Philip W. Comfort on John 7:8

  

John 7:8

 

NU       ἐγὼ οὐκ ἀναβαίνω εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν ταύτην

“I am not going up to this feast”

א D it syr^,s cop^bo

nkjvmg rsv nrsv esv nasb nivmg tniv neb reb njb nab nlt hcsbmg net

 

variant/TR WH εγω ουπω αναβαινω εις την εορτην ταυτην

“I am not yet going up to this feast”

𝔓⁶⁶ 𝔓⁷⁵ B L T W Θ Ψ 070 0105 0250 f^,13 Maj syr^,h cop^sa,

kjv nkjv rsvmg nrsvmg esvmg niv tnivmg nebmg rebmg njbmg nltmg hcsb netmg

 

The NU editors selected the first reading on the basis of intrinsic probability versus documentary evidence, which strongly favors ουπω (“not yet”). Given the context of John 7, in which Jesus makes one of the above statements to his brothers and then later goes to the festival, it would make more sense if he said he was not yet going to the festival than that he was simply not going to the festival. The latter statement seems to be contradicted by his action (for 7:10 says he went to the feast). Thus, the first reading is seen to be the harder and therefore more likely original.

 

However, it should be noted that the NU reading does not necessarily present a contradiction, because the wording “I am not going up to the festival” could mean (1) “I am not going up to the festival the way you [my brothers] want me to go” (i.e., in open manifestation, proclaiming himself to be the Christ—see 7:10) or (2) “I am not going up to the festival until the Father tells me to do so”—which is implicit in the next statement: “because for me the right time has not yet come.” In fact, Jesus could not be found during the first few days of the festival (see 7:11 and 14). In 7:6 Jesus had said, ο καιρος ο εμος ουπω παρεστιν (“my time has not yet come”). This seems to indicate that Jesus knew that it was not yet time for him to go to Jerusalem and die. He awaited the Father’s command as to when he should go to Jerusalem and as to when that would be his last visit ending in crucifixion. Thus, to argue for the first reading on the basis that it is the more difficult is only superficially true. The documentary evidence, which is early and diverse, supports the variant. (Philip W. Comfort, New Testament Text and Translation Commentary: Commentary on the Variant Readings of the Ancient New Testament Manuscripts and How They Relate to the Major English Translations [Carol Stream, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008], 281)