αὑτοῦ,
-ῆς,
-οῦ,
of himself, herself, itself, equivalent to
ἑαυτοῦ, which see. It is very common in the editions of the
N. T. by the Elzevirs, Griesbach, Knapp, others; but Bengel, Matthaei, Lachmann,
Tdf., Trg. have everywhere substituted
αὐτοῦ,
αὐτῷ, etc. for
αὑτοῦ,
αὑτῷ, etc. "For I have observed that the former are used almost constantly [not always then?
Grimm] not only in uncial manuscripts of the 8th, 9th, and 10th centuries, but also in many others (and not
N. T. manuscripts alone). That this is the correct mode of writing is proved also by numerous examples where the pronoun is joined to prepositions; for these last are often found written not
εφ,
αφ,
μεθ,
καθ,
ανθ, etc., but
επ,
απ,
μετ,
κατ,
αντ."
Tdf., Proleg. ad
N. T., 2nd edition, p. 26 [ed. 8, p. 126]; cf. his Proleg. ad
Sept., edition 1, p. 70 [ed. 4, p. 33 (not in edition 6)]. Bleek entertains the same opinion and sets it forth at length in his note on
Hebrews 1:3, vol. ii. 1, p. 67ff. The question is hard to decide, not only because the breathings and accents are lacking in the oldest manuscripts, but also because it often depends upon the mere preference of the writer or speaker whether he will speak in his own person, or according to the thought of the person spoken of. Certainly in the large majority of the passages in the
N. T. αὐτοῦ is correctly restored; but apparently we ought to write
δἰ αὑτοῦ (
Rec. ἑαυτοῦ [so L marginal reading T WH]),
Romans 14:14 [L text Tr
δἰ αὐτ.];
εἰς αὑτόν,
Colossians 1:20 [others,
εἰς αὐτ.];
αὐτὸς περὶ αὑτοῦ [T Tr text WH
ἑαυτοῦ),
John 9:21. Cf. Winers Grammar, 151 (143); [Buttmann, 111f (97f); Bp. Lightfoot on Col. l. c, and see especially
Hort in Westcott and Hort's Greek New Testament, Appendix, p. 144f; these editors have introduced the aspirated form into their text 'nearly twenty times'
(e. g. Matthew 6:34;
Luke 12:17, 21;
Luke 23:12;
Luke 24:12;
John 2:24;
John 13:32;
John 19:17;
John 20:10;
Acts 14:17;
Romans 1:27;
2 Corinthians 3:5;
Ephesians 2:15;
Philippians 3:21;
1 John 5:10;
Revelation 8:6; 18:7; cf. Scrivener's Greek Testament (1887) p. v. note). Tr reads
αὑτῶν in
Revelation 7:11. Cf.
Rutherford, New Phryn., p. 432].
