
²⁷And during those same days some prophets came down to Antioch
from Jerusalem. ²⁸And one of them by the name of Agabus indicated
through the Spirit that a great famine was going to take place over the
whole inhabited earth. Which did take place during the reign of
Claudius Caesar. ²⁹Then the disciples determined, according to the
extent each of them was prospering, to send money in support to the
brethren living in Judea. ³⁰And this they did, sending it to the elders by
the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Chapter 12
¹Now around that time, King Herod arrested some from the church,
and mistreated them. ²And James the brother of John he put to death by
the sword. ³And when he saw that this was pleasing to the Jews, he
went on to hunt down Peter also (and it was during the days of
Unleavened Bread), ⁴whom he then arrested and put in prison,
delivering him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each,
intending after Passover to bring him out before the people.
⁵While Peter was being kept in prison, prayer was earnestly being
made by the church on his behalf to God. ⁶And when Herod was just
about to bring him up, that very night before, Peter was sleeping
chained between two soldiers by two chains, with guards also in front of
the door watching the prison. ⁷And behold, an angel of the Lord stood
over, and light shone in the room. And he tapped on the side of Peter’s
body and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off
his wrists.
⁸Then the angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.”
And Peter did so. And the angel says to him, “Throw your cloak on and
follow me.”
⁹And Peter was following him outside, not knowing, that what was
happening through the angel was real. He thought he was seing a
dream. ¹⁰So after passing by the first guards, then the second, they were
at the iron gate that leads to the city. Which opened for them by itself.
And they got outside, and when they had gone one block, the angel
pulled away from him.
¹¹And Peter came to himself, and said, “Now I truly know, that the
Lord has sent out his angel, and plucked me out of Herod’s hand and
from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” ¹²And once he realized
this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of the John whose other
name was Mark, which was where a lot of those convened and praying
were. ¹³And he knocked on the door of the courtyard, and a
maidservant by the name of Rhoda came out to answer, ¹⁴and when she
recognized Peter’s voice, from her joy she did not open the gate but ran
inside and reported Peter to be standing at the gate.
¹⁵And they said to her, “You’re crazy.” But she kept insisting it was
true. So then they were saying, “It’s his angel.”
¹⁶But Peter kept knocking. And when they opened the gate they saw
him, and were astounded. ¹⁷And he waved his hand downward for
silence, and recounted to them how the Lord had brought him out of the
prison. Then he said, “Report these things to James and the brothers.”
And he left and went to another location.

¹⁸Now when morning came, there was no small anxiety among the
soldiers as to what had happened to Peter. ¹⁹And Herod conducted a
search for him, and when he did not find him he interrogated the
guards, then ordered them off to be executed, and went down to
Caesarea, spending some time away from Judea.
²⁰Now Herod had become angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon.
So they made a joint appearance before him, and after they had first
won Blastus over to their cause, the man in charge of the king’s
bedroom, they sued for peace. This was because their region was
dependent upon the food crops from the royal farms. ²¹And on the day
appointed, Herod dressed in the royal robes and sat at the tribunal, and
delivered a speech before them. ²²And the crowd began raising a cheer:
“The voice of a god, and not of a man!” ²³But an angel of the Lord
struck him on the spot, because he did not give the glory to God. And
he was eaten by worms, and died.
²⁴Now the word of God was spreading, and winning over more and
more people. ²⁵And Barnabas and Saul returned, having fulfilled their
mission at Jerusalem, and they brought with them John whose other
name was Mark.
Chapter 13
¹Now among that congregation in Antioch there were prophets and
teachers: both Barnabas and Simeon― the one called the black Simeon;
and also Lucius the Cyrenian; Manaen the foster brother of Herod the
Tetrarch; and Saul. ²And while they were devoting themselves to the
Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Now set apart Barnabas and Saul
to me, for the work to which I have called them.”
³Then, after fasting and praying and laying their hands on them, they
released them. ⁴Those two therefore, sent out by the Holy Spirit, went
down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus, ⁵and once they
were in Salamis, were proclaiming the word of God in the synagogues
of the Jews. Now they also had John along as an assistant.
⁶And when they had traveled through the whole island as far as
Paphos, they encountered a man who was a magician and Jewish false
prophet, whose name was Bar-Jesus, ⁷who was with the proconsul
Sergius Paulus. This latter was an intelligent man, and he summoned
Barnabas and Saul, desiring to hear the word of God. ⁸But Elymas the
magician (for that is how his name is translated) kept working against
them, always trying to steer the proconsul away from the faith.
⁹Then Saul, the one also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed
his gaze straight at him, ¹⁰and said, “O you, full of all spincraft and
every kind of fraud, you son of the devil, you opponent of all that is
righteous, are you never going to stop distorting the right ways of the
Lord? ¹¹And now behold, the hand of the Lord is against you, and you
will be blind, not seeing the sun for a time."
And immediately there fell upon him a mist, and darkness, and he was
going around looking for a guiding hand. ¹²At that time the proconsul
believed, when he saw what had happened, completely amazed at the
teaching about the Lord.
¹³Then, setting sail from Paphos, Paul and his companions came to
Perga of Pamphylia; except for John, who parted from them and
returned to Jerusalem. ¹⁴And they passed on through from Perga and
arrived in Antioch of Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into
the synagogue and sat down. ¹⁵And after the reading of the law and the
prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, "Men,
brothers, if there is among you any word of exhortation to the people,
you may speak."
¹⁶So Paul stood up, and waving his hand downward for silence, he
said, Men, Israelites, and those who fear God, please listen. ¹⁷The God
of this people Israel chose our fathers, and he exalted the people during
their sojourning in Egypt, and with a mighty arm led them out of it,
¹⁸and, for about forty years time he bore them in the desert, ¹⁹then after
destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land
out to them as an inheritance, ²⁰all this over a period of about 450 years.
And after those things, he gave them the judges, until Samuel the
prophet.
²¹And from then on they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the
son of Kish for 40 years, a man of the tribe of Benjamin. ²²And after
removing him, he raised up David for them as king, about whom he also
testified and said, 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own
heart, who will perform all my wishes.' ²³From the seed of that man,
according to the promise, God brought to Israel a savior, Jesus, ²⁴with
John having announced ahead of His appearance a baptism of
repentance to all the people Israel.
²⁵"And as John was completing his run, he was saying, 'What are you
surmising me to be? I am not the one. But behold, there is coming after
me someone whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.'
²⁶Men and brothers, sons of the race of Abraham, and those among
you who fear God, the message of this salvation has been assigned over
to us, ²⁷since those living in Jerusalem and their rulers, being ignorant of
this and of the voices of the prophets which are read on every Sabbath,
fulfilled them by condemning Him. ²⁸And even though they found no
case for the death penalty, they asked Pilate to execute Him. ²⁹And
when they had fulfilled all those things written about him, they took
him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.
³⁰But God raised him up from the dead. ³¹Over a period of many days
he appeared to those who had come up to Jersualem with him from
Galilee, those who are now witnesses of him to the people. ³²And we
are announcing to you this good news: that the promise made to the
fathers, ³³God has fulfilled that promise to us their children by raising
up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm about him: 'You are my
son. Today I have begotten you.'
³⁴And that he raised him from the dead, to revert no more to decay,
this is spoken: 'I will grant to you the sure blessings of David.'
³⁵Pertaining to which also it says in another place, 'You will grant that
your blessed one not see decay.'
³⁶Now certainly: David fell asleep, after he had served his own
generation by the will of God, and he was laid to rest with his fathers,
and he saw decay. ³⁷But the one whom God has raised, he did not see
decay. ³⁸Be it known to you therefore, men and brothers, that through
this man forgiveness of sins is being announced to you. ³⁹And of
everything from which it was not possible to be justified through the
Law of Moses, he who believes is being justified.
⁴⁰Take heed therefore, so that this which was spoken in the prophets
may not apply:
⁴¹'Watch, O scornful ones, and marvel, and perish.

Because I am accomplishing a feat in your days,
a feat which you would not believe
if someone were explaining it to you.' "
⁴²And when they went outside, they were being invited to the next
Sabbath, to speak these same words to them. ⁴³Then after the synagogue
meeting had broken up many of the Jews and devout proselytes
accompanied Paul and Barnabas, who, as they continued to speak to
them, were prevailing upon them to continue with this grace of God.
⁴⁴Consequently on the following Sabbath, almost the entire city gathered
to hear the word about the Lord.
⁴⁵But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy,
and they were rebutting the arguments of Paul by denigrating him. ⁴⁶So
Paul and Barnabas bluntly said, "It was mandatory that the word of God
be spoken to you first. But since you are pushing it away and convicting
yourselves not worthy of eternal life, behold: we turn to the Gentiles.
⁴⁷For the Lord has commanded us this: 'I have set you to be a light for
the Gentiles, salvation reaching the farthest part of the earth.'" ⁴⁸And the
Gentiles listening were cheering, and praising the message about the
Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.
⁴⁹So the message about the Lord was being carried throughout that
whole region. ⁵⁰But the Jews stirred up the influential of the pious
proselyte women along with the chief men of the city, and instigated a
persecution against Paul and Barnabas. And they expelled them out of
their borders. ⁵¹So they, after shaking the dust off their feet against
them, were on their way to Iconium, ⁵²while the disciples were filled
with joy and the Holy Spirit.
Chapter 14
¹And the same thing happened in Iconium. They went into the
synagogue of the Jews and spoke in this same manner, with the result
that a large number of both Jews and Greeks believed. ²As for those
who did not believe, the Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the
Gentiles against the brothers.
³They then stayed though quite a while, speaking boldly on the Lord,
who was bearing witness to the word of his grace by granting signs and
wonders to happen through their hands. ⁴But the multitude of the city
became divided, and some were with the Jews and some were with the
apostles. ⁵And when a campaign arose on the part of both the Gentiles
and Jews with their leaders to assault and stone them, ⁶they heard about
it, and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and the
surrounding country, ⁷and started evangelizing there.
⁸And a man was sitting in Lystra who was disabled in his feet, lame
from his mother's womb, who never at any time had walked. ⁹He was
listening to the preaching of Paul, who studied him, and knew that he
had the faith to be healed. ¹⁰Paul said in a loud voice, "Stand up
straight, on your feet!" And he jumped up, and was walking.
¹¹And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their
voices in Lycaonian, saying, "The gods have come down to us, made like
humans." ¹²And they were calling Barnabas Zeus, and Paul Hermes,
since Hermes was the ruler of speech. ¹³And the priest of Zeus, who
dwelt before the city, brought bulls and garlands to the gates, intending
to join with the crowds to offer sacrifice.

¹⁴But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they ripped
their clothing and rushed in among the crowd, crying out ¹⁵and saying,
"Men, why are you doing this? We also are humans with the same
frailties as you, preaching that you should turn from these worthless
things to the God that is alive, the one who made the heaven, and the
earth, and the sea, and everything that is in them; ¹⁶who in the ages gone
by has allowed all nations to go in their own paths; ¹⁷though he did not
leave himself without evidence, acting good toward you, providing rain
from the heaven and seasons bearing fruit, satisfying your hearts with
food and good cheer."
¹⁸And saying these things just barely dissuaded the crowds from
sacrificing to them. ¹⁹But some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium,
and after winning over the crowds and stoning Paul, they dragged him
outside the city, thinking he was dead.
²⁰But the disciples circled around him, and carried him into the city.
And the following day, he left for Derbe with Barnabas. ²¹And after
evangelizing that city and making many disciples, they reversed their
tracks through Lystra and through Iconium and through Antioch,
²²confirming the hearts of the disciples, exhorting them to persevere in
the faith, seeing as how we must go through much tribulation into the
kingdom of God. ²³And after appointing elders for them in each
congregation, and praying for them with fasting, they handed them over
to the Lord in whom they had placed their trust.
²⁴And when they had passed all the way through Pisidia they came
into Pamphylia, ²⁵and after speaking the word in Perga they went down
to Attalia, ²⁶and from there set sail for Antioch, for that is where they
had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had
completed. ²⁷So they presented themselves. When they had brought the
congregation together, they were reporting what things God had done
through them, and how He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
²⁸And it was no small amount of time they were spending with those
disciples.
Chapter 15
¹And some who had come down from Judea had been teaching the
brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses,
you cannot be saved." ²So after there arose no small division and debate
between those men versus Paul and Barnabas, they appointed Paul and
Barnabas plus some others among them to go up to the apostles and
elders in Jerusalem about this question.

³They therefore were sent forth now by the assembly, and as they
passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they were telling all about
the conversion of the Gentiles, and causing great joy among the
brethren. ⁴And when they arrived in Jerusalem they were welcomed by
the congregation and the apostles and the elders, and they reported the
things God had done through them.
⁵But some from the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up,
saying it was necessary to circumcise them and to command them to
keep the law of Moses. ⁶And the apostles and elders gathered together
to deliberate about this issue.
⁷But after an intense debate occurred, Peter stood up, and he said to
them, "Men and brothers, you know full well from the early days, that
God chose in your presence Gentiles to hear by my mouth the word of
the gospel and to believe, ⁸and God, the knower of hearts, has testified,
in that he gave the Holy Spirit to them also, just as to us, ⁹and he made
no distinction between us and them, cleansing both of our hearts by
means of faith. ¹⁰So why tempt God now to place a yoke upon the necks
of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
¹¹But rather we believe to be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, the
same way also as they."
¹²Then the whole multitude was quiet and listening to Barnabas and
Paul recounting at length what signs and wonders God had done among
the Gentiles through them.
¹³And after they had held their peace, James responded, saying, "Men,
brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴Simeon has described how it was that God first
turned his attention to obtain from the Gentiles a people called by his
name. ¹⁵And this is in harmony with the words of the prophets, just as it
is written:
¹⁶'After these things I will turn back around,

and raise again the fallen tent of David,
and rebuild the ruins of it and set it up aright.
¹⁷so the rest of humanity may seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles upon whom my name is applied,
says the Lord, the one doing these things,
¹⁸known since long ago.'
¹⁹Therefore it is my judgment not to further dismay those from the

Gentiles who are turning to God, ²⁰but to write to them to abstain from
the pollutions of idols and sexual sins and strangled animals and blood.
²¹After all, Moses since ancient times has had people proclaiming him in
every city, reading him aloud in the synagogues on every Sabbath."
²²At that time, it seemed good to them, the apostles and elders,
together with the whole church, to send select men from among them to
Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas the one called Barsabbas, and
Silas; leading men among the brothers, ²³having sent a letter by their
hand: "The apostles and elders and brethren, to the brethren of the
Gentiles of Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. ²⁴Because we have
heard that some men have troubled you with words, upending your
souls, who came from among us but to whom we had given no such
direction, ²⁵it seemed good to us, after coming to one accord, to send
select men to you together with our beloved brothers Barnabas and
Paul, ²⁶people who have dedicated their lives to the cause of the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, and
they will be telling you by speech these same things: ²⁸for it seemed
good to the Holy Spirit and to us to place no burden upon you beyond
these essentials: ²⁹to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from
blood, and from strangled animals, and from sexual sins. Keeping
yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."
³⁰Those men therefore when they were dismissed went down to
Antioch, and after gathering the congregation together, they delivered
the letter. ³¹And when they had read it, they rejoiced over its
encouragement. ³²And Judas and Silas, both being prophets also
themselves, encouraged the brethren with much speaking, and they
strenghened them as well. ³³And after they had spent some time, they
were released back from those brethren with a "Peace be with you" to
the ones who sent them. ³⁵Paul and Barnabas, however, stayed in
Antioch, teaching and preaching the word about the Lord, along with
many others.
³⁶Then some days later, Paul said to Barnabas, "Now let us go back and
check on our brethren in all the cities in which we have announced the
word of the Lord, to see how they are doing." ³⁷So, Barnabas was
wanting to take John with them, also called Mark. ³⁸But Paul thought it
better not to take this man along with them, who had withdrawn from
them, and from Pamphylia onward had not continued with them in the
work.
³⁹There was a disagreement therefore, so sharp, that they parted ways
from each other. And Barnabas took Mark, to sail to Cyprus. ⁴⁰Paul
however chose Silas, and went forth, committed by the brethren to the
grace of the Lord. ⁴¹And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia,
confirming those congregations.
Chapter 16
¹Then he went over to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, there was a
disciple there by the name of Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who
believed, but whose father was a Gentile. ²He was well spoken of by the
brethren in Lystra and Iconium. ³Paul wanted this man to journey with
him, and he took him and circumcised him, because of the Jews living in
those places. For they all knew that his father was a Gentile.
⁴So as they were going through the cities, they were delivering the
decrees that had been decided for them to keep by the apostles and
elders in Jerusalem. ⁵Those congregations were thus indeed being
strengthened in the faith; and they were growing in number daily. ⁶And
when they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian territory, they
were prevented from speaking the word in Asia by the Holy Spirit, ⁷so
they went along the border of Mysia, trying to go into Bithynia― and
the Spirit would not let them. ⁸So they passed all the way through
Mysia and went down to Troy.
⁹And during the night a vision appeared to Paul. It was a man of
Macedonia standing, and he was pleading with him and saying, "Cross
over to Macedonia and help us." ¹⁰So since he had seen that vision, we
worked on leaving for Macedonia immediately, because we gathered
that God had called us to evangelize them. ¹¹We set sail therefore from
Troy, and made a straight run to Samothraiki, and the next day on to
Neapolis, ¹²and from there to Philippi, which was the first city in the
region of Macedonia, a Roman colony. And we continued in that city,
spending some days.
¹³And on the Sabbath, we went outside the gate by the river, where we
were expecting prayer usually to take place. And after sitting down, we
were talking to the women who had gathered. ¹⁴And a woman of the
city of Thyatira was listening, by the name of Lydia, a merchant dealing
in purple cloth, who worshiped God. Whose heart the Lord opened so
that she would take heed to the things being said by Paul. ¹⁵And after
she and her household were baptized, she made an appeal as follows, "If
you really have judged me to be a believer in the Lord, come stay at my
house." And she persuaded us.
¹⁶And it came about that once when we were heading to the place of
prayer, a slave girl who had an oracle spirit came across us, who
generated much income for her owners by her fortune telling. ¹⁷She
continued to follow close after Paul and us, yelling and saying, "These
men are servants of the most high God, who are announcing to you the
way of salvation!" ¹⁸She kept doing this over a period of many days.
And Paul was fed up, and he turned to the spirit and said, "I command
you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And it came out of
her that very instant.
¹⁹Then when her owners saw that their hope of income was gone, they
grabbed Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the public square before
the authorities. ²⁰And when they moved them up to the magistrates,
they said, "These men, who are Jews, are agitating our city, ²¹and they
are proclaiming customs which are not permissible for us, being
Romans, to either accept or to practice." ²²And the crowd rushed
together onto them, and then the magistrates ripped off the clothes and
ordered them to be beaten. ²³And after imposing many blows, they
threw them in prison, and ordered the warden to keep them in high
security; ²⁴who when he got such orders, put them in the inner cell, and
secured their legs in stocks.
²⁵And around midnight, Paul and Silas were singing hymns to God,
and the guards were listening with interest. ²⁶And suddenly there was
an earthquake, so big, that it caused the foundation of the prison to shift,
and all the doors to instantly open. All the chains were released as well.
²⁷And when the warden woke up and saw that the doors of the prison
were open, he drew his dagger, and was about to kill himself, figuring
the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸But Paul called out in a loud voice, and
said, "Do not harm yourself. We are all here." ²⁹So he ordered lights,
and rushed inside. And he was trembling, and threw himself down
before Paul and Silas. ³⁰Then he led them outside, and said, "Sirs, what
must I do to be saved?"
³¹And they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be
saved, you and your household." ³²And they spoke to him the word
about the Lord, together with all those in his household. ³³Then he took
Paul and Silas, washed them of their wounds, and got baptized on the
spot, he and all his household, at that hour of the night. ³⁴And after
leading them back into the house, he set out a table for them. And he
and all his household were rejoicing, having believed in God.
³⁵And when it was daytime, the magistrates sent the sheriffs, saying,
"Release those men." ³⁶So the prison warden declared these words to
Paul, as follows: "The magistrates have sent orders that you be released.
Now therefore, you may go in peace."
³⁷But Paul said to them, "They gave us a beating in public without due
process of law, though we men are Roman citizens, and threw us into
prison. And now they are pushing us away quietly? Certainly not! On
the contrary they shall come personally and escort us out." ³⁸So the
sheriffs reported these statements to the magistrates. And when they
heard that they were Roman citizens, they were afraid. ³⁹And they came
and apologized to them. And they escorted them out, and asked them
to go away from the city.
⁴⁰Now after getting out of prison, they went and stayed with Lydia.
And they saw those brethren, and exhorted them, and moved on.
Chapter 17
¹And when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they
came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ²And
as was Paul's custom, he went in to them, and on three Sabbath days he
reasoned with them from the scriptures, ³explaining and pointing out
that the Messiah had to suffer, and to rise from the dead, and saying,
"This man Jesus who I am telling you about, he is the Messiah." ⁴And
some of them were persuaded, and attached themselves to Paul and
Silas, including a great many of the Greek proselytes, and of the leading
women not a few.
⁵And the Jews were jealous, and recruited some worthless men off the
streets, and when they had formed a mob, they were putting the city in
an uproar. And they assaulted the house of Jason, intending to bring
them out to the mob. ⁶But when they did not find them, they proceeded
to drag Jason and some other brothers up before the magistrates, crying,
"Those men who have overturned the whole inhabited earth, they have
arrived here also; ⁷whom Jason has taken under his roof. And they all
are acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, declaring someone else to
be king, Jesus." ⁸Thus they riled up the crowd and the magistrates who
were hearing these words. ⁹And after taking a bail bond from Jason and
the others, they released them.
¹⁰Then the brethren sent Paul and Silas immediately away during the
night to Berea. When they arrived they went into the synagogue of the
Jews. ¹¹And these people were more noble than those in Thessalonica;
they received the word with a completely open mind, each day
examining the scriptures to see if they were there as described.
¹²Consequently many of them believed, including some Greek women of
high standing, and of the Greek men not a few.
¹³But when the Jews from Thessalonica found out that the word of God
was proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came over there as well, and
they stirred up the crowd. ¹⁴So immediately at that time the brethren
sent Paul away, to journey to the sea coast, while both Silas and Timothy
remained there. ¹⁵And those escorting Paul took him as far as Athens,
and after receiving orders for Silas and Timothy, that they should come
join him with all speed, they left.
¹⁶Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was
getting stirred up within him, when he saw the city was rife with idols.
¹⁷He therefore every day was holding discussions with the Jews and
devout proselytes in the synagogues, and also in the public square with
anyone who happened to be nearby. ¹⁸Thus some also of the Epicurean
and Stoic philosophers began joining him. And some were saying,
"Whatever is this blowhard trying to say?" And others said, "He seems
to be a herald for foreign deities." (For he was announcing Jesus and the
resurrection.) ¹⁹And they took hold of him and led him to the Hill of
Aries, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is, the one being
spoken by you? ²⁰For you are announcing some things that are strange
to our ears. Therefore we wish to know what these things mean." ²¹For
you see, all the Athenians, and also non-citizens visiting, would devote
their spare time to nothing else than to speak or to hear anything that
was new.
²²So Paul stood at the center of the Hill of Aries, and he said, "Men of
Athens, I notice that you are thoroughly religious. ²³For, as I was
passing along and reviewing your objects of worship, I even found an
altar on which had been inscribed, 'TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.' Now
then, the one you venerate without knowing, that God I am proclaiming
to you. ²⁴The God who created the world and everything in it, being
Master of both heaven and earth, he does not settle in shrines made with
hands. ²⁵Nor is he served by human hands as though he needed
anything― he is the one who gives to all, life and breath, and everything
else. ²⁶And he has made of one blood all nations of people, to dwell
over the face of the whole earth, having marked off the predetermined
time periods and boundaries for their habitation, ²⁷to seek after God, if
perhaps they will grope for him and find him, though he is not far from
each one of us. ²⁸For in Him we live, and move, and have our being. As
even one of your own prophets has said, 'We are his offspring.' ²⁹We
ourselves being offspring of God, we ought not therefore to think that
the divine nature is anything like gold or silver or stone, like an
engraved work of art and of human conception. ³⁰Though God indeed
forbore the times of such ignorance, he now commands all people of all
places to repent. ³¹Because he has set a day on which he is about to
judge the world with righteousness by the man whom he appointed,

giving assurance to everyone by raising him from the dead."
³²But some, when they heard resurrection from the dead, were
scoffing, while others said, "We will hear from you on this again." ³²And
with that Paul went out from their midst. ³³But some men joined up
with him and believed; among whom was Dionysius― a member of the
Hill of Aries; and a woman also, by the name of Damaris, plus others
with them.
Chapter 18
¹After these things, Paul departed from Athens, and went to Corinth.
²And he encountered a Jew by the name of Aquila, Pontic by birth, who
had recently come from Italy along with his wife Priscilla since Claudius
had ordered all Jews to go away from Rome. Paul approached them,
³and because of being in the same trade, he stayed with them, and they
were doing the work together, for they were tentmakers by trade.
⁴Except every Sabbath he would have a discussion in the synagogue,
persuading both Jews and Greeks. ⁵But once both Silas and Timothy
came down from Macedonia, Paul began restricting himself to the word,
testifying solemnly to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. ⁶But when
they set themselves against him and were reviling him, Paul shook out
his garments toward them, and said, "Your blood is on your own heads.
I am clean. From now on, I am going to the Gentiles."
⁷And he left there, and entered the home of someone by the name of
Titus Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house abutted the synagogue.
⁸Then Crispus, a leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, together
with his whole house, and many of the Corinthians hearing this were
believing and getting baptized.
⁹And the Lord said to Paul during the night in a dream: "Do not be
afraid, but speak, and not be silent. ¹⁰Because I am with you, and no one
will lay hands on you to harm you, for in this city the crowd that is mine
is large." ¹¹So he stayed put for a year and six months, teaching the
word of God among them.
¹²But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one mind
rose up against Paul. And they were leading him to the tribunal,
¹³saying, "This man misleads the people, to worship God apart from the
Law."
¹⁴And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews,
"O you Jews, if it were a case of intentional crime or a harmful misdeed,
I would admit you; ¹⁵but if a dispute about a word or a term or a law
specific to you all, you take care of that. I am not willing to be judge of
those things." ¹⁶And he expelled them from the tribunal. ¹⁷Then all the
Greeks seized Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and were
beating him right in front of the tribunal. And that mattered to Gallio
not one bit.
¹⁸But Paul after remaining several more days with those brethren, bid
them farewell, got his head shaved in Kengkreia, keeping a vow, and
then sailed away for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. ¹⁹But
when they made landfall at Ephesus, Paul left them behind, and went
rather by himself into the synagogue, reasoning with the Jews. ²⁰And
when they asked him to stay with them additional time, he did not
agree, ²¹but bid them farewell, and said, "I will swing back to you again
if God wills." And he sailed away from Ephesus.
²²And he arrived over at Caesarea, disembarked and greeted that
church, then went down to Antioch, ²³and after spending some time, he
left, and went through one place after another in the Galatian and
Phrygian territory, strengthening all the disciples.
²⁴And a Jew by the name of Apollos, Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent
man, came to Ephesus, who was powerful in the scriptures. ²⁵This man
was orally instructed in the way of the Lord, and burning with spirit, he
was speaking and teaching accurately the things about Jesus, knowing
only the baptism of John; ²⁶and he began to speak boldly in the
synagogue. And when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him
and explained to him more accurately the way of God.
²⁷And when he wanted to go into Achaia, he was encouraged by the
brethren, who wrote to those disciples to welcome him. When he was
there, he was contributing much to those who through grace had
believed; ²⁸for he was thoroughly refuting the Jews in view of all,
proving by the scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.
Chapter 19
¹And it came about that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled
through the inland districts and arrived in Ephesus. And he found
some disciples, ²and posed this question to them, "When you believed,
did you receive the Holy Spirit?"
But they answered, "We have not even heard there is a Holy Spirit."
³And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?"
And they said, "Into John's baptism."
⁴And Paul said, "John baptized a baptism of repentance, telling the
people they should believe the one coming after him. That 'one' is
Jesus."
⁵So those who heard this were baptized into the name of Jesus Christ.
⁶And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon
them, and they were speaking in languages and prophesying. ⁷And
they were about 12 men in all.
⁸And Paul was speaking boldly when he went into the synagogue,
reasoning and persuading about the kingdom of God, for a period of
three months. ⁹But when some became hardened and were disobeying,
and speaking ill of the Way before the multitude, Paul withdrew from
them, and separated the disciples, and began daily lecturing in the
school of Tyrannus. ¹⁰And this went on for two years, with the result
that everyone who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews
and Greeks.
¹¹Through the hands of Paul as well, God was doing powerful,
extraordinary things. ¹²Even such that handkerchiefs or aprons were
conducted from his skin onto those who were sick and the diseases
would be removed from them, and any evil spirits would come out from
them.
¹³Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists decided to try their hand also at
invoking the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits.
They would be saying, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul proclaims."
¹⁴Now they were the seven sons of Skeva, a Jewish high priest, doing
this. ¹⁵But in response the evil spirit said to them, "Jesus I know and
Paul I know, but who are you?" ¹⁶And the man in whom the evil spirit
was, he sprang up onto them and owned all of them put together, and
beat them, and the result was they fled that house naked and wounded.
¹⁷And this became known to everyone living in Ephesus, both Jews
and Greeks, and fear fell over them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus
was getting magnified. ¹⁸And many of them after they believed were
coming forward confessing and publicising their practices. ¹⁹And a
considerable number of the ones who had been practicing magic, they
collected the sacred scrolls together in a pile, and burnt them in view of
everyone. And they added up the prices of them, and found it to be
5,000 pieces of silver. ²⁰With power like that, the word of the Lord was
growing in influence, and prevailing.
²¹And after these things were completed, Paul resolved in his spirit 1
that after passing through Macedonia and Achaia, he would go to
Jerusalem, saying, "After I am there, I must see Rome as well." ²²Then he
1
19:21 Acc. to BDF § 392(3) the clause ἔθετο ἐν τ πνεύματι is a Hebraism meaning
something like "he thought in his heart."
sent two of those who were helping him, Timothy and Erastus, on into
Macedonia. He himself remained some more time in Asia.
²³Now about that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the
Way. ²⁴For someone by the name of Demetrius, a silversmith, who
manufactured silver shrines of Artemis and provided the artisans no
little business, ²⁵he convened the tradesmen who worked at such things,
and he said, "Men, you know, that from this trade, a comfortable income
is ours, ²⁶and you see and hear, that this Paul, who states that gods made
by hands are not gods, he has won over and led astray a considerable
crowd from not only Ephesus, but from almost all of Asia. ²⁷Now not
only does this put our profession in danger of coming into disrepute,
but it also risks the temple of the great goddess Artemis being counted
as nothing, and even she herself, whom all Asia and the inhabited earth
worships, is about to be deposed from her greatness."
²⁸And after hearing this, they were filled with anger. They began to
shout, saying, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" ²⁹And the city was
filled with confusion, and they rushed as with one mind into the theater,
keeping a firm grip on Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonian traveling
companions of Paul. ³⁰And when Paul tried to enter the mob, the
disciples would not let him. ³¹And some of the Asiarchs also, who were
friends with him, sent word to him urging him not to present himself in
the theater.
³²Then, others began shouting something different. For the assembly
was confused, and most had no idea why they were gathered together.
³³Now as the Jews brought Alexander forward, some of the crowd
instructed him, and so Alexander signaled with his hand that he wished
to defend himself to the mob. ³⁴But because they knew he was a Jew,
there arose the sound of them all shouting in unison, continuously for
about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
³⁵But after the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he says: "Men of
Ephesus, who indeed is there among humanity that does not know the
city of the Ephesians is keeper of the temple of the great Artemis who
fell from the sky? ³⁶Since these things are undeniable, it behoves you to
calm down and do nothing rash. ³⁷For you brought these men who are
neither temple robbers, nor blaspheming your goddess. ³⁸If therefore
Demetrius and the artisans with him truly have a case against anyone,
court days are observed, and there are proconsuls. They should charge
one another. ³⁹So, if you are seeking anything further, that will be
settled in the lawful assembly. ⁴⁰For indeed, we are liable to be charged
with insurrection because of today, there being no good reason we can
give for this unscheduled gathering." ⁴¹And after saying these things, he
expelled the assembly.
Chapter 20
¹Now after the uproar had quieted down, Paul sent for the disciples
and exhorted them. And after saying goodbye, he left, to go to
Macedonia. ²Then after he had passed through those parts and exhorted
them to a greater degree, he went to Greece. ³And when he had spent
three months there, a plot was formed against him by the Jews. As he
was about to escape by sea to Syria, the idea came to go back via
Macedonia. ⁴And traveling with him were: Sopater the Berean, son of
Pyrrhus, and the Thessalonians Aristarchus and Secundus, and the
Derbian Gaius, and Timothy, and the Asians Tychicus and Trophimus;
⁵except these men went on ahead, and waited for us in Troy. ⁶And after
the days of Unleavened Bread we sailed away from Philippi, and at the
end of five days came to them in Troy, where we spent seven days.
⁷And on the first day of the week, as we were gathered together to
break bread, Paul was preaching to them. It was about to go on into the
next day and he was extending the word time to midnight, ⁸but there
were plenty of lamps on the top floor where we were meeting. ⁹And a
youth by the name of Eutychus was sitting in the window, gradually
sinking down into a deep sleep because of Paul's lecture going extra
time. When he was completely sunken by sleep, he fell down from the
third floor, and was picked up dead. ¹⁰So Paul went down, and he fell
onto him and embraced him, and said, "Do not be troubled, for his life is
in him."
¹¹And after he had gone upstairs and broken bread and eaten, he also
socialized for quite a while, until dawn, thus he departed. ¹²And the boy
they led away alive, and were comforted not a little. ¹³We however
proceeded on by ship, and put to sea for Assos, where we were going to
pick up Paul, for that is how it was arranged. He wanted to go on foot.
¹⁴So when he met us at Assos, we took him up on board, and we went to
Mitylene. ¹⁵Then, sailing away from there the next day, we arrived off
Chios, and the day after that went across to Samos, and the following
day came to Miletus.
¹⁶For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so as not to lose time in
Asia, because he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, for the Day
of Pentecost. ¹⁷So instead, from Miletus he sent to Ephesus a summons
for the elders of that church.
¹⁸And when they had joined him he said to them, "You yourselves are
familiar with the manner in which I was with you the whole time since
the first days I set foot in Asia, ¹⁹serving the Lord with all lowliness of
mind, and tears; and the trials that have befallen me through the plots of
the Jews; ²⁰how I did not withhold anything that was profitable for you,
but showed you, and taught you, in public, and from house to house,
²¹solemnly bearing witness to both Jews and Greeks, the repentance
toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. ²²And now behold,
constrained by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what
things will befall me in there, ²³only that the Holy Spirit in every city
testifies to me that chains and afflictions await me. ²⁴But I make my life
on no account precious to myself, so that I may finish my run and the
ministry I received from the Lord Jesus: to solemnly declare the gospel
of the grace of God.
²⁵And now behold: I know that none of you among whom I passed
through preaching the kingdom will see my face again. ²⁶Therefore, I
am testifying to you on this day: I am innocent of everyone's blood, ²⁷for
I did not shrink back from declaring to you the entire will of God.
²⁸Take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock among whom the Holy
Spirit has placed you as overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which
he purchased with his own blood. ²⁹For I know that after my departure,
overbearing wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
³⁰Out of your own number also, men will arise, speaking changed up
things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹For this reason you
must be vigilant, recalling what over a period of three years I did not
cease to warn each one of you night and day with tears. ³²And now, I
hand you over to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to
build you up, and establish your inheritance among all those who are
sanctified.
³³I have desired silver or gold or clothing of no one. ³⁴You yourselves
know that these hands of mine have provided the needs of myself and
of those with me. ³⁵I have demonstrated everything to you by example,
how with such labor one must support the weak, and remember the
words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give
than to receive.' "
³⁶And after he had said these things, he got on his knees, together with
them all, and prayed. ³⁷And there was quite a bit of crying from
everyone, and they were hugging onto Paul's neck, and kissing him
goodbye. ³⁸They were especially pained by the word he had spoken,
that they would not see his face again. Then they were escorting him to
the ship.
Chapter 21
¹And when we had put out to sea and pulled away from them, we ran
a straight course, and came to Kos, and then to Rhodes, and from there
to Patara. ²Then we found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, and
boarded that and set sail. ³And when we sighted Cyprus, we left it
behind on port side, and sailed toward Syria, and made landfall at Tyre,
because that is where the ship was unloading its cargo. ⁴And there, we
stayed put for seven days, after we had searched out the disciples, who
kept telling Paul, by the Spirit, not to go on to Jerusalem. ⁵But when we
had finished the days, and were leaving and on our way, they were all
seeing us off, including the women and children, escorting us to the
outside of the city. And we all placed our knees on the beach, and
prayed. ⁶We said our goodbyes to each other, and we got onto the ship,
while they returned to their homes. ⁷And we finished the voyage from
Tyre, to come to Ptolemais, and we greeted those disciples, and stayed
with them one day.
⁸And the following day we departed and came to Caesarea, and
entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the Seven,
and we stayed with him. ⁹Now this man had four virgin daughters,
who were prophesying. ¹⁰And during the many days we stayed there, a
prophet by the name of Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹And he came
up next to us, and took off Paul's belt. And he tied up his own feet to his
hands. And he said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit: This is how the Jews in
Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and they will deliver
him into the hands of the Gentiles." ¹²And when we heard these things,
both we and the ones in that place were pleading with him not to go up
to Jerusalem.
¹³Then Paul answered, "What are you doing crying and breaking my
heart? For I am ready not only to be chained in Jerusalem, but to die for
the name of the Lord Jesus."
¹⁴And he would not be persuaded, so we held our peace, and said,
"May the Lord's will be done."
¹⁵And after those days, we packed our stuff, and went up to Jerusalem.
¹⁶Now some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us, to
introduce us to an early disciple, Mnason the Cypriot, with whom we
would be staying as guests. ¹⁷And when we got to Jerusalem, the
brethren received us gladly.
¹⁸So the following day, Paul has gone in to James, together with us,
plus all the elders present. ¹⁹And after greeting them, Paul was relating
in detail everything that God had done among the Gentiles through his
ministry.
²⁰Now when they heard it, they were praising God. And they said to
him, "Be aware, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews
who have believed. And they all remain zealous for the Law. ²¹And
they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews
throughout the nations apostasy from Moses, saying not to circumcise
their sons nor to walk according to the traditions. ²²What then is there to
do? They will certainly hear that you have come. ²³Therefore do this
that we tell you. We have four men who have obligated themselves
with a vow. ²⁴Take these men and purify yourself with them, and pay
for them to have their heads shaved, and everyone will know that there
is nothing to what they were told about you, but in fact you yourself are
walking in conformity and keeping the law.
²⁵But as for the Gentile believers, we have informed them by letter that
we have decided they need observe nothing of that sort, but only keep
themselves from food offered to idols and from blood and from
anything strangled and from sexual sin."
²⁶Then Paul took those men the following day, and when he had
purified himself along with them, he went into the temple announcing
when the days of their purification would be finished and when the
offering would be made for each of them.
²⁷But when the seven days were almost finished, the Jews from Asia
saw him in the temple, and stirred up all the crowd, and laid their hands
on him, ²⁸crying out, "Men of Israel, come and help! This is that man
who is teaching everyone everywhere against this people and Law and
place! And worse yet, he has even brought Greeks into the temple, and
profaned this holy place!"
²⁹For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city
with him, whom they assumed Paul had taken into the temple. ³⁰And
the entire city was stirred up, and the people ran and gathered together.
And after they had taken hold of Paul, they proceeded to drag him
outside the temple, and immediately the doors were locked. ³¹Now
while they were working on killing him, the report went up to the
commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar,
³²who promptly took some soldiers and centurions and ran down
toward them. And when the crowd saw the commander and the
soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. ³³At that time the commander came
up to him and seized him and ordered that he be bound with two
chains, and then was inquiring who he was and what he had done.
³⁴But some in the crowd were yelling one thing and some another. Not
able to find out for sure through the din, he ordered him brought into
the barracks. ³⁵But by the time he was on the steps, Paul had to be
carried high by the soldiers, because of the violence of the crowd. ³⁶For
a large number of the people were following and shouting, "Away with
him!"
³⁷And when he was just about to be taken inside the barracks, Paul
says to the commander, "Is it permissible for me to say something to
you?"
And he said, "You know Greek? ³⁸Then you are that Egyptian aren't
you, who prior to these days rebelled and led four thousand terrorists
out in the desert."
³⁹But Paul said, "I am a Jew, a citizen of a city not insignificant, Tarsus
in Cilicia. So I ask you, give me permission to speak to the people."
⁴⁰And after he gave him permission, Paul stood on the steps, and
motioned to the people downward with his hand. And when it was
largely quiet, he addressed them in the Hebrew language, and said,
Chapter 22
¹"Men, brothers and fathers, hear now my defense to you." ²And when
they heard him addressing them in the Hebrew language, they offered
greater silence.
And he said, ³"I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but raised
in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, intructed according to the strictest
tradition of the law of the fathers, and I was zealous for God, as you all
are being today. ⁴I persecuted this group, The Way, even as far as death,
binding them, both men and women, and delivering them to prison, ⁵to
which even the high priest bears witness for me, and all the elders, since
from them I took letters of authority to the brothers in Damascus, that I
was going to take the members who were there as well, bound, to
Jerusalem to be punished.
⁶But it came about that as I was going, and about noon had gotten
close to Damascus, that suddenly a great light from heaven flashed all
around me, ⁷and I fell to the ground. And I heard a voice saying to me,
'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'
⁸And I answered, 'Who are you lord?'
And he said to me, "I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are
persecuting." ⁹Now those who were with me saw the light, and were
frightened, but they did not hear the voice that was speaking to me.
¹⁰And I said, "What should I do, Lord?
And the Lord said to me, "Get up, and go to Damascus, and there you
will be instructed about all that is assigned for you to do."
¹¹So we proceeded toward Damascus, with me being led by the hand
by my companions, as I could not see, because of the brightness of that
light. ¹²And Hananiah, a devout man in relation to the Torah, of good
report by all the Jews who lived there, ¹³he came to me and stood over
me, and he said, 'Brother Shaul, see again.' And at that very time I
looked at him and saw him. ¹⁴And he said, "The God of our fathers pre-
assigned you to know his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear
the voice from out of his mouth. ¹⁵Because you will be a witness for him
to all humankind about what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶And now,
why delay? Arise and get baptized to wash away your sins, calling on
his name.'
¹⁷And then it happened to me that when I returned to Jerusalem and
was praying in the temple, I was put into a trance ¹⁸and saw Him saying
to me: 'Hurry, and get away quickly from Jersusalem, for they are not
going to accept your testimony about me.'
¹⁹And I said, 'Lord, they know very well that I myself was imprisoning
and binding from each synagogue those who believed in you. ²⁰And
when the blood of Stephen your witness was being spilled, I also was
there and consenting, and guarding the cloaks of those who were killing
him."
²¹And he said to me, "Go on your way, for I am assigning you afar off
to the Gentiles."
²²Now the crowd had been listening— until those words. Then they
lifted up their voice, saying, "Remove such a man from the earth, for it is
not fitting for him to live!" ²³And as they kept up their shouting, and
were tossing off their cloaks, and throwing dust up into the air, ²⁴the
commander ordered him brought inside the barracks, and said to
interrogate him by flogging, so that he could find out the reason for all
this clamor over him. ²⁵But as they stretched him out in the straps, Paul
said toward the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a
Roman citizen without a trial?"
²⁶And when the centurion heard this, he approached the commander
and informed him, saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a
Roman citizen."
²⁷So the commander came up to Paul, and he said to him, "Tell me, are
you a Roman citizen?"
And he said, "Yes."
²⁸And the commander responded, "It took me a large sum of money to
get that citizenship."

And Paul said, "But I was actually born one."
²⁹Then those about to interrogate him immediately withdrew from
him. And even the commander was afraid, finding out that Paul was a
Roman citizen and he had been strapping him up. ³⁰And the next day,
wanting to find out exactly why he had been charged by the Jews, he
unchained him and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to
assemble, and he brought Paul and stood him before them.
Chapter 23
¹And Paul, with an earnest gaze upon the Sanhedrin, said, "Men,
brothers, I have conducted myself in all good conscience to this day."
²But Hananiah the high priest ordered those standing near him to slap
his mouth.
³Then toward him, Paul said, "It is God you wish to slap, you
whitewashed wall. And you sit judging me by the law, yet you
transgress the law ordering me to be slapped."
⁴But those standing near him said, "You insult the high priest?"
⁵And Paul said, "I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest.
For it is written, 'You shall not speak ill of the ruler of your people.' "
⁶Now Paul, knowing that one part were Sadducees and the other part
Pharisees, cried out to the Sanhedrin, "Men, brothers, I am a Pharisee,
the son of a Pharisee. It is for hope, namely the resurrection of the dead,
that I am being condemned."
⁷And after these words of his, discord arose between the Pharisees and
the Sadducees, and the whole body was divided. ⁸For while the
Saduccees say there exists no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, the
Pharisees confess to all three.
⁹Then there was a loud shout, and some of the Torah scholars of the
faction of the Pharisees stood up, and began to insist vehemently as
follows: "We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an
angel has spoken to him?"
¹⁰And such a great uproar occurred that the commander was worried
they might tear Paul apart. He ordered the troops under him to go
down and snatch him out from their midst and into the barracks.
¹¹And during that night the Lord appeared to him, and said, "Take
courage. For just as you solemnly declared the things about me in
Jerusalem, you must in the same way testify in Rome as well."
¹²And when it was day, the Jews made a compact and bound
themselves, swearing neither to eat, nor to drink, till they had killed
Paul. ¹³And there were more than forty who were making this plot.
¹⁴They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have bound
ourselves with an oath to taste nothing until we have killed Paul. ¹⁵Now
therefore, you together with the Sandhedrin should explain to the
commander how he should bring Paul down to you, as though you are
wanting to find out more accurately the issues concerning him. But we
are prepared to kill him before he gets near."
¹⁶But when the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, he paid a
visit and went inside the barracks, and told Paul. ¹⁷So Paul called one of
the centurions over, and he said, "Take this young man to the
commander, for he has something to report to him."
¹⁸He then did accept him, and he took him to the commander and said,
"The prisoner Paul called me over and asked me to bring this young
man to you. He has something to tell you."
¹⁹And the commander took his arm and withdrew to a private place,
and began inquiring, "What is it you have to tell me?"
²⁰And he said, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down
tomorrow to the Sanhedrin, as though they want to investigate more
accurately concerning him. ²¹You therefore should not trust them,
because more than forty men of theirs are lying in wait for him, who
have bound themselves neither to eat nor to drink until they have killed
him. And now they are ready, waiting for a promise from you."
²²Then the commander dismissed the young man, and ordered
everyone not to divulge that he had reported these things to him. ²³And
he called over two of his centurions, and said, "Get 200 infantry ready
for a move as far as Caesarea, plus 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen,
departure three hours after dark. ²⁴And provide an animal such that
mounting Paul on it they can deliver him safely to Felix the governor."
²⁵He wrote a letter with this text: ²⁶"Claudius Lysias, to the most
excellent Governor Felix: Greetings. ²⁷This man had been seized by the
Jews and was about to be done away with by them, when I intervened
with the army and got him out, after I learned he was a Roman citizen.
²⁸And wanting to find out for certain the reason they were charging him,
I took him down to their Sanhedrin. ²⁹Which I found out was a charge
that concerns things from their law that are disputed. But the charge
was nothing deserving of death or imprisonment. ³⁰Then when it was
divulged to me that there would be a plot by them against the man, I
immediately transferred him to you, giving orders also to his accusers to
charge him before you."
³¹The soldiers therefore mounted him according to their orders, and
took him by night to Antipatris. ³²And the next day, they let the
horsemen go on with him, and went back to the barracks. ³³Who when
they came into Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, also
presented Paul to him.
³⁴And after the governor had read it, and inquired as to which
province he was from, and found out he was from Cilicia, ³⁵he
announced: "I will hear you when your accusers are also present." He
ordered him kept under guard at the Praetorium of Herod.
Chapter 24
¹And after five days, the high priest Hananaiah came down, together
with some of the elders and an orator, Tertullus, and they presented
charges against Paul before the governor.
²And when he was called upon, Tertullus began to prosecute, saying,
"Since we have experienced much peace because of you, and public
reforms beneficial to this nation instituted through your foresight, ³both
at all times and in all places we receive it with all gratitude, most
excellent Felix.
⁴But lest I delay you any longer, I ask you, with your indulgence, to
hear us briefly. ⁵For we have found this man to be a public menace, and
stirring up rebellion among all the Jews throughout the world, and to be
the ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes, ⁶who was even trying to
desecrate the temple, whom we then arrested, ⁸from whom you will be
able, after examining him yourself, to confirm all these things of which
we are accusing him."
⁹Then the Jews also joined in, affirming these things to be so.
¹⁰And when the governor had signaled for him to speak, Paul said in
answer, "Knowing it is for many years you have been judge for this
nation, happy am I to answer these things in my defense. ¹¹You can
verify for yourself, that it has not been more than twelve days since I
came up to Jerusalem to worship, ¹²and they have not found me
disputing with anyone, or stirring up a crowd, either in the synagogues
or in the city, ¹³nor can they bring you proof of the things they are now
charging me with.
¹⁴But I admit this to you, that I do serve our ancestral God in the
manner of The Way, which they are calling a sect, believing everything
in accordance with what is written in the law and the prophets, ¹⁵having
a hope in God which these men themselves also accept, that there is to
be a resurrection of the dead, both of the righteous and the unrighteous.
¹⁶It is in that very hope then, that I always strive to maintain an innocent
conscience, toward God and toward people.

¹⁷"And after several years, I have come to my own nation to practice
charity and to present offerings. ¹⁸While engaged in that, some Jews
from Asia found me, purified in the temple, not with a crowd, nor with
a disturbance, ¹⁹who therefore ought to have appeared before you as
well to state charges if they have anything against me. ²⁰Or, these men
here should declare what wrongdoing was found by them when I stood
before the Sanhedrin.
²¹Or is it about this one thing that I had proclaimed while standing
among them: ' For the resurrection of the dead I stand trial before you
this day.' "
²²Then Felix, who knew quite accurately the issues concerning The
Way, adjourned them, and said, "When Lysias the commander comes
down I will decide your case." ²³And he gave orders to the centurion for
Paul to be kept under guard, yet have some freedom, and that no one
prevent his friends attending him.
²⁴And after some days, when Felix arrived with his wife Drusilla, who
was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and listened to him about the belief in the
Messiah Jesus.
²⁵But when Paul spoke about righteousness, and self-control, and the
judgment to come, Felix became frightened, and responded, "Go your
way for now, and when I find the time I will send for you."
²⁶At the same time, he was also hoping some cash would be delivered
to him from Paul. ²⁷But after two full years went by, Felix got replaced
by a successor, Porcius Festus, and Felix left Paul in chains, wanting to
earn favor with the Jews.
James
The General Epistle of
JAMES
Chapter 1
¹James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve
tribes that are in the Diaspora, Greetings. ²Consider it pure joy, my
brethren, when you fall into all sorts of trials, ³because you know that the
testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴But you must allow endurance
its finished job to the end so you will be complete and faultless, deficient in
nothing.
⁵And if any of you lacks wisdom, he should request it from God, who
gives to everyone cheerfully without complication or lecturing, and it will
be given to him. ⁶Only he must ask with faith, not doubting at all. For he
who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven back and forth by the wind.
⁷That kind of person should certainly stop thinking he will receive anything
from the Lord. ⁸A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.
⁹And the brother of the lower class should boast about his being lifted
up, ¹⁰and the rich one about his lowering, how like a flower of the grass he
will drop. ¹¹For as the sun comes up with scorching heat and dries the
grass, and the flower of it falls off, and the glory of its face1 has perished, so
also the rich in their goings will be faded in importance.
¹²The man is blessed2 who withstands temptation, for when he has
stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has
promised3 to those who love Him. ¹³No one who is being tempted should
say, "I am being tempted by God." For God is unskilled 4 in the bad and he
does not tempt anyone. ¹⁴Rather each person is tempted through his own
desires, which get lured out and enticed; ¹⁵and then after the desire is
fertilized, it gives birth to a sin, and the sin when finished developing
produces death. ¹⁶Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
1
1:11 That is, personage. As also "face" in the phrase "respecting of faces" means
personages, treating important people better than unimportant people. The meaning here
is that while in the Old Testament, it used to be if you were rich, you were a personage, but
now in the New Testament, that will fade in importance. To the point that, according to
Jesus, the rich in this world will be poor in the next, and the poor in this world will be rich
in the next. Another reason not to want to be rich.
2
1:12c This blessedness is set off in contrast to the Old Testament concept that if you were
rich you were blessed by God, as treated in the verses just previous.
3
1:12b txt ἐπηγγείλατο ὁ κύριος "the Lord promised" 0246 syr ? TR AT VS RP ‖ ἐπηγγείλατο
h
κύριος "the Lord promised" C anast-s syr ? ‖ ἐπηγγείλατο ὁ θεός "God promised" ath cyr
h txt
dam did lat-v syr ‖ ἐπηγγείλατο "he promised" ⁷⁴ ℵ A B did cyr TG WH SBL NA28 ‖ lac
p mss
²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173. Yes, Didymus is cited for two different readings. He used
two different forms of the text.
4
1:13 "unskilled," The Greek word means "inexperienced," thus, unskilled. God has never
experienced being tempted by the bad, so thus has no skill in tempting others with the bad.
James
¹⁷All good5 giving, and every perfect gift is from above, coming down
from the father of lights, with whom there is no varying or shadow from
turning.6 ¹⁸According to his will he gave birth to us through the word of
truth, planning for us to be of his creations a kind of firstfruits.
¹⁹You know this, 7 my beloved brethren, but 8 all persons should be
quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. ²⁰For the anger of a man
does not accomplish 9 the righteousness of God. ²¹Therefore, having put
away all the moral uncleanness and bad things that are prevalent, you must
welcome with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your
souls. ²²Only be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your
own selves. ²³For if someone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is
like a man who was contemplating10 his born face11 in the mirror: ²⁴for that
he took note of himself, and went away, and immediately forgot what kind
of man he was. ²⁵But he who focuses intently into the perfect law, the law of
liberty, and stays with it, not being12 a forgetful hearer but a doer of the
deed, this person will be blessed in his deed that he will do.13
5
1:17a "Good" here is set off parallel to the "bad" of v. 13. God is unskilled in giving the bad
giving of things like temptation, but the good giving is from God.
6
1:17c This is a dig against the gods of the gentiles, the planets. When the earth or other
planets turn around or spin, it becomes dark on the other side, the shadow side, where it
once was light. This back and forth between light and dark is pervasive in nature. All
plants and animals have rhythm with that change between light and dark. But God
invented light, he is the father of lights, and in him is no darkness at all, 1 John 1:5. In his
city, the New Jerusalem, there will be no more night, Revelation 21:25, 22:5. "And the city
has no need of either a sun or a moon to shine in it, for the glory of God has illumined it,
and its lamp is the Lamb." Revelation 21:23.
7
1:19b "You know this, but..." See also II Peter 1:12, Jude 5, etc. The textual variant δε in
this verse must come hand in hand with the indicative mood of ο δα which is ἴστε. See also
Hebrews 12:17 where ἴστε is used. We should already know the things taught in this verse,
from reading Proverbs 17:27, 28 and other parts of the Bible.
8
1:19a txt
Ἴστε ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί. ἔστω δὲ ℵ² B C lat-v TG WH SBL NA28
Ἴστω ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί. ἔστω δὲ ℵ*
Ἴστε δὲ ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί. ἔστω δὲ ⁷⁴vid
Ἴστε δὲ ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί. καὶ ἐστώς A*
Ἴστε δὲ ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί. καὶ ἔστω A²
Ἴστε ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί. ἔστω VS
_______ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί. ἔστω 0246
Ὥστε ἀδελφοί μου ἀγαπητοί. ἔστω TR AT RP
lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173
9
1:20 txt οὐ κατεργάζεται C* 0246 antioch ath TR AT RP NA28 ‖ οὐκ ἐργάζεται ℵ A B dam did
TG WH VS SBL ‖ indeterminate lat cop syr ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173. There is
no mention in the apparatuses as to what the reading of the first corrector of Codex C is.
10
1:23a "was contemplating." This is a linear participle; participles tell no time tense
because they are not in the indicative mood. It is continuous action, relative time. The
time is past tense, according to the indicative mood phrases coming after it.
11
1:23b The point is, It's the face he was born with, and what he had always been looking at,
but he still forgot when he walked away. It can be the same with reading the Bible. You've
read the things before, and they are not new to you, but you still go away without
remembering to do what you just read.
12
1:25a txt οὐκ "not" ℵ A B C 0173 lat-v syr TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ οὗτος οὐκ "this one not"
p
syr TR AT RP ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0246

h
13
1:25b I get the definite impression that James is saying that one cause of failure is lack of
James
²⁶If anyone considers himself to be religious14 but does not bridle his15
tongue, he is fooling his own16 heart. Such religion is worthless. ²⁷Here is a
religiousness from our17 God and Father that is pure and simple: to look
18
after the orphan and the widow during their hard times, and to keep
oneself unspotted from the world.
Chapter 2
¹My brethren, you should not hold the faith of our glorious Lord
19
Jesus Christ with partiality to personages. ²For if a man with gold rings on
his fingers enters your meeting,20 dressed in bright clothes, and a poor man
focus on something specific to do. The Greek words here for deed and do, are singular. If
you think in generalities, how do you know you did it? How do you know your deed is
blessed? And what kind of man you are, can determine what kind of deed God has for you
specifically. If I know God, I know he is not maddeningly vague like the Devil is. God knows
you cannot obey something unless you know what it is. The Devil condemns you in
generalities and vagueness, a shotgun approach, hoping an accusation will stick. God is the
opposite. But you can't go wrong checking on the needs of the orphan and the widow, and
maintaining difference from the world.
14
1:26a txt ε ναι "to be" ℵ A B C 0173 lat-s,v syrp,h TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ ε ναι ἐν ὑμῖν
"among you to be" cyr TR AT RP ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0246
15
1:26b txt αὐτοῦ antioch cyr TR TG AT VS RP SBL NA28 ‖ αυτου ℵ A C ‖ ἑαυτοῦ B 0173 WH vid
‖ indeterminate lat syr ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0246. These all can mean either
"his" or "his own." The reading of 049 is αὑτοῦ, which is a contraction of and has the same
meaning as, ἑαυτοῦ.
16
1:26c txt καρδίαν αὑτοῦ DP ‖ καρδιαν αυτου ℵ A 0173 ‖ καρδίαν ἑαυτοῦ B C WH ‖ καρδίαν
αὐτοῦ antioch cyr TR TG SCR AT VS RP SBL NA28 ‖ indeterminate lat syr ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴
¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0246.
17
1:27a txt τ θε ⁷⁴ ℵZ A B C* antioch cyr dam epiph TR TG SCR WH AT VS SBL NA28 ‖
θε ℵ C² cyr did RP ‖ indeterminate lat syr ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246. The
T
Robinson-Pierpont text here is just as old a reading, and also is the more difficult reading
which might lead scribes to try to clarify. The phrase τ θε καὶ πατρὶ, "our God and
Father" is easier to translate than θε καὶ πατρὶ. On the other hand the Greek manuscript
evidence for inclusion of the article is very impressive. The two words τ θε end
similarly, and so homoioteleuton could explain the dropping of the article. Especially
similar would be the Nomina Sacra abbreviation for θε to the article τ , and also very
similar might be the oral dictation of the two words by the reader thereof to the scribe. Dr.
Maurice A. Robinson's commentary on this variant: "First of all, the phrase παρα τ θε is
not all that common (only 9x in the entire NT, 5x of these in Paul, and none in the General
Epistles (assuming the Byz reading in Jas 1:27). Similarly, even παρα θε is rare, occurring
only 10x in the entire NT, with 3 other General Epistle occurrences (1Pe 2:20; 2Pe 1:17; 2Jn
1:3), 2 occurrences in Paul (1Co 7:24; 2Th 1:6), and the remainder in Mk, Lk, and Jn. Further,
and more importantly: in Jas, θε only occurs here as the object of a preposition; the other
3 occurrences of θε in Jas occur as objects of finite verb forms (Jas 2:23; 4:7; 4:8 ). In fact,
nowhere else in James does θεος occur with the article as the object of any preposition. On
the other hand, in Jas 1:13 we find the only other instance of θεος as object of a preposition
in that book, and guess what? - it is ἀπο θεου without an article, just as in the construction
of Jas 1:27 !"
18
Ja 1:27b I do not think God gives you credit for "looking after the orphan and the widow
during their hard times" if you do that by paying taxes and relying on the government to
do it.
19
Ja 2:1 The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "personage" as follows: 1: a person
of rank, note, or distinction; especially : one distinguished for presence and personal
power.
20
Ja 2:2 txt εἰς τὴν συναγωγὴν ℵZ A TR AT RP ‖ εἰς συναγωγὴν ℵT B C TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖
indeterminate lat cop syr ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246. I believe the BYZ text
is correct, and that the definite article serves as a possessive.
James
also enters, dressed in dirty clothes, ³and you look over21 the one wearing
the bright clothes and say,22 "You take this good seat here," and to the poor
one you say, "You stand there,"23 or, "Sit here below my footstool," ⁴are you
not then24 discriminating between each other, and become judges with evil
thoughts? ⁵Listen my beloved brethren: has not God chosen those who are
poor to the world25 to be rich in faith and called for the kingdom he has
prepared for those who love him? ⁶You though have devalued the poor.26
Is it not the rich who trouble you, and they who summon you into courts?
⁷Do they not defame the good name by which you are known? ⁸If you really
keep the royal law according to that scripture, "Love your neighbor as
yourself," you are doing well. ⁹But if you show partiality to personages, you
are committing a sin, convicted by that law as violators. ¹⁰Now whoever
keeps the whole rest of the law, and only violates in one matter, he has
become guilty of all of it. ¹¹For that which says "Do not commit adultery"
also says "Do not commit murder." So if you do not commit adultery, but
you commit murder, you have become a violator of the law. ¹²Speak this
way and act this way: as if you are about to be judged according to the law
of liberty. ¹³For judgment without mercy comes to those who act without
mercy. Triumphant though is mercy over judgment.
¹⁴What good is it, my brethren, when someone claims to have faith,
but he has no works? Is such a faith really able to save him? ¹⁵If27 a brother
or sister has no coat and they are lacking daily food, ¹⁶and one of you says to
them, "Go with peace, be warmed and fed," but you don't give to them the
basic needs of the body, what good is it? ¹⁷So this kind of faith by itself,
when not having works, is dead. ¹⁸Someone will indeed say, "You have
21
2:3a txt καὶ ἐπιβλέψητε ℵ A lat-v copsa antioch ps-oec TR TG AT RP ‖ __ ἐπιβλέψητε ⁷⁴ ‖
ἐπιβλέψητε δὲ B C lat-f syrh WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ either syrp ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166
0173 0246
22
2:3b txt εἴπητε ⁷⁴vid ℵ A B C lat-s,f,v mss syrh TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ εἴπητε αὐτ lat-t syrp
copsa antioch ps-oec TR AT RP ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246
23
2:3c txt ἐκεῖ ἢ κάθου ὧδε ℵ syrp TR AT RP ‖ ἐκεῖ καὶ κάθου ὧδε C² ‖ ἐκεῖ __ κάθου ὧδε ⁷⁴ ‖
ἐκεῖ ἢ κάθου A cyr lat-v syrh TG VS UBS4 ‖ ἐκεῖ καὶ κάθου C* ‖ ἢ κάθου ἐκεῖ⸆ B WH SBL NA28
‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246. Quite interesting is the reading of C*, στῆθι ἐκεῖ
καὶ κάθου, "stop there and sit below my footstool."
24
2:4 txt καὶ οὐ διεκρίθητε "are you not then discriminating" TR AT RP NA28 ‖ οὐ
διεκρίθητε "are you not discriminating" ℵ A B C antioch cyr lat-v syrp,h TG WH VS UBS4 SBL
Z
‖ διεκρίθητε "you are discriminating" Btxt lat-f ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246.
25
2:5a txt τ κόσμῳ ℵ A* B C* (syrh) TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ ἐν τῶ κόσμῳ lat-v? ‖ ___
κόσμῳ ⁷⁴ ‖ τοῦ κόσμου A² C² AT RP ‖ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου TR ‖ τοῦ κόσμου__ lat-s,f ‖
indeterminate syrp ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246. The reading τ κόσμῳ is an
ethical dative; i.e., "poor in the eyes of the world"
26
2:6 Blass says the definite article in τὸν πτωχόν is anaphoric, in reference back to verse 2,
where a rich man and a poor man enter. You have devalued that beggar. Or dishonored
that beggar. But if we render this “you have dishonored the poor man,” it has an amiguous
meaning; that is, “poor man” also means “pitiful man,” and that is not what is being taught
here. He was too poor, didn’t have enough income to have new clothes. Or too poor to pay
a launderer. But he is not to be pitied.
27
2:15a txt ἐὰν ℵ B antioch did lat-s,f TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ ἐὰν δὲ A C lat-v syrh TR AT RP ‖
ἐὰν γὰρ cyr ‖ indeterminate syrp ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246
James
faith, and I have works. Show me that faith of yours apart from works, 28
and I will show you my faith by means of my works." ¹⁹You believe that
there is only one God.29 You are doing well. The demons also believe that,
and tremble. ²⁰But are you convinced, foolish person, that faith without
works is useless? 30 ²¹Our father Abraham, was he not justified by means of
works, when he offered his son Isaac up on the altar? ²²See how faith was
working together with his works, and through his works his faith was made
complete? ²³Thus also was completed the scripture which says, "And
Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." And
he was called a friend of God. ²⁴You should see31 that a person is justified
by works and not by faith alone. ²⁵And in the same way Rahab the
prostitute, was she not also justified by works, when she sheltered the
messengers 32 and sent them out by another way? ²⁶For just as a body
without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works33 is dead.
Chapter 3
¹Not many should be34 teachers, my brethren, knowing we will get
ourselves more judgment. ²For we all stumble on many occasions. If
28
2:18a txt
τὴν πίστιν σου χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ℵ A B lat-v syrp,h TG WH VS SBL NA28
τὴν πίστιν σου χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων σου C TR
(τὴν) πίστιν χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων lat-f
τὴν πίστιν σου ἐκ τῶν ἔργων σου lat-c,ar AT RP
τὴν πίστιν ἐκ τῶν ἔργων ⁵⁴vid
lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ P 048 0166 0173 0246.
29
2:19 txt εἷς ἐστιν ὁ θεός ⁷⁴ ℵ A lat-v anast-s cyr TG SBL NA28 ‖ εἷς ἐστιν θεός lat-v ‖ ἐστιν
θεός ath ‖ εἷς ὁ θεός lat-f,t cyr ‖ εἷς ὁ θεός ἐστιν C lat-s? VS ‖ εἷς θεός ἐστιν B lat-s? WH ‖ ὁ
θεός εἷς ἐστιν lat-g? cyr did TR AT RP ‖ θεός εἷς ἐστιν lat-g? anast-s ‖ indeterminate syrp ‖ lac
²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246
30
2:20 txt ἀργή B C* lat-v arm TG WH SBL NA28 ‖ νεκρά ℵ A C² lat-t syrp,h aug cyr TR AT VS
RP ‖ κενή ⁷⁴ lat-f ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246. The UBS Textual Commentary
says, "...Since there is considerable suspicion that scribes may have introduced the [word
νεκρά] from either ver. 17 or 26, the Committee preferred ἀργή, which is strongly
supported by B C* 322 323 945 1739 it vg cop arm, but may also involve a subtle play on
ff sa
words (ἔργων ἀργή [ἀ + ἐργή]). The singular error of ⁷⁴ (κενή) was suggested by the
preceding κενέ."
31
2:24 txt ὁρᾶτε ὅτι ℵ A B C lat-f,v syr TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ ὁρᾶτε τοίνυν ὅτι TR AT RP ‖ lac
p,h
²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246.

