[B-Greek] Remark on textual critics

Albert Pietersma albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
Thu Mar 20 10:39:13 EST 2003



Iver Larsen wrote:

> Yes, my statement was hyperbolic in order to try to make a point. You are
> quite right about the intent and background for the lectio difficilior
> principle, and I agree with the reasons behind the principle. The problem,
> as I see it, is more that the various textual principles are not balanced
> properly by internal evidence and the possibility of accidental changes by
> copyists. The lectio difficilior principle rests solely on the unprovable
> assumption that changes made by copyists were deliberate. I am sure they
> often are, but sometimes they are not.

I am sure they MOST often are NOT, but sometimes they are.
Al

>
>
> Since we do not discuss textual criticism as such on this list, I cannot say
> more.
>
> My comment was in a response to the question why English versions often do
> not translate the NA or UBS text that they presumably base their translation
> on. One possible answer is that they want to make sense out of a Greek
> reading that does not make good sense and can hardly be original. In many
> cases, the better reading is found among the alternatives given in the
> apparatus. And in my experience, this is especially the case in 1 John.
>
> Iver Larsen
>
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--
Albert Pietersma
Dept of Near&Middle Eastern Civilizations
4 Bancroft Avenue
University of Toronto
Toronto M5S 1C1
albert.pietersma at sympatico.ca
homepage http://www.chass.utoronto.ca:8080/~pietersm/




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