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An Exegetical Analysis of Matthew 7:16b: The Textual Variant of σταφυλὴν/σταφυλὰς
This exegetical study of An Exegetical Analysis of Matthew 7:16b: The Textual Variant of σταφυλὴν/σταφυλὰς is based on a recent b-greek discussion. The initial inquiry concerns the textual variation of the word for ‘grapes’ in Matthew 7:16b, specifically between the plural form σταφυλὰς and the singular form σταφυλὴν. While a minority of witnesses, some predating the 10th century, and certain critical editions (e.g., Tischendorf 8th, Bover) support the plural, a substantial majority of early manuscripts and other critical editions (e.g., Tischendorf 7th, Vogels) attest to the singular.
The primary exegetical issue revolves around establishing the most probable original reading in Matthew 7:16b. This involves a meticulous evaluation of manuscript evidence, transcriptional probabilities, and internal coherence, particularly in light of the parallel passage in Luke 6:44b, to determine whether the plural σταφυλὰς or the singular σταφυλὴν represents the earlier text and what implications this variant might have for translation and interpretation. The textual decision significantly impacts the precise nuance of Jesus’ rhetorical question regarding the impossibility of gathering appropriate fruit from an unsuitable source.
Matt 7:16b: μήτι συλλέγουσιν ἀπὸ ἀκανθῶν σταφυλὴν ἢ ἀπὸ τριβόλων σῦκα;
Luke 6:44b: οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ἀκανθῶν συλλέγουσιν σῦκα, οὐδὲ ἐκ βάτου σταφυλὴν τρυγῶσιν.(Nestle 1904)
Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):
- The SBLGNT (2010) likewise reads σταφυλὴν (singular) in Matthew 7:16b, consistent with the reading favored by the majority of witnesses and modern critical editions.
- No substantive difference exists in the chosen primary text for this specific variant between the Nestle 1904 text (which favors the singular) and the SBLGNT. The SBLGNT critical apparatus, like that of NA28, would however note the significant variant σταφυλὰς.
Textual criticism (NA28): The NA28 text, like Nestle 1904 and SBLGNT, adopts the reading σταφυλὴν (singular) in Matthew 7:16b, assigning it an {A} rating, indicating a high degree of certainty for its originality. The apparatus notes the significant variant σταφυλὰς (plural), supported by manuscripts such as ℵ, B, C¹, L, Γ, f¹ and 892, along with some Old Latin (lat), Syriac (sy-h), and Coptic (co) versions. The extensive evidence for the singular, including C*.2, E, G, K, L, M, O, S, U, V, W, X, Δ, Θ, Π, Σ, Φ, Ω, 047, 0211, the Byzantine text (Byz), and manuscript families f¹³.³⁵, 565, 1424, 1500, 2224, strongly supports its priority. Arguments for the secondary nature of the plural include: First, the significant divergence of Luke 6:44b makes harmonization to the singular in so many diverse witnesses improbable. Second, as noted by Meyer (p. 161), the plural σταφυλὰς could have naturally arisen as a transcriptional conformity to the preceding plural verb συλλέγουσιν (‘they gather’) and the coordinate plural noun σῦκα (‘figs’). Third, transcriptional considerations suggest a possible original loss of the singular ending -ην in an early Egyptian archetype due to homoeoteleuton with the following particle ἢ (η…η). Finally, the occurrence of the same alteration (σταφυλας for σταφυλην) in Luke 6:44 in some witnesses (L, Ψ, f¹³, it-c.e, sy, co, go) indicates a broader tendency for this change, especially in versions where the plural might have passed from a vernacular version into the Greek column.
Lexical notes (KITTEL, BDAG):
- σταφυλὴ (singular, feminine noun): BDAG defines σταφυλὴ as “a grape, a bunch of grapes, grapes.” In its singular form, it can refer to an individual grape, or collectively to the fruit of the vine. In Matthew 7:16b, the singular can be understood as ‘a single grape’ or generically as ‘grape produce’. The contextual usage here implies the fruit that is characteristic of a grapevine.
- KITTEL (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol. 7, pp. 605-611) provides a comprehensive theological and linguistic analysis of σταφυλὴ. It highlights the term’s use in both literal and metaphorical senses in the LXX and NT, often associated with fruitfulness, blessing, or divine judgment. In the context of Matthew 7:16b, part of the Sermon on the Mount, the term contributes to the metaphor of discerning true character by its fruits, emphasizing the impossibility of good fruit (grapes) originating from a bad source (thorn bushes). The choice between singular and plural does not fundamentally alter the symbolic meaning of the fruit itself but subtly nuances the grammatical representation of its gathering.
Translation Variants
The primary grammatical variation in Matthew 7:16b rests on the number of the noun σταφυλὴ (grape), whether singular (σταφυλὴν) or plural (σταφυλὰς). Both are in the accusative case, functioning as the direct object of the verb συλλέγουσιν (“they gather”).
- Grammatical Analysis:
The singular σταφυλὴν (accusative feminine singular) implies either a single grape or a generic, collective sense of ‘grape-fruit.’ The plural σταφυλὰς (accusative feminine plural) explicitly refers to multiple grapes. The verb συλλέγουσιν (present active indicative, 3rd person plural) agrees naturally with either a singular or plural direct object, depending on the intended nuance of the gathering activity. The grammatical parallelism with σῦκα (figs, plural) in the coordinate clause provides a point of comparison; a plural σταφυλὰς would create perfect grammatical symmetry (plural fruit gathered from one plant, plural fruit gathered from another). However, as argued in the textual criticism, this symmetry may be secondary.
- Rhetorical Analysis:
The rhetorical force of the statement “Do people gather a grape from thorn bushes…?” (with the singular σταφυλὴν) emphasizes the absolute impossibility of obtaining even a single unit of the expected fruit from the wrong source. This amplifies the rhetorical question, making the impossibility stark and undeniable. The focus is on the *kind* of fruit, not the quantity. In contrast, if the plural σταφυλὰς were original, the question would be “Do people gather grapes from thorn bushes…?”, which also conveys impossibility but perhaps with a slightly less emphatic focus on the individual unit. The singular, therefore, might be seen as rhetorically stronger in conveying the categorical nature of Jesus’ teaching about identifying people by their character (fruits).
Conclusions and Translation Suggestions
Based on the overwhelming manuscript evidence, transcriptional probabilities, and internal contextual considerations (including the divergence from the Lucan parallel and plausible explanations for the plural reading as a secondary development), the singular reading σταφυλὴν in Matthew 7:16b is decisively favored as the original text. The arguments for the plural σταφυλὰς being a harmonization to the plural verb and coordinate noun, or a result of homoeoteleuton, are compelling.
Below are three translation suggestions that reflect this conclusion, with slight variations in nuance:
- “Do people gather a grape from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?” This translation maintains the singular noun, emphasizing the impossibility of gathering even a single unit of fruit, highlighting the categorical nature of the statement.
- “Are grapes ever gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?” This renders σταφυλὴν with a collective sense, making it plural in English to sound more natural while still adhering to the singular Greek, implying ‘grape produce’ generally.
- “Surely you don’t pick grapes from thorn bushes, do you, or figs from thistles?” This offers a more idiomatic English rendering, employing a rhetorical question structure that better captures the dismissive tone of the Greek μήτι, and uses a natural-sounding plural ‘grapes’ for the general concept of the fruit.
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