32
2:25 txt τοὺς ἀγγέλους ⁵⁴? ⁷⁴ ℵ A B lat-v syr TR TG WH AT VS RP SBL NA28 ‖ τοὺς
vid hT
ἀγγέλους Ἰησοῦ ⁵⁴? ‖ τοὺς κατασκόπους C syrp ‖ τοὺς κατασκόπους Ἰησοῦ syr ‖ h
mar
κατασκόπους ἐκ τῶν δώδεκα φύλων τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ lat-f ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173
0246. The word κατασκόπους (spies) is from Hebrews 11:31. The reading of ⁵⁴ is
uncertain as to whether or not it contains the article.
33
2:26 txt ἔργων ²⁰ ⁷⁴ ℵ B WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ τῶν ἔργων A C eustr greg-naz TR [TG] AT
RP ‖ lac ²³ ⁵⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246.
34
3:1 The verb for "be" or "become" is second person plural, and the verb for "stumble" is
first person plural. This is why some translations felt the need to add the phrase "of you,"
but I am loathe to do that, since the Greek contains no such genitive prepositional phrase.
Even though the verb "be" is 2nd person plural, the writer is talking about a 1st person plural
issue over all.
James
someone does not stumble in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the
whole rest of his body. ³Now if35 we place bits in the mouths of horses to
make them obey us, we are also steering the whole rest of their body. ⁴And
consider ships. As large as they are and driven by fierce winds, they are
turned around by a small rudder wherever the will of the one steering it
wishes. ⁵In the same way also, our tongue is a small member, and boasts
great feats. See how a small flame sets ablaze such a large forest. ⁶The
tongue also is a flame, a world of damage. 36 The tongue37 is situated among
our members as contaminator of the entire body, 38 and sets on fire the
circular racetrack of our existence, and is itself set on fire by Gehenna.
⁷Indeed every race of beast, even of birds, reptiles and marine life, is being
tamed or has been tamed by the human race. ⁸But no one can tame the
tongue. It is a volatile39 menace, replete with fatal venom. ⁹With it we
praise our Lord40 and Father, and with it we curse human beings created in
the image of God. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth come both praise and cursing.
My brethren, these things ought not so to be. ¹¹Does a spring from the same
opening well up both sweet water and bitter? ¹²It is not possible, my
brethren, for a fig tree to produce olives, or a grapevine figs; neither for a
bitter spring41 to produce water that is sweet.42
35
3:3a txt εἰ δὲ "now if" B² dam lat-f,v TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ ει δε γαρ "now certainly if" ℵ*
syr (could also be itacism for ιδε γαρ) ‖ indeterminate ει δε, ειδε, or ιδε ℵ² A B* C (because of
ms
p,h
the possibility of itacism) ‖ indeterminate lat-s ‖ ἴδε "behold" lat-ps-am,fi syr AT RP ‖ ἰδού
h
mss
"behold" TR ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246. Remember that early uncial
Greek manuscripts did not have spaces between the words, nor accents nor breathing
marks. So we have that ambiguity combined with the possibility of itacism, of all the
uncials except B² L Ψ 049 056 0142.
36
3:6a This is the Greek word ἀδικία. The verb form ἀδικέω means to do someone wrong,
including often in the legal sense of doing injury to someone, causing them damage. So
also the noun form as here can mean damage, injury. It can also mean more like "injustice,
unrighteousness," depending on the context. But here the context is James comparing the
damage a little flame can do to a large forest, compared to the tongue how it can do a whole
world of damage. James is saying the tongue is something more harmful than a fire that
can burn a forest. The tongue can inflict a world of hurt.
37
3:6b txt ἀδικίας ²⁰ ⁷⁴ ℵ* A B C lat-s,f,v syr TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ ἀδικίας οὕτως syr TR
p hA
AT RP ‖ ℵ² ηυ?‖ lac ²³ ⁵⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246.

38
3:6c Jesus said, "It is not what goes into your mouth that makes you unclean, but what
comes out of your mouth." Matt 15:11
39
3:8b txt ἀκατάστατον (unstable, unsettled, restless, volatile) ℵ A B lat-f,v TG WH SBL NA28
‖ ἀκατάσχετον (uncontrollable) C lat-s,car,hi syrh cyr dam epiph flav-c TR AT VS RP ‖
indeterminate syrp ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246. I rather like the reading
ἀκατάσχετον κακόν because of the greater number of "k" sounds, greater alliterativeness.
Yet that may be what happened: phonologically, chemically, the word ἀκατάστατον
assimilated an extra velar stop from its neighbor.
40
3:9 txt τὸν κύριον ²⁰ ℵ A B C lat-v syrp cyr procop TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ τὸν θεὸν dam
epiph lat-vmss,tmss syrh TR AT RP ‖ lac ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ 048 0166 0173 0246. I am quite sure that
the Byzantine reading here is a conformation to the phrase in 1:27.
41
3:12
οὔτε ἁλυκὸν γλυκὺ ποιῆσαι ὕδωρ A B C* WH SBL NA28
οὕτως οὔτε ἁλυκὸν γλυκὺ ποιῆσαι ὕδωρ C²
οὕτως οὔτε ἁλυκὸν γλυκὺ ποιῆσαι ὕδωρ τὶς δύναται syrp
οὕτως οὐδὲ ἁλυκὸν γλυκὺ ποιῆσαι ὕδωρ ℵ cyr lat-v VS
οὕτως οὐδεμια πηγὴ ἁλυκὸν καὶ γλυκὺ ποιῆσαι ὕδωρ TR TG AT RP
James
¹³Who is wise and learned among you? Let him show his works from
good conduct: with the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have
bitter jealousy and rivalry in your hearts, do not make yourselves43 superior
to the truth and lie against it. ¹⁵This wisdom does not come down from
above, but is earthly, natural, of the devil. ¹⁶For where there is jealousy and
rivalry, there is disorder and every thing that is evil. ¹⁷But the wisdom from
above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, persuadable, replete with
compassion and other good fruits, impartial,44 sincere. 45 ¹⁸And a harvest of
justice is planted, with peace, for those who make peace. 46
Chapter 4
¹Where do battles and quarrels between you come from? Is it not
from this: your pleasures that are making war inside your members? 47 ²You
covet, yet you do not have. You kill and strive for, and cannot obtain. You
keep on quarreling and battling. You do not have, because you do not ask.
³And you ask, and do not receive, because you ask badly, so you may spend
it in your pleasures. ⁴You adulteresses,48 do you not know that love of the
lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ ¹⁰⁰ 048 0166 0173 0246

42
3:12 The NA28 Greek text does not repeat the word πηγὴ, spring, but it is implied as still
the topic in mind being compared to the mouth. The Byzantine and other later texts may
all be explanatory, scribes having felt the need to clarify. The Greek words πικρόν and
ἁλυκὸν both mean bitter; James is mixing it up vocabulary-wise. Yes, ἁλυκὸν also can
mean salty, but since the context here is a spring, we are still talking about bitter. Thus we
see why some early scribes felt the need to clarify and revise the text. The Robinson-
Pierpont text would be translated: "Thus neither is it possible for a spring to produce both
bitter water and sweet." This is very appealing as more smooth and more clear. But it
departs from the pattern of the verse: one thing producing a foreign product; not one thing
producing two different kinds of product. In other words, we don't have "It is not possible
for a fig tree to produce both figs and olives, or a grapevine to produce both grapes and
figs." But then suddenly the Byzantine text changes the pattern of the verse.
43
3:14 These verbs are in the middle voice, which means the action of the verb is directed
back upon self. "Reflexive."
44
3:17a txt ἀνυπόκριτος ⁷⁴ ℵ A B C antioch dam did greg-agr lat-v syrh TG WH VS SBL
NA28 ‖ καὶ ἀνυπόκριτος ¹⁰⁰ TR AT RP ‖ indeterminate syrp ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ 048 0166 0173
0246.
45
3:17b Or, "without showmanship." This Greek word ἀνυπόκριτος, the usual translation of
which is "without hypocrisy," has the root word usually translated hypocrite. But
hypocrite is one of the most mis-used English words from the Bible. In ancient Greek it
meant "stage actor," or "play-acting," and in Jesus' teaching, it meant doing things for
appearances' sake, outward show. Here in James the negative of it means "sincere," in the
sense of not play-acting. One ancient Greek writer (Demetr. Eloc. 194) used this word
ἀνυπόκριτος to mean "without drama." The BDAG lexicon, 3rd edition, says for ἀνυπόκριτος
here, "pert. to being without pretense, genuine, sincere, lit. 'without play-acting'... "
46
3:18b Debrunner in BDF §191(4) in the section about Dative of Agent, says,
"καρπὸς...σπείρεται τοῖς ποιοῦσιν εἰρήνην is a dat. commodi; cf. Lk 18:31, 1 P 5:9 (§188(1))".
This means he is saying that the harvest of peace comes as a benefit, reward, convenience,
for or to, those who made peace. Yet those who are making peace, are also the ones
planting; they are planting for themselves their reward. So it is difficult to convey all that
meaning in concise English Bible text.
47
4:1b"But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and
bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members." (Romans 7:23)
48
4:4a txt μοιχαλίδες "aldulteresses" ¹⁰⁰ ℵ* A B lat-v syrp TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ μοιχοὶ καὶ
μοιχαλίδες "adulterers and adulteresses" ℵ² syrhmss TR AT RP ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ C 048
James
world means the enmity of God?49 Whoever chooses to be a friend of the

world therefore is rendered an enemy of God. ⁵Or do you think the
scripture says for no reason, "The Spirit whom God made to dwell50 in us
craves possession of us, approaching envy"? ⁶But he gives more grace.
Accordingly 51 it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the
humble." ⁷Submit yourselves therefore to God. Fight against 52 the devil,
and he will flee from you. ⁸Move closer to God, and he will move closer to
you. Cleanse your hands, O sinners, and purify your hearts, O double-
minded. ⁹Be distressed and mourn and wail. Change your laughter into
lamentation, and your joy into gloom. ¹⁰Humble yourselves in the sight of
the Lord, and he will lift you up.53
¹¹Do not denigrate each other, brethren. Someone who denigrates a
brother or54 condemns his brother is denigrating the law and condemning
the law. Now if you are condemning the law, you are not being a doer of
the law, but a judge instead. ¹²There is only one lawmaker and judge 55 who
0166 0173 0246

49
4:4c "These...confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth...looking for a
better country,...therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God." (Hebrews 11:13-16)
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. For all that is in the world,
the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of possessions, is not of the Father,
but is of the world." (1 John 2:16) "If the world hates you, be assured that it hated me first,
before you. If you were of the world, the world would like its own; but because you are not
of the world, and indeed rather I have chosen you out of the world, for this the world hates
you." (John 15:18,19)
50
4:5 txt κατῴκισεν ⁷⁴ ℵ Β TG WH SBL NA28 ‖ κατώκησεν nil-anc TR AT VS RP ‖
indeterminate A lat syr ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ¹⁰⁰ C 048 0166 0173 0246. Two factors make some
witnesses indeterminate: 1, itacism made the two words sound alike, and 2, the languages
of the early translations could not easily convey the causative meaning of κατῴκισεν.
Which latter also is the only instance of the verb κατοικίζω in the New Testament. So,
copyists were more likely to unconsciously replace the rarer word with the more common,
than vice versa.
51
4:6b About the Greek word διὸ Blass says in BDF §451(5), "Διό (διόπερ) is properly used to
introduce a subordinate relative clause (from δι’ ὅ), but this limitation has been lost." The
BDAG lexicon defines διὸ as: "inferential conjunction, therefore, for this reason." I am
wrting this footnote because someone objected that I had used the English word "thus" to
render the Greek word διὸ. But Webster's Dictionary says the definition of "thus" includes:
"because of this or that : hence, consequently, accordingly." But I love my critics for caring about the
accuracy of my work, and I did conclude that it would be more accurate to render διὸ as
"accordingly" here, even though I like the brevity of the word "thus." I do not think it
accurate to render it "therefore" here.
52
4:7b txt ἀντίστητε and-cr cyr dam did iei marc-er nil-anc or copsa TR AT DP ‖ καὶ
ἀντίστητε lat-s ‖ ἀντίστητε δὲ ℵ A B lat-v syrh max-conf TG WH VS [RP] SBL NA28 ‖ lac ²⁰
²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ C 048 0166 0173 0246. The reading without δε is older (Origen 3rd century).
53
4:10b Job 5:11 ‫ ׂשָּ גְבּו י ֶשַ ע‬,‫לָּׂשּום שְ פָּ לִׁים לְמָּ רֹום; ו ְק ֹדְ ִׁרים‬
54
4:11 txt ἢ "or" ¹⁰⁰ ℵ A B dam lat-v syrph TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ καί "and" or "or" antioch
lat-s TR AT RP ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ C 048 0166 0173 0246
55
4:12b txt νομοθέτης και κριτης ( ¹⁰⁰) ℵ A B antioch cyr dam did lat-v syrp,h TG WH AT VS
SBL NA28 ‖ νομοθέτης ⁷⁴ TR RP ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ C 048 0166 0173 0246. The papyrus 100 is
partially lacking right here but does have the word κριτης. I placed parentheses around it
because it is just indeterminate as to whether it contains the article with it. The Versions
are not determinate about the presence of the article, but are, when it comes to the main
issue, και κριτης. Except lat-s is listed as completely indeterminate.
James
is able to save or to damn. Who then are you, condemning your neighbor? 56
¹³Come now, you who say, "We will travel today and tomorrow 57 to
that particular city, and spend a year58 there, and do business and make a
profit," ¹⁴you who59 have no solid knowledge of tomorrow. What60 is your
life? You are a vapor that appears for a little while and then is gone. ¹⁵The
thing for you to say instead is, "If the Lord wills, we will even be alive and
do this or that."61 ¹⁶But as it is you are vaunting your own selves with your
presumptuous words. All such boasting is evil. ¹⁷So, he who has learned
the good to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.
Chapter 5
¹Come now you wealthy people, weep with loud wailing over the
hard times which are coming for you. ²Your wealth is become corrupt, and
your clothes are moth-eaten. ³Your gold and silver are tarnished, and their
corrosion will be a testimony to you, and eat your bodies62 like fire. You
have stored it up in the last days. 63 ⁴Behold, the wage is crying out, which
was for the laborers who sickled your fields, which you deprived 64 them
56
4:12c txt
ὁ κρίνων τὸν πλησίον ⁷⁴ ℵ A B TG WH SBL NA28*
ὁ κρίνων _________ ¹⁰⁰
ὃς κρίνεις τὸν πλησίον VS* NA28* (*The NA28 / ECM2 editors consider two readings of
equal weight)
ὃς κρίνεις τὸν ἕτερον TR AT RP
lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ C 048 0166 0173 0246
57
4:13a txt
καὶ αὔριον πορευσόμεθα cyr greg-agr AT DP
___ αὔριον πορευσόμεθα ¹⁰⁰
καὶ αὔριον πορευσώμεθα A TR RP
ἢ αὔριον πορευσόμεθα ℵ B lat-v (syrp for ἢ) TG WH VS SBL NA28
ἢ αὔριον___________α ⁷⁴
ἢ αὔριον πορευσώμεθα lat-s
lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ C 048 0166 0173 0246
58
4:13c txt ἐνιαυτὸν ℵ B lat-s,v TG WH SBL NA28 ‖ ἐνιαυτὸν ἕνα A cyr greg-agr lat-hi syrp,h
TR AT VS RP ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ ¹⁰⁰ C 048 0166 0173 0246
59
4:14a The word οἵτινες without γὰρ makes the vapor clause the explanation of why we
cannot know what kind of day tomorrow will be. Our life is a vapor; we are the kind of
creature that does not have the tools or ability to get sure information (ἐπίσταμαι) about
tomorrow, since our very lives are unsure and unsolid.
60
4:14b txt ποία ℵtxt B dam lat-s syr WH SBL NA28 ‖ ποία γάρ ⁷⁴ ¹⁰⁰ ℵ A greg-agr (lat-v
h Z
enim est) syrp TR [TG] AT VS RP ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ C 048 0166 0173 0246.

61
4:15 See Luke 12:20
62
5:3a txt omit ℵ* B anast-s antioch lat-s,f,v syrp TR TG WH AT RP SBL NA28 ‖ ὁ ἰὸς ℵ² A dam
syrh VS ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ C 048 0166 0173 0246.
63
5:3b Some interpreters thought it is fire the rich have stored up in the last days, and
others supply the subject "wealth." I think the verb is simply referring to the already
mentioned topic, gold and silver. Something else to take note of in light of James' practice
of using the same word two different times in two different contexts, is his use of the word
ἰὸς here, translated usually in this verse as "corrosion" or "rust" but in 3:8 usually as
"poison." Both poison and corrosion are chemical processes upon something. Fire is as
well.
64
5:4a txt ἀπεστερημένος A B² cyr dam did syrh TR AT VS RP NA28* ‖ ἀφυστερημένος ℵ B*
James
of.65 And the cries of those who worked the harvest have gone into the ears
of the Lord of Armies. ⁵You have lived in luxury and excessive comfort on
the earth. You have fattened your hearts in66 the day of slaughter. ⁶You
have passed sentence on, you have killed the righteous. He does not resist
you. 67
⁷Patiently endure therefore brethren, until the coming of the Lord.
Behold, the farmer expects the valuable fruit of the earth, waiting patiently
on it until it gets the early and the latter rain. 68 ⁸You must be patient as well,
make your hearts steadfast, because the coming of the Lord is approaching.
⁹Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be judged. Behold,
the judge stands almost at the door. ¹⁰Receive for use as a pattern,
brethren,69 the suffering of ill treatment and the patience of the prophets
who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹Behold we consider fortunate those
who patiently endure. You have heard about the patience of Job, and seen
the Lord's result, how the Lord70 is full of compassion and merciful.
¹²But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven, or by the
earth, or any other oath. Rather, your "Yes" should be "Yes" and your "No"
be "No," or you may fall under judgment. 71 72 ¹³Is anyone among you
TG WH SBL ‖ indeterminate lat-v syrp ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ C 048 0166 0173 0246. *The editors
of the NA28 / ECM2 consider the two readings to be of equal weight.
65
5:4 As for criticism of my sentence ending with a preposition, I quote Mark Twain, and
say that this something up with which I will not put.
66
5:5 txt
ἐθρέψατε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σφαγῆς ℵ* B lat-s,vmss TG WH SBL NA28
ἐθρέψατε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ἐν ἡμέραις σφαγῆς A
ἐθρέψατε τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σφαγῆςlat-vmss (membra)
ἐθρέψατε τὰς σάρκας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σφαγῆς syrp
ἐθρέψατε τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σφαγῆς ℵ² 048vid antioch cyr dam syrh TR AT VS
RP
lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ C 048 0166 0173 0246
The phrase "fattened your hearts in the day of slaughter" is parallel to the phrase in v. 3
"hoarded it in the last days." The word ὡς does not belong here.
67
5:6 Or also possibly, "He does not meet you face to face." The word ἀντιτάσσω literally
means to place himself opposite you. It can be literal, that is, stand across from you facing
you, or it can be figurative, place himself in opposition to you, working against you. If we
insist that this is a double entendre referring both to Christ and to other righteous people
in general, then "face to face" is not suitable, since Christ did meet those condemning him
face to face.
68
5:7a txt omit ⁷⁴ B 048 lat-v TG WH SBL NA28 ‖ καρπον ℵ antioch syrh ‖ ὑετὸν A lat-vmss TR
[VS] AT RP ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ C 0166 0173 0246
69
5:10a txt ἀδελφοί A B lat-v syrh TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ ἀδελφοί μου ℵ syrp (TR) AT RP ‖
omit antioch ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ C 048 0166 0173 0246.
70
5:11b txt ἐστιν ὁ κύριος ℵ A Ψ (048) dam (lat syr) TR TG WH AT VS SBL NA28 ‖ ἐστιν
κύριος B (048 lat syr) ‖ ἐστιν RP ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ C 048 0166 0173 0246. The witnesses in
parentheses indicate the presence of κύριος but are not decisive about the presence of the
article.
71
5:12 txt ὑπὸ κρίσιν πέσητε ℵ A B 048vid dam eus lat-v lat-rellvid TG WH SBL NA28 ‖ [εἴς] ὑπὸ
κρίσιν πέσητε VS ‖ ὑπὸ κρίσιν ἐμπέσητε 048vid lat-vmss lat-rellvid ‖ εἴς ὑπόκρισιν πέσητε
antioch TR AT RP ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ C 0166 0173 0246.
72
5:12b The phrase ὑπὸ κρίσιν πέσητε here as in the NA28 text, rendered "fall under
judgment" means to "fall under the category of," those who are judged. The Byzantine
reading εἴς ὑπὸκρίσιν πέσητε means "so that you not fall into hypocrisy." The NA28
James
suffering? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praises.

¹⁴Is anyone among you ill? He should call the elders of the church to him,
and they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the
Lord. ¹⁵And the prayer of faith will heal the ailing, and the Lord will raise
him. And if he has committed sin, it will be forgiven him. ¹⁶Confess your
sins73 then74 one to another, and pray for one another, so you may be healed.
The fully operating prayer 75 of a righteous person is able to accomplish
much. ¹⁷Elijah was a human, subject to the same frailties as we are. And he
prayed the prayer for it not to rain, and no rain fell on the land for a period
of three years and six months. ¹⁸And he prayed again, and the sky gave
rain, and the land sprouted up its fruit.
¹⁹My brethren,76 if any among you wanders away from the truth and
someone turns him back around, ²⁰he should77 know that he who turns a
sinner from the error of his way will save a soul 78 from death and cover a
reading is the more difficult one. I wonder if it was an idiom that perhaps had become
obsolete. The only difference between the two readings in the all-caps, no spaces and no
punctuation format of the uncial manuscripts, is the presence or absence of the word εἴς.
The NA28 reading is ΥΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΝ and the Byzantine reading is ΙΣΥΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΝ.
73
5:16b txt τὰς ἁμαρτίας ℵ A B 048vid eus (lat-f,v) TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν
did syrh did ‖ τὰ παραπτώματα anast-s dam iei or TR AT RP ‖ τὰ παραπτώματα ὑμῶν syrp ‖
lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ C 0166 0173 0246.
74
5:16a txt ἐξομολογεῖσθε οὖν ℵ A B 048vid lat-v syrh TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ ἐξομολογεῖσθε
anast-s dam did eus iei syrpms TR AT RP ‖ indeterminate syrpmss ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ C 0166
0173 0246.
75
5:16d Prayer would not be "fully operating" if one or some of the following conditions
exist: 1.) the one praying is "doubting at all," James 1:6 and many other passages of
scripture; (2) the one praying has unconfessed sin, as it says in many scripture passages
such as Psalm 66:18; (3) a married man's prayers may be hindered if he is not treating his
wife like it is layed out in 1 Peter 3:7. Matthew 5:23,24 says "Therefore, if you are offering
your gift at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you,
leave your gift there in front of the altar, and first go be reconciled to your brother, and
then come and offer your gift." This does not mention prayer specifically, but I think it
applies, as God is not interested in what you are bringing to him if you are not interested in
what you brother has against you. This is not a complete list, but are some examples of
what might cause prayer to not be "fully operating."
76
5:19 txt Ἀδελφοί μου ⁷⁴ ℵ A B 048 andr-cr lat-s,v syrh TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ Ἀδελφοί did
TR AT RP ‖ indeterminate syrp ‖ lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ C 0166 0173 0246.
77
5:20c This verb is 3rd person imperative, usually translated "let him know." But that does
not convey well either that it is a command.
78
5:20b txt
σώσει ψυχὴν ἐκ θανάτου TR TG AT RP
σώσει ψυχὴν ἐκ θανάτου αὐτοῦ ⁷⁴vid B
σώσει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου A
σώσει ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐκ θανάτου ℵ 048vid cyr did WH VS SBL NA28
lac ²⁰ ²³ ⁵⁴ ⁷⁴ C 0166 0173 0246.
I like the reading without αὐτοῦ because it eliminates the ambiguity of who the referent is-
the one turning the sinner, or the sinner. But the evidence also indicates the spuriousness
of αὐτοῦ because of the various places it is found in the manuscripts. On the other hand,
the very reason I like it without αὐτοῦ may have been the motive for editing for
clarification at some point in the transmission of the text. Allen Wikgren prefers the
reading ἐκ θανάτου αὐτοῦ "from death itself," saying, "Non-recognition of the intensive
use of αὐτός could explain the omission or transposition. In this position, also, omission
might easily be accidental in some witnesses." The majority of the UBS committee thought
the reading of ℵ P best explained the rise of the others, for the reason I had already thought
James
multitude of sins.
of before I read their commentary, that is, to clarify the ambiguity.

James
A Few Comments
My brethren, you can find great pleasure studying the Epistle of James.
The Epistle of James contains many instances of its author using the same
Greek word twice or multiple times. See if you can find these, for starters:
Lifting / raising
Lowering / humbling
replete
accomplish
face
The Epistle of James also contains many instances where its author contrasts
two different things. For example:
Bad giving; i.e., giving of temptation

Good giving
corrupt wealth
eternal wealth
changing light
steady light
Very informative is to do a word study of some of the Greek words James

uses multiple times. For example, 3 times he uses these words that have the
same root:
James 1:8 A double-minded man is ἀκατάστατος - unstable in all his ways

James 3:8 The tongue is a ἀκατάστατον κακόν - volatile menace.
James 3:16 Where there is envy and rivalry, there is ἀκαταστασία – disorder
James
Table of Witnesses James

All witnesses 8th century and earlier are cited, and none later than that.
Note that the main Coptic witnesses for James are dated X-XII century
so are not cited.
MS Date Alt Location

symbl
²⁰ III P. Princeton, N.J., Univ. Libr., Papyrus
Princeton Collect., P. Princeton Am 4117
Am 4117
²³ Early Oxyrhync Urbana, Univ. of Ill., Class. and Europ.
III hus Culture Mus., G. P. 1229
Papyrus
1229
⁵⁴ V/VI Princeton Princeton, N.J., Univ. Libr., Papyrus
Papyrus Collect., Garrett (former deposit) 7742
15
⁷⁴ VII P. Cologne/Genf, Bibl. Bodmeriana, P.
Bodmer Bodmer XVII
XVII
¹⁰⁰ III/IV P. Oxy. Oxford, Ashmolean Museum
LXV 4449
ℵ IV 01 London, the British Library, Add. 43725

ℵ¹ IV-VI
ℵ² VII
A V 02 London, British Library, Royal 1 D. VIII
B IV 03 Vatican Library, Vat. gr. 1209
B¹ IV
B² VI-
VII
C V 04 Paris, National Library, Gr. 9; Ephraemi
Syri Rescriptus
C¹ V
C² VI
048 V Vatican Libr., Vat. gr. 2061, fol. 198, 199,
221, 222, 229, 230, 293-303, 305-308
0166 V Heidelberg, Inst. f. Papyrologie der
Univ., P. Heid. Inv. G 1357
0173 V Florence, Bible. Medicea Laur., PSI 5
James
0246 VI Cambridge, Westminster Coll. s.n.
Symbol DAT Versional Manuscripts

E
lat-s VII Old Spanish text; principal witnesses: Ms. 67 - it¹
(7th century), PRIS (Priscillian), PS-AU spe (the
Pseudo-Augustinian Speculum), BACH
(Bachiarius); also PS-AM fi (Libellus fidei); perhaps
IS (Isidore); also reconstructed from T+F (cf. VL p.
6)
lat-v IV/V. Vulgata, earliest witnesses: HI (Hieronymus), PEL
(Pelagius), CAn (Cassian), RUF (Rufinus), AMst
(Ambrosiaster). Mss.: all except 66 and 67 (List: VL
p. 6), which show influences by the texttypes G and
T.
lat-t VI- Readings in the Spanish-(Gallic)-Irish Vulgate
VIII tradition (cf. VL p. 6). Parts of S and F attested also
by Vulgate witnesses and also the rest of the non-V
readings of the same Vulgate witnesses other than
errors and the like (cf. VL p. 60*). Principal
witnesses: 32- itw, 53, and families Δ and Σ, where
they differ from V; also AU (Augustine), QU
(Quodvultdeus), FU (Fulgentius), CAr, RUF, HI.
lat-g VI - Peculiar readings of 53, its, alone or with 32,
itw,and G, and the equally valuable peculiar
readings of these two witnesses or of 251 (cf. VL p.
64*). In effect, readings supported by 53, or 32 53 G,
or 32 G, or 251.
lat-a V Readings either peculiar to Augustine, or first
attested by him (cf. VL p. 65*).
syrp IV/V Syriac Peshitta
syrh 616 Syriac Harklensis
CHURCH FATHERS:
anast-s VI Anastasius Sinaita
andr-cr VIII Andreas Cretensis
antioch VII Antiochus Monachus
apoll IV Apollinaris Laodicensis
ath IV Athanasius Alexandrinus
aug 430 Augustine
James
bars V Barsanuphius et Iohannes

bas IV Basilius Caesariensis
chrys V Iohannes Chrysostomus
clim VII Iohannes Climacus
cyr V Cyrillius Alexandrinus,
cyr-h IV Cyrillius Hierosolymitanus
dam VIII Iohannes Damascenus
did IV Didymus Alexandrinus
epiph V Epiphanius Constantiensis
eus IV Eusebius Caesariensis
eustr VI Eustratius Constantinopolitanus
flav-c V Flavianus Constantinopolitanus
greg-agr VII Gregorius Agrigentinus
greg-naz IV Gregorius Nazianzenus
hes-h V Hesychius Hierosolymitanus
iei VI Iohannes Ieiunator
ioh-phil VI Iohannes Philoponus
isid V Isidorus Pelusiota
marc-er V Marcus Eremita
max-conf VII Maximus Confessor
nil-anc V Nilus Ancyranus
or III Origenes
procop VI Procopius Gazaeus
ps-caes ? Pseudo-Caesarius;not in apparatus due to date
being unkown
ps-max- ? Pseudo-Maximus Confessor;not in apparatus due to
conf date being unkown
ps-oec IX? Pseudo-Oecumenius; of little value, as he is
associated with the IX cent. Byz uncials already in
apparatus
zach-h VII Zacharias Hierosolymitanus
Abrev. Date Greek New Testament Editions:

AT 1904 B. Antoniades, Η ΚΑΙΝΗ ΔΙΑΘΗΚΗ, produced by
the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, my
copy being a Google Books PDF of a Harvard
Depository Brittle Book. http://books.google.com/
NA28 2012 Greek Bible text from: Novum Testamentum
Graece, 28th revised edition, Edited by Barbara
James
Aland and others, © 2012 Deutsche

Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. http://www.nestle-
aland.com/en/read-na28-online/text/bibeltext/
RP 2005 Robinson-Pierpont Greek New Testament, Maurice

A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont, "The New
Testament in the Original Greek, Byzantine
Textform 2005," Copyright © 2005, Chilton Book
Publishing Company, ISBN: 0-7598-0077-4
SBL 2010 Greek New Testament, © Society of Biblical
Literature and Logos Bible Software,
http://sblgnt.com , http://www.sbl-site.org ,
http://www.logos.com
SCR 1894 F. H. A. Scrivener TR – "Textus Receptus"

TG 1857- Samuel Prideaux Tregelles, "TNT2," edited and
1872 corrected by Dirk Jongkind,
http://www.tyndalehouse.com/tregelles/
"It is not for Christian scholars to fear true criticism
or its results: the object of true criticism is not to
alter scripture dogmatically on the judgment of any
individual, but it is to use the EVIDENCE which
has been transmitted to us, as to what the holy men
of God, inspired by the Holy Ghost actually wrote.
In this, as in any other Christian service, the
blessing and guidance of God may be sought, by
those who know the privileges resulting to the
believing soul from the redemption of His Son."
(Tregelles's Greek New Testament: Introductory
Notice, Part 1, ii).
TR 1550 Stephens' TR - "Textus Receptus"
VS 1913 Hermann Freiherr von Soden, Griechisches Neues
Testament
WH 1881- Westcott & Hort Greek New Testament, Brooke
1892 Foss Westcott, Fenton John Anthony Hort
1 Peter
1 PETER
Chapter 1
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the
Diaspora in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 1
2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by sanctification of
the Spirit for obedience and the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ; may
grace and peace be multiplied to you.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to
the greatness of his mercy has given us second birth, into the hope of
salvation, because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 into an inheritance that is incorruptible, unimpaired, and unfailing,
reserved in heaven for you,
5 who are being guarded by the power of God, through faith, for the
salvation made ready to be revealed in the end time,
6 in which you exult, though you still have distress 2 for a little while if
necessary in various trials,
7 which happen so that the testing of your faith, much more valuable than
gold which perishes, but is tested through fire, may be found out to result in
praise and glory and honor3 when Jesus Christ is revealed,
8 whom you love without having seen; 4 in whom you believe, still not
having looked upon; yet you exult5 with a joy that is indescribable and full
1
1:1 There is a complete absence of the Greek definite article in this whole verse. With
place names, the article is used only for special reasons. Here in 1:1 the addressees are
being characterized and are the focus. The fact that they are sojourners is the emphasis,
the focus is on their being aliens to, their not belonging, in these places being mentioned.
2
1:6 txt
δέον ἐστίν λυπηθέντας L NA28
δέον ἐστίν λυπηθέντας ἡμᾶς 048vidf max-conf
δέον λυπηθέντας ℵ*
δέον [ἐστίν] λυπηθέντες WH
δέον λυπηθέντες B clem didv syrhT TG SBL
δέον ἐστίν λυπηθέντες ⁷² ℵ² A C lat-v (cop) TR AT VS BG RP
δέον..............pertristitiam lat-s
indeterminate syrp (but definitely does not have δέον ἐστίν)
lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575
3
1:7b txt δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν ⁷² ⁷⁴vid ℵ A B C or lat-s,v,t copsamss TG WH VS BG SBL NA28 ‖ εἰς
δόξαν καὶ τιμὴν syrp,h ‖ τιμὴν καὶ εἰς δόξαν RP ‖ τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν TR AT ‖ δόξαν clem copsams
‖ lac ⁸¹ 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575. The uncial 048 has 13 letters visible, does not include
εἰς, and reads either the NA28 reading or the TR reading.
4
1:8c Compare John 20:29, μακάριοι οἱ μὴ ἰδόντες καὶ πιστεύσαντες, "Blessed are those
believing without having seen."
5
1:8b txt ἀγαλλιᾶσθε rell. Greek clem cyr TR TG AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ ἀγαλλιᾶτε B C*vid
1175 1852 WH ‖ ἀγαλλιάσεσθε ir-lat ‖ χαίρετε 1827 ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 365
1881 ℓ156 ℓ590 ℓ938 ℓ1126 ℓ1141 ℓ1281 ℓ1442S ℓ1575.
1 Peter
of glory,
9 obtaining for yourselves the goal of your faith: the salvation of your 6 souls.
10 About which salvation the prophets, who prophesied about the grace
that was coming to your benefit, sought out and researched,
11 trying to find out exactly7 which time or what kind of time the spirit of
Christ in them was indicating, when he testified beforehand to the
sufferings of Christ and these glorious things that come after.
12 It was shown to them it was not for themselves but for you8 they were
being stewards of these things, which have now been announced to you
through those who evangelized you in the Holy Spirit9 sent from heaven.
Which things the angels wish they could look into.
13 Therefore, girding up the loins of your mind, being completely sober, 10

place your hope on the grace being brought to you at the revelation of Jesus
Christ.11
14 Like obedient children, not fashioning yourselves to the longings you
had in your former ignorance,
15 but rather, in accordance with the holy one who called you, you must
become holy as well, in all your conduct,
16 because it is written: "You shall be12 holy, because I am holy." 13
6
1:9 txt +ὑμῶν ⁷² ℵ A B C 048 lat-v,t syrp,h eth TR TG AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ omit B ath
clem cyr did lat-a copsa WH ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575. There is arguably no
difference in meaning.
7
1:11 The BDF grammar § 298(2) says this combining of τίς and ποῖος may be a tautology for
emphasis.
8
1:12a txt ὑμῖν (“y’all”) ⁷² ℵ A B C lat-v,t syrh copsa geo TG WH AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖
ἡμῖν (“us”) bas-sel cyr lat-hi syrp arm TR ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
9
1:12b txt +ἐν ℵ C lat-s copsams TR AT VS BG RP NA28 ‖ omit ⁷² A B cyr did lat-c,v,t TG WH
SBL ‖ indeterminate copsamss syr ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
10
1:13a The Greek says νήφοντες τελείως ἐλπίσατε, “being sober completely hope.”
“being completely sober, hope” Syriac SBL TNIV
“being sober, hope completely” AT VS RP BG TYN ASV DRB WEB WEY EMTV GEN GNB ISV
NASB ESV NIV NRSV
“be sober, and hope to the end” JV
“being fully sober, set your hope completely”!?!?! NET Is this an error in translation?
11
1:13b While most interpreters read this phrase ἐν ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ as “the
grace being brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed” (as a future event), some read it
as “the grace being offered to you with the revelation of Jesus Christ,” such as the Darby
translation, and Tyndale. Tyndale says “the grace brought unto you by the declaring of
Jesus Christ.” The reason I went with a future event, is because that is how Peter uses this
same phrase ἐν ἀποκαλύψει Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ earlier in this epistle, at 1:7, “may be found out
to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
12
1:16a txt ἔσεσθε ⁷² ℵ A B C clem lat-v TG WH SBL NA28 ‖ γένεσθε TR ‖ γίνεσθε AT VS BG
RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575. The lat-s,t copsa syrp,h versions support
γένεσθε or γίνεσθε.
13
1·16b txt
γέγραπται Ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιος A* TG NA28
γέγραπται Ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε διότι ἐγὼ ἅγιος ℵclem
1 Peter
17 And if you invoke as Father him who without respect to faces judges the
work of each person, spend this time of your sojourning in fear,
18 knowing it was not with corruptible things, silver or gold, that you were
redeemed from the futile way of life passed on to you from your ancestors,
19 but rather with blood very dear,14 as of a lamb without blemish or defect,
the blood of Christ,
20 foreknown before the foundation of the world, but manifested in the
latter of times15 for your sakes,
21 who by way of him are believers in God, the one who has raised him
from the dead and given him glory; so your faith and hope are in God.
22 Having purified your souls by obedience to the truth 16 toward brotherly
love, love one another earnestly from a pure17 heart,
23 having been regenerated, not by corruptible seed but by incorruptible,
through the living and abiding18 word of God;
24 because all flesh is like19 grass, and all its20 glory like the flower of grass.
γέγραπται Ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε διότι ἐγὼ ἅγιος εἰμι ⁷²

γέγραπται Ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιος εἰμι A² C lat-v
γέγραπται ὅτι Ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιος B SBL
γέγραπται [ὅτι] Ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιος [εἰμι] WH
γέγραπται Ἅγιοι γίνεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιος εἰμι AT VS BG RP
γέγραπται Ἅγιοι γένεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιος εἰμι TR
lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285
ℓ1575.
14
1:19 I have realized that my American readers do not understand this rendering, though
in the rest of the English speaking world, the word “dear” is a synonym of “expensive” or
“precious.” For example, my math teach in 3rd grade, who was a Maori from New Zealand,
Dean Samuels, when he saw a fancy pen I had, said, “That must have been dear.” Yet, in
American English, dear still overlaps in meaning with precious, when referring to a person
we love.
15
1:20 txt ἐσχάτου τῶν χρόνων ℵ² A B C copsamss syrh TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ ἐσχάτου του
χρόνου ℵ* ‖ ἐσχάτων τῶν χρόνων max-conf TR AT BG RP ‖ ἐσχάτων χρόνων ⁷² ‖ ? copsams ‖
lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
16
1:22 txt omit ⁷² ℵ A B C lat-v copsa syrp,h eth TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ διὰ πνεύματος lat-s
TR AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
17
1:22b txt καθαρᾶς καρδίας ℵ* rell. grk. lat-t copsa syrp,h TR [WH] AT VS BG RP NA28* ‖
καρδίας A B 1852 lat-v TG SBL ‖ καρδίας ἀληθινῆς ℵ² lat-c,s ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247
0285 ℓ156 ℓ590 ℓ938 ℓ1126 ℓ1442S ℓ1575. *The editors of the NA28 / ECM2 consider the
readings with/without καθαρᾶς to have equal weight.
18
1:23 txt omit ⁷² ℵ A B C did lat-v copsa syrh eth TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ +εἰς τούς αἰῶνας
arm ‖ +εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα did lat-s syrp TR AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
Note: though I listed lat-s and syrp with the TR and RP, they do not attest to the presence or
absence of the article.
19
1:24a txt a- ὡς ⁷² B C TR TG WH AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ b- ὡσει ℵ* ‖ c- omit ℵ² A lat-s
syrpmss,hT ‖ a/b lat-v,t copsa syrpmss,hM arm ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
20
1:24b txt a- δόξα αὐτῆς ⁷² ℵ² A B C syrhms TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ b- δόξα αὐτοῦ ℵ* ‖ c-
δόξα σαρκός lat-t ‖ d- δόξα ἀνθρώπου lat-c arm TR AT BG RP ‖ a/b lat-s,v copsa syrp,hms geo
eth ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575. The phrase δόξα ἀνθρώπου is probably an
assimilation to the LXX of Isaiah 40:6.
1 Peter
The grass dries up, and its flower falls off, 21

25 but the word of the Lord abides for ever. And this is the word that was
announced to you.
Chapter 2
1 Putting away therefore all malice, and all guile and pretenses, 22 and envies
and all slanders,
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure spiritual milk, so you may grow by it to
salvation, 23
3 since24 you have tasted that the Lord indeed is good.
4 To whom approaching, a living stone, by humans on the one hand
rejected, on the other hand chosen by God as precious,
5 you yourselves also as living stones are being built as a spiritual house
for 25 a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ;
6 because it is contained in scripture: 26 "Behold I lay in Zion a chosen
precious corner foundation stone, and the person believing on it will by no
21
1:24c txt omit ⁷² ℵ A B lat-v syrp,h arm TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ +αὐτοῦ C (lat-s) geo TR AT
BG RP ‖ indeterminate copsa eth ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
22
2:1 txt
ὑποκρίσεις καὶ φθόνους ⁷² ℵ* ℵ³ A C antioch lat-v syrhms TR TG AT VS BG RP SBL NA28
ὑποκρίσεις καὶ φθόνον arm
ὑπόκρισιν καὶ φθόνους ℵ² syrhms WH
ὑπόκρισιν καὶ φονους B
την ὑπόκρισιν καὶ φθόνον clem lat-a,s syrp geo
(την ) ὑποκρίσεις copsa 31
indeterminate cop
lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
23
2:2 txt +εἰς σωτηρίαν ⁷²f (ει σωτηριαν) ℵ A B C clem cyr did isid lat-c,s,v copsa syrp,h arm
geo TG WH [AT] VS BG SBL NA28 ‖ omit antioch TR RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285
ℓ1575.
24
2:3 txt
εἴπερ ἐγεύσασθε ℵ² C lat-c,s cyr TR AT VS BG RP
εἴ(περ) ἐγεύσασθε κ. εἴδετε syrp (Psalm 34:8; but Ps. 33:9 in LXX: γεύσασθε καὶ ἴδετε ὅτι
χρηστὸς ὁ κύριος)
εἰ ἐγεύσασθε ¹²⁵ ℵ* A B clem lat-v TG WH SBL NA28
εἰ ἐγεύσασθε ἐπιστεύσατε ⁷²
εἰ ἐπιστεύσατε lat-hi
lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
25
2:5b txt +εἰς ⁷² ℵ A B C cyr eus or lat-s,t copsamss syrh TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ omit lat-v TR
AT BG RP ‖ indeterminate copsams syrp ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 33
26
2:6a txt
διότι περιέχει ἐν γραφῇ ⁷² ℵ A B TG WH VS SBL NA28
διότι περιέχει ἐν τῇ γραφῇ AT RP
διότι περιέχει ἡ γραφῇ C BG
διό καὶ περιέχει ἐν τῇ γραφῇ TR
lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 33 ℓ1575.
1 Peter
means be disappointed."
7 To you therefore who believe, value, but to those refusing to believe, 27 it is
a stone the builders rejected. This one turns out to be for the head of the
corner,
8 yet also a stone of stumbling, and a rock of downfall for those who
stumble at the word by disobeying, to which in fact they were appointed. 28
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for a
treasured possession, so you may proclaim the virtues of him who called
you out of darkness into his marvelous light;
10 who before were not a people, but now are a people of God; ones who
were not pitied, but now are pitied.
11 Beloved, I exhort you: as sojourners and aliens, abstain 29 from fleshly

lusts, which war against the soul;
12 having your conduct good among the gentiles, in order that while they
denounce you as evil-doers, by observing 30 your good works they may
glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Submit31 to every human authority for the Lord’s sake, whether to a king
as he is highly placed,
14 or to governors; as they are the Lord’s agent for vengeance on evil-doers
and praise of well-doers;
15 because so is the will of God: by doing good to silence the ignorance of
foolish people;
16 as free, yet not having the freedom for a pretext for wrongdoing, but for
being servants of God.
17 Honor all persons, love32 the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
18 House servants, submit yourselves in all fear to your masters, not only to
good and forbearing ones but also to the harsh.
27
2:7a txt ἀπειθοῦσιν A syrp TR AT BG RP ‖ ἀπιστοῦσιν ⁷² ℵ B C hes-h syrh arm geo TG WH
VS SBL NA28 ‖ indeterminate ℓ1575 lat-s,v copsa ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 33. The
word ἀπειθέω means just that: disobeying by not believing.
28
2:8b "Behold, this one is being laid down to cause the stumbling or rising of many in
Israel, and to be a sign that will be continually denounced." Luke 2:34
29
2:11 txt ἀπέχεσθαι ℵ B clem cyr lat-c,v,t copsa TR TG WH VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ ἀπέχεσθε
⁷² A C cyr lat-k syrh AT ‖ indeterminate ℓ1575 syrp ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285.
30
2:12c a-txt ἐποπτεύοντες ⁷² ℵ B C TG arm geo WH VS SBL NA28* ‖ b-ἐποπτεύσαντες A
clem TR AT BG RP ‖ a/b lat cop syr ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575. *The editors
of the NA28 / ECM2 consider the two readings a/b to have equal weight.
31
2:13 txt omit ⁷² ℵ A B C ℓ1575 antioch eus nil-anc lat-c,v copsa syrp eth TG WH VS SBL
NA28 ‖ +οὖν antioch syrh TR AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285.
32
2:17 txt ἀγαπᾶτε ⁷² ℵ A B C TR TG WH AT VS SBL NA28 ‖ ἀγαπήσατε BG RP ‖ indeterminate
lat cop syr eth ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
1 Peter
19 For this gains favor if because of consciousness of God anyone bears up

under griefs they are suffering unjustly.
20 For what glory is it if when sinning and buffeted for it you endure? But
if when doing good and suffering for it you endure, this gains favor with
God.
21 For you were called to 33 this, because Christ also suffered, on your
behalf, leaving for you34 an example that you should follow in his steps;
22 he who did no sin, neither was any guile found in his mouth;
23 who when being insulted, did not insult in return; who when suffering
mistreatment made no threat, but committed himself over to him who
judges righteously;
24 who himself in his body carried our sins up onto a tree, in order that by
dying to sins, we might live to righteousness; by whose35 bruise you have
been healed.
25 For you were like sheep wandering astray, but now you have returned36
to the shepherd and overseer of your37 souls.
Chapter 3
1 Likewise wives,38 submit yourselves to your own husbands, in order that
even if any of them disobeys 39 the word, they will be gained without a word
33
2:21a txt εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἐκλήθητε ⁸¹ A B C lat-c,v copsa syrp,h armmss eth TR TG WH AT VS
RP SBL NA28 ‖ εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἐκλήθητε ⁷² ℓ1575 cyr armmss BG ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 093 0206
0247 0285.
34
2:21b txt a- ἔπαθεν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ὑμῖν B Cvid ℓ1575 syrh TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ b- ἔπαθεν περί
ὑμῶν ὑμῖν ⁷² A geo:A1 ‖ c- ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ὑμῖν ⁸¹vid ℵ cyrT dam ‖ d- ἔπαθεν ὑπὲρ
ἡμῶν ὑμῖν copsams AT BG RP ‖ e- ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὑμῖν cyrmss ‖ f- ἔπαθεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν
ἡμῶν TR ‖ g-ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἡμῖν cyr syrp ‖ a/b/d lat-k,c ‖ a/b lat-v copsamss eth ‖ lac ⁷⁴
048 093 0206 0247 0285.
35
2:24 txt omit ⁷² ⁸¹vid ℵ² A B C ℓ1575 lat-c,v arm geo TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ +αὐτοῦ ℵ*
syrp,h eth TR AT BG RP ‖ indeterminate cop ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 093 0206 0247 0285.
36
2:25b txt ἐπεστράφητε ⁷² A B ℓ1575 ps-dion-alV TR TG WH AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖
ἐπεστρ[ ]τε ⁸¹ ‖ ἐπιστράφητε ℵ ‖ ἐπεστρέψατε C ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 093 0206 0247 0285. The
witnesses lat-v syrp copsamss support one of the readings starting with ἐπε. The lat-t syrh
copsams witnesses support one of the readings that start with ἐπι. The editors of the ECM1
considered the reading ἐπεστρέψατε to be of equal weight.
37
2:25c txt ὑμῶν ⁷² ℵ A B C ℓ1575 lat-v,t copsa syrp,h TR TG WH AT VS RP SBL NA28 ‖ ἡμῶν
BG ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285.
38
3:1a txt αἱ γυναῖκες ⁷² ℵ² C TR AT [VS] BG RP NA28 ‖ γυναῖκες ⁸¹ ℵ* A B TG WH SBL ‖ lac
⁷⁴ 048 0206 0247 0285. The witnesses lat-a,v and copsams indicate the absence of any
conjunction, but are indeterminate as to presence of the article. The witnesses lat-t copsamss
syrp,h indicate the presence of a conjunction, but are indeterminate as to the presence of
the article. And as is often the case, manuscript 1678 all by itself gives us clues as to all the
variants that ever existed. Manuscript 1678 is especially important in the Apocalypse of
John, the book of Revelation.
39
3:1b txt
a - καὶ εἴ τινες ἀπειθοῦσιν ⁷² ℵ A TR TG AT VS BG RP SBL NA28
1 Peter
by the conduct of their wives,

2 when they observe your pure conduct, mixed with reverence for them.40
3 Whose adornment let it not be the outward, of the plaiting of hair, wearing
of gold ornaments, or the decoration of putting on clothing,
4 but rather of the hidden person of the heart, adorned with the
incorruptible beauty of a meek and quiet spirit, which adornment in the eyes
of God is very high priced.
5 For indeed that is historically how holy women hoping in 41 God have
adorned themselves, submitting to their own husbands;
6 like how Sarah obeyed42 Abraham, calling him master.43 Whose daughters
you have become, doing good, and not fearing any terror.44
7 Likewise husbands, dwelling together according to knowledge: as to a
more delicate vessel, assigning to the woman a special care, 45 and like you
are co-heirs46 of the gracious privilege of life, so that your prayers will not
be hindered.
8 Finally, everyone, be all of one mind, sympathetic, loving the brethren,
compassionate, humble-minded, 47
9 not returning evil for evil, or insult for insult, but instead blessing,
b - εἴ καὶ τινες ἀπειθοῦσιν C

c - εἴ τινες ἀπειθοῦσιν ⁸¹vid B copsa syrh WH
d- οἵτινες ἀπειθοῦσιν syrp
a/b lat-v
a/b/c lat-a,s,t
lac ⁷⁴ 048 0206 0247 0285.
40
3:2 Ephesians 5:33, “and the wife see that she reverence her husband."
41
3:5 txt εἰς θεὸν ⁷² A B C TG WH VS SBL NA28* ‖ εἰς τὸν θεὸν NA28* ‖ ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν ℵ TR
AT BG ‖ ἐπὶ θεὸν RP ‖ indeterminate lat cop syr ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
The editors of the NA28 / ECM2 consider the asterisked readings with and without τὸν to
be of equal weight.
42
3:6a txt ὑπήκουσεν ⁷² A C TR TG AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ ὑπήκουεν B WH ‖ indeterminate
lat cop syr ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
43
3:6b In Genesis 18:12, Sarah says "after I am grown old shall I have this pleasure, with my
master being old as well?" The Hebrew there for "my master" is ‫ואדֹנִ י‬
44
3:6b Or also possibly, "not fearing with any hysteria.” The word ἡ πτόησις can mean both
"how" one is fearing, that is, fearing "with" hysteria, or it can mean fearing "what causes"
the hysteria, i.e., terrifying people, terrifying events or terrifying reports. The only other
time this word is used in the Bible is in the Septuagint in Proverbs 3:25, where it is the
latter use- do not be afraid of the thing that causes terror.
45
3:7b This is what the BDAG lexicon says τιμήν means in this context. Τιμή is the word for
"value," here as in careful handling, like how you would hold a fragile and valuable vase
when you are carrying it.
46
3:7a txt συγκληρονόμοις ⁸¹ B² lat-a,s,v,t syrp arm geo TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖
συνκληρονόμοις ⁷² ℵ² B* ‖ συνκληρονομους ℵ* ‖ συγκληρονόμοι lat-hi copsa TR AT BG RP
‖ συνκληρονόμοι A C ‖ indeterminate syrh ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
47
3:8 txt ταπεινόφρονες ⁷² ⁸¹vid ℵ A B C antioch clem lat-s,v,t syrp,h eth TG WH VS SBL
NA28 ‖ φιλόφρονες TR AT BG RP ‖ ? copsa ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
1 Peter
because48 to this you were called, so you might inherit blessing.

