Bible Query – Early Manuscripts of Galatians

November 15, 2009 version

 

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

A: Here are many of them.

p46 Chester Beatty II 100-150 A.D. contains 140 verses. Specifically it has Galatians 1:1-8; 1:10-2:9; 2:12-21; 3:2-29; 4:2-18; 4:20-5:17; 5:20-6:8; 6:10-18 and other parts of Paul’s letters and Hebrews. The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts has a photograph of part of p46 on p.192. It also says on p.197-198 that the quality and the stichiometric marks show that a professional scribe wrote this. A quite readable photograph of the page of the Chester Beatty papyrii of Galatians 6:10-18 and the start of Philippians is in Paul : Apostle of the Heart Set Free.

First half of 3rd century - 1936 - Frederic G. Kenyon according to The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts.

2nd century, 200 A.D. - 1935 - Ulrich Wilken according to The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts.

200 A.D. - 1968 - The Text of the New Testament.

81-96 A.D. - 1988 - Young Kyu Kim according to The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts.

About 200 A.D. - 1975 - Aland et al. Third edition.

About 200 A.D. - 1998 - Aland et al. Fourth revised edition.

Early to middle 2nd century - 1999 - The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts. This is based in part on the handwriting being very similar to Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 8 (late first or early second century) and Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 2337 (late first century).

p51 (=Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 2157) Galatians 1:2-10,13,16-20 c.400 A.D.

c.400 A.D. - 1968 - The Text of the New Testament.

About 400 A.D. - 1975 - Aland et al. Third Edition

About 400 A.D. - 1998 - Aland et al. Fourth Revised Edition

Vaticanus 325-350 A.D.

Sinaiticus 340-350 A.D.

Bohairic Coptic 3rd/4th century

Sahidic Coptic 3rd/4rth century

Gothic 493-555 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 Gal, 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 10 words between the Textus Receptus and the majority text. These are in 8 places (Galatians 1:4,17; 2:2; 3:8; 4:11,24; 5:7; 6:13). In addition, he also records approximately 2 words (2 places) of alternates.

 

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

A: Paul’s Letter to the Galatians has a total of 2,230 Greek words in 149 verses. This is the count in both Aland et al. 3rd edition and Aland et al. 4th revised edition, including 11 words in brackets. You can see the text of the 3rd edition on-line at http://www.greekbible.com. Galatians has an estimated  word-for-word accuracy of 98.2%, with 40 words in question. These are in 28 verses (31 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.

Gal 1:3 “our Father and Lord” vs. “Father and our Lord”

Gal 1:6 “Christ” vs. “Jesus Christ”

Gal 1:8 “preach a gospel to you” vs. “preach to you a gospel”

Gal 1:11 “for” different Greek words

Gal 1:15 “when God pleased” vs. “when pleased” (2 words)

Gal 2:1 fourteen years again “I went” vs. “consumed”

Gal 2:5 “to whom” (most manuscripts) vs. “whom” (Bezae Cantabrigiensis (=D)) so not counted in the totals

Gal 2:12a case of “some”

Gal 2:12b case of “they came”

Gal 2:20 “Son of God” vs. “God the Son” (2 words)

Gal 3:14 “blessing vs. “promise”

Gal 3:16 “who is Christ” vs. “of whom is Christ” (only in F and G, so 1 word not included in the totals) (The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture p.241)

Gal 3:17 “God” vs. “God to Christ”

Gal 3:19 “for the sake of it was added” vs. “for the sake of it was appointed” vs. “for action of it appointed” (2 words)

Gal 3:21 “promises of God” vs. “promises of Christ”

Gal 3:28 “for to be” vs. “to be” vs. “in to be in” (Italic) vs. “to be” (p46, Alexandrinus) vs. “to be in” (original Sinaiticus)

Gal 4:4 “come from woman” vs. “having been made” (only in Latin texts so 3 words not counted in the totals (The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture p.239)

Gal 4:6 “your(plural) hearts” vs. “our hearts”

Gal 4:7 “by God” vs. “God”

Gal 4:7 “through God” vs. “of God through Christ” (2 words)

