Subject: Re: Mark 2:15

From: "Maurice A. O'Sullivan" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 21:48:06 +0000

At 21:46 12/02/97 -0600, "Ronald L. Minton" <[email-masked]> wrote:
>I cannot find why the KJV has "as Jesus sat" instead of "as he sat."  
>Does anyone know if they were following a form of Erasmus or other text?
>I have four editions of the TR and none read that way.

The possible ambiguity of "he" is well treated by Gundry in his 
_Mark: A Commentary on His Apology for the Cross_ ( Eerdmans 1993 )

At p. 124 he writes:
" The 'he' who 'was sitting' might refer to Levi. But the second half of
this verse makes 'he' refer more naturally to Jesus, for otherwise there is
no preparation for even being in the house where  tax collectors and
sinners dine with him and his disciples. In either case, by saving Jesus'
name for tax collectors and sinners dining with him, Mark emphasizes the
magnetism of Jesus.
'His house' probably means Levi's house .........."

It is interesting to see how the RSV leaves one ambiguity:

" And as he sat at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were
sitting with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. "

as against the NRSV which chooses to clear it up with:

"And as he sat at dinner in Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners
were also sitting with Jesus and his disciples--for there were many who
followed him."

In any case, what is important in this verse is that it is the first
reference in Mark to disciples.

Regards,

Maurice

Maurice A. O'Sullivan  [ Bray, Ireland ]
[email-masked]

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