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Jesus Utterances - Aramaic or Phonetic

Introduction

4 times, Jesus says something, in the Greek New Testament.
Each time, his speech is not understood, and each time believed that he spoke Aramaic.

We'll see here that that these utterances are phonetic.
They do not have to be Aramaic.
And they could easily represent Greek.

Sources - Relevant Editions

So we will consider:

TextDateLanguageCharacter
Codex Vaticanus (B/03)c. 300–350 CEGreekEarly Alexandrian textual tradition
Codex Sinaiticus (א/01)c. 330–360 CEGreekEarly Alexandrian, with distinctive readings
Codex Bezae (D/05)c. 400–500 CEGreek and LatinWestern textual tradition, especially distinctive in Acts
Textus Receptus (TR)1516 onwardGreekPrinted edition based mainly on late Byzantine manuscripts
Nestle 19041904CEGreekCritical printed edition comparing earlier scholarly editions, substantially reflecting ancient manuscript evidence
Chronologically, Vaticanus and Sinaiticus are the oldest of these five textual witnesses and editions. Bezae comes roughly a century later. The Textus Receptus was first assembled more than a millennium after them, beginning in 1516, although its readings sometimes preserve traditions much older than its printing date. Nestle 1904, published nearly four centuries after Erasmus's first edition, is a modern critical Greek text that draws indirectly on earlier manuscript traditions through comparison of scholarly editions. Its publication date does not indicate the antiquity of its underlying readings.

What makes each manuscript or edition important?

Codex VaticanusCodex Vaticanus (B/03)Probably the strongest single manuscript of these five for reconstructing many early New Testament readings.

Its text is relatively concise, and it frequently agrees with earlier papyri. It is particularly important for the Gospels. However, it has omissions and gaps, and its original surviving text ends at Hebrews 9:13, leaving the later epistles and Revelation absent.
Codex SinaiticusCodex Sinaiticus (א/01)One of the oldest surviving nearly complete Christian Bibles and the oldest surviving complete Greek New Testament.

It contains all 27 New Testament books, followed by the Epistle of Barnabas and part of the Shepherd of Hermas. Multiple scribes and later correctors worked on it, so its original readings must be distinguished from corrections.

Its completeness makes it especially useful alongside Vaticanus.
Codex BezaeCodex Bezae (D/05)The most intriguing of these manuscripts for studying alternative early textual traditions.

It preserves Greek and Latin on facing pages, with the Gospels and much of Acts. Its version of Acts is approximately 8% longer than the usual Greek text. It contains additional narrative details, different wordings, and distinctive episodes.

Its manuscript is younger, but its underlying textual tradition is demonstrably older than the surviving codex.
Textus ReceptusTextus Receptus (TR)A family of Renaissance printed Greek New Testaments, not one ancient manuscript.

Erasmus published his first edition in 1516 using a small collection of relatively late Greek manuscripts. Subsequent editions by Stephanus, Beza, and the Elzevirs developed the printed tradition.

Its Byzantine readings are valuable witnesses to Greek textual transmission, but the edition itself has no independent claim to antiquity.
Nestle 1904Nestle 1904 - Novum Testamentum GraeceA modern critical edition of the Greek New Testament, published by Eberhard Nestle in 1904.

Rather than directly transcribing one ancient codex, Nestle constructed an editorial Greek text by comparing major existing critical editions, particularly those of Tischendorf, Westcott–Hort, and Bernhard Weiss. Where two agreed, their reading generally prevailed.

Consequently, Nestle 1904 frequently follows the Alexandrian textual tradition represented by Vaticanus and Sinaiticus, but it is not identical to either manuscript.

Its importance is that it provides a consistent, accessible Greek text reflecting nineteenth-century textual criticism. It is an editorial reconstruction, not an independent ancient witness.

For philological research, its readings should be checked against the actual manuscripts whenever a textual variant materially affects the interpretation.

