Bible Query - Early
Manuscripts of 2 Timothy

Q: In 2 Tim, what are early New Testament manuscripts we have preserved today?
A: Here are many of them.
Sinaiticus [Si] 340-350 A.D.
2 Timothy was not preserved in Vaticanus [B]
Alexandrinus [A] c.450 A.D.
Ephraemi Rescriptus [C] 5th century
Claromontanus [D] 6th century
I Washington, D.C. 5th century
Italic [Ital] 4th to 13th centuries
Vulgate [Vulg] 4th and 5th centuries
Bohairic Coptic 3rd/4th century
Sahidic Coptic 3rd/4rth century
Armenian [Arm] from 5th century
Georgian [Geo] from 5th century
Ethiopic [Eth] from c.500 A.D.
Palestinian Syriac [Syr Pal] from c.6th century
Peshitta Syriac [Syr P] 411-435 A.D... Over 350 manuscripts.
Harclean Syriac [Syr H] 616.A.D Thomas of Harkel

Q: In 2 Tim, what are the manuscript variations with the Textus Receptus, the basis for the KJV?
A: Jay P. Green, Sr. in the Interlinear Bible records variations in approximately 5 words between the Textus Receptus and the majority text. These are in 5 places (2 Timothy 1:14,15,16; 2:19; 3:6). He does not record any additional alternates.

Q: In 2 Tim, what are some of the manuscript variations?
A: The book of 2 Timothy has a total of about 1,336 Greek words and a word-for-word accuracy of 99.0%, with only 13 words in question. These are in 10 verses (10 places), out of 83 total verses. Below are the variations with the primary choice and the top alternate choice.
2 Tim 1:11 "deacon" vs. "teacher" vs. "teacher of the Gentiles/nations" (Aland, The Expositor's Bible Commentary) (The KJV, NKJV, and Green's Literal Translation follow the Byzantine Lectionary with "of the Gentiles/nations)
2 Tim 2:1,2 "witnesss" (parakluseun) vs. "witnesses" (martyrun) only in Hippolytus' Treatise on Christ and Antichrist ch.1 p.204 so not counted in the totals
2 Tim 2:14 "God" vs. "Lord"
2 Tim 2:18 "concerning the truth" vs. "concerning truth"
2 Tim 2:22 "with those calling" (Sinaiticus, Byzantine Lectionary) vs. "with all those calling" Coptic, Chrysostom. Alexandrinus alone has "with all those loving"
2 Tim 3:14 "from what" vs. "from whom"
2 Tim 4:1 "according to the" vs. "and the"
2 Tim 4:8 "but also all those" vs. "but also those"
2 Tim 4:10 "Galatia" vs. "Gaul" (Aland and NRSV)
2 Tim 4:22 "Lord" vs. "Lord Jsus Christ" (2 words)
2 Tim 4:22 add the word "amen" at the end. (Aland and NRSV)
Some manuscripts have the postscript: "To Timothy Second, of the Ephesians church/assembly first overseer chosen, written from Rome, when a second time was placed before Paul Causar Nero."
Bibliography for this question: The Greek New Testament Third Edition by Kurt Aland et al., The Greek New Testament Fourth Edition by Kurt Aland et al., Interlinear Greek-English New Testament by George Ricker Berry, the Interlinear Bible by Jay P. Green, The Expositor's Bible Commentary volume 8, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament 2nd edition by Bruce M. Metzger, The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts edited by Philip W. Comfort and David P. Barrett, The Expositor's Greek Testament edited by W. Robertson Nicoll, and footnotes in the NASB, NIV, NKJV, and NRSV Bible translations. Manuscripts of the Greek Bible : An Introduction to Paleography by Bruce M. Metzger also has interesting information on the characteristics and quality of the copying of each manuscript.

Q: In 2 Tim, how do the early manuscripts compare with each other?
A: The table below shows each of the places in question, and the number says which variant is in each manuscript.

Place

words

Si

A

C

D

I

Sah

Boh

Origen

Ital

Vg

Eth

Chrys

Byz

Arm

Geo

Syr Pal

Syr P

Syr H


2 Tim 1:11

1

1

1

2

2

1

2

2
 
2

2

2

2

2

2

2

1?/2?

2

2

2 Tim 2:14

1

1

-

1

-

1

1/2

1/2
 
1/ 2

1?/2

-

2

2

1

1
 
(2)

2

2 Tim 2:18

1

2

1

1

1
 
1

1
     
-

1

1

-

2
     

2 Tim 2:22

1

1

4

3

1

3

3

1/3
 
1

1

3

1/ 3

1

1

-
 
1
 

2 Tim 3:14

1

1

1

1

2
 
-

-
 
1/ 2

2

-

2

2

-

2
     

2 Tim 4:1

1

1

1

1

1
 
2

1
 
1

1/(2?)

-

2

2

2

2
 
(2)

(2)

2 Tim 4:8

1

1

1

1

2A

1

1

1
 
1/ 2A

2A

1

1

1

1

-
 
2A

1

2 Tim 4:10

1

2

1

2

1
 
2

1/ 2?/(3?)
 
1

1/ 2/ 3?

1

1

1

3

1
 
1

1

2 Tim 4:22a

2

1

2

3

3
 
1

3
 
1/2/3

2/ 3

-

3

3

3

(3)
 
3

3

2 Tim 4:22b

1

1

1

1

4
 
3/5

1-3
 
1/ 2

1?/2/(4)

(2)

(2)

2

3?

(2)
 
3
 

Place

words

Si

A

C

D

I

Sah

Boh

Origen

Ital

Vg

Eth

Chrys

Byz

Arm

Geo

Syr Pal

Syr P

Syr H



 

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