Matthew 24:29-35 - Revision of the Textus Receptus

The gospel according to Matthew

Chapter 24

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29. ευθεως δε μετα την θλιψιν των ημερων εκεινων ο ηλιος σκοτισθησεται και η σεληνη ου δωσει το φεγγος αυτης και οι αστερες πεσουνται απο του ουρανου και αι δυναμεις των ουρανων σαλευθησονται “And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken;

30. και τοτε φανησεται το σημειον του υιου του ανθρωπου εν τω[1] ουρανω και τοτε κοψονται πασαι αι φυλαι της γης και οψονται τον υιον του ανθρωπου ερχομενον επι των νεφελων του ουρανου μετα δυναμεως και δοξης πολλης and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

31. και αποστελει τους αγγελους αυτου μετα σαλπιγγος φωνης μεγαλης και επισυναξουσιν τους εκλεκτους αυτου εκ των τεσσαρων ανεμων απ ακρων ουρανων εως [2] ακρων αυτων And he will send out his angels with a great sound[3] of a trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

32. απο δε της συκης μαθετε την παραβολην οταν ηδη ο κλαδος αυτης γενηται απαλος και τα φυλλα εκφυη γινωσκετε οτι εγγυς το θερος “Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has now become tender and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near.

33. ουτως και υμεις οταν ιδητε παντα ταυτα γινωσκετε οτι εγγυς εστιν επι θυραις So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, at the doors.

34. αμην λεγω υμιν [4] ου μη παρελθη η γενεα αυτη εως αν παντα ταυτα γενηται Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.

35. ο ουρανος και η γη παρελευσονται[5] οι δε λογοι μου ου μη παρελθωσιν Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

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[1] NA-Text omits the definite article before “heaven” in Greek.

[2] NA-Text adds in brackets the definite article “των” before “ακρων αυτων”.

[3] NA-Text omits “sound”, which is most likely the result of a scribal error caused by visual homoeoteleuton (φωνης μεγαλης, thus missing sound).

[4] NA-Text and VgSt add “οτι” (Latin: “quia”). The omission is supported by codices א, W, 0133, the Byzantine minuscules, the Diatessaron, Chrysostom and Theophylact. The inclusion is supported by codices B, D, L, Θ, both family of manuscripts ƒ¹ and ƒ¹³, minuscules 33, 700, 892, 1010 and 1424 and Jerome. The only difference between the verse here in Matthew and the first ten words of the parallel passage in Mark 13:30 is exactly the addition of “οτι”, which makes the addition here by harmonization with the parallel passage probable. Besides, Matthew uses the structure “Truly I say to you” plus the emphatic negation “ου μη” followed by a verb other three times (Matt. 10:23, 10:42 and 24:2) in his gospel and, in no instance, he added “οτι” before the negation, which is another element pointing to a possible contamination of a foreign element imported into text. Therefore, it is not safe to add “οτι” into this verse.

[5] NA-Text reads “παρελευσεται” (singular instead of plural).

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Notes:

1. Text in red letters are places where the original reading in the Textus Receptus has been revised and corrected;

2. The English translation used as a reference is the WEB brought to conformity as literal as possible to the Textus Receptus. The end product though is not the WEB or a revised WEB and it should not be called WEB. The content of this post is freely available to everyone and it is not supposed to be copyrighted;

3. TR: Textus Receptus. This text is not copyrighted;

4. NA-Text: Nestle-Aland text commonly known as critical text;

5. M-Text: Majority Text;

6. VgSt: Vulgate of Stuttgart;  

7. WPF³⁵: Wilbur Pickering-family 35;

8. PT: Patriarchal Text, also known as Patriarchal Greek New Testament, published by the ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

9. The creator of the variant apparatus available in the VarApp kindly gave me permission to freely use the information contained in the material he put together.

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To God all the glory for the preservation of the scriptures! He reigns!