10 For "He who wants to love life and see good days must restrain his 49
tongue from evil, and his50 lips, to speak no guile;
11 and51 he must turn aside from evil, and do good, and seek peace, and
pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears open to their
petition; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
13 And who is going to harm you if you become devotees52 of good?
14 But, if you do suffer indeed because of righteousness, you become
blessed ones. And do not fear their intimidations, or be troubled.
15 Instead, dedicate in your hearts Christ 53 as Lord, always prepared54 for a
speech in response to anyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in
you;
16 only55 with humility and respect,56 having a good conscience, in order
that while you are spoken against, 57 the ones abusing you may be shamed
by your good conduct in Christ.
48
3:9 txt omit ⁷² ⁸¹ ℵ A B C antioch lat-s,v,t copsa syrp,hT eth TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖
+εἰδότες syrhmg TR AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
49
3:10a txt omit ⁷² ⁸¹ A B C TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ +αὐτοῦ ℵ lat-s,v,t copsa syrp,h TR AT BG
RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
50
3:10b txt omit ⁷² ⁸¹vid ℵ A B C syrh geo TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ +αὐτοῦ lat-s,v,t copsa syrp
arm eth TR AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575. The added possessive
pronouns here and in the previous variant may be a conformation to the Septuagint Psalm
33:14 which says παῦσον τὴν γλῶσσάν σου ἀπὸ κακοῦ καὶ χείλη σου. But in oine Greek the
definite article could serve as a possessive pronoun. The first translations of the Greek New
Testament, into Latin, Coptic, and Peshitta Syriac, would add the possessive pronoun in
order to accurately render the meaning of the Greek definite article.
51
3:11 txt δε ⁷² A B C* lat-s,v,t syrh TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ omit ℵ C² copsa syrp arm geo TR
AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575. Perhaps the reading without δε is
conforming the quotation to the LXX in which Psalm 34:27 reads ἔκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ...
52
3:13 txt ζηλωταὶ ⁷² ℵ A B C lat-a,s,v,t copsa syrp,h eth TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ μιμηταὶ lat-
v TR AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 33 ℓ1575. The lone Vulgate
ms
manuscript listed with Byz reads: si boni imitatores fuerimus “if we are good imitators.”
53
3:15a txt Χριστὸν ⁷² ℵ A B C clem lat-s,v,t copsa syrh TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ θεὸν did lat-
vmss TR AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575. Acc. to the UBS textual
commentary the phrase “the Lord God” was far more familiar to scribes than κύριον τὸν
Χριστὸν, so they subconsciously wrote κύριον τὸν θεὸν.
54
3:15b txt omit ⁷² ℵ A B C lat-s,v,t copsa syrh TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ δε clem TR AT BG RP ‖
indeterminate syrp ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
55
3:15c/16a txt ἀλλὰ ⁷² ℵ A B C clem lat-v,t copsa syrh arm geo TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ omit
lat-s syrp eth TR AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
56
3:16c Place "with humility and respect" in v. 15: TR, AT, RP, KJV, NASB, NIV, Place "with
humility and respect" in v. 16: NRSV, TG, WH, VS, SBL, NA28
57
3:16b txt a- καταλαλεῖσθε ⁷² B clem syrhT geo VS SBL NA28 ‖ b- καταλαλοῦσιν ὑμᾶς arm ‖
c- καταλαλοῦσιν ὑμῶν ὡς κακοποιων (thinking of 2:12) ℵ A C antioch TG AT BG ‖
καταλαλοῦσιν ὑμῶν ὡς κακοποιων RP ‖ d-καταλαλῶσιν ὑμῶν ὡς κακοποιων TR ‖ e-
καταλαλῶσιν ὑμᾶς ὡς κακοποιων 307 ‖ f- καταλαλοῦσιν ‖ a/b lat-s,v copsa ‖ b/f syrhmg ‖ c/d
lat-t syrp,hA ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
1 Peter
17 For it is better while doing good to suffer, if the will of God wills, than
while doing evil.
18 Because indeed Christ died once for sins,58 the righteous on behalf of the
unrighteous, that he might bring you59 to God, being put to death in the
flesh, but made alive in the spirit,
19 in which also he60 preached, when he went to the spirits that were in
prison,
20 to people who disobeyed long ago when the patience of God was
waiting in the days of Noah while an ark was being prepared, in which a
few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water.
21 Which 61 is a shadow of the baptism that saves us now also, 62 not the
58
3:18a txt
a- περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν ἔπαθεν B TR AT BG RP SBL NA28
b- περὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἔπαθεν cyrms lat-c
c- περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἔπαθεν 1678 geo
d- περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἔπαθεν L
e- περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν ἀπέθανεν cyr TG WH
f- ὑπέρ ἁμαρτιῶν ἀπέθανεν cyr
g- περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν C*vid copsamss syrp
h- περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν ℵ² C² 0285 did VS
i- ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν περὶ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν cyr
j- περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανενℵ*
k- περὶ ἁμαρτιῶν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἀπέθανεν ⁷² A
l- ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἀπέθανεν 1505
m- περὶ ὑμῶν ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν ἀπέθανεν Ψ
n- ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἀπέθανεν cyrmss did
o- ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανεν armmss
e/f lat-k,v
e/f/g lat-a,t
h/i/j eth
h/j syrh
k/l armmss
lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 ℓ1575.
This phrase is very relevant to making sense of where Peter talks about having the same
mind as Christ, “that he who has suffered in the flesh is finished with sin.”
59
3:18b txt ὑμᾶς ⁷² B P Ψ 049 0285 lat-t copsamss syrp,hT arm WH RP SBL NA28 ‖ ἡμᾶς ℵ² A C
cyr did petr-al lat-k,a,v copsamss syrhM geo TR TG TD AT VS BG ‖ omit ℵ* ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093
0206 0247 ℓ1575. The UBS commentary: “…copyists would have been more likely to alter
the second person to the first person (as more inclusive) than vice versa.”
60
3:19 There have been some scholars (i.e, J. J. Greisbach, J. R. Harris, J. Moffat, E. J.
Goodspeed) that suggested a conjectural emendation of “Enoch” here preaching to the
spirits in prison, where they suggest ἐν καὶ here was originally ⲈⲚⲰⲔⲁⲒⲉⲚⲰⲬ. But that,
according to the UBS commentary, would “break the continuity of the argument by
introducing an abrupt and unexpected change of subject from that of ver. 18.”
61
3:21a txt ὃ ℵ² A B C 0285 cyr lat-k,v,t syrh TR WH TG AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ ὁ ? ‖ ὁς 1175
‖ omit ⁷² ℵ* ‖ 1501 syrp ‖ οὗ 1127 al ‖ ὡς aug? ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 33 ℓ1575
62
3:21b txt
καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀντίτυπον νῦν σῴζει C cyr TR
ἀντίτυτον νῦν καὶ ἡμᾶς σῴζει AT BG RP
καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀντίτυπον νῦν σῴζει ⁷² A B 0285c syrh TG WH VS SBL NA28
καὶ ὑμᾶς νῦν ἀντίτυπον σῴζει ℵ
καὶ ὑμᾶς ἀντίτυπον σῴζει 0285*
lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 33 ℓ1575
1 Peter
removing of dirt off the flesh, but the response toward God of a good
conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, with angels
and authorities and powers made subordinate to him.
Chapter 4
1 Therefore Christ having suffered63 in the flesh, you also arm yourselves of
the same mind, that someone who has suffered in the flesh 64 is finished with
sin, 65 66
2 to the result that, the time he still has left in the flesh he lives not for
human desires any longer, but rather for the will of God.
3 For enough is the time lost away for you67 to have carried out68 the goal69
of the Gentiles, having gone on in promiscuity, lusts, debaucheries,
63
4:1a txt omit ⁷² B C 0285 nestT lat-v,t copsa geo TG WH VS SBL NA28‖ +ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ℵ* syrp ‖
+ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ℵ² A anast-a anast-s apoll ath cyr did epiph leont-h marcell nestmss thdrt lat-a
syrh arm eth TR AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 ℓ1575. The UBS textual
commentary: “The reading that best explains the others is παθόντος, which is strongly
supported by . . . . In order to express the idea more fully some copyists added ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν .
. . , while others added ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν . . . Had either of the latter readings been original, no
adequate reason can account for the absence of the prepositional phrase from the best
representatives of both the Alexandrian and the Western types of text.”
64
4:1b txt σαρκὶ ⁷² ℵ A B C TG WH VS BG SBL NA28 ‖ ἐν σαρκὶ TR AT RP ‖ indeterminate lat
cop syr ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 33 ℓ1575.
65
4:1c txt πέπαυται ἁμαρτίας ⁷² ℵ* A C cop syrh TR TG AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ πέπαυται
ἁμαρτίαις (assim. to following ἁμαρτίαις) ℵ² B Ψ WH ‖ indeterminate lat-a,v,t syrp ‖ lac ⁷⁴
⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 33 ℓ1575.
66
4:1d Peter does not here mean to imply that Jesus had “stopped sinning” or had ever
sinned, but rather that he had “dealt with sin once for all,” that he had finished taking care
of the problem of sin, by means of his suffering and death; see 3:18.
67
4:3a txt
ὁ παρεληλυθὼς χρόνος ⁷² ℵ² B clem lat-v,t copsa syrp,h TG VS SBL NA28
ὁ παραλελυθὼς χρόνος A
ὑμῖν ὁ παρεληλυθὼς χρόνος ℵ* lat-a BG
ἡμῖν ὁ παρεληλυθὼς χρόνος C lat-hi
ἡμῖν ὁ παρεληλυθὼς χρόνος τοῦ βίου TR RP
ὑμῖν ὁ παρεληλυθὼς χρόνος τοῦ βίου AT
lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575
I think the phrase τοῦ βίου possibly arose from an ad-lib or paraphrasing from memory by
Clement, or also possibly by a misunderstanding of, then conflation/accertion of the Latin
ambulaverunt or ambulantes in the phrase following.
68
4:3d txt a- κατειργάσθαι πεπορευμένους ⁷² A B clem TG VS SBL NA28 ‖ b- κατεργάσασθαι
πεπορευμένους TR AT BG RP ‖ c- κατειργάσθαι πορευομένους ℵ copsa ‖ d- κατεργάσασθαι
πορευομένους ‖ e- κατεργάσεσθαι πεπορευμένους 1501 ‖ f- κατεργάσασθαι πορευθέντας
2544 ‖ g- κατειργάσασθε πεπορευμένους Cvid ‖ h- ἐργάσασθαι πεπορευμένους 2718 ‖ i-
εἰργάσασθε πεπορευμένους 1175 1243 ‖ a/b/e/f/h lat-v consummandam qui ambulaverunt ‖
a/c/d/f/h lat-a perfecisse ambulantes ‖ a/f/h lat-t consummatum qui ambulaverunt ‖ either
omission of κατειργάσθαι or abridged translation syrp ‖ indeterminate syrh ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093
0206 0247 0285 33 ℓ1575.
69
4:3c txt βούλημα ⁷² ℵ A B C clem TG VS SBL NA28 ‖ θέλημα TR AT BG RP ‖ versions
indeterminate ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 33 ℓ1575.
1 Peter
carousals, drinking bouts, and serving idols.

4 In which since you are not joining them running in the same excess of
indulgence, they think it strange,70 denigrating you.
5 They will have to give an explanation to the one that is about to judge71 the
living and the dead.
6 It is for that reason as well72 the gospel is preached73 to the dead.74 On the
one hand so they might be judged according to humans in the flesh; on the
other hand in the hope they might live according to God in the Spirit.
7 Now the end of all things has drawn near. Be soberminded therefore, and
be sober for prayers.
8 Above 75 all else have fervent love between each another, because love
covers76 a multitude of sins.
9 Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. 77
10 According to how each person has received a gift, minister it to each
other as good stewards of the manifold grace of God:
11 if anyone speaks, as the oracles of God; if anyone serves, as 78 by the
70
4:4 Or also possibly, “they feel awkward, denigrating you.”
71
4:5 a- ἑτοίμως ἔχοντι κρῖναι ℵ A C² TR TG AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ b- ἑτοίμως κρίνοντι B
C*vid WH ‖ c- ἑτοίμως κρινουντι Ψ ‖ d- ἑτοίμως κρινοντι 2138 ‖ e- ἑτοίμω κριναι ⁷² ‖
a/b/c/d/e syrp ‖ a/e lat-v,t copsa ‖ b/c syrh ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ 048 093 0206 0247 0285 33 ℓ1575.
72
4:6a The Greek word και here means “as well.” Because in this verse Peter gives two
reasons why the gospel is preached to the dead.
73
4:6b This εὐηγγελίσθη is a “gnomic aorist,” as Peter also uses in 1:24 for “dries up,” and
“falls off,” and elsewhere. See BDF §333.
74
4:6c The term “the dead” here, in context, means people who are not born again. The
same way Jesus used it when he said, “Let the dead bury their own dead.” The unbelievers
mentioned in 4:4 will have to give an account for how they interacted with you- that is this
verse’s connection to the previous verses. Your interaction with a non-believer may
accomplish for God one of two things: either help God be justified in condemning them
(because they heard the gospel from you and have absolutely no excuse), or on the other
hand it may help God in saving them. The idea that the gospel can be preached to those in
Hades and either condemn them or save them, is contrary to the rest of scripture. Here,
the gospel is being preached in the hope they might be saved. But there is no such hope for
someone to be saved who is already in Hades. Romans 6:23 says “it is appointed unto man
once to die, and after that the judgment.” In the story of the Rich man and Lazarus in Luke
16, the rich man was in the partition of Sheol / Hades that was for the condemned, and
Lazarus was in the partition for the righteous. Abraham rebuffed the rich man’s request
for relief. That man got no more chances. Of course you are going to believe in the gospel
once you are burning in hell. But the deal from God is that you have to repent and believe
before you die, while you are still alive in the flesh. You don’t get any more chances after
you die. This applies to Old Testament era people like the rich man and Lazarus, as well as
New Testament era people.
75
4:8a txt omit ⁷² ℵ Avid B lat-a,v,t TG VS SBL NA28 ‖ +δε antioch lat-s copsamss syrh TR AT BG
RP ‖ indeterminate syrp ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
76
4:8c txt καλύπτει A B antioch clem did dor-gaz lat-a,c,s,v,t TG VS BG SBL NA28 ‖ καλύψει
⁷² ℵ TR AT RP ‖ indeterminate cop syr ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
77
4:9 txt γογγυσμοῦ ⁷² ℵ A B antioch lat-s,v,t syrp,h TG VS SBL NA28 ‖ γογγυσμῶν TR AT BG
RP ‖ indeterminate copsa ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
78
4:11a txt ἧς ⁷² ℵ A B antioch apoll lat-v,t copsa syrp,h TR TG VS SBL NA28 ‖ ὡς AT BG RP ‖
lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
1 Peter
power that God supplies; such that in everything God will be glorified,
through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the power for ever and ever.
Amen. 79
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial happening with you to test
you, as if it is an odd co-incidence,
13 but rather rejoice; inasmuch as you are sharing in the sufferings of Christ
in order that you may also rejoice in the revelation of his glory, exulting.
14 If you are reproached because of the name of Christ, blessed are you.
That means the glory80 and the Spirit of God rests upon you! 81
15 Certainly none of you should be suffering as a murderer or a thief or an
evildoer, or as a pryer into other people's business;
16 but if it is for being a Christian, let him not be downcast, but praise God
because of this. 82
17 Because the time 83 has come for judgment to begin, starting with the
household of God. And if firstly with us, what will be the fate of those
79
4:11b txt εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν ℵ A B TR TG WH AT VS RP SBL NA28* ‖ εἰς
τοὺς αἰῶνας · ἀμήν ⁷² copsamss syrpmss,h BG NA28* ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285
ℓ1575. The editors of the NA28 / ECM2 consider the two asterisked readings to be of equal
weight.
80
4:14a txt omit ⁷² B anast-s clem cyr lat-v syrp TR TG WH BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ και της
δυναμεως ℵ² antioch arm ‖ και της δυναμεως αυτου ℵ* eth ‖ καὶ δυνάμεως A ath thdrt AT
VS ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
81
4:14b txt
a ἀναπαύεται ℵ* B clem thdrt TG WH VS SBL NA28
b ἐπαναπαύεται A lat-v
c ἐπαναπέπαυται ⁷² ℵ²
d ἀναπέπαυται anast-s cyr
a/b/c/d syrp,h eth
c/d copsams
ἀναπαύεται κατὰ δὲ ὑμᾶς δοξάζεται 307T
ἀναπέπαυται κατὰ δὲ ὑμᾶς δοξάζεται 307Z
ἀναπαύεται κατὰ μὲν αὐτοὺς βλασφημεῖται κατὰ δὲ ὑμᾶς δοξάζεται TR AT BG RP
ἐπαναπαύεται κατὰ μὲν αὐτοὺς βλασφημεῖται κατὰ δὲ ὑμᾶς δοξάζεται lat-t copsamss
ἀναπαύεται κατὰ μὲν αὐτούς βλασφημεῖται κατὰ δὲ ἡμᾶς δοξάζεται lat-k
lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
The UBS textual commentary: “Although it is possible that the words [κατὰ μὲν αὐτοὺς
βλασφημεῖται κατὰ δὲ ὑμᾶς δοξάζεται] may have been accidentally omitted because of
parablepsis (-εται . . . -εται), the Committee thought it far more probable that they were
added as an explanatory gloss on the preceding reference to the spirit of glory. Of the
several forms of the verb, the perfect tense and the forms compounded with ἐπ- appear to
be secondary developments, arising from a desire to strengthen and clarify the form
ἀναπαύεται (ℵ* B 056 0142 1739 al).”
82
4:16 txt τ μέρει τούτῳ TR AT BG RP NA28 ‖ τ ὀνόματι τούτῳ ⁷² ℵ A B cyr lat syr cop
arm geo eth TG TD WH VS SBL ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575. Both of these
variant readings actually mean something similar, along the lines of “in this behalf.” For
example, when a prophet speaks “in the name” of God, he is speaking “in behalf” of God.
83
4:17 txt ὁ καιρὸς ⁷² B antioch bas or TR TG AT BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ [ὁ] καιρὸς WH VS ‖
καιρὸς ℵ A bas isid max-conf ‖ indeterminate lat cop syr eth ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247
0285 ℓ1575.
1 Peter
disobeying the gospel of God?

18 And if the righteous person is barely saved, where will the ungodly and
the sinner appear?
19 So then those suffering according to the will of God should commit their
souls over to a faithful84 creator, all the while doing good. 85
Chapter 5
1 Being a co-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a sharer
also of the glory about to be revealed, the elders among86 you therefore I
exhort:
2 shepherd the flock of God among you, overseeing 87 not from compulsion
but voluntarily for God, 88 not from greed for money, but from amateur zeal;
3 not as exercising lordship over your charges, but being examples for the
flock.
4 And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading
crown of glory.
5 Likewise, young people, submit yourselves to the older people. And
everyone, 89 tie on the apron of humility toward one another, because God90
opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.
6 Be humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God, so he may exalt you
in his time,
7 casting every worry of yours onto him, because it matters to him about 91
84
4:19a txt πιστ ⁷² ℵ A B ath procop lat-v,t copsa TG WH TD VS SBL NA28 ‖ ὡς πιστ lat-
hil syrp,h TR AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
85
4:19b txt ἀγαθοποιΐᾳ ℵ B copsa syrh TR TG WH AT BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ ἀγαθοποιϊαις ⁷² A
lat-v,t syrp VS ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
86
5:1 txt οὖν τοὺς ℵ cyr copsamss TD VS ‖ τοὺς ℓ1575 did TR AT BG RP NA28 ‖ οὖν ⁷² A B TG
WH SBL ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285.
87
5:2a txt ἐπισκοποῦντες ⁷² ℵ² A ℓ1575 TR TG AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ rell. lat syrp,h read
as one of the first two readings ‖ omit ℵ* B anast-s did copsa TD WH ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093
0206 0247 0285.
88
5·2b txt a- κατὰ θεόν ⁷² ℵ A antioch TG TD VS SBL NA28 ‖ b- κατὰ τον θεόν 1243* ‖ c- omit
B anast-s syrp TR WH AT BG RP ‖ a/b lat-v,t copsa syrh eth ‖ ? lat-s ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093
0206 0247 0285.
89
5:5a txt omit ⁷² ℵ A B antioch lat-s,v,t copsa syrp TG TD WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ ὑποτασσόμενοι
syrh TR AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285.
90
5:5b txt ὁ θεὸς rell. grk. TR TG AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ [ὁ] θεὸς WH ‖ θεὸς ⁷² B 33 630
1718 ‖ ὁ κύριος 429 522 630 1718 ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ156 ℓ1126 ℓ1442S
pr. With the article, this whole exact sentence is found in James 4:6: Ὁ θεὸς ὑπερηφάνοις
ἀντιτάσσεται ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν. Without the article here, it is not. The LXX in
Prov. 3:34 is κύριος ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται, ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσιν χάριν.
91
5:7 txt περὶ ⁷² ℵ A B 0206vid antioch cyr-sc TR TG WH AT VS RP SBL NA28 ‖ ὑπερ syrh BG ‖
indeterminate lat cop syrp ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
1 Peter
you.
8 Be sober, be alert. Your adversary, 92 the devil, is like a lion walking about,
seeking somone to devour; 93
9 whom you resist firmly in the faith, knowing that the same kind of
suffering is being imposed upon your brethren in the world.
10 But the God of all grace, who called you into his eternal glory in Christ,94
he himself whenever you suffer a little will adjust you, 95 confirm,
strengthen, found you.
11 The power96 is with him for ever. 97 Amen.
12 It was by way of Silvanus, a brother who is faithful by my reckoning,
that I have written to you with a few words, exhorting you, and bearing
witness that this grace in which you stand 98 is the true grace of God.
13 The church of fellow chosen ones in Babylon greets you, and also Mark
my son.
14 Greet one another with a kiss of “agape” love. Peace be unto you, all
92
5:8a txt ὁ ἀντίδικος ℵ* A B syrpms TG WH AT VS RP SBL NA28 ‖ ὅτι ὁ ἀντίδικος ⁷² ℵ²
anast-s antioch chrys cyr cyr-h lat-k,v,t copsa syrpmss,h arm geo eth TR BG ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048
093 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
93
5:8b txt a- τινα καταπιεῖν ℵ² eusms lat-k arm TG VS BG SBL NA28 ‖ ao- τινα καταπειν ℵ* ‖
b- καταπιεῖν τινα or ‖ cf- τινα καταπιει did orms ‖ d- τινα καταπίῃ ⁷² A anast-s antioch ast-s
ath chrys cyr cyr-hT cyr-hmss did eus evagr isid marc-er nil-anc or procop lat-a,s,v,t geo eth
TR AT RP‖ e- καταπιεῖν B Ψ 1175 cyr-hmss or WH ‖ eo- καταπειν 0206vid ‖ a/d syrp,h ‖ lac ⁷⁴
⁸¹ C 048 093 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
94
5:10a txt ἐν Χριστ ℵ 0206vid (omit Ἰησοῦ but indeterm. re. τ copsa syrh ) TD SBL NA28* ‖
ἐν τ Χριστ B ‖ ἐν Χριστ Ἰησοῦ ⁷² A lat-v,t syrp,hA eth TR [TG] [WH] AT VS BG RP ‖ lac
⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0247 0285 ℓ1575. *The editors of the NA28 / ECM2 consider the SBL and
RP readings to be of equal weight.
95
5:10b txt
καταρτίσει στηρίξει σθενώσει θεμελιώσει ℵ (copsamss) arm VS SBL NA28
καταρτίσει στηρίξει θεμελιώσει ⁷²(*vidf) lat-t (syrp)
καταρτίσει στηρίξει σθενώσει A B 0206vidf lat-v copsamss TG WH
καταρτίσει ὑμᾶς στηρίξει σθενώσει θεμελιώσει (copsamss) AT
καταρτίσαι ὑμᾶς στηρίξει σθενώσει θεμελιώσει RP
καταρτίσαι ὑμᾶς στηρίξαι σθενώσαι θεμελιώσαι TR BG
the verb form καταρτίσαι is supported by syrh
lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
96
5:11a txt τὸ κράτος A B Ψ (0206 lat-v,t ? re τὸ) geo TG TD WH SBL NA28 ‖ κράτος ⁷² (0206
lat-v,t ? re τὸ) ‖ ἡ δόξα κράτος ‖ τὸ κράτος καὶ ἡ δόξα syrh arm ‖ ἡ δόξα copsamss ‖ ἡ δόξα
καὶ τὸ κράτος ℵ (copsamss ? re articles) TR AT VS BG RP ‖ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος καὶ ἡ τιμή syrp
‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
97
5:11b txt εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας ⁷² B arm WH NA28* ‖ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων ℵ A 0206vid
cyr-h lat-v,t copsams syrp,h geo eth TR TG AT VS BG RP NA28* ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206
0247 0285 ℓ1575. *The editors of the NA28 / ECM2 consider the two readings to be of equal
weight.
98
5:12 txt a- εἰς ἣν στῆτε ⁷² ℵ A B lat-v copsams TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ b- εἰς ἣν ἑστήκατε TR
AT BG RP ‖ c- εἰς ἣν στήκετε 2464 ‖ d- εἰς ἣν ἔστε syrh ‖ b/c lat-t copsamss syrp ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C
048 093 0206 0247 0285 ℓ1575.
1 Peter
who are in Christ Jesus. 99 100
99
5:14a txt ἐν Χριστ Ἰησοῦ ℵ anast-a lat-t copsamss syrh TR AT [VS] BG RP NA28* ‖ ἐν
Χριστ A B lat-v copsams syrp TG WH SBL NA28* ‖ omit/lack εἰρήνη to end ⁷² ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C
048 093 0206 0247 0285 33 ℓ1575. *The editors of the NA28 / ECM2 consider the two
asterisked readings to be of equal weight.
100
5:14b txt omit ⁷² A B lat-v copsa eth TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ +ἀμήν ℵ lat-t syrp,h ethms TR
AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ ⁸¹ C 048 093 0206 0247 0285 33 ℓ1575.
1 Peter
Endnotes to 1 Peter
1 Peter Endnote #1 Unwritten Implications
In this epistle, Peter sometimes leaves the reader to supply the finish of a
thought, particularly an unspoken object of a verb.
3:2 when they observe your pure conduct is with reverence for them.
4:4 they think it’s weird, denigrating you.
4:10 according to how each person has received a gift, minister it to each
other…
5:6 so he may exalt you in his time.
1 Peter Endnote #2 Peculiar Aorists
The First Epistle of Peter contains several of what some have called
“peculiar aorists.” Yet, they seem peculiar only to us of modern times or
other languages, since the primary meaning of the ancient Greek tense was
not time- past, present or future, but instead, “kind of action.” These
instances of aorist below by Peter, do not mean past or present or future,
and I suppose what may be peculiar about them, is they do not even express
“kind of action,” but simply that they happen. Though the English words
“dries up” and “falls” sound like present time to us, that is not what is
conveyed. What is conveyed is simply that it happens at some point. It is
the same with the gospel “is preached” to the dead. The focus is not at what
time it is preached, or how often or continuously it is preached, but simply
that it gets preached to the dead, for the reasons Peter then states. These
aorists are probably what the BDF grammar calls “gnomic aorists.” BDF
§333.
1Pe 1:24 διότι πᾶσα σὰρξ ὡς χόρτος, καὶ πᾶσα δόξα αὐτῆς ὡς ἄνθος
χόρτου· ἐξηράνθη ὁ χόρτος, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος ἐξέπεσεν·
²⁴because all flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass dries up, and its flower falls off,
1Pe 3:6 ὡς Σάρρα ὑπήκουσεν τῷ Ἀβραάμ, κύριον αὐτὸν καλοῦσα· ἧς

ἐγενήθητε τέκνα ἀγαθοποιοῦσαι καὶ μὴ φοβούμεναι μηδεμίαν πτόησιν.
⁶like how Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord; whose daughters you
1 Peter
have become, doing good, and not fearing any terror.
(Many translators render this aorist ἐγενήθητε as “whose daughters you

are.” Or, “whose daughters you will become.”)
1Pe 4:6 εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ νεκροῖς εὐηγγελίσθη ἵνα κριθῶσι μὲν κατὰ
ἀνθρώπους σαρκὶ ζῶσι δὲ κατὰ θεὸν πνεύματι.
⁶It is for that reason as well the gospel is preached to the dead. On the one
hand so they might be judged according to humans in the flesh; on the other
hand in the hope they might live according to God in the Spirit.
http://bibletranslation.ws/palmer-translation/
1 Peter
Principal Witnesses to 1 Peter

(nothing later than 8th century cited, and everything before 9th century IS
cited.)
MS Dat Alt Location
e
⁷² III/I
V
⁷⁴ VII P. Bodmer Cologne/Genf, Bibl. Bodmeriana, P.
XVII Bodmer XVII
⁸¹ IV
¹²⁵ III/I P.Oxy.
V 4934
ℵ² IV- 1st
VI corrector
ℵ³ VII 2nd
corrector
C V 04 Paris, National Library, Gr. 9; Ephraemi
Syri Rescriptus
C¹ V
C² VI
C³ IX
048 V Vatican Libr., Vat. gr. 2061, fol. 198, 199,
221, 222, 229, 230, 293-303, 305-308
093 VI
0206 IV
0247 VI
0285 VI
ℓ157 VIII
5
LATINS:
lat-s VII itl Old Spanish text from African sources;
principal witnesses: Ms 67 (7th Century),
PRIS (Priscillian), PS-AU spe (the
Pseudo-Augustinian Speculum)
lat-k III Old text of Carthage at the time of
Cyprian (CY)
1 Peter
lat-v IV/ Vulgata, a thorough revision following

V the Greek text; earliest witnesses: HI
(Hieronymus), PEL (Pelagius),
Caelestius
lat-t VI (65) itz Later text, attested in the 5th/6th cent. in
Africa, Spain, Gaul, and Ireland, Italy;
readings in the Vulgate tradition; in
some instances alread in FU (Fulgentius),
Facundus (FAC), Epiphanius
Scholasticus (EP-SC), Ambrose (AM),
Rufinus (RUF), Augustine (AU)
lat-a V Readings either peculiar to Augustine, or
first attested by him (cf. VL p. 65*).
lat-c ? Pseudo-Hilary, Apologia (PS-HIL ap);
later African texts related to K,
particularly quotations in AU, if their
text is also found in other witnesses;
parts of 271
55 V ith 1 Pet 4:17 - end
67 VII itl 1Pet 1:1-7; 1:22- 2:9; 3:1-14
64 VI/ ir 1Pet 1:8-19; 2:20- 3:7; 4:10-end
VII
53 VI its 1Pet 1:1-18; 2:4-10
32 VI itw 1Pet 2:18-25; 3:8-18; 4:7-9,18,19
65 VIII itz 1 Pet 2:9- 4:15
t VII- itt
IX
Other Versions
cops III-X Sahidic There are many small fragmentary
a Coptic manuscripts, & later editions
copb IX Bohairic There are many small fragmentary
o Coptic manuscripts, & later editions
syrp V Syriac
Peshitta
syrh VII Harklean
Syriac
arm V/V Armenian
I
geo V/V Georgian
1 Peter
I
eth 500 Ethiopic
CHURCH FATHERS: Note: I did not cite any writer

whose date is unknown
am IV Amonas Antonii discipulus
anast- VI Anastasius I Antiochenus
a
andr- VIII Andreas Cretensis
cr
antioc VII Antiochus Monachus
h
ast-a V Asterius Amasenus
ast-s IV Asterius Sophista/Anonymus?
aug 430 Augustine
bas-sel V Basilius Seleuciensis
clem <21 Clement of Alexandria
5
dion- III Dionysius Alexandrinus
al
dor- VI Dorotheus Gazaeus
gaz
evagr IV Evagrius Ponticus
greg- VII Gregorius Agrigentinus
agr
1 Peter
greg- IV Gregorius Nazianzenus

naz
hes-s ? Hesyschius Sinaita
ioh- VI Iohannes Philoponus
phil
jer V Jerome, but he is also accounted for as lat-hi or the
Vulgate
leont- VI Leontius Hierosolymitanus
h
marcel IV Marcellus of Ancyra
l
marc- V Marcus Eremita
er
max- VII Maximus Confessor
conf
nest V Nestorius
or III Origenes
petr-al IV Petrus Alexandrinus
phot IX Photius
proco VI Procopius Gazaeus
p
ps- ? Pseudo-Acacius Constantinopolitanus; not included
acac-c in apparatus due to date being unknown
ps- ? Pseudo-Caesarius; not included in apparatus due to
caes date being unknown
ps- III Pseudo-Dionysius Alexandrinus
dion-
al
ps-oec IX? Pseudo-Oecumenius; of little value, as he is
associated with the IX cent. Byz uncials already in
app.
thdrt V Theodoretus Episc. Cyri
Abrev. Dat Greek New Testament Editions:

e
1 Peter

4 the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, my
BG 201 Byzantine Greek New Testament: Kr / Family 35
4 Textform, Copyright © 2014 by CSPMT, Rockville,
Maryland http://cspmt.org/
NA28 201 Greek Bible text from: Novum Testamentum Graece,
2 28th revised edition, Edited by Barbara Aland and
others, © 2012 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.
http://www.nestle-aland.com/en/read-na28-
online/text/bibeltext/
5 A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont, "The New
Testament in the Original Greek, Byzantine
Textform 2005," Copyright © 2005, Chilton Book
Publishing Company, ISBN: 0-7598-0077-4
0 Literature and Logos Bible Software, http://sblgnt.com
, http://www.sbl-site.org , http://www.logos.com
4
TG 185 Samuel Prideaux Tregelles, "TNT2," edited and
7- corrected by Dirk Jongkind,
187 http://www.tyndalehouse.com/tregelles/
2 "It is not for Christian scholars to fear true criticism

or its results: the object of true criticism is not to alter
scripture dogmatically on the judgment of any
individual, but it is to use the EVIDENCE which has
been transmitted to us, as to what the holy men of
God, inspired by the Holy Ghost actually wrote. In
this, as in any other Christian service, the blessing
and guidance of God may be sought, by those who
know the privileges resulting to the believing soul
from the redemption of His Son." (Tregelles's Greek
New Testament: Introductory Notice, Part 1, ii).
TR 155 Stephens' TR - "Textus Receptus" available at
0 bibletranslation.ws
3 Testament
1 Peter
WH 188 Westcott & Hort Greek New Testament, Brooke Foss

1- Westcott, Fenton John Anthony Hort
189
2
2 Peter
2 PETER
Chapter 1
¹Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have
obtained along with us equally precious faith by means of the righteousness
of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, ²grace and peace be multiplied to you,
through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 1 ³as his divine power
has given to us all things pertaining to life and godliness, through the
knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and virtue, 2 ⁴through
which he has given to us precious and very great promises, 3 in order that
through these you might become partakers of the divine nature, having
escaped the corruption that is in the world from lust. 4
⁵But especially for that very reason,5 bringing to bear all diligence, add to
1
1:2 txt
a- τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν B C TR TG WH AT VS BG RP SBL NA28
b- τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν ℵ A (lat-t)
c- τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν 0209 eth
d- τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ mss
e- τοῦ θεοῦ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν ⁷²
f- τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ lat-s copsa,vv syrph,h
g- τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν P Ψ 1175 1852 2464 2805 lat-v
h- τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν 1243 lat-ps-hil-a
b/d- lat-t
lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0247
2
1:3 txt ἰδίᾳ δόξῃ καὶ ἀρετῇ ℵ A C did lat-s,v,t copsa syrph,h,pal arm eth geo TG VS SBL NA28 ‖
διὰ δόξης καὶ ἀρετῆς ⁷² B copVvid TR WH AT BG RP ‖ διὰ δόξης 0209vid ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156
0247
3
1:4a txt
τίμια καὶ μέγιστα ἡμῖν ἐπαγγέλματα δεδώρηται B (0209) WH SBL NA28*
τίμια ἡμῖν καὶ μέγιστα ἐπαγγέλματα δεδώρηται ℵ (0209) AT BG RP NA28*
τίμια καὶ μέγιστα ἐπαγγέλματα ἡμῖν δεδώρηται ⁷²
μέγιστα ἡμῖν καὶ τίμια ἐπαγγέλματα δεδώρηται TR
μέγιστα ὑμῖν καὶ τίμια ἐπαγγέλματα δεδώρηται A
μέγιστα καὶ τίμια ἡμῖν ἐπαγγέλματα δεδώρηται C didvid TG VS
lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209 0247
4
1:4b txt
a- τῆς ἐν τ κόσμῳ ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ φθορᾶς A B TG WH VS SBL NA28*
b- τὴν ἐν τ κόσμῳ ἐπιθυμίαν φθορᾶς ℵ copsamss
c- τὴν ἐν τ κόσμῳ ἐπιθυμίαν φθοράν ⁷²
d- τῆς ἐν κόσμῳ ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ φθορᾶς TR AT BG RP NA28*
e- τῆς ἐν κόσμῳ ἐπιθυμίας φθορᾶς copsamss,vvid
f- τῆς ἐν κόσμῳ ἐπιθυμίας καὶ φθορᾶς C syrh
...in cupiditate perditae vitae lat-s
...concupiscentiae corruptionem lat-v
a/d lat-s,v,t syrph
lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0247
5
1:5 txt καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο δὲ ⁷² B C* 0209 TR TG WH AT RP SBL NA28* ‖ καὶ αὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο ℵ
C² syrphmss,h VS BG NA28* ‖ αὐτὸ δὲ τοῦτο copsams syrphms ‖ καὶ αὐτὸ δή τοῦτο copsamss ‖ καὶ
αὐτὸ τοῦτο ‖ καὶ αὐτοί δὲ A lat-s,t eth ‖ ὐτοί δὲ lat-v ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0247. There seems to
be something extra or out of place in the Greek text here. DeBrunner, §290(4), says the καὶ
αὐτὸ may be corrupted from κατ’ αὐτὸ. The ESV, NIV and NRSV read “For this very
reason.” The JV translates it “And beside this…” Tyndale: “And hereunto.” Geneva:
2 Peter
your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, ⁶and to knowledge self-control,

and to self-control endurance, and to endurance godliness, ⁷and to godliness
brotherly friendship, and to brotherly friendship add love. ⁸For these things
abounding in you make you not barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of
our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹For someone in whom these things are not present is
blind, being short-sighted, forgetful of receiving the cleansing of his sins in
the past. 6 ¹⁰Therefore instead, brethren, be diligent to make your calling
and election sure,7 for by doing these things you will never fail. ¹¹For so will
be richly supplied to you entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and
savior Jesus Christ.
¹²Wherefore I intend 8 to remind you always about these things, even
though you know them and are confirmed in the truth that has come. ¹³And
I deem it right, as long as I am in this tent, to rouse you by a reminder,
¹⁴knowing that soon is the putting off of my tent, as indeed our Lord Jesus
Christ has made clear to me, ¹⁵but I will strive to have you also after my
departure always make mention of these reminders.
¹⁶For it is not after the fashion of skillfully fabricated stories we have made
known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were
eye-witnesses of that majesty. ¹⁷For after receiving honor and glory from
God the Father, what a voice was brought for him by that majestic glory:
“Therefore …”
6
1:9 txt ἁμαρτιῶν ⁷² B C 0209 marc-er TR WH AT VS BG RP NA28* ‖ ἁμαρτημάτων ℵ A TG
SBL NA28* ‖ indeterminate lat cop syr ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0247.
7
2 Pe 1:10 txt
a- σπουδασατε βεβαιαν υμων την κλησιν και εκλογην ποιεισθαι
b- σπουδασατε βεβαιαν υμων την κλησιν και εκλογην ποιεισθε
c- σπουδασατε δια των καλων εργων βεβαιαν υμων την κλησιν και εκλογην ποιεισθαι
d- σπουδασατε ινα δια των καλων εργων βεβαιαν υμων την κλησιν και εκλογην ποιεισθε
e- σπουδασατε ινα δια των καλων εργων υμων βεβαιαν υμων την κλησιν και εκλογην
ποιεισθε
f- σπουδασατε ινα δια των καλων εργων βεβαιαν υμων την κλησιν και εκλογην ποιησησθε
g- σπουδασατε ινα δια των καλων υμων εργων βεβαιαν υμων την κλησιν και εκλογην
ποιεισθε
a- ⁷² B C K L P 049 056 0142 0209 1448 1739 2298 ps-oec Ambrose TR AN BG RP SBL TH
NA28 {A}
b- 1241 1243
c- armmss
d- ℵ Ψ 5 307 623 1852 2464 2805 itar,z armmss geo
e- 1735
f- 1175
g- A
d/f copsa> syrh
f/g vg ith syrph
lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0247
8
1:12 txt a- διὸ μελλήσω ℵ A B C TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ b- διὸ μέλλω ‖ c- δί οὐ μελλήσω ⁷²
‖ d- διὸ οὐ μελλήσω ‖ e- διὸ οὐκ ἀμελήσω 0209 TR AT BG RP ‖ f- διότι οὐκ ἀμελήσω ‖ a/b/c
lat-v eth ‖ e/f lat-t copsa syrph,h ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0247 33.
2 Peter
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” ¹⁸And we heard this

voice, produced from heaven, when we were with him on the holy
mountain. ¹⁹And we have a more sure word of prophecy, to which you
would do well to take heed, as to a lamp shining in a dismal place, until the
daylight shines through, and the Light Bearer dawns in your hearts,
²⁰knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of scripture arises from personal
illumination,9 ²¹for no prophecy was ever brought by the will of a human
being, but rather men spoke from God as they were carried along by the
Holy Spirit. 10
Chapter 2
¹But false prophets have also arisen among the people, as there will be
false teachers among you as well. Such people will introduce destructive
personal opinions, 11 and contradicting the master who purchased them,
bring upon themselves swift damnation. ²And many will follow their loose
ways, because of whom, the way of truth will be disparaged. ³And in
covetousness they will defraud you 12 with baseless 13 teachings. Whose
9
1:20 The Greek word means “explanation,” but prophecies do not start with explanation;
they have to arise first. I think this means “Illumination,” for example, in the sense of how
Joseph or Daniel were able to understand dreams, so as to tell and explain the meaning. It is
what must happen before interpretation, and that is why I did not use the word
interpretation.
10
1:21b txt a- ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι ⁷² B WH SBL NA28 ‖ b- ἅγιοι θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι ℵ Scriv-1894
TG AT BG RP ‖ c- οἱ ἅγιοι θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι TR ‖ d- ἅγιοι τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι A ‖ e- ὑπό θεοῦ
ἄνθρωποι ‖ f- ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἅγιοι ἄνθρωποι C ‖ g- ἅγιοι ἀπὸ θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι VS ‖ h- ἅγιοι ὑπό
θεοῦ ἄνθρωποι ‖ i- ἅγιοι ἄνθρωποι copsams ‖ j- ἅγιοι θεοῦ προφήται geo ‖ ? copsams,v ‖ a/e syrh
‖ b/c/d lat-v,t syrph ‖ b/c/d/f/g copsamss ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209 0247
11
2:1 This Greek word αἱρέσεις, from which we get the transliterated word “heresies,”
means “personal choices,” goes along with the “personal illumination” in 1:20. It means
people making up their own beliefs, based not on the authority of God-inspired prophets
and apostles, but based on their own personal choice, or on their own “spiritual
revelation.” Another source of such destructive beliefs is a person being inspired by Satan.
There is such a thing as “doctrines of demons.” Peter himself right here gives us a good
definition of such destructive personal beliefs or heresies: any belief which contradicts our
master Jesus Christ and his apostles.
12
2:3b Lidell & Scott: II.4.- make gain of, overreach, cheat you; Bauer, p. 324, 3: in the sense
of misrepresenting merchandise, they exploit you; BDF §148(1) defraud you. (They will
exploit your greed and materialism. Exploiting would make no sense if it was their own
greed and materialism they were exploiting. Jesus himself warned in his parables that
desires for things, materialism, would choke out the seed and fruit from our lives.) In his
parables he taught that many people will be deceived and led astray because of their own
materialsm, and the seductiveness of wealth. In modern American Christianity,
materialism certainly must be the most socially accepted sin. Indeed, Christian men are
chastised if they are not materialistic enough, as if there is a Christian obligation that they
provide so much for their families that their family becomes richer than 99% of all families
that existed in the history of the planet. James tells us that temptation only works because
of our own desires, which get led out and enticed.
13
2:3c Liddel & Scott: molded, formed; or, metaph.: fabricated, feigned, forged, counterfeit.
Bauer: “mentally constructed without a basis in fact.”
2 Peter
sentence from of old was never idle, nor is their damnation sleeping. 14 15
⁴For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but transferred them
down to Tartarus, being kept in chains16 of deep darkness for judgment day,
17 ⁵and the ancient world he did not spare, when he brought a flood upon a
world full of wicked people, except for Noah, one of eight he protected,
heralder of righteousness, ⁶and the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah he
condemned to ruin, 18 reducing them to ashes, setting them as an example to
those wanting to 19 be ungodly, 20 ⁷and rescued righteous Lot, who was
overwhelmed by the behavior of them unrestrained in sensuality, ⁸(for that
righteous man, though he lived among them, seeing and hearing day after
day their lawless acts grated on his righteous soul) ⁹the Lord certainly
knows how to deliver the godly out of trial,21 but store up the unrighteous
for punishment on the day of judgment, ¹⁰and especially those running after
the flesh in defiling lust, and who despise authority. Bold, over-bearing,
they do not tremble as they insult higher powers, ¹¹whereas angels who are
much more able and powerful do not bring against them an accusation that
is disparaging.22.
14
2:3e txt νυστάζει ⁷² ℵ A B C anast-s pall lat-v,t TR TG WH VS SBL NA28* ‖ νυστάξει lat-s
copsamss,v AT BG RP NA28* ‖ indeterminate 0209 syrph,h ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209 0247
15
2:3d Isaiah 28:8 (Septuagint only) A curse will devour his counsel, for his counsel is for the
sake of greed.
16
2:4a txt a- σειραῖς (chains) ⁷² cyr did procop lat-v ,v syrph TR AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ b-
σιροῖς (pits, caves) ℵ lat-t ‖ σειροῖς (pits, caves) A B C TG WH ‖ a/b syrh ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156
0209 0247. The parallel passage in Jude 6 says δεσμοῖς, bonds / chains.
17
2:4b txt a- τηρουμένους ⁷² B C* procop syrh TG WH AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ b-
τετηρημένους TR ‖ c- κολαζομένους τηρεῖν ℵ A ‖ d- κολαζομένους τηρεῖσθαι syrph,hA Pilox:
“and he handed them over, that they should be kept for the judgment of torture” ‖ e-
βασανιζομένους τηρεῖν lat-v? ‖ f- τηρουμένους κολαζομένους τηρεῖν C² ‖ c/d lat-t copsa ‖ lac
⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209 0247.
18
2:6a txt καταστροφῇ κατέκρινεν ℵ A C² lat-v,t copsa,vv syrph,h TR TG AT VS BG RP SBL NA28
‖ κατέκρινεν ⁷²txt B C* WH ‖ κατεπρησεν ⁷²Z ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209 0247.
19
2:6b Re. “intending to” be ungodly. In my electronic copy of the Septuagint, there are 36
occurrences of μέλλω with an infinitive verb following, like we have here. In Brenton’s
English translation of those thirty-six, 11 are rendered something like “about to”; 6 are
rendered a simple future; 5 are rendered something like “wanting to” or “intending to”; 5
are rendered something like “expected to”; 5 are rendered “going to”; and 4 are rendered
“ready to.” Sodom and Gomorrah should give pause to someone contemplating living like
those cities did. Someone intending to be ungodly, or wanting to be ungodly. They haven’t
done it yet. There are 3 instances of μέλλω by itself without an infinitive following, that
Brenton renders: “lingering,” 4 Maccabees 6:23, “delaying,” 4 Macc 9:1; and “rising,” Prov
15:18.
20
2:6c txt ἀσεβεῖν ℵ A C lat-v,t copsa TR TG AT VS BG RP NA28 ‖ ἀσεβέσιν ⁷² B syrph,h eth
WH SBL ‖ ἀσεβῶν ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209 0247.
21
2:9 txt a- εὐσεβεῖς ἐκ πειρασμοῦ ῥύεσθαι ℵ² A B C TR TG WH AT VS RP SBL NA28 ‖ b-
εὐσεβεῖς ἐκ πειρασμῶν ῥύεσθαι ℵ* BG ‖ c- εὐσεβεῖς ἐκ πειρασμοῦ ῥυσασθαι ⁷² anast-s ‖ d-
εὐσεβεῖς ἐκ πειρασμῶν ῥυσασθαι antioch ‖ ? copsams,v ‖ a/c copsams ‖ a/b/c/d copsams ‖ a/c lat-v
syrphmss ‖ b/d syrphms,h ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209 0247.
22
2:11 txt κατ’ αὐτῶν A lat-v copsa,vv syrphmss,h SBL NA28* ‖ κατ’ αὐτῶν παρὰ κυρίῳ ℵ B C TR
2 Peter
¹²But these, like unreasoning beasts of instinct, are born for capture and
death: hurling invective about things in which they are not knowledgeable.
In the manner of their demise, these also will be destroyed, 23 ¹³suffering
injury24 as the wages of doing injury. When they eat a communal meal with
you, they are blights and sores, in their delusion, 25 reveling, thinking it is
partying26 in the daytime for pleasure;27 ¹⁴having eyes full of adultery, 28 and
who cannot cease from sin, enticing unsure souls, having a heart trained on
material gain, inheritors of doom. ¹⁵Leaving29 the right path, they have gone
astray, following in the path of Balaam son of Bosor, 30 who loved the
payment from unrighteousness, 31 ¹⁶but received a rebuke for his
AT VS BG RP NA28* ‖ κατ’ αὐτῶν παρὰ κυρίου ⁷² lat-t syrphmss,hA ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209
0247.
23
2:12b txt καὶ φθαρήσονται ⁷²f ℵ* A B C* lat-v syrh TG WH SBL NA28 ‖ καὶ
καταφθαρήσονται VS ‖ καταφθαρήσονται ℵ² C² lat-s copsa syrph TR AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048
0156 0209 0247.
24
2:13a txt ἀδικούμενοι ⁷² ℵ* B syrph SBL NA28 ‖ κομιούμενοι ℵ² A C lat-s,v copsa syrh eth
TR AT VS BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209 0247.
25
2:13b ἀπάταις αὐτῶν ⁷² ℵ C copsamss syrhT arm TR TG WH AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ ἀγνοίας
αὐτῶν ‖ ἀγάπαις αὐτῶν A B lat-c,s,v copsamss syrph,hM eth ‖ ἀγάπαις ὑμῶν geo ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048
0156 0209 0247. The value of some of these variants is that we know the scribes had in
mind the “agape feasts,” which in fact may be the scene here. (There is some question as to
whether those were ever held in the daytime, or only in the evening.) The reading ἀπάταις
means deceptions, which I interpret as self-deceptions, or delusions. This is one of the
known usages of the word. See also that mss. 1241 and 1739 read ἀγνοίας, which is also
more related to delusion.
26
2:13c Regarding this Greek word τρυφή (truphe), it is a word of eating. We must
remember that the form of Greek with which the apostles were familiar was that of the
Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint, or LXX. This word τρυφή was used for “Dainties,
delicacies” in Gen. 49:20; “fatness,” in Psalm 36:8, etc. There are many more, but the
picture we get is “living it up with food, indulging in luxurious meals and delicacies.” This
is why I rendered it “partying.” If you look at all the uses of the word in the LXX, a majority
of them have to do with feasting. This is another strong clue that Peter is describing the
subjects’ attitude toward the communal meal or agape feast mentioned in the same verse.
27
2:13d cf. Jude 12, “feasting without reverence.” They think the fellowship feasts or
“agape” feasts are “partying in the daytime for pleasure.” The parallel passage in Jude
helps us understand what Peter is saying The point of the phrase ἡδονὴν ἡγούμενοι τὴν ἐν
ἡμέρᾳ τρυφήν is surely to describe their attitude toward the communal meal or perhaps
the breaking of bread / communion. See previous footnote on the meaning of the word
τρυφή.
28
2:14 txt a- μοιχαλίδος ⁷² B C TR AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ b- μοιχαλείας ℵ A ‖ c- μοιχείας ‖
b/c lat cop syr ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209 0247.
29
2:15a txt a- καταλιποντες ⁷² B² C 048vid syrph,h TR AT BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ b- καταλειποντες
ℵ A B* VS ‖ a/b lat cop ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0156 0209 0247.
30
2:15b του βαλααμ του βοσόρ ⁷² ℵ² Ac C 048 lat-v syrh geo TR AT VS RP SBL NA28 ‖ (του)
βαλααμ του βοσερ ms ‖ illegible A* ‖ txt του βαλααμ του βεώρ B lat-vmss,t copsa syrph arm WH ‖
(του) βαλααμ του βαγωρ ms ‖ του βαλααμ του βεωορσορ ℵ* ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0156 0209 0247.
31
2:15c The elders of Moab and Midian came to Balaam offering to pay a fee, (Numbers 22:7)
or payment, an “honor” (24:11) to be paid to Baalam if he would come with them and curse
the Israelites. Balaam inquired of God, and God told him not to go with the men, and not to
curse Israel. But Balaam kept re-inquiring of God, in prayer that is wicked, (wicked prayer,
because he already had received the answer, but did not like the answer), Balaam kept
inquiring of God, even looking for omens (24:1) by sacrificing at different places, apparently
hoping that God might change his mind, and then Balaam could earn the fee after all.
2 Peter
transgression. A donkey, that has not speech, reigned in the madness of the
prophet, by speaking up with a human voice.
¹⁷These are springs without water and clouds32 driven on by a storm,33 for
whom the absolute blackness of darkness is reserved.34 ¹⁸For by uttering
high sounding but worthless words they entice through the untempered
desires 35 of the flesh those just 36 escaping 37 the ones who live in error,
¹⁹promising them freedom, themselves being slaves of seduction. For by
whatever someone has been defeated, to that he has become a slave. 38
²⁰For if after having escaped the moral corruptions of the world through
the knowledge of the 39 Lord and Savior Jesus Christ they are but again
Certainly, that fee would be a payment from unrighteousness. The thing to note is, that
Balaam was a true prophet of Yahweh, and he rightly spoke only what Yahweh told him to
speak; yet he is eternally damned because of his heart, because his heart kept hoping to
earn some money that was wrong to earn. Motives count to God, not just deeds. Balaam’s
heart loved money too much.
32
2:17a txt
a- καὶ ὁμίχλαι ὑπὸ λαίλαπος ἐλαυνόμεναι ⁷² ℵ A B C lat-v,t VS SBL NA28
b- καὶ ὀμίχλη ὑπὸ λαίλαπος ἐλαυνομενη syrh
c- νεφέλαι ὑπὸ λαίλαπος ἐλαυνόμεναι 048vid syrphmss TR AT BG RP
d- καὶ νεφέλαι ὑπὸ λαίλαπος ἐλαυνόμεναι syrphms
a/d copsa
omit καὶ ὁμίχλαι ὑπὸ λαίλαπος ἐλαυνόμεναι, οἷς ὁ ζόφος τοῦ σκότους τετήρηται K
lac ⁷⁴ 0156 0209 0247 665
33
2:17c The words you choose to render this phrase must indicate that the point is that no
water is given by the clouds, because they are driven on before they can.
34
2:17b txt σκότους ⁷² ℵ B 048 lat-v,t copsa syrph,h eth SBL NA28 ‖ σκότους εἰς αἰῶνα A C ms
TR AT [VS] RP ‖ σκότους εἰς αἰῶνας BG ‖ omit καὶ ὁμίχλαι ὑπὸ λαίλαπος ἐλαυνόμεναι, οἷς ὁ
ζόφος τοῦ σκότους εἰς αἰῶνα τετήρηται ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0156 0209 0247.
35
2:18a txt a- ἀσελγείαις ⁷² ℵ A B C TR AT VS RP SBL NA28 ‖ b- ἀσελγείας lat-v,t syrph,h BG ‖
c- ἐν ἀσελγείαις copsa ‖ a/b 048 ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0156 0209 0247.
36
2:18b txt a- ὀλίγως (just recently, or just barely) ⁷² ℵ² A B jer aug WH TG VS SBL ‖ b-
ὀλίγον (adv) some minuscules ‖ a/b lat-a,v,t copsa syrph,h ‖ c- ὄντως (truly) ℵ* C 048 TR AT
BG RP NA28 {C} ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0156 0209 0247. The SBL text reads “those just escaping.” The RP
text reads, “those having truly escaped.” The NA28 text reads, “those truly escaping.” In
my opinion, the reading ὄντως ἀποφυγόντας is an attempt to bring v. 18 into more clear
agreement with v. 20, and so is what is called an orthodox corruption. NASB: those who
barely escape; ESV: those who are barely escaping; NIV/TNIV: people who are just
escaping; NRSV: people who have just escaped; Weym: men who are just escaping; GW:
people who have just escaped; KJV: those that were clean escaped; and the Murdock
translation from Syriac says “them who have almost abandoned.”
37
2:18c txt ἀποφεύγοντας ⁷²(*ἀποφθεγγοντας) ℵ A B C syrph,h VS SBL NA28 ‖ ἀποφυγόντας
copsa TR AT BG RP ‖ indeterminate 048 lat-v,t ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0156 0209 0247.
38
2:19 txt δεδούλωται ⁷² ℵ* B copsa WH NA28 ‖ καὶ δεδούλωται ℵ² A C 048 adam anast-s
andr antioch epiph genn ioh-mos phot lat-a,v,t syrph,h TR [TG] AT VS BG RP SBL ‖ lac ⁷⁴
0156 0209 0247.
39
2:20 f- κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ B itz lat-vmss TR TG WH AT BG RP SBL ECM2
NA28 ‖ a- κυρίου ἡμῶν καὶ σωτῆρος Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ⁷² ℵ A C 048vid lat-v,t syrh (eth) pelag
aug VS ECM1 ‖ b- κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος (ἡμῶν) copsa syrphmss ‖ c- κυρίου
καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ syrphmss ‖ d- κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος ὑμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
1241 ‖ e- κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ anast-s syrphmss ‖ a/c copv ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209 0247.
The presence or absence of the possessive pronoun ἡμῶν does not necessarily make a
difference in translation of this phrase into English, since the definite article τοῦ can also
be translated as “our.” The reading of Codex Vaticanus is probably original. I own the
2 Peter
entangled, defeated by them, their latter state has become worse for them
than their former. ²¹For it would have been better for them not to have
known the path of righteousness, than though knowing it, to turn back40
from the holy commandment that was delivered to them. ²²The41 definition
of that true proverb is met in them: “A dog returns to its vomit, and a sow
after washing herself to rolling in the filth.” 42 43
Chapter 3
¹This now, beloved, is the second epistle I write to you in which44 I rouse
your sincere minds by a reminder, ²to recall the statements spoken in the
past by the holy prophets, and the direction from the Lord and Savior
through your45 apostles, ³knowing this first of all, that there will come in the
last days46 mockers, conducting themselves according to their own desires,
⁴and saying with scorn,47 “Where is the promise of his coming? Because
from the time our fathers passed away, everything continues like it was
from the beginning of creation.”
ECM1, so that is why these variants are arranged like this; but I adopt the reading of ECM2.
40
2:21 txt a- ὑποστρέψαι ἐκ ⁷² B C TG WH SBL NA28 ‖ b- ἐπιστρέψαι ἐκ anast-s TR AT BG RP
‖ c- πάλιν ἐπιστρέψαι ἐκ ‖ d- πάλιν ὑποστρέψαι ἐκ ‖ e- ἐπιστρέψαι εἰς τα ὀπίσω ἐκ‖ f-
ἐπιστρέψαι εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω ἀπὸ ‖ g- εἰς τα ὀπίσω ἐπιστρέψαι ἀπὸ ‖ h- ὑποστρέψαι εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω
ἀπὸ ‖ i- εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω ἀνακάμψαι ἐκ ‖ j- εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω ἀνακάμψαι ἀπὸ ℵ A 048vid cyr VS ‖ k- εἰς
τὰ ὀπίσω ὑποστρέψαι ἐκ ‖ a/b lat-s copsams ‖ c/d copv ‖ c/d/g/i/j/k lat-v,t ‖ e/f/g/h/i/j/k
copsamss eth ‖ g/i/j/k syrph,h ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209 0247.
41
2:22a txt συμβέβηκεν ⁷² ℵ* A B 048vid cyr did lat-s,t copsa TG WH SBL NA28 ‖ συμβέβηκεν
δὲ ℵ² C syrph,h TR AT [VS] BG RP ‖ συμβέβηκεν γὰρ anast-s cyr lat-v ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0156 0209 0247.
The verb is the perfect tense of “meet.” They meet the definition.
42
2:22b txt κυλισμὸν ⁷² B C* TG WH SBL NA28* ‖ κύλισμα ℵ A C² 048 anast-s cyr did TR AT
VS BG RP NA28* ‖ indeterminate lat cop syr ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0156 0209 0247.
43
2:22c The verb κυλισμόν “rolling” was used of the dung beetle how it rolled a ball of dung.
In turn, the word usually rendered “mire” or mud, means more exactly, “sullied mud,
filth.” That is, mud that has dung in it. There is a nuance here that is supposed to revulse
the Jewish sense of cleansing; and for this, presence of dung is required. Moreover, there is
a parallelism intended with the vomit of a dog, to mention another bodily secretion this
time of the pig; again, to revulse the Jewish cleanness. And both dogs and pigs are unclean
and despised animals; so much more their secretions.
44
3:1 The “in which” is plural, so what follows applies to both epistles.
45
3:2 txt a- ὑμῶν ⁷² ℵ A B C 048 0156 lat-v TG WH AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ b- ἡμῶν syrh TR
‖ c- omit copsa ‖ a/b syrph ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0209 0247.
46
3:3a txt a- ἐσχάτων ⁷² ℵ A B C³ 048vid 0156 anast-s antioch lat-v copsa TG WH AT VS SBL
NA28* ‖ b- ἐσχάτου TR BG RP NA28* ‖ c- ἐσχάτῳ C* ‖ b/c lat-t copV syrph,h ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0209 0247
33 665.
47
3:3b txt a- ἐν ἐμπαιγμονῇ ℵ A B 048vid lat-v TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ b- ἐμπαιγμονῇ C 0156 ‖
b2- ἐνπαιγμονῇ ⁷² ‖ c- ἐμπαιγμονῆς syrh ‖ d- omit anast-s ms TR AT BG RP ‖ ? copsamss ‖ a/b
lat-t copsamss,Vv ‖ a/b/c syrph ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0209 0247. Perhaps the shorter reading is from
scribal familiarity with Jude 18. Note that all the versions (early translations into other
languages), except one lone Bohairic manuscript, attest to the longer reading. One factor
that could have contributed to this phrase getting lost is Peter’s style of having his
modifying phrases frequently being separated by a large distance in the text from their
referents.
2 Peter
⁵For this escapes them on purpose, that the heavens existed long ago, and
the earth from water and through water was put together by the word of
God, ⁶by which48 also the then world perished when it was flooded with
water;49 ⁷and the present heavens and earth by the same50 word are reserved
for fire, kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people.
⁸But this one thing must not escape you, beloved, that with the Lord, one
day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. ⁹The Lord
of that promise is not loitering, as some consider it51 loitering. Instead, he is
being very patient toward us,52 not wanting anyone to perish, but rather all
to come to repentance. ¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief,53 in
which the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements be
dissolved by burning up, 54 and the earth and the works in it will be found
no more.55
48
3:6a txt δι’ ὃν (acc. sing. masc. rel. pronoun) lat-vmss aug NA28 ‖ δι’ ὧν (gen. pl. rel.
pronoun) ⁷² ℵ A B C 048 0156 lat-v,t copsa,v syrph,h TR TG WH AT VS BG RP SBL ‖ lac ⁷⁴
0209 0247.
49
3:6b Peter is saying the scoffers know perfectly well that everything has not stayed the
same way it was at the beginning of creation. They are intentionally passing over how the
earth was radically changed by the flood. (e.g., only after the flood were there 4 seasons,
and only after the flood was there rain and erosion, and only after the flood, as a result of
rains, erosions, and shorter growing seasons, was man given permission to eat animals.
Before the flood, man was allowed only to eat plants. The scoffers are willfully ignoring the
book of Genesis.
50
3:7 txt a- τ αὐτ λόγῳ ⁷² A B 0156 did lat-v,t copsa Beza-1598 Elzevir-1624 Scrivener-
1894 WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ b- τ αὐτοῦ λόγῳ ℵ C copv syrph,h ethmss Complutensian Polyglot TG
AT BG RP ‖ c- omit ethmss ‖ d- αὐτοῦ λόγῳ Erasmus-1516 TR-Stephanus-1550 Scrivener-1887 ‖
a/b 048 ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0209 0247.
51
3:9a A similar expression using this verb ἡγέομαι is found in James 1:2, Πᾶσαν χαρὰν
ἡγήσασθε, where all translations add an implied object of the verb, "it." Consider it joy.
Why not here? "Some consider it loitering."
52
3:9b b- εἰς ἡμᾶς TR AT BG RP ‖ a- εἰς ὑμᾶς ⁷² B C 048vid 0156 ,vv TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ c- δι
ὑμᾶς ℵ A lat-s,v,t copsa syrph,h eth ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0209 0247. I am not saying εἰς ἡμᾶς is the
original reading. I am just going with it.
53
3:10b txt κλέπτης ⁷² ℵ A B 048 0156 cyr lat-s,v,t copsa,vv syrph eth TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖
κλέπτης ἐν νυκτί C lat-tmss syrh TR AT BG RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0209 0247.
54
3:10d txt a- λυθήσεται ⁷² ℵ B C 048vid cyr TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ b- λυθήσονται A cyr ps-
caes TR AT BG RP ‖ a/b 0156 lat cop syr ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0209 0247.
55
3:10e txt a- οὐχ εὑρεθήσεται (will be found no more) copsa,vvid syrphmss NA28 ‖ b-
mg
εὑρεθήσεται ℵ B syrphmss,hms TG WH VS SBL ‖ c- εὑρεθήσονται ‖ d- εὑρεθήσεται λυόμενα (will
be found destroyed, broken up) ⁷² ‖ e- ἀφανισθήσονται (will disappear) C ‖ f-
κατακαήσεται (will be burned up) A 048 aug cyr syrhtxt TR TD AT BG RP ‖ g- κατακαήσονται ‖
h- καησονται ‖ omit speculum ‖ omit καὶ γῆ καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ ἔργα οὐχ εὑρεθήσεται /
κατακαήσεται itz lat-v jervid pelag ‖ ? lat-s,v ‖ b/d 0156 ‖ f/g lat-t ‖ f/g/h eth ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0209
0247. I now quote Jan Krans from Facebook: Gerd Mink discusses the conjecture in “Problems of
a Highly Contaminated Tradition: the New Testament. Stemmata of Variants as a Source of a Genealogy
for Witnesses,” in Studies in Stemmatology II (ed. Pieter van Reenen and August A. den Hollander;
Amsterdam: Benjamins, 2004), pp. 13-85, p. 27: “… the ECM records the witnesses of erroneous readings
as witnesses for the variants which they represent, albeit defectively. There is even an example where
the best witnesses omit a negation (1 Peter 3:10/48-50). Although the preceding passage speaks of the
passing away of the heavens, and the dissolution of the elements, and the following verses presuppose
the dissolution of heaven and earth (for a new heaven and a new earth are waited for), quite superior
witnesses here have the reading ‘the earth and all the works that are therein will be found
(εὑρθήσονται [sic; εὑρεθήσεται])’, when logic demands ‘will not be found (οὐχ εὑρεθήσονται [sic])’. The
2 Peter
¹¹Since 56 all these things are being dissolved, what kind of people is it
requisite to be,57 in holy ways of life, and godliness, ¹²looking forward to
and cheering on the arrival of the day of God, by which it is all melted, the
heavens to be dissolved by fire and the elements by burning up? ¹³And we
are looking forward, according to his promise, to a new heaven and a new
earth, in which righteousness is at home.
¹⁴Wherefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be
found by him at peace, from being pure and blameless. ¹⁵And consider the
patience of our Lord to be salvation,58 just as also our beloved brother Paul
has written to you according to the wisdom given to him, ¹⁶as also in all his
epistles, talking in them about these things, in which 59 are some things hard
meaning, as a result, is extremely problematic; to my mind the reading does not make sense and must
therefore be erroneous. Unquestionably, the hyparchetype of all these witnesses did not have the
negation. Now, there are two variants (ἀφανισθήσονται ‘they will disappear’, and κατακαήσεται ‘they
will be burned up’), which presuppose and express more graphically a text containing the negation:
οὐχ εὑρεθήσονται [sic] ‘they will not be found’. Although it is not preserved in any Greek manuscript, it
is probable that the initial text had the negation. Even if these variants which indirectly confirm the
negation did not exist, the assumption should still be that the initial text contained the negation
required by the sense of the text, even though the negation is not in the graphemic representation of
the archetype. To my mind, this is an almost unavoidable conjecture.” Now this was not the first
emendation proposed for this verse; according to the BDAG lexicon, the emendation was
proposed of “καὶ γῇ κατὰ (for καὶ γῆ καὶ τὰ) ἐν αὐτῇ ἔργα εὑρεθήσεται (cp. PsSol 17:8) ‘and
the earth will be judged according to the deeds done on it’ (FDanker, ZNW 53,’62,82-86).”
Many current translations in rendering the NA26/SBL reading τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ ἔργα εὑρεθήσεται interpret
the verb εὑρεθήσεται (εὑρισκω) as "discover, expose." That is probably the main objection I have seen
from people to this emendation; that is: "why not translate the text without the negation as 'be
exposed'? The reason why not is covered in Gerd Mink's statement above: because the previous
material in the text had already said that the earth and heaven would no longer exist. If the earth
doesn't exist at all, how are the works of the earth exposed? They just don't exist. Exposed as
temporary maybe? Perhaps scribes had in mind 1 Cor. 3:10-15, where Paul says everyone’s works will
be tried by fire, and be "revealed," ἀποκαλύπτω, whether gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or
stubble. If the works are good, they will last through the fire. But that is not what we have here. The
works will vanish. This is more the idea of the humbling of man’s pride- the towers he has built, and
the seven wonders of the world, they will be found no more. Like Babylon in Rev. 18:21: Βαβυλὼν ἡ
μεγάλη πόλις, καὶ οὐ μὴ εὑρεθῇ ἔτι - great city Babylon will be thrown down, and never
more be found. Or, Psalms of Salomon 13:11 ἁμαρτωλοὶ δὲ ἀρθήσονται εἰς ἀπώλειαν, καὶ
οὐχ εὑρεθήσεται μνημόσυνον αὐτῶν ἔτι·- but sinners shall be taken away into destruction,
and their memorial shall never be found. Whereas in the LXX also, for the idea of "laid
bare," the word ἀποκαλύπτω is used, as in Ezekiel 13:14- καὶ ἀποκαλυφθήσεται τὰ θεμέλια
αὐτοῦ- "so that the foundation thereof shall be discovered..."
mg txt
56
3:11a οὖν πάντων ℵ A 048 lat-v,t copsams syrph,hmss ,hms TR TG AT BG RP ‖ οὕτως πάντων B
txt
mss
syrh WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ οὔτως πάντως ⁷² ‖ δε πάντων cyr lat-tms ‖ δε οὔτως πάντων C ‖
οὖν πάντων οὕτως copsamss ‖ πάντων οὕτως copv ‖ πάντων ms ‖ ? lat-s but definitely omit
οὕτως ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0156 0209 0247 665. There is a marginal note in some Harklean mss beside
οὖν, to the addition of γάρ.
57
3:11b txt ὑπάρχειν ⁷²* ⁷⁴vid B vgms DP ‖ ὑπάρχειν ἡμᾶς ℵ* ‖ ὑπάρχειν ὑμᾶς ⁷²c ℵ² A C
048vid lat-a,v,t copsa syrph,h TR TG [WH] AT VS BG RP SBL NA28 ‖ ὑπάρχειν ἑαυτούς copv ‖
indeterminate lat-s ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0156 0209 0247. In view of Peter’s tendency to sometimes leave
subjects/objects unsaid, and in view of the variety of additions, I strongly think that the
original text lacked ὑμᾶς or ἡμᾶς or ἑαυτούς.
58
3:15b Romans 2:4
59
3:16b txt αἷς ἐστιν δυσνόητά ⁷² ℵ B (copsa) TG WH VS SBL NA28 ‖ αἷς εἰσιν δυσνόητά A ‖
οἷς ἐστιν δυσνόητά C TR AT RP ‖ οἷς εἰσιν δυσνόητά BG ‖ ⁷⁴ αἷς _______________ ‖
indeterminate lat syr ‖ lac 048 0156 0209 0247.
2 Peter
to understand, which untaught and unstable persons distort,60 as they do

