Luke 15:11-32 - Revision of the Textus Receptus

The gospel according to Luke

Chapter 15

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11. ειπεν δε ανθρωπος τις ειχεν δυο υιους And he said, “A certain man had two sons.

12. και ειπεν ο νεωτερος αυτων τω πατρι πατερ δος μοι το επιβαλλον μερος της ουσιας και[1] διειλεν αυτοις τον βιον And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your property that is coming to me.’ So he divided his livelihood between them.

13. και μετ ου πολλας ημερας συναγαγων απαντα[2] ο νεωτερος υιος απεδημησεν εις χωραν μακραν και εκει διεσκορπισεν την ουσιαν αυτου ζων ασωτως And not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled to a far country and there he squandered his property with reckless living.

14. δαπανησαντος δε αυτου παντα εγενετο λιμος ισχυρα[3] κατα την χωραν εκεινην και αυτος ηρξατο υστερεισθαι And when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he began to be in need.

15. και πορευθεις εκολληθη ενι των πολιτων της χωρας εκεινης και επεμψεν αυτον εις τους αγρους αυτου βοσκειν χοιρους And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs.

16. και επεθυμει γεμισαι την κοιλιαν αυτου απο των κερατιων ων ησθιον οι χοιροι και ουδεις εδιδου αυτω And he was longing to fill his belly[4] with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave to him.

17. εις εαυτον δε ελθων ειπεν[5] ποσοι μισθιοι του πατρος μου περισσευουσιν[6] αρτων εγω δε λιμω ωδε απολλυμαι But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have an abundance of bread, and I perish here[7] with hunger!

18. αναστας πορευσομαι προς τον πατερα μου και ερω αυτω πατερ ημαρτον εις τον ουρανον και ενωπιον σου I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.

19. ουκετι ειμι αξιος κληθηναι υιος σου ποιησον με ως ενα των μισθιων σου [8] I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants.”’

20. και αναστας ηλθεν προς τον πατερα εαυτου[9] ετι δε αυτου μακραν απεχοντος ειδεν αυτον ο πατηρ αυτου και εσπλαγχνισθη και δραμων επεπεσεν επι τον τραχηλον αυτου και κατεφιλησεν αυτον “And rising up, he came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

21. ειπεν δε αυτω ο υιος πατερ ημαρτον εις τον ουρανον και ενωπιον σου και ουκετι ειμι αξιος κληθηναι υιος σου And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. [10] I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

22. ειπεν δε ο πατηρ προς τους δουλους αυτου [ταχυ][11] εξενεγκατε [12] στολην την πρωτην και ενδυσατε αυτον και δοτε δακτυλιον εις την χειρα αυτου και υποδηματα εις τους ποδας “But the father said to his servants, ‘[Quickly] bring out the best robe and put it on him. And put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.

23. και ενεγκαντες[13] τον μοσχον τον σιτευτον θυσατε και φαγοντες ευφρανθωμεν And bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry.

24. οτι ουτος ο υιος μου νεκρος ην και ανεζησεν [14] απολωλως ην και ευρεθη και ηρξαντο ευφραινεσθαι For this son of mine was dead and is alive again, he was lost and is found.’ Then they began to be merry.

25. ην δε ο υιος αυτου ο πρεσβυτερος εν αγρω και ως ερχομενος ηγγισεν τη οικια ηκουσεν συμφωνιας και χορων “Now his elder son was in the field. And as he drew near the house, he heard music and dancing.

26. και προσκαλεσαμενος ενα των παιδων επυνθανετο τι [15] ειη ταυτα And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

27. ο δε ειπεν αυτω οτι ο αδελφος σου ηκει και εθυσεν ο πατηρ σου τον μοσχον τον σιτευτον οτι υγιαινοντα αυτον απελαβεν And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’

28. ωργισθη δε και ουκ ηθελεν εισελθειν ο ουν πατηρ αυτου εξελθων παρεκαλει αυτον But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore[16] his father came out and pleaded with him.

29. ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν τω πατρι [17] ιδου τοσαυτα ετη δουλευω σοι και ουδεποτε εντολην σου παρηλθον και εμοι ουδεποτε εδωκας εριφον ινα μετα των φιλων μου ευφρανθω But answering, he said to his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your commandment. And yet you never gave me a goat, that I might make merry with my friends.

30. οτε δε ο υιος σου ουτος ο καταφαγων σου τον βιον μετα πορνων ηλθεν εθυσας αυτω τον μοσχον τον σιτευτον[18] But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’

31. ο δε ειπεν αυτω τεκνον συ παντοτε μετ εμου ει και παντα τα εμα σα εστιν “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.

32. ευφρανθηναι δε και χαρηναι εδει οτι ο αδελφος σου ουτος νεκρος ην και ανεζησεν[19] και απολωλως [20] και ευρεθη But it was right that we should make marry and be glad, for this brother of yours was dead and is alive again, and he was lost and is found.’”

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[1] NA-Text reads “ο δε”. Same meaning.

[2] NA-Text reads “παντα”, which is likely a harmonization to the following verse.

[3] NA-Text reads “ισχυρα” (feminine instead of masculine), which is supported by papyrus 75, codices א, A, B, D, L, family of manuscripts ƒ¹, minuscules 33, 579 and 892. The masculine is supported by codices N, W, Δ, Θ, Ψ, family of manuscripts ƒ¹³, minuscules 565, 700, 1241, 1424, the Byzantine manuscripts and Theophylact. The support for the feminine is better and has been adopted in the Greek text.

[4] NA-Text reads “to be fed”.

