Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 31:122 (Apr 1874)
Article: On A Passage In Matthew 26:50
Author: Theodore Dwight Woolsey

BSac 31:122 (April 1874) p. 314

On A Passage In Matthew 26:50

Theodore D. Woolsey

The expression which I propose to discuss is, ἐφ᾿ ὅ πάρει. I shall say no more of ἑταῖρε than to refer to chapters 20:13; 22:12, and shall assume that ἐφ᾿ ὅ is the unquestionably true reading, and not ἐφ᾿ ᾧ. That ἐπί with the Accusative can denote the aim or object, answering to our for or after, may be shown by many examples from the best authors; so that it is no Hellenistic usage, as Bloomfield strangely imagined. Compare Herodot. 7:32 ἀπεπέμπετε ἐπὶ γῆς αἴτησιν, Soph. Trachin. 503 ἐπὶ τάνδε ἄκοιτιν…τίνες κατέβαν; Philoct. 591ἐπὶ τοῦτον ἄνδρε τώδε…πλέουσι, Eurip. Bacch. 454 ἐφ᾿ ὅπερ ἐς Θήβας πάρει, Aristoph. Lysistr. 1101ἐπί τί πάρεστε δεῦρο; Nubes 266 ἐπὶ τί στέφανον i.e. λάβω; Plat. Gorg. 447 B. ἐπ᾿ αὐτό γέ τοι τοῦτο πάρεσμεν, where it is noticeable that one MS. has the Dative. The same phrase occurs in Euthydem. 274 A., cited by Stallb., who also adduces from Theages 122 A. νῦν οὖν ἥκω ἐπ᾿ αὐτὰ ταῦτα.

The meaning of ἐφ᾿ ὅ πάρει is what we desire to discuss more at length. There are four interpretations of it, all of which have their advocates at the present day.

The first of these which I shall name, after having fallen out of notice for a very long time, has again been brought forward in the present day, and has received the votes of some of the most distinguished commentators. It regards the sentence as having the relative form, and explains the sense by an aposiopesis: “that for which thou art come,— do.” This may be called the interpretation of Euthymius Zigabenus (cent. xii.); but it will be made to appear that he was by no means alone, among the ancient interpreters,

BSac 31:122 (April 1874) p. 315

in his view of the passage. He is followed, in modern times, by Meyer (H. A. W.), Ewald, Lightfoot, Alford in his last editions, by Lange, Stei...