Bible Query – Early Manuscripts of 1 Peter
November 15, 2009
Q: In 1 Pet, what are early New
Testament manuscripts we have preserved today?
A: Here are many of them.
p72 Bodmer 7
& 8 Papyrii 1 Peter 1:1-5:14, 2 Peter 1:1-3:18 and Jude 1-25. c.300 A.D. A
photograph of part of this manuscript (showing 2 Peter 1:16-2:2) is in The
Eerdmans Bible Dictionary p.820 and The Complete Text of the Earliest
New Testament Manuscripts p.468. The second source says the handwriting is
written “in a documentary hand.”
p74 (=Bodmer 17)
Acts 1:2-5,7-11,13-15,18-19,22-25; 2:2-4; 2:6-3:26; 4:2-6,8-27; 4:29-27:25;
27:27-28:31; James 1:1-6,8-19,21-23,25,27; 2:1-3,5-15; 18-22, 25-26;
3:1,5-6,10-12,14,17-18; 4:8,11-14; 5:1-3,7-9,12-14,19-20; 1 Peter
1:1-2,7-8,13,19-20,25; 2:6-7,11-12,18,24; 3:4-5; 2 Peter 2:21; 3:4,11,16; 1
John 1:1,6; 2:1-2,7,13-14,18-19,25-26; 3:1-2,8,14,19-20;
4:1,6-7,12,16-17;5:3-4,9-10,17; 2 John 1,6-7,13; 3 John 6,12; Jude 3,7,12,18,24
(7th century)
7th
century - 1968 - The Text of the New Testament has James 2:4 and 1 Peter
1:12
7th
century - 1975 - Aland et al. Third Edition
6th century - 1998 - Aland et al. Fourth Revised Edition
p81 Trieste 1
Peter 2:20-3:1; 3:4-12 (4th century)
Vaticanus
(325-350 A.D.), Sinaiticus (340-350 A.D.), and Alexandrinus
(c.450 A.D) have all of 1 Peter.
Bohairic Coptic
3rd/4th century
Sahidic Coptic
3rd/4rth century
Peshitta
Syriac [Syr P] 411-435 A.D... Over 350 manuscripts.
Harclean
Syriac [Syr H] 616.A.D Thomas of Harkel
Ephraemi Rescriptus
5th century
Armenian
[Arm] from 5th century
Georgian
[Geo] from 5th century
Q: In 1 Pet, 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 38 words between the Textus Receptus and the
majority text. These are in 29 places. In addition, he also records
approximately no alternates.
A: The book of 1 Peter has a total of 1,684 Greek words in
105 verses. This is the count in both Aland et al. 3rd edition and Aland et al.
4th revised edition, including 15 words in brackets. You can see the text of
the 3rd edition on-line at http://www.greekbible.com. 1 Peter has an
estimated word-for-word accuracy of 96.1%, with 66 words in question.
These are in 29 verses (44 places). Of these, 28 are single word.
Below are the variations with the primary
choice and the top alternate choice. Aland et al 4th revised edition and
3rd edition), from which this primarily is based, also give a judgment
of the degree of certainty per variation. The list below does not include many
places where the the evidence for a particular reading is so strong that the
alternatives are very unlikely. See the next question for which manuscripts
support which variant.
1 Pet 1:2 “God and Jesus” vs. “God Jesus” (only in p72, so 1
word not counted in the totals)
1 Pet 1:7
“proving” (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Byzantine
Lectionary, Armenian, Georgian) vs. “approved” p72 (1 letter)
1 Pet 1:8
“not having seen” (p72, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Sahidic
Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic, vs. “not having appeared” (Alexandrinus, Bohairic
Coptic, Georgian, Byzantine Lectionary)
1 Pet 1:9
“your souls” (Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Byzantine
Lectionary, Bohairic Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic, Georgian) vs. “our
souls” (Original Bohairic Coptic, Origen) vs. “souls” (Sahidic Coptic)
1 Pet 1:12
“in [the] Spirit” (Sinaiticus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Byzantine Lectionary,
Ethiopic, Georgian) vs. “[the] Spirit” (p72, Alexandrinus, Vaticanus)
1 Pet 1:19-20 “He himself therefore, who was also known
before the foundation of the world and at the last time was born and suffered,
received the glory that God the Word always possessed, abiding without
beginning in the Father” Only in some Latin witnesses (per Bruce Metzger), so
not included in the totals.
