Matthew 26:36-46 - Revision of the Textus Receptus

The gospel according to Matthew

Chapter 26

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36. τοτε ερχεται μετ αυτων ο ιησους εις χωριον λεγομενον γεθσημανη[1] και λεγει τοις μαθηταις καθισατε αυτου εως ου[2] απελθων προσευξωμαι εκει Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go and pray over there.” 37. και παραλαβων τον πετρον και τους δυο υιους ζεβεδαιου ηρξατο λυπεισθαι και αδημονειν And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and distressed. 38. τοτε λεγει αυτοις περιλυπος εστιν η ψυχη μου εως θανατου μεινατε ωδε και γρηγορειτε μετ εμου Then he[3] said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with me.” 39. και προσελθων[4] μικρον επεσεν επι προσωπον αυτου προσευχομενος και λεγων πατερ μου ει δυνατον εστιν παρελθετω[5] απ εμου το ποτηριον τουτο πλην ουχ ως εγω θελω αλλ ως συ And going a little farther, he fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40. και ερχεται προς τους μαθητας και ευρισκει αυτους καθευδοντας και λεγει τω πετρω ουτως ουκ ισχυσατε μιαν ωραν γρηγορησαι μετ εμου And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with me for one hour? 41. γρηγορειτε και προσευχεσθε ινα μη εισελθητε εις πειρασμον το μεν πνευμα προθυμον η δε σαρξ ασθενης Watch and pray, that you do not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42. παλιν εκ δευτερου απελθων προσηυξατο λεγων πατερ μου ει ου δυναται τουτο παρελθειν απ εμου εαν μη αυτο πιω γενηθητω το θελημα σου Again, a second time he went away and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this [6] cannot pass away from me[7] unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43. και ελθων ευρεν[8] αυτους παλιν καθευδοντας ησαν γαρ αυτων οι οφθαλμοι βεβαρημενοι And he came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44. και αφεις αυτους απελθων παλιν προσηυξατο εκ τριτου τον αυτον λογον ειπων And, leaving them again, he went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words[9]. 45. τοτε ερχεται προς τους μαθητας αυτου και λεγει αυτοις καθευδετε το[10] λοιπον και αναπαυεσθε ιδου ηγγικεν η ωρα και ο υιος του ανθρωπου παραδιδοται εις χειρας αμαρτωλων Then he came to his[11] disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46. εγειρεσθε αγωμεν ιδου ηγγικεν ο παραδιδους με Arise, let us be going. Behold, he who betrays me is at hand.” [1] NA-Text and VgSt read “γεθσημανι” (Latin equivalent: “Gethsemani”), both here and in Mark 14:32. Codex B and D read “γεθσημανει”. Codex א and Θ support the NA-Text. Chrysostom, Theophylact and the Byzantine minuscules support the TR. There is no need for spelling correction in the Greek text. [2] NA-Text brackets “ου”. [3] M-Text adds “Jesus”, which is omitted from codices א, B, D, Θ, the Diatessaron, Jerome, Chrysostom and Theophylact. The proper name does not belong in the original text. [4] M-Text reads “προσελθων”, same verbal tense spelled differently. The omission of the sigma is supported by papyri 37 and 45, codices B, M, Π, Σc, Φ, Ω, minuscules 22, 892, 1424c, Chrysostom and Theophylact. The inclusion of the sigma is supported by papyrus 53, codices א, A, C, D, L, W, Θ, 067, 074vid, both families of manuscripts ƒ1 and ƒ13, minuscules 28, 33, 565, 700, and the Byzantine minuscules. The support for the majority text is better so its reading has been adopted in the Greek text. [5] NA-Text reads “παρελθατω”, same verbal tense spelled differently. [6] NA-Text omits “cup”. The addition by harmonization with verse 39 does not seem to be very likely for the word order is different there. Harmonization with the parallel passages in Mark 14:36 and Luke 22:42 is even less likely for the different wording in Matthew was fully preserved. Natural addition by liturgical memory is a possibility. On the other hand, there is a possibility that those two words were missed due to a parableptic error, based on a transposed order as it is found in some manuscripts that would have made those two words more prone to be skipped (το ποτηριον τουτο, thus missing “this cup”). Nevertheless, the external evidence is strong on the side of omission, which is supported by papyrus 37, codices א, A, B, C, L, W, Δc, Π*, 067, family of manuscripts ƒ1, minuscules 33, 174, 565, 1010 and 1071, 3 old Latin codices (itb, itff2 and itq), the Harklean Syriac and some manuscripts of the Sahidic Coptic version and Chrysostom. The inclusion is supported by codices D, Θ, Πc, family of manuscripts ƒ13, minuscules 28, 69, 157, 579, 700, 892 and 1424, the Byzantine minuscules, two old Latin codices (itg1 and itl), the Syriac Sinaiticus, the Peshitta, the middle Ӕgyptian and the Bohairic Coptic version, the Diatessaron, Jerome and Theophylact. This omission has not survived in the Latin or Byzantine compilations, but because early witnesses from both Byzantine and Alexandrian types do not confirm this reading, it is more prudent to remove those words from the Greek text and the translation. [7] NA-Text and Vg-St omit “from me”. The omission is supported by papyrus 37vid, codices א, B, D, L, Θ, family of manuscripts ƒ1, minuscules 33, 69, 700, 788, 892 and 1424, one old Latin codex, the Syriac Sinaiticus, the Peshitta, the Sahidic Coptic and the middle Ӕgyptian Coptic version, the Diatessaron and Jerome. The inclusion is supported by codices A, C, W, Δ, Π, 067, family of manuscripts ƒ13, minuscules 28, 157, 565, 579 and 1071, the Byzantine manuscripts, 3 old Latin codices, the Harklean Syriac, the Bohairic Coptic version, Chrysostom and Theophylact. This might be an addition to the text motivated by liturgical memory The Alexandrian text is well supported here. This is a strong variant. [8] NA-Text reads “ευρεν” (aorist instead of present), which is supported by papyrus 37, codices א, A, B, C, D, K, L, W, Δ, Θ, 067, both family of manuscripts ƒ1 and ƒ13, minuscules 33, 565, 700, 892, 1241 and 1424, the Syriac and the Coptic versions. The present is supported by codex Γ, the Byzantine minuscules and Theophylact. The verbal tense has been adjusted following the NA-Text. [9] NA-Text adds “again” a second time at the end of the verse. [10] NA-Text brackets “το”. [11] NA-Text omits “his” and renders “the disciples”.  ---- 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. --- To God all the glory for the preservation of the scriptures! He reigns!