Mark 8:31-38 - Revision of the Textus Receptus

The gospel according to Mark

Chapter 8

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31. και ηρξατο διδασκειν αυτους οτι δει τον υιον του ανθρωπου πολλα παθειν και αποδοκιμασθηναι απο[1] των πρεσβυτερων και των[2] αρχιερεων και των[3] γραμματεων και αποκτανθηναι και μετα τρεις ημερας αναστηναι And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.

32. και παρρησια τον λογον ελαλει και προσλαβομενος αυτον ο πετρος ηρξατο επιτιμαν αυτω And he was speaking this word plainly. And taking him aside, Peter began to rebuke him.

33. ο δε επιστραφεις και ιδων τους μαθητας αυτου επετιμησεν τω[4] πετρω λεγων[5] υπαγε οπισω μου σατανα οτι ου φρονεις τα του θεου αλλα τα των ανθρωπων But turning around and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men.”

34. και προσκαλεσαμενος τον οχλον συν τοις μαθηταις αυτου ειπεν αυτοις οστις θελει οπισω μου ακολουθειν[6] απαρνησασθω εαυτον και αρατω τον σταυρον αυτου και ακολουθειτω μοι And calling the multitude to himself with his disciples, he said to them, “Whoever[7] wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

35. ος γαρ αν[8] θελη την ψυχην αυτου σωσαι απολεσει αυτην ος δ αν απολεση[9] την ψυχην αυτου[10] ενεκεν εμου και του ευαγγελιου [11] σωσει αυτην For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

36. τι γαρ ωφελησει[12] ανθρωπον εαν κερδηση[13] τον κοσμον ολον και ζημιωθη[14] την ψυχην αυτου For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?

37. η τι δωσει[15] ανθρωπος ανταλλαγμα της ψυχης αυτου Or what will a man give in exchange for his life?

38. ος γαρ εαν[16] επαισχυνθη με και τους εμους λογους εν τη γενεα ταυτη τη μοιχαλιδι και αμαρτωλω και ο υιος του ανθρωπου επαισχυνθησεται αυτον οταν ελθη εν τη δοξη του πατρος αυτου μετα των αγγελων των αγιων For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

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[1] NA-Text reads “υπο”. Those two prepositions can be interchangeable.

[2] NA-Text and M-Text add the definite article “των” before chief priests and scribes. The inclusion of the articles is supported by codices א, B, D, Θ and the Byzantine manuscripts. The omission is supported by Theophylact. The text has been corrected following the NA-Text and the M-text.

[3] See previous footnote.

[4] NA-Text omits the definite article “τω”.

[5] NA-Text reads “λεγει” (indicative instead of participle).

[6] NA-Text and M-text read “ακολουθειν” (follow instead of come), which is supported by codices א, A, B, C², K, L, Γ, Π, family of manuscripts ƒ¹³, minuscules 33, 579, 892, 1071, 1241, 2427 and 2542, the old Latin codices it^aur, it^c, (it^k), it^l, the Syriac versions, the Bohairic Coptic version and Theophylact. The TR is supported by papyrus 45, codices C*, D, W, Θ, 0214, family of manuscripts ƒ¹, minuscules 28 and 788, Byzantine manuscripts, the old Latin codices ita, itb, itd, itf, itff2, iti, itn and itq, the Syriac versions, part of the Sahidic Coptic version, the Gothic version, Origen and Theophylact. Codex Δ and part of the Sahidic Coptic version have a conflation between both verbs. The support for the NA-Text and the M-Text is better. The verb in the textus receptus was probably imported from Matt. 16:24. Therefore, the Greek text has been adjusted accordingly. It is better to keep “come after me” in the translation to better capture the preposition “after” from the Greek text.

[7] NA-Text and VgSt read “if anyone” (Gr.: “ει τις”, Latin equivalent: “si quis”), which is supported by codices א, B, C*, D, L, W, Δ, 0214, both families of manuscripts ƒ¹ and ƒ¹³, minuscules 28, 33, 565, 700 and 892 and a marginal note in the Harklean Syriac version. The TR is supported by codices A, C², Θ, the Byzantine manuscripts, the Harklean Syriac version and Theophylact. The Alexandrian “ει τις” is possibly the product of harmonization with Matthew 16:24 that reads word for word from “if anyone” until the end of the verse, except the verb “ακολουθειν”. This is not a safe correction to the text.

[8] NA-Text reads “εαν”.

[9] NA-Text and VgSt read “απολεσει” (future indicative instead of present subjunctive, Latin equivalent: “perdiderit”), which is supported by codices א, B and Θ. The present is supported by the Byzantine manuscripts, the Diatessaron and Theophylact. Even though the parallel passages read “απολεση” in Matthew 16:25 and Luke 9:24, “απολεσει” more resembles an error mirroring the previous “απολεσει” in the same verse. Mark invariably used a subjunctive after a “ος αν” (see Mark 3:29, 3:35, 4:25, 8:35, 8:38, 9:41, 9:42, 10:44 and 11:23). The verb here in the future tense has not come from Mark’s pen.

[10] M-Text reads “εαυτου”, which is supported by codex Θ and the Byzantine manuscripts. The TR is supported by codices א, B and Theophylact. No need of correction.

[11] NA-Text and VgSt omit “ουτος”, which is supported by papyrus 45, codices א, A, B, C*, D, K, L, M, W, X, Y, Δ, Θ, Π, family of manuscripts ƒ¹, minuscules 565, 1071, 1424 and 2427, old Latin, the Syriac versions, the Coptic versions and the Gothic version. The inclusion is supported by codex C², family of manuscripts ƒ¹³, minuscule 700, the Byzantine manuscripts and Theophylact. Evidently “ουτος” does not belong in the text and has been dropped. This is an emphasis inspired by the parallel passage in Luke 9:24.

[12] NA-Text reads “ωφελει” (present instead of future).

[13] NA-Text reads “κερδησαι” (infinitive instead of subjunctive).

[14] NA-Text reads “ζημιωθηναι” (infinitive instead of subjunctive).

[15] NA-Text reads “τι γαρ δοι” (For what should give).

[16] NA-Text and M-Text read “εαν”, which is supported by codices א, B, Θ and the Byzantine manuscripts. The TR is supported by codex D and Theophylact. This is probably a scribal adjustment based on the “ος γαρ αν” of verse 35. Therefore, the text has been corrected following the NA-Text and the M-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!