When an accidental error is more serious than a deliberate distortion The problem of Matthew 27:35
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
When an accidental error is more serious than a deliberate distortion
The problem of Matthew 27:35
- The text in Arabic in the common translation Vandyk:-
In this text we find the unknown author of the Gospel called "The Gospel of Matthew" describing the matter of Christ being stripped of his garments - at the crucifixion - and the guards dividing them among themselves by casting lots. The author considers that this happening is a fulfillment of the prophecy mentioned in the Old Testament, Psalm 22:18:
"They divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."
This is the habit of the author of the Gospel of Matthew, always linking the life of Christ with prophecies from the Old Testament.
#The problem:
The passage that says: ( That what was spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled, they divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.) is not found in the oldest manuscripts of the New Testament on all levels. Greek Latin Coptic Syriac
The best witnesses to the New Testament are the Greek manuscripts of the Bible,
and the best and oldest Greek manuscripts of this passage from the Gospel of Matthew are the five most important manuscripts of all (Senatic from the fourth century, Vatican 4th century, Washington late 4th century and early 5th century, Beza 5th century, Alexandrian manuscript 5th century).
As for the oldest Greek manuscripts that contain the text in its current common form,
the Theta manuscript and the Delta manuscript from the ninth century!!
Regarding the translations, the deletion reading also has early evidence,
and therefore the deletion reading is correct for three reasons:
(1) The external evidence “the manuscripts” overwhelmingly testify in favor of the deletion reading (the agreement of the five most important Greek manuscripts ever)
(2) The internal evidence: meaning that if the original reading was the long reading, what was the motive that made the copyists delete this passage???
Unlike if the original reading was the short reading, there are two motives that pushed the copyists to add the passage, which are:
- The desire of scribes to attach Old Testament prophecies to Jesus
- The desire of the copyists to reconcile the parallel passages in the New Testament, as this passage has a parallel in the Gospel of John 19:24:-
one of the most important rules of criticism, and scholars call it (the possibility of copying)
(3) The agreement of the critical copies and critical commentaries on the authenticity of the reading of the deletion
..... There is a third possibility that some have raised, which is: Perhaps this passage was omitted: " In order to fulfill what was said by the prophet, they divided my garments among themselves, And for my clothing they cast lots." Due to an accidental visual error, the copyist's eye fell on the second word "lot" instead of the first: [And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them,
that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They divided My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots.] This assumption can be responded to from two aspects: 1- The large number of manuscripts that testify to the reading of the deletion
, their diversity and quality negate the possibility of an accidental error, Greek, Latin, Coptic, Syriac, Georgian, Ethiopian manuscripts, and others. 2- The previously explained copying possibility ..... But let's assume that this is a spontaneous visual error, how did he manage to reach this large, extremely important and diverse number of manuscripts in the original language and various languages of the ancient world up to the fifth century??!!! The only case in which this could happen is if all the manuscripts up to the fifth century were based on one copy such that when it made a mistake, everyone after it made a mistake!! This destroys the most important guarantee of the infallibility of the book, which is the criterion of (dissemination), as there was a time when the book depended on one source and one manuscript,,, so if the owner of this original manuscript wanted to deliberately make changes, what would prevent him?? There are no manuscripts other than him,,, and all manuscripts until the beginning of the fifth century relied on him . The text in Greek and its equivalent in Arabic: ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, κλῆρον · ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν ἱματισμόν μου ἔβαλον κλῆρον). σταυρώσαντες δὲ αὐτὸν=And when they crucified him, διεμερίσαντο τὰ=they shared his clothes. βάλλοντες κλῆρον= and they cast lots . By the Prophet Διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτιά μου= They divided my clothes ἑαυτοῖς= Among them μου= And upon my garment ἔβαλον κλῆρον= They cast lots
- Interliner text: (Greek text and English equivalent)
- The text is in uppercase (which is how early Greek manuscripts are written):-
The text form in the five most important and famous manuscripts of all time
Direct link to browse the manuscripts
http://www.csntm.org/Manuscripts.aspx
1- The Sinaiticus manuscript:
The passage is missing
2- The Vatican manuscript:
The passage is missing
3- The Alexandrian manuscript:
The passage is missing
4- The Beza manuscript:
The passage is missing
5- The Washington manuscript
: The passage is missing
The text in the Arabic translations: -
A single translation, which is the translation widespread among Arab Christians, mentions the long reading
9 translations mention the text in its short form
Link to browse the Arabic translations
https://www.bible.com/ar/bible/195/jhn.1.sat
Second link
http://www.albishara.org/page.php?view=arabiccomper
[Van Dyke][Mt. 27.35][And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots for them: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots.]
