Mark 8:20

Footnotes

1. 23 A difficult textual problem is found here, involving three different variants: καὶ λέγουσιν (kai legousin) is found in א ; οἱ δὲ εἶπον (hoi de eipon) is the reading of 𝔓45 A D W Θ f1, 13 33 𝔐 it; and καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ (kai legousin autō) is supported by B C L (Δ 579 892) 2427 . The first two variants would not be translated differently; the third reading, however, would add “to him” after “they replied.” What complicates the issue is that the external evidence is fairly evenly split between the second and third readings, though the first reading is in agreement with the second reading in lacking the dative pronoun. Indeed, another layout of the problem here could treat this as two distinct problems: καὶ λέγουσιν vs. οἱ δὲ εἶπον and αὐτῷ vs. omission of the word. In this second arrangement of the problem, the reading without the pronoun has slightly stronger support (𝔓45 א A D W Θ f1, 13 33 𝔐 it). Internally, Mark never elsewhere uses the form εἶπον for the third person plural indicative form of this verb (it is always εἶπαν [eipan]). And although only one other time in Mark is the object lacking after λέγουσιν (6:38), it is a similar context (, the disciples’ response before Jesus feeds the 5000). Very tentatively, the reading that is followed here is καὶ λέγουσιν. puts αὐτῷ in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.