Romans 16:7

Romans 16:7 VIouni,an {A}

On the basis of the weight of manuscript evidence the Committee was unanimous in rejecting VIouli,an (see also the next variant in ver. Romans 16:15) in favor of VIounian, but was divided as to how the latter should be accented. Some members, considering it unlikely that a woman would be among those styled “apostles,” understood the name to be masculine VIounia/n (“Junias”), thought to be a shortened form of Junianus (see Bauer-Aland, Wörterbuch, pp. 770 f.). Others, however, were impressed by the facts that (1) the female Latin name Junia occurs more than 250 times in Greek and Latin inscriptions found in Rome alone, whereas the male name Junias is unattested anywhere, and (2) when Greek manuscripts began to be accented, scribes wrote the feminine VIouni,an (“Junia”). (For recent discussions, see R. R. Schulz in Expository Times, IIC (1986—87), pp. 108— 110; J. A. Fitzmyer, Romans (Anchor Bible Commentary, 1993), pp. 737 f.; and R. S. Cervin in New Testament Studies, XL (1994), pp. 464—470.)

The “A” decision of the Committee must be understood as applicable only as to the spelling of the name VIounian, not the accentuation.