Mark 2:18-22 - Revision of the Textus Receptus

The gospel according to Mark

Chapter 2

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18. και ησαν οι μαθηται ιωαννου και οι [1] φαρισαιοι νηστευοντες και ερχονται και λεγουσιν αυτω δια τι οι μαθηται ιωαννου και οι των φαρισαιων νηστευουσιν οι δε σοι μαθηται ου νηστευουσιν And the disciples of John and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and said to him, “Why do the disciples of John and [2] of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19. και ειπεν αυτοις ο ιησους μη δυνανται οι υιοι του νυμφωνος εν ω ο νυμφιος μετ αυτων εστιν νηστευειν οσον χρονον μετ αυτων[3] εχουσιν τον νυμφιον ου δυνανται νηστευειν And Jesus said to them, “Can the sons of the bridechamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20. ελευσονται δε ημεραι οταν απαρθη απ αυτων ο νυμφιος και τοτε νηστευσουσιν εν εκεινη τη ημερα But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day[4]. 21. ουδεις επιβλημα ρακους αγναφου επιραπτει[5] επι ιματιω παλαιω[6] ει δε μη αιρει το πληρωμα απ[7] αυτου το καινον του παλαιου και χειρον σχισμα γινεται [8] No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.   22. και ουδεις βαλλει οινον νεον εις ασκους παλαιους ει δε μη ρηξει ο οινος ο νεος τους ασκους και ο οινος εκχειται και οι ασκοι απολουνται[9] αλλα οινον νεον εις ασκους καινους βλητεον And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new[10] wine will burst[11] the skins, and the wine pours out[12], and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put[13] into new wineskins.” [1] NA-Text and VgSt omit “των”, changing the noun into the nominative “οι φαρισαιοι” (Latin equivalent: “Pharisaei”), which is supported by Papyrus 88, א, A, B, C, D, K, M, Θ, Π, family of manuscripts ƒ13, minuscules 517, 565, 1241, 1342, 1424, 1675, 2427 and 2766, the Peshitta and the Harklean Syriac. The Sahidic and Bohairic Coptic versions are divided. The genitive is supported by codices G, L, W (μαθηται των Φαρισαιων), Δ, Σ, (family of manuscripts ƒ1), minuscules 28, 33, 124, 346, 372, 579, 700, 892, 954, 2737, 2786, the Byzantine minuscules, 2 old Latin codices, a marginal note in the Harklean Syriac version, the Gothic version and Theophylact. The genitive was probably added to harmonize “the Pharisees” with “of the Pharisees” in the second part of the verse. Therefore, the text has been adjusted following the NA-text. [2] NA-Text adds “the disciples”. [3] NA-Text, WPF35 and P-Text read “μετ αυτων”, which is supported by codices א, A, B, C, Θ, family of manuscripts ƒ13, minuscules 28, (565), 892 and 2427. The TR is supported by papyrus 88, codices L and minuscule 2542. The support for the NA-Text is superior and its spelling has been adopted in the Greek text. [4] NA-Text and VgSt read “in that day” (Gr.: “εκεινη τη ημερα”, Latin equivalent: “in illa die”). The singular is supported by codices א, B, D, Θ and Bede. The Byzantine minuscules and Theophylact support the plural form. The Byzantine text is showing clear signs of harmonization with the parallel passage in Luke 5:35. The plural “days” at the beginning of the verse may have suggested to scribes that the singular form was a copyist error, which may have lead them to import “in those days” from the parallel passage in Luke. Therefore, the singular form has been adopted in the Greek text and the translation. [5] NA-Text reads “επιραπτει”. Same verbal tense, different spelling. This spelling is supported by codices א, A, B, Θ and part of the Byzantine manuscripts. The TR is supported by part of the Byzantine manuscripts and Theophylact. The spelling has been adjusted following the NA-Text. [6] NA-Text reads “ιματιον παλαιον” (accusative instead of dative). [7] NA-Text adds “απ”. The addition is supported by codices א, A, B (αφε), Σ and 074. The omission is supported by codices C, Θ, the Byzantine manuscripts and Theophylact. The preposition was possibly missed by visual homoeoarcton (απ αυτου, thus missing “απ”) and has been added to the text, following the NA-Text. [8] NA-Text and VgSt omit “And”. The omission is supported by is supported by codices א, B, D, Θ and Theophylact. The inclusion is supported by the Byzantine minuscules. The conjunction has then been removed from the text. [9] NA-Text reads “απολλυται”. Same verbal tense, different spelling. [10] NA-Text and VgSt omit “new”. The omission is supported by papyrus 88, codices א, B, C*, D, L, Θ, family of manuscripts ƒ13, minuscules 28, 565, 579, 700, 892 and 2427, the Syriac Sinaiticus, the Peshitta, the Sahidic Coptic and the Gothic versions. The inclusion of new is supported by codices A, C2, Δ, 074, 0133, family of manuscripts ƒ1, minuscules 33, 124, 346, the Byzantine minuscules, 4 old Latin codices (itc ite itf and itq), the Harklean Syriac version and Theophylact (Gr.: “ρησσει ο νεος τους ασκους”). The parallel passage in Luke 5:37 reads “ο νεος οινος”, which is a sign that there was no transference from the wording in Luke into Mark. With that out of the way, the only plausible explanation is scribal error caused by visual homoeoteleuton (οινος ο νεος, thus missing “new”). The text stands without need of correction. [11] NA-Text and Vg-St read “will burst” (Gr.: “ρηξει”, Latin equivalent: “disrumpet”). The future is supported by papyrus 88, codices א, B, C*, D, L, Θ, minuscules 565 and 892, the Syriac Sinaiticus, the Peshitta and the Sahidic Coptic. The present is supported by codices A, C2, 074, 0133, both families of manuscripts ƒ1 and ƒ13, minuscules 28, 33 and 700, the Byzantine manuscripts, 4 old Latin codices (itc, ite, itf and itq), the Harklean Syriac version, the Diatessaron and Theophylact. The support for the NA-Text is very good. Even though the parallel passage in Luke 5:37 reads this verb in the future tense, it is not safe to go against a strong support from a diversity of witnesses like this. Therefore, the Greek text has been adjusted, following the NA-Text. [12] NA-Text omits “pours out”. The collective witness of the majuscules, the minuscules and the versions is overwhelmingly against this omission, which was likely caused by visual homoeoteleuton (εκχειται και, thus missing “pour out”). [13] NA-Text omits “must be put”. The collective witness of the majuscules, the minuscules and the versions is overwhelmingly against this omission. Only 0.3% of the Greek manuscripts support the reading in the NA-Text.

 

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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!