Bible Query – Early Manuscripts of Philippians
November 15, 2009 version
Q: In Php, what are early New Testament
manuscripts we have preserved today?
A: Here are many of them.
p16 Php 3:10-17;
4:2-8 (late 3rd century) The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament
Manuscripts has a picture of p16 on p.86.
3rd/4th century - 1968 - The Text of the New Testament.
p46 Chester
Beatty II 100-150 A.D. has 84 verses of Philippians. Specifically it has Php
1:1,5-15,17-28; 1:30-3:12; 2:14-27; 2:29-3:8; 3:10-21; 4:2-12; 4:14-23 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.
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).
p61 Romans
16:23,25-27; 1 Corinthians 1:1-2, 2-6; 5:1-3, 5-6, 9-13; Philippians 3:5-9,
12-16, Colossians 1:3-7, 9-13, 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3; Titus 3:1-5, 8-11, 14-15
Philemon 4-7. c.700 A.D.
c.700
A.D. - 1968 - The Text of the New Testament.
About
700 A.D. - 1975 - Aland et al. Third edition.
About
700 A.D. - 1998 - Aland et al. Fourth revised edition.
Vaticanus
[B] 325-350 A.D. All of the New Testament up to Hebrews 9:15. Missing are 1 and
2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, and Revelation.
Sinaiticus
[Si] 340-350 A.D. All of Philippians
Alexandrinus
[A] (c.450 A.D.) All of Philippians
Ephraemi Rescriptus
[C]
Bohairic Coptic
[Boh] 3rd/4th century
Sahidic Coptic
[Sah] 3rd/4rth century
Vulgate
[Vulg] 4th and 5th centuries
Claromontanus
Armenian
[Arm] from 5th century
Georgian
[Geo] from 5th century
Peshitta
Syriac [Syr P] 400-450 A.D.
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.
Philoxenian
Syriac [Syr Ph] 507/508 A.D. Bishop Philoxenus
of Mabug
Harclean Syriac
[Syr H] 616.A.D Thomas of Harkel
Gothic
493-555 A.D.
Slavonic
Q: In Php, 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 12 words between the Textus
Receptus and the majority text. These are in 12
places (Philippians 1:6,7,23; 2:1,21,27,27; 3:3,8,13; 4:3,23). He does not
record any additional alternates.
Q: In Php, what are some of the
manuscript variations?
A: Paul’s Letter to the Philippians has a total of 1,629
Greek words in 104 verses. This is the count in both Aland et al. 3rd edition
and Aland et al. 4th revised edition, including 7 words in brackets. You can
see the text of the 3rd edition on-line at http://www.greekbible.com.
Philippians has an estimated word-for-word accuracy of 97.7%, with 37
words in question. These are in 22 verses (26 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.
Many of the differences are due to the Chester
Beatty Papyrii saying one thing and the Byzantine Lectionary and other
manuscripts saying another.
Php 1:11
“and praise of God” vs. “and praise of Christ” (Claromontanus)
vs. “God and our praise” (Chester Beatty 100-150 A.D.) (2 words)
Php 1:14
“speak the word” vs. “the word of the God” (2 words)
Php 1:16,17 Reverse the order of these two verses in some
later manuscripts. (However, no major manuscripts have this, so this is not
counted in the totals)
Php 2:1
“any” (tis) (masculine-feminine) in almost all
manuscripts, (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Claromontanus,
Ephraemi Rescriptus) vs. “any” (ti) (neuter)
in a few miniscules. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary volume 11 p.126
thinks that (ti sp...) might be the
original reading, and (tis sp…) was
accidentally changed.
