2 Timothy 4
Before Christ Jesus who will judge the living and the dead, by his appearing and his kingdom: proclaim the word, at a good moment and at a bad. A time comes when they will not bear healthy teaching but, itching in the hearing, heap up teachers and swerve to myths. Be sober, suffer hardship, do an evangelist’s work, fully accomplish your service. Paul is already being poured out; his departure is at hand — the good contest contended, the course completed, the faith kept, the crown of righteousness laid away for that day. Come quickly: Demas loved this age and forsook him, only Luke remains; bring Mark, the cloak, the books, the parchments; beware Alexander the coppersmith. At his first defence all forsook him, but the Lord stood by him and rescued him from the lion’s mouth, and will save him into the heavenly kingdom. Greetings — Prisca and Aquila, the house of Onesiphorus, Eubulus, Pudens, Linus, Claudia. Come before winter. The Lord with your spirit; grace with you all.
Why this rendering
2Tim.4.5 Observation
Syntactic observation
Διαμαρτύρομαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, τοῦ μέλλοντος κρίνειν ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς, καὶ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ· κήρυξον τὸν λόγον, ἐπίστηθι εὐκαίρως ἀκαίρως, ἔλεγξον, ἐπιτίμησον, παρακάλεσον, ἐν πάσῃ μακροθυμίᾳ καὶ διδαχῇ. ἔσται γὰρ καιρὸς ὅτε τῆς ὑγιαινούσης διδασκαλίας οὐκ ἀνέξονται, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας ἑαυτοῖς ἐπισωρεύσουσιν διδασκάλους κνηθόμενοι τὴν ἀκοήν, καὶ ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν ἀκοὴν ἀποστρέψουσιν, ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς μύθους ἐκτραπήσονται. σὺ δὲ νῆφε ἐν πᾶσιν, κακοπάθησον, ἔργον ποίησον εὐαγγελιστοῦ, τὴν διακονίαν σου πληροφόρησον — I solemnly testify before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: proclaim the word; stand by at a good moment and at a bad; expose, rebuke, exhort, with all patience and teaching. For there will be a time when they will not bear the healthy teaching, but according to their own desires they will heap up teachers for themselves, itching in the hearing, and they will turn the hearing away from the truth, and will swerve to the myths. But you, be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully accomplish your service. ⸀Διαμαρτύρομαι ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ⸂Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ⸃ ‘I solemnly testify before God and Christ Jesus’ — the sentence of 1 Tim 5:21 (there with ‘the chosen angels’) · the Received Text ‘I therefore’ · the other order of the names · τοῦ μέλλοντος κρίνειν ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς ‘who is going to judge the living and the dead’ — the phrase of Acts 10:42 ‘judge of the living and the dead’ · ⸀καὶ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ ‘and by his appearing and his kingdom’ — two accusatives as the objects sworn by (the Received Text ‘according