Luke 10:38-39

Jesus and Martha

10:38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus ¹  entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. ²  10:39 She ³  had a sister named Mary, who sat ⁴  at the Lord’s feet ⁵  and listened to what he said.

¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tc Most mss have “into the house” (Ì^3vid א C L Ξ 33 579 pc) or “into her house” (א¹ A C² D W Θ Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 Ï lat) at the end of the sentence. But the English translation masks the multitude of variants: Different forms of “house” (οἰκίαν [oikian], οἶκον [oikon]) and “her” occur (see TCGNT 129). These variations argue against authenticity; they no doubt arose because of the abrupt ending of the sentence (the Greek is more literally translated simply as “Martha received him”), prompting copyists to add the location. The shorter reading is found in Ì^45,75 B sa.

³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

⁴ tn This reflexive makes it clear that Mary took the initiative in sitting by Jesus.

⁵ sn The description of Mary sitting at the Lord’s feet and listening to him makes her sound like a disciple (compare Luke 8:35).