Josep Rius-Camps - Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XVI) (Acts 9:31–11:18).», Vol. 17 (2004) 45-88
The present section deals with the events concerning the conversion of Peter (Acts 9:31–11:18) whereby he at last comes to understand that the good news of Jesus is for Jews and Gentiles alike. Since the Greek pages of Codex Bezae are missing from 8:29 to 10:14 and the Latin ones from 8:20b to 10:4, we have noted in the Critical Apparatus the variants of other witnesses that differ from the Alexandrian text. From 10:4b (fol. 455a), the Latin text of Codex Bezae is available. The Greek text starts at 10:14b (fol. 455b).
The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XVI) 57
[a′] 11:1 It was heard by the apostles 11:1 The apostles and the brethren
and the brethren who were in who were throughout Judaea heard
Judaea, that even the Gentiles had that even the Gentiles had received
received the word of God. the word of God.
Critical Apparatus
1 (τιϛ) ἦν H4 P 056. 614 M gig l vg syp co aeth ‖ om. B P53.74 ) A C E L
Ψ 049. 33. 81. 104. 181. 226*. 255. 453. 629. 945. 1175. 1241. 1270. 1646.
1739. 1828. 1854. 1891. 1898. 2298. 2344. 2492 al p.
The verb ἦν which is present in some Greek MSS breaks up a long sen-
tence, causing a new sentence to start without a connecting word when
the main verb occurs at v. 3. The versions may reflect the presence of the
verb in Greek or, alternatively, may have the verb because the sentence
would be unacceptably long in translation9.
3 ὡσεὶ πεÏὶ (á½¥Ïαν) B P74 )2 A C E Ψ 33. 104. 323. 440. 614. 927. 1175.
1270. 1611. 2412. 2344 sy; Irlat | ὡσεί H4 L P 049. 056 M latt | πεÏá½· 1505.
2495 pc sa mae aeth; Irlat Cyp ‖ ὡϛ πεÏá½· )* 81. 88. 945. 1646. 1739. 1828.
1891 | ὡϛ 1241.
ὡσεί together with πεÏá½· is pleonastic which probably explains the omission
of one preposition or the other in many MSS. ὡσεί with a preposition is
not found elsewhere in Luke’s writings. In contrast, Winer10 notes that the
combination of ὡϛ and a preposition of direction (as in )01*) occurs as
a means of communicating a sense of definite intention. In this case, the
narrative is drawing attention to the time of Cornelius’ prayer, the ninth
hour, which corresponded to the time of Jewish evening prayer11.
[From 10:4b (fol. 455a), the Latin text of Codex Bezae is available. The
Greek page starts at 10:14b (fol. 455b).]
4 ἔμπÏοσθεν (τοῦ θεοῦ) B P74 ) A 81. 88. 1175. 1646. 1739. 1891 ‖
á¼Î½á½½Ï€Î¹Î¿Î½ C E H4 L P Ψ 049. 056. 33 M (d coram [deo], D lac.).
M.E. Boismard – A. Lamouille, Le texte occidentale des Actes des Apôtres: Reconstitu-
9
tion et Réhabilitation. I. Introduction et textes; II. Apparat critique (Paris 1984) II, 69: the
verb ‘est une leçon facilitante destinée à couper une phrase jugée trop longue’.
G.B. Winer, A Treatise on the Grammar of New Testament Greek (transl. W.F.
10
Moulton; Edinburgh 1882) 771.
See J. Read-Heimerdinger, ‘Luke’s Use of ὡϛ and ὡσεί: Comparison and Correspond-
11
ence as a Means to Convey His Message’, in R. Pierri, Grammatica Intellectio Scripturae:
Saggi filologici di Greco Biblico (forthcoming).