to’) · 1:10 ‘appearing’ · nine commands in a row (vv.2 · 5) — κήρυξον ‘proclaim’ · ἐπίστηθι ‘stand by’ (Acts 22:13 ‘stand by’ — not ‘be urgent’) · εὐκαίρως ἀκαίρως ‘at a good moment and at a bad’ (the adverb of Mark 14:11 ‘at a good moment’ and its negation — ἀκαίρως once in the New Testament · two without a conjunction) · ἔλεγξον ‘expose’ (1 Tim 5:20) · ἐπιτίμησον ‘rebuke’ (Mark 1:25) · παρακάλεσον ‘exhort’ · ἐν πάσῃ μακροθυμίᾳ καὶ διδαχῇ ‘with all patience and teaching’ — διδαχή (Rom 6:17) and v.3 διδασκαλία are both ‘teaching’ (recorded loss). ἔσται γὰρ καιρὸς ὅτε ‘For there will be a time when’ — 3:1 ‘hard times’ · τῆς ὑγιαινούσης διδασκαλίας οὐκ ἀνέξονται ‘they will not bear the healthy teaching’ — 1 Tim 1:10 ‘healthy teaching’ · 2 Thess 1:4 ‘bear’ · κατὰ τὰς ⸂ἰδίας ἐπιθυμίας⸃ ‘according to their own desires’ (the Received Text the other order) · ἐπισωρεύσουσιν διδασκάλους ‘they will heap up teachers’ — ἐπισωρεύω once in the New Testament · 3:6 σωρεύω ‘heap’ with ἐπι- · teachers heaped like goods · κνηθόμενοι τὴν ἀκοήν ‘itching in the hearing’ — κνήθομαι once · Rom 10:17 ‘hearing’ · not ‘ears’ · ἀπὸ μὲν τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν ἀκοὴν ἀποστρέψουσιν ‘they will turn the hearing away from the truth’ — Rom 11:26 ‘turn away’ (active) · the verb of 1:15 ‘turned away’ · ἐπὶ δὲ τοὺς μύθους ἐκτραπήσονται ‘and will swerve to the myths’ — 1 Tim 1:4 ‘myths’ · 1 Tim 1:6 ‘swerve’ · μέν … δέ. σὺ δὲ νῆφε ἐν πᾶσιν ‘But you, be sober in all things’ — 1 Thess 5:6 ‘be sober’ · 2:26 ‘become sober again’ · κακοπάθησον ‘suffer hardship’ — the verb of 2:9 · ἔργον ποίησον εὐαγγελιστοῦ ‘do the work of an evangelist’ — Acts 21:8 ‘evangelist’ (three places in the New Testament) · τὴν διακονίαν σου πληροφόρησον ‘fully accomplish your service’ — the verb of Luke 1:1 ‘fully accomplished’ · again at v.17 ‘the proclamation might be fully accomplished’.
Rendering options · 4
Basis Acts 12:7 · 22:13 ‘stand by’ (of persons) as fixed — ‘be urgent’ would lose the verb · beside what the text does not say (the word, as it reads).
Basis The familiar rendering.
Rejected ‘Ready’ is the site of ἑτοιμάζω; the ‘stand’ of ἐφίστημι disappears.
Basis Rom 10:17 ‘hearing’ as fixed — ‘ears’ is the site of οὖς · keeps v.4 ‘turn the hearing away’ on the same word.
Basis The site-rule of Luke 1:1 ‘things fully accomplished’ — Rom 4:21 ‘be fully assured’ is the site with a person as subject · ‘fully’ ties the two.
Lost in translation
διδαχῇ (v.2) / διδασκαλίας (v.3) — two words. ‘Teaching’ covers both.
εὐκαίρως ἀκαίρως (v.2) — a pair with no conjunction · one root negated. ‘At a good moment and at a bad’ keeps the pair, not the root.
τὴν ἀκοήν (vv.3 · 4) — ‘hearing’ twice shows the same word · itching · turned away.
ἐπισωρεύσουσιν (v.3) / 3:6 σεσωρευμένα — ‘heap up / heaped’ keep the root.
ἀποστρέψουσιν (v.4) / 1:15 ἀπεστράφησαν — active · passive. ‘Turn away / turned away’ keep one verb.
νῆφε (v.5) / 2:26 ἀνανήψωσιν — ‘be sober / become sober again’ keep the root.