also the rest of the scriptures, to their own destruction.
¹⁷You therefore, beloved, knowing this ahead of time, guard yourselves so
that you not be led away by the error of unprincipled persons and fall from
your own firm conviction, ¹⁸but grow61 in grace and in the knowledge of our
lord and savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. 62
[[Amen.]]
60
3:16c txt a- στρεβλώσουσιν ⁷² C*vid ΝΑ28 ‖ b- στρεβλοῦσιν ℵ A B lat-v,t copsa TR TG WH
AT VS BG RP SBL ‖ c- στρεβλωσιν C² ‖ a/b syrph,h ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209 0247.
61
3:18a txt a- αὐξάνετε ℵ A B TR TG WH AT VS RP SBL NA28 ‖ b- αὐξάνεσθε ⁷² C ‖ c-
αὐξάνητε BG ‖ a/b lat cop syr ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209 0247.
62
13:18b
καὶ νῦν καὶ εἰς ἡμέραν αἰῶνος B WH NA28
καὶ νῦν καὶ εἰς ἡμέρας αἰῶνος syrh
καὶ νῦν καὶ εἰς ἡμέρας αἰῶνος Ἀμήν (copsa)
νῦν καὶ εἰς ἡμέραν αἰῶνος Ἀμήν
νῦν καὶ ἀεί καὶ εἰς τοῦς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων Ἀμήν
καὶ νῦν καὶ εἰς ἡμέραν αἰῶνος Ἀμήν ⁷² ℵ A C pt TR [TG] AT VS BG RP SBL
pt
? Ἀμήν syr (but def. include Ἀμήν)
ph
lac ⁷⁴ 048 0156 0209 0247.

2 Peter
Table of Witnesses Witnesses to 2 Peter

MS Date Alt Location
⁷² III/IV
⁷⁴ VII P. Cologne/Genf, Bibl. Bodmeriana, P. Bodmer XVII
Bodme
r XVII
ℵ² IV-VI
ℵ³ VII
C V 04 Paris, National Library, Gr. 9; Ephraemi Syri
Rescriptus
C¹ V
C² VI
C³ IX
K IX 018 Moscow, Hist. Mus., V. 93, S. 97
L IX 020 Rome, Bibl. Angelica, 39
P IX 025 St. Petersburg, Russ. Nat. Libr., Gr. 225
Ψ IX/X 044 Athos, Lavra, B’ 52
048 V Vatican Libr., Vat. gr. 2061, fol. 198, 199, 221, 222,
229, 230, 293-303, 305-308
049 IX Athos, Lavra, A’ 88
0142 X Munich, Bayerisch Staatsbibl., Gr. 375
0156 VIII 3:2-10
0209 VII BYZ
0247 VI
5 XIII
33 IX Paris, Bibl. Nat., Gr. 14
307 X Paris, Bibl. Nat., Coislin Gr. 25
623 XI
665 XIII BYZ
1175 X Patmos, Joannu, 16
1241
1243 XI Sinai, St. Catherine’s Monastery, Gr. 262
1448 XII
1735 X Athos, Lavra B´ 42
1739 X Athos, Lavra B´ 64
2 Peter
1852 XIII
2298 XII
2423 XIII BYZ
2464 IX Patmos, Joannu, 742
2805 X/XI Athens, Studitu, 1
2 Peter
Witnesses to 2 Peter, continued

LATIN
S:
lat V/VI Old Spanish text from African sources: PRIS
-s (Priscillian), BACH, ORO, PS-AU spe (the
Pseudo-Augustinian Speculum); scattered
readings in Spanish Vulgate MSS
lat IV/V vg Vulgate, “a thorough revision following the
-v Greek text; earliest witnesses: PEL (Pelagius),
PS-AU, hyp”.
lat V-VII itw ith Later text, attested in the 5th/6th cent. in Africa,
-t itr Spain, Gaul, and Ireland, Italy; 32 55 64;
readings in the Vulgate tradition; particularly
CS; AU, QU, FU (Fulgentius), FAC (Facundus),
SALV; Car, EP-SC (Epiphanius Scholasticus)
lat V? “Later African texts related to K”, scattered
-c readings in AU; QU, PS-VIG var.
55 V ith 2 Pet 1:1- 2:7
64 VI/VII itr 2Pet 1:1-4
32 VI itw 2Pet 1:13-21
t VII-IX itt 2Pet 1:5-8,10-11; 1:20- 2:8; 3:1- end
COPTIC
co variou Sahidic Coptic
ps s
a
co variou Bohairic Coptic

pb s
o
co variou The “V” dialect of Coptic was a form between

pv s Fayyumic and Middle Egyptian. Transcription
from R. Kasser and H.-M. Schenke.
CHURCH FATHERS in GREEK:

am IV Amonas Antonii discipulus
anast-a VI Anastasius I Antiochenus
andr-cr VIII Andreas Cretensis
antioch VII Antiochus Monachus
2 Peter
ast-a V Asterius Amasenus

ast-s IV Asterius Sophista/Anonymus?
aug 430 Augustine
bas-sel V Basilius Seleuciensis
clem <215 Clement of Alexandria
cyr-sc VI Cyrillius Scythopolitanus
dor- VI Dorotheus Gazaeus
gaz
evagr IV Evagrius Ponticus
greg- VII Gregorius Agrigentinus
agr
greg- IV Gregorius Nazianzenus
naz
hes-s ? Hesyschius Sinaita
ioh- VI Iohannes Philoponus
phil
jer V Jerome, but he is also accounted for as lat-hi or the
Vulgate
leont-h VI Leontius Hierosolymitanus
marcell IV Marcellus of Ancyra
marc- V Marcus Eremita
er
max- VII Maximus Confessor
conf
2 Peter
nest V Nestorius
or III Origenes
petr-al IV Petrus Alexandrinus
phot IX Photius
procop VI Procopius Gazaeus
ps- ? Pseudo-Acacius Constantinopolitanus
acac-c
ps-caes ? Pseudo-Caesarius
ps- III Dionysius Alexandrinus
dion-al
ps- ? Pseudo-Maximus Confessor
max-
conf
ps-oec ? Pseudo-Oecumenius
thdrt V Theodoretus Episc. Cyri
Abrev. Date Greek New Testament Editions:

the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, my
BG 2014 Byzantine Greek New Testament: Kr / Family 35
Textform, Copyright © 2014 by CSPMT, Rockville,
Maryland http://cspmt.org/
NA28 2012 Greek Bible text from: Novum Testamentum Graece,
28th revised edition, Edited by Barbara Aland and
others, © 2012 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.
http://www.nestle-aland.com/en/read-na28-
online/text/bibeltext/
A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont, "The New
Testament in the Original Greek, Byzantine Textform
2005," Copyright © 2005, Chilton Book Publishing
Company, ISBN: 0-7598-0077-4
Literature and Logos Bible Software, http://sblgnt.com
, http://www.sbl-site.org , http://www.logos.com
2 Peter
TG 1857- Samuel Prideaux Tregelles, "TNT2," edited and

1872 corrected by Dirk Jongkind,
http://www.tyndalehouse.com/tregelles/
"It is not for Christian scholars to fear true criticism
or its results: the object of true criticism is not to alter
scripture dogmatically on the judgment of any
individual, but it is to use the EVIDENCE which has
been transmitted to us, as to what the holy men of
God, inspired by the Holy Ghost actually wrote. In
this, as in any other Christian service, the blessing
and guidance of God may be sought, by those who
know the privileges resulting to the believing soul
from the redemption of His Son." (Tregelles's Greek
New Testament: Introductory Notice, Part 1, ii).
TR 1550 Stephens' TR - "Textus Receptus" available for
download at http://bibletranslation.ws/palmer-
translation/
Testament, available for download at
WH 1881- Westcott & Hort Greek New Testament, Brooke Foss
1892 Westcott, Fenton John Anthony Hort
1 John
First Epistle General of John
1 JOHN
Chapter 1
¹That which existed from the beginning, which we have heard, which
we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have
examined, talking about the word of life, ²even that life has been revealed,
and we have seen it, and we are bearing witness and announcing to you
eternal life, which was with the Father and has been revealed to us. ³What
we have seen and heard we are declaring to you also, so you too may have
fellowship with us. And1 that fellowship of ours is with the Father, and
with his son Jesus Christ. ⁴And these things we2 write,3 so our mutual4 joy
may be full.
⁵And this is the message5 that we have heard from him and announce
to you: that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶If we say we are
in fellowship with him, and are walking in darkness, we are lying, and not
doing the truth. ⁷If6 we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have
fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son7 cleanses
us from all sin. ⁸If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the
truth8 is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us
1
1:3 txt include "and" ℵ A B Cc Did TR HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ omit "and" C* syrh copsa ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴
048 0245 0296.
2
1:4a This is a "literary plural" according to BDF §280.
3
1:4b txt ἡμεῖς ℵ A*vid B ith,l,r,w,z copsamss NA28 {B} ‖ ὑμῖν Ac C vg syrp,h,pal copsamss arm eth TR
HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
4
1:4c txt ἡμῶν ℵ B itar,z vgst,ww copsa geo Stephens-1550 AT TH RP NA28 {A} (Tyndale,
Matthew’s) ‖ ὑμῶν A C itt vgcl syrh,pal arm eth Aug Bede Eras-1516-TR Aldus Colinaeus Beza-
1598 Elzevir-1624 Scrivener 1894 (Coverdale, Great Bible, Geneva, Bishops’, JV) TR ‖ ἡμῶν
ἐν ὑμῖν syrp ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296. (The ECM editors consider the two major Greek
readings to be of equal weight.) In the Greek (ἡμῶν), “our” joy here means the shared joy
of both the apostles declaring the things and the joy of the recipients; shared together. The
sharing of the joy is made possible by the declaration herein of the apostles to the readers.
Thus we need to supply a word like “mutual,” or it would not be an accurate English
rendering, and may sound selfish on John and the apostles’ part- “our” in English sounds
like only the apostles.
For those who believe that the Greek New Testament was translated from the
Syriac/Aramaic Peshitta, please explain how the Greek translator got either only ἡμῶν
"our" or ὑμῶν "your" out of the Peshitta's "our joy in you may be complete." It appears far
more likely that the Peshitta reading was an attempted conflation of the two Greek
readings, and that therefore the Peshitta was a translation from the Greek.
5
1:5 txt ἀγγελία ℵ³ A B HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ ἐπαγγελία C copsams TR ‖ ἀπαγγελια ℵ* ‖ αγαπη της
επαγγελιας ℵ² ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296 2492. Scrivener states that the KJV follows neither
the Stephens nor Beza TR here.
6
1:7a txt ἐὰν ith,l,r,w,z* mss Cyr Jerome MaxConf ECM ‖ ἐὰν δὲ ℵ A B C vg syrp,h copsa Clem TR
HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
7
1:7b (TST 53) txt L. 2: Ἰησοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ ℵ B C vgst syrp copsa Cl NA28 {\} ‖ L. 1: Ἰησοῦ
Χριστοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ A itt,w,z vgcl,ww syrh** TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296. I like the
number of words in the Majority Text, simply for the sake of rhythm in English.
8
1:8a txt ἡ ἀλήθεια ℵ A B C syrp copsa eth TR HF RP PK NA28 {\} ‖ ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ θεοῦ syrh ‖
lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
1 John
our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we say we have not
sinned, we are calling him a liar,9 and his word is not in us.
Chapter 2
¹My children, these things I am writing to you so that you will not sin.
And if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the
righteous; ²and he is the appeasement for our sins; and not for ours only,
but also for the sins of the whole world.
³And by this we know that we have known him: if we keep his
commandments. ⁴Someone who says, “I know him,” and does not keep his
commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But whoever keeps
his word, that is the person in whom the love of God really is accomplished.
By this we know that we are in him. ⁶Someone who claims to abide in him
ought also to walk just as10 he walked.
⁷Beloved,11 I am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old
commandment that you have had from the beginning. The old
commandment is the word that you have heard. 12 ⁸Yet, it is a new
commandment I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, since
the darkness passes away and the true light keeps shining even now. 13
⁹Someone who claims to be in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness
as of now. ¹⁰Someone who loves his brother is abiding in the light, and
there is no cause of stumbling in him. 14 15 ¹¹But someone who hates his
9
1:10 The traditional rendering, “make him a liar” is unacceptable, because God cannot be a
liar, and he cannot be made a liar. To make someone a liar, means to turn him into a liar.
But we cannot turn him into a liar. This sense of “call” for the Greek word ποιέω is the only
rendering that makes sense in some other verses as well, eg, “Either call a tree good and its
fruit good, or call the tree bad and its fruit bad...” In a mathematical sense, we could render
this, “If we say we have not sinned, that amounts to him being a liar.” The TNIV says “we
make him out to be a liar,” which rendering does work, because that means “as if to be, but
he isn’t. But, “make him out to be a liar” is really a longer way of saying “call him a liar.”
Some might object that we are not actually “saying” the word “liar” about him, so we are
not “calling” him a liar. That is technically true, but not true in effect. We are in effect
calling him a liar.
10
2:6 txt οὕτως ℵ C it(ar),l syrh (arm) (eth) geo Origenlat1/2 Jerome3/7 (Salvian) (Fulgentius1/2) TR
RP NA28 {C} ‖ οὕτω HF ‖ omit A B itt,w,z vg Clement Origenlat1/2 Cyril; Cyprian Jerome4/7
Paulinus-Nola Pelagius Maximus Augustine Fulgentius1/2 WH ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
11
2:7a (TST 54) txt {A} L. 2: Ἀγαπητοί ℵ A B C ith,l,r,w vg syrp,h copsa arm NA28 {\} ‖ L. 1:
Ἀδελφοί TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296. The UBS Textual Commentary says that
Ἀδελφοί, “which the author of 1 John almost never uses in the vocative (only in 3:13), crept
into the Byzantine text of the present passage because of its customary usage as the
introductory word in lectionary pericopes derived from the apostolos.”
12
2:7b (TST 55) txt {A} L. 2: omit ⁷⁴vid ℵ A B C latt syrp,h copsa arm eth Aug Cllat Theophylact.
NA28 {\} ‖ L. 1: add ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ 048 0245 0296.
13
2:8 The point that the light keeps shining even now, is that it puts new light on the old
commandment; thus he can say that he is writing to us a commandment that is both old
and new.
14
2:10a (TST 56) txt L. 1/2: σκάνδαλον ἐν αὐτ οὐκ ἔστιν B TR HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ L. 1/2B:
σκάνδαλον οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτ ℵ A C ‖ B<-->A latt cop syrp ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
15
2:10b I sought my soul, but my soul I could not see.
I sought my God, but my God eluded me.
1 John
brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and does not know
where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
¹²To you children, I write:16 “Your sins are forgiven you for his name’s
sake.”
¹³To you fathers, I write: “You know him who existed from the
beginning.”
To you young men, I write: “You have overcome 17 the evil one.”
¹⁴I have written18 to you children that you have known the Father. I
have written to you fathers that you have known him who existed from the
beginning. I have written to you young men that you are strong and the
word of God abides in you and you have overcome the evil one.
¹⁵Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If
someone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶Because all
that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and 19 the lust of the eyes, and the
pride of possessions, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ¹⁷And the
world passes away, along with the lust of it,20 but whoever who does the
will of God abides for ever. 21
¹⁸Children, it is the last hour, and just as you have heard that
antichrist 22 is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; for which
reason we know it is the last hour. ¹⁹They went out from us, but were not of
I sought my brother and I found all three.

by Anonymous
16
2:12 This is the pattern in 1 John for the use of γράφω ὅτι – It is about WHAT he is writing
to them, thus, “I am writing to tell you that...” or “I am writing to you as follows...” not “I
am writing to you because...”. John explained in the opening few verses why he is writing.
The first epistle of John is meant to be assuring, and give us joy and confidence before Him.
John is telling them WHAT things to know FOR CERTAIN, and is assuring his readers that
they CAN KNOW some things for certain, and he tells them HOW TO KNOW some things for
certain. Young men, you HAVE conquered the evil one. (Much like Ephesians says in
chapters 1-3 what God has done for you and where you now stand by his grace; and
chapters 4-6 says now therefore walk in light of that which you are told you are, in the first
3 chapters.)
17
2:13 txt “ye have overcome” Oxford JV ‖ “you have overcome” 1611 JV
18
2:14 (TST 57) txt {A} L. 2: ἔγραψα ⁷⁴vid ℵ A B C vg syrpmss,h copsa arm eth Cyr NA28 {A} ‖ L.
1: γράφω ith,l,r,w syrpmss TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ 048 0245 0296. The Robinson/Pierpont and Textus
Receptus texts begin v. 14 at ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, πατέρες, and the preceding sentence is in v. 13.
The Codex K reading is probably the result of scribes thinking that John had not in fact
written such a thing earlier. The two subsequent "I have writtens" John had clearly written
in the verses previously, but not this first one. But what John is referring to is what he has
written in the epistle as a whole. See the endnote at the end of this document for a longer
treatment of this variant.
19
2:16a txt καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν 1611 JV ‖ ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν Oxford JV
20
2:17a txt αὐτοῦ ℵ B C itar,c,l,p,r,t,w,z syrp,h copsa arm eth Cyprian Lucifer Didymus Augustine
Antiochus John-Damascus TR HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ omit A vg copsams Antioch Origen ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴
048 0245 0296.
21
2:17b add “just as God abides for ever.” (vgmss) (copsa “that one”) Cyprian Lucifer
Augustine
22
2:18 txt ὅτι ℵ* B C geo Origengr Ps-DionysiusAl Epiphanius NA28 {B} ‖ ὁ A ‖ ὅτι ὁ ℵ² arm
(von Soden: ὅτι [ὁ]) Vog Merk TR HF RP ‖ either ὅτι or ὅτι ὁ itar,h,z vg syr cop eth Irenaeuslat
Origenlat; Cyprian Lucifer Tyconius Jerome Augustine Quodvultdeus ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245
0296.
1 John
us. For had they been of us, they would have remained with us. But they
went out so that they would be made apparent, that none23 of them are of us.
²⁰And you have an anointing from the Holy One, and know all. 24 25 ²¹I have
not written to you that you don’t know the truth, but that you do know it.
And that every lie is not of the truth.
²²Who is the liar, if not someone denying as follows, “Jesus is not the
Anointed One”? This is antichrist, someone denying the Father and the
Son. 26 ²³Everyone who denies the Son, does not have the Father either.
Someone who confesses the Son, has the Father as well.27
²⁴You,28 what you have heard from the beginning, let it abide in you. If
what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also in the Son and
in the Father will abide. ²⁵And this is the message that He announced to us:
23
2:19c txt πάντες ℵ A B C vg ith,l,r,w syrh copsa arm eth TR HF RP WH NA28 {\} ‖ omit syrp
Epiph Irlat ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
24
2:20a (TST 59) txt L. 1: πάντα A C CyrH Did TR HF RP ‖ L. 2: πάντες ℵ B syrp,h copsa arm
Jerome Hesychius NA28 {B} ‖ <--> vg ith,l,r,w eth ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296. The ECM editors
consider the evidence for L. 1 and L. 2 to be of equal weight. I suspect L. 2 may be an
“orthodox corruption,” meant to prevent a gnostic interpretation, as the UBS textual
commentary also discusses.
25
2:20b Or, perhaps another rendering may be: "19They came out from us, but were not of
us. For had they been of us, they would have remained with us. But, so they may be made
apparent, that they all are not of us, 20you also have an anointing from the Holy One, and
know all people." This would be reminiscent of John’s statement about Jesus in the gospel
of John 2:24,25, that Jesus knew all people, and did not need to have someone testify about
a person, because he knew what was in the person. Thus, this is why John here says “you
also have...” because Jesus did, and you also have it. The apostles did, and you also have it.
But, the traditional rendering of this is an ellipsis [BDF § 448(7)] as follows: "but, they went
out from us, so that they might be exposed that they all are not of us. And you have an
anointing from the Holy One and know all things." (There are no actual words in the Greek
for the English words I put in italics here.) It isn't any harder to "know all people" than to
"know all things." Indeed, there are fewer people than there are things. In the previous
verse, v. 19, again the word "all" is problematic: "but so they may be made apparent, that
they all are not of us." What good does "going out" do as a sign, if only some of them are
thereby shown to be "not of us"? How still would you know who is who? For that "leaving"
to be valuable, you would have to render this, "that they be made apparent, that NONE of
them are of us." And then can John really be saying that ANYONE who leaves us is not of
us? If so, what of Jesus' warning to the disciples that just because someone does not "follow
along with us," does not mean they are not with us? (Luke 9:49,50 etc.)
26
2:22 An example of such a denial is found in the Qu’ran: [9.30] And the Jews say: Uzair is
the son of Allah; and the Christians say: The Messiah is the son of Allah; these are the words
of their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before; may Allah destroy
them; how they are turned away! [9.31] They have taken their doctors of law and their
monks for lords besides Allah, and (also) the Messiah son of Marium and they were
enjoined that they should serve one God only, there is no god but He; far from His glory be
what they set up (with Him).
27
2:23 (TST 60) L. 2: ὁ ὁμολογῶν τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὸν πατέρα ἔχει ℵ A B C vg syrp,h copsa arm eth
NA28 {\} ‖ omit (h.t.) ps-oec TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296. The KJV does not follow
the TR here; perhaps because the KJV followed the Great Bible and others, or perhaps
because the omission (as in the TR) is a clear case of homoioteleuton. We can see by this
that the KJV translators did practice textual criticism. The phrase is not found in Tyndale,
Coverdale, Matthew’s, nor 1560, 1599 Geneva Bibles; is found in the Great Bible, and the
Bishops’ Bible.
28
2:24 txt ὑμεῖς ℵ A B C lat copsamss,(bo) NA28 {\} ‖ ὑμεῖς οὐν Aug TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048
0245 0296.
1 John
29 eternal life. ²⁶These things I have written to you because of those

deceiving you.
²⁷And you, the anointing that you received from him, it abides in you,
and you have no need that someone teach you. But rather, as that anointing
from him30 has taught you concerning all things,31 and is true and is not a
lie, so also, just as it has taught you, you abide 32 in him. ²⁸And now,
children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed, we may have 33
confidence, and not feel ashamed because of him at his coming. ²⁹If you
know 34 that he is righteous, you know that 35 everyone who practices
righteousness is born of him.
Chapter 3
¹Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should
be called children of God. And we are! 36 The reason the world does not
know us37 is this: it has not known him. ²Beloved, now we are children of
God, though it is not yet revealed what exactly we will be. We38 do know
that when he is revealed, we will be like him. For we will see him just as he
is. ³And everyone who has this hope on Him purifies himself, just as that
one is pure.
⁴Everyone practicing sin is also practicing lawlessness, and sin is
lawlessness. ⁵And you know that he was revealed so that sins 39 be taken
29
2:25 txt ἡμῖν ℵ A C itar,h,l,t vg syrp,h copsa arm eth geo Ambr Aug TR HF RP NA28 {A} ‖ ὑμῖν B
itc* vgmss ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
30
2:27b txt τὸ αὐτοῦ ℵ B C (over 60 minuscules) lat-v,t syrh copsa,v eth arm Athanasius Augpt
Cyr Did NA28 {\} ‖ τὸ αὐτὸ A Jerome Augpt Theophylact TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
31
2:27d See John 16:13, “But when that one comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you in
all the truth. For he will not speak from himself, but rather, whatever things he hears he
will speak; and he will report to you the things that are coming.”
32
2:27c txt a. μένετε (pres ind) ℵ A B C syrp,h arm eth NA28 {\} ‖ b. μενεῖτε (fut ind) copsamss
ps-oec TR HF RP ‖ c. μεινατε (aor act imper) ‖ a. or c.: lat-v,t,c copsams,v ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245
0296. All of these variants may be rendered as an English imperative.
33
2:28b (TST 62) txt L. 2: σχῶμεν παρρησίαν (1st pl aor2 subj) ℵ² A B C NA28 {\} ‖ L. 1: ἔχῶμεν
παρρησίαν (1st pl pres subj) ℵ* TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
34
2:29a txt ειδητε (perf act subj 2nd pl) ℵ B C TR TG RP SBL NA28♦ {/} ‖ ιδητε (aor act subj
2nd pl) A eth ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296. The difference this makes in translation is you
could render the perfect, “Since you know…”
35
2:29b txt omit B K L Ψ 049 056 0142 18 81 307 424 1243 2492 it vgmss syrh copsams arm
Ambr Aug TR HF RP ‖ και ℵ A C P 33 323 436 442 614 630 945 1241 1448 1505 1611 1735 1739
1852 2138 2298 2344 2464 2805 vg syrp copsamss NA28 {\} ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296. The ECM
editors consider the evidence for these two readings to be of equal weight.
36
3:1a (TST 63) txt L. 2: καὶ ἐσμέν ⁷⁴vid ℵ A B C itar,h,l,z vg syr(p),h copsa eth geo Justinvid;
Augustine NA28 {A} ‖ L. 1: omit ps-oec vgms copsams TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ 048 0245 0296.
37
3:1b txt ἡμᾶς ⁷⁴ ℵ² A B lat syrp,h copsa Cllat TR ΝΑ27 {\} ‖ ὑμᾶς ℵ* C vgmss HF RP ‖ lac ⁹
048 0245 0296.
38
3:2 txt οἴδαμεν ℵ A B C latt syrh copsamss Origenpt NA28 {\} ‖ οἴδαμεν δὲ syrp copsams Origenpt
TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
39
3:5 txt ἁμαρτίας A B itr,l,z vgst syrh copsams arm eth Tert Aug NA28 {A} ‖ ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ℵ C
vgcl,ww syrp copsamss,fay geo Ath (von Soden: ἁμαρτίας [ἡμῶν] ) TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245
1 John
away, and there is no sin in him. ⁶Everyone abiding in him does not sin.
Everyone who keeps sinning has not seen him, neither known him.
⁷Children, let no one deceive you: someone who practices
righteousness is righteous, just as that one is righteous. ⁸Someone who
practices sin is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the
beginning. For this purpose the son of God has been revealed: to destroy
the works of the devil. ⁹Everyone born of God does not practice sin, because
His seed abides in him, and it is not able to sin, because it is born from
God.40 ¹⁰By this the children of God are evident versus the children of the
0296. The majority of the UBS Committee regarded the reading ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν to be a
scribal assimilation to such passages as 2:2 and 4:10.
40
3:9 It is a problem here for most Bibles, which say that a person born of God is not able to
sin. The above is the only sensible and possible rendering of the Greek of this verse. John
is in unity with Paul, in that he teaches there is a new man in us and an old man. Also in
unity with Paul that we must continually make the decision to "put off the old man, and
put on the new." The new is that part that came from the Father, just as we physically
were born from our earthly father's sperm. That sperm was wholly our father, and not us.
That sperm, that seed, was no part of us, but is from outside us. It cannot sin; our old man
can. BUT, do not think that I am saying that a Christian can be addicted to the same sin
every day for the rest of their life, as long as they repent every day. Not so. Anyone who
has NOT been born again, and who does NOT have the Spirit, even they could do that.
There is no evidence of the miracle of new birth in such a person. ( John in 1 John 3:6 says
"Everyone abiding in him does not sin. Everyone who keeps sinning has not seen him,
neither known him.") In fact, if someone gets saved, and overcomes sin in their life for a
few months or years right after they were saved, but then falls back into addiction to a sin,
the apostle Peter says in 2 Peter 2:20,21: ²⁰For if after having escaped the moral corruptions
of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ they are but again
entangled, defeated by them, their latter state has become worse for them than their
former. ²¹For it would have been better for them not to have known the path of
righteousness, than though knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment that was
delivered to them." Jesus himself said that a servant who did not know the will of God and
disobeyed, will receive few lashes, so to speak. But the servant who knew the will of God,
and disobeyed, will receive many more lashes. Jesus also said in John 15:1-8 that he is the
vine, we are the branches. If a branch that is in Me (a Christian who received the gospel,
was born again, and received the Holy Spirit) does not bear fruit, he will cut off that branch
and throw it in the fire. If we do not remain in the Spirit, walking in the Spirit, bearing
fruit in the Spirit, we will bear no fruit and we will wither, and we will GO TO HELL, the fire,
and be burned! For a Christian who backslides, the punishment in hell will be worse than
for someone who was never a Christian! It is also like the parable of the 10 virgins. They all
ten believed in the Lord, and were waiting for his return. But some did not get extra oil,
and their lamp did not last all the way until the end. When they knocked on the Groom's
door, the groom said "Go away, I do not know you." Jesus also said of the hypocrites, they
have their inheritance in outer darkness. Who is a hypocrite? Someone living a double life.
By most appearances, they are a Christian. But unknown to people, they have an addiction
to their prevailing sin, with no victory over it, they are not an overcomer. These people GO
TO HELL. Do not let that be you. And do not think that I teach Once Saved Always Saved.
We are not fully saved until Jesus returns. Even the apostle Paul was afraid; he said he was
severe with his body, keeping it in subjection, lest after preaching to others, he himself be
disqualified. Yes, the Apostle Paul was afraid of being disqualified, afraid of running the
race in vain. Yes you see, it is possible to run the race in vain. In another place, he said,
"knowing therefore the terror of the Lord..." Friend, do you know the terror of the Lord?
Jesus said, Fear the one who has the power to cast both soul and body into Gehenna, the
lake of fire. Yes, I tell you, fear him." Hell is real, and it is worse than we can imagine. Sin
should be a rare thing in a Christian's life. John here in his first epistle says, "But if anyone
does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous." But practicing
sin, doing the same sin the rest of your life, no. That is not at all something found in a
Christian. Not a Christian that is going to enter heaven. Such a Christian will go to hell. If
you still have an addiction to a sin, then stop everything, quit your job if you must! Fast
and pray and seek the Lord, and mourn and wail, until you find the power of the Spirit and
1 John
devil: everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, and also
someone who does not love his brother.
¹¹Because this is the message which you have heard from the
beginning: that we should love one another. ¹²Not like Cain, who was of the
evil one, and killed his brother. And what was the reason he killed him?
Because his own works were evil, and those of his brother were righteous.
¹³Do41 not marvel, brethren,42 if the world hates you. ¹⁴We know that
we have crossed over out of death into life,43 because we love the brethren.
Someone who does not love his brother 44 still abides in death. ¹⁵Everyone
who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has
eternal life abiding in him. 45 ¹⁶By this we know love: 46 because He laid
down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
¹⁷Now whoever has the substance of the world, and sees his brother
having need of it, and closes off his compassion from him, how does the love
of God abide in him? ¹⁸Children,47 we should love, not in word or tongue,48
but in action49 and truth, ¹⁹and by this50 we will know51 that we are of the
victory over your sin, and make sure you love your brother and your neighbor, and love
God and seek him with all your heart, and offer the sacrifice of praise daily to God. Root out
all bitterness as well, forgive everyone you have a grudge against, reconcile with everyone
as much as possible. If you do not forgive others their sins, neither will your Father forgive
you your sins. Jesus Christ the son of God said that, and Jesus Christ is as SERIOUS as HELL
about his words! God is love. God is light. Unforgiveness is darkness. No person carrying
darkness will enter Heaven. No person who is not characterized by holiness will enter
heaven. No one who is a friend of the world will enter heaven. Be unspotted by the world.
Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice." (Jn 10:27) Do you hear his voice, and do what he tells
you to do? Paul said, "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, THEY are the sons of God."
Does Jesus Christ know you? Is he directing your life, and not your natural human desires
directing your life, like everyone in the world? These things are oil in your lamp. Be found
doing these things when He returns, and definitely be not found defeated by a sin. Oh No,
NO, be not found defeated by a sin when He returns.
41
3:13a txt μὴ A B ith,w vg syrh copsa,fay geo Didymus Lucifer Jerome Paulinus-Nola Aug WH
Vog Merk Bov NA25 TR AT HF BG RP SBL TH ‖ καὶ μὴ ℵ Cvid itr,q,z vgms syrp arm eth NA28 {C}
‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296. The ECM editors consider the evidence for these two readings to
be of equal weight.
42
3:13b txt ἀδελφοί ℵ A B C antioch lat-v,t NA28 {\} ‖ ἀδελφοί μου vgms syrh TR HF RP ‖ lac
⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
43
3:14 see John 5:24
44
3:14 (TST 64) txt {D} L. 1: ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν C vgmss Cassiodorus TR HF RP ‖ L. 1C:
ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ itar vgmss syrp,h copsamss eth Tyconius ‖ L. 2: ἀγαπῶν ℵ A B
ith,q,r,w.z vg copsamss,fay arm geo Lucifer Augustine NA28 {A} ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
45
3:15 txt αὐτ B TR NA28 {\} ‖ ἑαυτ A C HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
46
3:16a The JV adds “of God” in italics, so the Compl. Polyglot, Beza 1589 and 1598 (not
1565), and 1582 Rheims translation.
47
3:18a txt Τεκνία ℵ A B lat-v,t syrh NA28 {\} ‖ Τεκνία μου eth TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245
0296.
48
3:18b txt τῇ γλώσσῃ A B C HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ γλώσσῃ ℵ TR ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
49
3:18c txt ἐν ἔργῳ ℵ A B C HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ ἔργῳ TR ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
50
3:19a καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ℵ C itq,r,w syrp copsa arm eth Aug TR HF RP NA28 {C} ‖ ἐν τούτῳ A B
itar,c,h,p,t,z vg ,fay geo Clement ‖ ἐκ τούτου syrh ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
51
3:19b txt γνωσόμεθα ℵ A B C vgmss arm eth geo Clement NA28 {A} ‖ γινώσκομεν itar,h,t,(z) vg
Augustine TR HF RP ‖ γινωσκόμεθα itq ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0245 0296.
1 John
truth, and will assure our heart 52 before him ²⁰that when our heart accuses,
that53 God is greater than our heart, and he knows all. ²¹Beloved, when
our 54 heart does not accuse us, 55 we have confidence with God, ²²and
whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we are keeping his
commandments, and doing the things that are pleasing in his sight.
²³And this is his commandment: that we believe56 in the name of his
son Jesus Christ, and that we love one another, just as he gave
us 57 commandment. ²⁴And someone keeping his
commandments is abiding in Him, and He in that person. And
by this we know that we abide in him: by the Spirit which he
has given to us.
Chapter 4
¹Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they
are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ²By
this you know 58 the spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus
Christ has come in the flesh, is of God, ³and every spirit that does not
confess59 Jesus [Christ has come in the flesh],60 is not of God. And this is the
52
3:19c txt πείσομεν τὴν καρδίαν A* B copsa Augustine NA28 {\} ‖ πείσομεν τὰς καρδίας ℵ Ac
C TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ 048 0245 0296. The Muenster online apparatus indicates their opinion
that ⁷⁴ and minuscule 33 probably read πείσομεν τὴν καρδίαν. The word πείσομεν alone
is distinguishable in ⁷⁴.
53
3:20 txt incl. ὅτι ℵ B C syrp,h copsamss TR RP WH NA28 ‖ omit ὅτι A latt copsamss ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ P
048 0245 0296.
54
3:21a txt ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν ℵ C itar,q,r,t,w,z vgcl,ww syrp,h Cllat Orpt Did TR AT HF BG RP [WH]
NA28 {C} ‖ ἡ καρδία A B vgst Orgr⅓,lat2/4 (Methodius); Aug½ SBL TH ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ P 048 0245
0296. See the ἡμῶν in v. 19, which may have caused this one. In Greek the article could
serve as the possessive pronoun, especially if the pronoun was already used, as it was in
this case in the context in v. 20. Thus there is no translatable difference to this variant.
55
3:21b txt καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν ℵ² (ℵ* καταγινωσκω) (A κατακινώσκει) itar,q,w,z vg syrp,h
copsa,fay arm eth geo Clementlat Methodius Didymus½ Hesychiuslat; Cyprian Jerome
Augustine½ TR HF RP ‖ καταγινώσκῃ Bc (B* κατακεινώσκῃ) C vgms Origengr,lat Didymus½
Augustine½ NA28 {B} ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ P 048 0245 0296.
56
3:23a (TST 65) txt L. 1/2: πιστεύσωμεν B TR HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ L. 3: πιστεύωμεν ℵ A C ‖ L. 3B:
πιστεύομεν 0245 ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ P 048 0296. The ECM editors consider L. 1/2 and L. 3 to be of
equal weight.
57
3:23b txt ἐντολὴν ἡμῖν ℵ A B C 0245 latt syrp,h copsa Lcf TR WH NA28 {\} ‖ ἐντολὴν HF RP ‖
lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ P 048 0296.
58
4:2 txt γινώσκετε ℵ² A B C syrh Irenaeuslat TR NA28 {\} ‖ γινώσκεται latt syrp HF RP ‖
γινωσκομεν ℵ* ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ 048 0296.
59
4:3a txt μὴ ὁμολογεῖ rell. TR HF RP NA28 {A} ‖ λύει itar,z vg; Ir1739mg Cl1739mg Or ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ P
048 0296.
60
4:3c (TST 67) L. 2: omit A B itr vg copsa Cyr Irenaeuslat Clement Origen Socrates NA28 {A} ‖
L. 1: add ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα ℵ LeontH TR HF RP ‖ L. 4: add ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθεναι Thdrt ‖ lac
⁹ ⁷⁴ C P 048 0245 0296. The UBS textual commentary says, “A majority of the Committee
considered it probable that the shortest reading τὸν Ἰησοῦν, which is supported by good
representatives of both Alexandrian and Western types of text..., was expanded by copyists
with additions derived from the previous verse (Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐν σαρκὶ ἐληλυθότα). The
variety of the supplements is a further indication that they are secondary modifications of
1 John
spirit of antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and now is in the
world already. ⁴You are of God, children, and have overcome him, because
greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. ⁵They are of the
world; therefore speak they of the world, and the world hears them. ⁶We
are of God. Someone who knows God hears us; someone who is not of of
God does not hear us. From this61 we recognize the spirit of truth versus the
spirit of error.62
⁷Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and everyone who
loves is born of God, and knows God. ⁸Someone who does not love has not
known God, for God is love. ⁹To us the love of God was made known in
this: that God sent his only begotten son into the world so we might be
saved through him. ¹⁰Herein is love, not that we loved 63 God, but that he
loved us, and sent his Son as the appeasement for our sins.
¹¹Beloved, if that is how God loved us, we ought also to love 64 one
another.65 ¹²No one has ever seen God. When we love one another, God
abides in us, and his love is accomplished in us. ¹³By this we know that we
are abiding in him and he in us: because he has given to us of his Spirit.
¹⁴And we have seen, and we bear witness, that the Father has sent the
Son as savior of the world. ¹⁵Whoever66 confesses that Jesus is the son of
God, God abides in that person, and that person in God. ¹⁶And we have
known and believed the love that God has in us. God is love; and someone
who abides in love is abiding in God, and God in him. 67 ¹⁷In this, love is
accomplished with us, so that in the day of judgment we may have
confidence that just as that one is, we in this world also are. 68 ¹⁸There is no
fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. Because fear has torment, and
someone who is afraid is not accomplished in love. ¹⁹We can love,69 because
the original text.” See next footnote.

61
4:6a txt ἡμῶν, ὃς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἀκούει ἡμῶν. ἐκ τούτου ℵ B TR HF RP NA28
{\} ‖ ἠμῶν, ἐν τούτ Α ‖ ἠμῶν, ἐκ τούτου L ‖ - ἐκ τούτου 048 (lacuna preceeding ἐκ τούτου;
this is the 1st v. found in it) ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 0245 0296.
62
4:6b Or, "from this we recognize the true spirit versus the deceiving spirit."
63
4:10 txt ἠγαπήκαμεν B eth NA28 {B} ‖ ἠγαπήσαμεν ℵ² A arm geo Philo-Carpasia TR HF RP ‖
ἠγαπη_μεν 048 ‖ ἠγαπησεν ℵ* ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 0245 0296.
64
4:11 txt ἀγαπᾶν TR HF NA28 {\} ‖ ἀγαπᾷν RP.
65
4:11b The same “one another” we are supposed to love, is the people that Jesus died for.
We ought to love that brother and sister because God loved that same brother or sister to
the extent of giving his son’s life for them.
66
4:15 txt ἐὰν B NA28 {\} ‖ ἂν ℵ A TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 048 0245 0296.
67
4:16 txt αὐτ μένει ⁹ ℵ B HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ αὐτ A itw vg TR ‖ τω θεω μενει 048 ‖ lac ⁷⁴
C 0245 0296.
68
4:17 The present tense of "we in this world also are" at first seems awkward, but upon
meditation you realize it fits with "accomplished." We can be accomplished in love in the
present, before we see Him.
69
4:19 txt {A} ἀγαπῶμεν ⁷⁴vid A B vgst,ww geo Augustine6/10 NA28 {A} ‖ ἀγαπῶμεν τόν θεόν ℵ
048 itw vgcl syrp,h arm Augustine3/10 ‖ ἀγαπῶμεν αὐτόν Augustine1/10 TR HF RP ‖ ἀγαπῶμεν
ἀλλήλους itar vgmss (eth) ‖ οἴδαμεν copsa ‖ lac ⁹ C 0245 0296. UBS textual commentary:
“Feeling the need of an accusative object after the verb, especially when it was (wrongly)
taken to be the hortatory subjunctive, some copyists added τόν θεόν and others αὐτόν.”
1 John
he first loved us.

