[B-Greek] Mk 6:8b EI MH ... MH ... MH ...
Iver Larsen
iver at larsen.dk
Sun May 28 03:20:41 EDT 2006
Oun Kwon wrote:
> On journey the disciples are told not to take things (in Mt 10:10 and
> in Lk 9:3). Here is the pertinent clause in Mk.
>
> Mk 6:8b
>
> EI MH hRABDON MONON MH ARTON MH PHRAN MH EIS THN ZWNHN CALKON
>
> Now, the problem is that all the translations read this as 'except a
> staff' taking parenthetically. This makes the Markan text
> contradictory to the rest of the synoptics. What is the grammatical
> basis of this rendering (unacceptable to me)? What I can see is
> simply 'EI' before the MH hRABDON. If EI has to mean 'except', why it
> should govern hRABDON only, not the whole items listed?
>
> Since all the items are listed in a manner of MH ~ MH ~ ...., as for
> me, I am tempted to read this as
>
> 'not a single staff, nor pouch, no loaf of bread, no coins in their
> money-belt';
>
> I am not sure how I should understand the conjunction EI.
You have pinpointed your own grammatical problem. With your translation you cannot account for the EI, so grammatically,
it has to mean "except just a staff". And you cannot make the "except" span all the remaining items in the list.
However, there is more to meaning and exegesis than grammar. Although we are reading Greek, the gospels are based in
varying degrees on a Semitic thought pattern which is circular and holistic rather than linear and dichotomistic. Very
often you have a general summary statement to start off with followed by other statements that fill in the details. In
this case, I think the first statement "Don't take anything except just a staff" is meant to be a general statement of
the big picture. This is then explained in more details in the following. Well, you should not take a supply of food
along (expect to be fed by those you visit). Do not take a bag (possibly with extra luggage to make them independent of
accepting help and hospitality. Some suggest that a beggar's bag is meant). Do not take a supply of money (so you could
buy your own food rather than be fed by others). Then in v 9: DO wear sandals on your feet, because that is essential
for a wanderer in rugged terrain, just as a walking staff is. But do not take extra tunics (take off in the one you are
wearing).
So, it appears that the instruction is: Only take along what is essential for walking along the roads, i.e. sandals on
your feet, your normal clothing without extras and a walking stick.
In Matt 10:9-10 the instructions are: No gold, no silver, no copper, no bag, not two tunics, no (extra) sandals, no
(extra) staff.
This last one is based on the alternative reading RABDOUS, and the interpretation that the plurals indicate something in
addition to what is essential. I won't argue here for this preferred reading since it is a TC issue.
In Luk 9:3 the instructions are: Take nothing. No staff, no bag, no food, no money, not two tunics. Again, it is an
interpretation to take these words to mean "extras". The "two tunics" probably does not men two extra tunics, but two in
the sense of the one you are wearing and one extra.
You might find it interesting to study the NET for these verses:
Luk 9:3: "Take nothing for your journey-no staff, (Mark 6.8 allows one staff. It might be that Luke's summary (cf. Matt
10.9-10) means not taking an extra staff or that the expression is merely rhetorical for "traveling light" which has
been rendered in two slightly different ways) no bag, no bread, no money, and do not take an extra tunic. (Grk "have two
tunics.")"
I think the most debatable issue is the staff, but Greek grammar does not solve the problem.
Iver Larsen
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