John 19:36-37: Passover lamb connection challenges the cut at 19:35 #22

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opened 2026-02-21 15:26:34 +00:00 by grams777 · 0 comments

grams777 commented

2026-02-21 15:26:34 +00:00

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Summary

The UPDV ends John at 19:35, treating everything after as progressive expansion. The Memra liturgical evidence challenges this by showing 19:36 (Passover lamb fulfillment) sits at a major feast-Memra intersection that is structurally integral to John's Gospel.

Current UPDV Decision

John 19:36-21:25 excluded. UPDV argues 19:35 ("he who has seen has borne witness... that you also may believe") is the natural ending.

Critical Text Status

John 19:36-37 is in ALL known manuscripts. No CT basis for exclusion. This is purely editorial.

Memra Evidence Challenging the Cut

1. Passover lamb = core Memra liturgical connection

Liturgical mapping identified 49 confirmed Memra entries in Passover readings (Exod 12-15). The Passover night is when "the Memra of YHWH passed through Egypt" (Tg. Neof. Exod 12:12). The Passover lamb whose bones are not broken (Exod 12:46) is part of this liturgical unit.

John 19:36 is the explicit textual link between Jesus's death and the Passover lamb. Removing it breaks the typology that the Memra liturgical evidence validates.

2. John's feast architecture

John explicitly marks three Passovers (2:13, 6:4, 11:55). The final section (ch. 13-19) is set entirely at Passover. If John built his Gospel around the feast calendar — and the Memra evidence shows he did — then the Passover lamb fulfillment citation at the climax is structurally essential, not an appendage.

3. Ronning's argument

Ronning (The Jewish Targums and John's Logos Theology, CH5.7.1) connects John 19:36 to the Passover lamb through Exod 12:46 and Num 9:12, noting these were the occasion for the Poem of Four Nights (Exod 12:42) where the Memra appears at all four cosmic turning points.

4. The ἵνα-chain

19:35: ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς πιστεύητε — "that you may BELIEVE" (BELIEVE IN pattern)
19:36: ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ — "that Scripture might be fulfilled"
19:37: Zech 12:10 — "they shall look on him whom they pierced"

These three ἵνα-clauses form a unit: testimony → Passover lamb → prophetic fulfillment.

5. Zechariah 12 Memra connection

19:37 quotes Zech 12:10. TgJ Zech 12:5 is a confirmed Memra entry (BELIEVE IN pattern) — same chapter. Worth deeper investigation.

Neutral Evidence

No confirmed Memra entry exists at Exod 12:46 specifically (the bone regulation). Memra entries cluster at 12:12-13, 12:23, 12:27, 12:29, 12:42 — the Passover night action passages, not the lamb preparation rules.

Questions for Further Study

Could 19:35-37 be the original ending, with 19:35 as a unit WITH 19:36-37 rather than a standalone conclusion?
Does the "progressive endings" argument (19:35 → 20:30-31 → 21:24-25) show declining Memra density? Preliminary check: 19:35 has πιστεύητε; 20:31 has πιστεύητε + ὀνόματι; 21:24-25 has neither Memra pattern. This would suggest an original Memra ending expanded by hands less attuned to the Memra theology.
19:35's third-person self-reference ("he who has seen has borne witness") is unusual for John — could 19:35 itself be editorial, with 19:36-37 being more original?

Recommendation

Reconsider the ending point. The Memra liturgical evidence supports at minimum 19:35-37 as the original ending rather than 19:35 alone. The Passover lamb reference at 19:36 is not incidental — it's the culmination of John's feast architecture.

## Summary The UPDV ends John at 19:35, treating everything after as progressive expansion. The Memra liturgical evidence challenges this by showing 19:36 (Passover lamb fulfillment) sits at a major feast-Memra intersection that is structurally integral to John's Gospel. ## Current UPDV Decision John 19:36-21:25 excluded. UPDV argues 19:35 ("he who has seen has borne witness... that you also may believe") is the natural ending. ## Critical Text Status **John 19:36-37 is in ALL known manuscripts.** No CT basis for exclusion. This is purely editorial. ## Memra Evidence Challenging the Cut ### 1. Passover lamb = core Memra liturgical connection Liturgical mapping identified 49 confirmed Memra entries in Passover readings (Exod 12-15). The Passover night is when "the Memra of YHWH passed through Egypt" (Tg. Neof. Exod 12:12). The Passover lamb whose bones are not broken (Exod 12:46) is part of this liturgical unit. John 19:36 is the explicit textual link between Jesus's death and the Passover lamb. Removing it breaks the typology that the Memra liturgical evidence validates. ### 2. John's feast architecture John explicitly marks three Passovers (2:13, 6:4, 11:55). The final section (ch. 13-19) is set entirely at Passover. If John built his Gospel around the feast calendar — and the Memra evidence shows he did — then the Passover lamb fulfillment citation at the climax is structurally essential, not an appendage. ### 3. Ronning's argument Ronning (*The Jewish Targums and John's Logos Theology*, CH5.7.1) connects John 19:36 to the Passover lamb through Exod 12:46 and Num 9:12, noting these were the occasion for the Poem of Four Nights (Exod 12:42) where the Memra appears at all four cosmic turning points. ### 4. The ἵνα-chain 19:35: ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς πιστεύητε — "that you may BELIEVE" (BELIEVE IN pattern) 19:36: ἵνα ἡ γραφὴ πληρωθῇ — "that Scripture might be fulfilled" 19:37: Zech 12:10 — "they shall look on him whom they pierced" These three ἵνα-clauses form a unit: testimony → Passover lamb → prophetic fulfillment. ### 5. Zechariah 12 Memra connection 19:37 quotes Zech 12:10. TgJ Zech 12:5 is a confirmed Memra entry (BELIEVE IN pattern) — same chapter. Worth deeper investigation. ## Neutral Evidence No confirmed Memra entry exists at Exod 12:46 specifically (the bone regulation). Memra entries cluster at 12:12-13, 12:23, 12:27, 12:29, 12:42 — the Passover night action passages, not the lamb preparation rules. ## Questions for Further Study 1. Could 19:35-37 be the original ending, with 19:35 as a unit WITH 19:36-37 rather than a standalone conclusion? 2. Does the "progressive endings" argument (19:35 → 20:30-31 → 21:24-25) show declining Memra density? Preliminary check: 19:35 has πιστεύητε; 20:31 has πιστεύητε + ὀνόματι; 21:24-25 has neither Memra pattern. This would suggest an original Memra ending expanded by hands less attuned to the Memra theology. 3. 19:35's third-person self-reference ("he who has seen has borne witness") is unusual for John — could 19:35 itself be editorial, with 19:36-37 being more original? ## Recommendation Reconsider the ending point. The Memra liturgical evidence supports at minimum 19:35-37 as the original ending rather than 19:35 alone. The Passover lamb reference at 19:36 is not incidental — it's the culmination of John's feast architecture.