Bible Query – Early Manuscripts of 2 Thessalonians

November 15, 2009 version

 

Q: In 2 Thess, what are early New Testament manuscripts we have preserved today?

A: Here are many of them.

p30 1 Thess 4:12-13,16-17; 5:3,8-10,12-18,25-28; 2 Thess 1:1-2; 2:1,9-11 (early 3rd century)

p92 Eph 1:11-13,19-21; 2 Thess 1:4-5,11-12 (c. 300 A.D.) The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts has a photograph of part of p92 on p.614.

Alexandrinus [A] c.450 A.D.

Vaticanus [B] 325-350 A.D.

Sinaiticus [Si] 340-350 A.D.

Claromontanus [D] 6th century

Bohairic Coptic [Boh] 3rd/4th century

Sahidic Coptic [Sah] 3rd/4rth century

I Washington, D.C. 5th century

Gothic 493-555 A.D.

Italic [Ital] 4th to 13th centuries

Vulgate [Vulg] 4th and 5th centuries

Armenian [Arm] from 5th century

Georgian [Geo] from 5th century

Ethiopic [Eth] from c.500 A.D.

Sinaitic Syriac 4th-7th century

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 Thess, 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 6 words between the Textus Receptus and the majority text. These are in 5 places (2 Thessalonians 1:8,10,12; 2:4; 3:6). He does not record any additional alternates.

 

Q: In 2 Thess, what are some of the manuscript variations?

A: Paul’s Second Letter to the Thessalonians has a total of 823 Greek words in 47 verses. This is the count in both Aland et al. 3rd edition and Aland et al. 4th revised edition, including 5 words in brackets. You can see the text of the 3rd edition on-line at http://www.greekbible.com. 2 Thessalonians has an estimated  word-for-word accuracy of 98.5%, with 12 words in question. These are in 8 verses (9 places).

   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 evidence for a particular reading is so strong that the alternatives are very unlikely. See the next question for which manuscripts support which variants.

2 Thess 1:2 “our Father and Lord” vs. “Father and our Lord” vs. “the Father and Lord” (2 words)

2 Thess 2:3 “of wickedness” vs. “of sin”

2 Thess 2:4 “in the Temple of God to sit” vs. “in the Temple of God as God to sit”

2 Thess 2:8 “the Lord Jesus” vs. “the Lord”

2 Thess 2:8 “will consume” vs. “will destroy”

2 Thess 2:13 “first” vs. “from the beginning”

2 Thess 3:6 “they received” vs. “you received”

2 Thess 3:16 “way” vs. “place/location”

2 Thess 3:18 “amen” at the end vs. absent

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.

 

Q: In 2 Thess, 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

B

D

I

Sah

Boh

Iren

Origen

Ital b

Ital d

Lucifer

Vg

Pelag

Eth

Chrys

Byz

Arm

Geo

Syr Pal

Syr P

Syr H

2 Thess 1:2

2

1

1

2

2

1

1?/(2?)/3?

(2)/3

-

1

-

2

-

1

-

3

1

1

1

1/(3)

3

1

1

2 Thess 2:3

1

1

2

1

2

-

1

1

2

1/ 2

2

2

-

 

2

1

2

2

1

1

-

2

2

2 Thess 2:4

1

1

1

1

-

-

1

1

1/ 2

1

1

1

-

1

-

1

2

2

1

1

-

2

2

2 Thess 2:8a

1

1

1

2

1

-

1

1/2

1/ 2

1

1

1

-

1

1

1

1

2

1

2

-

1

1

2 Thess 2:8b

1

~2

1

1

-

-

1?/3?

1?/3?

1

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

3

3

-

-

 

3

3

2 Thess 2:13

1

2

-

1

2

-

2

1

-

-

2

2

-

1/ 2?

1

2

2

2

2

2

-

3

1

2 Thess 3:6

1

1

1

4

~1

-

2/4

-

-

-

(3)

3

3

2

3

-

2

2

4

3

-

3

5

2 Thess 3:16

1

1

2

1

2

-

1

1

-

-

2

2

-

2

2

1

1

1

(1)

1

-

1

1

2 Thess 3:18

1

1

2

1

2

-

1

1/2

-

-

2

2

-

1?/2

1

2

2

2

2

2

-

2

2

Place

words

Si

A

B

D

I

Sah

Boh

Iren

Origen

Ital b

Ital d

Lucifer

Vg

Pelag

Eth

Chrys

Byz

Arm

Geo

Syr Pal

Syr P

Syr H

On the second variant place in 2 Thessalonians 2:8, Claromontanus (D) is present but illegible.

In 2 Thess 3:13, A is present but illegible