Josep Rius-Camps - Jenny Read-Heimerdinger, «The Variant Readings of the Western Text of the Acts of the Apostles (XXIV) (Acts 17:1–18:23).», Vol. 25 (2012) 119-160
In these final sequences of Part III of the Book of Acts, the second phase of Paul’s missionary journey continues through Macedonia before moving on to Greece where he spends a brief time in Athens before a more extended stay in Corinth. Despite the divine intervention in Philippi in the previous sequence, which focused attention on the evangelisation of the Gentiles, Paul fails to follow this up but reverts to his earlier practice of devoting his energy first and foremost to the Jews in the synagogues. In Athens, his wellknown attempt to speak to the Gentiles meets with little favour; it is only in Corinth, after fierce opposition from the synagogue, that Luke records more successful efforts to include the Gentiles as well as the Jews in his preaching activity.
148 Josep Rius-Camps and Jenny Read-Heimerdinger
The reading of the manuscript D05 is οικεκατωκησεν, on which two
comments are needed. First, κε stands for καί and has arisen through
itacism (see also at Lk. 3:5 [ε>αι]; Acts 4:15 [καιλευσαντεσ>κελευσαντεσ];
20:16 [καικρικι>κεκρικει]; Scrivener [p. xlvi] cites it as a harsh itacism but
finds on the whole that there are fewer itacisms in D05 than a01). Sec-
ondly, the singular verb κατῴκησεν is probably an error for κατῴκησαν,
especially in view of the plural pronoun οἵ; it could possibly be viewed
as referring to the couple as a single unit, in the same way that a singu-
lar verb is also used with Paul and Barnabas (13:46 D05; cf. 14:3b D05
[αὐτοῦ >αὐτῶν]).
The relative clause in D05 makes explicit that Aquila and Priscilla
had come to live in Greece. The force of καί before the finite verb is
adverbial, drawing attention to the coming of the couple to Achaia (cf.
the adverbial force of καί between a participle and a main verb in D05;
see Read-Heimerdinger, The Bezan Text, pp. 208–210).
The singular pronoun following the main verb προσῆλθεν refers to
Aquila, who was the object of the verb at the beginning of the sentence
before the long parenthesis (ending with εἰϛ τὴν Ἀχαΐαν). The use of the
name of Paul is not necessary for the sense, but it makes clear that he is
still the theme of the episode despite the introduction of other characters
(cf. 18:6 below); it also avoids any ambiguity as to who is the subject of
the verb after the long parenthesis (cf. Delebecque, Les deux Actes, p.
324).
18:3 (ὁμότεχνον) εἶναι B P74 a rell || om. D d.— (ἔμενεν) παρ’ αὐτοῖϛ B
P74 a rell || πρὸϛ αὐτούϛ D, apud eos d 36. 431. 453 pc.— (καὶ) ἠργάζοντο
B a* samss bo aeth || -ζετο D, operabatur d P74 a2 A E H L P Ψ 049. 056. 33.
1739 M lat syp.h samss; Chr (Aug Spec).— ἦσαν γὰρ σκηνοποιοὶ τῇ τέχνῃ
B P74 a rell || om. D d gig.
The infinitive εἶναι in B03 completes the parenthetical clause, though
it is not essential. The preposition πρόϛ in D05 expresses more precisely
than παρά the intimacy of being in the house of the couple.
The plural verb ἠργάζοντο in B03 corresponds to the final explanatory
clause, which could well be a gloss rather than an accidental omission in
D05, similar to that of 17:18 (see Critical Apparatus, ad loc.). D05, with
the singular verb, continues to view Paul as the thematic character.
18:4 διελέγετο δὲ ἐν τῇ συναγωγῇ κατὰ πᾶν (πάντα 33 | μίαν H)
σάββατον B P74 a rell || εἰσπορευόμενοϛ δὲ εἰϛ τὴν συναγωγὴν κ. πᾶν σ.
διελέγετο D, ingressus autem in synagogam per omne sabbatum disputa-
bat d h vgT.— καὶ ἐντιθεὶϛ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ κυρίου 'Ιησοῦ D, et interponens
nomen Domini Iesu d c dem gig h q w vgΘW tpl syhmg || om. B P74 a rell.