Luke 8:20

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An Exegetical Study of Luke 8:20: Grammatical Implications of the Singular Passive Verb ἀπηγγέλη and Textual Variants

This exegetical study, based on an inquiry concerning Luke 8:20, addresses a grammatical question regarding the Greek verb ἀπηγγέλη. Specifically, the inquiry poses whether the singular form of this aorist passive verb necessarily implies a singular agent of the reporting action, especially in scenarios where multiple individuals might be conveying the message.

The central exegetical issue revolves around the interpretation of the verb ἀπηγγέλη (aorist passive indicative, 3rd singular) in Luke 8:20. The question is whether its singular number restricts the implied agent of the reporting to a single person or if it can accommodate a plural, unspecified group. This grammatical inquiry is further complicated by significant textual variants in manuscripts that either include or omit the plural participle λεγόντων (present active participle, genitive plural), which explicitly identifies multiple speakers. Therefore, the study must navigate both grammatical nuances of passive constructions and the implications of textual criticism for establishing the most probable original text and its subsequent interpretation regarding the number of messengers.

Καὶ ἀπηγγέλη αὐτῷ· Ἡ μήτηρ σου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου ἑστήκασιν ἔξω ἰδεῖν σε θέλοντες. (Nestle 1904)

Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):

• The main text of Luke 8:20 in the SBLGNT (2010) is identical to the Nestle 1904 text, reading: Καὶ ἀπηγγέλη αὐτῷ· Ἡ μήτηρ σου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου ἑστήκασιν ἔξω ἰδεῖν σε θέλοντες.
• However, the SBLGNT apparatus, like NA28, notes the significant variant reading, including the addition of λεγόντων (or variations like ὅτι λεγόντων), which appears in a number of later manuscripts (e.g., L, Γ, Θ, 0135, M). These editions do not adopt λεγόντων into their main text, indicating it is considered a secondary reading.

Textual criticism (NA28), lexical notes (KITTEL, BDAG):

The textual critical apparatus for Luke 8:20 reveals a notable variant concerning the addition of λεγόντων (present active participle, genitive plural, “saying”) or ὅτι λεγόντων (“that saying”). Critical editions such as NA28 (Nestle-Aland 28th edition) and SBLGNT (2010) opt for the shorter reading, omitting λεγόντων in their main text. This decision is supported by early and highly regarded manuscripts, including P⁷⁵, Codex Vaticanus (B), Codex Washingtonianus (W), and others. The longer reading, which includes λεγόντων, is found in later manuscripts such as Codex L, Codex Regius (Γ), Codex Koridethi (Θ), 0135, and numerous Minuscule manuscripts (M), as well as some Latin (latt), Syriac (syh), and Bohairic Coptic (boh) versions. The principle of lectio brevior potior (the shorter reading is stronger) often guides textual critical decisions, especially when early and geographically diverse witnesses support the shorter text. The addition of λεγόντων appears to be a scribal tendency to clarify the implied subject of the report, making explicit what was left implicit in the original, thus harmonizing or elaborating the narrative.

Lexical Notes:

• ἀπηγγέλη (apēggelē): This is the aorist passive indicative, 3rd person singular, of the verb ἀπαγγέλλω (apangellō).
• BDAG defines ἀπαγγέλλω as “to make a report, bring a message, announce, report, proclaim.” In the passive voice, it signifies “it was reported, announced.” The singular form ἀπηγγέλη therefore means “it was reported.”
• KITTEL (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament) elaborates on ἀπαγγέλλω as a compound of ἀγγέλλω (“to announce”). The prefix ἀπó (“from”) suggests bringing a message from one point to another, often implying a return or conveying information from a source. The passive construction emphasizes the message itself as received, rather than the identity or number of the messengers.
• λεγόντων (legontōn): This is the present active participle, genitive plural, of the verb λέγω (legō).
• BDAG defines λέγω as “to say, speak, tell.” As a present active participle in the genitive plural, it means “of those saying” or “while they were saying.” When added to Luke 8:20, it would typically form a genitive absolute construction, making the plural agents of the speech explicit.
• KITTEL (TDNT) notes the broad semantic range of λέγω, encompassing various forms of verbal communication. The participle λεγόντων directly refers to the multiple, active agents engaged in the act of speaking or reporting.

Translation Variants

The grammatical analysis of ἀπηγγέλη is crucial. As an aorist passive indicative verb in the 3rd singular, it indicates an action completed in the past where the subject (the message or the fact of being reported) receives the action. The agent of the action (who did the reporting) is either unstated or implied. In Greek, impersonal passive constructions frequently occur without an explicit agent, and the singular form does not necessarily restrict the agent to a single individual. For instance, in “it was said,” the speaker could be one person or many.

Without the addition of λεγόντων (the preferred reading by critical editions), the verse focuses squarely on the fact that a report reached Jesus. The narrator refrains from specifying the number of individuals who delivered the message. This ambiguity allows for the possibility of a single messenger or a group, with the emphasis remaining on the content and reception of the message. Rhetorically, this creates a succinct and direct report, drawing immediate attention to the family’s presence.

Conversely, if the variant reading including λεγόντων were adopted, the grammar would explicitly introduce multiple agents of the reporting. The genitive plural participle would form a genitive absolute construction, such as “while they were saying” or “they saying,” thereby clarifying that a plurality of individuals conveyed the message. This addition resolves the ambiguity inherent in the simpler passive construction, providing a more detailed account of the messengers. However, its exclusion in the most critically accepted texts suggests that the original intention was likely to maintain the more generalized and agent-unspecified passive construction.

Conclusions and Translation Suggestions

Based on textual critical evidence, the most probable original reading of Luke 8:20 omits the plural participle λεγόντων. Therefore, the singular passive verb ἀπηγγέλη does not inherently specify whether one or many individuals delivered the message. It is an impersonal construction focusing on the report itself. The original query’s intuition that the omission of λεγόντων makes the plurality “less blatant” is accurate; it leaves the number of speakers indeterminate, rather than definitively singular. The grammatical structure of a singular passive verb allows for a collective or unspecified agent, especially when the focus is on the action received.

Here are three suggested translations, reflecting different nuances of the preferred Greek text:

1. “And it was reported to him: ‘Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.'”
   This translation adheres closely to the critical Greek text, rendering the passive verb impersonally and leaving the agent unspecified.
2. “Then he was told, ‘Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.'”
   This version uses a common English idiom for an impersonal passive report, which naturally allows for an unspecified or collective source without implying singularity.
3. “A message was brought to him: ‘Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see you.'”
   This translation shifts the focus from the act of reporting to the reception of the ‘message,’ which implicitly allows for one or more conveyors without needing to specify their number, consistent with the ambiguity inherent in the singular passive verb.

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