Differences in Translations (Luke 10:1):
• Van Dyck Translation: “After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also.”
• Common Arabic Bible: “After this, the Lord Jesus chose seventy-two others.”
• Living Bible (Arabic): “After this, the Lord also appointed seventy-two others.”
• Simplified Arabic Translation: “After these events, the Lord appointed seventy-two others.”
• Catholic Translation: “After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two other disciples.”
• The Noble Gospel Translation: “After this, the Messiah appointed seventy-two others.”
• King James Version: “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also.”
• NET Bible (First Edition): “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others.”
• Revised Standard Version: “After this the Lord appointed seventy others.”
• Interlinear Arabic-Greek New Testament (prepared by Fathers Paul Feghali, Antoine Aoukar, Nehmatallah El-Khoury, and Youssef Fakhry): “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others.”
• Greek Text:
“μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἀνέδειξεν ὁ κύριος ἑτέρους ἑβδομήκοντα [δύο]”
(“seventy-two”)
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The Didascalia
The Didascalia (p. 93) states that the number of apostles was 72.
Eusebius
Eusebius, in Church History, Book 1, Chapter 12, states that the number of disciples was 70.
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Commentaries
• In a commentary on the Gospel of Luke (p. 436), it says:
“Moses went out and spoke to the people the words of the Lord and gathered seventy men of the elders of the people and placed them around the tabernacle. Then the Lord came down in the cloud and spoke to him and took of the Spirit that was upon him and gave it to the seventy elders. When the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, but they did not continue doing it. Two men had remained in the camp—one named Eldad and the other Medad—and the Spirit rested upon them as well. They were among those listed (i.e., making the number 72) (Numbers 11:24–26).
In the ancient tradition, the number was seventy plus two.
Interestingly, the same issue arises with the seventy apostles. Some manuscripts, such as the Vatican manuscript and certain Coptic and Syriac versions, state that they were seventy-two.”
• On page 437 of the same commentary:
“‘Seventy others’:
In some manuscripts, such as the Vaticanus and certain Coptic and Syriac versions, it reads seventy-two. Scholars confirm that, based on most manuscripts, the original number was seventy-two, but for ease of writing and reading, it was rounded to seventy.”
• Fr. Tadros Yacoub Malaty, in his commentary on the Gospel of Luke, states:
“Some of the Fathers, such as St. Ambrose, believe that the number of apostles was seventy-two.”
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Change of Number from 72 to 70 in Liturgical Books
In the Encyclopedia of Hymns and Rituals of the Coptic Orthodox Church by Deacon Albert Gamal Abdel-Massih (p. 787), regarding the last quarter of the Doxology of the Apostles, it states:
“Note: The last quarter of the doxology was modified to reflect the number of apostles as seventy instead of seventy-two. This change was made following a recommendation from the Liturgical Committee of the Holy Synod on June 17, 2000.”
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In Summary:
In Genesis 10, the genealogy of nations and peoples — the sons of Noah — is listed.
• In the Greek text of Genesis 10, the total is 72, which correlates with the number of Christ’s apostles in Luke 10, symbolizing the beginning of a new creation.
• However, in the Hebrew text of Genesis 10, the number is 70, as it omits Philistim and Caphtorim (Genesis 10:14).