[Common][Mt.27.35][And they crucified him, and cast lots for his garments, and divided them.] [
Simplified][Mt.27.35][And when they had crucified Jesus, they divided his garments among them, and cast lots among them.] [Jesuit][Mt.27.35][And they crucified him, and divided his garments among them, and cast lots for them
.]
[Life][Mt.27.35][And they crucified him, and divided his garments among them,
and cast lots for them.] [Sarah][Mt.27.35][And they crucified him, and cast lots for his garments, and divided them.]
[Noble][Mt.27.35][And they crucified him. Matthew 27:35
And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments among them, casting lots; CEB Matthew 27:35 After they crucified him, they divided up his garments among them by drawing
lots. CJB Matthew 27:35 After they had nailed him to the stake, they divided his clothes among them by throwing dice. CSB Matthew 27:35 After crucifying Him they divided His clothes by casting lots . CSBO Matthew 27:35 After crucifying Him they divided His clothes by casting lots. DBY Matthew 27:35 And having crucified him, they parted his clothes among themselves, casting lots. BBE Matthew 27:35 And when they had put him on the cross, they made division of his clothing among them by the decision of chance. ERV Matthew 27:35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them, casting lots: ESV Matthew 27:35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. GWN Matthew 27:35 After they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by throwing dice.
LEW Matthew 27:35 And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them:
MGI Matthew 27:35 And when they crucified him, they divided his clothes by lot.
MIT Matthew 27:35 Once he was on the cross, they divided up his clothes by a lottery.
MRD Matthew 27:35 And when they had crucified him, they distributed his garments by lot.
NAB Matthew 27:35 After they had crucified him, they divided his garments by casting lots;
NABO Matthew 27:35 After they had crucified him, they divided his garments by casting lots;
NAS Matthew 27:35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves, casting lots;
NAU Matthew 27:35 And when they had crucified Him, they divided up His garments among themselves by casting lots.
NET Matthew 27:35 When they had crucified him, they divided his clothes by throwing dice.
NIB Matthew 27:35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
NIRV Matthew 27:35 When they had nailed him to the cross, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
NIV Matthew 27:35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
NJB Matthew 27:35 When they had finished crucifying him they shared out his clothing by casting lots,
DRA Matthew 27:35 And after they had crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: They divided my garments among them; and upon my vesture they cast lots.
ETH Matthew 27:35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments by lot: that what was spoken by the prophet might be fulfilled, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
GNV Matthew 27:35 And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, and did cast lotstes, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Prophet, they deuided my garments among them, and vpon my vesture did cast lottes.
KJG Matthew 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
KJV Matthew 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
NKJ Matthew 27:35 Then they crucified Him, and divided His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: “They divided My garments among them, And for My clothing they cast lots.”
NLT Matthew 27:35 After they had nailed him to the cross, the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.
NRS Matthew 27:35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots;
PNT Matthew 27:35 When they had crucified hym, they parted his garmentes, and did cast lottes, that it myght be fulfylled whiche was spoken by the prophete: They departed my garmentes among them, and vponn my vesture dyd they cast lottes.
RSV Matthew 27:35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots;
RWB Matthew 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture they cast lots.
TNIV Matthew 27:35 When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
TNT Matthew 27:35 When they had crucified him they parted his garmentes and did cast lotstes: to fulfyll that was spoken by the prophet. They deuyded my garmetes among them: and upon my vest did cast loottes.
WEB Matthew 27:35 And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture they cast lots.
