Sir Richard C. Jebb, Commentary on Sophocles: Oedipus at Colonus

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The contrast with παθόντες, and the impossibility (as I think) of justifying ἐξηρπασμένοι, confirm F. W. Schmidt's ἐξειργασμένοι. Since E also represented H in the older Ionic alphabet, the origin of the vulgate is at once explained if it is supposed that in “ΕΞΕΡΓΑΣΜΕΝΟΙ” the “Γ” became “Π”,—one of the slightest and easiest of all errors in uncial writing.

ἐξηρπασμένοι must be explained in one of two ways. 1. “"The captured ones are speeding."” Here (a) σπεύδουσιν is most strange as=“"are being carried off"”: it should imply eagerness. (b) The masc. plur. is strangely used when two girls are definitely meant. It is different when a woman, speaking of herself in the plur., uses the masc. (El. 399),— when the masc. sing. is used by the leader of a female Chorus (Eur. Hipp. 1105),—or when the masc. sing. is used in an abstract statement, though with allusion to a woman (El. 145). 2. “"The captors are hurrying away."” There is no other instance of “ἥρπασμαι”, simple or in comp., as a perf. middle, while the pass. use is common. This may be an accident, for there are several instances of perfect forms which can be either passive or middle,—e.g. “εἴργασμαι, τετιμώρημαι” (pass. in Thuc. 7.77, midd. in Antiph. Tetr. 3. β. § 8), “μεμίμημαι” (pass. in Her. 2.78, midd. ib. 169 etc.). But it is a fact which increases the difficulty of assuming a middle sense here.