The apparently confused identification of “Zechariah the son of Barachiah” in Matthew 23:35 is well known.*
Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah (Ζαχαρίου υἱοῦ Βαραχίου), whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. (Matt 23:34-35, ESV)
(Mention of his paternity is omitted from the parallel account in Luke.) I noticed that the ESV has a text-critical footnote, “Some manuscripts omit the son of Barachiah.” It would obviously be a big deal if there were indeed a substantial possibility that the phrase was a scribal addition. The UBS4 apparatus does not even include a variant here. The NA28 does: ⸋ ℵ* — indicating that the original Codex Sinaiticus omits the phrase. Given the complete lack of mention in UBS apparatus, I’m guessing this is not a plausible reading (ESV’s choice to footnote notwithstanding), although Sinaiticus is obviously not trivial.
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Is there a substantial possibility that this reading (omitting υἱοῦ Βαραχίου) is original?
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If it is not original, is there a good explanation for why Sinaiticus omitted it? In particular, was there early recognition of this text as problematic?
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Given the weight normally afforded to Sinaiticus (although I don’t know about the text of Matthew in particular), is there an evident reason why this variant seemed to the UBS editors so improbable as to not warrant inclusion in the apparatus?
*Somehow I can’t seem to find a question here about this. The basic problem is that Zechariah son of Barachiah most naturally refers to the 6th C. prophet (Zech 1:1) (LXX: Ζαχαριας ὁ τοῦ Βαραχιου; MT is vocalized Berekyah), but he was not, as far as tradition knows, murdered in the temple. The Zechariah of 2 Chr 24:20 was murdered in the temple, but he is called Αζαριας (Azarias) in the LXX, and the name of his father recorded by the Chronicler was Jehoiada (Ιωδαε). The relative merits of the various available solutions may be relevant for answers to this question.
Varnel Watson
I often wonder that myself Brody Pope Ricky Grimsley Roger David
Ricky Grimsley
None in my town but we are working on it. About 5 years ago i decided to leave my home church and look around my town. I visited 5 different churches for several weeks a piece. I dont remember any sermons about sin, or repentance. All about faith, relationships, and having a better life. Finally went back to the COG where at least we still preach against sin and getting saved.
Roger David
A long story made short, the church is not the church. The “assembly of the called out ones”(Ekklesia) is doing great works taking on the devil and being victorious. The people who claim to be “of the Lord”(Kuriakos-where the word church came from) are great pew warmers but are not living in the POWER of grace.
They are still in bondage to sin and as such are powerless. They still need to be called to repentance. Judgment begins at the house of the Lord.
When the gospel is preached in public Mon-Sat more than it is on Sunday and repentance is preached more than being happy, then the church will make great progress.
Alan Emeryahu Cherry
Not very many, sad to say
Ricky Grimsley
Seriously,given most people’s theology, how can they be a threat to satans kingdom. Calvinists and Arminians both have a set future either completely controlled by God or perfectly foreknown. So, what damage can they do in a system where everything happens as it was going to happen from before time began?
Roger David
Not only that but why should they seek to affect anything as things will just happen as they are foreordained anyway. Evangelism and even prayer becomes nonsensical concepts.
Tom Steele
How many of “our churches” are really an advance to Satan’s kingdom?
Ricky Grimsley
Plenty. All those guys that have joined together and joined with the pope? Its a pretty big list of well-known names.
Varnel Watson
Ricky Grimsley http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2015/07/29/pope-francis-boldly-declares-g-d-has-instructed-me-to-revise-the-ten-commandments/
Ricky Grimsley
I dont believe this actually happened but i remember perry noble did get in hot water over his ten commandment revision.
Ricky Grimsley
The pope has made many outrageous statements. I dont see how anyone can believe he leads the body of christ.