Mark 14:36 - abba ho pater

Mark 14:36 varies between each codex

  • Ἀββᾶ ὁ Πατήρ (abba ho pater)

Mark 14:36 (Nestle 1904)

36 καὶ ἔλεγεν Ἀββᾶ ὁ Πατήρ, πάντα δυνατά σοι· παρένεγκε τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ· ἀλλ’ οὐ τί ἐγὼ θέλω ἀλλὰ τί σύ.

TODO: need to pull the sinaiticus, vaticanicus, bezae, textus receptus

Mark 5:41 - sabita koumi - talitha koum - taleitha koum

Mark 5:41 varies between each codex

  • θαβιτα κουμι (sabita koumi)
  • ταλιθα κουμ (talitha koum)
  • ταλειθα κουμ (taleitha koum)

Mark 5:41 - Codex Bezae (400–500 CE):
image
θαβιτα κουμι
sabita koumi
Mark 5:41 - Codex Sinaiticus:
image
ταλιθα κουμ
talitha koum
Mark 5:41 - Codex Vaticanus:
image
ταλειθα κουμ
taleitha koum

TODO: add nestle1904 and TR editions...

Mark 7:34 - ephphetha - ephphatha

Mark 7:34 varies between each codex by only 1 character: epsilon (ε) changes to alpha (α).

  • εφφεθα (ephphetha)
  • εφφαθα (ephphatha)
Mark 7:34 - Codex Bezae (400–500 CE):
image
εφφεθα
Mark 7:34 - Codex Sinaiticus:
image
εφφαθα
Mark 7:34 - Codex Vaticanus:
image
εφφαθα

TODO: add nestle1904 and TR editions...

Mark 15:34 and Matthew 27:46 - eloui eluoi lama sabachthani - others

We see a phonetic pattern in the sabachthani utterance. See sabachthani for the full analysis of these texts, showing a phonetic preservation of Greek words.

  • Codex Vaticanus (325–350 CE)
    • Mark 15:34: ελωι ελωι λαμα ζαβαφοανε (eloui eloui lama dzabaphoane)
    • Matthew 27:46: ΕΛΩΕΙ ΕΛ(ΩΕΙ) ΛΕΜΑ ϹΑΒΑΚΤΑΝΕ (elouei elouei lema sabaktane)
  • Codex Sinaiticus (330–360 CE)
    • Mark 15:34: Ελωΐ Ἐλωΐ λαμὰ σαβαχθανί (eloui eloui lama sabachthani)
    • Matthew 27:46: Ἠλί Ἠλί λαμὰ σαβαχθανί (eli eli lama sabachthani)
  • Codex Bezae (400–500 CE)
    • Mark 15:34: ηλει ηλει λαμα ζαφθανει (elei elei lama zaphthanei)
    • Matthew 27:46: ηλει ηλει λαμα σαφθανει (elei elei lama saphthanei)
  • Textus Receptus (1550CE)
    • Mark 15:34: ἐλωὶ ἐλωὶ λαμμᾶ σαβαχθανί (eloui eloui lamma sabachthani)
    • Matthew 27:46: Ἠλί Ἠλί λαμὰ σαβαχθανί (eli eli lama sabachthani)
  • Nestle 1904 (1904CE)
    • Mark 15:34: Ἐλωΐ Ἐλωΐ λαμὰ σαβαχθανί (eloui eloui lama sabachthani)
    • Matthew 27:46:
      • Ἡλί Ἡλί λεμὰ σαβαχθανί (heli heli lema sabachthani)
      • Ἡλεὶ Ἡλεὶ λεμὰ σαβαχθανεί (helei helei lema sabachthanei)

Mark 15:34 (Codex Vaticanus (325–350 CE))
ελωιελωιλαμαζαβαφοανε

ελωιελωιλαμαζαβαφοανε

elouielouilamadzabaphoane (or phthane)

with spacing:
ελωι ελωι λαμα ζαβαφοανε

eloui eloui lama dzabaphoane (or phthane)