Php 2:2
“in you think” is “the same you think”
Php 2:4
singular vs. plural form of the Greek word “each” 2 times (2 words)
Php 2:5
“this” vs. “this for”
Php 2:7 “men” (most manuscripts) vs. “man” (p46, Sahidic
Coptic, Bohairic Coptic, Peshitta (P) Syriac, Palestinian
(Pa) Syriac) (1 letter not counted in the totals)
Php 2:9
“the/which name which” (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus) vs. “[a] name
which”
Php 2:11
“should confess” (aorist subjunctive) (p46, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus) vs. “shall/will
confess” (future indicative) (Alexandrinus, Claromontanus/Claromontanus,
Ephraemi Rescriptus)
Php 2:11
“Lord” vs. “Lord Jesus”
Php 2:12
“as in” vs. “in” (Vaticanus, Bohairic Coptic, Sahidic Coptic, Chrysostom)
Php 2:19 “the Lord Jesus” vs. “our Lord Jesus the Messiah”
(Syriac Peshitta) *(3 words not counted in the
totals)
Php 2:21 “Jesus Christ” (p46, Claromontanus/Claromontanus,
Alexandrian family excluding Vaticanus) vs. “Christ Jesus” (Vaticanus)
Php 2:26
“longing for” vs. “longing to see”
Php 2:30
“Christ” vs. “the Christ” vs. “[the] Lord” (2 words)
Php 3:3
“in the Spirit of God” (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Ephraemi
Rescriptus, corrected Claromontanus/Claromontanus)
vs. “God in Spirit” (2 words)
Php 3:12
“already been perfected” vs. “already been apprehended/received” or “already
been perfected”. As to whether it should be “been perfected” or “been made
perfect”, this is an English translation issue. (4 words)
Php 3:12
“Christ Jesus” (p46, p61, Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, some Bohairic Coptic,
Armenian, Georgian, some Chrysostom, some Byzantine Lectionary) vs. “for Christ
Jesus” Byzantine Lectionary) vs. “Jesus Christ (Peshitta
Syriac, some Bohairic Coptic, Ethiopic, some Chrysostom) vs. “Jesus”
(Vaticanus, original Claromontanus, Sahidic Coptic,
Clement of Alexandrian, Tertullian) (2 words, but second choice not likely, so
1 word counted in the totals)
Php 3:13
“not my own” vs. “not my own yet”
Php 3:15 “let us think” (p16, p46, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Claromontanus, Byzantine Lectionary, Armenian, Georgian,
Chrysostom, Pelagius) vs. “**” Sinaiticus, Slavonic, Clement of Alexandrian,
Jerome) (2 letters different [omega to “ou”, and not
counted in the totals)
Php 3:16 changes the case of two words and changes “basic principles” (p16, p46,
original Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Sahidic, Coptic, Bohairic Coptic,
Ethiopic) to “thoughts” (2 words)
Php 3:21
accent marks of the Greek word for “him”. A third variant is “himself”
Php 4:3 “and (kai)” (every
manuscript) vs. “vai” Textus
Receptus so not counted in the totals
Php 4:3 “the rest of the fellow workers of mine” (p46, 2nd corrector Sinaiticus,
Vaticanus, Alexandrinus Byzantine Lectionary) vs. “the fellow works of mine and
the rest” (p16 apparently, original Sinaiticus, Georgian) (4 words)
Php 4:7 “hearts of you and the minds of you” (p46,
Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Claromontanus,
Byzantine Lectionary, Peshitta (P) Syriac, Harclean Syriac, Sahidic Coptic, Bohairic Coptic, Armenian,
Ethiopic, Georgian, Chrysostom, Pelagius) vs. “hearts of you” (some Vulgate)
vs. “body” (late manuscripts), vs. “minds and the body” (apparently p16, and
some Vulgate) (4 words but not counted in the totals)
Php 4:8 “praise” (p46, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus,
Alexandrinus, most manuscripts) vs. “praise these things consider” (original Claromontanus/Claromontanus)
Php 4:13 “[He] whom empowers/strengthens me” vs. “Christ whom
empowers/strengthens me”
Php 4:16
“unto/to the need” vs. “the need”
Php 4:19
“will fill up all” (different conjugation) (plur-omega-sei)
vs. (plur-omega-sai)
Php 4:23
“your spirit” (p46, original Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus, Claromontanus, Sahidic Coptic, Bohairic Coptic, Armenian,
Ethiopic) vs. “you all” (Corrected Sinaiticus, most miniscules, Peshitta (P) Syriac, Harclean (H)
Syriac, Textus Receptus)
Php 4:23
“amen” at the end is absent (Vaticanus, Sahidic Coptic, Chrysostom), vs. “amen”
(p46, Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Byzantine Lectionary, many others)
Php 4:23 Some manuscripts have the postscript, “To
Philippians written from
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.
