[b-greek] Re: 1Corinthians 4:6

From: dixonps@juno.com
Date: Sat Mar 10 2001 - 17:30:59 EST


On Sat, 10 Mar 2001 13:20:39 -0500 "Chuck Tripp" <ctripp@ptialaska.net>
writes:
> Hello everyone,
>
> I am new to the list. I have a question regarding 1 Corinthians
> 4:6.
>
> In the UBS 4th edition it has:
>
> "...hINA en hHMIN MAQHTE TO MH hUPER hA GEGRAPTAI, hINA MH hEIS
> hUPER..."
>
> The Bys/T.R. inserts after GEGRAPTAI, QRONEIN.

>
> Now, the textual variant is not picked up by the Apparatus in the
> UBS, I just happened to notice the variant.
>
> Now for my questions. It seems to me that the variant should be
> picked up by Apparatus and I am curious if anyone might know
> why it is not. Was it an oversight?

No oversight. They editorial board chose not to include it, because in
their judgment the variant reading did not even measure up to a D grade
(they measure the variants on a scale of A - D, regarding likelihood, A
being the strongest likelihood).

> It is my observation that the sentence makes a whole lot more sense
> with QRONEIN inserted. In fact, I could not make head nor tails of the
> sentence as it is written in the UBS which was what prompted me to
> start digging around.

The fact the inclusion makes a lot more sense to you is probably the very
reason it was included by a late scribe while copying. If you compare
the preponderance of Byzantine manuscripts we have available, you will
find they tend to be longer, smoother, and grammatically more correct.
They are also more late dated. Most recognize that scribes tended to
smooth out readings, make them more understandable, even include
something from other scripture by way of explanation. The rule of thumb
in textual criticism, at least as used by the UBS: look for the oldest
and shortest manuscripts, usually the ones best explaining the origins of
other manuscripts (shorter versus longer and smoother, as per above), and
prefer the readings supported by a wider text family support (two or more
family support).

The UBS editorial committee saw that the omission of QRONEIN was
supported by some of the oldest manuscripts and from both the Alexandrian
and Western families: Aleph, B, p46, A, D, etc. That must have sowed it
up for them.

> Further question: Any idea what the UBS version means? How does
> the NIV get "so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying,
> "Do not go beyond what is written." from hINA EN nHMIN MAQHTE TO
> ME hUPER hA GEGRAPTAI?

What particular problem do you have here?

Paul Dixon

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