YLT Matthew 27:35 And having crucified him, they divided his garments, casting a lot, that it might be fulfilled that was spoken by the prophet, 'They divided my garments to themselves, and over my vesture they cast a lot;'
Text in critical versions:
Links to browse critical versions
https://www.academic-bible.com/en/ho...new-testament/
http://studybible.info/version/Tregelles
All critical versions have chosen the short reading
1- Nestle Aland NA27 version
2- UPS GNT 4th version
3- Tschendorff version
4- Samuel Triggles
version 5- Von Soden version
6- Westcott & Hort version
BNT Matthew 27:35 κλῆρον,
GNT Matthew 27:35 ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ βάλλοντες κλῆρον,
TIS Matthew 27:35 δὲ αὐτὸν διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ βαλόντες κλῆρον,
TRG2 Matthew 27:35 δὲ αὐτὸν διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ, βάλλοντες κλῆρον·
VST Matthew 27:35 σταυρώσαντες δὲ Matthew
27:35 δάλλοντες κλῆρον, critical comments
(1) Commentary on the Jesuit translation:
p. 115, footnote 20
(Some manuscripts add, “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: ‘They shall divide my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothing,’” Psalm 22:19. There is no doubt that this addition was taken from John 19:24)
(2
) A Textual Commentary On The Greek New Testament, Second Edition by the renowned scholar Bruce Metzger
(After klh/ron the Textus Receptus, following DQ 0250 ¦ 1 ¦ 13 1424 al, adds i[na plhrwqh|/ to. r`hqe.n( u`po. tou/ profh,tou\ Diemeri,santo ta. i `ma,tia, mou e`autoi/j( kai.evpi.to.ni`matismo,n mou e;balon klh/ron ( Ps 22.18 ). Although it could be argued that the passage fell out by reason of homoeoteleuton, the eye of the copyist passing from klh/ron to klh/ron, the Committee was impressed by the absence of the passage from early witnesses of the Alexandrian and the Western types of text (a ABDLWGP 33 71 157 565 700 892 c it ff 2 , l vg mss syr s, p, h mg , pal eth pers P ) and the likelihood that copyists were influenced by the parallel passage in Jn 19.24 , with the phrase to. r`hqe.nu`po. (or dia.) tou/ profh ( ,tou assimilated to Matthew's usual formula of citation).
Translation:
(After the word "klh/ron draw" the received text follows the Delta and Theta manuscripts, Family 1, Family 13, and 0250 by adding the following syllable i[na plhrwqh|/ to. r` hqe.n( u`po. tou/ profh,tou\ Diemeri, santo ta. i`ma,tia, mou e`autoi/j( kai. evpi. to.ni`matismo,n mou e;balon klh/ron "That it may be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: They shall divide among themselves my garments, and cast lots for my clothing." Although it may be said that the passage was omitted due to a visual error caused by the eye falling on the word "lottery." The second, not the first, but the critical committee was affected by the absence of the paragraph from early evidence of the Alexandrian text and the Western text, as it is absent from the Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Pisa, Washington, L GP 33 71 157 565 700 892 c , Sinaitic Syriac, Peshitta, Heraclian, Ethiopian and Persian manuscripts, Old Latin ff2, and the Vulgate manuscript, and it seems that the copyist was affected (In a parallel passage in John 19:24)
(3) The most famous critical commentary of all time GNT 4th
- The most famous committee in the field of textual criticism (the Union of Bible Societies UBS) chose the deletion reading with a grade of A, which means that the committee is confident in the correctness of its choice. In its copy of the fourth edition of the New Testament
See the following image in which the committee explains the meaning of these ABCD estimates.
- Picture of the committee's comment:-
- The committee mentioned the different readings in the manuscripts with evidence for each reading:
( And when they crucified him, they divided his garments by casting lots.
It is found in the following manuscripts:
1- The Greek witnesses:
Sinaiticus from the 4th century, Vaticanus from the 4th century, Beza Greek from the 5th century, Washington from the 5th century,
in addition to 19 other Greek manuscripts that are later in time.
