[B-Greek] Listening to Romans 5:1 (Greek NT Audio)

Tony Pope borikayaama_tekiri at sil.org
Thu Oct 9 05:37:13 EDT 2008


Dr Don Wilkins wrote:

... In practice, it means that the Byzantine text-type will virtually always
win out because it almost always has the easier reading based on
context. Rom. 5:1 is a good example; note, in particular, that B and
Aleph were "corrected" to the easier reading. ...

This seems to be an over-simplification. In the Romans 5:1 example, the poll of all manuscripts 
available to the Münster Institute (in the Text und Textwert volume) gives 56.5% reading ECOMEN and 
43.5% reading ECWMEN. In other words, in this case there is no "Byzantine reading".

Another interesting example in this connection is in 1 Cor 15.49. There, p46, Aleph and the majority 
of Greek MSS, followed by Westcott & Hort's text, read FORESWMEN, whereas B and the minority, 
followed by the Textus Receptus and WH margin and most editions, read FORESOMEN. Greek Fathers have 
been cited on both sides: Chrysostom et al for subjunctive, and Theodoret et al for indicative.

It seems, therefore, that some of these variations have been discussion points throughout church 
history, and if one wants to know the original reading when there are different interpretations due 
to hearing confusion it cannot be reliably determined by checking the "oldest and best" manuscripts.

Caragounis discusses in varying degrees of detail 36 cases of textual variation in the NT where 
pronunciation is evidently a significant factor ("The Development of Greek and the New Testament", 
chapter 8.)

Tony Pope




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