142 Josep Rius-Camps and Jenny Read-Heimerdinger The reading of B03, in the plural with the article, resembles the word- ing of 9:17 which describes how Ananias accomplishes the command he is given here. It is also found in accounts of the laying on of hands to ac- company prayer at 8:17.18.19 (Peter and John in Samaria), and finally at 19:6 (Paul in Ephesus) where, however, the article is omitted in a variant reading of P74 ℵ A B D al. The absence of the article may indicate that the phrase ‘lay on hands’ is being used as a fixed expression and that when the article is included the action is being carried out more deliberately than as an expected gesture accompanying prayer; in this case, the equivalent could be the use of the possessive in English. Thus, in Jesus’ command the action is part and parcel of praying for Saul but when Ananias actually carries out the order his separate movements are spelt out in detail. The singular χεῖρα without the article is unusual and not found elsewhere in a description of prayer. 13 ἤκουσα B P74 ℵ A C E 36. 81. 88. 453. 1175. 1646 pc || ἀκήκοα H L P Ψ 049. 056 M. The aorist ἤκουσα focuses on the fact that Ananias heard about Saul sometime in the past, rather than on his present knowledge indicated by the perfect. In English translation, however, the perfect is the only acceptable past tense to use in this instance. 15 τῶν ἐθνῶν … βασιλέων υἱῶν (τε Ἰσραήλ) B C* 1245 pc | ἐθνῶν … βασιλέων υἱῶν P74 ℵ A Cc E H L P Ψ 049. 056. 33. 1739 M || τῶν ἐθνῶν … τῶν βασιλέων τῶν υἱῶν (retroversion) mae The inclusion of the article before the first member of the group of three has the effect of repeating a known phrase associated with Saul/Paul as the apostle ‘to the Gentiles’. The mention of ‘kings and sons of Israel’ suggests, however, that the phrase is not being used here as the familiar expression associated with Saul/Paul. In mae, all three groups mentioned are arthrous: ‘the Gentiles and also the (= their?) kings and the sons of Israel’. 17 ἀπῆλθεν δὲ Ἁνανίαϛ B P74 ℵ A rell || τότε ἐγερθεὶϛ Ἁν. ἀπῆλθεν 614. 1611. 2412 pc (h) p (syp) mae. With the connective τότε, the response of Ananias is presented as a result of the insistent persuasion of Jesus:7 when he hears his explanation, he responds by getting up and carrying out his commands. Cf. Read-Heimerdinger, The Bezan Text, 212-13. 7