Why this rendering
2Tim.4.8 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη σπένδομαι, καὶ ὁ καιρὸς τῆς ἀναλύσεώς μου ἐφέστηκεν. τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα· λοιπὸν ἀπόκειταί μοι ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος, ὃν ἀποδώσει μοι ὁ κύριος ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὁ δίκαιος κριτής, οὐ μόνον δὲ ἐμοὶ ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς ἠγαπηκόσι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ — For I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come upon me. I have contended in the good contest, I have completed the course, I have kept the faith; henceforth there is laid away for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will repay to me in that day — and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἤδη σπένδομαι ‘For I am already being poured out as a libation’ — ἐγώ expressed · the verb of Phil 2:17 ‘even if I am poured out’ (two places in the New Testament) · there conditional, here present · ὁ καιρὸς τῆς ⸂ἀναλύσεώς μου⸃ ἐφέστηκεν ‘the time of my departure has come upon me’ — ἀνάλυσις once in the New Testament · the noun of Phil 1:23 ἀναλύω ‘depart’ · not ‘death’ · the perfect of 1 Thess 5:3 ‘come upon’ · the Received Text the other order. Three perfects side by side — τὸν ⸂καλὸν ἀγῶνα⸃ ἠγώνισμαι ‘I have contended in the good contest’ — the command of 1 Tim 6:12 ‘contend in the good contest’ returns as a perfect · cognate object · the Received Text the other order · τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα ‘I have completed the course’ — Acts 20:24 ‘my course’ · Luke 2:39 ‘complete’ · τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα ‘I have kept the faith’ — 1 Tim 5:22 ‘keep’ · whether ‘the faith’ is the deposit or faithfulness is left open. λοιπόν ‘henceforth’ · ἀπόκειταί μοι ὁ τῆς δικαιοσύνης στέφανος ‘there is laid away for me the crown of righteousness’ — the verb of Col 1:5 ‘laid away in the heavens’ · 1 Cor 9:25 ‘imperishable crown’ · the genitive ‘of righteousness’ — a crown that righteousness gives or a crown that is righteousness, left open · ὃν ἀποδώσει μοι ὁ κύριος ‘which the Lord will repay to me’ — 1 Thess 5:15 ‘repay’ · one verb with v.14 ‘will repay him’ (reward and requital) · ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ‘in that day’ — 1:12·18 · ὁ δίκαιος κριτής ‘the righteous judge’ — Acts 10:42 ‘judge’ · the person of v.1 ‘going to judge’ · οὐ μόνον δὲ ἐμοὶ ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς ἠγαπηκόσι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτοῦ ‘and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing’ — perfect participle ‘have loved’ · 1:10 · 4:1 ‘appearing’ — the third in this letter.
Rendering options · 4
Basis The noun of Phil 1:23 ‘depart’ — a word for loosing and setting off · ‘death’ is the site of θάνατος.
Basis 1 Thess 5:15 ‘repay’ as fixed — ‘give’ for the crown would cut the echo with v.14 ‘will repay him’.
Basis The familiar rendering.
Rejected ‘Give’ is the site of δίδωμι and the echo disappears.
Basis A crown righteousness gives or a crown that is righteousness — unsettled · not ‘the righteous crown’ nor ‘the reward for righteousness’.
Lost in translation
ἠγώνισμαι (v.7) / 1 Tim 6:12 ἀγωνίζου — ‘have contended / contend’ show the command returning as a perfect.
ἀποδώσει (vv.8 · 14) — reward and requital on one verb. ‘Repay’ twice keeps it.
τῆς δικαιοσύνης (v.8) — the grain of the genitive. ‘Of righteousness’ leaves it open.
ἀναλύσεως (v.6) / Phil 1:23 ἀναλῦσαι — ‘departure / depart’ keep the root.
ἠγώνισμαι · τετέλεκα · τετήρηκα (v.7) — three perfects. ‘Have contended · have completed · have kept’ carry them.
σπένδομαι (v.6) / Phil 2:17 — ‘poured out as a libation’ twice shows the same verb · conditional · present.