²⁰If anyone says, “I love God,” and he hates his brother, he is a liar. For
someone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God
whom he has not seen.70 ²¹And this commandment we have from him: that
he who loves God must also love his brother.
Chapter 5
¹Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Anointed One is born of God,
and everyone who loves the one who begat will also 71 love someone
begotten from him. ²By this we know that we love the children of God:
when we love God and are doing72 his commandments. ³For this is love of
God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not
heavy to bear, ⁴because everyone who has been born of God overcomes the
world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world: our73 faith. ⁵Who74
is overcomer of the world, except someone who believes that Jesus is the
Son of God?
⁶He is the one who came through water and blood, 75 Jesus Christ.76
Not only by water, but by water and blood. And the Spirit is one77 bearing
witness, because the Spirit 78 is truth. ⁷For there are three that bear
The variety of longer readings betrays their spuriousness, and the originality of the shorter
reading.
70
4·20b (TST 69) txt L. 2: οὐ δύναται “he cannot” ℵ B syrh copsa geo Origen Cyprian Lucifer
Zeno NA28 {A} ‖ L. 1: πῶς δύναται “how can he?” A 048 itr,l,q,w vg syrp arm eth Cyril;
Ambrose Pelagius Augustine TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 0245 0296. John elsewhere wrote an
expression similar to the Majority Text reading here, but it is not the same construction:
John 3:12 - εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια ε πον ὑμῖν καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια
πιστεύσετε;
71
5:1 txt καὶ τὸν A vgcl syrp,h arm eth Alexandervid Cyril-Jerusalem; Hilary½ Maximus
Fulgentius¼ Cassiodorus TR HF RP NA28 {C} ‖ καὶ τὸ ℵ ‖ τὸν B (048 το_) itar,l,q,r vgst,ww copsa
geo Hilary½ Augustine Speculum Ps-Vigilius Vigilius Fulgentius¾ ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 0245 0296.
72
5:2 txt ποιῶμεν B itar,l,q,r vg syrp,h copsa arm eth geo Lucifer Augustine NA28 {B} ‖ τηρῶμεν
(5:3) ℵ (Avid τηρῶμεν ... τηρῶμεν omit by homoioteleuton) vgmss TR HF RP ‖ τηροῦμεν 048 ‖ lac
⁹ ⁷⁴ C 0245 0296.
73
5:4 (TST 70) txt L. 1/2: πίστις ἡμῶν ℵ A B vg syrpmss,h copsa> TR RP NA28 {\} ‖ L. 3: πίστις
ὑμῶν 048 vgmss syrpms eth HF ‖ uncertain 0296 ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 0245.
74
5:5 txt {D} ἐστιν A vg copsamss TR HF RP ‖ δέ ἐστιν ℵ 0296 syrh Cyr NA28 ECM {\} ‖ ἐστιν δέ B
‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 0245. Many of the Syriac and Coptic manuscripts are such that they support
either δέ ἐστιν or ἐστιν δέ, but not ἐστιν without δέ.
75
5:6a (TST 71) txt L. 1/2: δι’ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος B RP NA28 {A} ‖ δι’ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος
ἁγίου Cyril¼ Ambrose ‖ L. 4: δι’ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος καὶ πνεύματος A vgmss syrh copsa eth
Cyril¼ ‖ L. 4b: δια ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος καὶ πνεύματος ℵ ‖ L. 5: δι’ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος καὶ
αἵματος 0296 itl vgmss arm ‖ illegible 048 ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 0245.
76
5:6b txt Ἰησοῦς Χριστός ℵ A B 0296 HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός TR ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C
048 0245.
77
5:6d Compare John 8:18, where John uses the definite article in the same way. The point
is that John is counting the witnesses. Because "every matter must be established by two
or three witnesses."
78
5:6e ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμά TR HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ Vulgate and Latin tradition substitutes either
“Christ” or “Jesus Christ,” “Christ Jesus” or “Jesus.”
1 John
79
witness, ⁸the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree. 80
⁹If we accept the witness of human beings, the witness of God is greater.
For this is the witness of God that he has testified concerning his Son.
¹⁰Someone who believes in the Son of God has the witness 81 in himself.82
But someone who does not trust in God83 has called him a liar, because he
has not trusted the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.
¹¹And this is the testimony: God has given to us eternal life, and that life is
in his Son. ¹²Someone who has the Son of God has life. Someone who does
not have the Son of God84 does not have life.
¹³I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son
of God,85 so that you will know you have eternal life.86 ¹⁴And this is the
confidence that we have with him, that, if we ask for something that is in
accordance with his will, he hears us. ¹⁵And if we know that he hears us,
whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of
him.
¹⁶If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not to death, he shall ask, and
God will give him life, for those not sinning to death. There is sin to death; I
am not saying to ask about that.87 ¹⁷All unrighteousness is sin, and there is
79
5:7-8 (TST 72) L. 1/2: txt omit ἐν τ οὐραν , ὁ πατήρ, ὁ λόγος, καὶ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα· καὶ
οὗτοι οἱ τρεῖς ἕν εἰσι. καὶ τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες ἐν τῇ γῇ all Greek codices not hereinafter
listed and not having lacuna; Lect itar vgst,ww syrp,h copsa armmss eth geo slav Clementlat
(Origenlat) Cyril Dam Ps-Oec Ps-Dionysiusvid (John-Damascus); Rebaptism Ambrose
Augustine Quodvultdeus Facundus HF RP NA28 {A} ‖ add ἐν τ οὐραν , ὁ πατήρ, ὁ λόγος,
καὶ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα· καὶ οὗτοι οἱ τρεῖς ἕν εἰσι. καὶ τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες ἐν τῇ γῇ
221marg 2318 2473 vgcl (61 629 omit καὶ οἱ τρεῖς εἰς τὸ ἕν εἰσιν; 61 629 88marg., 429 marg.,
636marg., arm; 918: with other minor variants) TR [AT in smaller font & in italics] ‖ add in terra,
spiritus et aqua et sanguis (+ et hi tres unum sunt in Christo Iesu vgmss; Spec). 8 et tres sunt, qui
testimonium dicunt in caelo, pater, verbum (filius itl vgmss) et spiritus, et hi tres unum sunt (+ in
Christo Iesu itl vgmss) itl,r vgmss; Speculum Varimadum Ps-Vigilius (Fulgentius) (Priscillian)
(Cyprian) ‖ illegible 33 1734 ‖ lacuna ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 0245 356 567 610 612 911? 997 1240 1277 1759
1859 2201 2799. There should be no doubt of the following trinity of facts: (1) that King
James Onlyists do not believe in a Majority Text. (2) that the King James Version has some
textual corruptions. (3) that the Johannine Comma is not original scripture.
80
5:8 Literally, “these three are as one,” which means, “these three agree.”
81
5:10a txt μαρτυρίαν ℵ B 0296 TR HF RP NA28 {} ‖ μαρτυρίαν τοῦ θεοῦ ⁷⁴vid A latt ‖ lac ⁹ C
048 0245.
82
5:10b txt ἐν αὐτ B² syrh Cyril¼ RP NA28 {C} ‖ εν αυτω A B* 0142 ‖ ἐν ἑαυτ ℵ 0296 itr,l,q
vg syrp copsa? arm eth (geo) Augustine Cyril¾ Ps-Oec Speculum TR ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 048 0245.
83
5:10c txt τ θε ℵ B 0296 itl,r syrp,h pt Cyril; Augustine Varimadum TR HF RP NA28 {A} ‖ τ
υἱ A itar vg syrhmg ‖ τ ___ 048 ‖ τ υἱ τοῦ θεοῦ copsa arm ‖ Iesu Cristo Speculum ‖ -vgmss ‖
lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 0245.
84
5:12 txt τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ Oxford KJV, Steph1550 TR RP NA28 {\} ‖ τὸν υἱὸν 1611 KJV.
85
5·13a (TST 73a) txt L. 2: ὑμῖν ἵνα εἰδῆτε ὅτι ζωὴν ἔχετε αἰώνιον (with variation) ℵ² A B
NA28 {\} ‖ L. 1: ὑμῖν then transpose τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ (with
variation) ℵ* TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 048 0245 0296.
86
5:13c (TST 74) txt L. 2: ℵ A B NA28 {\} ‖ L. 1: add καὶ ἵνα πιστεύητε εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ
τοῦ θεοῦ TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 048 0245 0296.
87
5:16 See how a brother sinning is considered a rare thing. In this epistle John warns us
not to be deceived. We must not think that because we have received grace and the blood
of Jesus was shed for us, and we receive that forgiveness, that we can go on sinning, and
willfully sin all our lives, and then right before death confess it all and repent, and think
Jesus will know us. No, my friends, if that is what your life was, Jesus will say, "Depart from
1 John
sin not to death. ¹⁸We know that everyone born of God does not practice
sin, but instead what was generated of88 God keeps itself,89 and the evil one
does not touch it.90
¹⁹We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies captive in91 the
evil one. ²⁰And we know that the Son of God has come, 92 and he has given
us the understanding to know93 the truth.94 And we are in the truth, in his
me; I never knew you." God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.
Someone who is born of God does not practice sin. Jesus said Be perfect, as your Father in
heaven is perfect. John says yes that we might stumble sometimes. But you cannot keep
on willfully sinning after you got saved. That makes you an even more wicked person that
someone who was never saved. Jesus said that your punishment will be extra severe. Your
punishment in hell. Peter said that someone who is saved, but then returns to a life of sin,
the final fate of that person is worse than it would have been without being saved. Who do
you think Jesus is referring to when he says that many will say to him on judgement day,
"Lord, did we not cast out demons in your name, and in your name perform miracles? etc.
Jesus will say to them, Depart from me you people who do wickedness! I never knew you."
You cannot live a wicked life and expect to escape hell, the Lake of Fire. Just because you
believe John 3:16 does not mean that if you live a sinful life, you will escape hell. The Devil
believes John 3:16. Do not be deceived. And yes, for a brother, a believer, there is sin to
death. It says so in this verse, 1 John 5:16. John 3:16 will not help you escape 1 John 5:16 if
you live a willfully sinful life.
88
5:18a txt ὁ γεννηθεὶς ἐκ ℵ A B arm eth geo TR HF RP NA28 {A} ‖ ἡ γέννησις itar,l,q,t vg (syrh)
Chromatius Jerome Vigilius ‖ ὁ γεγεννημενος ἐκ Origen ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 048 0245 0296.
89
5:18b txt ἑαυτόν ℵ Ac arm eth geo Origen TR RP NA28 {C} ‖ αυτον A* B* vg ‖ αὐτόν B² itar,l,t
vg Chromatius Jerome Vigilius SBL ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 048 0245 0296. The UBS textual
commentary: “The Committee understood ὁ γεννηθεὶς to refer to Christ, and therefore
adopted the reading αὐτόν... Copyists who took ὁ γεννηθεὶς to refer to the Christian
believer (although elsewhere John always uses ὁ γεγεννημένος, never ὁ γεννηθεὶς, of the
believer) naturally preferred the reflexive ἑαυτον...” Note though that both ἑαυτον and
αὐτον can be reflexive in meaning.
90
5:18c Or, “does not touch it.” I don’t see this as the believer keeping himself (I agree that
ὁ γεννηθεὶς is elsewhere not used of the believer, -in fact it is not used at all anywhere else
in the Greek Bible, and I agree that it is not referring to the believer here), but more along
the lines of Paul’s teaching in Romans 7:15-25, that when I sin, it is not “I” who is sinning,
but sin that dwells within me. Thus the idea that the new man, the new creation, the new
generation in me born from God, does not sin, but the former man does, and is still present
in me, trying to control my body, at war with the new man in me that was generated by
God. The new generation, that part of me that was born from God cannot sin; everything
born of God does not sin. It is correct to expect the two different apostles to be in harmony
with each other in their teachings, as they had the same teacher and the one and the same
Holy Spirit. As in fact they are in agreement.
91
5:19 The Greek phrase ἐν τ πονηρ κεῖται hints at helplessness and powerlessness or
passivity of some kind, “in” the evil one. Something like “lies helpless, lies asleep, or lies
dead.” These were some of the meanings of the word κεῖμαι, according to the Liddell and
Scott lexicon. But the word can also mean “situated in, exist.” The word for “in” would
indicate limits of the subjects’ universe. There is a connotation of captivity and limitation.
It is problematic to phrase this as simply "the whole world lies in the evil one," since
today's schools, at least in the USA, allow students and English speakers to fail to
understand the distinction betweent the intransitive form of the word, "lie," versus the
transitive form, "lay." A great many Americans know English so poorly, that they might
mis-understand the phrase "the whole world lies in the evil one" to mean, "the whole
world 'tells lies,' 'deceives' in the evil one."
92
5:20a txt ἥκει TR HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ add: “et carnum induit nostri causa et passus est et
resurrexit a mortuis; adsumpsit nos...” (“[The Son of God came] and was clothed with flesh for
our sake, and suffered, and arose from the dead; he adopted us...”) vgmss Julianus of Toledo
93
5:20b txt γινώσκωμεν B² TR HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ γινώσκομεν ℵ A B* ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 048 0245
0296.
94
5:20c txt τὸν ἀληθινόν ℵ² B TR RP NA28 {A} ‖ το αληθινον ℵ* itl,q ‖ τὸν ἀληθινόν θεόν A
(itt) vg pt ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 048 0245 0296.
1 John
son Jesus Christ. He is the true God, and eternal life.95

²¹Children, keep yourselves96 from idols. 97
95
5:20d txt ζωὴ αἰώνιος ℵ A B RP NA28 {\} ‖ ἡ ζωὴ αἰώνιος TR ‖ ἡ ζωὴ ἡ αἰώνιος HF ‖ lac ⁹
⁷⁴ C 048 0245 0296.
96
5:21a txt ἑαυτὰ ℵ* B RP NA28 {\} ‖ ἑαυτοὺς ℵ² A 048 Didymus TR HF ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 0245
0296 1241. The editors of the ECM consider the two major Greek variants to be of equal
weight.
97
5:21b (TST 75) txt L. 2: εἰδώλων. ℵ A B itar,l,q vgww,st syrp,h copsa arm eth geo Didymus;
Speculum NA28 {A} ‖ L. 1: εἰδώλων. Ἀμήν. vgcl TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁹ ⁷⁴ C 048 0245 0296.
1 John
Witnesses to 1 John
MS Dat Alt Location
e
⁹ III P. Oxy. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard Univ., Semitic
402 Mus., Inv. Nr. 3736
VII P. Bodmer Cologne/Genf, Bibl. Bodmeriana, P. Bodmer
⁷⁴ XVII XVII
Rescriptus
048 V Vatican Libr., Vat. gr. 2061, fol. 198, 199, 221,
222, 229, 230, 293-303, 305-308
024 VI Birmingham, Selly Oak Coll., Mingana Georg.
5 7
029 VI Sinai, St. Catherine’s Monastery, Σπ. ΜΓ 48,
6 53, 55
LATIN:
it-c
ith V 55 1:8- 3:20
itl VII 67 1:5- 2:10,14-16; 2:24- 3:12; 3:22- 4:18; 4:20-end
itw VI 32 1:6,7; 2:6-11,15-17; 3:6-9,13-21; 4:9-21
itz VIII 65 1:1- 3:15
1 John
Endnote on 1 John 2:12-14
There is a significant variation between the NA28 text and the

Robinson/Pierpont text here, as follows.
First the NA28:
γράφω ὑμῖν τεκνία, ὅτι ἀφέωνται ὑμῖν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι διὰ τὸ ὄνομα

αὐτοῦ.
γράφω ὑμῖν πατέρες, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς.
γράφω ὑμῖν νεανίσκοι, ὅτι νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν.
ἔγραψα ὑμῖν παιδία ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν πατέρα.

ἔγραψα ὑμῖν πατέρες ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς.
ἔγραψα ὑμῖν νεανίσκοι ὅτι ἰσχυροί ἐστε καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν
μένει καὶ νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν.
Now the RP text:
γράφω ὑμῖν τεκνία, ὅτι ἀφέωνται ὑμῖν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι διὰ τὸ ὄνομα

αὐτοῦ.
γράφω ὑμῖν πατέρες, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς.
γράφω ὑμῖν νεανίσκοι, ὅτι νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν.
γράφω ὑμῖν παιδία ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν πατέρα.
ἔγραψα ὑμῖν πατέρες ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς.

ἔγραψα ὑμῖν νεανίσκοι ὅτι ἰσχυροί ἐστε καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν
μένει καὶ νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν.
The NA28 has two sets of 3 sayings. The RP has sets of 4 and 2, and
begins verse 14 at the 5th saying rather than the 4th saying as the NA28
does. The NA28 says "to you I write" 3 times, and "to you I have written"
3 times. The RP text says "to you I write" 4 times, and "to you I have
written" 2 times.
I propose the reason for this is some scribe changed the first "I have
written," (ἔγραψα) to, "I write," (γράφω) because he saw this one "I have
written" as a false statement. Since he was understanding the word ὅτι
as a quotation mark, and not as meaning "because" like almost all
English translations do.
1 John
I will show it in English as he understood ὅτι, so you can clearly see

what I mean:
To you children, I write: “Your sins are forgiven you for his name’s
sake.”
To you fathers, I write: “You know him who existed from the
beginning.”
To you young men, I write: “You have overcome the evil one.”
I have written to you children that you have known the Father.
I have written to you fathers that you have known him who existed
from the beginning.
I have written to you young men that you are strong and the word of
God abides in you and you have overcome the evil one.
The scribe saw the statement, "I have written to you children that you
have known the Father," and thought it was false, since John had not
stated such in the previous 3 sayings. So he changed it to "I write."
(γράφω) Whereas all the other "I have writtens" match two previous "I
write" statements.
As for me, I take the word ὅτι as a quotation mark, rather than meaning
"because." And the seeming false statement is no problem to me,
because John is simply previewing what he will write in the epistle as a
whole, not limiting what he is referring to to just the few previous
verses.
The “Johannine Comma” Supplement
To read a very detailed analysis of the evidence for the “Johannine

Comma,” download this document:
http://bibletranslation.ws/trans/FirstJohnCh5v7.pdf
2 John
Second Epistle General of John
2 JOHN
¹The Elder, to the elect lady,1 and to her children; whom I love in the
truth; and not only I, but also everyone who knows assuredly the truth, ²by
means of the truth that dwells2 within us, and will stay with us for eternity.
³Grace and mercy and peace shall follow us,3 from God the Father and from
Jesus Christ4 the Father's Son, in truth and love.
⁴It cheered me greatly that I have found children of yours walking in
the truth, in accordance with the commandment we received from the
Father. ⁵And now I beseech you, Lady, not as writing a new commandment
to you, but one which we have had from the beginning: that we should love
one another. ⁶And this is love: that we walk according to his
commandments. This commandment is just as you have heard from the
beginning, so that5 you would walk in it.
⁷For many deceivers have gone out 6 into the world, who do not
1
v. 1 There is much discussion in the reference books about the meaning of the word κυρία
here. Most translations render it "lady," which does not communicate the fact that this
word is the feminine inflection of the word "lord." Its primary meaning is of a woman who
directs slaves or servants, i.e., a woman wealthy enough to own a home with servants. One
of the main alternative interpretations is that this κύρια is figuratively the church, and her
"children" are the people of the church. I do not consider this one a valid possibility, since
I follow one of the maxims of hermeneutics, which states that when the plain sense of
scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense. Though the Bauer Lexicon under
εκλεκτός says "personification of the assembly," I do not buy it. A third possibility
discussed is that Κυρία was someone's name. But the Bauer Lexicon says that that use was
"rare and late." I think the use here is simply a term of respect for a woman whom John
has discipled, who is noble and influential, and who has many children. John could be
speaking of either her natural children, or her spiritual children.
2
v. 2b txt μένουσαν "abiding, dwelling" ℵ B 0232 itl vg syrh,ph TR WH HF RP NA28 {\} ‖
ἐνοίκουσαν "indwelling" A 048 ‖ indeterminate copsa ‖ lac ⁷⁴. The ECM editors consider the
readings μένουσαν and ἐνοίκουσαν to be of equal value. I think even though they are two
different words, that readers and scribes both, are so used to hearing John use the word
μένω as meaning "indwelling," or abiding IN something, so that some scribes
uncounsciously replaced μένουσαν with ἐνοίκουσαν. In other words, people familiar with
John's writings equated the two in this kind of saying. Note that with the preposition ἐν
following as it does in most all MSS, ἐνοίκουσαν is redundant. As for the third reading,
with ουσαν in the continuous aspect, the meaning is really close to the same as the
μένουσαν- continuing to be in us. staying in us, abiding in us.
3
v. 3a txt ἔσται μεθ’ ἡμῶν χάρις ℵ B 0232 (TR: Erasmus Aldus Steph. 1550) RP NA28 ‖ καὶ
ἔσται μεθ’ ἡμῶν χάρις eth ‖ ἔσται γὰρ μεθ’ ἡμῶν χάρις 048 ‖ ἔσται μεθ’ ὑμῶν χάρις (TR: Col.,
Steph 2, 4; Elzevir 1624) ‖ ἔσται/ἔστω? μεθ’ ἡμῶν χάρις itl syrph copsa> ‖ ἔσται/ἔστω? μεθ’
ὑμῶν χάρις vg mss ‖ χάρις ὑμῖν syrh ‖ χάρις A arm ‖ lac ⁷⁴.
4
v. 3d txt Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ "Jesus Christ" A B 048 0232 itl (itar vg Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ "Christ Jesus")
vgmss copsa eth geo Augustine Cassiodorus WH NA28 {A} ‖ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ "Christ Jesus"
syrphmss> ‖ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ "the Lord Jesus Christ" ℵ vgmss (vgms) syrphmss,h cop(bo) arm
TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ C.
5
v. 6b txt καθὼς ἠκούσατε ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἵνα B syrph,h TR WH HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ ἵνα καθὼς
ἠκούσατε ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς itl vg copsa> arm ‖ ἵνα καθὼς ἠκούσατε ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἵνα ℵ A 048vid 0232 ‖
lac ⁷⁴ 048 81 629 eth.
6
v. 7 txt ἐξῆλθον "gone out" ⁷⁴ ℵ B Ψ 048 0232 vg syrph,h copsa arm AnastS Irlat WH NA28
{\} ‖ εξηλθαν Α ‖ εἰσῆλθόν "come into" TR HF RP ‖ ηλθον ‖ lac ⁷⁴.
2 John
confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the Deceiver and
Antichrist. ⁸Watch yourselves, so that you not lose 7 the things we have
worked for,8 but receive your full reward.
⁹Anyone going beyond, 9 and not staying in the teaching of Christ,
does not have God. Someone staying in the teaching, 10 that person has both
the Father and the Son. ¹⁰If anyone comes to you and does not bring this
teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not say 'Welcome' to
him. ¹¹For someone who says 'Welcome' to him takes part in his evil works.
¹²Though I have many things to write to you, I didn't want to do it by
paper and ink, but instead hope to come11 to you and talk face to face, so
our12 joy may be full.
¹³The children of your elect sister greet you.13
7
v. 8a txt {A} ἀπολέσητε... ἀπολάβητε "you not lose...you receive" ℵ¹ Ac (A* απολεσηε) B
(048 ἀπολέσητε...α) 0232 itar,1 vg syrph,h copsa arm eth geo (Irenaeuslat) Isidore; Lucifer WH
NA28 {A} ‖ απολησθε... ἀπολάβητε ℵ* ‖ ἀπολέσωμεν... ἀπολάβωμεν "we not lose...we
receive" TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ C. The majuscule 048 has lacuna for the second part of this
variant, but reads ἀπολέσητε "you lose" in the first part.
8
v. 8b txt {D} εἰργασάμεθα "we have worked" Bc (B* ηργασαμεθα) syrhmg copsamss geo TR HF
RP WH NA28 {B} ‖ εἰργάσασθε "you have worked" ℵ A*f 048vid 0232vid itar,1(Irlat ηργασασθε) vg
syrph,h copsa arm eth AnastastS Isidore; Lucifer ‖ lac ⁷⁴.
9
v. 9a txt {A} προάγων "going beyond" ℵ A B 048 0232 vg copsa eth WH NA28 {\} ‖
παραβαίνων "deviating, transgressing" itl syrph,h arm AnastastS TR HF RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴ C.
Geometrically and spatially, the two readings with their different prepositional prefixes
have much overlapping meaning, i.e., they both mean "out of bounds." One is a fault ball
"long" and the other is "wide."
10
v. 9b txt διδαχῇ "teaching" ℵ A B 048 itl vg syrh copsa arm ethms Didymus NA28 {A} ‖
διδαχῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ "teaching of Christ" itar vgmss syrphms* ethmss geo Augustine(vid?) TR WH
HF RP ‖ διδαχῇ αυτοῦ "his teaching" vgmss syrphmss,hA Lucifer ‖ lac ⁷⁴ C 0232. The second
clause διδαχῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ was probably a mistake of the eye duplicating the first instance
of it earlier in the verse.
11
v. 12a txt ἀλλὰ ἐλπίζω γενέσθαι "but I hope to come" ℵ B syrh WH NA28 {\} ‖ ἐλπίζω γὰρ
γενέσθαι "for I hope to come" A (γενέσθε) 048 vg ‖ ἀλλὰ ἐλπίζω ελθεῖν "but I hope to come"
vgmss syrph copsa,(boms) TR HF RP ‖ ἐλπίζω γὰρ ελθεῖν "for I hope to come" ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0232.
There is not much difference in meaning between γενέσθαι and ελθεῖν in this context. But
between ἀλλὰ and γὰρ there is. Either way, however, John is giving a reason why he did
not write to them all the things he wants to communicate, since he intends to come to
them. This variant footnote combines what are usually two footnotes, including Teststelle
# 81 in Text und Textwert, which treats only the latter part, and does not include the ἀλλὰ
ἐλπίζω portion. I did it this way because it gives a good picture of what the manuscript
groupings are for 2 John.
12
v. 12c txt ἡμῶν "our" ℵ vgmss syrph,h TR HF RP NA28 {\} ‖ ὑμῶν "your" A B 0142 itl vg eth ‖
μου copsa ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 048 0232.
13
v. 13 txt {A} without additions ⁷⁴ ℵ A B 048 itar,h,l,r,w vg copsa ethms WH NA28 {A} ‖ add Αμήν
"Amen" vgmss,(mss) syrphmss,h TR HF RP ‖ L. 4: add ἡ χάρις μετὰ σοῦ. ἀμην "Grace be with you.
Amen" vgmss,(mss) (syrphmss,h with *) ‖ lac C 0232. Adding the word "amen" here, doesn't make
sense at all for John to have said after the preceeding sentence. It only makes sense as
being part of liturgy. The word Αμήν was a common liturgical addition which got confused
as real text. The textual evidence that John did not write the word Amen in this epistle is
absolutely overwhelming. It is this kind of clearly spurious addition to the word of God
that makes me lose respect for Codex K and the Byzantine text type, no matter how great
the number of minuscules that follow it. Also, the fact that Byzantine text advocates will
not budge even on this kind of variant, makes me lose respect for those people.
2 John
Witnesses to 2 John
MS Dat Alt Location

e
III P. Cologne; Bodmer Library
⁷⁴ Bod
mer
XVII
Rescriptus
048 V Vatican Libr., Vat. gr. 2061, fol. 198, 199, 221,
222, 229, 230, 293-303, 305-308
0232 V Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, P. Ant. 12
itl VII 67 León, Archivo Catedralico, Ms 15
3 John
Third Epistle General of John
3 JOHN
¹The Elder, to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.
²Dear friend, I wish for you to prosper and be healthy in every regard,
just as your soul is prospering. ³For1 it cheered me greatly when some
brothers came, bearing witness to your truth, how 2 you are walking in the
truth. ⁴I have no greater joy than this, hearing that my children are walking
in the truth.
⁵Dear friend, you do commendably whatever you labor at 3 for the
brothers, that is, for those travelers,4 5 ⁶who have testified before the church
about your love. Whom you will do well to supply for their journeys in a
manner worthy of God. ⁷Because, you see, for the sake of the Name they
have gone forth, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.6 7
⁸We therefore ought to take them who are like this under our roof,8 so
we will become co-laborers with them in the truth. ⁹Which9 I have written
NOTE about the text-critical apparatus in this document: Due to feedback I have received
about apparatuses "cherry-picking" which minuscules and witnesses to cite, I have made
the decision to eliminate this issue by using only one objective criteria: ALL witnesses dated
before the 9th century are cited, and NO witnesses dated after the 8th century are cited.
The result is clean, and very clear.
1
v. 3a txt γὰρ "for" A B C 048 syrph,h mss TR RP NA28 ‖ omit ℵ vg itl copsa ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0251. The
ECM editors consider the readings with and without γὰρ to be of equal weight. The word
γὰρ here connects the idea in verse 2, that Gaius' soul is prospering, connects that with the
report in verse 3 that John has received, that Gaius is walking in the truth.
2
v. 3b See BAGD in nr. 5, that after words of saying, like the word "testify" is here, καθὼς
means "how, that." (After all, it is a contraction of κατα ὡς.)
3
v. 5b txt ἐργάσῃ (2d sg aor mid subj) ℵ B C TR RP NA28 ‖ ἐργάζῃ (2nd sg pres mid ind) A ‖ <-
-> 048 vg itl syr cop ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0251. It is very likely that the continuous aspect reading
ἐργάζῃ is an assimilation to the continuous aspect (pres) of ποιεῖς.
4
v. 5c txt εις τοὺς ξένους TR RP ‖ τοῦτο ξένους ℵ A B C 048 vg itl copsamss syrph,h NA28 ‖ lac
⁷⁴ 0251. (A few Gk mss read ξενοις instead of ξένους, and the Latin & Syriac witnesses are
not useful as to the Greek case inflection thereof.) The reading with τοῦτο is the most
difficult one. In fact, the whole verse 5 is the most difficult verse in 3 John to translate. For
some translators have had difficulty with the fact that there are two verbs in the verse,
ποιεῖς and ἐργάσῃ. Indeed, some copyists conformed the subjunctive of ἐργάσῃ to the
present indicative of ποιεῖς. I get the impression that the term "the brothers" refers to one
set of known traveling brothers. And not to "the brethren" generally, nor to the
congregation in Gaius' church.
5
v. 5d Classically the word "stranger" meant "alien, traveler, sojourner." Both Zeus, the
God of the Greeks, and Yahweh, the God of the Jews, warn us to be sure to be hospitable to
"strangers." This use here of strangers probably means someone that Gaius did not
previously know. Still, most Greek speakers would be aware of the classical connotation of
the word.
6
v. 7c txt ἐθνικῶν ℵ A B C 048 itl syrhms arm NA28 ‖ ἐθνῶν vg syrph,hmss copsa TR RP ‖ lac ⁷⁴
0251.
7
v. 7d Regarding this about Gentiles, see Matthew 10:5-10. See also Genesis 14:22,23.
8
v. 8b txt ὑπολαμβάνειν ℵ A B C* NA28 ‖ ἀπολαμβάνειν C² TR RP ‖ <--> latt syr cop ‖
unreadable 048 ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0251.
9
v. 9a txt τι τῇ "which to" ℵ*,³ A B copsa arm NA28 ‖ τῇ "to" C TR RP ‖ αν τῇ "would have to"
ℵ² 048 vg syrph,h ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0251. The ECM editors consider the NA28 and RP readings to be of
3 John
to your church; but Diotrephes, who wishes to be the leader over them,10
does not welcome us.11 ¹⁰For which reason when I come, I will bring up the
works that he has been doing, making frivolous charges against us with
oppressive words. And not satisfied with this, neither does he welcome
those brothers. And the ones that try to, he prevents, even throws them out
of the church.
¹¹Dear friend, do not imitate the bad, but rather the good. Someone 12
practicing the good is of God. Someone practicing the bad, has not seen
God.
¹²Demetrius is borne witness to by all, and by the truth itself. And we
also bear witness, and you know13 that our testimony is true.
¹³I had many things to write to you,14 but do not wish to write to you
equal weight. The word τι is an indefinite pronoun, with many meanings, depending on
context and construction. It is also used as a relative pronoun, which I believe it is here.
10
v. 9b This is the first example of the error of the idea of one leader who is over all the
other leaders. This idea is contrary to the teachings of the apostles, who deliberately
appointed multiple, co-equal pastors in each church. The apostles as well, were co-equal to
each other. In fact, I think the primary purpose of this third epistle of John is to combat the
arising error of Diotrephes, the error of the idea of one supreme leader. God has been
against this idea throughout the whole Bible. Israel had multiple judges and prophets, but
the people wanted a king. God warned them against that. Do a study of how leadership
was structured in the New Testament. Start with these passages:
When they had ordained elders in every church, Acts 14:23.
Elders of the church in Ephesus, Acts 20:17
Ordain elders in every city, Titus 1:5
Let him call for the elders of the church, James 5:14.
I Peter 5:1,2, "The elders among you I exhort, overseers of the flock..." Here Peter equates
elders, presbuteroi, with overseers, episkopoi "bishops."
Acts 20:28, (see 20:17, elders of the church of Ephesus, 20:28, Paul now calls them overseers,
episkopoi, so Paul also equates presbuteroi with episkopoi.
Philippians 1:1, the church there has plural overseers.
Titus 1:5, 7 Paul says appoint elders...for an overseer is... Paul again equates an elder with
an overseer.
We can say that the office of elder and the office of overseer are the same office. The
overseers should naturally be somewhat elder, especially elder in the faith (I Timothy 3:6,
he must not be a recent convert) and one of their main functions is to both oversee and to
visit; both meanings of episkopew.
Here in 3 John, there were some traveling brothers mentioned, who possibly had some
supervisory function. That would make them, taking from the lists of offices and/or gifts,
one of the following: apostles, prophets, or teachers.
11
v. 9b Or, "does not approve of us." Also in v. 10 in reference to "the brothers."
12
v. 11 txt omit ℵ A B C 048 vg itd syrph,hmss copsa RP NA28 ‖ +δε syrhms TR ‖ NA28<-->TR itl ‖ lac
⁷⁴ 0251.
13
v. 12c txt ο δας "you know-singular" ℵ A B C 048 vg itd syrphmss copsa eth arm NA28 ‖ L. 1:
οἴδατε "you know-plural" vgmss syrphmss,h TR RP ‖ οίδαμεν "we know" ms ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0251.
14
v. 13a txt {C} γράψαι σοι ℵ A B C NA28 {\} ‖ σοι γράψαι 048vid ‖ γράφειν PsOec TR RP ‖
γράφειν σοι arm ‖ γράφειν ὑμιν ethms ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0251. Some might have been suspicious of
how the phrase σοι γράφειν is in this verse twice in some form. If the Byzantine text is
right, it would be less redundant, and read as follows: "I had many things to write, but to
YOU I do not wish to write by paper and ink." In other words, "you are too special, I would
rather see you face to face." Cf. 2 John 12, which has no such reduncancy. Yet perhaps that
comparison is the very thing that caused some scribes to unconsciously or consciously be
averse to the redundancy. The fact that the reading with σοι comes in two different word
sequences, also makes it somewhat suspect.
3 John
by paper and ink. ¹⁴Instead I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to
face.15
¹⁵Peace to you. The friends here greet you.16 Greet the friends17 there
each by name.18
15
v. 14-15 The Westcott & Hort, Antoniades, SBL, UBS5, NA28, ECM, and Tyndale House GNT
editions assign a verse number 15 at this point. The TR, Pickering and Robinson-Pierpont
editions do not have a v. 15, but continue the same text as that v. 15, but only as a longer v.
14. I do have a v. 15, because the ECM and Tyndale House editions are the most current
state of the Greek New Testament.
16
v. 15a txt φίλοι "friends" ℵ B C 048 vg itd syrph,h copsa arm TR RP NA28 ‖ ἀδελφοί
"brothers" A eth ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0251.
17
v. 15b txt φίλους "friends" ℵ A B C 048vid 0251vid vg itd syrph copsa eth TR RP NA28 ‖
ἀδελφούς "brothers" syrh ms ‖ lac ⁷⁴ 0251.
18
v. 15c txt omit ℵ A B C 048 vg itd syrph,h copsa eth arm TR RP NA28 ‖ +ἀμην "amen" vgmss ‖
lac ⁷⁴ 0251.
3 John
Note on 3 John 5
Ἀγαπητέ, πιστὸν ποιεῖς ὃ ἐὰν ἐργάσῃ εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τοῦτο εἰϛ τοὺϛ ξένους,
Dear friend, you do commendably whatever you labor at for the brothers,
and this for strangers.
I get the impression that the term "the brothers" refers to one set of known
traveling brothers. And not to "the brethren" generally, or the congregation
in Gaius' church. Especially if the Byzantine reading in red is the correct
one, which I would translate, "for the brothers, that is, the strangers [the
traveling brothers].
If it did refer to the congregation and Christian brothers in general, then

perhaps this instead would be the correct rendering:
"Dear friend, it is commendable, whatever you labor at for the brethren, this
you are doing even for strangers."
For some translators have had difficulty with the fact that there are two
verbs in the verse, ποιεῖς and ἐργάσῃ. Indeed, some copyists conformed the
subjunctive of ἐργάσῃ to the present indicative of ποιεῖς.
Revelation
Witnesses to 3 John
MS Dat AKA Contents Location

e
VII P. III Jn 6,12 Cologne/Genf, Bibl. Bodmeriana, P.
⁷⁴ Bodme (partial) Bodmer XVII
r XVII
ℵ IV 01 III Jn all London, the British Library, Add. 43725
A V 02 lacks only London, British Library, Royal 1 D. VIII
1st word
B IV 03 III Jn 3-15 Vatican Library, Vat. gr. 1209
C V 04 III Jn all Paris, National Library, Gr. 9; Ephraemi
Syri Rescriptus
048 V III Jn all, Vatican Libr., Vat. gr. 2061, fol. 198, 199,
but partial 221, 222, 229, 230, 293-303, 305-308
in most
verses
0251 VI 3 Jn 12-15, Paris, Louvre, S.N. 121
but partial
itd V 5 (Dlat) 3 Jn 11-15 Cambridge, Univ. Libr., Nr. II 41 (lat. of
Codex Bezae)
itl VII 67 3 Jn 1-10 León, Archivo Catedralico, Ms 15
Jude
The Epistle General of
JUDE
¹Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are
called, beloved to God the Father, and kept by Jesus Christ, ²mercy and
peace and love be multiplied to you.
³Beloved, as I was making all speed to write to you concerning our
shared salvation, I felt a need to write to you exhorting that you earnestly
contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. ⁴For a certain
type have crept in, already designated for this fate, ungodly people, turning
the grace of our God into licentiousness, and thus contradicting our only
Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
⁵But I want to remind you, though you have known all this at one time,
how even though Jesus delivered the people from the land of Egypt, he
later nevertheless destroyed the ones who did not believe. ⁶And the angels
that did not preserve their high position, but deserted their proper home,
those he has held under heavy darkness with eternal chains, for the
judgment of the great day. ⁷In the same way, Sodom and Gomorra and the
surrounding towns, who engaged in sexual debauchery and went after
abnormal flesh, they are set forth as an example of people undergoing the
punishment of eternal fire.
⁸Yet despite all that, these people, deluded, not only defile the flesh,
but reject authority, and insult higher powers. ⁹In contrast Michael the
archangel, during a dispute with the Devil, when he was arguing over the
body of Moses, he dared not make a disparaging accusation, but said, "The
Lord rebuke you." ¹⁰But this type, what things they don't understand, they
denigrate, and things instinctive, like what unreasoning animals
understand, by those things they are destroyed.
¹¹Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, for a payment rushed
headlong in the error of Balaam, 1 and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
¹²This type are the unseen obstacles2 in your communal meals, feasting
1
Jude 11 The elders of Moab and Midian were offering a fee, (Numbers 22:7) or payment, an
“honor” (24:11) to be paid to Baalam if he would curse the Israelites. Balaam inquired of
God, and God told him not to go with the men, and not to curse Israel. But Balaam kept re-
inquiring of God, in prayer that is wicked, (wicked prayer, because he already had received
the answer, but did not like the answer), Balaam kept inquiring of God, even looking for
omens (24:1) by sacrificing at different places, apparently hoping that God might change
his mind, and then Balaam could earn the fee after all. Certainly, that would be a payment
from unrighteousness. The thing to note is, that Balaam was a true prophet of Yahweh, and
he rightly spoke only what Yahweh told him to speak; yet he is eternally damned because
of his heart, because his heart kept hoping to earn some money that was wrong to earn.
Motives count to God, not just deeds. Balaam’s heart loved money too much.
2
Jude 12a - lit. "reefs." Or, "This type are blemishes..." cf. 2 Peter
Jude
without reverence; shepherding only themselves, 3 clouds without water,

driven on by the winds; trees turned color4 without fruiting, doubly dead,
uprooted; ¹³wild waves of the sea frothing up their disgrace;5 planets off
course; for whom absolute blackness of darkness is reserved for ever.
¹⁴But even Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied these things,
saying, "Behold, the Lord has come, with myriads 6 of his holy ones, ¹⁵to
pass judgment against all, and to convict all the ungodly7 concerning all
their ungodly acts which they have godlessly done, and concerning all the
harsh words which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." ¹⁶These are
grumblers, blamers, proceeding according to their own desires, 8 yet their
mouth speaks swelling things admiring important people to gain favor.
¹⁷But you, beloved, recall the matters foretold by the apostles of our
Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁸how they told you that in the end time there would be
imitators,9 who proceed according to their own impious desires. ¹⁹These
are the separators; natural,10 not having the Spirit.
3
Jude 12b Ezekiel 34:2, 8
4
Jude 12c There is a Greek word here, if when pronounced the ancient way, would sound
like “patina.”
5
Jude 13 Isaiah 57:20
6
Jude 14 A myriad is ten thousand, but pluralized- multiple 10 thousands. But in this kind
of literature it just means a huge number.
7
Jude 15a "Every soul" or "all the ungodly"? In the passage Jude is quoting, Enoch 1:2-9,
everyone, all people, even the Watchers, tremble in fear at his coming, and the judgment
that follows, includes judgment upon the righteous. Enoch 1.5 “And all will be afraid, and
the Watchers will shake, and fear and great trembling will seize them, up to the ends of the
earth.” Enoch 1.7 “And the earth will sink, and everything that is on the earth will be
destroyed, and there will be judgment upon all, and upon all the righteous.” Then v. 9 is
where it says, “And behold! He comes with ten thousand Holy Ones; to execute judgment
upon them and to destroy the impious, and to contend with all flesh concerning everything
that the sinners and the impious have done and wrought against Him.” Quotation of Enoch
is from A Modern English Translation of the Ethiopian Book of Enoch with introduction and
notes by Andy McCracken.
8
Jude 16 Also v. 18, “proceeding according to their own desires” in contrast to Romans 8:14,
“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”
9
Jude 18 The basic meaning of ἐμπαίζω is mimicing in order to trick, counterfeit or
defraud; this was foretold. This same word is used in Matthew 2:16 for "tricking, deceiving"
Herod. The LSJ lexicon glosses ἐμπαικτης as "mocker, deceiver." We forget that the
English word "mock" means to mimic, imitate. Though the renderings "scoffers" or
"mockers" are also possible, that fits better with the 2 Peter 3 context, whereas Jude is
talking of people who are attending the communion meals with us, and have an appearance
of spirituality. When they are leaders, they are "impostors." And when speaking of the Old
Testament, they were people who were in among the people of God as well. They are not
scoffers of religion, but pretenders among us. They are counterfeits. The gnostics were
some. Many interpreters think Jude is borrowing concepts from the gnostics in order to
mock them. The chief counterfeiter wil be the antichrist. But there are many antichrists.
II Tim 3:13: "But evil men and impostors will proceed {from bad} to worse, deceiving and
being deceived."
10
Jude 19 ψυχικός classically is about the unseen, vs. the seen body. It is indeed
"spirituality" in the sense that it is not the seen physical matters of the body. Yet it is a
spirituality that is natural and commonplace, (even animals have it) and does not require
the Holy Spirit from above. This counterfeit spirituality is often only about emotions; and
it even sometimes thinks it is superior to genuine, sober, self-controlled spirtual people.
These are "spiritual" people, but not having the Sprit. They are imitators, pretenders,
Jude
²⁰But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith,

praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹keep yourselves in the love of God, anticipating
the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, into eternal life.
²²And on some you should have mercy, who are doubting; ²³others,
save like snatching them from the fire; and others, have the mercy with fear,
hating even the garment defiled by their flesh.
²⁴Now to Him who has the power to keep you from stumbling, and to
stand you in the presence of his glory blameless and exulting, ²⁵to the only
God our savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, to him be glory, majesty,
dominion and power, in all ages before, and now, and into all the ages to
come. Amen.
fakes, counterfeits.
Revelation
The
REVELATION
of John
Chapter 1
Prologue
¹The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him, to show to his
servants what things must soon take place, and which he communicated
when he sent it via his angel to his servant John, ²who has confirmed as the
word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, what all things1 he saw.2
³Blessed are the one reading and those listening to the words of this
prophecy, and keeping the things written herein, for the time is near.
⁴John, to the seven churches in Asia, grace to you, and peace, from
Him3 who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits
before his throne, ⁵and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,4 the firstborn
from the dead, and ruler over the kings of the earth. To him who loves us,
and freed5 us from our sins with6 his blood, ⁶and made us into a kingdom
of priests7 for his God and Father– to him be glory and power, for ever and
1
1:2a txt {A} omit ℵ A C P RP SBL TH NA28 {\} ‖ add "and" TR.
2
1:2b txt {A} omit ℵ A C P vg ith,ar syrph,h copsa eth TR RP NA28 {\} ‖ add: “both the things that
are and those that must take place after these things.” A.
3
1:4 txt ἀπὸ "from him" ¹⁸vid ℵ A C P ith vg syrph,h copsa Apr Prim Ps-Ambr SBL TH NA28 {\}
‖ ἀπὸ θεοῦ "from God": it(ar),t Vict Prim RP ‖ ἀπὸ τοῦ (genitive article) “from him” TR ‖ lac
1778. The TR reading is based on about eight late and unimportant mss. The first reading
preserves the formula for the divine name that had arisen from rabbinical exegesis of
Exodus 3:14 ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν (ℵ ‫ ְֹהיֶׁ ֶֹ֖ה‬ℵ ‫ ֶׁׁשִׁ֣ר‬ℵ‫)ֹהיֶׁ ֹה‬.
ְ
4
1:5a Or, "the faithful martyr." The Greek word translated witness here is martyr, and
there is good reason it came to have the connotation of one who is killed for his witness.
For that is what happened to Jesus Christ, and also to Antipas, mentioned later in this book
in 2:13, where he is also called a faithful witness/martyr.
5 1:5b txt {A} λύσαντι “freed” ¹⁸ ℵ A C (ith Prim soluit) vg-harl (syrph λύων) (ἔλυσεν syrh
arab) eth arm Andrew; Vict-Pett NA27 {A} ‖ λούσαντι P (ἔλουσεν vg copsa) itar,t vg Apr
Areth Beat TR RP. The "freed" reading is reminiscent of λέλυται αὐτῆς ἡ ἁμαρτία in Isaiah
40:2, and it fits better with the preposition ἐν, see other footnote on this verse.
6
1:5c This is a Hebraistic use of the preposition "en" meaning "with" in the sense of what
item or money you use to pay for something. For example, "I bought the camera with the
money you gave me." Jesus' blood was the thing of value exchanged for our freedom. This
use of this preposition is a pointer in favor of the "freed" reading versus the "washed"
reading, according to the Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament. That
copyists, not understanding this, thought that "washed in" made more sense than "freed
in."
7
1:6c See Mussies, G., "The Morphology of Koine Greek, as used in the Apocalypse of St.
John: A Study in Bilingualism," Leiden, Brill Academic Pub. Novum Testamentum , Suppl. 27
(1971), "This line, as Charles has pointed out, is a quotation from Symmachus' and
Theodotion's rather literal versions of Exodus 19:6, 'a kingdom of priests'. The LXX-version
has βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα (quoted in 1 Peter 2:9), and Aquila translated by βασιλείαν ἱερέων.
Editors should threfore not place a comma after βασιλείαν, as ἱερεῖς is not an apposition,
but represents a more grammatical ἱερέων." (genitive plural)
Revelation
ever. Amen.
⁷Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye shall see him,
including of those who pierced him. And all the peoples of the earth shall
beat their breasts over him.8 Let it be so, amen.
⁸"I am the Alpha and the Omega,"9 says the Lord God, "the one who is,
and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
Someone Like a Son of Man

⁹I, John, your brother and fellow in the oppression and kingdom and
endurance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of
God and the testimony of Jesus.10 11 ¹⁰I was in the Spirit during the Lord's
day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like of a trumpet, ¹¹saying, 12 "What
you see, write in a book, and send it to the seven churches– to Ephesus, and
to Smyrna, and to Pergamum, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to
Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."
¹²And I turned around to see the voice that was speaking with me.
And when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³and in among13 the
lampstands14 was someone like a son of man, 15 dressed in a cloak reaching
8 1:7 Daniel 7:13 ‫ ּוקְ דָּ מֹוהִׁ י הַ קְ ְרבּוהִׁ י‬,‫עַ תִׁ יק יֹומַ יָּא מְ טָּ ה‬-‫ָאתה הֲ ו ָּא; ו ְעַ ד‬
ֵׁ ‫ ְכבַר אֱ נָּש‬,‫עֲ נָּנֵׁי שְ מַ יָּא‬-‫ו ַאֲ רּו עִׁ ם‬.
Zechariah 12:10-14. The LXX wording in 12:12 is καὶ κόψεται ἡ γῆ κατὰ φυλὰς φυλάς..."And
the land [of Israel] will mourn tribe by tribe..." Hebrew:
‫נ ָָּּתן‬-‫מִׁ שְ פַ חַ ת בֵׁית‬--‫ ּונְשֵׁ יהֶ ם ְלבָּד‬,‫דָּ ו ִׁיד ְלבָּד‬-‫ מִׁ שְ פַ חַ ת בֵׁית‬:‫ מִׁ שְ פָּ חֹות מִׁ שְ פָּ חֹות ְלבָּד‬,‫ָארץ‬ ֶ ָּ‫ו ְסָּ פְ דָּ ה ה‬
‫ ּונְשֵׁ יהֶ ם ְלבָּד‬,‫ ְלבָּד‬.
http://www.mechon-mamre.org/c/ct/c2312.htm
9
1:8 txt {A} omit ℵ²a A C P ith syrph,h arm eth Epiphanius; Ambr Varimadum Prim RP NA27
{A} ‖ add ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος ℵ*,²b itar,t vg Andrew; Apr Beat TR ‖ lac copsa. All these variants
mean “the beginning and the end.” The longer phrase is present in 21:6 in all editions,
some with and some without the articles.
10
1:8 Or, “because of the witness about Jesus.”
11
1:9d txt {A} "Jesus" ℵ* A C P NA27 {\} ‖ "Jesus Christ" ℵ² TR RP.
12
1:11 txt λεγούσης "saying" ℵ* A C RP NA27 {\} ‖ λεγουσαν ℵ² pres act part sg fem ‖
λεγούσης, Ἐγὼ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ Ω, πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος· καὶ, "saying, 'I am the Alpha and the
Omega, the first and the last, and' " P ‖ λεγούσης, Ἐγὼ εἰμι τὸ Α καὶ τὸ Ω, ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ
ἔσχατος· καὶ, "saying, 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, and' " TR
13
1:13c If this were talking about the menora of Exodus chapter 25, then Tyndale's
rendering, "in the midst of the candlesticks" would be most accurate, since with the
menora there was only one lampstand, with 6 branches going out sideways, and one in the
middle. But if there are 7 free standing, separate, lampstands, a rendering like "in among
the lampstands" is better. In our context here, the 7 lampstands refer to the seven
churches of Asia Minor, Rev 1:20. Jesus "walks among the seven golden lampstands," Rev.
2:1. These lampstands are in jeopardy of being removed. Rev 2:5 says Jesus "will remove
your lampstand from its place, unless you repent." Therefore I conclude that these
lampstands are not the menora of Exodus.
14
1:13d txt {A} "lampstands" A C P ith syrph,h copsa Irenlat Cypr Vict Prisc TR-Erasmus 1,2,3
Aldus Colinaeus NA27 {\} ‖ "seven lampstands" ℵ vg TR-Steph RP
15
1:13a It is customary to render this phrase as “like a Son of Man,” so that it reminds the
reader of this phrase in the prophets Ezekiel and Daniel, etc. But it would be more accurate
to translate it "like a human," because that is what seems to be the emphasis here in
contrast to later given non-human traits. John first gives traits of him that are human, and
then he begins verse 14 with "but," and proceeds in the next several verses to tell us traits
Revelation
down to his feet, and gird around at the pecs 16 with a golden sash, ¹⁴except
his head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes
like flames of fire, ¹⁵and his feet like bronze as if made to glow in a furnace,
and his voice like the sound of many waters, ¹⁶and he was holding in his
right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth was coming a sharp two-edged
sword, and his face was like the sun shining in the strength of it.
¹⁷And when I saw him, I fell down by his feet as though dead. And he
placed his right hand on me, saying, "Do not fear. I am the First and the
Last, ¹⁸and the Living One, and I was dead, and behold, living for ever and
ever,17 and I have the keys of death and of Hades. 18
¹⁹"Write therefore what things you see and what things are now, and
also what things are about to take place after these things. ²⁰The mystery of
the seven stars which you see upon my right hand, and the seven golden
lampstands: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the
seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Chapter 2
To the Church in Ephesus
¹"To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write: 'These things says He
who grips the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven
golden lampstands: ²"I know your works, and your toil and endurance, and
how you are not able to tolerate evil people, and have put to the test those
who call themselves apostles and are not and have found them to be liars;
³and you have endurance, and have held up for the sake of my name, and
not become weary.
⁴“But I have against you that you have left your first love. ⁵Remember
therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do your first works;
otherwise I am coming to you19 and will remove your lampstand from its
place, unless you repent.
⁶“But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I
that are not human.

