Mark 6 : 8

Greek employs ἵνα with subjunctive (ἵνα μηδὲν αἴρωσιν) to express purpose; Latin uses ne with subjunctive (ne quid tollerent); Syriac uses ܕܠܐ with imperfect (ܕܠܐ ܢܫܩܠܘܢ ܡܕܡ). All three constructions are functionally equivalent negative purpose clauses, differing only in the syntactic apparatus native to each language.

Greek uses the conditional εἰ μή ('if not, except'); Latin employs nisi ('except'); Syriac uses ܐܠܐ ܐܢ ('but if'), a double-particle construction. All three express the same exceptive logic but through language-specific idioms for restrictive exception.

Greek μόνον and Syriac ܒܠܚܘܕ function as adverbial modifiers ('only, alone'); the Vulgate inserts a colon after tantum, creating a stronger syntactic break that separates the exception from the subsequent prohibitions. This punctuation choice reflects Latin rhetorical style but does not alter the semantic content.

Greek and Syriac list the prohibited items in the order bag–bread–money (πήραν, ἄρτον, χαλκόν / ܬܪܡܠܐ, ܠܚܡܐ, ܢܚܫܐ), while the Vulgate reverses the first two to bread–bag (panem, peram). This reordering may reflect Latin stylistic preference or harmonization with parallel Synoptic accounts (cf. Matt 10:9-10, Luke 9:3), where the sequence varies across manuscripts.

Greek specifies μὴ εἰς τὴν ζώνην χαλκόν ('nor money in the belt'), using ζώνη (belt/girdle) as the location for carrying coins. Latin mirrors this with neque in zona æs. Syriac substitutes ܒܟܝܣܝܗܘܢ ('in their purses/money-belts'), using a more explicit term for a money container. The Syriac lexeme ܟܝܣܐ is semantically closer to 'purse' than 'belt,' representing a functional equivalent rather than a direct cognate.