1 Pet 1:21
“him believing” vs. “faith”
1 Pet 1:22a
“truth” (p72, Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Sahidic
Coptic, Bohairic Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic, Georgian) vs. “truth through the
Spirit” (Byzantine Lectionary) vs. “faith through the spirit” (The heretic
Priscillian) (2 words)
1 Pet 1:22b
“from a pure heart” (p72, original Sinaiticus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Byzantine
Lectionary, Sahidic Coptic, Bohairic Coptic, vs. “from a heart of truth”
(second corrector of Sinaiticus, heretic Priscillian) vs. “from the heart”
(Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, Georgian)
1 Pet 1:23 “remaining” vs. “remaining to the age” (only in
Textus Receptus and three 9th century manuscripts, so 3 words not counted in
the totals)
1 Pet 1:24 “him” vs. “man” (only in textus Receptus, 1
8th/9th century manuscript and 3 9th century manuscripts, so 1 word not counted
in the totals)
1 Pet 2:2 “grow into salvation” vs. “grow” (only the Textus
Receptus, a 9th century manuscript, and some minuscules, so 2 words not counted
in the totals)
1 Pet 2:3
“if” (p72, original Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Sahidic Coptic,
Bohairic Coptic, Armenian, Georgian) vs. “indeed” (Ephraemi Rescriptus,
Byzantine Lectionary, Slavonic)
1 Pet 2:5 “for priesthood” vs. “priesthood” (only Textus
Receptus and 3 9th century manuscripts, so 1 word not counted in the totals)
1 Pet 2:19a
“acceptable” vs. acceptable to God” (3 words
1 Pet 2:19b
“conscience [toward] God” (Sinaiticus, corrected Alexandrinus, Vaticanus,
Byzantine Lectionary, Sahidic Coptic, Bohairic Coptic, Slavonic) vs. “good
conscience” (Ephraemi Rescriptus, Armenian, Georgian) vs. “good conscience
[toward] God (p72), vs. “toward God good conscience (original Alexandrian) (2
words)
1 Pet 2:21a
“Christ suffered” vs. “Christ died” Manuscripts and the Text of the New
Testament p.53 says that in Greek one could accidentally be read for the
other.
1 Pet 2:21b
“of you, for us” (p72, Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, Ephraemi
Rescriptus, Armenian, Ethiopic, Georgian) vs. “of us, for us” (Byzantine
Lectionary, Slavonic) vs. “of us, for you” (Bohairic Coptic) (2 words)
1 Pet 2:25
“you (plural) were going astray” (Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Vaticanus,
Ethiopic) vs. “you (plural) going astray” (p72, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Byzantine
Lectionary, Georgian, Slavonic)
1 Pet 3:1
“women love” vs. “women love” (one extra word)
1 Pet 3:7a
“co-heirs” (one letter difference) “by/to those who are named together”
(dative) vs. “those named together” (nominative)
“for the sake of life” vs. “for the sake of (misspelling)”
vs. “for the sake of eternal life” “for the sake of varied life” (does not make
much sense)
1 Pet 3:7b
“the sake of life” (Vaticanus, original Ephraemi Rescriptus, some Byzantine
Lectionary, Sahidic Coptic, Armenian, Georgian) vs. “the sake of (misspelling)”
(1 letter difference, some Byzantine Lectionary) vs. “the sake of eternal life”
(p72) vs. “the sake of varied life” (Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Bohairic Coptic,
Slavonic) (The last one does not make much sense)
1 Pet 3:8
“humble-minded” vs. “friendly”
1 Pet 3:14 “afraid, neither should you (plural) be troubled”
vs. “afraid” (2 words)
1 Pet 3:15
“Christ” (p72, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Sahidic Coptic,
Bohairic Coptic, Clement of Alexandria) vs. “God” (Byzantine Lectionary)
1 Pet 3:16
“speak against” vs. “speak against as evildoers” (3 words)
1 Pet 3:18a
“concerning” vs. “on account of” (3 words)
1 Pet 3:18b
“died” vs. “suffered” Manuscripts and the Text of the New Testament p.53
says that in Greek one could accidentally be read for the other.
