[B-Greek] Question on NWT's footnote to Rev. 16:13
Anthony Becker
ABecker at nerdshack.com
Fri Oct 3 04:21:51 EDT 2008
Here is the text in question with the New World Translation:
καὶ εἶδον ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ δράκοντος καὶ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ θηρίου καὶ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ ψευδοπροφήτου πνεύματα τρία ἀκάθαρτα ὡς βάτραχοι
And I saw three unclean inspired expressions [that looked] like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the wild beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
-New World Translation (1984 revision)
The original translation reads the same without the brackets:
And I saw three unclean inspired expressions that looked like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the wild beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.
-New World Translation (1950 edition)
My question is not about the unusual translation “unclean inspired expressions” (πνεύματα τρία ἀκάθαρτα), but the verb “come” here. While supplying a verb here is not remarkable (see “issuing” (RSV), “they came out” (NIV), etc.), I thought it was interesting that the translators of the New World Translation felt that they needed to supply a footnote in support of the verb “come” in the 1950 edition (this footnote does not appear in the 1984 revision). The footnote is as follows:
“Come,” MSS. Nos. 169, 189, 216, Arm 1, 2, Sahidic and Ethiopic; but omitted by א A Vg Sy(h)
I am curious as to the reading they are referring to. I thought that they might be referring to the variant ἐδόθη for Westcott-Hort’s εἶδον. However, the fact that they specifically say that “come” is omitted by א (which reads ἐδόθη) and that their translation has “I saw” = εἶδον indicates that they must be referring to something else. Passing over the support of the versions for now, I am unsure of the Greek manuscripts cited (MSS. Nos. 169, 189, 216). I have been unable to find these manuscripts in the New Testament MSS lists I have. Is there anyone who would be able to help me identify what manuscripts they are referring to or the reading contained in them?
Anthony Becker
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