Why this rendering
2Tim.4.15 Observation
Syntactic observation
Σπούδασον ἐλθεῖν πρός με ταχέως· Δημᾶς γάρ με ἐγκατέλιπεν ἀγαπήσας τὸν νῦν αἰῶνα, καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Θεσσαλονίκην, Κρήσκης εἰς Γαλατίαν, Τίτος εἰς Δαλματίαν· Λουκᾶς ἐστιν μόνος μετ’ ἐμοῦ. Μᾶρκον ἀναλαβὼν ἄγε μετὰ σεαυτοῦ, ἔστιν γάρ μοι εὔχρηστος εἰς διακονίαν, Τυχικὸν δὲ ἀπέστειλα εἰς Ἔφεσον. τὸν φαιλόνην, ὃν ἀπέλιπον ἐν Τρῳάδι παρὰ Κάρπῳ, ἐρχόμενος φέρε, καὶ τὰ βιβλία, μάλιστα τὰς μεμβράνας. Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ χαλκεὺς πολλά μοι κακὰ ἐνεδείξατο— ἀποδώσει αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ— ὃν καὶ σὺ φυλάσσου, λίαν γὰρ ἀντέστη τοῖς ἡμετέροις λόγοις — Be diligent to come to me quickly; for Demas forsook me, having loved the present age, and went to Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me. Take Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. And Tychicus I sent to Ephesus. The cloak that I left behind in Troas with Carpus, bring when you come, and the books, most of all the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith showed me many evil things — the Lord will repay him according to his works — and you also guard yourself against him, for he greatly withstood our words. Σπούδασον ἐλθεῖν πρός με ταχέως ‘Be diligent to come to me quickly’ — 2:15 ‘be diligent’ · Phil 2:19 ‘quickly’ · again at v.21 · Δημᾶς … με ⸀ἐγκατέλιπεν ἀγαπήσας τὸν νῦν αἰῶνα ‘Demas forsook me, having loved the present age’ — the Demas of Col 4:14 · Philemon 24 · Matt 27:46 ‘forsake’ (the Received Text an imperfect) · 1 Tim 6:17 ‘the present age’ · set against v.8 ‘who have loved his appearing’ — the same verb ἀγαπάω · Θεσσαλονίκην · Κρήσκης εἰς Γαλατίαν · Τίτος εἰς Δαλματίαν ‘Thessalonica · Crescens to Galatia · Titus to Dalmatia’ — Crescens and Dalmatia only here in the New Testament · two clauses without a verb · Λουκᾶς ἐστιν μόνος μετ’ ἐμοῦ ‘Luke alone is with me’ — Col 4:14 ‘Luke the physician’ · Μᾶρκον ἀναλαβὼν ἄγε μετὰ σεαυτοῦ ‘Take Mark and bring him with you’ — the verb of Acts 23:31 ‘took Paul’, here of a person taken along · the Mark parted from at Acts 15:38-39 — the text does not mention that · εὔχρηστος εἰς διακονίαν ‘useful for service’ — 2:21 ‘useful to the master’ · Τυχικὸν δὲ ἀπέστειλα εἰς Ἔφεσον ‘And Tychicus I sent to Ephesus’ — the Tychicus of Col 4:7 · Eph 6:21. τὸν φαιλόνην ‘the cloak’ (once in the New Testament — a different word from Matt 27:31 χλαμύς ‘mantle’ and ἱμάτιον ‘garment’) · ὃν ⸀ἀπέλιπον ἐν Τρῳάδι παρὰ Κάρπῳ ‘that I left behind in Troas with Carpus’ — ἀπολείπω ‘leave behind’ (v.20 · Titus 1 · three in Hebrews · Jude — kept apart from Acts 18:19 καταλείπω ‘leave’ · the Received Text an imperfect) · 2 Cor 2:12 Troas · Κάρπος once in the New Testament · ἐρχόμενος φέρε ‘bring when you come’ · τὰ βιβλία, μάλιστα τὰς μεμβράνας ‘the books, most of all the parchments’ — Gal 3:10 ‘book’ · μεμβράνα once (a word taken from Latin) · what was written on them the text does not say. Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ χαλκεύς ‘Alexander the coppersmith’ — whether the Alexander of 1 Tim 1:20 the text does not say · χαλκεύς once — 1 Cor 13:1 χαλκός ‘copper’ · πολλά μοι κακὰ ἐνεδείξατο ‘showed me many evil things’ — the verb of 1 Tim 1:16 ‘might show’ (middle) · 1 Tim 6:10 ‘evil things’ · ⸀ἀποδώσει αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ‘the Lord will repay him according to his works’ — the base text’s two dashes · future indicative (the Received Text an optative ‘may he repay’) · one verb with v.8 ‘will repay to me’ · ὃν καὶ σὺ φυλάσσου ‘and you also guard yourself against him’ — Luke 12:15 ‘guard yourselves’ (middle) · one verb with 1:14 ‘guard’ · λίαν γὰρ ⸀ἀντέστη τοῖς ἡμετέροις λόγοις ‘for he greatly withstood our words’ — 3:8 ‘withstand’ · the Received Text a perfect · ἡμετέροις ‘our’ — ‘our words’ only here in the letter.
Rendering options · 4
Basis The base text’s future indicative — the Received Text’s optative ‘may he repay’ reads as a curse; the base text states.