Matthew 27:46 (Codex Vaticanus (325–350 CE))
ΕΛΩΕΙΕΛ(ΩΕΙ)ΛΕΜΑϹΑΒΑΚΤΑΝΕ

ΕΛΩΕΙΕΛ(ΩΕΙ)ΛΕΜΑϹΑΒΑΚΤΑΝΕ

ELOUEIELOUEILEMASABAKTANE

with spacing:
ΕΛΩΕΙ ΕΛ(ΩΕΙ) ΛΕΜΑ ϹΑΒΑΚΤΑΝΕ

elouei elouei lema sabaktane

Mark 15:34 Codex Sinaiticus (330–360 CE)

Mark 15:34 - Codex Sinaiticus (330–360 CE) - ΕΛΩΙΕΛΩΙΛΑΜΑΣΑΒΑΧΘΑΝΙ

ΕΛΩΙΕΛΩΙΛΑΜΑΣΑΒΑΧΘΑΝΙ

ELOUIELOUILAMASABACHTHANI

with later editorial addition of spacing + punctuation (marks):
Ελωΐ Ἐλωΐ λαμὰ σαβαχθανί

eloui eloui lama sabachthani
NOTICE: the papyrus above includes two notes: one over the kappa (a chi), and another over the tau (a theta). Indicating alternative characters (author unsure).

Matthew 27:46 Codex Sinaiticus (330–360 CE)

Matthew 27:46 - Codex Sinaiticus (330–360 CE) - ΗΛΙΗΛΙΛΑΜΑΣΑΒΑΧΘΑΝΙ

ΕΛΩΪ ΕΛΩΪ ΛΕΜΑ ϹΑΒΑΧΘΑΝΕΙ

eloui eloui lema sabachthanei

Mark 15:34 - Codex Bezae (400–500 CE)

Codex Bezae - Mark 15:34 - sabachthani

ηλει ηλει λαμα ζαφθανει

elei elei lama zaphthanei

Matthew 27:46 - Codex Bezae (400–500 CE)

Codex Bezae - Mark 27:46 - sabachthani

ηλει ηλει λαμα σαφθανει

elei elei lama saphthanei

Mark 15:34 - Stephanus Textus Receptus (1550)
Novum Testamentum Graece, ed. Desiderius Erasmus, later revised by Robert Estienne (Stephanus) and Theodore Beza. Basel / Paris / Geneva, 1516–1604.

Mark 15:34 - textus receptus (1550) - sabachthani

ΕΛΩΙΕΛΩΙΛΑΜΜΑΣΑΒΑΧΘΑΝΙ

elouielouilammasabachthani

ἐλωὶ ἐλωὶ λαμμᾶ σαβαχθανί

eloui eloui lamma sabachthani

Matthew 27:46 - Stephanus Textus Receptus (1550)
Novum Testamentum Graece, ed. Desiderius Erasmus, later revised by Robert Estienne (Stephanus) and Theodore Beza. Basel / Paris / Geneva, 1516–1604.

Matthew 27:46 - Stephanus Textus Receptus (1550)

ΗΛΙΗΛΙΛΑΜΑΣΑΒΑΧΘΑΝΙ

elielilamasabachthani

with later editorial addition of spacing + punctuation (marks):
Ἠλί Ἠλί λαμὰ σαβαχθανί

eli eli lama sabachthani

Gospel of Mark 15:34 (Greek New Testament, Nestle 1904)

Ἐλωΐ Ἐλωΐ λαμὰ σαβαχθανί

eloui eloui lama sabachthani

Gospel of Matthew 27:46 (Greek New Testament, Nestle 1904):

Ἡλί Ἡλί λεμὰ σαβαχθανί

heli heli lema sabachthani

sometimes as:
Ἡλεὶ Ἡλεὶ λεμὰ σαβαχθανεί

helei helei lema sabachthanei

NOTE: some editions choose to print it as Ἡλί ("hay-lee" rough breathing) to indicate an h- sound (“Hēli”), while others print Ἠλί ("ay-lee" smooth breathing) (“Ēli”). But those ancient sources don't decide that - they only give ΗΛΙ.

See sabachthani for the full analysis of these texts, showing a phonetic preservation of Greek words.

See Also

  • sabachthani shows a phonetic preservation of Greek words, in Mark 15:34 and Matthew 27:46.