1 Pet 3:18a
“us” vs. “you (plural)”
1 Pet 3:19
1 Pet 3:21
“that” vs. “which”
1 Pet 4:1
“having suffered” vs. “having suffered for us” vs. “having died for us” (3
words) Manuscripts and the Text of the New Testament p.53 says that in
Greek one could accidentally be read for the other.
1 Pet 4:1
“ceased from sin” vs. “ceased from sin. Because of”
1 Pet 4:3
“For” vs. “For to us”
1 Pet 4:14
“glory” vs. “glory and”
1 Pet 4:14
“rests” vs. “rests upon”
1 Pet 4:16
“name” vs. “matter” (KJV, NKJV, Green)
1 Pet 5:1
“sufferings of Christ” vs. “sufferings of God” (only in p72) (The Orthodox
Corruption of Scripture p.88)
1 Pet 5:2
“but willingly as God would have you” vs. “but willingly” (3 words)
1 Pet 5:2
“charge, exercising the oversight” vs. “charge” (2 words)
1 Pet 5:3
“exercising oversight, not by constraint but willingly according to God” vs.
“exercising oversight, not by constraint but willingly” (2 words)
1 Pet 5:6
“due time” vs. “in time of visitation”
1 Pet 5:8
“he may devour”. verb conjugation (Aorist 2nd infinitive active)
1 Pet 5:10
“Christ Jesus” vs. “Jesus Christ” vs. “Christ”
1 Pet 5:10
“Strengthen” vs. “will strengthen” vs. “will strength and establish” (3 words)
1 Pet 5:10
“called you (plural)” vs. “called us”
1 Pet 5:11
“might” vs. “glory” vs. “the might, glory” (2 words)
1 Pet 5:11
“ages/forever”. “ages of ages / forever and ever” (2 words)
1 Pet 5:13
“She” vs. “The church/assembly” vs. “Babylon” vs. “Babylon church/assembly” (2
words)
1 Pet 5:14
“Christ” (Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, Peshitta Syriac, Sahidic Coptic, Ethiopic)
vs. “Christ Jesus” (Sinaiticus, Byzantine Lectionary, Armenian)
1 Pet 5:14
“Christ” (Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, Sahidic Coptic, Ethiopic, etc.) vs. “Christ.
Amen” (Ethiopic) vs. Christ Jesus” (Georgian) vs. “Christ Jesus. Amen” at the end
(Sinaiticus, Byzantine lectionary, Armenian, Slavonic)
Some manuscripts add the postscript, “Of Peter Letter
General First”
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 Orthodox Corruption
of Scripture by Bart Ehrman, 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.
A: The table below shows each of the places in question, and
the number says which variant is in each manuscript.
1 Peter is not
preserved in Italic b, Italic d, Syr C, Syr S, Syr pH
|
Place |
words |
p72 |
p74 |
p81 |
0206 |
Si |
A |
B |
C |
Sahidic |
Bohairic |
Iren |
Clem A |
Origen |
Hilary |
Lucif. |
Vulgate family |
Pelagius |
Ethiop. |
Chrysost |
Byzant. |
Armen. |
Georg. |
Syr P |
Syr H |
|
1 Pet 1:7 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 Pet 1:8 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 Pet 1:9 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
3A |
1 |
3 |
1/ 2? |
- |
1/ 3 |
2 |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 Pet 1:12 |
1 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
- |
2 |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
|
1 Pet 1:21 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 Pet 1:22a |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1?/3?/4 |
- |
1 |
- |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 Pet 1:22b |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1?/2?/3 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
(1) |
3 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 Pet 2:3 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1/ 2 |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
|
1 Pet 2:19a |
3 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
1/ 2? |
- |
3 |
- |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
1 Pet 2:19b |
1 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
1 Pet 2:21a |
1 |
1 |
- |
2 |
- |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
1 Pet 2:21b |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1/2 |
3 |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
1/ 2 |
- |
1 |
- |
2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
|
1 Pet 2:25 |
1 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
2 |
- |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 Pet 3:1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
3A |
- |
3A |
3A |
3A |
1 |
1 |
1? |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
2 |
3A |
2 |
2 |
|
1 Pet 3:7a |
1 |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
2 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
3 |
1 |
1 |
- |
3 |
|
1 Pet 3:7b |
1 |
3 |
- |
1? |
- |
4 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
1/2 |
1 |
1 |
(3) |
4 |
|
1 Pet 3:8 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
(1) |
- |
2 |
(1) |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
2 Pet 3:14 |
2 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
