Matthew 26:26-35 - Revision of the Textus Receptus

The gospel according to Matthew

Chapter 26

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26. εσθιοντων δε αυτων λαβων ο ιησους τον[1] αρτον και ευλογησας εκλασεν και εδιδου[2] τοις μαθηταις και ειπεν λαβετε φαγετε τουτο εστιν το σωμα μου And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed[3] and broke it. And he gave to the disciples and[4] said, “Take, eat; this is my body.”

27. και λαβων το[5] ποτηριον και ευχαριστησας εδωκεν αυτοις λεγων πιετε εξ αυτου παντες And he took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you,

28. τουτο γαρ εστιν το αιμα μου το[6] της καινης[7] διαθηκης το περι πολλων εκχυνομενον[8] εις αφεσιν αμαρτιων for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.

29. λεγω δε υμιν οτι[10] ου μη πιω απ αρτι εκ τουτου του γενηματος[9] της αμπελου εως της ημερας εκεινης οταν αυτο πινω μεθ υμων καινον εν τη βασιλεια του πατρος μου But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in the kingdom of my Father.”

30. και υμνησαντες εξηλθον εις το ορος των ελαιων And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

31. τοτε λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους παντες υμεις σκανδαλισθησεσθε εν εμοι εν τη νυκτι ταυτη γεγραπται γαρ παταξω τον ποιμενα και διασκορπισθησεται[11] τα προβατα της ποιμνης Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will fall away because of me this night, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

32. μετα δε το εγερθηναι με προαξω υμας εις την γαλιλαιαν But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee.”

33. αποκριθεις δε ο πετρος ειπεν αυτω ει [12] παντες σκανδαλισθησονται εν σοι εγω [13] ουδεποτε σκανδαλισθησομαι But answering, Peter said to him, “Even if all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.”

34. εφη αυτω ο ιησους αμην λεγω σοι οτι εν ταυτη τη νυκτι πριν αλεκτορα φωνησαι τρις απαρνηση με Jesus said to him, “Truly I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

35. λεγει αυτω ο πετρος καν δεη με συν σοι αποθανειν ου μη σε απαρνησομαι[14] ομοιως και παντες οι μαθηται ειπον[15] Peter said to him, “Even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you!” And[16] all the disciples said the same.

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[1] NA-Text omits the definite article before “bread”, which is possibly a harmonization with the parallel passage in Mark 14:22 that also lacks the article.

[2] NA-Text reads “δους” (second aorist instead of imperfect).

[3] M-Text reads “gave thanks” (Gr.: “ευχαριστησας”) instead of “blessed” (Gr.: “ευλογησας”). The majority text is supported by codices A, K, W, Γ, Δ, both families of manuscripts ƒ¹ and ƒ¹³, minuscules 28, 565, 1010 and 1241, the Byzantine minuscules, the Harklean Syriac version and Theophylact. The TR and the NA-Text are supported by papyrus 37^vid, papyrus 45,  codices א, B, C, D, L, Z, Θ, 074, 0160, minuscules 33, 700 and 892, the Syriac Sinaiticus, the Peshitta, a marginal note on the Harklean Syriac version, the Coptic versions and Jerome. WPF³⁵ captures a stream within the Byzantine text whose reading is the Alexandrian “blessed”. In the parallel passage in Mark, Jesus “blesses” the bread (Mk 14:22) and “gives thanks” for the cup (Mk 14:23). In Luke, he gives thanks for the bread (Lk 22:19) and we are not told if he “blessed” or “gave thanks” for the cup. The majority text may be showing a scribal harmonization by importing the verb “ευχαριστησας” from verse 27 into 26. Or “blessed” in the Alexandrian text maybe an adjustment to the sequence of “blessing” and then “giving thanks” in Mark. The Alexandrian “blessed” is more widespread and so has been preferred in the main text.

[4] NA-Text omits “and”.

[5] NA-Text omits the definite article before “cup”, thus rendering “a cup”.

[6] NA-Text omits “το”

[7] NA-Text omits “new”, which is probably due to a scribal error caused by homoeoteleuton (καινης διαθηκης, thus missing “new”)

[8] NA-Text reads “εκχυννομενον”, same verbal tense spelled differently.

[9] NA-Text and WPF³⁵ read “γενηματος”, same word spelled differently, which is support by codices א, B, D, Θ and part of the Byzantine manuscripts. The TR is supported by part of the Byzantine manuscripts and Theophylact. The spelling has been corrected following the NA-Text.

[10] NA-Text and Vg-St omit “οτι”. The omission is supported by papyrus 45, codices א, B, D, Z, Θ, both families of manuscripts ƒ¹ and ƒ¹³, minuscules 33 and 892* and the Diatessaron. The inclusion is supported by codices A, C, L, W, 074, the Byzantine manuscripts and Theophylact. The Alexandrian reading is well supported, but the omission could be the product of a scribal error caused by visual homoeoarcton (οτι ου, thus missing “that”). This is a strong variant though

[11] NA-Text and VgSt read “διασκορπισθησονται” (plural instead of singular, Latin equivalent: “dispengentur”). The plural is supported by Papyrus 53, codices א, A, B, C, L, 047, 067, (074), family of manuscripts ƒ¹³, minuscules 33, 700, 892, 1010 and 1241. The singular form is supported by Papyri 37, 45, codices D, K, W, Γ, Θ, family of manuscripts ƒ¹, minuscules 28, 565, 1424 and the Byzantine minuscules, Chrysostom and Theophylact. The plural form of this verb is possibly a scribal adjustment to go with the plural of sheep in the Alexandrian text. The same adjustment is found in the Alexandrian text in the parallel passage in Mark 14:27.

[12] NA-Text and M-Text omit “και”, which is omitted by codices א*, B, D, Θ and the Byzantine minuscules. The inclusion is supported by codex א^c and Chrysostom. This particle has then been removed from the text.

[13] M-Text adds “δε”, which is omitted by codices א, B, D, Θ and Chrysostom. The latter replaces this conjunction by “αλλ” and places it before “εγω”. The Greek text does not need correction. 

[14] M-Text reads “απαρνησωμαι” (aorist subjunctive instead of future indicative). The future is supported by codices א, B, D, Θ, Chrysostom and part of the Byzantine minuscules. The subjunctive is supported by part of the byzantine minuscules and Theophylact. The future is more widespread and earlier. So, the text stands without need of correction.

[15] NA-Text reads “ειπαν”, same verbal tense spelled differently.

[16] M-Text adds “And” (Gr.: “δε”), thus rendering "And all the disciples also said the same". The omission is supported by codices א, B, C, D, L, 067^vid, minuscule 33, the Syriac versions and the middle Ӕgyptian Coptic. The Bohairic Coptic version is divided. The addition is supported by codices A, W, Θ, 074, 0160^vid, both families of manuscripts ƒ¹ and ƒ¹³, the Byzantine minuscules, the old Latin codex it^q and some manuscripts of the Sahidic Coptic version and Theophylact. Even though the parallel passage adds the conjunction, harmonization is less likely for the reading is different in Mark 14:31. Both readings are well supported.

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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!