Few brief passages in the triple tradition will better repay study than this. Note that the three introduce their question with three different particles. Matthew and Luke omit the apparently superfluous words of Mark, χρείαν ἔσχεν, but Luke retains the αὐτὸς of Mark which Matthew has dropped. Luke adds ὄντες, perhaps in deference to Mark's οὖσιν, used in a similar phrase but different connection. He substitutes ὡς for the πῶς of Mark and Matthew. Mark and Luke both have the statement that David "gave" the bread to those that were with him, Luke adding that he "took" it. All three have in conclusion the phrase "to those with him," but each has inserted it in a different place. Matthew follows Mark more closely than does Luke, the latter transposing one or two clauses. Both Matthew and Luke have omitted the reference to Abiathar, either because they (or Luke at least) had no interest in it, or for its historical difficulty. In spite of these changes there is a most remarkable verbal agreement thruout. Except for Mark's superfluous "had need," and his reference to Abiathar, nothing can be found in either account that is not duplicated, practically word for word and almost letter for letter, in one or both of the others. Mt iv, 18-22: Περιπατὼν δὲ =παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν τῆς Γαλιλαίας εἶδεν= δύο ἀδελφούς, =Σίμωνα= τὸν λεγόμενον Πέτρον =καὶ Ἀνδρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐ=τοῦ =βάλλοντας= ἀμφίβληστρον =ἐ=ις =τὴ=ν =θάλασσ=αν· =ἦσαν γὰρ ἁλεεῖς. Καὶ= λέγει =αὐτοῖς· δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου, καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς ἁλεεῖς ἀνθρώπων=. οἱ δὲ =εὐθέως ἀφέντες τὰ δίκτυα ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ. Καὶ προβὰς= ἐκεῖθεν =εἶδεν= ἄλλους δύο ἀδελφούς, =Ἰάκωβον τὸν τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ= μετὰ Ζεβεδαίου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν =καταρτίζοντας τὰ δίκτυα= αὐτῶν· =καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αυτούς=. οἱ δὲ (=εὐθέως=) =ἀφέντες τ=ὸ =πλοῖ=ον καὶ (=τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν=) ἠκολούθησαν =αὐτῷ=. Mk i, 16-20: Καὶ παράγων =παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν τῆς Γαλιλαίας εἶδεν Σίμωνα καὶ Ἀνδρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν= Σίμωνος ἀμφι=βάλλοντας ἐ=ν =τῇ θαλάσσ=ῃ· =ἦσαν γὰρ ἁλεεῖς. καὶ= εἶπεν =αὐτοῖς· δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου, καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς= γενέσθαι =ἁλεεῖς ἀνθρώπων=. καὶ =εὐθὺς ἀφέντες τὰ δίκτυα ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ. Καὶ προβὰς= ὀλίγον =εἶδεν Ἰάκωβον τὸν τοῦ Ζεβεδαίου καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ=, καὶ αὐτοὺς =ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ καταρτίζοντας τὰ δίκτυα. καὶ= (=εὐθὺς=) =ἐκάλεσεν αὐτούς=· καὶ =ἀφέντες= (=τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν=) Ζεβεδαῖον ἐν =τ=ῷ =πλοί=ῳ μετὰ τῶν μισθωτῶν ἀπῆλθον ὀπίσω =αὐτ=οῦ.