16
1:13e Literally, "breasts,"- mastoîs but that would be very unidiomatic for English, and it
essentially means chest, as in 15:6, where the seven angels also have a golden sash around
their chest, and there the Greek word used is stēthos, "chest." But I didn't want to translate
mastoîs as a singular word like chest, when the Greek is plural, so I used "pecs" which is
short for pectorals.
17
1:18a txt "and ever" ⁹⁸ ℵ* A C P NA27 {\} ‖ "and ever, amen" ℵ² TR RP.
18
1:18b txt κλεῖς τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τοῦ ᾅδου "keys of death and Hades" ℵ (A C) RP NA27 ‖
κλεῖδας τοῦ θανάτου καὶ τοῦ ᾅδου "keys of death and Hades" P ‖ κλεῖς τοῦ ᾅδου καὶ τοῦ
θανάτου "keys of Hades and death" TR.
19
2:5 txt σοι "to you" ℵ A C P vg syrph copsa arm AuctNov Hier Vict-Tun Apr Beat NA27 {\} ‖
σοι ταχύ "to you quickly" it(ar) vgmss syrh Augpt Prim RP ‖ σοι τάχει "to you quickly" ps-Ambr
TR ‖ omit both eth. The UBS textual commentary says that the manuscripts which have the
word ταχύ - tachu, "quickly," after "I am coming to you," possibly did it to conform this
verse to Rev. 2:16 and 3:11.
Revelation
also hate. ⁷He who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit is saying to
the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat from the tree of life,
which is in the paradise of God.
To the Church in Smyrna

⁸"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna, write: 'These things says
the First and the Last, who was dead and came alive again: ⁹'I know your
affliction and your poverty (but you are rich) and the blasphemy of those
claiming to be Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰Don't be
afraid of any of the things you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about
to throw some of you into prison, so that you may be tried, and you will
have affliction for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the
crown of life. ¹¹He who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit is saying
to the churches. He who overcomes will certainly not be harmed by the
second death.
To the Church in Pergamum

¹²"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum, write: 'These things
says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: ¹³I know where you live, 20
where Satan's throne is; yet you hold fast to my law and have not denied my
faith, even21 in the days of Antipas my faithful witness 22 who was put to
death near you, where Satan lives.
¹⁴“But I have a few things against you, that you have some there who
hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block
before the children of Israel, to eat idol sacrifices and to commit sexual
immorality. ¹⁵So also in the same way you have some who hold to the
teaching of the Nicolaitans.23 ¹⁶Repent therefore. Otherwise I am coming to
you soon, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
¹⁷“He who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit is saying to the
churches. He who overcomes, I will give to him from the hidden manna,
20
2:13a txt Ο δα ποῦ “I know where you live,” ℵ A C P latt syrph copsa eth Prim Jer Tyc2
Apring ps-Ambr NA28 {/} ‖ Ο δα τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ ποῦ “I know your works and where you
live,” syrh** TR RP ‖ lac ⁴³ ¹¹⁵.
21
2:13b txt και "even" ⁴³vid A C TR NA27 {\} ‖ omit ℵ P RP ‖ lac ¹¹⁵. The TR is with the
NA27 here, even though none of its source mss read so.
22
2:13e Exactly the same phrase used earlier in 1:5, about Jesus Christ himself, only now it is
Christ speaking about Antipas, and he adds the word "my"- my faithful martyr.
23
2:15b txt ὁμοίως ℵ A C syrph,h lat RP NA28 ‖ ὁμοίως ὅ μισῶ P ‖ que ego odi similiter lips ‖ ὅ
μισῶ ƒ052 TR ‖ omit copsa eth Vict. Aprvid ‖ lac ¹¹⁵ 051 2062. The group of manuscripts ƒ052 is
descended from an ancient uncial that predates ℵ, so here we have essentially four variants, with the
first two probably the underlying earliest branches: ὁμοίως (A), ὅ μισῶ (ƒ052), and then the
conflation of the two, and omission. I think that the addition of ὅ μισῶ was from scribes
thinking of 2:6, and that ὁμοίως is the original text. The omission however, also commends
itself as a possibility.
Revelation
and I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name is
written, which no one knows except the one receiving it.
To the Church in Thyatira

¹⁸"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira, write: 'These things says
the Son of God, he who has his eyes like flames of fire and his feet like
glowing bronze: ¹⁹I know your works and love and faith and service, and
your perseverance, how your last works are greater than your first. 24
²⁰“But I have against you25 that you tolerate that woman26 Jezebel, who
calls herself a prophetess and teaches, and leads my servants astray, to
commit sexual immorality and to eat things sacrificed to idols. ²¹And I have
given her time to repent, and she is not willing to repent of her sexual
immorality. ²²Behold, I am casting her onto a bed, along with the ones
committing adultery with her, for an affliction of great magnitude, unless
they repent of her works.27 ²³And her children I will destroy in death; and
all the churches will know that I am He who searches minds 28 and hearts,
and that I will pay to each of you according to your works.
²⁴“And to the rest of you in Thyatira I say, as many as do not hold to
these teachings– the ones29 who have not known 'the deep things of Satan,'
24
2:19 The five traits in this list are not stated as one clause, but two clauses. The trait
perseverance is set apart into a separate phrase and new train of thought by the possessive
pronoun “sou” appearing with it again after it not being present with the previous three
traits. Then the καί following it is meant to connect the next phrase with it in a Semitic
“and” of explanation, where better Greek would have used a different word such as ὁτι,
that is, “and I know your perseverance, how your last works are greater than your first.”
There are several, and possibly many, other examples of this in the apocalypse.
25
2:20b txt {A} "I have against you" A C P itar copsa arm Tert Ps-Ambr RP NA27 {\} ‖ "I very
much have something against you" ℵ syrph arm4 ‖ "I have a few things against you" vgcl
(arab) Haymo TR ‖ "I have many things against you" Prim Cypr Ambr. The TR reading has
no Greek manuscript support (other than ms. 2049, which is a handwritten copy made from
the TR itself, so does not count).
26
2:20c txt {A} “that woman,” ℵ C P itar,t vg copsa arm eth Epiph Andrew; Tert Ambrosiast
Tyc Beat Haymo TR NA27 {B} ‖ “your woman / your wife,” (A add τήν) syrph,h arm Cypr Prim
Andr Areth RP. The editorial committee of the UBS Greek New Testament says that the
reading with σου “appears to be the result of scribal confusion arising from the presence of
several instances of σου in verses 19 and 20.” There are four instances of σου in the 1 1/2
verses preceding, to be exact.
27
2:22 txt "her works," ℵ C P vgww,st copsa eth arm4 Tert. Cypr. Prim. Tyc. Beat. Andrew
Haymo Areth. RP ΝΑ27 {A} ‖ "their works," A itar,t vgcl syrph,h arm Andrew; Cypr. Ambr. Apr.
Prim. ΤR ‖ omit mss ps-Ambr.
28
2:23 The Greek says nefroùs, kidneys. Different languages and cultures use varying body
parts for designating the seat of desire and affection. This use of "kidneys" isn't any less
reasonable than how we use the heart for some things. The heart of course is really just a
muscle. The tribe I was raised with in Papua New Guinea used several body organs. They
would say, "God cleansed my stomach, and came in to live in my liver." This use of the
kidneys came from the Hebrew culture, and the King James Version and older English
translations render it "reins." (When you look at a picture in a medical book of the tubes
coming down from the kidneys to the bladder, it does look like reins on a horse.) And
according to Diodorus, the kidneys and the heart were the only organs left in the body
cavity by Egyptian embalmers. See also Jeremiah 11:20; 17:10; 20:12.
29
2:24 The Textus Receptus is very faulty in this verse; it adds two instances of the Greek
Revelation
as they say, I am not laying any further burden upon you. ²⁵Except what
things you have, hold on to them until I come. ²⁶And he who overcomes
and keeps my works to the end, I will give him authority over the nations,
²⁷and he will rule them with a rod of iron, shattering them to pieces like pots
of clay, ²⁸even as I also have received from my Father;30 and I will give to
him the morning star.
²⁹“He who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit is saying to the
churches."
Chapter 3
To the Church in Sardis
¹"And to the angel of the church in Sardis, write: 'These things says He
who has the seven spirits31 of God and the seven stars: "I know your works,
how you have the name that you are living, and you are dead. ²Be watchful,
and strengthen the things that remain, which are about to die. 32 For I have
not found your works complete before my God. 33 ³Remember therefore
how you received and how you heard, and maintain that, and repent. Now
then, if you are not watchful, I will come like a thief, and you will not know
at what hour I will come upon you.
⁴“But you do have a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their
garments, and they will walk with me in white,34 because they are worthy.
⁵He who overcomes in this way35 shall be dressed in garments of white, and
I will never wipe his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his
name before my Father and before his angels. ⁶He who has an ear should
listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches."
word καί, "and," which are not in the Greek manuscripts. Thus the KJV erroneously reads
the extra "and"s.
30
2:28 Jesus is saying that he will give to us who overcome, the same authority that he
himself has been given according to Psalm 2:9. See also Psalm 149:4-9.
31
3:1 txt ἑπτὰ πνεύματα (seven spirits) Colinaeus Elzevir Scriv-1894-TR AT RP NA28 {\} ‖
πνεύματα (spirits) Erasmus Aldus Stephens-1550-TR
32
3:2 txt {A} "which were/are about to die" ℵ A C P itar,t vg syrh copsa TR NA27 {\} ‖
"otherwise you will die" arm1 ‖ "which you were about to throw away" (syrph ) RP. The
readings in support of the "throw away" reading are very variable from each other. There
are a large number of other variants in the late minuscules. The exact TR reading is not
attested. But the TR reading is in agreement in essential meaning with the NA27. Hoskier
declares that no ancient version shows awareness of any "throw" variant, but only of "die"
variants. It should also be noted that there is no majority reading. This passage and its
variants hark back to John 15, and the vine and the branches. See endnote of my longer
edition for full apparatus.
33
3:2c txt θεοῦ μου (my God) ℵ A C P 046 ƒ052 922 1006 1611 1828 1841 2040 2050 2053 2329
rell. Grk. AT RP NA28 {/} ‖ θεοῦ (God) 1352 2038 2060 2286 2302 2595 TR ‖ lac 051 1918 2022
2030 2032 2062 2091 2256.
34
3:4 Or “in brightness.” Compare Daniel 12:3; Mark 9:3; Matt. 28:3; Luke 9:29; I Timothy
6:16;
35
3:5 txt {A} "he who overcomes in this way" ℵ* A C itar,t vg syrph,h copsa arm eth Prim NA27
{B} ‖ "he who overcomes, this one" ℵ² P Andr TR RP.
Revelation
To the Church in Philadelphia

⁷"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write: ‘These things
says the Holy One, the True One, the one holding the key of David, who
opens and no one closes, and closes and no one opens: 36 ⁸‘I know your
works, (behold, before you I have provided an open door, which 37 no one is
able to close) how you have little power, yet have kept my word, and have
not denied my name.
⁹“Behold I will bring of the synagogue of Satan, of those claiming to be

Jews and are not, but are lying; behold, I will make them such that they will
come and fall down before your feet and know that I have loved you.
¹⁰“Because you have kept my word about endurance, I also will keep
you from the hour of trial which is about to come upon the whole inhabited
earth, to try those dwelling on the earth.
¹¹“I am coming soon. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one takes
away your reward. ¹²He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the
temple of my God, and he will never depart outside anymore, and I will
write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the
New Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God, and
also my new name.
¹³“He who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit is saying to the
churches.
To the Church in Laodicea

¹⁴"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea, write, ‘These things says
the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of
God: ¹⁵'I know your works, that you are neither hot nor cold.38 I would
rather you were either hot or cold. ¹⁶Thus, because you are lukewarm, and
neither hot nor cold, I am about to spew you out of my mouth.
36
3:7 txt "who opens and no one closes, and closes and no one opens" arm TR ‖ "who opens
and no one closes; who closes and no one opens" syrph ‖ "who opens and no one will close,
and who closes and no one opens" P NA27 ‖ "who opens and no one will close; who closes
and no one opens" A ‖ "who opens and no one will close, and who closes and not one
opens" C ‖ "who opens and no one will close; who closes and there is no one for the
opening" 1778 2080 ‖ "who opens and no one will close, and who closes and there is no one
for the opening" 1678 ‖ "who opens and no one will close it except he who opens, and there
is no one for the opening" RP ‖ "If he should open there is not any who will be able to shut;
if he should shut there is not any who will be able to open" copsa. The word I translated "for
the opening" is ἀνοίξει, a noun; the dative singular form of ἄνοιξις. This word ἄνοιξις
means "an opening" or, "the act of opening." It is also used in Ephesians 6:19, but here it
would be strange and awkward (but cf. Sahidic).
37
3:8 txt "which" all other Gr. Mss. syr RP NA27 {\} ‖ "and" 1611 1894 2028 2029 2033 2037
2046 [2049] 2052 2054 2083 2186 2814 TR ‖ lac 051 1918 2022 2030 2032 2062 2091 2256.
38
3:15 The Greek says "cold or hot." But that is not idiomatic in English. In English we
always say "hot or cold."
Revelation
¹⁷"Because you say 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and have need of
nothing,' and do not know that you are wretched and pitiful and poor and
blind and naked, ¹⁸I counsel you to purchase from me gold purified by fire
so you will be rich, and white garments so you will be clothed and your
shameful nakedness not exposed, and salve to anoint your eyes so you will
see. ¹⁹All whom I love, I punish and discipline. Be zealous therefore, and
repent.
²⁰"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with me. 39
²¹To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne, just as I
also overcame and sat with my Father on his throne. ²²He who has an ear
should listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”
Chapter 4
The Throne in Heaven
¹After these things I looked, and behold, an open door in heaven, and a
voice speaking with me, the voice like a trumpet I had heard at first; and it
was saying, "Come up here, and I will show you what things must take
place after this." ²Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, there was
situated in heaven a throne, and on the throne someone sitting. ³And the
one sitting was like40 jasper stone and carnelian41 in appearance. And an
aura42 encircles the throne, like emerald in appearance. ⁴And in a circle
39
3:20 This sounds like the same man who wrote the gospel of John. Compare John
14:3,20,23; 15:4
40
4:3a txt {B} "and the one sitting was like" ℵ A P itar,t vg syrph arm TR NA27 {\} ‖ "and the
one sitting upon the throne like" 0169 copsa ‖ "and the one sitting on it was like" eth ‖ "and
the one sitting upon the throne" ‖ "like" RP ‖ lac C. There is a passage in Ezekiel containing
many similarities to this passage, Ezekiel 1:26-28, and there the throne is described as
looking like stones similar to here. One wonders if some copyists conformed this passage
to the one in Ezekiel. It seems more appropriate to describe a throne in terms of stones
rather than a person. Yet the one seated is not human. So was the situation instead that
some copyists were trying to clarify that it was the one sitting that was like that in
appearance. At any rate, the stone carnelian is flesh-colored. One could understand either
reading as referring to the one sitting. On the one hand, the rule of "lectio brevior lectio
potior" favors the shorter reading here. The shorter reading makes fine sense, by simply
putting a comma between verses 2 and 3. It seems reasonable that the longer reading is an
added explanatory phrase. On the other hand, the seeming redundancy of the NA27
reading, after v. 2 having just said, “someone sitting” already, is very Johannine in style.
41
4:3b Greek, sárdion. Some also render this as Sardius. The English word carnelian is
derived from the Latin root carn, from which we get carnal and carnivore and carne, and was
named that because the stone was flesh-colored. The Oxford dictionary defines carnelian
as a flesh-colored, deep red, or reddish-white variety of chalcedony.
42
4:3c This is from the Greek word îris, which can mean rainbow or halo. Webster's second
definition of aura is: "a luminous radiation: Nimbus." I didn't like rainbow, since the
rainbow by definition includes the whole spectrum of colors, whereas this phenomenon is
only green. Halo is possibly suitable; it's just that the English reader is accustomed to it
being only something around the heads of holy people or saints in art. But halo is also used
in astronomy.
Revelation
around the throne are twenty-four thrones, and on those thrones,43 twenty-
four elders44 dressed in white,45 and on their heads crowns of gold. ⁵And
from the throne come flashes and sounds and thunderings.46 And there are
seven flaming torches burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits
of God, ⁶and in front of the throne is like a sea of glass, like crystal.
And in between the throne and the circle around the throne are four
living beings,47 full of eyes, front and back. ⁷And the first being is like a
lion, and the second being like an ox, and the third being has a human face,
and the fourth being is like an eagle in flight. ⁸And the four beings, every
one of them has six wings each, which are covered completely around with
eyes, even inward. And they take no rest day or night, continually saying,
"Holy, holy, holy48 is the Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who
is to come." ⁹And whenever the beings give glory and honor and thanks to
the one sitting on the throne, to him who lives for ever and ever, ¹⁰the
twenty-four elders will fall down before him who sits on the throne, and
worship him who lives for ever and ever, and they will place their crowns
before the throne, saying, ¹¹"You are worthy, our Lord and our God, to
receive glory and honor and power, for you49 created all things, and for
your purpose they exist50 and were created."
43
4:4 txt {A} "thrones" A P itar vg syrph,h copsa eth arm RP NA27 {\} ‖ "thrones, I saw" TR ‖
omit ℵ ‖ lac C.
44
4:4d Are the 24 elders like those of 1 Chronicles 24:7-18, or are they the 12 apostles of the
Lamb, plus the 12 patriarchs of Israel?
45
4:4e txt {C} ἐν λευκοῖς "in white" ℵ DP ‖ ἱματίοις λευκοῖς "in white garments" A P WH RC ‖
ἐν ἱματίοις λευκοῖς "in white garments" NA27 {\} ‖ lac C. I agree with Hoskier that the
reading of Sinaiticus et al. may be original.
46
4:5 Many phrase this as "flashes of lightning and peals of thunder." Compare Exodus
19:16
47
4:6 The Greek word rendered "living being" is zōion, which is defined in the BAGD lexicon
as follows: "Living thing or being, to denote beings that are not human and yet not really
animals of the usual kind."
48
4:8d txt {A} “holy” 3 times ℵ² A P vg syrph,h copsa arm eth Ephr Tert Prim Fulg Vict Apr
Beat TR AT RP NA27 {\} ‖ “holy” 9 times HF P ‖ “holy” 8 times ℵ* ‖ “holy” 7 times Oeccom ‖
lac C 051 2030 2062. There are also scattered, minuscules that read “holy” 1 time, 2 times, 4
times, 6 times. Wilbur Pickering says “The manuscript evidence is badly divided here, but I
take it that two of the three main lines of independent transmission, including the best
one, have “holy” nine times, instead of three. Surely it is more likely that ‘nine’ would be
changed to ‘three’ than vice versa. In fact, try reading “holy” nine tines in a row out loud—
it starts to get uncomfortable! Since in the context the living ones are repeating themselves
endlessly, the “nine’ is both appropriate and effective. Three ‘holies’ for each member of
the Trinity.”
49
4:11a The use of the pronoun "su" makes that fact that he is the one, emphatic.
50
4:11b txt {D} "exist" (pres) P (syrh) copsa eth Andr TR ‖ "were" (imperf) ℵ A itar,t vg syrph
Aprmssacc to Prm Beat ps-Ambr RP NA27 {A} ‖ egenonto (aor mid) arm ‖ omit "exist(ed) and"
Varim Fulgent Prim ‖ lac C.
Revelation
Chapter 5
Who is Worthy to Open the Scroll?
¹And I saw upon the right hand of the one sitting on the throne a scroll,
written on, inside and back,51 sealed up with seven seals. ²And I saw a
powerful angel, heralding in a loud voice: "Who is worthy to open the scroll,
and to break the seals of it?"
³And no one was able, not in heaven nor on the earth nor under the
earth, to open the scroll, or even to look at it. ⁴And I was weeping greatly,
that no one worthy was found, to open the scroll, or even to look at it.
⁵Then one of the elders is saying to me, "Do not weep. Look, the Lion of the
tribe of Judah, the Root of David, he has overcome, so as to open the scroll
and the seven seals of it."
⁶And I saw in between the throne and the four living beings and the
elders, a lamb, postured as though slain, having seven horns and seven
eyes, which are the [seven] spirits52 of God sent forth into all the earth. 53
⁷And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of the One sitting on
the throne. ⁸And when he had taken the scroll, the four living beings and
the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a lyre54
and a golden bowl filled with incenses, which are the prayers of the saints,
⁹and they began singing a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take
the scroll, and to open the seals of it, because you were slain, and thereby
purchased some55 for God with your blood out of every tribe and language
51
5:1 txt {C} ἔσωθεν καὶ ὄπισθεν "inside and back" A syrh Origen¼ Cyp Cass TR NA27 {\} ‖
ἔσωθεν καὶ ἔξωθεν "inside and outside" P itar vg syrph arm eth Hipp Orig¼ Vict-Pett Apr
Beat Aphraates Hil Oec Prim Ps-Ambr RP ‖ ἔμπροσθεν καὶ τὰ ὄπισθεν "front and back" ℵ
copsa Origen2/4 (conformed to Septuagint Ezekiel 2:10) ‖ lac C. The UBS textual commentary
says that after codices came to be used, the terminology for scrolls seemed strange, thus
the later change to the Majority Text reading. Here is an example that may show how
Codex A contains an older text in Revelation.
52
5:6a txt "seven spirits" ²⁴ ℵ vgcl syrph,h copsa arm Irenlat Clementvid Hipp Cyp Maternus
Tyc Gregory-Elvira Fulg Prim Beat TR RP [NA27] {C} ‖ "spirits" A Pvid itar vgww,harl eth Irenarm
Apr Andrewbav ‖ lac C.
53
5:6b Zechariah 4:10
54
5:8 The Greek word is "kithara," which with that era's pronunciation would sound to us as
"gitarra," like the Spanish word for guitar. The Online Encyclopedia Britannica defines it as
follows: "Large lyre of Classical antiquity, the principal stringed instrument of the Greeks
and later of the Romans. It had a box-shaped resonating body from which extended two
parallel arms connected by a crossbar to which 3–12 strings were attached. It was held
vertically and plucked with a plectrum; the left hand was used to stop and damp the
strings. It was played by singers of the Greek epics, as well as by later professional
accompanists and soloists." The lyre was an intermediate transition step from the harp to
the guitar and viol which have finger boards. The English word "harp" is no more accurate
a rendering here than guitar, since a harp today is usually a 6 foot tall instrument mainly
used with orchestras, whereas a guitar is a portable, personal instrument, more like here in
Revelation than is a harp.
55
5:9 variants in part:
1.) purchased for God
2.) purchased for God us
3.) purchased us
Revelation
and people and nation!" ¹⁰"And you made them 56 into a kingdom and
priesthood for our God, and they 57 will reign on the earth."
¹¹And I looked, and I heard 58 the voices of many angels encircled
around the throne, and of the living beings and of the elders, and the
number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands upon
thousands, ¹²saying with a very great voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was
slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and
glory and blessing!"
¹³And every creature that was in heaven, and on the earth, and under
the earth, and in the sea, and all the things that were in them, I heard saying,
4.) purchased us for God

5.) purchased us for God our
6.) missing/defective here
1.) txt A eth Lach Tisch Weiss WH Charles SBL NA28 {A}
2.) ℵ 046 ƒ052 1006 1611 1841 2040 2053 2329 copbo? Andrewa,p Areth Treg Von Soden Vog
Bov [Merk] TR RP TH
3.) 2065txt [has τ θε in mg.] 2186 2814 vg-harl arm¹ Irenaeuslatvid Cyprian Fulg Erasmus¹
² ³ Aldus Colinaeus
4.) 922 1828 2050 2344 itar,gig vg syrph,h copbo? arm Hipp; Cypr Maternus Aug Varim
Fulgentius Prim Beat
5.) (copsa) arm³ see 5:10
6.) lac: ¹¹⁵ C P?. The TR reading in v. 10 of "us" and "we will reign" is supported by only a
few late Greek manuscripts. According to the UBS Textual Commentary, the reading of
Codex A and the Ethiopic best explains the origin of the others: copyists wanted to supply
an object for the verb. But when they added the ἡμᾶς, "us," they created a conflict with v.
10 where it says "you have made αὐτοὺς - "them" into a kingdom and priests, and
βασιλεύσουσιν "they" will reign. As the text stands in the/RP editions, it at first seems you
have the 24 elders saying they themselves were purchased by His blood, but then in v. 10
they exclude themselves from the group that will reign on the earth. But it is likely that
the 24 elders will indeed be among those who reign on the earth, since they sit on 24
thrones and have golden crowns. Whereas, when you have the elders word it as in the
NA27, they can be including themselves in the "some" who were purchased and will reign.
However, Dr. Maurice A. Robinson says the solution probably lies in the fact that there are
multiple groups who are singing this song, and they are taking turns singing different
parts; i.e., the Elders sing the “us” part, and the Four Living Beings sing the “them” part.
(See endnote in my longer edition for Dr. Robinson’s exact words.) The idea of a two-part
responsive praise was (perhaps) first put forward by Moses Stuart in 1845.
https://archive.org/details/commentaryonapoc02stua Apocalypse 5:9-10 comments p. 134
Responsive praise. Moses Stuart “A Commentary on the Apocalypse Volume 2” Andover,
New York 1845. H. C. Hoskier explains the omission of ἡμᾶς in Codex A as follows: "the
word was ‘lost’ in the transition from one column to the next." (You can view the pertinent
page of Codex A for yourself at the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts,
find Codex A, Codex Alexandrinus, MS. nr. GA_02.) But since Revelation says Christ himself
will reign on the earth (11:15; 20:6), the idea that the 24 elders will not reign on the earth is
preposterous. Their 24 thrones surround the throne of the Lamb, and they will reign with
Him on the earth. The New Jerusalem will be on the earth. That city has 12 foundations,
and 12 gates, with the names of the 12 apostles and 12 tribes respectively; thus a total of 24
elders.
56
5:10a txt "them" (ALL Greek mss but 792, 2436) RP NA27 {\} ‖ "us" (792 but following
"they reign") 2436 itar,t vg copsa arm 1,3 Prim. Tyc. TR ‖ lac C P 051 1384 1854homoiotel. 2030
2062 2329. The cursives 296, 2049, 2066 do have “us” like the Textus Receptus, but that is
because they are handwritten copies OF the Textus Receptus itself, so they don’t count as
Greek witnesses to the Textus Receptus.
57
5:10b txt "they will reign" ℵ P copsa syrph arm4 Hipp. Cyp. Fulg RP NA27 {\} ‖ "they reign"
A syrh ‖ "we will reign" vg arm Prim. TR ‖ infinitive arm α. ‖ omit ps-Ambr ‖ lac C. Mss.
58
5:11 txt {A} "heard" A P itar,t vg eth Cass½ TR NA27 {\} ‖ "listened as" ℵ syrph,h copsa Cass½
Fulg RP ‖ lac C.
Revelation
"Blessing and honor, glory and power, be to Him who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb, for ever and ever!" 59
¹⁴And the four beings were saying "Amen." 60 And the elders fell down
and worshiped.61
Chapter 6
The Seven Seals
¹And I watched as62 the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. And I
heard one of the four living beings saying in a thunderous voice, "Come." 63
²And I looked, and behold, a white horse, and the one sitting on it holding a
bow, and to him was given a crown, and he went out conquering and to
conquer.
³And when the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the voice of the
second being saying, "Come." ⁴And another horse came, a red one, and the
one sitting on it, to him the order was given to take peace away from the
earth, that is, so that they slaughter one another. And to him was given a
large sword.
59
5:13d txt {A} omit ℵ A P itar vg syrph,h copsa Prim TR NA27 {\} ‖ add “Amen.” eth Tert Ps-
Ambr RP ‖ lac C. This variant is related to the following footnote. It looks like the word
Ἀμήν here was a later addition, and then when copyists or editors realized that v. 14, where
it said the four living beings were saying Amen, that that was redundant, since v. 13 already
said, “every creature in heaven, etc.” said Amen, they then made the v. 14 modifications to
the verb, and / or added the article, as, “το αμην.” See endnote with full collation of this
variant in combination with the next one, in my edition of Revelation that includes the
Greek text, http://bibletranslation.ws/trans/revwgrk.pdf
60
5:14a txt ζωα ελεγον αμην ℵ A P TR AT NA28 {\} ‖ ζωα οι λεγουσιν αμην syrph ‖ ζωα
ελεγον το αμην copsa¼ ‖ ζωα λεγοντα το αμην BG RP ‖ ζωα λεγουσιν το αμην copsa¾ ‖ lac C
051 2062. See endnote in http://bibletranslation.ws/trans/revwgrk.pdf with full collation of
this variant in combination with the previous one.
61
5:14 txt omit (all Greek manuscripts except 2045*) syrph,h copsa arm eth Apr ps-Ambr Cass
RP NA27 {\} ‖ add ζῶντι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων “the one living for ever and ever”
2045* vg Primasius Haymo TR ‖ lac C 051 88 1384 1704 2022 2030 2062 2078 2091. Note:
Hoskier indacates that manuscripts 57 and 141 read with the TR. These are 16th cent.
manuscripts now called Gregory MSS. 296 and 2049. These are not Greek manuscipts in the
normal sense, because they are handwritten copies of printed editions. In other words,
they do not bolster the Textus Receptus as sources for the Textus Receptus, because they
ARE the Textus Receptus. See where Hoskier states this in Text Volume 2, p. 156, lines
26,27, where he says "Negl. 57 et 141 ex ed. typ. exscripti." (This means, "Disregard 57 and
141 since they are handwritten copies of printed editions.") So yes, only one Greek
manuscript reads with the TR here. “Manuscript” means “hand written.” If we are going
to say that 57 and 151 are Greek manuscripts, then someone could fairly make 10,000
handwritten copies of the Nestle-Aland 27th edition New Testament, and then claim that
the NA27 is the majority text.
62
6:1 txt {A} "watched as" ℵ A C P syrph,h () arm (arab) ps-Ambr Beat TR NA27 {\} ‖ “saw
that" vg RP ‖ “and then the Lamb uncovered” eth ‖ omit copsa. Hoskier points out that
everywhere else in this chapter, verses 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12, ὅτε - “when / as,” is written.
63
6:1-2 txt {A} “’Come.’” 2 And I looked, and behold” A C P vgww,st arm Andrew NA27 {\} ‖
“’Come.’ 2 I looked, and behold” copsa ‖ “’Come.’ 2 And I looked. Behold” ‖ “’Come and
see.’ 2 And behold” (itar) vgmss Vict-Pett Prim Beat RP ‖ “’Come and see.’ 2 And I looked
and behold ℵ vgcl syrhwith* TR ‖ “’Come and see.’ 2 And I looked. Behold” eth ‖ “’Come and
see.’ 2 And I listened and looked, and behold” syrph ‖ lac 051.
Revelation
⁵And when the third seal was opened, I heard the voice of the third
being saying, "Come." And I looked,64 and behold, a black horse, and the
one sitting on it holding a pair of scales in his hands. ⁶And I heard a voice
as if65 in the midst of the four living beings, saying, "A quart of wheat for a
day's wage, or three barley loaves 66 for a day's wage. And don't you
damage the oil or wine."
⁷And when the fourth seal was opened, I heard the voice of the fourth
being saying, "Come."67 ⁸And I looked, and behold, a pale green horse, and
the one who is sitting on68 it, his name is Death, and Hades is trailing after
him;69 and authority is given them 70 over one fourth of the earth, to kill
them with war, and famine, and death, and by the wild animals of the earth.
⁹And when the fifth seal was opened, I saw beneath the altar, the souls
of those slain for the word of God and for the witness 71 that they were
bearing. ¹⁰And they cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Until when, O
Master, holy and true, are you refraining from adjudicating and avenging
our blood from those who dwell on the earth?"
¹¹And they were given each a white robe, and it was prescribed for them
that they would take rest a little while longer, until the number of their
fellow-servants and brethren was also complete, those about to be killed
even as they.
64
6:5 txt {A} “I looked” ¹¹⁵ A C P vgww,st eth Andr NA27 {B} ‖ “see.” itar vgcl (eth) (Prim)
(Beat) Areth RP ‖ “see. And I looked” (Prim) (Beat) Vict. Tyc ps-Ambr TR ‖ “see. And I
looked” ℵ syrh ‖ ὅτι ἔρχομαι arm ‖ arm4 “it has come” ‖ omit syrph copsa ‖ lac ²⁴. Note that
Sinaiticus and the TR conflate the two main streams.
65
6:6 txt ὡς φωνὴν “as if a voice” ℵ A C P vg SBL NA28 {/} ‖ φωνὴν “a voice” syr cop Prim
Bea TR RP ‖ lac ²⁴ ¹¹⁵ 051
66
6:6b txt κριθῶν (pl) ℵ A C P syrh copsa½ SBL NA28 {/} ‖ κριθῆς (sg) syrph copsa½ TR RP ‖ lac
²⁴ ¹¹⁵ 051
67
6:7-8 txt {A} “'Come.' And I looked, and behold,” ²⁴vid A P vgww,st syrph cop(sa) arm Andr
NA27 {B} ‖ “'Come.' I looked, and behold,” C ‖ “'Come and see.' And behold,” vgcl syrhc (eth)
Prim Beat RP ‖ “'Come and see.' And I looked, and behold,” ℵ itar TR. The UBS4 apparatus
has a “vid” after Codex A, but the Münster online apparatus is more current, and it is
certain of the reading. I have looked at the online image of Codex A, and I am certain of the
reading.
68
6:8b The preposition "on" is different with this rider than the first three. When you read
this version of the prepositional phrase out loud, this one has a more grave sound to it. It is
longer and more spelled out.
69
6:8c txt ακολουθει μετ’ αυτου “is following after him” copsa Vic TR ‖ ακολουθει οπισω
αυτου “is following after him” syrh ‖ ηκολουθει μετ’ αυτου “was following after him” A C P
SBL NA28 {/} ‖ ηκολουθει αυτω “was following him” ℵ lat RP ‖ ακολουθει αυτω “is
following him” syrph ‖ lac ²⁴ 051
70
6:8c txt "to them" ℵ A C P TR NA27 {\} ‖ "to him" lat syr copsa eth RP ‖ lac ²⁴.
71
6:9 txt omit ℵ A C P latt copsa TR SBL NA28 {/} +του αρνιου “of the Lamb” syrhmg arm3 RP ‖
+ιησου “of Jesus” syrph Beat ‖ +ιησου χριστου “of Jesus Christ” F* ‖ +αυτου “his” arm4a ‖ lac
051
Revelation
The Sixth Seal

¹²And I watched as he opened the sixth seal, and a mighty earthquake
took place, and the sun became black like animal hair sack-cloth, and the
full moon became like blood, ¹³and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a
fig tree shaken by a strong wind casts its unripe figs, ¹⁴and the sky retreated
like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed
from its place.
¹⁵And the kings of the earth, and the great and the generals and the rich
and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in caverns,
and among the rocks of the mountains, ¹⁶and they are saying to the
mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of the One
sitting on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; ¹⁷for the great day of
their wrath has come, and who will be able to stand?"72
Chapter 7
The 144,000 Sealed
¹After this 73 I saw four angels standing at the four points of the earth,
holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow upon
the earth, or upon the sea or upon any tree.
²And I saw another angel rising up from the east, holding the seal of
the living God, and he cried out in a very great voice toward the four angels
to whom the orders had been given to harm the earth and the sea, ³saying,
"Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the
servants of our God on their foreheads."
⁴And I heard the number of the ones sealed, 144,000, sealed from every
tribe of the sons of Israel: ⁵from the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were
sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad
twelve thousand, ⁶from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe
of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh 74 twelve thousand,
⁷from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve
thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, ⁸from the tribe of
Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, from
72
6:17 Malachi 3:2, “But who can abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he
appears?” “Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of
Yahweh's wrath.” –Zephaniah 1:18. Zephaniah also tells how it is you can hide from
Yahweh’s anger, in 2:3- “Seek ye Yahweh, all ye meek of the earth, that have kept his
ordinances; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye will be hid in the day of
Yahweh's anger.” Jesus said the meek shall inherit the earth.
73
7:1 txt "after this" A C itar vg syrhmg arm ΝΑ27 {\} ‖ "and after this" ℵ syrph Beatus RP ‖ "and
after these things" P [syrh** (καὶ)] TR.
74
7:6 Note that Joseph is represented here twice, as his own name in verse 8 and as his son
Manasseh here in verse 6. Israel only had 12 sons, so if Joseph is here twice, that means
that one of the other sons of Israel is missing. Dan is missing. See my endnote at the end of
this document which explains this.
Revelation
the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.
The Multitude out of the Tribulation

⁹After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no
one could count, from every nation and tribe and people and language,
standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, and
palm branches in their hands; ¹⁰and they are shouting out with a loud voice,
saying, "Salvation is with our God who sits on the throne, and with the
Lamb!"
¹¹And all the angels had stood in a circle around the throne and around
the elders and the four living beings, and they fell on their faces before the
throne and worshiped God, ¹²saying, "Amen. Blessing and glory and
wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for
ever and ever. Amen."
¹³And one of the elders responded saying to me, "These wearing the
white robes, who are they, and where did they come from?"
¹⁴And I spoke75 to him, "My lord, you know."
And he said to me, "These are those coming out of the great tribulation,
and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb. ¹⁵Because of this they are before the throne of God, and they serve
him day and night in his temple, and the One sitting on the throne will
spread his tent over them. ¹⁶No longer will they hunger, neither will they
thirst any more, nor will the sun attack them nor any scorching heat. ¹⁷For
the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them, and he will
lead them to the springs of the waters of life; and God will wipe away every
tear from their eyes."76
Chapter 8
The 7th Seal: the Seven Trumpets
¹And when he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for
about half an hour. ²And I saw the seven angels which stand before God,
and seven trumpets were given to them. ³And another angel came and
stood at the altar, holding a golden censer, and many incenses were given to
him so that he might present the prayers of all the saints at the golden altar
which is before the throne. ⁴And the smoke of the incenses went up before
God from the hand of the angel mingled with the prayers of the saints.
⁵And the angel took the censer and filled it with the burning incense, and he
hurled it to the earth; and there came rumblings and voices and peals of
75
7:14 This is the first time John speaks. He has been spoken to many times before this, but
he had not responded verbally until now.
76
7:16-17 Isaiah 49:10, 13; Isaiah 25:8
Revelation
thunder, and an earthquake. ⁶And the seven angels who had the seven
trumpets readied themselves to play.
⁷And the first one sounded his trumpet; and there came hail and fire
mixed with blood, and it was rained on the earth. And one third of the
earth was burned up,77 and one third of the trees were burned up, and all
the green grass was burned up.
⁸And the second angel sounded his trumpet; and something like a
huge mountain burning with fire78 was hurled into the sea. And one third
of the sea was turned to blood, ⁹and one third of the creatures that have
lives79 in the sea died, and one third of the ships were destroyed.
¹⁰And the third angel sounded his trumpet; and a huge star fell from
heaven, burning like a lamp, and it fell on a third of the rivers, and on the
sources of the waters. ¹¹And the name of the star means "Wormwood." And
a third of the waters were turned into bitterness, and many of the people
died from the waters because they were made bitter.
77
8:7 txt καὶ τὸ τρίτον τῆς γῆς κατεκάη “and one third of the earth will be burned up” ℵ A P
+all other Greek mss. ith syrph,h copsa armβ Prim Beat Tyc1 AT BG RP SBL NA28 {/} ‖ omit 1854
2061 2814 TR ‖ lac C 051 88 1384 2022 2030 2050 2052 2062 2091. Will one third of the earth
be burned up or not? This is a variant between Bible versions based on the Textus
Receptus, and all others. The Textus Receptus and the King James Version omit the first of
the three phrases below, which means, “and one third of the earth will be burned up.”
καὶ τὸ τρίτον τῆς γῆς κατεκάη

καὶ τὸ τρίτον τῶν δένδρων κατεκάη
καὶ πᾶς χόρτος χλωρὸς κατεκάη
This omission is a clear case of “homoioteleuton” that happened in the Greek copying
process. That means, the lines end the same, so a copyist, having left off his work for a
break, then resumed doing his work, and he remembers, “I resume, at the line ending with
κατεκάη,” but he resumed with the wrong line ending with κατεκάη. Skipped one line by
accident. Homoioteleuton. Or, it could have been a case of "homoioarcton," that is, all
three lines BEGIN the same, with καί, and the scribe having left off, resumed, thinking, "I
resume with the line beginning with καί, but he picked the wrong line beginning with καί.
Interestingly, the scribe of manuscript 620 wrote the phrase in question two times, which is
another kind of result from parablepsis from homoioteleuton.
78
8:8 txt {A} "with fire" ℵ A P itar,(h) vg syrh copsa TR NA27 {\} ‖ omit syrph Tyc RP ‖ lac C.
79
8:9 Greek: τὰ ἔχοντα ψυχάς, literally, "a third of the creatures in the sea died, those
possessing souls." Bauer begins his lexicon entry for this word ψυχή, "soul," by saying, "It
is often impossible to draw hard and fast lines between the meanings of this many-sided
word." It would certainly be silly to render this instance of the word as "lives," as follows:
"one third of the creatures in the sea died, those having lives." It is very unlikely that any
author would feel the need to make clear that it was those creatures that had lives, that
died. This seems to be a demonstrative phrase, specifying some particular subset of
creatures. "Those that have breath" seems possible, as in conformance with the usage in
Genesis. Compare LXX Genesis 1:30, those having the breath of life; and 2:7, where the man
became a soul when he received the breath of life through his nostrils. Further, the LXX in
Genesis 1:20-23 calls those sea creatures that breathe, such as whales and snakes, "souls."
But then the question arises why the bloody sea would kill only air-breathers. The
problematic phrase, τὰ ἔχοντα ψυχάς, with the nominative definite article, is commented
on in the BDF grammar in § 136(1) as follows, "Revelation exhibits a quantity of striking
solecisms which are based especially on inattention to agreement (a rough style), in
contrast to the rest of the NT and to the other writings ascribed to John: (1) An appositional
phrase (or circumstantial participle) is often found in the nominative instead of an oblique
case (§ 137(3))." The only reasonable apposition or circumstance seems to be as worded
above: "those that have lives in the sea."
Revelation
¹²And the fourth angel sounded his trumpet; and a third of the sun was
struck, and a third of the moon and a third of the stars, such that one third
of their light was darkened 80 and a third of the daylight would not be
shined, and the same with the night.
¹³And I looked, and I heard an eagle81 flying at zenith saying with a
very loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to those dwelling on the earth, because of
the remaining sounds of the trumpet from the three angels about to sound!"
Chapter 9
The Fifth Trumpet
¹And the fifth angel sounded his trumpet; and I saw a fallen star, 82
fallen out of heaven onto earth, and the key to the bottomless pit had been
given to him. ²And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke ascended from
the pit like smoke from a giant furnace. And the sun and the sky became
dark from the smoke of the pit. ³And from the smoke, locusts went out over
the earth, and they were given a power like the power that the scorpions of
Earth have.
⁴And it was commanded them that they not harm the grass of the earth
or anything green or any tree,83 but only humans who do not have the seal
of God on their foreheads. ⁵And orders were given them that they not kill
them, but that they be tormented for five months. And their torment will be
like the pain of a scorpion when it strikes a person. ⁶And during those days
the people will seek death, and will not find it. Yes, they will long earnestly
to die, and death will elude them.
⁷And the appearance of the locusts was like horses outfitted for war,
and on their heads something like golden crowns, and their faces like
80
8:12 The verb 'was darkened' is singular. I don't think it is saying that one third of 'them
were darkened,' but rather one third of something singular 'was darkened,' and the
meaning is that one third of their strength, one third of the collective light was darkened.
What it is NOT saying is that one third of the number of them were totally dark. And
probably not that one third of the duration of the day or night was dark. It is saying that
the day and the night were each only two thirds as light as normal. See Isaiah 13:10; Ezekiel
32:7; Joel 3:15
81
8:13 txt {A} "eagle" ¹¹⁵ ℵ A ith vg syrph,h copsa eth Cass Beat Tyc RP NA27 {\} ‖ "angel" P
arm TR ‖ lac C. "Had the Apocalyptist written angel, [the word] "another" would probably
have taken the place of 'henos' (an); cf. 7:2; 8:3." (H. B. Swete, The Apocalypse of St. John, ad
loc.).
82
9:1 That is, a fallen angel. Angels are called stars also in Judges 5:20; Job 38:7; Isaiah 14:13;
Daniel 8:10 / Rev. 12:4; Rev. 1:20. In this verse in Revelation, it is a "fallen star," which is
another way to refer to a demon; one of the 1/3 of the angels that Satan took with him
when he was expelled from heaven.
83
9:4 Compare ch. 6:6, "A quart of wheat for a day's wage, or three barley loaves for a day's
wage. And don't you damage the oil or wine." An implication here about the green grass
and trees, from the commandment to the locusts that they not damage anything green,
could be that green things will be precious and rare in those days already, before all these
plagues take place. On the other hand, locusts’ natural inclination would be to eat such,
and they are being commanded to do otherwise.
Revelation
human faces, ⁸and they had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth
were like lions' teeth, ⁹and they had thoraxes like breastplates of iron, and
the sound of their wings was like the sound of many chariot horses rushing
to battle. ¹⁰And they have tails like scorpions, and stingers, and in their tails
their power to do harm to humans for five months. ¹¹They have as king
over them the angel of the Abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddōn, and in
Greek he has the name Apollyōn.
¹²The first woe has passed. Behold, even after all this,84 two woes still
are coming.85
¹³And the sixth angel sounded his trumpet. And I heard a voice from
the horns86 of the golden altar before God, ¹⁴saying to the sixth angel, the
one holding the trumpet, "Release the four angels that are bound at the great
river Euphrates." ¹⁵And he released the four angels, held ready for that hour
and day and month and year in order to kill one third of humanity. ¹⁶And
the number of their mounted troops was 200,000,000.87 I heard the number
84
9:12 The Greek words I rendered "after all this" are "meta tauta." This phrase is usually
found, in Revelation, at the beginning of a sentence, not the end as here. Therefore, there
seems to be an emphasis put on this phrase by putting it last. And the word "behold" adds
to the emphasis.
85
9:12b txt {D} ἔρχονται ἔτι δύο “two woes still (more) are coming” ℵ² P 0207 lat TR ‖ “two
woes are coming” itar vg Tyc Erasmus editions 1, 2, 3 Aldus Colinaeus ‖ "two other woes are
coming" copsa ‖ “a second woe is still coming” ⁴⁷ ℵ* A RP NA27 {\} ‖ “it is coming” ¹¹⁵
(only this one word is definite) ‖ “a second woe is coming” ithvid (et ecce secundum vae… then
lac.) ‖ lac C. This variant is interesting because of the lack of grammatical agreement
(concord) as pertains to number, in the majority of Greek manuscripts. That is, most
manuscripts say, “TWO woe still IT IS coming.” The TR has grammatical concord: “TWO
woes still ARE coming.” But what is most interesting is the concord of the Bohairic Coptic
(3rd Century): “a SECOND woe IS coming.” The Buchanan Italic manuscript h (55) (5th
century) has a hiatus for the verb, but it also says “the SECOND woe.” Yet the form δύο can
still be taken to mean “second,” with the word οὐαὶ being singular. In Semitic languages
there is an ambiguity between “two” and “second,” Cardinal and Ordinal. But in BDF
§248(3), deBrunner says “Late Greek and Latin, however, concur in this ambiguity.” Thus
this might be properly translated, “still a second woe is coming.” This variant is mentioned
In BDF §136(5) as an example of the frequent solecisms to be found in Revelation. But,
another possibility is a textual corruption. After all, 046* 1678 1778 2080 read "two woes
are coming." Is it not possible that this is the original? Yet I can see the validity of the
argument that this reading is an editorial correcting of a solecism. Thus my D rating. The
word ἔτι "still / more" is a natural addition, and its addition is more easily explained than
its omission.
86
9:13b txt {B} "horns" ⁴⁷ ℵ² A 0207 itar vgww,st syrh copsams eth Haymo Bed. ps-Ambr. ‖ "four
horns" ¹¹⁵vid P vgcl syrph Andrew; Cyprian Tyc Prim Beat TR RP [NA27] {C} ‖ omit it all and
read: "I heard a voice from the golden altar before God" - ℵ* ‖ lac C. The combination of
⁴⁷ A 0207 and 052's descendants 1678 1778 2080 is weighty enough for me to omit
τεσσάρων, especially when added to the internal considerations (below) which explain why
copyists added it.
All the altars mentioned in the Mosaic temples, and in the Ezekiel 43:15 temple, have four
horns, see Ex 27:2; 29:12; 30:10; 43:20; Lev. 4:7, 18, 25, 30, 34; 8:15; 9:9; 16:18; I Kings 1:50;
2:28; Psalm 118:27, Jer. 17:1; Zech. 1:18 (Amos 3:14 says "horns of the altar" without the
number four). Moreover, the altar of incense was also golden, Exodus 39:38; 40:5, 26;
Numbers 4:11; I Kings 7:48; 2 Chronicles 4:19.
87
9:16 txt δισμυριαδες μυριαδων A P A copsams eth Cypr Beat NA28 {/} ‖ δυο μυριαδες
μυριαδων ⁴⁷ TR ‖ δυο μυριαδων μυριαδας ℵ ‖ μυριαδες μυριαδων K (abt. 50 minuscules
total) copsamss Tyc RP ‖ lac ¹¹⁵ C
Revelation
of them.
¹⁷And this is how I saw the horses in the vision, and those sitting on
them: Having breastplates like fire, that is, dusky red and sulphur colored;
and the heads of the horses like heads of lions, and from their mouths comes
fire and smoke and sulphur. ¹⁸By these three plagues, of the fire and smoke
and sulphur coming from their mouths, one third of humanity was killed.
¹⁹Now the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their
tails are like snakes, having heads, and with these they do injury.
²⁰And the rest of humanity, those who were not killed by these plagues,
they did not repent, neither of the works of their hands, such that they
worship demons and idols made of gold and silver and bronze and stone
and wood, which can88 neither see nor hear nor walk, ²¹and neither did they
repent of their murders, nor their sorceries,89 nor their sexual immorality,
nor their thefts.
Chapter 10
The Prophet's Bitter Burden
¹And I saw another powerful angel coming down out of heaven,
wrapped in a cloud, and a nimbus90 above his head, and his face like the
sun, and his legs91 like columns of fire, ²and holding in his hands a little
88
9:20b txt δύνανται (plural) ⁸⁵ ¹¹⁵ ℵ A C P latt syrh NA27 {\} ‖ δύναται (singular) ⁴⁷ TR
RP ‖ omit eth syrph. The omission, as in 792, the Ethiopic, and the Syriac Philoxeniana may
actually be original.
89 9:21 txt {D} φαρμάκων ⁴⁷ ¹¹⁵ ℵ C Andrewc Areth NA27 {\} ‖ φαρμακιῶν A P Andrewbav*
‖ φαρμακειῶν syr ph,h cop mss arm Andrewa,bavc,p TR RP ‖ "divination" arm4 ‖ "potions of
sa
sorcery" ‖ "adultery" copsa¼ ‖ omit οὔτε ἐκ τῶν φαρμάκων αὐτῶν itar copsams arm2 Cyp Tyc1
‖ lac ⁸⁵. This Greek word φάρμακον - phármakon is used nowhere else in the New
Testament. Its meaning in other literature ranges from poison, to magic potions and
charms to medicines and drugs. The other Greek words in the N.T. derived from the same
root usually pertain to sorcery and magic. Even in the case of the BYZ reading
φαρμακειῶν, the primary meaning is use of drugs for any purpose. In much of the world
today, there are still witch doctors and shamans, and they commonly in their craft employ
drugs and the altered state caused by them. The UBS committee says they chose the
reading φαρμάκων "partly on the basis of external support, and partly because copyists
would have been more likely to alter it to the more specific φαρμακ(ε)ιῶν, which occurs in
18:23 and Gal. 5:20, than vice versa." Witchcraft and paganism are a dominant religion on
planet earth, and always have been. But drugs are also a big problem. The dynastical
families that consititute the invisible One World Government made their wealth from
trading both in narcotics and in pharmaceutical drugs, on both of which they earn a huge
retail mark-up. They also control most of the world's insurance companies and currencies.
Note how many of the mainstream pharmaceutical drugs are now the target of tort lawyers
for all the damage that they do to us. The people who control the world are also Satanists.
They literally worship Satan.
90
10:1a Or, halo, or aura. Halo is an astronomical term meaning any bright-colored circle
surrounding another body, like the lunar rainbow. This is the Greek word Iris, which
originally was the messenger going back and forth between the gods.
91
10:1b The Greek word here, πούς, is the word for feet, but in ancient Greek and in many
languages the words for foot or for hand (χείρ) can mean the whole extremity or whole
limb. That is especially true in Revelation, which displays much Aramaic influence. It is far
more appropriate to speak of a leg being like a column or pillar than a foot being like a
Revelation
scroll that was opened. And he placed his right foot upon the sea, and his
left upon the land, ³and he cried out with a great voice, like a lion roaring.
And when he had cried out, the seven thunders spoke with their sounds. 92
⁴And when the seven thunders had spoken, I was about to write, and I
heard a voice from heaven saying, "Seal up what things the seven thunders
have spoken, and do not write them."
⁵And the angel which I had seen standing on the sea and on the land,
he lifted his right93 hand to heaven, ⁶and swore by Him who lives for ever
and ever, who gave birth to the heaven and the things in it, and to the earth
and the things in it, and to the sea and the things in it, he swore that there
shall be no more time, ⁷but that in the days of the blast of the seventh angel,
whenever he is about to sound his trumpet, even then will be brought to
completion the mystery of God, as he has announced it to his servants the
prophets.94
⁸And the voice that I had heard from heaven, it spoke with me again,
and said, "Go take the scroll95 that is opened in the hand of the angel who is
standing on the sea and on the land."
⁹And I went over to the angel, asking him to give me the little scroll.
And he says to me, "Take it and eat it, and it will make your stomach bitter,
though in your mouth it will be sweet like honey." ¹⁰And I took the little
scroll from the hand of the angel, and I ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet
like honey. And after I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.
¹¹And they 96 are saying to me, "You must again prophesy concerning 97
many peoples and nations and languages and kings."
column or pillar.
92
10:3 Or, “with their voices.”
93
10:5 txt “his right” ⁴⁷ ⁸⁵ ℵ C P syrh eth copsa10/12 RP NA27 {\} ‖ omit A vg syrph mss TR ‖
lac ¹¹⁵.
94
10:7 txt "to his servants the prophets" A C P vg armOscan Tyc 1 ps-Ambr (per servos suos
prophetas) arm (TR) RP NA27 {\} ‖ "to his servants and prophets" ⁴⁷ ‖ "to his servants and
the prophets" ℵ copsa ‖ "to his servants and to his prophets" eth ‖ lac ¹¹⁵. There are many,
many other variations in this phrase.
95
10:8 txt biblion A C itar,t vg copsa eth Beat Prim ps-Ambr Tyc NA27 {\} ‖ biblidarion ƒ052 RP
‖ biblaridion ℵ P TR.
96
10:11a txt "they" ⁴⁷ ℵ A RP NA27 {\} ‖ "he" P itar,t vg syrph,h copsa eth arm Beatus
Tyconius Primasius ps-Ambr TR ‖ lac C. “They” must be the same two voices that have been
speaking to John throughout this chapter— the voice from heaven, and the strong angel
standing on the sea and on the land.
97
10:11b epì with dative. Bauer says it is used here "to introduce the person or thing
because of which something exists or happens to, or with," and he says it is the same use as
in Acts 5:35, Hebrews 11:4 and Rev. 22:16.
Revelation
Chapter 11
The Two Witnesses
¹And a reed was given to me, like a measuring rod, as he 98 was saying,
"Get up, and measure the temple of God along with the altar and those
worshiping in it. ²And the outer courtyard of the temple you shall exclude,
and not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles, and they will
trample on the holy city for forty-two months. ³And I will give authority to
my two witnesses, and they will prophesy 99 for 1,260 days clothed in
sackcloth."
⁴These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands which stand
before the Lord100 of the earth.101 ⁵And if anyone wants to harm them, fire
comes from their mouth and consumes their enemies. And if anyone would
want to harm them, this is how he ought to be killed. ⁶These have the
authority to shut up the sky so that no rain will fall during the days of their
prophesying, and they have authority over the waters to turn them into
blood, and to strike the earth with any kind of plague as often as they wish.
⁷And when they complete their witness, the beast coming up out of the
bottomless pit will make war with them, and will conquer them and kill
them.
⁸And their corpses lie on the boulevard of the great city which is
spiritually named Sodom 102 and Egypt, where also their 103 Lord was
crucified. ⁹And from peoples and tribes and languages and nations they see
their corpses for three and a half days. And they are not allowing their
corpses to be placed in a grave. ¹⁰And those dwelling on the earth rejoice104
over them, and celebrate, and will send gifts105 to one another. For these
98
11:1b A singular masculine subject; it must be God speaking, because later in v. 3 the
speaker says, "I will give authority to my two witnesses."
99
11:3 Literally, "I will give...and they will prophesy..." DeBrunner says in BDF §471(1) that
this is a case of "parataxis in place of subordination with the infinitive clause or the ἵνα
clause." Thus, I will cause them to prophesy, or I will give them authority to prophesy.
100
11:4b txt κυριου “Lord” ℵ A C P latt syr cop arm> arab RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ θεου “God” (eth)
TR
101
11:4c Zechariah 4:3, 14; These two lampstands are Elijah and Enoch, the two human
beings who never died. Their flames never went out; they are witnesses who have never
slept in the grave, eyes that have never closed.
102
11:8b Isaiah 1:9, 10, 28
103
11:8c txt αυτων εσταυρωθη “their Lord was crucified” ℵ² A C P rell. grk. all versions all
fathers RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ ημων εσταυρωθη “our Lord was crucified” 2814 (plus 296 2049
which don’t count, since are copies of printed TR) TR ‖ εσταυρωθη “the Lord was crucified”
ℵ* ‖ εστρω “the Lord was crucified” ⁴⁷ ‖ lac ¹¹⁵ 051 88 1384 1617 1626 1893 2022 2030 2032
2050 2052 2062
104
11:10a The Textus Receptus has the future indicative rather than the present indicative
of rejoice, and the Byzantine has the present. Yet, the Byzantine has the future indicative
for the next verb, celebrate, but the present for "they see" in v. 9.
105
11:10b txt πέμψουσιν “they will send” ℵ² A C vg syrph,h arab Tyc1,3 Prim Ps-Ambr TR SBL
NA28 {\} ‖ πεμπουσιν ℵ* P copsa arm2,3,4 Tyc2 Beat ‖ π[εμψου]σιν ⁴⁷ ‖ π[εμψουσιν] ¹¹⁵ ‖
δώσουσιν “the will give” eth RP ‖ lac 051. Both ⁴⁷ and ¹¹⁵ show a word beginning with π,
Revelation
two prophets had tormented those dwelling on the earth.

¹¹And after three and a half days, the breath of life from God went into
them, and they stood up on their feet. And great fear fell over those
106
watching them. ¹²And they heard a great voice from heaven saying to
them, "Come up here." And they went up into heaven in a cloud, and their
enemies watched them. ¹³And in that hour107 a great earthquake took place,
and one tenth of the city collapsed, and 7,000 people were killed. And the
survivors were terrified, and they gave glory to the God of heaven.
¹⁴The second woe has passed. Behold, the third woe comes quickly.
The Last Trumpet

¹⁵And the seventh angel sounded his trumpet; and there were great
voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdom of the world has become 108 the
kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ!109 And he shall reign for ever and
ever!"
¹⁶And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God,110
fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷saying, "We thank you, Lord God
Almighty, who is and who was,111 that you have taken that great power of
yours and begun to reign. ¹⁸And the nations have become angry, and your
anger also has come, and the time for the dead to be judged, and reward to
be given to your servants the prophets and to the saints and to those fearing
your name, both small and great, and to destroy the ones destroying the
earth."112
so they could agree with ℵ* or with 2329, but they most likely contain a word meaning
“send,” and they definitely do not read as 046. The NA28 text here turns out to be the more
accurate prediction of gifting in the future. Dr. Maurice Robinson points out that nearly
half of all minuscules ( Κ) read δώσουσιν (or orthographic variants of such), while about
40% of the minuscules ( A) read forms of πέμψουσιν.
mg
106
11:12b txt "they heard" ℵ* A C P vg syrph,h Tyc.3 TR NA27 {B} ‖ "I heard" ⁴⁷ ℵ² itar syrh
copsa arm ethms Andrew; Tyc Beat RP. The UBS commentary says, Not only does the weight
of external evidence favor 'they heard,' but since the Seer constantly uses 'I heard'
throughout the book (24 times), copyists were more likely to substitute 'I' for 'they' than
vice versa.
107
11:13 txt ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ "in that hour" ℵ A C P TR NA27 {\} ‖ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ "in that
hour" ⁴⁷ ‖ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ "in that day" RP.
108
11:15b txt εγενετο η βασιλεια “the kingdom…has become” ⁴⁷ ℵ A C P syrph,h (copsa diff
word order) arm3 Tyc ps-Ambr RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ εγενοντο αι βασιλειαι “the
kingdoms…have become” (27 minuscules) TR.
109
11:15b That is, his Anointed.
110
11:16c txt {A} "before God" ⁴⁷ ℵ A C P TR NA27 {\} ‖ "before the throne of God" RP.
Hoskier states that the uncial 046 (mother of the Majority Test in Revelation) represents a
heavily edited and smoothed over text. This variant is one of the weaker of the Majority
Text.
111
11:17 txt {A} ℵ² A P ith vgww,st syrph,h copsa eth Andr; (Cypr Prim but quod for ὅτι) ps-Ambr
RP NA27 {B} ‖ "and because" ⁴⁷ ℵ* C itar vgmss ms (arm) ‖ "and who is to come, because" vgcl
() Tyc (Beat) TR.
112
11:18c See 19:2
Revelation
¹⁹And the temple of God in heaven opened, and the ark of his covenant
was seen in his temple; and there came peals of thunder, and noises and
rumblings and an earthquake,113 and large hailstones.
Chapter 12
The Woman, Her Seed, and the Dragon
¹And a great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun,
and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars, ²and
being with child, and crying out with contractions and anguish to deliver.
³And another sign was seen in heaven, and behold, a great red dragon,
having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns, 114 ⁴and
his tail is pulling one third of the stars115 from heaven; and it threw them to
the earth. And the dragon took his stand in front of the woman who was
about to deliver, so that he might devour the child whenever it was born.
⁵And she bore a son, a male child, who was destined to116 shepherd all
the nations with a rod of iron. And her child was snatched up to God and to
his throne. ⁶And the woman fled to the desert, to where she has a place
prepared there by God, so that there they might take care of her for 1,260
days.
⁷And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels must make war
with the dragon. And the dragon made war, and his angels also, ⁸and he
was 117 not strong enough, neither was their 118 place found anymore in
113
11:19 txt και σεισμος ¹¹⁵ℵ A C P copsa2/4 TR ΝΑ28 {\} ‖ και σεισμοι copsa2/4 arm1 ‖ omit
arm3 RP ‖ και πυρ syrph ‖ lac ⁴⁷. The variety of variants, and the fact that Sahidic Coptic is
split, and that family 052 is not united, leads me to believe that και σεισμος might be
secondary, and may come from familiarity with another place in Rev., 8:5. I also note that
σεισμος is the only singular item in the list. This latter may account for its omission,
however. The parade of majuscules and papyri in support of the NA28 reading is
impressive. The Philoxenian Syriac has “fire” instead of earthquake.
114
12:3 Greek, diadems; whereas the Greek word for the crowns of 12:1 is stephanos. The
diadem is of Persian origin, signifying royalty; and the stephanos originally had more the
meaning of a prize or trophy or reward. It was originally a wreath, as well.
115
12:4 That is, one third of the angels. We know of only three archangels: the being who is
now Satan, and Michael, and Gabriel. Therefore it is reasonable to conclude that each
archangel ruled one third of the angels. When Satan was cast out of heaven, he took the
one third of the angels with him. See for example 12:7, where it says "Michael and HIS
angels." Jesus said in Luke 10:18, "I was watching as Satan fell from heaven like lightning."
116
12:5 Or also "who is soon to shepherd."
117
12:8b txt {D} ἴσχυσεν (3rd sg aor ind “he was”) A eth RP NA27 {\} ‖ ἴσχυσαν (3rd pl aor ind
“they were”) ⁴⁷ C P itar,h vg syrph,h copsa arm TR ‖ ἴσχυσαν προς αὐτον ℵ. Though the
support for the plural is very impressive, I think the variations found in ℵ, 046 and 1006
betray the secondary nature of the plural. Plus it may be an assimilation to the plural of
αὐτῶν. That is, it seems likely that the singular “he” was changed to agree with the plural
of “their place.” Conversely it would be hard to explain why copyists would change the
plural of “they were not strong enough” to the singular. Still, to have only one uncial in
support of a reading makes it rate a D in certainty.
118
12:8c txt αυτων “their” ⁴⁷ A C P ith Beat TR NA28 {/} ‖ αυτοις “for them” ℵ² syrph,h
copsams arm ‖ αυτω “for him” Vict RP ‖ omit ℵ*
Revelation
heaven. ⁹And the great dragon was thrown out, that ancient serpent, which
is called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world, he was thrown
to the earth, and his angels thrown along with him.
¹⁰And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, "Now has come the
salvation and power and kingdom of our God, and the authority of his
Christ; for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown out, the one accusing
them before our God day and night, ¹¹and these have overcome him by the
blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love
their lives even unto death.
¹²“Rejoice over this, O heaven,119 and you who dwell therein! Woe to
the earth and to the sea!120 For the devil has come down to you with great
fury, because he knows that he has but little time."
¹³And when the dragon saw that he was thrown to the earth, he went
after the woman that bore the male child. ¹⁴And she was given the two
wings of a great eagle to fly to the desert to that place of hers where she gets
taken care of for a time, times, and half a time, 121 away from the face of the
serpent.
¹⁵And the serpent poured water from his mouth like a river after the
woman, to cause her to be swept away by a flood, ¹⁶and the earth helped the
woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the flood that the
dragon had poured from his mouth.
¹⁷And the dragon was enraged over the woman, and went off to make
war with the rest of her seed, those keeping the commandments of God and
bearing the witness of Jesus. ¹⁸And he122 stood at the shore of the sea.
119
12:12a txt {A} οἱ A TR [NA27] {\} ‖ omit ℵ C P RP. The presence of the nominative article
would make this more definitely a vocative case expression, BDF § 147(2), though the
nominative case alone without the article would still probably be so. The plural of
"heavens" is a Semitism, and not translating to a plural in English, so BDF § 141(1) and §
4(2).
120
12:12b txt omit A C P all versions RP NA28 {\} ‖ +εις ℵ ‖ +τοῖς κατοικοῦσι (add “to those
inhabiting”) TR. I think the accusative case of τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν “the earth and the
sea” threw off some scribes.
121
12:14 The expression "a time, times, and half a time" no doubt means "for three and a
half years." We know this because that is essentially what the 1,260 days of Rev. 11:2,3; 12:6
add up to. And compare Daniel 12:7.
122
12:18 txt "it/he stood" ⁴⁷ ℵ A C itar vg syrh arm1,3 eth Ordub; Vict-Pett Prisc Ambrosiast
Beat Tyc Prim Haymo Aldus NA27 {B} ‖ "I stood" P vgmss syrph copsa arm4 Andr Areth TR RP.
This textual difference about who or what was standing at the shore of the sea, is what
determines whether a Greek New Testament edition places this sentence here as verse 18
in this context, or places this sentence in Chapter 13:1. Thus, since the TR and RP editions
follow the second reading, they place this sentence in 13:1, with John the one standing
rather than the dragon. The UBS textual commentary says that the latter reading appears
to have arisen when copyists accommodated the 3rd person 'he stood' to the first person of
the following 'I saw.' It is attractive to make it John the one standing on the shore of the
sea, since the next thing he does is observe a beast rising out of the sea. But it also makes
perfect sense that the dragon stood at the shore of the sea, because it was expecting or
bringing up the beast out of the sea. We have just read in the previous verse that the
dragon went to make war with the woman's seed, and this is how he made war: he brought
up the beast from the sea, which later in 13:7 of this chapter makes war on the saints and
conquers them.
Revelation
Chapter 13
The First Beast, out of the Sea
¹And I saw a beast coming up from the sea, with ten horns and seven
heads, and on its horns ten crowns, and on its heads a name 123 that is
blasphemy. ²And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and the feet of it
like a bear's, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave
his power to him, and his throne, and great authority. ³And124 one of his
heads was as good as slain125 to death, and the fatal wound was healed.
And the whole earth was filled with wonder and followed after the beast,126
⁴and they worshiped the dragon because he127 had given authority to the
beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast, and who
is able to wage war with him?"
⁵And there was given to him a mouth speaking big things and
blasphemies, and authority was given to him to act 128 for forty-two months.
⁶And he opened his mouth in blasphemies toward God, to blaspheme his
name and his tabernacle, those tabernacling in heaven. 129 ⁷And it was given
to him to make war with the saints and to conquer them,130 131 and authority
123
13:1 txt {D} ὄνομα "name" ⁴⁷ ℵ C P vgmss syrph copsa arm eth Andrew; Prim Beat TR ‖
ὄνοματα "names" A itar vg syrh Prisc ps-Ambr RP [NA27] {C}. The following translations
have "name" in English in the singular: TYND GEN KJV BISH SRV YLT GNB NIV NCV NKJV
REB ALT. Some translations interpret this phrase, "on its heads were names" as saying
"each" head had a [different] name, and others that each head had more than one name on
each. The reason I went with the rendering I have is that the singular can be understood
either way; that is, "on its heads a name that is blasphemy" can be interpreted as "each a
different name," so thus "names" plural, or that they all had the same blasphemous name.
Conversely, the plural "names" could be understood distributively. I chose to do this for
the reason that I am not persuaded either way as to which is the correct manuscript
reading. What is really different is interpreters that see this as meaning each head had
more than one name on it, like the CEV & NLT: "On each of its heads were names..."
Interesting that the Douay-Rheims has the plural when all its contemporaries had the
singular. My thinking is like the NIV rendering: "and on each head a blasphemous name."
It seems to me that "head" being plural might have assimilated "name" over to the plural.
124
13:3a txt omit ⁴⁷ ℵ A C P lat syr cop eth arm RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ +ε δον “I saw” vg Beat. Tyc2
ps-Ambr TR
125
13:3b It is important to keep the word in the same form as when referring to the Lamb
that was slain, since this beast is a pseudo-christ.
126
13:3c In the BDF grammar in § 196, DeBrunner says that this phrase "the whole earth was
astonished after the beast" is a "pregnant construction" meaning what I have in the text
above. In other words, the Greek phrase does not contain any words meaning "and
followed" but that meaning is contained in the phrase nevertheless.
127
13:4 txt ὅτι "because, that" ⁴⁷ ℵ Α C P NA27 {\} ‖ ὃς "who , that" TR ‖ τ "who , that" RP
‖ lac ¹¹⁵.
128
13:5 txt "to act" ⁴⁷ A C P TR NA27 {\} ‖ "to make war" RP ‖ "to do what he wants" ℵ.
129 13:6 txt "those tabernacling in heaven" ℵtxt A C vgms syrh,(ph) (Irenarm) RP NA27 {B} ‖ "and
those tabernacling in heaven" ℵmg P itar vg copsa ethmss Irenlat Andr Beat TR ‖ "in heaven"
⁴⁷ eth Prim. God's people, along with the Son, ARE the tabernacle. See Eph 2:20-22; 1
Peter 2:5; Rev. 21:14 etc.
130
13:7 Daniel 7:21,25; 12:7
Revelation
was given to him over every tribe and people132 and language and nation.
⁸And they worship him, all those dwelling on the earth, every one whose
name is not written in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain from the
foundation of the world.
⁹If anyone has an ear, hear. ¹⁰If anyone is to be taken captive, into
captivity he is going.133 If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the
sword he will be killed.134 Here is the endurance and faith of the saints. 135
The Second Beast, out of the Earth

