ANIMADVERSIONES What Does It Mean to Say That There Are Additions in Luke 7,36-50? Some scholars consider the small parable (Luke 7,41-43) to be an addition to an earlier story which is discernible now as Luke 7,36-47a; many scholars (1) consider vv. 47b-50 to be a further and final addition, to complete vv. 36- 47a (2). Certainly there are serious arguments in favour of these two positions, particularly the second. While one is willing to accept the hypotheses of these scholars, what seems to be lacking is a carry-through, an explanation of how much these additions come from outside the story. After all, ‘addition’, left to itself, can mean intrusion into what was a story already told with a theology and purpose. If one can hypothesize about additions to a text, one can also hypothesize as to the process involving these additions. It is this process that is discussed here. 1. An Earlier Sitz-im-Leben When one reads 7,36-40.44-47a, it seems possible to identify both a meaning and a Sitz-im-Leben for the story. First, we are presented with the mysterious gestures of the woman, then we are presented with a judgment of Simon based on false knowledge, and finally an interpretation of the woman’s actions which serves three purposes: 1) the woman’s actions are to be understood as those of a forgiven person; 2) the erroneous judgment, more or less a straw man to lead into Jesus’ words, is seen as that of one who truly does not know the woman or Jesus; 3) Jesus is truly a prophet, for Jesus does know the woman’s state — Jesus is, in accord with Simon’s criterion, a prophet. Given Luke’s general interest in and emphasis on Christology, one leans very much to interpreting this story as an argument that, indeed, Jesus is a prophet. In this scenario, both the woman’s actions and the monologue of Simon set up the revelation of Jesus’ identity, which then is the culmination of the verses. This is especially true when the story shows no overt interest at all in the woman’s moment of conversion and forgiveness, but only in their aftermath (3). (1) Cf. for example, J. FITZMYER, The Gospel According To Luke (AB 28; Garden City 1981) 684: “Verses 48-50 are an appendage … (see V. TAYLOR, FGT, 153)”. (2) For a discussion of these ‘additions’, with limited bibliography, cf. J. NOLLAND, Luke 1–9:20 (WBC 33a; Dallas 1989) 351. (3) The more likely interpretation of the o{ti clause (that the woman’s love now indi- cates earlier forgiveness — cf. M. ZERWICK, Graecitas Biblica (Rome 1960) 136 — indi- cates that the forgiveness occurred before the story began. “The teaching of Christ had brought her to repentance and to assured forgiveness, and this assurance had inspired her love and gratitude”, A. PLUMMER, A critical and exegetical commentary on the Gospel ac- cording to St. Luke (ICC, Edinburgh 1922) 214. On the other hand, cf. A. STÖGER, El