John Bengel Commentary - Luke 9:50 - 9:50

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John Bengel Commentary - Luke 9:50 - 9:50


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Luk 9:50. Ὃς γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι καθʼ ὑμῶν, ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν ἐστιν, for he who is not against you is for you) So too Mar 9:40, although some Greek MSS. in Mark, and most of them in Luke, have written ἡμῶν for ὑμῶν. To such a degree were the Greek transcribers indifferent in their confounding these pronouns, that the true reading must be decided not so much by the number of Greek MSS., as by the ancient versions, which translate and present these pronouns with greater accuracy of distinction, and also especially by a comparison of the context. The more or the less different is the condition of these concerning whom the expression we and you is used, the more or the less weight in proportion the variety of reading has. And in this passage the variety of reading is not a matter of indifference. For when He is speaking of external association and mode of procedure (conversatione), the Lord used the first person Plural, “Let us pass over to the other side; Lo, we go up to Jerusalem,” etc. But when matters of a more internal character were concerned, He made an appropriate distinction in His language, and did not say, we, but, I, or else, you. “I ascend,” saith He, “to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God,” not, “to our Father and God.” Therefore He does not here say, “He who is not against us, is for us,” but, “he who is not against you, is for you;” and in another passage, “He who is not with Me, is against Me.”[87]

[87] ABCDabc Vulg. have καθʼ ὑμῶν. BCDabc Vulg. have also ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν. But AΔ have ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. Rec. Text has καθʼ ἡμῶν-ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν. In Mar 9:40, ADabc Vulg. read ὑμῶν twice. But BCΔ Memph. later Syr. in marg. read ἡμῶν.-ED. and TRANSL.