|
Place |
Words |
p16 |
p46 |
Si |
A |
B |
C |
D |
Sah |
Boh |
Fay |
Iren |
Clem A |
Origen |
Ital b |
Ital d |
Vulgate |
Pelag. |
Eth |
Chrysost |
Byz |
Arm |
Geo |
Syr P |
Syr H |
Syr Pal |
|
Php 1:11 |
2 |
|
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
|
- |
1 |
1 |
(2?) |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
|
Php 1:14 |
2 |
|
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
4 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
- |
|
- |
2 |
(2) |
3 |
1?/2 |
3 |
1/3 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
- |
|
Php 2:1 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Php 2:2 |
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
1? |
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
Php 2:4 |
2 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
3 |
2? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
2 |
2 |
|
|
Php 2:5 |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
- |
|
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
(2) |
2 |
2 |
|
Php 2:7 |
1 |
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
Php 2:9 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1/2 |
|
- |
|
1/ 2 |
- |
- |
|
- |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
- |
|
Php 2:11a |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
1/ 2 |
1 |
1 |
1/ 2? |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1/2 |
1 |
|
|
|
- |
|
Php 2:11b |
1 |
|
1? |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
- |
|
1/ 2 |
2 |
1 |
1/ 2? |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Php 2:12 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
- |
|
- |
1 |
1 |
1/ 2? |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
- |
|
Php 2:26 |
1 |
|
3? |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
- |
|
- |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1/ 2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
Php 2:30 |
2 |
|
1 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
5A |
2 |
1 |
3 |
|
- |
|
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
2/4 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
- |
|
Php 3:3 |
2 |
|
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
- |
|
2 |
2 |
2 |
1?/2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
- |
|
Php 3:12a |
4 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
4 |
4 |
1/3 |
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
1 |
|
3 |
1/3 |
1/2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
|
|
Php 3:12b |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
4 |
4 |
1/3 |
|
- |
|
1 |
4 |
4 |
|
4 |
3 |
|
1/2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
- |
|
Php 3:13 |
1 |
2? |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
- |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1/ 2? |
1 |
2 |
1/2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
- |
|
Php 3:15 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
- |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
- |
|
Php 3:16 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
3 |
1 |
1 |
|
- |
|
- |
1 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
(5) |
5 |
- |
|
Php 3:21 |
1 |
- |
- |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
2 |
1? |
1? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
4 |
|
|
1/4 |
1/4 |
4 |
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
Php 4:3 |
4 |
2? |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
- |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1/ 2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Php 4:7 |
1 |
4? |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
- |
|
1/ 2 |
2 |
3 |
1/ 2? |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Php 4:8 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
- |
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
1/ 2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Php 4:13 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
- |
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1/ 2 |
2 |
2 |
- |
|
Php 4:16 |
1 |
|
4 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
- |
|
- |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
3 |
2 |
|
|
- |
|
Php 4:19 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
2 |
|
|
|
- |
|
- |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
2 |
1 |
1/2 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
- |
|
Php 4:23 |
2 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
2 |
2 |
|
|
Php 4:23 |
1 |
|
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
- |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
postscript |
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Place |
words |
p16 |
p46 |
Si |
A |
B |
C |
D |
Sah |
Boh |
Fay |
Iren |
ClemA |
Origen |
Ital b |
Ital d |
Vulgate |
Pelag. |
Eth |
Chrysost |
Byz |
Arm |
Geo |
Syr P |
Syr H |
Syr Pal |
For the variations, Sinaiticus and Vaticanus only agree in
16 out of 25 places (64%). The unanimous Byzantine Lectionary and Sinaiticus
agree in 7 out of 19 places (37%).