Introduction
Posted: April 16th, 2025, 9:05 am
Actually, I am returning to the Forum after a somewhat lengthy absence. I couldn't remember my password and the password reset didn't seem to work, so I had to re-register with a different email address.
I live in Livorno, Italy where I am one of the lay preachers in the local Baptist church. I have never formally studied Greek but I have picked up enough to profit from consulting thesauruses, commentaries, etc. where the Greek text is explained. I have already submitted questions to the Forum when, for my sermon preparation, I needed clarification on a text. And that is the case for a question I would like to submit now.
I have a question about John 20.7: “καὶ τὸ σουδάριον, ὃ ἦν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, οὐ μετὰ τῶν ὀθονίων κείμενον ἀλλὰ χωρὶς ἐντετυλιγμένον εἰς ἕνα τόπον·”
My question concerns in particular the phrase: “ἀλλὰ χωρὶς ἐντετυλιγμένον εἰς ἕνα τόπον·”
Most translations give the impression that the σουδάριον had been deliberately rolled up or folded and placed at a certain distance from the rest of the linen wrappings. For example, the American Standard Version has: “and the napkin, that was upon his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself.”
However, I have read some commentaries which argue that the Greek text means simply that the σουδάριον was in the place where the head of Jesus had been – separate in the sense of not being attached to the linen wrappings but rather an independent piece of cloth – and still maintaining the wrapped form it had had when tied around Jesus’ head, albeit now deflated or empty.
This idea seems to be reflected in the New International Version: “as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.”
I would like to know if this second position is sustainable from the linguistic point of view.
Thank you.
Thomas Hagen
I live in Livorno, Italy where I am one of the lay preachers in the local Baptist church. I have never formally studied Greek but I have picked up enough to profit from consulting thesauruses, commentaries, etc. where the Greek text is explained. I have already submitted questions to the Forum when, for my sermon preparation, I needed clarification on a text. And that is the case for a question I would like to submit now.
I have a question about John 20.7: “καὶ τὸ σουδάριον, ὃ ἦν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ, οὐ μετὰ τῶν ὀθονίων κείμενον ἀλλὰ χωρὶς ἐντετυλιγμένον εἰς ἕνα τόπον·”
My question concerns in particular the phrase: “ἀλλὰ χωρὶς ἐντετυλιγμένον εἰς ἕνα τόπον·”
Most translations give the impression that the σουδάριον had been deliberately rolled up or folded and placed at a certain distance from the rest of the linen wrappings. For example, the American Standard Version has: “and the napkin, that was upon his head, not lying with the linen cloths, but rolled up in a place by itself.”
However, I have read some commentaries which argue that the Greek text means simply that the σουδάριον was in the place where the head of Jesus had been – separate in the sense of not being attached to the linen wrappings but rather an independent piece of cloth – and still maintaining the wrapped form it had had when tied around Jesus’ head, albeit now deflated or empty.
This idea seems to be reflected in the New International Version: “as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus' head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen.”
I would like to know if this second position is sustainable from the linguistic point of view.
Thank you.
Thomas Hagen