Gal 4:14 “my” vs. “our” temptation

Gal 4:25 “For” vs. “But”

Gal 4:25 “Now Hagar is Mount Sinai” vs. “For Sinai is a mountain” (approximately 4 words)

Gal 4:26 mother of all of us” vs. “mother of us"

Gal 4:28 “we… we are” vs. “you … you are” (2 words)

Gal 5:1 “with which Christ us made free” vs. “with which us Christ made free”

Gal 5:11 “scandal of the cross” vs. “scandal of the cross of Christ” (Alexandrinus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Coptic, Ethiopic)

Gal 5:21 absent (p46, Siniaticus, Vaticanus, Sahidic Coptic, some Georgian, Clement of Rome, Marcion ) vs. “murders” Alexandrinus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Bezae Cantabrigiensis, Byzantine Lectionary, Italic, Bohairic Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic, some Georgian, Chrysostom, Priscillian, Pelagius)

Gal 5:23 “self-control” (p46, Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Byzantine Lectionary, Syraic, Sahidic Coptic, Bohairic Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic, some Georgian, Chrysostom) vs. “self-control, chastity” (original Bezae Cantabrigiensis, Priscillian) vs. “self-control, patience” (later manuscripts) (no reliable early manuscripts differ, so not counted in the totals)

Gal 5:24 “Christ Jesus” (Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Sahidic Coptic, Bohairic Coptic, some Georgian) vs. “Christ (p46, Bezae Cantabrigiensis, Byzantine Lectionary, Syriac, Armenian, some Georgian, Chrysostom) vs. “Lord Jesus Christ” (original Sinaiticus)

Gal 6:2 “you will/shall fulfill” vs. “you fulfill” vs. “you will satisfy”

Gal 6:10 “we should work” vs. “we shall work”

Gal 6:13 “are circumcision” vs. “have been circumcision”

Gal 6:15 “And not/neither/nor for” vs. “In/by for”

Some manuscripts have the postscript, “To Galatians written from Rome.” (5 words)

Gal 6:17 “Jesus” vs. “Christ” vs. “Lord Jesus” vs. “Lord Jesus Christ” vs. “our Lord Jesus Christ” vs. “my Lord Jesus Christ” (counted as 1 word)

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 Gal, 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

p51

p46

Si

A

B

C

D

Sah

Fay

Boh

Iren

Clem A

Origen

Cyp

Hilary

Ital b

Ital d

Lucif.

Vulgate family

Pelag.

Eth

Chrysost

Byz

Arm

Geo

Syr Pal

Syr P

Syr H

Gal 1:3

1 (order)

1?

2

1

1

2

-

2

2

-

(2)

-

-

-

-

-

1

2

-

1?/2/ 3?

3

(2)

2/3

2

2

3

2

2

2

Gal 1:6

1

1

4A?

1

1

1

-

2

3

-

-

-

-

3

4A

-

4A

2

-

1/ (2?)

4A

1?

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

Gal 1:8

1 (order)

2?

-

5

4

2

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

4

6

4

5

4

5

1

1

-

1

1/ 3

3

3

-

-

-

Gal 1:11

1

-

2

2

2

1

-

1

1

-

2

-

-

2

-

-

2

1

-

1/ 2?

1

-

-

2/ 3A

3A

2/ 3A

2

2

2

Gal 1:15

2

-

2

1

1

2

-

1

1

-

1

2/ 3

-

1

-

-

3

1

-

2

3

1

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

Gal 2:1

1 (order)

-

1

1

1

1

4

2

1

-

3

3

-

-

-

-

2

2

-

1/ 3?

1

2

 

1

1

1/3

-

-

-

Gal 2:5

1

-

1

1

1

1

1

4

1

-

1

-

-

-

-

-

4

4

-

1

4

(1)

1

1

1

 

1

-

1

Gal 2:12a

1

-

2

1

1

1

1

1

1

-

1

2

-

-

-

-

(1)

2

-

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

-

1

1

Gal 2:12b

1

-

2

2

1

2

1

2

1

-

1

2

-

-

 

 

2

2

-

1

1

1

1

1

1

1/ 2

-

1

1

Gal 2:20

2

-

2

1

1

2

1

2

1

-

1

-

1

-

 

 

(2)

2

-

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

-

1

1

Gal 3:14

1

-

2

1

1

1

1

2

1

-

1

-

-

1

 

 

2

2

-

1/ 2?