¹¹And I saw another beast, coming up from the earth, and it had two
131
13:7b txt "and it was given to him to make war with the saints and to conquer them" ℵ
(itar vg) syrph,(h) eth Beat TR RP NA27 {A} ‖ "and authority was given to him to make war with
the saints and to conquer them" armmss (Quod) Prim ‖ omit (homoioarcton?) ⁴⁷ A C P copsa
armmss Irenlat Andr.
132
13:7c txt "and people" ℵ A C P RP NA27 {\} ‖ omit ⁴⁷ TR ‖ lac ¹¹⁵.
133
13:10a txt "into captivity, into captivity he is going" A vgww,st Ps-Ambr NA27 {B} ‖ "into
captivity is going, into captivity he goes" P ‖ "leads into captivity, into captivity he is
going" it(ar) vgcl syrph,h Irenlat; Beat ‖ "into captivity, he is going" ⁴⁷ ℵ C arm Irenarm Tyc
Andr ‖ "has captivity, he is going" RP ‖ "takes captives, into captivity he is going" (copsa)
(Primasius) TR. These are the major variants, but there are many, many more, when you
count the versions and Fathers. The RP reading of "if anyone has [the lot or destiny of]
captivity, he must go," seems to be a clarification of the first clause of the Codex A reading.
And it could be argued that the additional phrase "into captivity" he must go, in the second
clause, was a clarification on the part of Codex A as well. And then the "HAS part of the RP
reading, "has captivity" was then interpreted by the TR copyists as meaning, "if anyone has
captives," rather than if anyone has that fate. Happily, the, RP, NA27 and UBS4 readings are
the same in meaning. The TR reading has no Greek manuscript support as it is worded in
the Greek, but agrees in meaing with the manuscripts listed with it, and even those three
do not agree.
134 13:10b txt ἀποκτανθῆναι, αὐτὸν (aor inf pass) "is to be killed, he" A NA27 {B} ‖ ἀποκτενεῖ
"will kill" Pacian Beatus ‖ ἀποκτείνει syrph ‖ ἀποκτενεῖ ἀυτόν copsa ‖ αποκτενει δει αυτον C
P ‖ ἀποκτενεῖ, δεῖ ἀυτόν (fut ind act) itar vg (copsa) Irenlat Andr; Prim TR RP ‖ ἀποκτείνει, δεῖ
ἀυτόν (pres ind act) "kills, he must himself" ℵ Irenarm ‖ Si quis eum gladio occiderit in gladio
occidetur “If anyone will have killed, he will be killed with the sword.” Beat ‖ Si quis gladio
occiderit oportet eum in gladio occidi “If anyone will have killed with the sword, with the
sword he himself should be killed.” Iren ‖ Et qui gladio occiderit oportet eum eum gladio occidi
“And in what manner someone kills with the sword he himself should be killed wth the
sword.” vg ps-Ambr ‖ “And because he has killed with the sword, he should die by the
sword.” eth ‖ “However he will kill, they will kill him with the sword.” copsa ‖ “If someone
has killed with the sword, he should be killed with the sword.” syr h arm4 ‖ “If anyone has
killed with the sword, he should be killed with the sword.” syrph. It is a principle of Textual
Criticism that when there is a large set of variations on a reading, it is suspect. Such is the
case here with the present indicative active reading. The UBS Textual Commentary says:
"Among the dozen variant readings, the least unsatisfactory appears to be ἀποκτανθῆναι,
αὐτὸν, ["is to be killed, he,"] supported by Codex Alexandrinus. As in the first two lines of
the verse, the third and fourth lines teach (as does also Jr 15:2, on which the saying rests)
the duty of endurance and the fulfillment of the will of God. Perhaps under the influence of
such sayings as Mt 26:52 (πάντες γὰρ οἱ λαβόντες μάχαιραν ἐν μαχαίρῃ ἀπολοῦνται),
copyists modified in various ways the difficult Greek construction (which, as Charles points
out, seems to be a literal rendering of a distinctively Hebrew idiom, "if anyone is to be slain
with the sword, he is to be slain with the sword") and introduced the idea of retribution
(persecutors will be requited in strict accord with the lex talionis)." See also Jeremiah 15:2.
135
13:10c For the “endurance of the saints,” see also 14:11,12, and Daniel 11:33 “And they
that are wise among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword and by
flame, by captivity and by spoil, many days.”
Revelation
horns like a lamb, and it spoke as the dragon. ¹²And all the authority of the
first beast it exercises before him. And he causes the earth and those
dwelling in it to worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been
healed. ¹³And he performs great signs, such that he even causes fire to come
down from heaven to earth before the people. ¹⁴And he deceives those136
dwelling on the earth by means of the signs which were given him to do
before the beast, telling those dwelling on the earth to make an image to the
beast which has the wound of the sword and yet has lived. 137 ¹⁵And it was
given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, such that the image of
the beast can even talk, and also to cause anyone who does not worship the
image of the beast to be put to death.
¹⁶And he causes138 all, the small and the great, and the rich and the
poor, and the free and the slave, to get139 a mark140 on their right hand141 or
136
13:14a txt {A} omit ⁴⁷ ¹¹⁵vid ℵ A C P syrph,h TR NA27 {\} ‖ add "my own people" RP. The
Majority Text seems to say, “And he deceives those my people dwelling on the land.” It is
not as far out as it might at first seem, when you consider Daniel 11:34. I have a complete
collation of this variant in an endnote at the end of the revwgrk.pdf edition..
137
13:14c txt {A} "of the sword and yet has lived" ℵ A C P ( but run on into next verse) TR
NA27 {\} ‖ "and came to life! – from the sword" RP.
138
13:16a The Greek word is poiéō, which Bauer ion p. 840 in 2 h says here means "make to,
cause someone to, bring it about that." With hina and a subjunctive verb in place of the
infinitive. So in this case what people are caused to do would be to dídōmi, in the 3rd
person plural subjunctive, "they give." So therefore we have this phrase, "He causes
everyone to give to them a mark." Everyone will be giving a mark to whom? To
themselves. Yes, that is the primary meaning of the pronoun 'autos' here. Many
translations have rendered didōmi as "receive." Tyndale did it, though there were a few
manuscripts that had the Greek word for receive here. But "receive" is not lexically
supported as a possible meaning of didōmi. Again, it is fashionable to render 3rd person
plural actives as passives; see for example Mark 4:21, erchetai, "exist"; Luke 12:20,
apaitousin "they are demanding"; Rev. 10:11, legousin, "they are saying"; Rev. 11:1, legōn,
"as he is saying"; Rev. 12:6, trephōsin, "they might take care;" and other examples. I am
saying that I rendered all these as actives, and they work fine that way. So there is no
reason compelling enough to break the rules of grammar. The only reason I can come up
with for this trend, is that it is their idea of an “impersonal” verb. Yes, a general “they” is
impersonal, but that is still not a reason to make an active verb passive. It is perfectly
colloquial and grammatical to say “they call him Jesus,” etc. The only justification for
making an active verb passive that I know of in the grammars, is the Aramaic 3rd person
plural impersonal; see next footnote. But that is a rare and questionable occurrence, and
the burden of proof is on the one asserting that it is happening.
139
13:16b txt {A} δῶσιν αὐτοῖς "they give themselves" ℵ¹ A C P 046 2080 copsa NA28 {\} ‖
δῶσιν ἑαυτοῖς "they give themselves" 1828 ‖ δώσωσιν αὐτοῖς "they give themselves" 922
Κ itgig Tyc½ RP ‖ δῶσιν ἐν αὐτοῖς "they will give onto / in/ by themselves" 1611 ‖ dari “to
be given” Irenaeus ‖ δώσῃ αὐτοῖς "he gives them" 051 2329 Hipp TR ‖ δώσει αὐτοῖς "he will
give them" 2053 2814 ‖ δῶσιν αὐτ "they give himself" ℵ* 1678 1778 ‖ λάβωσιν "they
receive" 1006 1841vid 2040 Vict ‖ δοθῇ "he be given" syrph,h ‖ “they might write/etch” eth ‖
lac ⁴⁷ ¹¹⁵ 2050 2062. The vast majority of Greek manuscripts, including all but one
uncial, have the verb “give” in aorist active indicative 3rd person plural. The only
difference between the NA28 text and the Robinson-Pierpont text is that the NA28 text,
δῶσιν, is 2nd aorist, and the RP text, δώσωσιν, is aorist. No difference in meaning.
The TR has the verb “give” in 3rd person singular, δώσῃ, and subjunctive aorist. The TR
reading reflects an attempt I think to conform the clause to the standard Greek
configuration for an “impersonal” verb, where there is no subject as a giver, and the verb is
turned passive. Thus, “they might be given.” This is a fact that the Greek grammars say
that an “impersonal” verb in Greek grammar is in the 3rd person SINGULAR. I conclude
Revelation
that this is a deliberate change in the Greek text to correct grammar.
The TR reading is a small minority reading, in later manuscripts, and probably not the
authorial text. Could it be conforming it to the Latin of Irenaeus and Victorinus? Or is it
influenced by the late Syriac?
The majority reading, of the verb as 3rd person plural, and the object being αὐτοῖς, is
unusual Greek, and there are really only two options as to how to make it intelligible as it
is.
Option 1, the word αὐτοῖς is a contraction of ἑαυτοῖς, and means “they give themselves.”
This is the way the scribe of ms. 1828 saw it, which reads δῶσιν ἑαυτοῖς, and this is
certainly a real possibility. The ambiguity of αὐτοῖς with αὑτοις (ἑαυτοῖς) is a common
textual variant in Revelation that I have seen. Remember, the uncials and papyri did not
have breathing marks. So, αὐτοῖς, even with the smooth breathing mark, can easily and
rightly be understood as reflexive, and mean “themselves.” So the scribe of ms. 1828 was
either correcting grammar, or merely understanding αὐτοῖς as a contraction of ἑαυτοῖς.
And it is possible that his exemplar had the long form ἑαυτοῖς.
Option 2, is what M. Black, in An Aramaic Approach to the Gospels and Acts, pp. 126-128, would
call an Aramaism, and be a “third person plural impersonal” and the meaning be similar to
what the Philoxenian and Harklean Syriac read, “they be given” or “they receive.” The TR
reading with its 3rd singular verb would not qualify as the Aramaic impersonal remember.
An Aramaism is an unusual and rare occurrence, and I think the burden of proof that it is
occurring, is on the one saying it is. That said, I have come to believe that Revelation does
show an Aramaic mind in its author. For example, though even ancient Greek the words
for foot πούς and hand χείρ originally meant the whole limb, not just the foot and hand,
this is most definitely always true in Hebrew and Aramaic. The author of Revelation uses
πούς, “foot” to mean the whole limb, where he says the feet of the angel were like
“columns” of fire. Legs are like columns, and feet are not. Therefore similarly, we must
conclude that in Revelation 13:16, with χείρ the author means anywhere on the entire
upper right limb, not just the hand.
In The Morphology of Koine Greek As Used in the Apocalypse of St. John: A Study, G. Mussies states,
“The 3rd person singular is the category which is used when the verb is impersonal,” p. 232.
Regarding 3rd person plurals as passives in Revelation, Steven Thomson in his book, The
Apocalypse and Semitic Syntax, Cambridge, he says on p. 21 that there are two instances: in
2:24 and 8:2. He says the ὡς λέγουσιν in 2:24 means “what is called” the deep things of
Satan. ( I disagree with this. I translate it as follows: ‘ “the deep things of Satan,” as they
say.’ In 8:2 the Greek text says ἐδόθησαν αὐτοῖς which is already passive. His example is
from a Coptic text! Thomson does not mention this situation in 13:16. But I say, there were
many, many opportunities for the proposed Aramaism to show up in Revelation, and it did
not; so why must this here be such an example? I say this is not such, and I am saying here
that the subject of this verb is the recipients, because autois in Revelation very often means
“themselves,” even without the rough breathing mark. At any rate, if the beast “causes all
to receive a mark,” the recipients are still getting it for themselves, unless the beast or his
agent captures each individual, ties them down, and forces the mark onto them. But if that
were the case, would God be able to hold them repsonsible for it? I don’t believe so. So I
am saying that you will have to get it for yourself, and then God can hold you repsonsible
for doing it.
140 13:16d txt {A} χάραγμα “mark” ⁴⁷c ℵ A C P itar vg syrph,h arm Iren Hipp Prim TR NA27 {\}
‖ χαράγματα “marks” ⁴⁷* cop Beat RP ‖ lac ¹¹⁵. This Greek word translated "mark,"
sa
χάραγμα - káragma, means a poke into the flesh. (Perhaps like this:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/when-information-storage-gets-under-your-skin-1474251062 ) It also
had the meaning of an etching, branding, carving, engraving or stamp. Slaves had a poke
in the flesh of their ear to show ownership. So here also, the mark of the beast will show
one's voluntary allegiance to the beast and submission to the ownership of the beast. I get
the impression from translating this passage that this mark will be self-arranged; that is,
people will be told to do it, but nevertheless they ultimately do it voluntarily. They
themselves are responsible for making sure they have it, if they want to buy or sell. In
other words, it need not be mandatory by law, but life will be extremely hard without it.
How could a government give the mark to 20 billion people by force in the remotest jungle?
Revelation
on their forehead, ¹⁷and makes it142 so that no one is able to buy or sell
without having the mark—143 the name of the beast or the number of his
name. ¹⁸Here is wisdom: he who has the understanding should calculate
the number of the beast, for it is the number of a human being; and his 144
number is 666.145
On the other hand, economic incentives have historically worked very well, without the
need for something being mandatory by law. Most people serve Mammon anyway, so it
will be a no-brainer for most people to get the mark. It will be a blessing on the other hand,
for God's people, in that those who are serving Mammon will repent of that, and truly be
content with their daily bread from God, and truly live by faith. The exciting life. Exciting
to see how God will feed them each day. But we see in this book that many or most of God's
people will die or be killed during those days.
141
13:16d The Greek word is χείρ, and meant the entire limb/arm, including the hand all the
way up to the shoulder, as so also the word for foot can mean the whole leg; compare
Revelation 10:1, where the Greek word is πόδες (feet, sg. πούς), but can and does mean
there, the entire leg or limb. This is true also in many of the languages where I was raised –
the word for hand or foot can mean the entire extremity. Thus here, this mark could be
anywhere from the hand on up.
142
13:17b This "hina" is still connected to the poiéō of 13:16a. The initial "and" in this verse
is absent from some manuscripts, because, I now quote A Textual Commentary on the
Greek New Testament edited by Bruce Metzger, with text in square brackets supplied by
me: "The absence of καί [initial "and"] in ℵ* C about 25 minuscules (including 1611) syrph,h
copsa al appears to be a secondary modification arising from misunderstanding the
relationship between verses 16 and 17. When the ἵνα μή ["so that not"] at the beginning of
v. 17] clause was taken to be dependent upon δῶσιν ["they might give"], καί was naturally
regarded as superfluous, whereas the clause is no doubt to be taken as dependent upon
ποιεῖ ["he or it causes" at the beginning of v. 16] and therefore coordinate with the ἵνα
δῶσιν ["such that they might give"] clause. The text [that includes "and" at the beggining
of v. 17] is supported by ⁴⁷ ℵ² Avid P 046 051 1006 1854 2344 itar vg arm eth al."
143
13:17c {C} txt "the mark— the name of the beast or the number of his name" A P RP NA27
{\} ‖ "the mark of the beast or his name or the number of his name" ℵ vgms cop ‖ "the mark
or the name of the beast or the number of his name" ⁴⁷ vgcl BeatTR ‖ "the mark of the name
of the beast" C vgww syr eth Prim Iren-lat Ps-Ambr ‖ "the letter (writing?) of the beast or his name"
copsa ‖ lac ¹¹⁵. The Harklean Syriac talks about the mark "of his tusks"!
144
13:18a Or, "its number"
145
13:18b txt {A} "666" ⁴⁷ ℵ A P vg syrph,h copsa arm eth Iren Hipp Andr; Vict-Pett Greg-
Elvira Prim Beat TR RP NA27 {A} ‖ "646" itar ‖ "616" ¹¹⁵ C vgms mssacc. to Irenaeus; Caesarius Tyc2
arm4. Here is a link to the image of Papyrus 115: http:‖www.bibletranslation.ws/gfx/p115.jpg
The Greek letters are Η ΧΙς. The "Η" letter is a whole Greek word that can mean "or." It can
also be the feminine definite article. David Parker writes (in his NTS article): "There is too
much space in the papyrus for what one would expect from other witnesses, suggesting
that something extra has been written by mistake." He considers the "line written over
letter" Eta as a correction sign. The UBS Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament
states on p. 49 that Irenaeus "says that 666 is found 'in all good and ancient copies,' and is
'attested by those who had themselves seen John face to face.' …When Greek letters are
used as numerals the difference between 666 and 616 is merely a change from ξ to ι (666 =
χξς and 616 = χις). Perhaps the change was intentional, seeing that the Greek form Neron
Caesar written in Hebrew characters (‫ )נרון קסר‬is equivalent to 666, whereas the Latin
form Nero Caesar (‫ )נרו קסר‬is equivalent to 616." In addition, Peter M. Head, in Some
Recently Published NT Papyri from Oxyrhynchus: An Overview and Preliminary
Assessment, Published in Tyndale Bulletin 51 (2000), pp. 1-16, points out that others have
noticed that "two possible transliterations of ‘beast’ into Hebrew could produce either 616
or 666. That is, θηριου (genitive) as in Rev. 13:18 is ‫ ;תריו‬while θηριον (nominative) is
‫תריון‬. The mathematics is: ‫=ן‬50, ‫=ו‬6, ‫=י‬10, ‫=ר‬200, ‫=ת‬400. For a full discussion see R.
Bauckham, ‘Nero and the Beast’ in The Climax of the Covenant: Studies on the Book of
Revelation (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1997), pp. 384-452, also D. Aune, Revelation 6-16
(Waco, Texas: Word, 1998), pp. 722, 769-73." There is a marginal note in MS 1854:
“λατεῖνος.” This reflects one of the early gematrial theories, held by, among others,
Revelation
Chapter 14
The Lamb and the 144,000
¹And I looked, and behold, the Lamb is standing on Mount Zion, and
with him the 144,000 who have his name and 146 the name of his father
written on their foreheads. ²And I heard a voice from heaven like the sound
of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The sound which I
heard was also like lyre players playing their lyres. ³And they sing a new
song before the throne and before the four living beings and the elders.
And no one is able to learn the song except the 144,000, the ones purchased
from the earth. ⁴These are men who have not been defiled with women, for
they are virgins. These are the ones following the Lamb wherever he goes.
They were purchased147 from humanity as a firstfruits to God and to the
Lamb, ⁵and in their mouths no falsehood has been found. 148 They149 are
blameless.150
The Three Angels

⁶And I saw another151 angel flying at zenith, having an eternal gospel
to herald above152 those dwelling on the earth, even over every nation and
Irenaeus, that 666 stood for the Roman Empire. (This is what λατεῖνος means, the Roman
Empire.) Here is the math: λ = 30, α = 1, τ = 300, ε = 5, ι = 10, ν = 50, ο = 70, ς = 200, which add
up to 666. Irenaeus favored Τεῖταν (Titus) as the most likely gematrial equivalent for 666,
because it had six letters, and he favored λατεῖνος second most. If the final ν is removed
from Τεῖταν, you get the number 616. Another, current, theory is that John originally
wrote just the 3 letters χξς and that the Arabic writing that Islamic Jihadists wear on their
foreheads or the right arms, which looks very much like these 3 Greek letters, will be the
mark of the beast, and that the beast will be the Mahdi, or Islam’s Messiah.
https://www.google.com/search?q=mark%20of%20the%20beast%20666%20arabic%20letters&biw=1366
&bih=570&tbm=isch&imgil=4azoC2_NWXk-
EM%253A%253BT7TiNHlIRdmQEM%253Bhttps%25253A%25252F%25252Fpolination.wordpress.com%25
252F2014%25252F05%25252F23%25252Fgoogle-stalking-the-number-of-the-
beast%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=4azoC2_NWXk-
EM%253A%252CT7TiNHlIRdmQEM%252C_&usg=__jzRjTgdZE9iw8qjkDsZhuPudCpg%3D#imgrc=4azoC2_
NWXk-EM%3A&usg=__jzRjTgdZE9iw8qjkDsZhuPudCpg%3D
146
14:1 txt {A} “his name and the name of his father” ⁴⁷ ℵ² A C (Cass*) RP NA27 {\} ‖ τὸ
ὄνομα τοῦ καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ℵ* ‖ “the name of his father” P TR.
147
14:4 txt omit ⁴⁷ ℵ A C P syrph cop Meth TR SBL NA28 {\} ‖ υπο ιησου “through Jesus” syrh**
RP
148
14:5a Zeph. 3:13; Isaiah 53:9; Psalm 32:2
149
14:5b txt omit ¹¹⁵ A C P vgmss Beat SBL NA28 {\} ‖ γαρ ⁴⁷ ‫ א‬itar,t vgcl syrph,h** copsa Or
Meth Aug½ TR RP ‖ et Prim ‖ quia Aug½
150
14:5c txt omit ⁴⁷ ¹¹⁵ ‫ א‬A C P rell. Grk. rell. lat. syrph,h copsa rell. arm eth RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖
ενωπιον του θρονου του θεου (no Grk whatsoever) vg TR ‖ ενωπιον του θεου arm2
151
14:6a txt αλλον “another” ¹¹⁵vid ℵ² A C P itar vg syrph,h arm (eth) Cypr Matern Varim
Prim Cass Beat TR SBL NA28 {B} ‖ omit ⁴⁷ ℵ* copsa Or Andr Vict-Pet Ambr RP
152
14:6 txt {A} "above" or "crossing over" ⁴⁷ ℵ A C P syrph (copt) Origen NA27 {\} ‖ omit syrh
TR RP.
Revelation
tribe and language and people, ⁷saying in a loud voice, "Fear God153 and
give him glory; for the hour of his judgment has come; and worship him
who created the heaven and the earth and the sea and the sources of
waters."
⁸And another angel, a second one, 154 followed, saying, "Fallen!
Fallen155 is Babylon the great,156 which157 had given all the nations to drink
of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom. "
⁹And another angel, a third one, followed those, saying with a loud
voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and takes the mark on
his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰he shall himself also drink of the wine of the
wrath of God, mixed undiluted in the cup of his anger,158 and he shall be
tormented with fire and sulfur before the holy angels and before the Lamb.
¹¹And the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever, and they have
no relief day or night, those who worship the beast and the image of him,
and anyone who takes the mark of his name."
159
¹²Here is the endurance of the saints, those keeping the
commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. ¹³And I heard a voice from
heaven saying160, "Write, 'Blessed are the dead, those dying in the Lord from
now on.'"
"Yes,"161 says the Spirit, "in that162 they shall rest from their labors, with
their works, you see163 following right with them."164
14:7 txt {A} "God" ⁴⁷ ℵ A C P TR NA27 {\} ‖ "the Lord" it(t) vgcl syrhmg Beat ps-Ambr RP.
153
14:8a txt αγγελος δευτερος “angel a second” ℵ² (C δευτερον) P syrh with * copsa armpt Andr
154
(Beat) NA28 {C} ‖ δευτερος αγγελος “second angel” A armpt Prim Cass RP ‖ δευτερος “a
second” ⁴⁷ ℵ* syrph ‖ αγγελος “an angel” itar vg eth Vict-Pett TR. Regarding Primasius, the
UBS5 and Hoskier apparatuses say it supports RP, while the NA28 apparatus says Prim supports NA28.
I went with two out of three.
155
14:8b txt επεσεν επεσεν “fallen fallen” ⁴⁷ A P latt syr copsa arm2 TR SBL NA28 {\} ‖
επεσεν “fallen” ℵ² C pt arm3 eth RP ‖ επεσεν επεσεν επεσεν “fallen fallen fallen” arm1 ‖ lac ℵ*
156
14:8c txt omit ⁴⁷ ℵ² A C P & all Greek MSS exc. 1894 latt syr cop arm arab RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖
η πολις “that city” 1894 eth TR ‖ lac ℵ*. The phrase “great city” is probably a
harmonization to the familiar phrase found so often in chapter 18 of Revelation, and 17:18.
157
14:8d txt η εκ του “which from the” A C rell. lat syrph,h SBL NA28 {\} ‖ εκ του “from the”
⁴⁷ ℵ² P arm eth arab Spec Prim Beat½ RP ‖ οτι εκ του “because from the” Beat½ TR ‖ και -
“and,” then diff. word order copsa ‖ lac ℵ*
158
14:10 In Hebraistic terminology, the cup signifies destiny. See for example Psalm 11:6.
159
14:12 txt {A} omit ⁴⁷ ℵ A C P latt syr cop arm eth RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ ωδε “here” TR
160
14:13a txt omit ⁴⁷ ℵ A C P harl am fu lips syr cop eth arm4 Beat RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ +μοι “to
me” itar vgcl rell. arm Spec Prim TR
161
14:13a txt "Yes says" ℵ² A C P itar vg syrph,h copsa (arm) Andr; Aug Specul Prim Beat ps-
Ambr TR NA27 {A} ‖ "says yes" RP ‖ "says" ⁴⁷ ℵ* (arm) (eth) Varim
162
14:13b The Greek word "hina" here is exepegetical in that it explains how specifically the
dead in Christ from now on are blessed. The blessing is two-fold, they shall rest, and two,
their works are with immediate apparence and effectiveness, since it won't be long until
the end of the age (and the judgment with reward) from the time they die. Perhaps this is
why DE replaced GAR in some manuscripts, see the other footnotes on this verse.
163 14:13e txt {A} γαρ ⁴⁷ ℵ A C P itar vg syrh copsa ps-Ambr Beat Aug Prim NA27 {\} ‖ δε TR
RP ‖ omit τὰ δὲ ἔργα αὐτῶν ἀκολουθεῖ μετ’ αὐτῶν syrph ‖ omit τὰ δὲ ἔργα αὐτῶν ‖ και eth
arm2.
Revelation
The Angels Harvest the Earth

¹⁴And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and someone like a son of
man sitting on the cloud, having a crown of gold on his head, and a sharp
sickle in his hand. ¹⁵And another angel came, from the temple, calling out in
a loud voice toward the one sitting on the cloud, "Send out165 your sickle
and reap, for the hour166 to reap has come, since the harvest has become
dry."167
¹⁶And the one sitting on the cloud launched his sickle over the earth,
and the earth was harvested.
¹⁷And another angel came from the temple that is in heaven, he also
holding a sharp sickle.
¹⁸And another angel came from the altar, who had authority over the
fire, and he called out in a loud voice to the one holding the sharp sickle,
saying, "Send out your sharp sickle, and collect the clusters of the vine of the
earth, for its grapes have peaked." ¹⁹And the angel launched his sickle onto
the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and he cast it into the great
winepress of God's wrath. ²⁰And the winepress outside the city 168 was
trampled, and the blood went out from the winepress as deep as the bridles
of the horses for a distance of 1,600 stadia. 169
164
14:13e Compare I Timothy 5:24-25
165
14:15a Here the Greek verb pémpō has a military operations meaning, as in, "send orders
that the earth be sickled." The one in white who resembles a human is the captain of the
hosts, and the agents who do the actual sickling, are his angel-soldiers, according to Matt.
13:30, 38-41. In that passage Christ "sends out his angels," and the angels gather the zizania
to be burned. He explains, "The zizania are the children of the evil one, and the enemy
who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.
And as the zizania are collected and consumed by fire, so it will be at the end of the age.
The Son of Man will send out his angels, ..." Here again we even have the phrase Son of
Man both in the Matthew passage and in Rev 14:14. Again, in Matt. 13:49-50 we read, "This
is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go forth and will separate the evil
ones from out of the midst of the righteous, 50and throw them into the furnace of fire.
There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth." Luke 17:35-37 hints that the angels
take them all to one place, where the vultures feed on them. See also the correspondence
of fire, in both Matt. 13:40 and Rev. 14:18. Rev. 14:20 tells us that the people are put
"outside the city" and their blood will flow as high as the horse's bridle for a distance of 180
miles. There is fire in the form of the fire of the city dump outside the city, Jerusalem.
When the disciples asked Jesus where the angels take them in Luke 17:37, Jesus answered
that it would be where there would be vultures gathered, that's where. The number of
bleeding bodies required to produce that kind of a river of blood, would indeed attract a
very large amount of vultures, eagles, crows and any other birds that eat carrion.
166
14:15b txt η ωρα “the hour” ¹¹⁵c A C P (vg) syr RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ ωρα “the hour” ¹¹⁵* ‖
η ωρα του “the hour of” ℵ it copsa Prim Beat ‖ σοι η ωρα του “for you the hour of” TR ‖ ο
“the” ⁴⁷ ‖ ο καιρος “the time” arm1,2,3
167
14:15c Grain is ready to harvest when it is dry and the seed is no longer green.
168
14:20a txt εξωθεν “outside” ⁴⁷ A C P RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ εξω “outside” ℵ TR ‖ omit “outside
t e city” syrh
169
14:20 One stadion was 607 feet or 185 meters, so 1,600 stadia would be 184 miles or 296
kilometers.
Revelation
Chapter 15
The Seven Bowls Full of Wrath
¹And I saw another sign in heaven, great and awesome: seven angels
having the seven last plagues, for170 with them is completed the wrath of
God. ²And I saw like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and the ones
overcoming of the beast and of his image and 171 of the number of his name
were standing on the glassy sea, holding lyres of God. ³And they are
singing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, as
follows,
"Great and marvelous are your deeds,

O Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
O king of the nations.172
⁴Who shall not fear, O Lord,
and glorify your name?
Because you alone are pure.173
For all the nations will come,
and will worship before you,
because your righteous judgments
have been revealed."
170
15:1 This "for" explains why the last plagues are called the "last" plagues.
171
15:2 txt omit ⁴⁷ ℵ A C P lat syr cop arm eth RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ εκ του χαραγματος αυτου
“of his mark” TR ‖ εκ του χαραγματος αυτου και “of his mark and” arm-α ‖ omit και εκ του
χαραγματος αυτου εκ του αριθμου του ονομα αυτου seven Grk minuscules “and of his mark of
the number of his name” ith Prim Tyc ‖ lac ¹¹⁵ 2050
172
15:3 txt "of the nations" ℵ²a A P syrhmg Cypr Ps-Cypr Ambrose Andrew Beat Areth RP
NA28 {B} ‖ "of all the nations" ith arm eth Prim ‖ "of the ages" (cf. 1 Tim. 1:17; Enoch 9:4;
Tobit 13:4) ⁴⁷ ℵ*,²b C itar vg syrph,h copsamss,(samss) (arm²) Ps-Ambr Haymo ‖ "of the ages and
of the nations" cf. Rev. 20:10 (arm²vid +king) ‖ "over all" armγ ‖ "of the saints" Vict-Pett Tyc
Apr Cass TR. The evidence is fairly evenly split between the readings "nations" and "ages."
Even family 052 is divided, though with the majority thereof supporting "nations." The
UBS textual comentary says: "The reading of the Textus Receptus, which has only the
slenderest support in Greek witnesses (296 2049, neither of which was available when the
Textus Receptus was formed) appears to have arisen from confusion of the Latin
compendia for sanctorum (sctorum) and saeculorum (sclorum [=αἰώνων]); "saint" is also read
by several Latin writers, including Victorinus-Pettau, Tyconius, Apringius, and Cassidorus."
H. C. Hoskier says that the only two Greek manuscripts in support of the Textus Receptus,
57 (296) and 141 (2049), ARE the Textus Receptus. He says in Text 1 on pp. 179-180 that ms.
57 (296) is a handwritten copy of Colinaeus' printed edition, that is, a copy of a printed
Greek NT, published in 1534. And at the bottom of Text 1 p. 615, Hoskier says, "This MS 187
with 57 and 141 must not be accorded any weight whatsoever. They are brought into the
record because of their very connection with the printed text." Thus they are both 16th
century copies made from various editions of the Textus Receptus. The bottom line is that
there is no Greek manuscript support for the TR reading of "saints."
173
15:4 txt οσιος ℵ A C P syrph TR SBL NA28 {\} ‖ οσιος και δικαιος (syrh**) copsa ‖ αγιος syrhmg
RP ‖ ει ⁴⁷ ‖ pius vg am Cypr Prim ‖ sanctus ith Ambr Beat ‖ “righteous and powerful” eth ‖
omit οτι μονος οσιος . The word ὅσιος can mean holy, but also “pure.”
Revelation
⁵And after these things I looked, and174 the temple of the tabernacle of
testimony was opened in heaven, ⁶and out of the temple came the seven
angels who had the seven plagues, dressed in clean bright linen175 and gird
around the chest with golden sashes. ⁷And one of the four living beings
handed to the seven angels seven bowls made of gold, which were
becoming full of the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. ⁸And the
temple was filled with smoke, from the glory of God and from his power,
and no one is able to go into the temple until the seven plagues of the seven
angels are carried out.
Chapter 16
¹And I heard a great voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go
and pour out the seven bowls of the wrath of God onto the earth."
²And the first one went and poured out his bowl onto the earth. And
there came a nasty and painful ulcer on the people who had the mark of the
beast and on those worshiping his image.
³And the second angel poured out his bowl onto the sea. And it
became blood like of the dead, and every living soul died, the ones in the
sea.
174
15:5 txt omit: all extant Grk. mss syr copsa arm rell. Tyc2 RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ +ιδου “behold”
vgmss ith arm4 Prim Cass Beat Tyc3 TR
175
15:6 txt {C} λίνον "linen" TR RP NA27 {\} ‖ λινον P vgcl syrph,h arm Tyc Prim Andr Areth ‖
λινουν "linen" ⁴⁷ itar,(h) ‖ λινους "linen" ℵ ‖ λιθον "stone" (Ez 28:13) A C itc,dem,div,haf vg-ww,
Rheims, Amiatinus, Fuld ps-Ambr Andr Oec ‖ neither copsa eth Cass ‖ lac ¹¹⁵. Hoskier also
cites for λιθον, "at non in exemplaribus ad imitandum 91, 617, 1934 etc." (I converted the
Ms numbers to Gregory.) The family of minuscules 104, 336, 459, 620, 1918, are diglots,
Greek and Latin, and their Latin text reads lapide, "stone." The Greek witnesses reading
λινον "linen" (only a small fraction of them cited here) do not agree as to its accent and
spelling. They show a very wide variety thereof. Several minuscules show knowledge of
the λιθον reading in their scholia (242, 250, 743, 2070, 2075, 2077, and by inference versus
"txt"- 2051, 2064, 2067). Hoskier points out Ezekiel 28:13-14, where that cherub is described
to be dressed in stone. So perhaps A and C harmonized to Ezekiel. There are several
instances of Apocalypse manuscripts harmonizing to Daniel or to Ezekiel. Ezekiel chapter
28: "13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, the
sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the
emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of your tabrets and of your pipes
was in you; in the day that you were created they were prepared. 14 You were the anointed
cherub that covers..." Oecumenius appears completely unaware of the "linen" variant, and
knows only "stone", and comments at length about these angels' clean bright stone dress.
He says angels were dressed in linen, or stone of various value, depending on their power
and rank. See Arethas' and Andrew's scholii in 2070 and 250. They state that angels' native
condition of ceremonial purity was to be dressed in a clean stone linen. Elsewhere Arethas
says of the stone, that it was "golden, transparent stone." Some points to consider: 1. The
wide variety of spelling and punctuation of the λινον variant makes it suspect. 2. The
reading λιθον is certainly the more difficult reading, more likely to prompt revision, as the
046 stream is famous for. 3. Perhaps the reading "clean bright linen" is a harmonization to
the gospels' description of angels on earth, and to the description of the armies of heaven
elsewhere in Revelation, like 19:14. Or perhaps to 19:8, where the βύσσινον λαμπρὸν
καθαρόν represents the righteous acts of the saints. Interesting that in both other
instances of Revelation of bright clean linen, it is not the word λινον but βύσσινον. See the
endnote in my longer version of Revelation, for the Greek text of Oecumenius' commentary.
Revelation
⁴And the third angel poured out his bowl onto the rivers and the
sources of the waters. And they became blood.
⁵And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "You are righteous, you
who are and who was, O holy one,176 that you have judged these things, ⁶for
they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and you have given them
blood to drink. They deserve it."177
⁷And I heard178 the altar saying, "Agreed,179 Lord God Almighty, your
punishments are true and just."
⁸And the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun. And it was
given to the sun to scorch the people by fire. ⁹And the people were burned a
very bad burn, and they cursed the name of God, the one having authority
over these plagues, yet they did not repent to give him glory.
¹⁰And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast.
And his kingdom became covered in darkness. And they were biting their
tongues in pain, ¹¹and they cursed the God of heaven, because of their
pains180 and because of their ulcers, yet they did not repent of their works.
¹²And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates.
And it caused its water to dry up, 181 so that a route was prepared for the
kings from the east.182 ¹³And I saw coming from the mouth of the dragon,
and from the mouth of the beast, and from the mouth of the false prophet,
three unclean spirits, like frogs; ¹⁴for they are spirits of demons performing
miracles, which are going out to the kings of the whole world,183 to gather
them together for the war of the great day of God Almighty. ¹⁵(Behold, I am
coming like a thief. Blessed are those keeping vigilant and guarding their
176
16:5 txt ὁ ὅσιος ℵ P vg copsa RP NA28 ‖ ὅσιος A C ‖ καὶ ὅσιος ⁴⁷ ‖ καὶ ὁ ὅσιος (Prim) ‖ καὶ ὁ
ἐσόμενος Beat TR ‖ omit
177
16:6 txt αξιοι ⁴⁷ A C P arm3,4 Beat RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ αξιοι γαρ vg TR ‖ οπερ αξιοι ℵ vgmss
‖ οτι αξιοι am lips5,6 cop syr eth Prim ‖ omit arm1
178
16:7a txt omit ⁴⁷ ℵ A C P syr copsa7/12 arm4 Beat RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ αλλου εκ “another
from” vg 5/12 TR ‖ audivi alterum “could hear another” itgig am lips⁵ ‖ audivi aram Dei dicentem
Beat ‖ alterum angelum (-templi) lips⁴,⁶ ‖ εκ itar arm1,2. There is no Greek support for the TR
reading.
179
16:7b This is the principle, "every matter must be established by the agreement of two or
three witnesses."
180
16:11 Pains from previous scorpion stings, flame thrown from the mouths of beasts,
ulcers, severe sunburns.
181
16:12 The verb here for "dry up" is in the passive voice, and so I wanted to show that the
river was acted upon. The trouble with the English suffix "-ed" to show passive voice, is
that it also is used to show past tense in a verb that is not passive. In other words, I could
have said, "And the water of it was dried up," but in English that can sound like a past tense
statement that says the water was already dried up. It is part of the meaning transfer to
show that it was the 6th bowl that caused the Euphrates River to dry up. In American
English the passive is disappearing, for some unjustifiable reason.
182
16:12b txt ανατολης (sing) ℵ C latt syrh arm eth Prim RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ αναταλων
(plural) A syrph copsa TR ‖ lac P
183
16:14 txt omit ⁴⁷ ℵ A RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ της γης και TR ‖ lac C P. The early versions say
something like my English translation above, and not exactly like the Greek of the TR. You
don’t translate either of the two Greek variants literally anyway.
Revelation
garments, so they are not walking around naked and people seeing their
private parts.) ¹⁶And He gathered them together at the place called in
Hebrew Harmagedōn.184
¹⁷And the seventh185 angel poured out his bowl onto the air. And there
came from the temple186 a loud voice by authority of the throne, 187 saying,
"It is done!" ¹⁸And there were lightnings and sounds and thunderings. 188
184
16:16b txt Harmagedōn ℵ A syrh eth arm1 (Karmagedon) Beat Er. 1-4 Col. RP NA27 {\} ‖
(H)armegedōn ℵ² ‖ Harmageddōn Er. 5 Prim TR ‖ Magedōn vgmss syrph,hmg (acc. NA27) mss ‖
Magdō syrph (acc. Hosk.) ‖ Mageddōn Tyc.2 ‖ lac C P. There is difference between NA27
apparatus versus Hoskier, regarding the reading of the Philoxenian Syriac. There are other
spellings in the early versions, such as Hermagedon. The word Harmagedōn is probably to
be understood like the reading of minuscule 1862, (H)ar Magedōn, from the Hebrew
meaning Mountain of Megiddo, a frequent battleground throughout the ages because of a
strategic pass, and the plain below it. The triumvirate 82, 627, 920 unites here against all
uncials- a sign of a definitely wrong reading. See the endnote in my longer version of
Revelation, for a larger list of variants for this name, from more manuscripts.
185
16:17a txt {A} "seventh" A syrh copsa eth1/2 RP NA27 {\} ‖ "seventh angel" ℵ² vg syrph Beat
Prim Tyc3 TR ‖ "when" ℵ* ‖ lac C P.
186
16:17d txt {A} "temple" ⁴⁷ A 0163vid itar vg syrph,h copsa (eth) Prim Beat ps-Ambr NA27 {A}
‖ "temple of God" ℵ ‖ "heaven" Andrew ‖ "temple of heaven" TR RP ‖ lac C P. This is a
passage in Revelation that really separates the good manuscripts from the inferior. The
ones reading the word "temple" alone here are the best manuscripts of the Apocalypse of
John. (See next footnote.) The uncial C is also good in Revelation, but it has a hiatus here.
187
16:17e Regarding the phrase "And a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne,"
this source given for the loud voice, is rather perplexing at first. It would seem to be
indicating a new and previously unknown throne existing in the temple, that is, the
"temple of the tabernacle of testimony" in 15:5 which sets the context for this passage.
Perhaps it was for this reason that many manuscripts add the explanatory phrase "of
heaven," that is, designating a different temple, heaven itself being the temple, thus: "the
temple of heaven." That would be something along the lines of 13:6 where it says "And he
opened his mouth in blasphemies toward God, to blaspheme his name and his tabernacle,
those tabernacling in heaven." In that passage heaven itself is called a tabernacle. So with
the added words, this perplexing problem is then solved, designating heaven itself as being
the temple, (though here the Greek word "naos" is used but in 13:6 it is "skeenee"), and that
way the throne in the temple is not a new, previously unmentioned one. Yet, this present
temple in this passage is first introduced in 15:5, "the temple of the tabernacle of
testimony," and keys the start of this whole context of the seven bowls. So in 15:6 and
onward, we now see other voices and angels coming out of this temple besides the present
one. And since this particular temple is opened for the first time in 15:5, it cannot be
referring to heaven, as the Majority Text seems to say. So perhaps there is an unusual
meaning of the preposition apó here, such as "by authority of" the throne. According to
Bauer, it is an expression known in Classical Greek to use the preposition apó to indicate
the originator or authorizer of the action. John does use that expression in John 5:19, 30;
7:17; 7:28; 8:28, 42; 10:18; 11:51; 14:10; 15:4; 16:13; 18:34. Thus: a loud voice came out of the
temple, on behalf of the throne. It is interesting to see that up to this point, John has been
totally consistent in using the preposition ek in every case when a voice is coming from
somewhere, see 9:13; 10:4; 10:8; 11:12; 14:2; 14:13; 16:1. And this applies in all editions of the
Greek New Testament. But starting here and then in 19:5, there are textual variants
between ek and apó. The Majority Text in the later instances says apó instead of ek. We
would expect the two to be confused at a later date, since according to Blass, BDF §209, apó
has absorbed ek in modern Greek. Whereas he says in §209(1) that in a locative sense the
two were still distinguished for the most part in New Testament times. Now moving
further in Revelation, again in 18:4 ek is used for a voice from heaven, and in 19:5 where the
voice is from the throne, apó is used. That would be quite a pattern up to that point, but
then 21:3 would seem to ruin it – The NA27 text has a voice coming from the throne, using
ek. There are two other instances in Revelation of the two prepositions ek and apó
occurring together in one phrase, and they are both referring to the city called the New
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 3:12 and 21:2.
188
16:18 txt {A} "lightnings and sounds/voices and thunderings" A 0163 vg copsa2/3 arm2,3
Revelation
And a powerful earthquake occurred, such as has not happened since

