...and he stood, praying this to himself...

From: Brian E. Wilson (brian@twonh.demon.co.uk)
Date: Fri Apr 18 1997 - 03:23:02 EDT


>On PROS hEAUTON TAUTA PROSHUXETO - Luke 18.11
>Mark Goodacre wrote :

>I note that the RSV renders ... 'with himself' for PROS hEAUTON...

The New RSV (1989) reads "...the Pharisee standing by himself was
praying ..." The updated translation follows the strong manuscript
tradition of Codex Alexandrinus, the Washington Codex, Uncial 063,
minuscules Family 13, and is supported by the Harclean Syriac:

hO FARISAIOS STAQEIS PROS hEAUTON TAUTA PROSHUXETO

This is the preferred reading in the Nestle-Aland 26th Edition, and may
well be what Luke wrote. Either way, as Mark Goodacre has rightly
noted, the use of PROS is an "oddity" - one of the many grammatical
oddities in Luke's gospel. Literally the phrase means "towards himself",
and really does not make much sense in its context whatever the original
word order. Presumably this is why for centuries the manuscript
tradition has shown much variation.

Brian E. Wilson



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