Synoptic Gospels Primer - Why Parables? (Greek)

Parallel Texts in Matthew, Mark & Luke

3. Why Parables?
Matt 13:10-17 // Mark 4:10-12 // Luke 8:9-10

context

Greek synopsis

English synopsis

analysis

source hypotheses

appendix

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Greek Text

The reconstruction of the gospel texts below is based on the critical edition of E. Nestle's Novum Testamentum Graece presented with a fuller critical apparatus in Kurt Aland's Synopsis Quattuor Evangeliorum ed. ii (Stuttgart: Württembergiche Bibelanstalt, 1964) pp. 175-177. The matched column format & color coding employed here is the original work of the author of this electronic edition.

Note: The accented Greek script used to compose this synopsis is SP Ionic.
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WHY PARABLES?
Matthew 13		Mark 4		Luke 8
10	Kai\ proselqo&ntej	10	Kai\ o#te e0ge/neto
			kata_ mo&naj
			h)rw&twn	9	0Ephrw&twn de\
			au)to_n		au)to_n
			*oi9 peri\ au)to_n
	oi9 maqhtai		su_n toi=j dw&deka*		oi9 maqhtai\ au)tou
	ei]pan au)tw\|~ :
	dia\ ti/				ti/j au#th ei1h
	e0n parabolai=j		ta_j parabola&j.		h( parabolh&.
	lalei=j au)toi=j;
11	o( de\ a)pokriqei\j	11	kai\		o( de\
	ei]pen :		e1legen au)toi=j :	10	ei]pen :
	o#ti u(mi=n		u(mi=n		u(mi=n
		**	to_ musth&rion
	de/dotai		de/dotai		de/dotai
	gnw~nai				gnw~nai
	ta_ musth&ria				ta_ musth&ria
	th~j basilei/aj		th~j basilei/aj		th~j basilei/aj
	tw~n ou)ranw~n,		tou~ Qeou~ : **		tou~ Qeou~ :
	e0kei/noij de\		e0kei/noij de\		toi~j de\
			toi~j e1cw		loipoi=j
	ou) de/dotai.
12	o#stij ga_r e1xei,
	doqh&setai au)tw\|~
	kai\
	perisseuqh&setai :
	o#stij de\
	ou)k e1xei,
	kai\ o$ e1xei
	a)rqh&setai
	a)p' au)tou~.
13	dia_ tou~to
	e0n parabolai=j		e0n parabolai=j		e0n parabolai=j,
	au)toi=j		ta_ pa&nta
	lalw~,		gi/netai,
***	o#ti	12	i3na		i3na
	ble/pontej		ble/pontej		ble/pontej
			ble/pwsin
	ou) ble/pousin		kai\ mh_ i1dwsin		mh& ble/pwsin
	kai\ akou&ontej		kai\ a)kou&ontej		kai\ akou&ontej
	ou)k a)kou&ousin		a)kou&wsin
	ou)de\ suni/ousin ***		kai\ mh_ suniw~sin,		mh_ suniw~sin.
14	kai\
	\ a)naplhrou~tai
	au)toi=j
	h( profhtei/a
	0Hsaiou
	h( le/gousa :
	a)koh\|~
	a)kou&sete
	kai\ ou)
	mh\ sunh~te,
	kai\ ble/pontej
	ble/yete
	kai\ ou)
	mh\ i1dh~te,
15	e0paxu&nqh ga_r
	h( kardi/a
	tou~ laou~ tou&tou,
	kai\ toi=j w)si\n
	bare/wj h!kousan,
	kai\
	tou_j o)fqalmou_j
	au)tw~n
	e0ka&mmusan :
	mh&pote i1dw~sin		mh&pote
	toi=j o)fqalmoi=j
	kai\ toi=j w)sin
	a)kou&swsin
	kai\ th\|~ kardi/a\|
	sunw~sin
	kai\
	e0pistreyw~sin ,		e0pistreyw~sin ,
	kai\ i0a&somai		kai\ a)feqh\|~
	au)tou&j.		au)toi=j.
16	u(mw~n de maka&rioi
	oi9 o)fqalmoi\
	o#ti ble/pousin,
	kai\ ta_ w}ta
	u(mw~n
	o#ti a0kou&ousin.
17	a)mh_n ga_r
	le/gw u(mi=n o#ti
	polloi\ profh~tai
	kai\ di/kaioi
	e0pequ&mhsan i0dei=n
	a$ ble/pete
	kai\ ou)k ei]dan,
	kai\ a0kou~sai
	a$ a)kou&ete
	kai\ ou)k h!kousan.

* Note: A handful of mss. (including codex Bezae) & Origen have "his disciples" (maqhtai\ au)tou~) in Mark 4:10 (like Luke) rather than "those who were about him with the 12" (oi9 peri\ au)to_n su_n toi=j dw&deka). Textual critics generally consider the longer version original because

it is in most mss. including the oldest;

it is more awkward & therefore less likely to be a later correction.

** Note: The wording of Mark 4:11 in the Byzantine recension & codex Bezae exactly parallels Luke 8:10 (including gnw~nai) except for the singular to_n musth&rion. Text critics regard the wording found in 4th c. mss. (codex Sinaiticus & codex Vaticanus) as probably original.

*** Note: The dependent clause in Matt 13:13 is worded like Mark 4:12 in codex Bezae. Textual critics generally regard this as a harmonization by one 5th c. scribe.

Color Key

Blue Three texts use same vocabulary.

Teal Two texts use same vocabulary.

Black Words unique to a particular text.

No parallel passage in this gospel.

context Greek synopsis English synopsis analysis source hypotheses appendix

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last revised 29 December 2005