Discovery BoxLuke 7:20
Context7:20 When 1 the men came to Jesus, 2 they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask, 3 ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?’” 4
Luke 10:1
Context10:1 After this 5 the Lord appointed seventy-two 6 others and sent them on ahead of him two by two into every town 7 and place where he himself was about to go.
[7:20] 1 tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.
[7:20] 2 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:20] 3 tn Grk “to you, saying,” but since this takes the form of a question, it is preferable to use the phrase “to ask” in English.
[7:20] 4 tn This question is repeated word for word from v. 19.
[10:1] 5 tn Grk “And after these things.” Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
[10:1] 6 tc There is a difficult textual problem here and in v. 17, where the number is either “seventy” (א A C L W Θ Ξ Ψ Ë1,13 Ï and several church fathers and early versions) or “seventy-two” (Ì75 B D 0181 pc lat as well as other versions and fathers). The more difficult reading is “seventy-two,” since scribes would be prone to assimilate this passage to several OT passages that refer to groups of seventy people (Num 11:13-17; Deut 10:22; Judg 8:30; 2 Kgs 10:1 et al.); this reading also has slightly better ms support. “Seventy” could be the preferred reading if scribes drew from the tradition of the number of translators of the LXX, which the Letter of Aristeas puts at seventy-two (TCGNT 127), although this is far less likely. All things considered, “seventy-two” is a much more difficult reading and accounts for the rise of the other. Only Luke notes a second larger mission like the one in 9:1-6.
