Josep Rius-Camps - Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, «The variant readings of the western text of the acts of the Apostles (XV) (Acts 9:1-30)», Vol. 16 (2003) 133-145
The present section deals with the events following the conversion of
Saul (Acts 9:1-30). Since the Greek pages of Codex Bezae are missing from
8:29–10:14 and the Latin ones from 8:20b–10:4, we have noted in the Critical
Apparatus the variants of other witnesses that differ from the Alexandrian
text but at no time consider that a single text, equivalent in its uniformity
to the Alexandrian one, can be reconstructed from these readings. The differences
among the so-called ‘Western’ witnesses are considerable, and it is
almost certain that there were readings of Codex Bezae that are represented
by none of them and that cannot therefore be retrieved.
The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XV) 143
Σαούλ B ℵ A C rell || Σαῦλε E h mae.
The same variant is found in Jesus’ address to Saul in 9:4. The Aramaic
form of the name would be the more expected form between Aramaic speak-
ers, but it contrasts with the use of the Greek form by Jesus in 9:11 (cf.
22:7 D05, where Jesus addresses Saul by the Greek form of his name, and
22:13 d05 where Ananias addresses him by the same Greek form).
18 αá½Ï„οῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν B P45vid A 69. 1175 pc || ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλ-
μῶν αá½Ï„οῦ P74 ℵ C E H L P Ψ 049. 056. 33vid. 1739 M.
The attestation of both these readings is Alexandrian but the word
order of ℵ01 differs from that of B03.
ἀνέβλεψέν τε B P74 A H P Ψ 049. 056. 1. 69. 81. 226*. 330. 547. 618. 1243.
1245. 1505. 1646. 1828. 1854. 2147. 2495 | ἀν. δέ ℵ C* 2492 | καὶ ἀν. P45
|| ἀν. τε παÏαχÏῆμα (Cc) E L 33. 88. (104). 226c. 323. 440. 614. 927. 945.
1175. 1241. 1270. 1611. 1739. 1837. 1891. 2344. 2412 pm (h) p syp mae sa
armmss eth; Chr.
The inclusion of the adverb παÏαχÏῆμα in the WT, repeating the idea
already expressed by εá½Î¸á½³Ï‰Ï› at the beginning of the verse, insists on the
immediacy of the effect of Ananias’ prayer.
19 á¼Î½Î¹ÏƒÏ‡á½»Î¸Î· B (P45) C* 323. 945. 1175. 1611. 1739. (1891) pc, confortatus
est h || á¼Î½á½·ÏƒÏ‡Ï…σεν P74 ℵ A Cc E H L P Ψ 049. 056. 33 M mae.
The difference in the readings is between the passive (‘was strength-
ened’) and the active (‘gained strength’).
(ἡμέÏαϛ) τινάϛ B P74 ℵ A rell || ἱκανάϛ P45, plurimos h mae.
The adjective ἱκανάϛ conveys the impression of a longer period of
time than τινάϛ, and coincides with the repeated reference at 9:23 to the
time Saul spent in Damascus.
20 (καὶ) εá½Î¸á½³Ï‰Ï› B P74 ℵ A rell || om. h mae aeth. — εἰσελθών a b c h p q
w vgmss mae syp sa mae; Spec || om. B P74 ℵ A rell. — á¼Î½ ταῖϛ συναγωγαῖϛ
B P74 ℵ A rell || εἰϛ τὰϛ συναγωγὰϛ τῶν Ἰουδαίων h (p w syp sa) mae;
Spec. — á¼Îºá½µÏυσσεν B P74 ℵ A rell; Ir || á¼Îºá½µÏυξεν E e gig h mae. — μετὰ
(+ πάσηϛ h; Ir) παÏÏησίαϛ h l mae; Ir Spec || om. B P74 ℵ A rell. — (ὅτι
οὗτόϛ á¼ÏƒÏ„ιν) ὠυἱὸϛ τοῦ θεοῦ B P74 ℵ A rell || ὠΧÏιστὸϛ ὠυἱὸϛ τοῦ θεοῦ
441 h l t sa; Spec Theoph | ὠυἱὸϛ τοῦ θεοῦ ὠΧÏιστόϛ mae; Ir.
According to ‘Western’ witnesses, Luke uses for the first time the expres-
sion ‘the synagogue of the Jews’ (cf. 13:5; 14:1; 17:1.10), combined with the
idea of ‘movement into’ rather than ‘in’, to show that Saul has distanced
himself from his fellow-Jews. The imperfect of B03 indicates the onset of
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