Josep Rius-Camps, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XIX) (Acts 13:13-43).», Vol. 20 (2007) 127-146
In Acts 13:13-43, Paul and Barnabas are seen continuing their missionary activity, notably in Antioch of Pisidia where Luke describes their visit to the synagogue. He recreates in some detail Paul’s first speech, which is noteworthy for the way in which he presents Jesus as the Messiah first and foremost for Israel, a perspective with which Luke is at odds in Codex Bezae. Paul’s overriding concern for his own people, the Jews, to accept his message is strongly in evidence. However, their negative reaction when he extends the message of Jesus to Gentiles causes him, together with Barnabas, to turn from the Jews to the Gentiles. In the Alexandrian text, their announcement of this fact refers to a change on a local scale within Antioch, but in the Bezan text they make a declaration that represents a radical decision and an event of momentous significance in the history of Israel: in view of the Jews’ hostility to the message of Jesus, they will no longer have privileged possession of the Word of God, the Torah that had originally been entrusted to Israel, since it is to be henceforth shared with the Gentiles. The idea of the sharing of the heritage of Israel with the Gentiles is one that will provoke opposition to Paul wherever he preaches to the Jews in future locations, and a theme that Luke will develop over the subsequent chapters.
The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles 135
alous. The demonstrative adjective in the D05 reading belongs with τοῦ
λαοῦ, and ἸσÏαήλ stands in apposition to the whole phrase (cf. Lk. 2:32).
καὶ (τὸν λαόν) B P74 ) DE rell ‖ διά D*, propter (populum) d (+ καί: 614.
1611. 2412 gig syh; Chrpt BarS).
In B03, τὸν λαόν appears to be the object of the verbs that follow to
the end of v. 20 – ὕψωσεν, á¼Î¾á½µÎ³Î±Î³ÎµÎ½, etc. However, the plural pronoun
αá½Ï„ούϛ in vv. 17, 18 and the plural subject of v. 21 with the correspond-
ing indirect pro-noun αá½Ï„οῖϛ, takes up ‘our fathers’ from the first clause
of v. 17.
With the preposition διά in D05, διὰ τὸν λαόν is a subordinate phrase
dependent on ὕψωσεν and, as a result, the object of the verbs is consist-
ently maintained as τοὺϛ πατέÏαϛ ἡμῶν. The phrase is consistent with
Jewish theology according to which God acted in favour of Israel because
they were his people, ‘on account of their being the people’ (although
Delebecque [Les deux Actes, p. 86] finds it ‘impossible’).
á¼Î½ γῇ Αἰγύπτου B P74 ) A 056. 81. 33. 547. 614. 945. 1175. 1505. 1739.
1837. 1891. 2147. 2412. 2495, in terra Aegypti d ‖ á¼Î½ τῇ γῇ -πτῳ D | á¼Î½ τῇ
-πτῳ Ψ 209 | á¼Î½ γῇ -πτῳ C E H L P 049 M.
The phrase in B03 is similar to that found in the mouth of Stephen at
7:36 D05, á¼Î½ γῇ Αἰγύπτου (á¼Î½ τῇ Αἰγύπτῳ B03), 7:40, á¼Îº γῆϛ Αἰγύπτου,
where the reference is made from the point of view of the Israelites who
have just escaped from Egypt and are looking back at recent events. The
D05 phrase here treats the sojourn in the land of Egypt as a stock fact of
history, which indeed it had become.
13:18 (καὶ) ὡϛ (– E) τεσσεÏακονταετῆ χÏόνον B P74 ) rell (gig vg) ‖ ἔτη
.μ. D, annis quadraginta d syp sa mae aeth.– á¼Ï„ÏοποφόÏησεν (αá½Ï„ούϛ)
B D ) C2 H L P 049. (056. 0142 –σαν). 614. 1739 M it vg syhgr; Chr Ps-
Oecum ‖ á¼Ï„ÏοφοφόÏ-, ac si nutrix aluit eos d P74 A C* E Ψ 33vid, 181.
1175. 1646. 2127. 2492 pc gig syp.h co aeth; CAp Hes Theoph.
It is possible to take ὡϛ as a subordinating conjunction, meaning
‘when’ and introducing a clause dependent on the main verb in v. 19,
κατεκληÏονόμησεν; this is how it has been rendered in the translation
provided above because it is the most probable explanation of the B03 text.
Alternatively, ὡϛ may be understood as a particle of comparison
qualifying the time phrase in B03 which is carefully delimited as ‘a 40-
year period’; it thus underlines the value of 40 as a symbolic number (cf.
5:36, see The Message of Acts, I, p. 352; cf. Exod. 16:35; Num. 14:33.34).
An analysis of numbers introduced with ὡϛ in Luke–Acts found that
on three other occasions the adverb ‘is omitted by Codex Bezae if the
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