2- The Latin witnesses:
Beza Latin from the 5th century, Manuscript F from the 5th century. 6, manuscript ff c. 9, manuscript ff1 c. 8, manuscript ff2 from the 5th century, manuscript g1 c. 9, manuscript Vulgate
3- Syriac evidence:
Syriac Peshitta manuscript from the 5th century
4- Other evidence:
Ethiopian and Slavonic manuscripts, used by several fathers
(2) The second reading, which is the same reading of deletion with the addition of the word “upon it”:
“And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments by casting lots for them”
(σταυρώσαντες δὲ αὐτὸν, διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ,
(The third reading is similar to the reading commonly used today: -
( The third reading is similar to the reading commonly used today : - ( The third reading is similar to the reading common today: - The third reading is similar to the reading common today: - (The third reading is similar to the fourth reading , the
fourth reading is similar to the fourth reading, the fifth reading is similar to the fifth reading) κλῆρον· ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ προφήτου, Διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτιά μου ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἱματισμόν μου ἔβαλον κλῆρον). [And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments, casting lots for them, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They divided my garments among them, and for my vesture they cast lots.] Found in the following manuscripts: 1- Greek evidence: Late manuscripts: Delta, Theta, Family No. 13, and four other late Greek manuscripts. 2- Latin evidence: Manuscript A dates back to the 4th-5th century. Manuscript B dates back to the 5th-6th century. Manuscript C dates back to the 11th-12th century. Manuscript H dates back to the 5th- 6th century. Manuscript Q dates back to the 6th -7th century. Manuscript R1 dates back to the 6th-7th century. 3- Coptic evidence: A Coptic manuscript from Middle Egypt, late in time. 4- Other evidence: An Armenian, Ethiopian, and Georgian manuscript, used by several fathers. Note: The history of the Latin manuscripts is taken from the book of the scholar Bruce. Metzger from his book The Early Versions of the New Testament, relying on 12 manuscript scholars: See image (4) Commentary on the famous critical version (Nestle-Aland 26): She chose to read the deletion, and mentioned the same manuscript evidence (5) CNTTS critical app: H. Milton Haggard Center for New Testament Textual Studies. (2010). The Center for New Testament Textual Studies: NT Critical Apparatus (Mt 27:35). New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Manuscripts that testify to the short reading:
01 02 03 05 07 09 011 013 017 019 021 028 030 032 034 041 045 2* 33 35 157 565 579 700 1005 1582c 2358 2372 MT SBL f ff2 g1
Manuscripts that attest to the long reading
037 038 1 2c 69 118 124 346vid 788 1071 1424 1582* ƒ1 ƒ13 TR abchq
(6)
TEXTUAL AND TRANSLATION NOTES ON THE GOSPELS by Jay P. Green, Sr.
Copyright 1994, Jay P. Green, Sr.
(Matthew 27:35
27:35 See Mark 15:24-28; Luke 23:32-38; John 19:18-24 The quotation is from Psalm 22:18. The majority of the mss. do not have that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet. They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots).
Translation:
(This quotation is taken from Psalms 22:18. Most manuscripts do not contain the phrase "that which was spoken by the prophet may be fulfilled...etc.")
(7) Commentary by the scholar Philip Comfort
NEWTESTAMENT
TEXT &TRANSLATION
COMMENTARY
PHILIP W. COMFORT
pg85
He mentioned the names of the manuscripts that testify to the deletion reading, which are the oldest manuscripts:
Sinaiticus - Vaticanus - Washington - Pisa - Alexandrian.
Then he mentioned the manuscripts that testify to the long reading, which are late manuscripts
. Then he mentioned the following comment:
(Because of the excellent support for the shorter text, it must be judged that the long addition came from John 19:24, coupled with a typical Matthean introduction to a prophetic citation
(see 4:14). It was natural for scribes, wanting to emulate Matthew's style, to make this addition, because Matthew had a penchant for showing how various events in Jesus' life and ministry
fulfilled the OT Scriptures (in this case, Ps 22:18, from the most quoted chapter in the NT concerning the crucifixion). Some of the same scribes ( 0 0250 f 1 1 3 ) also made this addition in
Mark 15:27).
Translation with slight modification: -
(Because of the excellent support in favor of the shorter reading, it must be judged that the long addition is taken from John 19:24, with the addition of a Matthewian preamble to the prophecy.
This is a natural behavior of scribes who wanted to imitate Matthew’s style to insert this addition, as Matthew’s style tends to link the life of Christ to the prophecies of the Old Testament. In this case, the quotation would be from Psalm 22:18, as it is the most quoted chapter regarding the crucifixion in the New Testament. Some scribes also inserted this addition into Mark 15:27)
8 Critical version of the famous scholar Von Soden
Rather, we throw the truth at falsehood, so it destroys it, and thereupon it perishes.
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