FH Luke’s ‘Unpicking’: Some Observations on Francis Watson’s Recent Analysis (2018) and the Extent of the Phenomenon

Abstract

The hypothetical phenomenon known as Luke’s ‘unpicking’ of some of Matthew’s Markan material has occupied the attention of synoptic problem specialists since the seminal article by F. Gerald Downing (1965). The discussion has received a number of contributions in recent years, first with an exchange between Christopher M. Tuckett and Francis Watson (both essays published in 2018) and now with a separate analysis by Eric Eve (2021). A comprehensive tabulation of the phenomenon, however, is still lacking, with the authors selectively focusing on some of the data. Eve concludes his discussion by suggesting that he has explained the phenomenon for the Farrer Hypothesis. However, Eve’s analysis does not include a number of the instances tabulated just a few years earlier by Watson. Moreover, Watson’s tabulation itself is need of an update, being unnecessarily narrow. In this article, I analyze Watson’s contribution to the discussion, developing his recognition of the phenomenon of unpicking and adjusting several aspects of his analysis. Assessment of the procedure’s difficulty does not belong to the article’s scope. Rather, this article aims to provide a comprehensive tabulation of Farrer Luke’s unpicking that can be utilized by synoptic specialists on all sides of the current discussion.