Lectionary Year B
May 7, 2000
Luke 24:36b-48

Step I: Initial Acquaintance

A. COMPARISON OF TRANSLATIONS

(LE)
I used The Literal Translation of the Bible (Hendrickson Publishers); The King James Version; The New International Version; The New Revised Standard Version and The Revised Standard Version.

   LTB KJV NIV NRSV RSV

36 leave out "Peace to you."
37 spirit spirit spirit ghost ghost
38 troubled troubled troubled troubled frightened
questionings reasonings thoughts doubts doubts
39 see behold look look see
I myself I am He I myself I myself I myself
handle feel handle touch touch
40 in this text Christ does not show his hands and feet
41 to eat food meat to eat to eat
42 fish/honeycomb fish/honeycomb fish fish fish
43 it these it it it
44 the words the words what I told you my words my words
45 opened up opened their opened their opened their opened their
their mind understanding minds minds minds
to understand might understand could understand to understand to understand
46 Christ Christ Christ Messiah Christ
47 must suffer behooved to suffer will suffer is to suffer should suffer
must be should be will be is to be should be
on His name in his name in his name in his name in his name
from at from at from
48 send on you send upon you send you sending upon you send upon you

Discussion of Comparisons:

In verse 39 is there a difference between "touching," "feeling," and "handling?" The difference would seem to lie in the intensity of the action; "to handle" seems to imply a more robust action while "touch" implies some level of superficiality with "feel" somewhere in-between.

I was intrigued with the inclusion of "honeycomb" with the broiled fish in verse 42 in The Literal Translation of the Bible and The King James Version. I turned to A Textaul Commentary on the Greek New Testament by Bruce M. Metzger. Metzger, reporting for the committee, writes that this is an "obvious interpolation, for it is not likely that they would have fallen out of so many of the best representatives of the earlier text-types." (188) It is supposed that this may have been an addition based on the use of honey in the early Church in the Eucharist and the baptismal liturgy; furthermore, this was probably an intentional addition to justify liturgical practice.

Although, most scholars support the exclusion of "honeycomb," I found, in a commentary, a reference to a 1986 article in Novum Testamentum by G.D. Kilpatrick who makes an argument that one can find a link to the use of honey during this period in Joseph and Aseneth which has historically been reported to be written the 4th Century; however, Kilpatrick writes "this treatise seems to be entirely free from Christian influence and to belong to the 1st Century BC or AD . . . in other words the honeycomb is the food of immortality." (307) Kilpatrick has written on the ancient theme of the food of immortality specific to John 6; he posits that by Jesus partaking of the honeycomb one may see a connection to Christ’s resurrection.

(FS)
I found some varied translations of the second part of v. 49: NEB, "...until you are armed with the power from on above." American Standard Bible: "...until you are clothed with power." NIV, NRSV, JB: "...until you have been clothed with (JB adds "the") power from on high." Spanish versions: The Reina-Valera Antigua and 1960 Revision: "...hasta que seais investidos de potencia de lo alto." ("...until you have been invested with potency/power/ability from on high.") (Both of these versions retain the honeycomb in v. 42) New Spanish Bible: "...hasta que de lo alto os revistan de fuerza." ("...until you have been reclothed with strength from on high.")

(JA) C. ROUGH TRANSLATION

(v. 36) And as they are talking about these things he himself stood in the midst of them and he says to them: "Peace to you (pl.)!" (v. 37) And having been terrified and having become filled with fear they were thinking to see a spirit. (v. 38) And he said to them, "Why are you being so stirred up and on account of what thing are reasonings (Gr. "dialogismoi") ascending in your (pl) heart (sing.)? (v. 39) you (pl.) behold my hands and my feet because I am myself! Take hold of me and see because a spirit does not have flesh and bone, as you see me having. (v. 40) And having spoken this thing he showed to them the hands and the feet (v. 41) And while they were yet disbelieving from joy and marvelings he said to them, "Do you have something eatable here?" (v. 42) And provided him with a piece of broiled fish. (v. 43) And having received he ate before them.

(v. 44) And he spoke toward them, "These [are] the words of mine which I uttered toward you (pl.) while I being with you (pl.), that it is necessary to be fulfilled all things having been written in the law of Moses and (in) the prophets and psalms concerning me." (v. 45) Then he opened up the mind of them in order to understand [art. inf. as purpose clause] the writings (Gr. "graphas" scriptures?). (v. 46) And he said to them that thus it has been written the Christ to suffer [unto death = technical term] and to rise from among the dead ones on the third day (dat. of time when) (v. 47) and to be preached upon his name repentance into the forgiveness of sins into all nations, [those preaching] having begun [mid. aor. ptcp. n. pl. m.; cf. agreement question in mss. of textual apparatus] from Jerusalem. (v. 48) You (pl.) [are] witnesses (Gr. "martures" martyrs?) of these things. (v. 49) And behold I send (Gr. "apostello") the promise of my Father upon you, but /and you stay put in the city until which (time) you are clothed with respect to power (acc.) out of the high place."


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