Luke 3:1-22 - Revision of the Textus Receptus

The gospel according to Luke

Chapter 3

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1. εν ετει δε πεντεκαιδεκατω της ηγεμονιας τιβεριου καισαρος ηγεμονευοντος ποντιου πιλατου της ιουδαιας και τετραρχουντος[1] της γαλιλαιας ηρωδου φιλιππου δε του αδελφου αυτου τετραρχουντος της ιτουραιας και τραχωνιτιδος χωρας και λυσανιου της αβιληνης τετραρχουντος Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

2. επι αρχιερεως[2] αννα και καιαφα εγενετο ρημα θεου επι ιωαννην τον [3] ζαχαριου υιον εν τη ερημω during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zachariah, in the wilderness.

3. και ηλθεν εις πασαν την[4] περιχωρον του ιορδανου κηρυσσων βαπτισμα μετανοιας εις αφεσιν αμαρτιων And he came into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

4. ως γεγραπται εν βιβλω λογων ησαιου του προφητου λεγοντος φωνη βοωντος εν τη ερημω ετοιμασατε την οδον κυριου ευθειας ποιειτε τας τριβους αυτου As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying[5] “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

5. πασα φαραγξ πληρωθησεται και παν ορος και βουνος ταπεινωθησεται και εσται τα σκολια εις ευθειαν και αι τραχειαι εις οδους λειας Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low. And the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth.

6. και οψεται πασα σαρξ το σωτηριον του θεου And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

7. ελεγεν ουν τοις εκπορευομενοις οχλοις βαπτισθηναι υπ αυτου γεννηματα εχιδνων τις υπεδειξεν υμιν φυγειν απο της μελλουσης οργης Then he said to the multitudes who went out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8. ποιησατε ουν καρπους αξιους της μετανοιας και μη αρξησθε λεγειν εν εαυτοις πατερα εχομεν τον αβρααμ λεγω γαρ υμιν οτι δυναται ο θεος εκ των λιθων τουτων εγειραι τεκνα τω αβρααμ Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say among yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father;’ for I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

9. ηδη δε και η αξινη προς την ριζαν των δενδρων κειται παν ουν δενδρον μη ποιουν καρπον καλον εκκοπτεται και εις πυρ βαλλεται Even now the ax also is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

10. και επηρωτων αυτον οι οχλοι λεγοντες τι ουν ποιησωμεν[6] And the multitudes asked him, saying, “What shall we do then?”

11. αποκριθεις δε λεγει[7] αυτοις ο εχων δυο χιτωνας μεταδοτω τω μη εχοντι και ο εχων βρωματα ομοιως ποιειτω And answering, he said to them, “He who has two coats, let him give to him who has none. And he who has food, let him do likewise.”

12. ηλθον δε και τελωναι βαπτισθηναι και ειπον[8] προς αυτον διδασκαλε τι ποιησωμεν[9] Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

13. ο δε ειπεν προς αυτους μηδεν πλεον παρα το διατεταγμενον υμιν πρασσετε And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”

14. επηρωτων δε αυτον και στρατευομενοι λεγοντες και ημεις τι ποιησωμεν[10] και ειπεν προς αυτους[11] μηδενα διασεισητε μηδε συκοφαντησητε και αρκεισθε τοις οψωνιοις υμων And the soldiers also asked him, saying, “And what shall we do? And he said to them, “Do violence to no one, nor accuse falsely. And be content with your wages.”

15. προσδοκωντος δε του λαου και διαλογιζομενων παντων εν ταις καρδιαις αυτων περι του ιωαννου μηποτε αυτος ειη ο χριστος And as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ,

16. απεκρινατο ο ιωαννης απασιν[12] λεγων εγω μεν υδατι βαπτιζω υμας ερχεται δε ο ισχυροτερος μου ου ουκ ειμι ικανος λυσαι τον ιμαντα των υποδηματων αυτου αυτος υμας βαπτισει εν πνευματι αγιω και πυρι John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to loosen. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

17. ου το πτυον εν τη χειρι αυτου και διακαθαριει[13] την αλωνα αυτου και συναξει[14] τον σιτον εις την αποθηκην αυτου το δε αχυρον κατακαυσει πυρι ασβεστω His winnowing fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing floor, and gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

18. πολλα μεν ουν και ετερα παρακαλων ευηγγελιζετο τον λαον Then with many other exhortations he proclaimed the gospel to the people,

19. ο δε ηρωδης ο τετραρχης[15] ελεγχομενος υπ αυτου περι ηρωδιαδος της γυναικος του αδελφου αυτου και περι παντων ων εποιησεν πονηρων ο ηρωδης but Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him concerning Herodias, the wife of his brother [16], and for all the evil things which Herod had done,

20. προσεθηκεν και τουτο επι πασιν και[17] κατεκλεισεν τον ιωαννην εν τη[18] φυλακη added this also to them all, that he shut up John in prison.

21. εγενετο δε εν τω βαπτισθηναι απαντα τον λαον και ιησου βαπτισθεντος και προσευχομενου ανεωχθηναι τον ουρανον Now when all the people were baptized, it happened that Jesus was also baptized. And while he was praying, the heaven was opened,

22. και καταβηναι το πνευμα το αγιον σωματικω ειδει ωσει[19] περιστεραν επ αυτον και φωνην εξ ουρανου γενεσθαι λεγουσαν συ ει ο υιος μου ο αγαπητος εν σοι ευδοκησα[20] and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, saying[21] “You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased.”

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[1] NA-Text reads “τετρααρχουντος” (three times in the verse). Same word, different spelling.

