Thread: Matthew’s Gospel has 5 main blocks of speech:
Chapters
5-7
10
13
18
23-25
Each speech block ends “When he/Jesus had finished...” (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1)
But there’s more structure yet, and a textual variant...
Chapters
5-7
10
13
18
23-25
Each speech block ends “When he/Jesus had finished...” (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1)
But there’s more structure yet, and a textual variant...
The 1st, 3rd & 5th speech blocks go like this:
8 beatitudes (ch 5)
8 parables of the kingdom (ch 13)
7 woes (ch 23 NIV ESV #NA28 #THGNT)
or 8 woes (KJV & #textusreceptus)
This is a case where I would love to be persuaded that it should be 8 8 8.
8 beatitudes (ch 5)
8 parables of the kingdom (ch 13)
7 woes (ch 23 NIV ESV #NA28 #THGNT)
or 8 woes (KJV & #textusreceptus)
This is a case where I would love to be persuaded that it should be 8 8 8.
Johann Albrecht Bengel 1687-1752 observed the parallel between the blessings (beatitudes) of ch 5 and the woes of ch 23. 
He was not one to waste words:
“Octies h. l. dicitur vae: octies beati”
“8x here is said ‘woe’; 8x ‘blessed’...”
“Octies h. l. dicitur vae: octies beati”
“8x here is said ‘woe’; 8x ‘blessed’...”
The missing verse # in modern editions is v14, though there’s more evidence for putting it before v13.
It reads: “But woe to you scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour the houses of widows & for pretence pray long prayers; for this you’ll get greater judgement”
It reads: “But woe to you scribes & Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour the houses of widows & for pretence pray long prayers; for this you’ll get greater judgement”
The words are similar to parallels in Mark & Luke.
The whole can be seen as a perfect syntactic adaptation from Mark.
The whole can be seen as a perfect syntactic adaptation from Mark.
But it can also be seen as accidentally omitted due to identical beginning (homeoarcton).
Both it and v13 share the same initial 8 words, including (probably) δέ as their 2nd word.
They also share the beginning of their 9th words which begin similarly either ΚΛ or ΚΑ.
Both it and v13 share the same initial 8 words, including (probably) δέ as their 2nd word.
They also share the beginning of their 9th words which begin similarly either ΚΛ or ΚΑ.
So what are we to make of it?
My desire for the neat 8 8 8 pattern should be subordinate to witness of manuscripts.
I’m not committed to the view of manuscripts which says earliest is always best.
But a strong case wd have to be made to overturn early witnesses for omission.
My desire for the neat 8 8 8 pattern should be subordinate to witness of manuscripts.
I’m not committed to the view of manuscripts which says earliest is always best.
But a strong case wd have to be made to overturn early witnesses for omission.
But perhaps I can satisfy my desire for neat structure otherwise.
If I count 5:11 ‘blessed are you’ with the 8 beatitudes I get the pattern 9 8 7, with more blessings than woes.
Or I might argue that 13:52 is different from the other 7 because it’s about what a scribe is like.
If I count 5:11 ‘blessed are you’ with the 8 beatitudes I get the pattern 9 8 7, with more blessings than woes.
Or I might argue that 13:52 is different from the other 7 because it’s about what a scribe is like.
My desire for neatness can make me impose structures.
Matthew doesn’t have to have been mathematically neat.
Bur I can let my perplexity drive me to study it harder than I ever would have otherwise.
Let the one who has ears to hear, hear.
Matthew doesn’t have to have been mathematically neat.
Bur I can let my perplexity drive me to study it harder than I ever would have otherwise.
Let the one who has ears to hear, hear.
Bur = But. Clearly dialectal.
