Bible Query – Early Manuscripts of 2 Timothy

November 15, 2009 version

 

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: Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy has a total of 1,238 Greek words in 83 verses. This is the count in both Aland et al. 3rd edition and Aland et al. 4th revised edition, including 2 words in brackets. You can see the text of the 3rd edition on-line at http://www.greekbible.com. 2 Timothy has an estimated  word-for-word accuracy of 98.6%, with 17 words in question. These are in 12 verses (12 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 Tim 1:10 “our Savior Christ Jesus” vs. “Savior, God” (only in I (5th century) so not counted in the totals)

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 “witness” (parakluseun) vs.  “witnesses” (martyrun) (only in Hippolytus’ Treatise on Christ and Antichrist ch.1 p.204 so not counted in the totals)

2 Tim 2:3 “Endure hardship” vs. “”you, then, suffer hardship) (3 words)

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 3:8a “Jannes” vs. “Juannes” (only in Cyprian, so 1 word not counted in the totals)

2 Tim 3:8b “Jambres” vs. “Mambrus” (ital d, Vulgate, Cyprian, Hippolytus, Lucifer)

2 Tim 3:11 (absent) vs. the things which he suffered on account of Thecla” (only in manuscript 181, so 5 Greek words not counted in the totals)

2 Tim 3:14 “from what” vs. “from whom”

2 Tim 3:16 “and” vs. (absent in Syr P, Bohairic Coptic, Origen, and Hilary.) 1 word not counted in the totals)

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 Ti 4:19 “Aquila” vs. “Aquila. (plus 11 additional words. (Only in 11th and 13th century manuscripts, so 11 words not counted in the totals.)

2 Tim 4:22a “Lord” vs. “Lord Jesus Christ” (2 words)

2 Tim 4:22b “you (plural)” vs. “you (singular)

2 Tim 4:22c 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 Caesar 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 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 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

Sahidic

Bohairic

Iren

Hippol.

Origen

Cyprian

Ital b

Ital d

Vulgate

Pelagius

Ethiopic

Hilary

Jerome

Chrysostom

Lucifer

Byzant.

Armenian

Georgian

Syr P

Syr H

Syr Pal

2 Tim 1:11

1

1

1

2

2

1

2

2

-

 

 

 

2

2

2

2

2

 

-

2

 

2

2

2

2

2

1?/2?

2 Tim 2:3

3

 

 

 

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

2 Tim 2:14

1

1

-

1

-

1

1/2

1/2

-

 

 

 

2

2

1?/2

1

-

 

-

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

 

3

 

 

1/ 3

 

1

1

-

1

 

 

2 Tim 3:8a

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Tim 3:8b

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

2

 

2

2

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 Tim 3:14

1

1

1

1

2

 

-

-

-

 

 

 

1

1

2

2

-

 

2

2

 

2

-

2

-

-

-

2 Tim 3:16

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

2A

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

2 Tim 4:1

1

1

1

1

1

 

2

1

-

 

 

 

1

1

1/(2?)

1

-

 

-

2

 

2

2

2

(2)

(2)

-

2 Tim 4:8

1

1

1

1

2A

1

1

1

1

 

 

 

 

 

2A

1

1

 

 

1

 

1

1

-

2A

1

 

2 Tim 4:10

1

2

1

2

1

 

2

1/ 2?/(3?)

 

 

 

 

1

1

1/ 2/ 3?

 

1

 

-

1

 

1

3

1

1

1

-

2 Tim 4:22a

2

1

2

3

3

 

1

3

-

 

 

 

2

2

2/ 3

2

-

 

-

3

 

3

3

(3)

3

3

-

2 Tim 4:22b

1

1

1

1

4

 

3/5

1-3

-

 

 

 

(5)

5

1?/2/(4)

-

(2)

 

-

(2)

 

2

3?

(2)

3

2

-

Place

words

Si

A

C

D

I

Sahidic

Bohairic

Iren

Hippol.

Origen

Cyprian

Ital b

Ital d

Vulgate

Pelagius

Ethiopic

Hilary

Jerome

Chrysostom

Lucifer

Byzant.

Armenian

Georgian

Syr P

Syr H

Syr Pal