Questioning the Question Mark: The Punctuation and Interpretation of Matthew 8:7

Abstract Recent scholarship debates the precise nuance of Jesus’s words in Matt 8:7. Although some translations and commentators view the words as a statement, recent translations and commentators increasingly treat the clause as a question and this seems to be the emerging consensus position. The decision on punctuation significantly affects the interpretation of the pericope. If the expression is a statement, Jesus is expressing eagerness to help the Roman centurion. If the expression is a question, Jesus is expressing refusal or reluctance (whether feigned or sincere) to assist the centurion. This article will examine evidence for these two positions. It examines interpretations of the verse in the first five centuries of the history of the church. It analyzes Matthean style to determine if the grammar and structure of the clause is more consistent with a statement or a question. It considers the literary context to discern how the original readers would have most naturally understood the construction. It compares Matthew’s account to its Lukan parallel to infer which of the two views best matches the details of both versions. Finally, it explores the punctuation of the text in ancient Greek, Latin, and Syriac manuscripts and probes the understanding of the text by ancient scribes as implied by textual variations. The article concludes that Matt 8:7 should be read as a gracious offer rather than an expression of indignance.