humankind existed on the earth, so great an earthquake it was. ¹⁹And the
great city was split into three, and the cities of the Gentiles collapsed. And
Babylon the Great, it was remembered in the presence of God to give her the
cup of the wine of the fury of God's wrath. ²⁰And every island vanished
away, and no mountains were found. ²¹And huge hailstones, about 100
pounds in weight, came down on the people out of heaven; and the people
cursed God because of the plague of hail. For severe is the blow of it,
extremely.
Chapter 17
The Mysterious Prostitute
¹Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and
spoke with me, saying, "Come, I will show you the judgment of the great
prostitute who sits on many waters, ²with whom the kings of the earth have
fornicated. And those dwelling on the earth have become intoxicated from
the wine of her fornication."
³And he carried me away in the Spirit to a wilderness. And I saw a
woman sitting on a scarlet beast that had seven heads and ten horns, which
was full of blasphemous names. ⁴And the woman was dressed in purple
and scarlet, and covered with gold and precious stones and pearls, holding
a golden cup in her hand, full of abominations and the uncleanness of her 189
prostitution. ⁵And on her forehead a title was written:
A Mystery
Babylon the Great,
the mother of prostitutes
and of the abominations of the earth.
ps-Ambr Tyc.3 Prim. NA27 {\} ‖ "lightning and the sound of thunder" eth ‖ "lightnings and
thunderings" syrph copsa1/3 arm4 Beat ‖ "lightnings and thunderings and sounds/voices"
⁴⁷ syrh RP ‖ "sounds/voices and thunderings and lightnings" TR ‖ "thunderings and
lightnings and sounds/voices" ℵ² pt ‖ "thunderings and sounds/voices and lightnings" pt ‖
"thunderings and lightnings and sounds/voices and thunderings" ℵ* ‖ "sounds/voices and
thunderings" Cass. ‖ lac C P.
189
17:4b txt {A} "her prostitution" A itar,c,dem,div,haf vg syrph (arm) eth Andr; Beat TR RP NA27
{B} ‖ "the earth's prostitution" Hipp; (Cypr) (Quodvult) (Prim) ‖ (conflation of the previous
two) ℵ syrh with * (copsa) ‖ lac C. The next verse, v. 5, ends with τῆς γῆς “the earth’s.” Perhaps
some copyist left off his task near the end of v. 4, came back to resume copying, and his eye
picked up where he thought he left off, but he was at the end of v. 5 instead. The Sahidic
Coptic reads "of her sexual immorality with those of the earth," and the Bohairic Coptic
reads "...with all the earth." Hoskier does not account for the uncial P here, but usually
when 046 82 627 920 side against other uncials, P is opposed to 046 as well.
Revelation
⁶And I saw the woman drunk from the blood of the saints and 190 from
the blood of Jesus' witnesses. And I was astonished when I saw her, with a
great astonishment.
⁷And the angel said to me, "Why are you astonished? I will declare to
you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast carrying her which has the
seven heads and ten horns. ⁸The beast which you saw, was, and now is not,
and in the future is to191 rise again from the Abyss, and then is going192 to
destruction.193 And those dwelling on the earth will be amazed when they
see the beast, anyone whose name has not been written in the book of life
since the foundation of the world, for it was, and is not, and will be. 194
⁹"Consider this, O mind having wisdom: the seven heads are seven
mountains, where the woman sits on them. They are also seven kings.
¹⁰Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet appeared, and when he
appears, he must continue a little while. ¹¹And the beast which was and is
not, he also is an eighth king, and from the seven he is, and to destruction he
is going.
¹²"And the ten horns which you saw, they are ten kings who have not
190
17:6 txt και εκ του αιματος “and from the blood of” ℵ A A syrh copsa TR SBL NA28 {\} ‖ εκ
του αιματος “from the blood of” K RP ‖ lac C
191
17:8a The phrase "in the future is to" is from the Greek word méllō, which often means,
but does not always mean "about to." Often in the New Testament it means "is destined
to," which is part of the meaning here. And often it makes a simple future infinitive, by
being used with an infinitive following, as is the case here. Bauer says this phrase, a
combination of méllō followed by a present infinitive, replaced the future infinitive verb of
Classical Greek. See also BDF §338(3), which says the same thing, but see BDF §356 about
the "imminence" meaning of the pariphrasis of méllō followed by a present infinitive.
192
17:8b txt "he is going" A syrph copsa,(bo) eth Irenlat Hipp Andr; Prim Erasmus-all Ald Col
NA27 {B} ‖ "he must go," or, "he is destined to go" ℵ P itar vg syrh arm Hippmss; Quodvult Beat
TR RP ‖ lac C. The UBS textual commentary: "Orthographically ὑπάγει [he is going] differs very little from
ὑπάγειν [he must go], for in Greek manuscripts final ν is often represented merely by a horizontal stroke over the
preceeding letter. In the context the present indicative is the more difficult reading, which copyists would have been
prone to alter to the infinitive after μέλλει." See also 17:11.
193
17:8c I supplied in italics the time sequence words required in good English. I was
hesitant to put them in italics, because though no perfectly equivalent word for them is in
the Greek, yet their meaning is there, ala Hebrew, where a string of events is connected
with "and," with time sequential order meant to be understood in the most likely possible
way.
194
17:8e txt "and will be present" A P Hipp? RP NA27 {\} ‖ "and again will be present"
(though has an itacism variant spelling) ℵ* ‖ "and is present" ℵ² syrph ‖ "though is present"
TR ‖ "and thus far he will be about to come" Beatus ‖ "and he is about to come" Primasius ‖
"and he is coming near" arm 3 ‖ "and he will be near/ will come near" arm 4 ‖ "and he has
fallen" ‖ "and he will be" copsa ‖ "and (yet) to approach" syrh. ‖ omit eth vg Ps-Ambr ‖ lac C.
(Note: I give a complete breakdown of all variants for this passage, in my other document
that uses the Greek text in the footnotes. It cannot be done without the Greek punctuation
etc. Significant is that 43 or 44 minuscules run verse 8 on with v. 9, making the "here" that
begins our verse 9 part of the previous clause, that is: "and will be present here.") H. C.
Hoskier says there is only one Greek ms that reads as the TR, ms 141 (now known as 2049),
which he says is merely a copy of the TR (probably of Erasmus’ 3rd or 4th edition). Thus, the
TR has no Greek manuscript support for this reading, and no versional or Patristic support
either. And on page 1:615, Hoskier says, "This MS 187 with 57 and 141 must not be accorded
any weight whatsoever. They are brought into the record because of their very connection
with the printed text." Hoskier further states this plainly in Text Volume 2, p. 156, lines
26,27, where he says "...57 et 141 ex ed. typ. exscripti." This means 57 and 141 are "copied from
printed edition."
Revelation
yet received kingship; they only receive authority as kings for one hour with
the beast. ¹³These have one purpose,195 and they give196 their power and
authority to the beast. ¹⁴These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb
will overcome them, because he is lord of lords, and king of kings, and those
with him are the called, and elect, and faithful."
¹⁵And he says to me, "The waters which you saw, where the prostitute
sits, they are peoples and populaces, and ethnic groups and languages.
¹⁶And the ten horns which you saw, and 197 the beast, these will hate the
prostitute, and they will lay her waste, and bare, 198 and eat her flesh, and
burn her up with fire. ¹⁷For God has given it into their hearts, to carry out
that purpose of His, even to perform one single purpose, and that is to give
their kingdoms to the beast, until the words of God are accomplished.
¹⁸And the woman which you saw is that great city that has rule over the
kings of the earth."
Chapter 18
Fallen Is Babylon the Great
¹After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven,
having great authority, and the earth was lit up from his glory. ²And he
cried out in a powerful voice, saying, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,
and has become the dwelling place of demons and the haunt of every
unclean spirit and the haunt of every unclean bird, 199 and the haunt of every
unclean and detestable beast, 200 ³because every nation has drunk201 of the
195
17:13c The Greek word is gnōmē, which means what you have in mind, what you intend,
what your purpose is. But it is not necessarily talking here about what the kings have in
mind, (or what a one-world government has in mind) but what Satan and the beast have in
mind, which providentially is also what God has in mind. Ultimately, these kings serve the
purpose of God, the king of the ages. For from Him, and through Him, and to Him are all
things. To God be the glory, for ever. Amen. Others think this means "these have one
mind," in other words, they are in agreement with each other.
196
17:13d The Greek for "give" is in the present indicative. But this is sort of an "inverse
infinitive of result." A kind of Semitism. In other words, there is a formula in Hebraistic
Greek called an "infinitive of result," where kai followed by an infinitive in the Greek
means in English a result, ie, "and then he will do such and such." Here the formula is
solved in reverse: The Greek "and then they will do such and such" means in English an
exepegetical "and that is to do such and such." What they do, is what their one purpose
was. And they do do it.
197
17:16b txt και το θηριον “and the beast” rell. extant Grk MSS, versions, and fathers RP SBL
NA28 {\} ‖ τω θηριω “to, for, on, the beast” syrph arm2 ‖ επι το θηριον “upon the beast”
[nothing!] TR
198
17:16c txt γυμνην “naked” ℵ A P latt syr copsa arm4 Prim TR SBL NA28 {\} ‖ γυμνην
ποιησουσιν αυτην “make her naked” eth RP ‖ lac C 2050
199
18:2a The Textus Receptus and Robinson-Pierpont texts omit the phrase “and the haunt
of every unclean beast.” They end it with “and the haunt of every unclean and detestable
bird.” It is a very complicated variant; see my longer edition of Revelation with the Greek
text accompanying for a full footnote.
200
18:2 Isaiah 13:21,22; 34:11
201
18:3 txt πεπωκα(σι)ν itar vg syrh arm Andrc,p Areth Tyc Priscillian Beat Haymo NA28 {D} ‖
πεπωκεν P Hipp Andra,baν al TR ‖ πεποτικεν syrph ‖ πεπτώκα(σι)ν ℵ A C copsa eth Hipp RP ‖
Revelation
wine of the wrath of her prostitution, and the kings of the earth have
fornicated with her, and the merchants of the earth by virtue of her luxury
have become rich."
⁴And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Get out, O my
people, out of her, so that you not be parties to her sins, and not receive of
her plagues.⁵For her sins are piled202 all the way up to heaven, and God
has remembered her crimes. ⁶Deal back to her even as she dealt out,203 and
pay to her double,204 as befits her deeds. In the cup in which she had mixed,
mix her a double. ⁷As much as she glorified herself and experienced
luxury, that much suffering and mourning deal to her. For she says in her
heart, 'I sit as a queen, and no widow am I, and mourning I will never
see.'205 ⁸Because of this, her blows will come in a single day, death and
mourning and famine, and she will be consumed by fire. For able is the
Lord God who sentenced206 her."
⁹And the kings of the earth when they see the smoke of her burning,
shall weep and beat their breasts over her, they who had fornicated and
experienced luxury with her, ¹⁰standing a long distance away, for the horror
of her torment, saying, "Alas, alas, great city! Babylon, strong city! 207 For in
a single hour your doom has come!"208
πέπτωκεν 2053c 2062 syrhmg Oec ‖ πεπτωκεν εἰς syrhmg Hipp ‖ omit πεπωκαν παντα τα ἐθνη
Prim ‖ lac 2050. The TR and NA28 editions support some form of the word "drink," and the
RP/TH text supports "fallen." The UBS commentary says the other forms of the word
"drunk" are grammatical improvements made to an original πεπωκαν, which fits with the
prophetic imagery of Jeremiah 25:15 (LXX 32:15) f.; 51:7, 39 (LXX 28:7, 39) and Rev. 14:8, and
that "fallen" is not suitable to the context and might be a conformation to "fallen" in v. 2.
202
18:5 txt ἐκολλήθησαν (piled up) ℵ A C P lat cop syr eth arab Cypr Prim Hipp. Scrivener-1894-
TR TG AT BG RP NA28 ‖ ἠκολούθησαν (followed) Erasmus-1516-TR Stephens-1550-TR Beza-
1598-TR Elzevir-1624-TR Scrivener-1887-TR. The reading of the TR is so clearly an error,
that the JV and the N JV did not follow it. Only Young’s Literal Translation followed it.
Scrivener’s 1894 edition may be considered a “corrected Textus Receptus.” The only
manuscripts reading as the TR are 296 2049, but once again, the MSS 296 and 2049 do not
count, as they are hand-written copies of printed TR editions, after the fact.
203
18:6a txt omit ℵ A C P syrph,h copsa Hipp RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ omit απεδωκεν υμιν και
διπλωσατε αυτη Cypr Prim ‖ +υμιν “to you” vgcl Beat TR ‖ +ημιν “to us” arm-α
204
18:6b txt αυτη διπλα “to her double” P syrph,h copsa Prim TR RP ‖ αυτη τα διπλα “to her
double” C ‖ αυτα διπλα “them double” ‖ αυτα αυτη διπλα “them to her double” ‖ τα διπλα
“double” ℵ Hipp SBL NA28 {\}‖ διπλα “double” A vg Beat
205
18:7 The word horáō here means to see in the sense of to experience something. Τhe
whole verse emphasizes experience of the senses, and sensuality in general. Earlier in the
verse, the word strēniáō means to "live luxuriously, sensually," which again is the idea of
enjoying one's senses and experiencing good feeling things. So now she is condemned to
experience bad things, since she earlier had experienced only good things, compare Luke
16:25, where Abraham said to the rich man, "Son, recall that in your lifetime, you received
your good things, while Lazarus likewise received his bad; so now here, he is comforted,
and you are suffering." And Luke 6:24, 25: "But woe to you who are rich, because you have
received your share of comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep."
206
18:8 txt {A} (punctiliar participle) ℵ* A C P syrph,h arm3,4 Hipp Cypr Prim⅔ RP NA27 {\} ‖
(continuous participle) ℵ²copsa TR ‖ judicabit (future) vgcl Auct Beat Prim⅓ Apr
207
18:10a All the nominative definite articles must be used for vocatives here, because the
quotation ends with the second person pronoun, sou.
208
18:10b Or possibly, "How has your doom come in one hour." See footnote on 18:17.
Revelation
¹¹And the merchants of the earth weep 209 and mourn over her, because
no one buys their cargo anymore, ¹²cargo of gold, silver, precious stones and
pearls, and of linen, silk, purple and scarlet cloth, and every aromatic
wood, 210 and every item of ivory, and every article of expensive wood,
copper, iron, and marble, ¹³and cinnamon and cardamom,211 and incenses,
myrrh and frankincense, and wine, olive oil, finest flour, and wheat, and
cattle, sheep and horses, and carriages, and the bodies and souls of human
beings.
¹⁴And your fruit,212 what your soul had lusted for,213 has left you; yes,
all the luxuries and the splendor, have vanished from you, and never shall
men find214 them again.
¹⁵Those merchants who became rich from her will stand afar off for the
209
18:11a txt κλαιουσιν…πενθουσιν (pres) ℵ A Cf P TR SBL NA28 {\} ‖
κλαυσουσιν…πενθησουσιν (fut) itar vg syrph copsa Hipp RP ‖ κλαυσουσιν only syrh
210
18:12b The Greek says "thuonic wood." There was a "thuon tree" that grew in north
Africa. The most important property of this tree is that its wood was burnt in offerings in
ceremonies. Furniture made out of its wood was in popular demand. Its resin was valued
not only for ceremonial incense, but may have been medicinally used, as an anti-biotic,
anti-fungal and anti-wart. Some say this was the citron tree, also grown in north Africa,
and valued for its resin and durable wood. They claim that for the Jewish feast of Booths,
there developed a custom, based on the command in Leviticus 23:40 to "take the fruit of the
goodliest tree" the custom to use the cedar cone in the ceremonies. But then that the
custom changed to using citron fruit, with the Greek name for cedar, kedron, held over and
applied to the citron. And that the Greek word for cedar, κέδρον - kedron, was latinized
into citron. I don't know how valid that is, since there was a specific Greek word for citron,
κίτρον - kitron. And this word was said by Pamphilus to be a word borrowed from Latin.
The citron tree does have aromatic resin that was valued. This passage in Revelation does
not mention how thuonic wood was used, but it reminds me of the Greek word for offering,
thumos. I am not convinced that the thuon tree was the same as the citron tree. On the
other hand, the Latin name thuja plicata, a kind of cedar with overlapping scale-like leaves,
is said to be borrowed from the Greek word thuon. There is a tree in North America called
thuja plicata, also known as red cedar. Obviously, this could hardly be the tree meant here
in Revelation. But what all these trees have in common is aromatic properties- resins and
hydrocarbons, that could be used for offerings as a pleasing aroma.
211
18:13c txt {A} "and cardamom" ℵ*A C P syrh copsa eth am fu Hipp. NA27 {\} ‖ omit ℵ² vgcl
Prim TR RP ‖ lac 052.
212
18:14a The Greek word can metaphorically mean “summertime/harvest happiness.”
213
18:14b txt σου της επιθυμιας της ψυχης “your fruit, what your soul had lusted for” ℵ A C
P vgst SBL NA28 {\} ‖ σου η επιθυμια της ψυχης σου “your fruit, what your soul had lusted
for” syrph ‖ σου της επιθυμιας της ψυχης αυτων “your fruit, what their souls had lusted for”
copsa¼ ‖ της επιθυμιας της ψυχης σου “the fruit you soul had lusted for” it vgcl syrh TR RP ‖
της επιθυμιας της ψυχης “the fruit, the lust of the soul” or, “your fruit, what your soul had
lusted for” ‖ της επιθυμιας της ψυχης αυτων “the fruit their souls had lusted for” cop sa¾
214
18:14c txt {A} "shall they find" (3rd pl fut ind act) ℵ A C P vg syrph,h copsa NA27 {A} ‖ "shall
you find" (2nd sg 2aor subj act) Hipp. Beat. RP ‖ "shall you find" (2nd sg fut) Prim Beat ‖
"shall you find" (2nd sg 1aor subj act) TR. There is a great variety to the above readings as
to the sequence of the surrounding words. The Majority Text readings I take it are the
bystanders saying it to Babylon, whereas the UBS text is the prophet saying it. To me, the
Maj. readings make no sense: Since Babylon is destroyed forever, she won't find anything of
any sort again, so it need not be said that she will not find her luxuries and splendor again.
It is humankind who will not find them, at least where she was. Humankind and the planet
are much better off without her luxuries. It is luxurious living that destroys the planet.
The original reading, the third person plural, seemed to many copyists to need a subject, so
many supplied various subjects (where I added "men"), such as "the merchants," or, "the
souls of those who are left," or, "the free" et al.
Revelation
horror of her torment, weeping and mourning, ¹⁶saying, "Alas, Alas, great
city dressed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and gilded in gold and
precious stone and pearl!215 ¹⁷That216 this kind of wealth has been ruined in
one hour!"
And every pilot and everyone sailing toward the place, 217 and mariners
and such as work the sea, stood afar off, ¹⁸and cried out, watching the
smoke of her fire, saying, "What city is like the great city?" ¹⁹And they threw
dust above their heads and cried out weeping and mourning, saying, "Alas,
Alas, great city, through whom all those owning ships on the sea became
rich from her Priceyness.218 How has she been laid waste in one hour?"
²⁰Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints 219 and apostles and
prophets! For God has adjudicated your redress from her. 220 ²¹And a
powerful angel lifted up a stone, like a giant millstone, and threw it into the
sea, saying, "With such violence will that great city Babylon be thrown
down, and never more be found."
²²"And the sound of guitarists and musicians and flutists and
trumpeters will never more be heard in you, nor will any craftsman of any
skill be found in you anymore, nor the sound of a factory be heard in you
anymore, ²³and the light of a lamp will will not shine in you anymore, and
the sound of bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you anymore. For
215
18:16b txt "pearl" ℵ A C P 0229 syrh copsa(arthrous) eth arm4 Prim NA27 {A} ‖ μαργαρίταις
"pearls" lat syrph ms TR RP.
216
18:17a In Hebraistic Greek this word "hoti" like here can mean "how." There is a similar
exclamation in 2 Samuel 1:19, 25, 27 about Saul and Jonathan, "How have the mighty
fallen." (In the LXX that passage is II Kings 1:19, where those translators used the Greek
word pōs.) David was not really asking how it happened, but was expressing consternation,
as here in Revelation. There are three instances of this expression with hoti, in 18:10, 17,
19, and I varied the English word for the sake both of poetic variety and of illustration of
the Hebraistic Greek possibilities.
217 18:17b txt {A} "everyone sailing toward the place" ℵ A C 0229 itar vgww,st arm RP NA27 {B}
‖ "everyone sailing on the high sea" vgcl Caes Prim ‖ "everyone sailing on the rivers" copsa ‖
"those who sail from a distance" Ps-Ambr ‖ "everyone sailing in ships" P (Hipp) Andr; Beat ‖
"everyone sailing near the place in ships" (syrph) ‖ "everyone associated with ships" Hipp Er
Ald Col TR. There is a use of the word τόπος in connection with boats and sailing also in
Acts 27:2.
218
18:19 This Greek word timiotētos actually was sometimes used as a title of respectful
address to a rich person. "Your Priceyness," or, "Your Preciousness." In this passage, the
logic is that the traders and merchants would miss her because of her high prices, for
where would you rather take your wares, to where they are accustomed to high prices, or
to where they have low prices? You could accurately render the word here as "high
prices." But this brings up another illustration of how the rich oppress the poor. Many a
poor person has had his home demolished because of how it would adversely affect the
high prices of the homes of his rich neighbors. And thus, the rich get richer, and the poor
get poorer. There is no greater freedom a country can have than that each citizen be
allowed to build a house that each can afford, no matter what quality, and own that house
debt-free from the start. But her Priceyness is building up wrath for that day.
219
18:20a txt αγιοι και οι αποστολοι “saints and apostles” ℵ A P copsa arm3 RP SBL NA28 {\}
‖ αγιοι αποστολοι “holy apostles” C itar vgcl Apr Beat TR ‖ αγγελοι και οι αποστολοι “angels
and apostles” syrh Hipp
220
18:20b Compare Luke 18:3, 7.
Revelation
your traders were the lords 221 of the earth, in that by your sorceries all
nations were deceived. ²⁴And in her was found the blood of prophets and
of saints, indeed of all the slain upon the earth.
Chapter 19
Hallelujah!
¹After these things I heard something like222 the sound of a very large
multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! The salvation and glory 223 and
power of224 our God! ²How true and right are his judgments! For he has
judged the great prostitute who was destroying the earth with her
prostitution, and has avenged the blood of his servants spilled by her
hand."225
³And a second time they said,226 "Hallelujah! And the smoke from her
ascends for ever and ever."
⁴And the twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and
worshiped God, the one sitting on the throne, saying, "Amen. Hallelujah!"
⁵And there came a voice from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all
you his servants, and227 you who fear him, both small and great."
⁶And I heard like the sound of a great multitude, and like the sound of
many waters and like the sound of powerful thunderclaps, saying,
"Hallelujah! For the Lord our God228 the Almighty has begun to reign. ⁷Let
us rejoice and exult, and give glory to him, for the wedding of the Lamb has
come, and his wife has made herself ready; ⁸and it was given to her that she
be dressed in fine linen bright and clean, for the fine linen is the righteous
acts of the saints."
⁹And he says to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the
wedding banquet of the Lamb.' " And he says to me, "These are true words
221
18:23a Greek: "megistanes"; compare Daniel 5:23, Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 4:7, 10:24;
222
19:1b txt ηκουσα ως “I heard like” ℵ A C P vg Apr Cass RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ ηκουσα “I
heard” syrph,h copsa eth arm Beat Prim Tyc TR
223
19:1c txt η δοξα κ. η δυναμις “glory and power” ℵ² A C P vg syrph copsa Apr Beat Tyc2 SBL
NA28 {\} ‖ η δυναμις κ. η δοξα “power and glory” arm3 RP ‖ η δοξα κ. η τιμη κ. η δυναμις
“glory and honor and power” (syrh) TR ‖ κ. η δυναμις ℵ* “and power”
224
19:1d txt του θεου “of God” ℵ A C P rell. Grk. itgig copsa,(bo) RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ κυριω τω θεω
“to the Lord God” [13 minuscules] TR ‖ τω θεω “to God” syrh ‖
225
19:2 For other instances of the instrumental use of ἐκ χειρὸς, see in the LXX Genesis 9:5;
Lev. 22:25; 1 Kings 25:39 (1 Sam 25:39 English); 2 Kings 4:11; 18:31 (2 Sam English); 4 Kings
11:7 (2 Kings 11:7 English)
226
19:3 txt {A} "a second time they said" ℵ A C P TR NA27 {\} ‖ "a second one said" or, "a
second time he said" syrh RP.
227
19:5 txt "and" A 0229 itar,t vg syrph,h arm ethmss Andr; Prim Apr Beat TR RP [NA27] {C} ‖
omit ℵ C P copsa eth ‖ lac C.
228
19:6b txt {D} "the Lord our God" ℵ² P itar vg syrh copsams arm Apr Beat RP [NA27] {C} ‖ "the
Lord God" A itt syrphc copsams Cypr TR ‖ "our God" Andr ‖ "God our Lord" ℵ* ‖ “God” eth ‖
"the Lord" syrph* ms ‖ “our Lord” Prim ‖ lac C.
Revelation
from God."
¹⁰And I fell down before his feet to worship him. And he says to me,
"Watch out! I am your fellow servant, and one of your brothers in having
the testimony of Jesus. Worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit
of prophecy."
Behold a White Horse

¹¹And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and the one
sitting on it [called] faithful and true,229 and in righteousness he judges and
makes war. ¹²And his eyes are like230 flames of fire, and on his head many
diadems, having a name written 231 on them which no one knows but
himself, ¹³and he is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and called by the
name "the Word of God."
¹⁴And the armies that are in heaven are following him on white horses,
dressed in bright, clean linen. ¹⁵And from his mouth goes out a sharp 232
sword, so that with it he might strike the nations, and then he himself will
shepherd them with a rod of iron; and he himself will tread the press of the
wine of the passion of233 the wrath of God the Almighty.234 ¹⁶And he has a
name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
¹⁷And I saw an235 angel standing on the sun, and he cried out in a very
great voice, saying, "To all the birds flying in mid-air, Come, gather toward
the great feast of236 God, ¹⁸that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh
229 19:11 txt καλούμενος πιστὸς καὶ ἀληθινός “called faithful and true” itt vgcl syrph,h
(copsa?bo?) (eth?) Irenlat Orlat Cyp Vict Tyc Jer Apr Prim Andrc Ps-Ambr Beat TR RP [NA27] {C}
‖ πιστὸς καλούμενος καὶ ἀληθινός “called faithful and true” ℵ WH ‖ vocabatur fidelis, et verax
vocatur “called faithful and called truthful” itc vgww,st ‖ “called faithful and true” itar ‖
“faithful and true” A P arm Hipp Andra,bav,p Areth Er. 1,2,3 Ald Col ‖ lac C. The word
καλούμενος, “called,” is of doubtful authenticity because of the variety of its positions in
the manuscripts. This is a principle of Textual Criticism, that a great variety of readings
indicates dubiousness. If the word were not present in the Greek, the English copula would
normally be supplied- “the one sitting on it was faithful and true.” Yet to supply “was
called” would not be out of the question.
230 19:12a txt ὡς “like” A itar,t vg syrph,h copsamss eth Irenlat Orgr,lat Cypr Jer Apr Prim Beat TR
[NA27] {C} ‖ omit ℵ P arm Hipp Andr RP ‖ lac C.

231
19:12b txt {A} "a name written" A (syrph) TR NA27 {\} ‖ "a name," then lacking "written
which no one" ℵ* ‖ "names written" ℵ² arm4 ‖ names written and a name written" syrh** RP
‖ lac C.
232
19:15a txt {A} omit ℵ A P copsa arm Iren Orig Hier Beat Apr Cass Ps-Ambr TR NA27 {\} ‖
add "double-edged" before "sword" (syrh after "sword") vgcl syrh** eth Ambr Prim RP ‖ lac C.
233
19:15b txt {A} "(Heb 4:12) of the passion of the wrath" A P RP NA27 {\} ‖ "of the wrath of
the passion" ℵ Or copsa ‖ "of the passion and wrath" TR ‖ lac C.
234
19:15 I know this is rather many genitive clauses all in a row; one could for example at
least say "the wine-press" instead of the press of the wine." But I wanted to preserve the
form of the phrase "wine of the wrath of God" that is found elsewhere in Revelation.
235
19:17b txt {A} ἕνα "an" A P itar vg Apr Cass Prim TR NA27 {\} ‖ ἄλλον "another" ℵ syrph
copsamss arm4 ps-Ambr ‖ omit syrh Beat RP ‖ lac C. In Semitic usage, this ἕνα would be
somewhat equivalent to our indefinite article.
236
19:17d txt τὸ μέγα “the great feast of God” ℵ A P vg syrph,h copsa arm4 Prim Beat Apr RP
Revelation
of generals, and the flesh of the mighty, and the flesh of horses and of those
riding on them; even the flesh of every sort, both free and slave, both the
small and the great."
¹⁹And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies,
gathered together to make war with the one sitting on the horse and with
his army. ²⁰And the beast was arrested,237 and with him the false prophet
who did the wonders before him by which he deceived those receiving the
mark of the beast and worshiping his image. The two were thrown while
living into the lake of fire burning with sulfur. ²¹And the rest were killed by
the sword which goes out from the mouth of the one sitting on the horse.
And all the birds got fat off their flesh.
Chapter 20
The One Thousand Years
¹And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key to the
abyss and a giant chain in his hand. ²And he captured the dragon, the
ancient serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, 238 and bound him for a
thousand years, ³and cast him into the abyss, and closed239 and sealed it
over him, so that he could no longer deceive the nations, until the end of the
thousand years; after them he must be released for a short time.
⁴And I saw thrones, and they took their seat on them, and judgeship
was given to them, that is, the souls of those beheaded because of the
testimony of Jesus, and because of the word of God, and who did not
worship the beast, neither the image of him, and did not take the mark on
their forehead or on their hand. And they came to life, and reigned with
Christ a thousand240 years. ⁵(The rest241 of the dead did not come to life
until the thousand years were finished.) 242 This is the first resurrection.
NA28 {\} ‖ τοῦ μεγάλου “the feast of the great God” TR

237
19:20c I believe it is important to use the word "arrested," because elsewhere the beast is
called "the man of lawlessness." And also to remind us that the beast will be "Caesar." Yes,
he will be the government, and we must remember that governments do break laws, and
they will be held accountable for breaking laws. Sometimes we have a legal duty to disobey
the government. And the kingdom of God is a government, and now, "the kingdoms of this
world are become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ." Amen.
238
20:2b txt omit ℵ A syrph copsa TR SBL NA28 {\} ‖ +ο πλανων την οικουμενην ολην “who
deceives the whole world” (syrh) RP ‖ lac C P
239
20:3 txt omit ℵ A RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ αυτον “it” TR ‖ lac C P
240
20:4c txt χιλια ℵ A syrph copsa Erasmus-all Aldus Colinaeus Complutensian TR-Scriv AT
SBL NA28 {\} ‖ τα χιλια syrh TR-Steph RP ‖ lac C P 1828
241
20:5a txt οἱ λοιποὶ "the rest" A vg Am Apr Ful Vic Prim Aug ΝΑ27 {\} ‖ “and the rest” itar
vg mss ethpt arm4 RP ‖ “but the rest” copsa TR ‖ omit whole sentence (homoioteleuton) ℵ syrph
Vict Beat ‖ lac C P.
242
20:5c Parentheses are necessary here, to prevent the reader from thinking that the
"This" in the next sentence is referring to the resurrection at the end of the thousand
years. (The text within the parentheses is omitted by ℵ, the Syriac version and 70 Greek
minuscules.)
Revelation
⁶Blessed and holy is he who takes part in the first resurrection; over such,
the second death has no power, but instead they shall be priests of God and
of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
The Last War

⁷And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be released
from his prison, ⁸and he shall go forth to deceive the nations which are in
the four points of the earth, Gōg and Magōg, 243 to gather them together for
war, the number of them being as the sand of the seashore. ⁹And they rose
up over the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the company of the saints
and the beloved city. And fire came down from heaven244 and consumed
them. ¹⁰And the Devil, the deceiver of them, was cast into the lake of fire
and sulfur, where also245 the beast and false prophet were, and they shall be
tormented day and night, for ever and ever.
The Great White Throne of Judgement

¹¹And I saw a great white throne, and the one sitting on it, from whose
face the earth and the heaven fled away, and their place was found no more.
¹²And I saw the dead, the great and the small, 246 standing before the
throne,247 and books were opened. Another book was also opened, which is
the book of life. And the dead were judged from what was written in the
books, according to their works. ¹³And the sea gave up the dead which
were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them, and
each person was judged according to their works. ¹⁴And Death and Hades
were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 248
¹⁵And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into
the lake of fire.
243
20:8 Ezekiel 38, 39
244
20:9 txt "from heaven" A vgms mss eth Aug⅔ Prim NA27 {A} ‖ "from God from heaven" ℵ²
(ℵ* homoioteleuton) P vg syrh Jer Apr Beat Andr TR ‖ "from heaven from God" (see 21:2,10)
itar vgms syrph copsa arm ethmss Aug⅓ RP ‖ lac C.
245
20:10 txt οπου και “where also” A vg Aug Beat Cass Prim Tyc2,3 Vict RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖
οπου “where” ℵ itar vgmss syrph copsa Apr TR ‖ lac C
246
20:12 txt {A} "the great and the small" ℵ² A P itar vg syrph,h copsa eth RP NA27 {\} ‖ "and
the great and the small" ℵ* ‖ "the small and the great" copsa ‖ "the small and the great"
(sans articles) TR ‖ lac C.
247
20:12b txt θρονου “throne” ℵ A P latt syr cop arm eth Er-4 RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ θεου “God”
TR ‖ omit εστωτας ενωπ. του θ. arm2 Aug Prim ‖ lac C
248
20:14 txt “the lake of fire” ℵ A P syrh copsa arab RP SBL NA28 ‖ omit vgcl TR ‖ lac C
Revelation
Chapter 21
The New Jerusalem
¹And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and first
earth had vanished away, and the sea does not exist anymore. ²And I249 saw
the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride made beautiful for her husband. ³And I heard a great
voice from the throne250 saying, "Behold, God's tent is with humanity. And
he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and he shall be their
God;251 ⁴and he252 shall wipe away every tear from their eyes. And death
shall no longer exist, neither sadness, nor crying, nor pain, shall exist
anymore. The253 former things have passed away."
⁵And the One sitting on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all
things anew."
And he says,254 "Write, 'These words are trustworthy and true.' "
⁶And he said to me, "They are accomplished.255 I am256 the Alpha and
249
21:2 txt omit all Greek mss, all other versions, all fathers RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ “I John” vgcl
TR
250
21:3a txt θρόνου "from the throne" ℵ A itar vg ps-Amb Aug Irenlat Ambr Haymo NA27 {\} ‖
οὐρανοῦ "from heaven" P syrph,h copsa arm eth Ambr Prim Tyc Oec Beat Cass TR RP ‖ lac C.
The UBS textual commentary says that the latter reading appears to be an assimilation to
ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ in ver. 2.
251
21:3c txt {D} "and he shall be their God" 1678 (Cf. arm 6 –Coneybeare p. 158) ‖ "and God
himself with them and shall be to them God" syrph ‖ "and God himself shall be with them
their God" A vg eth Irenlat Ambr½ Apr Beat (NA27 [αὐτῶν θεός]) {C} ‖ "and God himself shall
be with them their God" P Andr TR ‖ "and God himself shall be with them" (itsin) pt Ambr½ ‖
"God himself shall be with them" ℵ ‖ "and God himself shall be with them" 1778txt 2814
(itsin) Aug RP ‖ lac C. The longer readings appear to be conflations of two earlier readings,
one having "shall be their God," and the other having "shall be with them." Hoskier
estimates that the text of 1678 is 50 years older than that of Codex Sinaiticus.
252
21:4a txt omit ℵ P 051S ƒ052 922 1611 2050 2053 2062 2329 itgig syr cop arm eth arab Iren
Ambr Tyc2 RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ “God” A 1006? 1841 vg Apr Beat Tert Tyc3 TR ‖ “from them”
046 K ‖ lac C 1828 2040
253
21:4b txt {A} omit A P Andr ‖ "upon the faces" syrph ‖ "the sheep" ℵ* ‖ relative pron. vgst
Apr Beat ‖ "for" ℵ¹ itar,sin vgcl,ww syrh copsa,(bo) arm Irenlat; Aug Quod Prim TR RP (NA27 [ὅτι])
{C} ‖ lac C 1828 2040.
254
21:5 txt {D} "says" A vg syrh Apr Beat Tyc Irenlat Am NA27 {\} ‖ "says to me" ℵ P itar syrph
copsa arm eth TR RP ‖ lac C.
255
21:6a txt {A} "They are accomplished" ℵ²a A syrph Irenlat,int Prim Tyc Prim Oec NA27 {\} ‖
"It is accomplished" vg itar,sin Prim Er Ald Col TR ‖ "I am become" ℵ* P copsa arm Orig Andr
Areth RP ‖ omit ℵ²b syrhmss Tyc. 3 Beat ps-Ambr ‖ lac C. The UBS textual commentary: "The
unusual aoristic termination of γέγοναν seems to have given rise to the variants (a)
γεγόνασιν (b) γέγονε (c) γέγονα. With reading (a) compare the similar correction at
Romans 16:7; with (b) compare Rev. 16:17, which occurs in another final scene; and with (c)
the following set of variant readings is connected." For a fuller apparatus on this variant,
see endnote in the revwgrk.pdf edition of this document.
256
21:6b txt {A} ἐγώ εἰμι ("I am") A (itar vg) syrph TR (NA27 [εἰμι]) {\} ‖ ἐγώ ("I") ℵ P syrh copsa
Cypr? ‖ omit RP ‖ lac C. There may be no difference in meaning between the first two
variants, since "to be" may customarily in Greek be elided and implied. It is the third
variant that is really different. UBS text comm: "Most of the witnesses that read γέγονα in the previous set
of variants lack either εἰμι (ℵ P 046 many minuscules) or ἐγώ εἰμι (most minuscules). It is difficult to decide whether
εἰμι should be retained (as in 1:8) or omitted (as in 22:13, where only about ten minuscules read εἰμι). In order to
represent the balance of probabilities it was decided to retain εἰμι in the text, but to enclose it within square
brackets."
Revelation
the Omega, the beginning and the end. To him who is thirsty I will give
freely from the spring of the water of life. ⁷He who overcomes will inherit
these things,257 and I will be to him his God and he will be to me a son. ⁸But
to the cowardly and unbelieving258 and abominable259 and murderers and
fornicators and sorcerers260 and idolaters and all liars, their inheritance is in
the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
The Bride and Wife of the Lamb

⁹And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the
seven last plagues came,261 and he spoke with me, saying, "Come, I will
show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."262 ¹⁰And he carried me away in
the Spirit onto a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy 263 city
Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, ¹¹having the glory of God.
Her 264 radiance was similar to a precious gemstone, like a jasper stone
shimmering as crystal; ¹²having265 a wall, great and high, with twelve gates,
and at the gates twelve angels, and names written on them, which are the
names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel; ¹³from266 the east three gates,
and from the north three gates, and from the south three gates, and from the
west three gates;267 ¹⁴with the wall of the city having twelve foundations,
257
21:7 txt “these things” ℵ A P latt syr cop RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ “all things” TR ‖ lac C
258
21:8a txt omit ℵ A P latt copsamss TR SBL NA28 {\} ‖ “and the sinful” syrph,h** copsamss RP ‖ lac
C.
259
21:8b Abhorrent, repugnant, extremely filthy and polluted, unclean ritually, all these are
part of the history of the word.
260
21:8c This Greek word phármakos or pharmakeús (they mean pretty much the same)
means in the Bible primarily a person who uses drugs and poisons to practice magic or
sorcery. The drugger aspect can be clearly seen in the word itself, "pharmakos." The word
in some classical literature also meant drug seller, though with the connotation of the
medicinal v. pejorative meaning of drugs.
261
21:9a txt omit All extant Grk mss. vg itgig syrph cop arm4 RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ “to me” lips⁴
arm1,2,α arab TR
262
21:9b This is significant that both the words wife and bride are used. Israel has been
called the wife, and the church the bride, and here in the New Jerusalem we see both of
them built into one. The twelve gates are the twelve tribes of Israel, and the twelve
foundations are the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. Is it a co-incidence that there are
twenty-four elders?
263
21:10b txt {A} "the holy" ℵ A P vg ith syrph,h copsa eth arm Cass Apr Beat ps-Ambr Prim
NA27 {\} ‖ "the great holy" TR RP ‖ lac C.
264
21:11 omit ℵ A P am fu tol lips⁵ syrh copsa arm1 Beat Apr RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ “and” itt vgcl
dem syrph arm-α,2 eth Prim TR ‖ “but” ‖ lac C
265
21:12a “having” ℵ A P syr cop arm-4 Tyc Beat RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ “and having” pc syrph TR
‖ lac C
266
21:13a The gates are named after the direction you are coming from when entering
them, the way winds are named.
267
21:13b txt East and North and South and West: ℵc P AT RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ E, N, S and W:
Erasmus 4,5 Scriv-1894-TR ‖ E, N, S, W: itt vgmss Prim Beat Erasmus 1,2,3 Aldus Colinaeus
Stephens-1550 Elzevir-1624 Beza-1598 ‖ E, N, S, W, S: 051S ‖ E, N, and S, and W: ‖ E, N, W and
S: A copsa ‖ E and W and N and S: arm1,2 eth½ ‖ E and W and S and N: eth½ ‖ E, S, W and N: ‖
E and S and N and W: pc. arab ‖ E and N and S: ℵ* ‖ E and N and W: ‖ lac C. This footnote is
Revelation
and on them twelve names, of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

¹⁵And the one speaking with me had a measuring rod of gold, to
measure the city, and its gates and its wall. ¹⁶And the city lies foursquare,
that is, its length is as great as the width. And with the rod, he measured
the city at 12,000 stadia.268 The length and width and height of it are the
same. ¹⁷And he measured269 the wall of it,270 144 forearms,271 the dimension
of a man, which is the angel's.272
¹⁸And the material of its wall is jasper, and the city is pure gold, clear
like crystal. ¹⁹The foundations of the walls of the city are adorned with
every precious stone; the first foundation with jasper, the second sapphire,
the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, ²⁰the fifth sardonyx, the sixth
sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth
chrysoprase, the eleventh hyacinth, the twelfth amethyst. ²¹And the twelve
gates are twelve pearls; each one of the gates was made out of one pearl.
And the streets of the city are pure gold, transparent as glass.
²²And I did not see a temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty is its
temple, and the Lamb. ²³And the city has no need of either a sun or a moon
to shine in it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.
²⁴And the nations273 will walk by its light; and the kings of the earth bring
their glory274 into it; ²⁵and its gates are never closed by day; in fact, night
will not exist there; ²⁶and they will bring the glory and honor of the nations
into it. ²⁷And nothing unclean275 or anyone who practices abomination or
to show both the presence and absence of και, and also the sequence or absence of the 4
points of the compass. And this is only about half of the variants, this is just the major
ones.
268
21:16 A stadion was 6 plethra, one plethra being 100 Greek feet, so 600 Greek feet, 625
Roman feet, 606¾ English feet, 185 metres. This comes to 1,379 miles or 2,220 kilometres.
As the crow flies, this is about the distance of San Diego to Kansas City, or San Diego to
Kamloops, or Buenos Aires to La Paz, or Sydney to Cooktown, or Brisbane to Port Moresby,
or Perth to Lake Torrens, or Seoul to Hong Kong, or Nairobi to Harare, or Lagos to Bissau, or
Cairo to Tehran, Tehran to Ahmadabad, or Calcutta to Kabul, or Banda Aceh to Surabaya.
269
21:17a txt {A} "he measured" ℵ A P all versionsacc. to Hosk. TR RP NA27 {\} ‖ omit Κ ‖ lac C.
270
21:17b This must be the thickness of the wall, since we already know from v. 16 that the
height of the wall is 12,000 stadia.
271
21:17c About 200 feet or 60 meters.
272
21:17d This phrase is ambiguous; it could either be saying that the angel in the context
here measuring, has the same dimensions of his fore-arm as a man has, or it could be saying
that angels in general use the same measurements as human beings, which was cubits. The
former seems more likely, than that angels will always use cubits.
273
21:24a txt "the nations" all mss and verss except below RP NA27 {\} ‖ "the nations of the
ones being saved" 254 2186 2814 syrh TR. (There is also another Greek Ms., 141/2049, but it
does not qualify, as it is simply a copy of Aldus' TR.) H. C. Hoskier says in vol. 1, at the top
of p. 748: "As regards xxi. 24 it is well-known that Erasmus took the commentary reading
for his text, and left the real text in the commentary. It is not surprising, as the two
sentences are conjoined. Our present MS. [254], however, adopts both clauses as
text....There can be no doubt as to this, for his text proper is all in red ink."
274
21:24b txt {A} "their glory into it" ℵ A P (syrph) copsa eth Beat Prim NA27 {\} ‖ "to it the
glory and honor of the nations into it" RP ‖ “from the nations the glory and the honor of
the nations into it” syrh ‖ "their glory and honor into it" (v. 26) vg Ambr ps-Ambr Apr TR ‖
lac C.
275
21:27a txt “unclean ℵ A P syrph Iren Apr Ambr RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ “that/who defiles” vg
Revelation
falsehood will ever go into it– only those who are written in the Lamb's
book of life.
Chapter 22
The River of Living Water
¹And he showed me the river 276 of the water of life, bright like crystal,
flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ²in the middle of its
boulevard. And on either side of the river, the tree of life producing twelve
fruits, according to the month each one yielding its fruit, 277 and the leaves of
the tree are for the healing of the nations.278 ³And every accursed thing 279
will no longer280 exist. And the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it,
copsa Prim Beat TR ‖ lac C

276
22:1 txt “river” ℵ A P latt syrh copsa arm4 SBL NA28 {\} ‖ “pure river” TR RP ‖ “river of
living water pure and bright” syrph ‖ lac C
277
22:2c txt omit ℵ A syrph copsa arm-4 RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ ενα “one” P syrh TR ‖ lac C.
Bohairic: “A tree of [the] life, bringing the twelve fruits forth, one for a month.” Murdock:
“the tree of life; which bore twelve [sorts of] fruits yielding one of its fruits each month.”
I’m not sure the English Bibles that are based on the TR reading, have translated it
correctly. Tyndale: “which bare xii maner of frutes: and gave frute every moneth.” DR:
“yelding tvvelve fruites, rendring his fruite euery moneth” JV: “which bare twelve
manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month”
278
22:2d Compare Ezekiel 47:12, where it says “all kinds of fruit.” Some interpreters see the
δώδεκα “twelve” with a δωδεκάκις meaning, that is, “twelve times,” see BDF § 248(3). If
δώδεκα here means “monthly,” then κατὰ μῆνα “according to the month” would seem
redundant. “Monthly” is what is said in Ezekiel and also in Shemot r. 15, acc. to Lohmeyer,
Hdb. ad loc. But καρποὺς “fruits” here is plural, and it seems to be saying that there are 12
different kinds of fruit (but all are “the tree of life”), and each different kind of fruit is
borne in a different month. You could still have “12 kinds of fruits, every month each one
yielding its fruit.” But I don’t know how “month” or “monthly” either one, could be literal,
since there will be no more night or day. How then would there still be “months” if there is
no more night or day, and there is no need for a sun anymore?
279
22:3a txt καταθεμα (contraction of καταναθεμα) ℵ² A P 046 051S all remaining extant minns
RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ καταναθεμα 181? 467*** 2026 Compl. TR ‖ καταθημα 2044 ‖ καταθαιμα
792 ‖ καταγμα ℵ* ‖ αναθεμα 2050 ‖ κα θεμα 2065* ‖ αναθεματα arm ‖ lac C 1828 2040. The LSJ
lexicon says καταναθεμα means “a curse,” whereas BAGD says it is something that is
cursed, devoted, given over to a deity. It seems to me that if “a curse” were meant, the
author would have used the word καταρα, as in Gal. 3:13. So translations disagree: curse: -
Tynd, KJV, ASV, NKJV, NASB, NIV, NET, HCSB, GW; curses: – JNT; accursed thing: - RSV, ESV,
NRSV, CBW, NABRE; blight: Murdock Syriac; abomination: Sahidic Coptic; defilement:
Bohairic Coptic
280
22:3 txt "exist no longer" ℵ² A P TR RP NA27 {\} ‖ "not exist there" syrph ‖ omit ℵ* ‖ lac C.
Compare 22:5. Affecting this and other variants in Revelation is the scribes' and the
interpreters' understanding of passages such as 22:15, "Outside are the dogs, etc." If one
understands that passage to mean that there will still be wicked and accursed people on the
earth at that time, only not allowed into the city, then you might want to specify here that
no accursed thing will be "there" in the city itself. But if you understand that "outside" to
not be spatially literal, but rather global, that they will not even be in the kingdom even
outside the city, then the "no longer" variant is more acceptable. One wonders too,
concerning the similar phrase in 22:5 a couple verses later, how or whether these two
pulled on each other. English translations vary greatly as to which variant, "no longer"
versus "there," that they follow (several even conflate the two). They also vary greatly as
to whether the phrase pân katáthema means "any curse" or "any accursed thing." I went
with the latter because Revelation shows a distinct concern with Jewish cleanness.
Revelation
and his servants will serve him, ⁴and they will see his face,281 and his name
will be on their foreheads. ⁵And night will no longer282 exist, and they have
no need for the light of a lamp or the light of a sun, because the Lord God
will shine on283 them, and they will reign for ever and ever.
⁶And he said284 to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. Yes, the
Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets,285 he has sent his angel to show
his servants what things must soon take place."
⁷"And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is he who keeps the words
of the prophecy of this book."
⁸And I, John, was the hearer and the seer of these things.286 And when
I heard and I saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who
had been showing them to me. ⁹And he says to me, "Watch it! I287 am a
fellow servant of yours and of your brothers the prophets, and of those
keeping the words of this book. Worship God."
¹⁰And he says to me, "Do not seal up288 the words of the prophecy of
this book, for the time is near. ¹¹He who is doing wrong, let him continue to
do wrong, and the unclean continue to be unclean, and he who is doing
good continue to do good,289 and the holy continue to be holy."
Behold, I am Coming Soon

¹²"Behold,290 I am coming soon, and the repayment from me along with
me, to pay back to each one such as his work291 truly is.292 ¹³I am the Alpha
281
22:4 Or possibly, with "see his face" as a Hebraism, meaning: "and they will have access
to Him."
282
22:5a txt "will not exist any longer" ℵ A P itar,t vg syrh copsa arm Ambr Apr ps-Ambr Beat
Tyc2 NA27 {\} ‖ "will not exist there" syrph TR RP ‖ “will not exist any longer there” IrenGr ‖
lac C. Compare 22:3.
283
22:5d txt "on" ℵ A eth Iren Ambr⅓ Prim Tyc2 NA27 {\} ‖ omit P vg itar syrph,h Beat ps-Ambr
TR RP ‖ lac C.
284
22:6a txt "said" ℵ A P TR NA27 {\} ‖ "says" eth RP ‖ lac C.
285
22:6b txt “of the spirits of the prophets” ℵ A P RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ “of the spirit of the
prophets” syrh eth Apr ‖ “of the holy prophets” TR ‖ “of the spirits of the holy prophets”
syrph ‖ lac C
286
22:8 txt “hearer and seer” A syrh copsa(bo) RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ “seer and hearer” ℵ (syrph)
Prim TR ‖ lac C P
287
22:9 txt “I” ℵ A 046 all other extant minuscules vgmss syr copsa eth Apr RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ “for I”
1893? 2329 vgmss pt arm arab Beat Aug TR ‖ lac C P
288
22:10 Contrast this to Daniel 12:9; 9:24; Rev. 10:4.
289
22:11 txt “continue to do righteousness” ℵ A vgmss syr copsa arm-4 Apr Beat RP SBL NA28
{\} ‖ “continue to be righteous / continue to justify himself, sanctify himself” vgcl eth TR ‖
lac C P
290
22:12a txt “behold” ℵ A syr cop RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ “and behold” vgmss eth TR ‖ lac C P
291
22:12b Greek, literally, "as his work is." Bauer says in 1. c. β. "of the deeds of men,
exhibiting a consistent moral character, referred to collectively as "ta erga"...," and he
gives reference showing examples. Later he says, "The collective "to ergon" [as here] is
used for the plural (Sirach 11:20) Gal 6:4; Hb 6:10; Rv 22:12. The ergon or erga is (are)
characterized by the context as good or bad..." As for the verb “to be,” the meaning is,
Revelation
and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. 293
¹⁴"Blessed are those who wash their robes,294 so that access to the tree of
life will be theirs, and to the gates, so they may go into the city. ¹⁵Outside295
are dogs,296 and sorcerers, and fornicators and murderers and idolaters and
anyone who loves or does falsehood.
¹⁶"I Jesus have sent my angel to testify these things to you regarding the
churches. I am the root and line of David, the bright and morning star.297
¹⁷And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And he who is hearing this
should say "Come." And he who is thirsty, should come. Whoever wants
to, get the water of life without cost.
¹⁸I testify298 to everyone who is hearing these words of the prophecy of
this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add 299 to him the plagues that
are written in this book; ¹⁹and if anyone takes away from the words of this
book of prophecy, God will take away his share of the tree 300 of life and of
“what it really is,” or, “what it turns out to be” after judgement. See LSJ def. III, “the facts
of the case,” the true story, what is reality. The Majority Text switches this to the future,
“what it will truly be,” that is, after judgment.
292
22:12c txt "is" (with variation) ℵ A syrh WH NA27 {\} ‖ "will be" (with variation) Beat TR
RP ‖ “according to is works” syrph copsa⅓ eth ‖ lac C P.
293
22:13 txt “the first and the last the beginning and the end” ℵ A latt syr copsa RP SBL NA28
{\} ‖ “the first and the last and the beginning and the end” syrph ‖ “the beginning and the
end the first and the last” TR ‖ “the beginning and the end” ‖ “the first and the last” arm-1
Vig ‖ lac C P
294
22:14 txt {A} "who wash their robes" ℵ A itar vgst copsa eth Athmss; Ps-Ambr Fulgentius Apr
(Prim) Haymo NA27 {A} ‖ "doing his commandments" syrph,h arm Andrew; Tert Cypr Tyc
Areth (Caes) (Beat) TR RP ‖ lac C P. The UBS textual commentary points out that the two
main variants were similar sounding words in Greek, and that "The latter reading appears
to be a scribal emendation, for elsewhere the author uses the expression [to keep the
commandments] (12·17; 14·12). [and not "doing" as here] 'Moreover, the prepossessions of
the scribes would have favoured [doing the commandments] rather than [washing the
robes]' (H. B. Swete, in loc.)." This idea of clean robes is consistent with Daniel 12:10 and
Matthew 22:11-14. The combination of the uncials ℵ A 052 (1678, 1778, 2080 are descended
from 052) is overwhelming here, opposed by only one uncial, 046, which is famously
revised in character.
295
22:15a txt omit ℵ A 046 051S ƒ052 all other extant minuscules latt syrh Ath Hipp RP SBL NA28
{\} ‖ “but” 110? 1894 Fulg cop arm arab Prim TR ‖ “and” syrph ‖ lac C P
296
22:15 Deut. 23:18; a dog is a male prostitute.
297
22:16 txt {D} ο πρωινος “morning” ℵ Ath Tyc2 Vig RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ και ορθρινος “and
morning” TR ‖ και ο προινος “and morning” A ‖ και πρωινος “and morning” 1006 1841 1678
1778 itgig vg Prim Beat Apr ‖ “the morning bright star” 2050 al. ‖ αστηρ δε πρωινος “and the
star of the morning” syrph ‖ “like the splendid star of the morning” syrh eth ‖ “star of the
hour of morning which is enlightened” copsa ‖ “star which is wont to rise in the morning” ‖
”star of dawn” arm-1 ‖ lac C P 1828 2040 2080
298
22:18a txt μαρτυρω εγω “I testify” ℵ A 046 & ALL OTHER EXTANT GRK WITNESSES itgig syr
cop arm Prim Beat Apr RP SBL NA28 {\} ‖ μαρτυρω παντι εγω “I testify to all” 051S ‖
μαρτυρομαι εγω “I testify” 2329 + 16 al ‖ συμμαρτυρουμαι γαρ “for I testify” 2075supp vg TR ‖
lac C P 1828 2040 2080
299
22:18b txt επιθησει ℵ² A syrph copsa TR SBL NA28 {\} ‖ επιθη ℵ* ‖ επιθησαι RP ‖ lac C P.
The RP reading is an imprecation in the optative mood, so also ἀφέλοι in 22:19b. “…may
God add to him…may God take away…”
300
22:19c txt "tree" ℵ A 046 051 922 1006 1611 1678 1778 1841 2050 2053 2062 2186 2329 rell.
Grk itgig syrph,h copsa eth arm Apr Tyc Beat am dem lips⁶ RP NA27 {\} ‖ "book" vg fu lips⁴,⁵
arab(Walton's Polyglot) Prim Ambr Haymo Act Saturn TR ‖ ligno / libro ps-Aug.-Spec. ‖ not clear:
Cass Beda ‖ lac C P 1828 2040 2080 2814. There is simply no Greek manuscript support for
Revelation
the holy city, of what is written in this book.

²⁰The one who is testifying these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen; come,301 Lord Jesus.
²¹The grace of the Lord Jesus302 be with all the saints.303 304
the TR reading. The TR reading is found in only two Greek manuscripts, 296 and 2049, (plus
margin of 2067 in a very late hand) but these two, 296 & 2049 do not count, since both are
16th century manuscripts (Hoskier's numbers, 57 & 141) that were handwritten copies
made from the TR itself, according to Hoskier (see table at end of this document). One
cannot use a copy of the TR to prove that a TR reading is found in Greek manuscripts. A
plausible theory as to the origin of the reading is that it is probably from the Latin, and
maybe confusion of libro and ligno. Proof that Erasmus got this "book" reading from the
Latin is the fact that his one Greek Revelation manuscript, 2814, formerly known as No. 1,
had an exact sister manuscript not known to him at the time, and this manuscript, 2186
(208), did not lack the end verses. And here in 22:19, that sister manuscript reads "tree" not
"book." And at the bottom of page 1:615, Hoskier says, "This MS 187 with 57 and 141 must
not be accorded any weight whatsoever. They are brought into the record because of their
very connection with the printed text." Moreover, there should remain no doubt that
Erasmus himself admitted that his TR Greek text of Revelation 22:16-21 was from Latin
sources and not Greek. Erasmus wrote: "There was no doubt that some things were
missing, and it was not much. Therefore we completed the Greek from our Latin texts, so
that there might be no gap. We did not want to hide this from the reader, however, and
acknowledge in the Annotationes what we had done, in order that, if our words differed in
some respect from those that the author of this work had provided, the reader who
obtained a manuscript could restore them." See Jan rans’ book “Beyond What is Written,
Erasmus and Beza as Conjectural Critics of the New Testament,” pp. 55-57, Brill, (2006), in
which he cites sources in Erasmus’ writings. rans’ book can be ordered here:
http://www.brill.com/beyond-what-written/ See also Krans' refutation of Thomas Holland in
Erasmus and the Text of Revelation. http://rosetta.reltech.org/TC/v16/Krans2011.pdf
301
22:20 {D} ἔρχου "come" ℵ syrph copsa arm4 Apr ‖ Ναί ἔρχου "yes come" syrh Prim Tyc ‖
Ἀμήν ἔρχου "amen come" A vg eth Ambr Ps-Ambr Beat NA27 {\} ‖ Ἀμήν ναί ἔρχου "amen;
yes, come" TR RP ‖ lac C P. Both the words αμην and ναι mean something like "yes," and so
I think they were both liturgical additions to an original ἔρχου standing alone . The ℵ reading
is bolstered by another uncial, 052, in the form of its minuscule descendants 1678 1778, plus with the very good
minuscules 2053 2062 2186 2329 added to them. This consortium is at least as good as A 046, and certainly better than
051supp as a lone uncial. The 922 reading is simply a mistaking of NAI for KAI. I think that the ℵ reading is probably
correct. At the same time, I am loathe to remove the word Amen, because it is so natural- my soul immediately
exclaims it in response to the statement "Yes, I am coming soon." But that may be another explanation as to how and
why it got added as text: perhaps an enthusiastic remark in the margin eventually made it into the text itself.
302
22:21a txt "Lord Jesus" ℵ A NA27 {A} ‖ "Lord Jesus Christ" syrh eth Andr RP ‖ "our Lord
Jesus Christ" itar vg (vgms copsa omit Χριστοῦ) syrph arm eth Ps-Ambr Beat TR ‖ omit v. 21, but
add after v. 20 "to all the saints for ever and ever. Amen.". ‖ lac C P.
303
22:21b txt: {C}
(1) with all the saints
(2) with the saints
(3) with all his saints
(4) with all of you
(5) with all
(1) syrh copsa (arm) Andr Areth RP (2) ℵ WH (3) syrph (4) vgcl eth½ Fulg Ps-Ambr TR (5) A (itar
cum omnibus hominibus) vgst,ww eth½ Ambr Tyc Beat½ NA27 {B} ‖ upon all the saints unto age of
the ages (mss age of the age) ‖ lac C P. Interesting that the same people who object to the NA27
text in Luke 2:14 where instead of "peace, goodwill toward men," it limits the blessing to
"men of his good pleasure," here in Revelation 22:21 where the NA27 text says "the grace of
the Lord Jesus be with all," they object, and prefer that this blessing be only to the saints.
304
22:21c txt omit "Amen." A itar vgst,fuld Beat½ Tyc Andr Areth NA27 {B} ‖ add "Amen." ℵ
vgcl,ww syrph copsa,(bo) arm eth Am Beat½ Areth TR RP ‖ "Amen, amen." syrh ‖ lac C P.
. [Finished, this eighth day of April, year of our Lord two thousand and six, by the lowly
author scribe, DRP.]
Revelation
Witnesses to Revelation
(nothing after IX century cited, and everything before X century cited.
If it is the words of God, they will show up before the 10th century)
MS Alt Dat Contents
symbl e
¹ Oxyr107 III/I 1:4-7
⁸ 9 V
² Oxyr IV 5:5-8; 6:5-8
⁴ 1230
⁴ VI/ 2:12-13; 15:8; 16:1-2
³ VII
⁴ late 9:10-11; 13:11, 14-16; 15:16,17- 17:2
⁷ III
⁸ IV/ 9:19-21- 10:1; 10:5-9
⁵ V
⁹ II 1:13-20
⁸ (?)
¹ III/I 2:1-3,13-15,27-29, 3:10-12, 5:8-9, 6:5-6, 8:3-8, 11-13,
¹⁵ V 9:1-5, 7-16, 18-21, 10:1-4,8-11, 11:1-5, 8-15, 18-19,
12:1-5, 8-10,12-17, 13:1-3, 6-16,18, 14:1-3,5-7,10-
11,14-15,18-20, 15:1,4-7
ℵ* 01 IV
ℵ¹ IV- only in 21:4
VI
ℵ¹a IV-
VI
ℵ¹b VI-
VI
ℵ² VII
ℵ² a VII
ℵ² b VII
ℵc XII
A 02 V
C 04 V all
C² V
P 025 IX lacking 16:12- 17:1; 19:21- 20:9; 22:6- 21;
Revelation
palimpsest
0163 Oxyr 848 V 16:17-20
0169 Oxyr IV 3:19-4:3
1080
0207 IV 9:2-15
0229 VIII 18:16-17; 19:4-6 (with Coptic)
0308 IV 11:15-16, 17-18
VERSIO
NS
itar 61 IX
ith 55 V 1:1- 2:1; 8:7- 9:12; 11:16- 12:14; 14:15- 16:5
itt VII- 1:1-18; 2:1- 5:13; 7:2-12; 8:2-4; 10:1-11, 15; 14:1-7;
XI 19:5-16; 21:1-2, 9-23; 22:1-15
vg-harl Cod. VI
Harleian
us
vg vulgate IV-
VI
copsa Sahidic var.
Coptic
copbo Bohairic IX
Coptic
syrph Philoxen 508
ian
Syriac
syrh Harklea VII
n Syriac
arm Armenia V
n
eth Ethiopic 500
geo Georgia V
n
Revelation
Revelation Endnote #1
"Angel" of each of the seven churches, or "messenger?"
The phrase "angel of" can mean the angel "in charge of" as in the following:
There was an "angel of the waters" in Rev. 16:5.
Angels of children in Matt. 18:10.
Angel of the fire, Rev. 14:18
Angel of the censer 8:3
Angel of the Abyss, 9:11
There is nothing unusual about God using an angel to deliver a message to

humans. There are many, many such instances elsewhere in the Bible. Why
not here? And according Hebrews 13:2, people have entertained angels
without knowing it. Indeed, angels in the Old Testament often appeared as
humans; see Gen. 16:7; 19:1; and many others.
The spies are called angels in James 2:25
The angel Gabriel, in Daniel 9:21, communicates between Daniel and God.
In Daniel 10:12-14, Gabriel tells Daniel that in the process of delivering
Daniel's prayers, an angel, or fallen angel to be exact, whom he called the
"prince of the kingdom of Persia, hindered him in delivering those prayers,
but Michael, whom he calls "one of the chief princes" and whom we know is
an angel, helped Gabriel. The point I am making is that there was "an angel
of Persia," that is, a fallen angel in charge of Persia. So also there was a
"Prince of Greece," in Daniel 10:20. This is left over from when Satan used to
be an archangel along with Michael and Gabriel. They set angels over
certain territories in their military planning.
Angel acts as messenger in Rev. 1:1; 22:6, 16.
It does not make sense for the messengers of each church to be a man.
Because the churches had more than one pastor in each church, they are
always mentioned in the plural:
When they had ordained elders in every church, Acts 14:23.

Revelation
Elders of the church in Ephesus, Acts 20:17

Ordain elders in every city, Titus 1:5
Let him call for the elders of the church, James 5:14.
I Peter 5:1,2, "The elders among you I exhort, overseers of the flock..." Here
Peter equates elders, presbuteroi, with overseers, episkopoi "bishops."
Acts 20:28, (see 20:17, elders of the church of Ephesus, 20:28, Paul now calls
them overseers, episkopoi, so Paul also equates presbuteroi with episkopoi.
Philippians 1:1, the church there has plural overseers.
Titus 1:5, 7 Paul says appoint elders...for an overseer is... Paul again
equates an elder with an overseer.
We can say that the office of elder and the office of overseer are the same
office. The overseers should naturally be somewhat elder, especially elder
in the faith (I Timothy 3:6, he must not be a recent convert) and one of their
main functions is to both oversee and to visit; both meanings of episkopew.
Why not an angel in charge of each church in Asia. It would not be

unreasonable to assume that there is a fallen angel in charge of each church
as well, representing Satan's interests.
Revelation Endnote #2
Revelation 7:6, 8
In this list of the sons of Israel, as pertaining to the 144,000, 12,000 called
from each tribe of Israel, Joseph is represented twice, as his own name in
verse 8, and also by way of his son Manasseh in verse 6. Israel had only 12
sons, so if Joseph is represented twice, that means that one of the other sons
of Israel is missing here. Dan is missing.
Jacob's blessing of Dan:
Genesis:
49:16 Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
49:17 Dan shall be a serpent in the way, an adder in the path, that bites the
horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward.
Revelation
49:18 I have waited for your salvation, O Yahweh.
Recall similar language about the Serpent- Biting heels Attacking the rider
on the horse
Does Jacob seem to be wanting Deliverance from Dan? Jacob waits for
Salvation from Dan is what I think it means. Recall also that Satan is called
the Accuser of the Brethren. Dan could be a judge in this sense.
Jacob's blessing of Joseph:
Genesis:
49:22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a fountain; his branches
run over the wall.
49:23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and persecute
him:
49:24 But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made
strong, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, (From there is the
shepherd, the stone of Israel),
49:25 Even by the God of your father, who shall help you, and by the
Almighty, who shall bless you, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of
the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb.
49:26 The blessings of your father have prevailed above the blessings of my
progenitors to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: They shall be on the
head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from
his brothers.
Moses' blessing of Dan:
Deuteronomy 33:22 "And of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's whelp, That leaps
forth from Bashan."
Recall Psalm 22 "bulls of Bashan surround me..."? The Bull is sometimes a

symbol of Satan. Baal-zibbul. Jesus was mocked by bulls of Bashan as he
suffered on the cross. Bashan was the territory of Dan.
Moses' blessing of Joseph:
33:13 And of Joseph he said, Blessed of Yahweh be his land, for the precious
Revelation
things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that crouches beneath,
33:14 And for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, and for the
precious things of the growth of the moons,
33:15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious
things of the everlasting hills,
33:16 And for the precious things of the earth and the fulness thereof, and
the good will of him that dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come upon the
head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the head of him that was separate
from his brothers.
33:17 The firstling of his herd, majesty is his; and his horns are the horns of
the wild-ox: with them he shall push the peoples all of them, even the ends
of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the
thousands of Manasseh.
God's curse on the serpent:
Genesis 3:14 And Yahweh God said to the serpent, because you have done
this, cursed are you above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon
your belly shall you go, and dust shall you eat all the days of your life:
3:15 and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your
seed and her seed: he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.
David:
109:8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
109:9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
109:10 Let his children be vagabonds, and beg; and let them seek their bread
out of their desolate places.
109:11 Let the extortioner catch all that he has; and let strangers make spoil
of his labor.
109:12 Let there be none to extend kindness unto him; neither let there be
any to have pity on his fatherless children.
109:13 Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their name
be blotted out.
Ezekiel 47:13 "Thus saith the Lord Yahweh: This shall be the border,
whereby ye shall divide the land for inheritance according to the twelve
tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions."
Revelation
Genesis 49:22, of Joseph: "His branches run over the wall."

This means Joseph went over the wall and took Dan's inheritance. That is
what the wall signifies; the stone boundary between lots.

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The Holy Bible

A new English translation from the Greek by David Robert Palmer

Containing a new translation of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts 1-24,

December 26, 2022 Edition

freely available from:

Backup Download Location:

TR - Textus Receptus, specifically, "The New Testament in the Original Greek

Following the two-letter Edition abbreviations, are two "braces," { } enclosing

The Good News According to

²Abraham begot Isaac,

David2 begot Solomon, by her who belonged to Uriah,

⁷and Solomon begot Rehoboam,

⁸and Asa begot Jehoshaphat,

¹²After the exile to Babylon:

Jeconiah begot Shealtiel,

¹⁷Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David,

The Birth of Jesus

⁶" 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land

The Escape to Egypt

¹⁸"A voice heard in Ramah,

a weeping20 and loud wailing,

Rachel weeping for her children

The Return to Nazareth

"A voice calling in the wilderness,

The Baptism of Jesus

'He will command his angels

Jesus Begins to Preach

¹⁵"Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,

the road by the sea,

have seen a great light;

The Calling of Simon, Andrew, James, and John

Jesus Heals the Sick

³"Blessed are the poor in spirit,44

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

for they will be comforted.

for they will inherit the earth.

for they will be shown mercy.

for they will see God.

¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted

Salt and Light

The Fulfillment of the Law

An Eye For an Eye

Love For Enemies

ελεημοσυνην E W copmae¹ Chr TR RP ‖ δε την ελεημοσυνην L Z Σ syrp,h ‖ δε την δοσ(e)ιν

in secret, will reward you.74

⁹"This, then, is how you should pray:

" 'Our Father in heaven,

your will be done

as we also have forgiven76

but deliver us from evil.

Ask, Seek, Knock

The Wise and Foolish Builders

The Faith of the Centurion

Jesus Heals Many

"Our infirmities he picked up,

The Cost of Following Jesus

The text words it like Luke in 7:9.

Jesus Calms the Storm

The Legion of Demons Near Gadara