Basis The Received Text’s reading.
Rejected Not the base text’s reading.
Basis A different word from Acts 18:19 ‘leave’ (καταλείπω) — the cloak of v.13 and Trophimus of v.20 share one verb (seven places in the New Testament).
Basis A different word from Matt 27:31 χλαμύς ‘mantle’ and ἱμάτιον ‘garment’, so ‘cloak’ · the reading as a book-wrapper is recorded here.
Lost in translation
ἀγαπήσας (v.10) / ἠγαπηκόσι (v.8) — Demas who loved the age · those who have loved the appearing. ‘Loved’ keeps one verb.
ἀπέλιπον (vv.13 · 20) / Acts 18:19 κατέλιπεν — ‘leave behind / leave’ keep two words.
φυλάσσου (v.15) / 1:14 φύλαξον — guard yourself · guard. ‘Guard’ keeps one verb.
Κρήσκης εἰς Γαλατίαν, Τίτος εἰς Δαλματίαν (v.10) — two clauses without a verb. Kept verbless.
ἐνεδείξατο (v.14) / 1 Tim 1:16 ἐνδείξηται — ‘showed / might show’ keep the verb · patience · evil things.
ἐνεδείξατο— … αὐτοῦ— (v.14) — the base text’s two dashes. Kept.
Why this rendering
2Tim.4.22 Observation
Syntactic observation
Ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ μου ἀπολογίᾳ οὐδείς μοι παρεγένετο, ἀλλὰ πάντες με ἐγκατέλιπον— μὴ αὐτοῖς λογισθείη— ὁ δὲ κύριός μοι παρέστη καὶ ἐνεδυνάμωσέν με, ἵνα δι’ ἐμοῦ τὸ κήρυγμα πληροφορηθῇ καὶ ἀκούσωσιν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ ἐρρύσθην ἐκ στόματος λέοντος. ῥύσεταί με ὁ κύριος ἀπὸ παντὸς ἔργου πονηροῦ καὶ σώσει εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐπουράνιον· ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν. Ἄσπασαι Πρίσκαν καὶ Ἀκύλαν καὶ τὸν Ὀνησιφόρου οἶκον. Ἔραστος ἔμεινεν ἐν Κορίνθῳ, Τρόφιμον δὲ ἀπέλιπον ἐν Μιλήτῳ ἀσθενοῦντα. Σπούδασον πρὸ χειμῶνος ἐλθεῖν. Ἀσπάζεταί σε Εὔβουλος καὶ Πούδης καὶ Λίνος καὶ Κλαυδία καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ πάντες. Ὁ κύριος μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματός σου. ἡ χάρις μεθ’ ὑμῶν — At my first defence no one came to me, but all forsook me — may it not be reckoned to them — but the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished and all the nations might hear; and I was rescued out of the mouth of a lion. The Lord will rescue me from every evil work and will save me into his heavenly kingdom; to whom be the glory unto the ages of the ages. Amen. Greet Prisca and Aquila and the house of Onesiphorus. Erastus remained in Corinth, and Trophimus I left behind in Miletus sick. Be diligent to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, and Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you all. Ἐν τῇ πρώτῃ μου ἀπολογίᾳ ‘At my first defence’ — Acts 22:1 ‘defence’ · the first of what the text does not say · οὐδείς μοι ⸀παρεγένετο ‘no one came to me’ — the verb of 1 Cor 16:3 ‘arrive’, here of a person (the Received Text a ‘with’ form) · πάντες με ⸀ἐγκατέλιπον ‘all forsook me’ — the verb of Demas at v.10 · taking up 1:15 ‘all turned away from me’ · μὴ αὐτοῖς λογισθείη ‘may it not be reckoned to them’ — optative · the passive of Rom 4:8 ‘reckon’ · the base text’s two dashes · ὁ δὲ κύριός μοι παρέστη ‘but the Lord stood by me’ — Acts 27:23 ‘stood by me’ · set against v.16 ‘no one came’ · ἐνεδυνάμωσέν με ‘strengthened me’ — 1 Tim 1:12 ‘who strengthened me’ · the active of 2:1 ‘be strengthened’ · ἵνα δι’ ἐμοῦ τὸ κήρυγμα πληροφορηθῇ ‘so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished’ — 1 Cor 1:21 ‘proclamation’ · the passive of v.5 ‘fully accomplish your service’ · ⸀ἀκούσωσιν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ‘all the nations might hear’ (the Received Text another form) · ἐρρύσθην ἐκ στόματος λέοντος ‘I was rescued out of the mouth of a lion’ — 2 Thess 3:2 ‘be rescued’ · who the lion is the text does not say · ⸀ῥύσεταί με ὁ κύριος ἀπὸ παντὸς ἔργου πονηροῦ ‘The Lord will rescue me from every evil work’ — the future of 3:11 ‘out of them all the Lord rescued me’ · the Received Text adds ‘and’ · σώσει εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐπουράνιον ‘will save me into his heavenly kingdom’ — 1 Cor 15:40 ‘heavenly’ · v.1 ‘his kingdom’ · ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων, ἀμήν ‘to whom be the glory unto the ages of the ages. Amen’ — the shape of the doxology of 1 Tim 1:17 · the Amen is in the base text. Ἄσπασαι Πρίσκαν καὶ Ἀκύλαν ‘Greet Prisca and Aquila’ — the order of Rom 16:3 (the wife first) · τὸν Ὀνησιφόρου οἶκον ‘the house of Onesiphorus’ — taking up 1:16 · both times the house, not the man · Ἔραστος ἔμεινεν ἐν Κορίνθῳ ‘Erastus remained in Corinth’ — the Erastus of Acts 19:22 · Rom 16:23 · Τρόφιμον δὲ ⸀ἀπέλιπον ἐν Μιλήτῳ ἀσθενοῦντα ‘Trophimus I left behind in Miletus sick’ — the Trophimus of Acts 20:4 · 21:29 · Acts 20:15 Miletus · the verb of v.13 ‘left behind’ (the Received Text an imperfect) · Phil 2:26 ‘sick’ · Σπούδασον πρὸ χειμῶνος ἐλθεῖν ‘Be diligent to come before winter’ — taking up v.9 · Matt 24:20 ‘winter’ (site-rule against Acts 27:20 ‘foul weather’) · Εὔβουλος καὶ Πούδης καὶ Λίνος καὶ Κλαυδία ‘Eubulus and Pudens and Linus and Claudia’ — all four only here in the New Testament · Ὁ ⸀κύριος μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματός σου ‘The Lord be with your spirit’ — the singular form of Gal 6:18 · Phil 4:23 ‘with your spirit’ (plural) · the Received Text ‘the Lord Jesus Christ’ · ἡ χάρις μεθ’ ⸀ὑμῶν ‘Grace be with you all’ — plural as at 1 Tim 6:21 (the Received Text adds Amen) · ‘your spirit’ singular → ‘you all’ plural closes the letter.
Rendering options · 4
Basis σου (singular) → ὑμῶν (plural) — a letter to one widens to many in its last clause · the same close as 1 Tim 6:21.
Basis Levelled.
Rejected Erases the base text’s change of number.
Basis λογισθείη optative — Rom 4:8 ‘reckon’ (passive) · the grain of Luke 23:34, though the word differs (there ‘forgive’).
Basis λέων without the article — emperor, beast or death, the text does not say · ‘a lion’ keeps it indefinite.
Lost in translation
σου / ὑμῶν (v.22) — singular · plural. ‘Your spirit / you all’ carry the change.
ἐγκατέλιπον (v.16) / ἐγκατέλιπεν (v.10) / 1:15 ἀπεστράφησαν — Demas · all · Asia. ‘Forsook’ twice and ‘turned away’ keep two words.
παρεγένετο / παρέστη (vv.16-17) — no one came · the Lord stood by. ‘Came / stood by’ keep two words.
πληροφορηθῇ (v.17) / πληροφόρησον (v.5) — ‘be fully accomplished / fully accomplish’ keep the verb.
ἐρρύσθην (v.17) / ῥύσεται (v.18) / 3:11 ἐρρύσατο — ‘rescued’ three times keeps the thread · past · future.
λέοντος (v.17) — no article. ‘A lion’ keeps it.