[5] NA-Text reads “εφη” (was saying).

[6] NA-Text reads “περισσευονται” (middle voice instead of active).

[7] NA-Text and Vg-St add “here” (Gr.: “ωδε”, Latin equivalent: “hic”), which is supported by papyrus 75, codices א, B, D, L, N, Θ, Ψ, both families of manuscripts ƒ¹ and ƒ¹³, minuscules 579, 700, 892, 1241, 2542 and the old Latin codices. The omission is supported by codices A, W, the Byzantine manuscripts, some manuscripts of the Sahidic Coptic version and Theophylact. Several witnesses reverse the order of the words “here” and “hunger”, which increased the risk of scribal error caused by parablepsis (δε ωδε, thus missing “here”). Therefore, this word was put back to the Greek text following the NA-Text.

[8] NA-Text and P-Text omit “And”, which is supported by codices א, A, B, D and part of the Byzantine manuscripts. The TR is supported by codex Θ, part of the Byzantine manuscripts, the Diatessaron and Theophylact. The support for the omission is better. The inclusion of the conjunction in the Byzantine text is likely a harmonization to verse 21 where the same sentence is found with the conjunction. It has then been omitted following the NA-Text.

[9] M-Text and P-Text read “αυτου”, which is supported by codices א, D, K, L, N, P, Q, Θ, family of manuscripts ƒ¹³, minuscules 579, 1241, 1424, 2542 and the Byzantine manuscripts. The TR is supported by papyrus 75, codices A, B, W, Γ, Δ, Ψ, minuscules 1, 565, 700, 892 and Theophylact. The pronoun “εαυτου” is harder in this context and is well supported. The text remains unchanged.

[10] NA-Text and Vg-St omit “and”, which is supported by codices א, A, B and D. The inclusion is supported by codices Θ, the Byzantine manuscripts, the Diatessaron and Theophylact. The inclusion of “and” in the Alexandrian text here could be the product of harmonization to the omission in verse 19. And the vulgate of Stuttgart is not exactly supporting the Alexandrian text, once it reverses the order by omitting the conjunction here in verse 21 and adding in verse 19. Even though part of the Byzantine text has preserved the harder reading by keeping the conjunction here and omitting it in verse 19, it is hard to imagine that Luke would have failed to produce a parallel between verses 19 and 21. It is safer then to omit the conjunction here also.

[11] NA-Text and Vg-St add “ταχυ” (“quickly”, Latin equivalent: “cito”), which is supported by papyrus 75, codices א, B, D, L, X, family of manuscripts ƒ¹³, minuscules 579, 892, 1241, the old Latin codices, the Syriac Sinaiticus, the Curetonian Syriac, the Harklean Syriac*, the Bohairic Coptic version and Cyril of Alexandria. The Sahidic Coptic version is divided. The omission is supported by codices A, P, Q, R, W, Δ, Θ, Ψ, family of manuscripts ƒ¹, the Byzantine manuscripts, the Peshitta, the Diatessaron and Theophylact. It it hard to explain the presence of this word in a diversity of witnesses. On the other hand, this word may have been missed by visual homoeuteleuton (αυτου ταχυ, thus missing “quickly”). This word has then been added to the text within brackets.

[12] NA-Text omits “την”, which is supported by codices א, A, B, D*, K*, L, N, P, Q, W, Θ, Ψ and minuscule 892. The inclusion is supported by papyrus 75, codex D², both families of manuscripts ƒ¹ and ƒ¹³, the Byzantine manuscripts and Theophylact. The presence of this article is a natural addition to the text. It has been removed following the NA-Text.

[13] NA-Text reads “φερετε” (present imperative instead of aorist participle).

[14] NA-Text and Vg-St omit “και”. This omission is supported by papyrus 75, codices א*, A, B, D, L, P, Q, Θ, both families of manuscripts ƒ¹ and ƒ¹³, minuscules 579 and 1241. The omission is supported by codex (Ψ), the Byzantine manuscripts, the Syriac versions and Theophylact. The support for the omission is excellent. The addition is likely due to harmonization to verse 32. The conjunction has been removed from the text following the NA-text.

[15] NA-Text adds “αν” on a good support of a diversity of witnesses.

[16] NA-Text reads “And”.

[17] NA-Text and Vg-St add “αυτου” (Latin equivalent: “suo”) and render literally “his father” instead of “the father”, which is supported by papyrus 75, codices A, B, D, N, P, (Δ), family of manuscripts ƒ¹³, minuscule 579, the old Latin codices, the Syriac Sinaiticus, the Curetonian Syriac and the Peshitta. The omission is supported by codices א, L, W, Θ, Ψ, family of manuscripts ƒ¹, minuscule 33, the Byzantine manuscripts, the Syriac versions and Theophylact. Both are well supported, but the addition of the pronoun may be due to harmonization to verse 28. This addition to the Greek text is not safe.

[18] NA-Text reads “τον σιτευτον μοσχον”. Same meaning.

[19] NA-Text reads “εζησεν”, thus omitting “again”.

[20] NA-Text omits “ην”, which is supported by papyrus 75, codices A, B, D, L, W, Θ, Ψ, both families of manuscripts ƒ¹ and ƒ¹³, minuscules 579, 892, 2542 and the Harklean Syriac version. The inclusion is suported by codex א, the Byzantine manuscripts, minuscule 1241 and Theophylact. This addition is due to harmonization to verse 24. This verb has been removed from the Greek 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. Vg-St: Vulgate of Stuttgart;  

7. WPF³⁵: Wilbur Pickering-family 35;

8. P-Text: 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!