[2] NA-Text, WPF³⁵, PT and M-Text read “επι αρχιερεως” and render “during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas” instead of “while Annas and Caiaphas were high priests”, which is supported by codices א, B, D, Θ and the Byzantine manuscripts. The TR is supported by Theophylact. The Greek text and the translation have been corrected following the NA-Text and the M-Text.

[3] NA-Text, WPF³⁵, PT and M-Text omit the definite article “του”. This omission is supported by codices א, B, D, the Byzantine manuscripts and Origen (Commentary on the gospel of John, Book 6:14). The TR is supported by codex Θ and Theophylact. The article has been omitted following the NA-text and the M-Text.

[4] NA-Text brackets the definite article “την”.

[5] NA-Text and Vg-St omit “saying”. This omission is supported by codices א, B and D. The inclusion of this word is supported by codex Θ, the Byzantine manuscripts and Theophlact. Possible harmonization with the parallel passage in Matt. 3:3 can explain the inclusion of the word or removal by harmonization to the parallel passage in Mark 1:2-3. Also, this word could have been removed for being considered superfluous that can be even silent in a context like this. It is not prudent then to remove this word from the Greek text.

[6] NA-Text and M-Text (Hodges-Farstad text only) read “ποιησωμεν” (aorist subjunctive instead of future indicative), which is supported by codices א, A, B, D, Θ and part of the Byzantine manuscripts. The future tense is supported by part of the Byzantine manuscripts and Theophylact. The aorist tense is evidently original. The text has then been corrected following the NA-Text.

[7] NA-Text and Vg-St read “ελεγεν” (imperfect instead of present, Latin equivalent: “dicebat”), which is supported by codices א, B, C*, L, N, both families of manuscripts ƒ¹ and ƒ¹³, minuscules 33, 579, 700, 892 and 1241. The present tense is supported by codices A, C², D, Θ, Ψ, the Byzantine manuscripts and Theophylact. Both are well supported.

[8] NA-Text reads “ειπαν”. Same verbal tense spelled differently.

[9] NA-Text and M-Text (HF) read “ποιησωμεν” (aorist subjunctive instead of future indicative). See footnote in verse 10.

[10] NA-Text and M-Text (HF) read “ποιησωμεν” (aorist subjunctive instead of future indicative). See footnote in verse 10.

[11] NA-Text and Vg-St read “αυτοις” (Latin equivalent: “illis”) by omitting the preposition “προς” that would read “ad” in Latin. This omission is supported papyrus 4vid, codices B, C*, D, L, Θ, Ξ, minuscules 1, 33, 700, 892 and 2542. The inclusion is supported by codices א, A, C, W, Ψ, family of manuscripts ƒ¹³, the Byzantine manuscripts and the Harklean Syriac version. Both are well supported.

[12] NA-Text reads “πασιν”

[13] NA-Text reads “διακαθαραι” (aorist infinitive) instead of “και διακαθαριει” (future indicative) and renders “thoroughly to cleanse”. The evidence reveals that this is a local adjustment of the text that took place in one location in Egypt. Scribes noticed it and corrected codex Sinaiticus in the 600’s. Irenaeus in the 100’s supports the Byzantine reading (Against heresies, 1:3:5) along with majuscules of all text-types.

[14] NA-Text reads “συναγαγειν”. This is part of the same local adjustment mentioned in the previous footnote.

[15] NA-Text reads “τετρααρχης”. Same word, different spelling.

[16] NA-Text, Vg-St, PT, WPF³⁵ and M-Text omit the proper noun “Philip”. The omission is supported by codices א, B, D, Θ, the Byzantine manuscripts and Theophylact. The inclusion is supported by codices A, C, K, W, Ψ, family of manuscripts ƒ¹, minuscules 33, 565, 579, 1424 and 2542, the Peshitta, the Harklean Syriac, the Bohairic Coptic version and some manuscripts of the Sahidic Coptic version and the Diatessaron. The external evidence against the inclusion of this proper noun is very strong and robust. This proper name may have been imported from Matthew 14:3 or Mark 6:17. The proper name has been removed, following the NA-Text and the M-Text.

[17] NA-Text brackets “και”, which was probably missed due to a scribal error caused by visual homoeoarcton (και κατεκλεισεν, thus missing “and”). A scribe noticed the error in codex Sinaiticus and corrected it in the 600’s.

[18] NA-Text omits the definite article “τη”.

[19] NA-Text reads “ως”. These two adverbs are interchangeable.

[20] NA-Text, PT, WPF³⁵ and M-Text read “ευδοκησα”. This spelling is supported by papyrus 4, codices א, A, B, E, G, H, K, L, N, W, X, Δ, Θ, Π, Ψ, 070, 0233, both families of manuscripts ƒ¹ and ƒ¹³, minuscules 28, 33, 157, 180, 205, 565, 579, 597, 700, 892, 1006, 1009, 1010, 1071, 1079, 1195, 1216, 1230, 1241, 1242, 1243, 1253, 1292, 1342, 1344, 1365, 1424, 1505, 1546, 1574, 1646, 2148 and the Byzantine manuscripts. The TR is supported by Theophylact. The Greek text has been corrected following the NA-Text and the M-Text.

[21] NA-Text and Vg-St omit “saying”, which is supported by codices א, B and D. The inclusion is supported by codex Θ, the Byzantine manuscripts, the Diatessaron and Theophylact. The omission may have been caused by harmonization to the parallel passage in Mark 1:11 or the inclusion to Matthew 3:17. This is not a safe correction to the received text on external or internal grounds.

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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. Vg-St: 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!