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Gal 3:17

1

-

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

-

1

-

-

-

 

 

2

2

-

1/ 2?

1

1

2

2

2

1

-

2

2

Gal 3:19

2

-

4

1

1

1

1

2

1

-

1

3

(1)

1?

 

 

3

2

-

2

2

-

-

1

1

1

-

-

-

Gal 3:21

1

-

3A

1

1

3A

1

1

1

-

1

-

-

-

 

 

1

3

-

1

1

-

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

Gal 3:28

1

-

4

5

4

1

1

1

-

-

-

-

1

3

 

 

3

3

-

3/(5?)

3

(1)

1/3

1

1

-

-

-

-

Gal 4:6

1

-

1

1

1

1

1

 

1

-

1pt

-

-

1

 

 

1

1

-

1/ 2

1

2

2

1/ 2

1

1

1

2

2

Gal 4:7a

1

-

1

1

1

1

1

 

3

-

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6

5

5

4

1/5

3

6

6

Gal 4:7b

2

-

1

1

1

1

1

 

3

 

1

-

 

 

 

 

1

5

-

 

1

6

5

5

4

1/5

3

6

6

Gal 4:14

1

-

4

1

1

1

5?

1

5

-

1

-

 

2

 

 

1

1

-

 

1

 

5

5

3

3

-

3

5

Gal 4:25a

1

 

 

5

1

1

5

 

3/ 4

 

1

-

 

5

 

 

5

3

-

 

5

5

2

1/ 2

2

 

1

2

2

Gal 4:25b

4

 

3

4

1

1

4

1

3

 

1?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4

2

2

2

2/4

1

2

2

Gal 4:26

1

 

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

 

1

1

 

1/ 2

 

 

2

1

-

 

1

1

1

2

2

1/ 2

2

1

2

Gal 4:28

2

 

1

 

 

1

 

1

1

 

2

1

 

1

 

 

1

1

-

 

2

2

2

2

2

2

1

2

2

Gal 5:1

1 (order)

 

 

1

1

1

2

2

1

 

(1)

-

 

-

 

 

2

(7)

-

 

(7)

 

 

2/5

 

4

-

-

-

Gal 5:11

1

 

 

 

2

 

2

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gal 5:21

1

-

1

1

 

1

 

 

1

-

2

1

1

1

 

 

2

2

2

1?/ 2

2

2

2

2

2

1/ 2

-

(2)

2

Gal 5:23

1

-

1

1

1

1

1

2

1

-

1

2

-

1/ 2

 

 

2

2

-

1/ 2

2

1

1

1

1

1/ 2

-

1

1

Gal 5:24

1

-

3

2

1

1

1

3

1

-

1

-

-

3

 

 

3

3

-

2

3

(1)

3

3

3

1/ 3

(1)

3

3

Gal 6:2

1

 

2

3

3

1

3

3

1

 

1

-

3

-

 

 

1

1

-

1

1

1

1/ 2

3

3

3

-

-

-

Gal 6:10

1

 

3

1

2

1

1

1

 

 

 

-

1

1

 

 

1

1

-

1

1

1

1

1/ 2

 

 

-

-

-

Gal 6:13

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gal 6:15

1

 

1

2

2

1

2

2

1?/2?

 

2

-

-

-

 

 

2

2

-

2

2

 

1

2

1? / 2?

1/ 2

(1)

(1)

2

Gal 6:17

1

 

1

3

1

1

1

4

1

 

2

 

 

5

 

 

 

3

 

1

 

2

 

 

2

 

1

4

 

postscript

5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Place

words

p51

p46

Si

A

B

C

D

Sah

Fay

Boh

Iren

Clem A

Origen

Cyp

Hilary

Ital b

Ital d

Lucif.

Vulgate family

Pelag.

Eth

Chrysost

Byz

Arm

Geo

Syr Pal

Syr P

Syr H