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).
70 Josep Rius-Camps and Jenny Read-Heimerdinger
ἀκοῦσαι πάντα B P74 ) rell ‖ (+ τοῦ DC) ἀκ. βουλόμενοι (- DC) παÏá½° σου
D* d (it syM.p).
Once again, the effect of the D05 reading is to highlight the role of
Peter.
ὑπό B P74 )* rell ‖ ἀπό D P45.74 )2 A C pc.
ὑπό is the usual preposition used by Luke to introduce the agent of a
passive verb (cf. 10:17 above), but he also uses ἀπό when the verb implies
movement away from the agent, in this case the commandments which
come from God to Peter37.
(τοῦ) κυÏίου B P45 ) A C E Ψ 81*. 181. 257. 323. 453. 467. 522. 614. 630.
945. 1108. 1175. 1611. 1175. 1518. 1739. 1891. 2138. 2298. 2344. 2412 al
ar e gig l vg syh bo ‖ θεοῦ D d P74 H L P 049. 056. 0142 M p syM.p sa mae
boms aeth.
According to D05, κύÏιοϛ is never used by a Gentile, only by Jews
whether Jesus-believers or not38.
34 (ἀνοίξαϛ δὲ) ΠέτÏοϛ τὸ στόμα B P74 ) rell ‖ Ï„. στ. Î . D d P45 gig vgA.
Emphasis is conferred on Peter as speaker by the word order of D05,
his speech already signalled as of critical importance by the absence of
the article before his name (cf. 11:4)39.
καταλαμβάνομαι B P74 ) A DB? rell, expedior d | -νόμενοϛ D* C E
2344.
D05 uses the present participle of the verb instead of the finite form.
This could be interpreted as a periphrastic present, with elision of the
verb ‘to be’40, or as a subordinate participle which Peter, in the rush of
his ideas, omitted to complete with a finite verb. We have taken it as the
latter in the translation of this verse.
36 τὸν λόγον B P74 ) A rell, verbum suum d ‖ Ï„. Î³á½°Ï Î»á½¹Î³. D C*vid 614. 913.
1108. 1518. 1611. 2138. 2412 pc a l m p t vgmss syMvid.p.h** mae sa; Spec.
Î³á½±Ï occurs twice in Peter’s speech in D05 (cf. 10:37 below), giving a
structure to the words which come out in a confused state – this is very
Read-Heimerdinger, The Bezan Text, 185.
37
Read-Heimerdinger, The Bezan Text, 286–87.
38
See J. Heimerdinger and S.H. Levinsohn, ‘The Use of the Definite Article before before
39
Names of People in the Greek Text of Acts with Particular Reference to Codex Bezae’, FN
5 (1992) 28.
Cf. F. Blass, A. Debrunner, and F. Rehkopf, Grammatik des neutestamentlichen
40
Griechisch (B-D-R; Göttingen 151979), § 468, 2.
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