|
1 Pet 3:15 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
1 |
(1) |
1 |
1 |
|
1 Pet 3:16 |
3 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
3? |
- |
3 |
- |
4 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
1 Pet 3:18a |
3 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
2 |
1 |
5? |
5 |
3 |
- |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
|
- |
- |
- |
1 |
2 |
- |
5 |
3 |
|
1 Pet 3:18b |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
- |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
|
- |
2 |
- |
1/2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
- |
|
1 Pet 3:18c |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
|
- |
2 |
- |
1/2 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
1 Pet 3:21 |
1 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
- |
|
1/ 2 |
- |
- |
|
- |
3 |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
|
1 Pet 4:1a |
3 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
- |
|
- |
|
- |
|
- |
2 |
- |
2 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
|
1 Pet 4:1b |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1/3 |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
|
- |
2 |
- |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 Pet 4:3 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
3 |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
|
- |
3 |
|
2/3 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 Pet 4:14a |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
5 |
4 |
1 |
- |
5 |
4 |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
2/ 4 |
- |
- |
- |
1/ 4 |
(3) |
2 |
(2) |
3 |
|
1 Pet 4:14b |
1 |
4 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
2 |
1 |
- |
5 |
(5?) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1/ 5 |
- |
1 |
- |
5 |
1 |
1 |
(2) |
3 |
|
1 Pet 4:16 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 Pet 5:2a |
3 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
|
1 |
4 |
|
5 |
1 |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
|
- |
1 |
- |
3 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
1 Pet 5:2b |
3 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
5 |
1 |
4 |
|
5 |
|
- |
|
- |
|
- |
|
- |
|
- |
3 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 Pet 5:3 |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
2A |
- |
1 |
1 |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
|
- |
|
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
(1) |
(1) |
|
1 Pet 5:6 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
- |
1 |
2 |
- |
|
1 |
- |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
1 Pet 5:8 |
1 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
2 |
4 |
- |
- |
1 |
- |
|
1/ 2/ 4 |
(1) |
2 |
2 |
- |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
|
1 Pat 5:10a |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
1 |
1/ 2? |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
1?/2 |
- |
1/2 |
- |
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
1 Pet 5:10b |
3 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
1 |
3 |
- |
1/2 |
1 |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
1 |
- |
|
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
(1) |
1 |
|
1 Pet 5:10c |
1 |
5 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
6 |
6 |
- |
|
|
- |
|
- |
|
- |
1/ 5?/6 |
- |
|
- |
2/3 |
5 |
(5) |
|
5? |
|
1 Pet 5:11a |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
1 |
1 |
- |
4 |
5 |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
2 |
- |
|
- |
3/4 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
1 Pet 5:11b |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
2 |
1 |
- |
2 |
1 |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
2 |
- |
2 |
- |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
1 Pet 5:13 |
2 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
1 |
1 |
- |
1 |
1 |
- |
|
1 |
|
- |
1/ 2 |
- |
|
- |
1 |
2 |
|
2 |
1 |
|
1 Pet 5:14a |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
1 |
1/(3?) |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
2 |
- |
1 |
- |
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
1 Pet 5:14b |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
4 |
1 |
1 |
- |
1/3 |
1/3/4 |
- |
|
- |
|
- |
1/2/4 |
- |
2 |
- |
4 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
|
Place |
words |
p72 |
p74 |
p81 |
0206 |
Si |
A |
B |
C |
Sahidic |
Bohairic |
Iren |
ClemA |
Origen |
Hilary |
Lucif. |
Vulgate family |
Pelagius |
Ethiop. |
Chrysost |
Byzant. |
Armen. |
Georg. |
Syr P |
Syr H |
p72 and Vaticanus agree in 20 out of 37 places (54%). p72
and Sinaiticus agree in only 12 out of 33 places (36%). p72 and the Byzantine
Lectionary agree in 12 out of 36 places (33%).