Textual variants in the Gospel of Mark are the subject of the study called textual criticism of the New Testament. Textual variants in manuscripts arise when a copyist makes deliberate or inadvertent alterations to a text that is being reproduced.[1]: 251–271 An abbreviated list of textual variants in this particular book is given in this article below.
Origen, writing in the 3rd century, was one of the first who made remarks about differences between manuscripts of texts that were eventually collected as the New Testament.[1]: 200 He declared his preferences among variant readings. For example, in Matthew 27:16–17, he favored "Barabbas" against "Jesus Barabbas" (In Matt. Comm. ser. 121).[1]: 201 In John 1:28, he preferred "Bethabara" over "Bethany" as the location where John was baptizing (Commentary on John VI.40 (24)).[1]: 201 "Gergeza" was preferred over "Geraza" or "Gadara" (Commentary on John VI.40 (24) – see Matthew 8:28).[1]: 201
Most of the variations are not significant and some common alterations include the deletion, rearrangement, repetition, or replacement of one or more words when the copyist's eye returns to a similar word in the wrong location of the original text.[1]: 253 If their eye skips to an earlier word, they may create a repetition (error of dittography).[1]: 254 If their eye skips to a later word, they may create an omission.[1]: 253–254 They may resort to performing a rearranging of words to retain the overall meaning without compromising the context.[1]: 257 In other instances, the copyist may add text from memory from a similar or parallel text in another location.[1]: 257 Otherwise, they may also replace some text of the original with an alternative reading.[1]: 257 Spellings occasionally change. Synonyms may be substituted. A pronoun may be changed into a proper noun (such as "he said" becoming "Jesus said").[1]: 254–257 John Mill's 1707 Greek New Testament was estimated to contain some 30,000 variants in its accompanying textual apparatus[2] which was based on "nearly 100 [Greek] manuscripts."[1]: 154 Peter J. Gurry puts the number of non-spelling variants among New Testament manuscripts around 500,000, though he acknowledges his estimate is higher than all previous ones.[3]
καθὼς γέγραπται (Just as it is written) – Alexandrian text-type: Westcott and Hort 1881, Westcott and Hort / [NA27 and UBS4 variants] 1864–94, Tischendorf 8th Edition, Nestle 1904[7][8]
ὡς γέγραπται (As it is written) – ς[8]Byz: Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550, Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894, RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005, Greek Orthodox Church[7]
ἐν τοῖς προφήταις (in the prophets) – A E F G H K P W Π Σ ƒ13 28 180 579 597 1006 1009 1010 1079 1195 1216 1230 1242 1253 1292 1342 1344 1365 1424 1505 1546 1646 Byz Lect vgms syrh copbo(ms)(mg) arm eth slav Irenaeuslat2/3 Asterius Photius Theophylact ς ND Dio.[8]Byz: Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550, Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894, RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005, Greek Orthodox Church[7]
ἐν τῷ Ἠσαἲᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ (in the Isaiah the prophet) – אBLD 22 33 565 892 1241 2427 Origen1/4.[8] Alexandrian text-type: Westcott and Hort 1881, Westcott and Hort / [NA27 and UBS4 variants] 1864–94, Tischendorf 8th Edition, Nestle 1904[7]
ἐν Ἠσαἲᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ (in Isaiah the prophet) – DΘƒ1 205 372 700 1071 1243 2174 2737 pc l253 arm geo Irenaeusgr Origen3/4 Severian (Jerome) Augustine Hesychius Victor-Antioch[8]
ἐν τῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ or ἐν Ἠσαΐᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ (in (the) Isaiah the prophet) – ita itaur itb itc itd itf itff2 itl itq vg syrp syrh(mg) syrpal copsa copbo goth Irenaeuslat1/3 Irenaeuslat NR CEI Riv TILC Nv NM[8]
Ἰδοὺ (Behold...) – B D Θ 28* 565 pc it vg cop Irenaeuslat.[8] Alexandrian text-type: Westcott and Hort 1881, Westcott and Hort / [NA27 and UBS4 variants] 1864–94, Nestle 1904[7]
Ἰδού, ἐγὼ (Behold, I...) – א A L W ƒ1ƒ13Byz vgst vgcl syrh copsa(ms) copbo(ms) Origen Eusebius ς.[8] Tischendorf 8th Edition.[7]Byz: Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550, Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894, RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005, Greek Orthodox Church[7]
τὴν ὁδόν σου· (the way of you:) – א B D K L P W Θ Π Φ 700* 2427 2766 al it vg syrp coppt Irenaeuslat WH NR CEI Riv TILC Nv NM.[8] Alexandrian text-type: Westcott and Hort 1881, Westcott and Hort / [NA27 and UBS4 variants] 1864–94, Tischendorf 8th Edition, Nestle 1904[7]
τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου. (the way of you before you.) – A Δ ƒ1ƒ13 33 565 1342 Byz itf itff2 itl vgcl syrh copsa(mss) copbo(pt) goth Origen Eusebius ς ND Dio.[8]Byz: Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550, Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894, RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005, Greek Orthodox Church[7]
Mark 1:4
ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ (the Baptist in the wilderness and) – א L Δ 205 1342 copbo geo1 slavms (NA [ὁ]) TILC[9]
ὁ βαπτίζων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ (the Baptist in the wilderness) – B 33 2427 pc copbo(mss) WH NR Riv Nv NM[9]
βαπτίζων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ καὶ (baptising in the wilderness and) – A E F G H K Pvid W Π Σ ƒ1ƒ13 180 565 579 1006 1009 1010 1071 1079 1195 1216 1230 1241 1242 1243 1253 1292 1344 1365 1424 1505 1546 1646 2148 2174 Byz Lect (l751) (l1074) itf syrh syrpal (copsa omitted καὶ) goth arm eth slavmss ς (CEI) (Dio)[9]
βαπτίζων ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ (baptising in the wilderness) – 892[9]
ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ βαπτίζων καὶ (in the wilderness baptising and) – D Θ 28 700 l2211 ita itaur itb itc itff1 itl itq itr1 itt vg syrp (Eusebius Cyril-Jerusalem omitted καὶ) Jerome Augustine ND[9]
πάντες, καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ (all, and [they] were baptised by him in the Jordan river) – B D L 28 33 892 1241 pc it vg cop? Origen WH NR CEI Riv (TILC) (Nv) NM[10]
πάντες, ἐβαπτίζοντο ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ (all, [they] were baptised by him in the Jordan river) – א* pc[10]
καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο πάντες ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ (and [they] were baptised all in the Jordan river by him) – A W ƒ1 700 Byz syrh ς ND Dio[10]
καὶ πάντες ἐβαπτίζοντο ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ (and all were baptised in the Jordan river by him) – ƒ13 565 pc[10]
καὶ ἐβαπτίζοντο ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ (and [they] were baptised in the Jordan river by him) – Θ pc[10]
ἐγὼ (I) – WH.[13] Alexandrian text-type: Westcott and Hort 1881, Westcott and Hort / [NA27 and UBS4 variants] 1864–94, Tischendorf 8th Edition, Nestle 1904[14]
ἐγὼ μέν (I indeed) – Byz ς.[13]Byz: Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550, Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894, RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005, Greek Orthodox Church[14]
Mark 1:8
ὕδατι ([with] water) – א B H Δ 33 892* 1006 1216 1243 1342 2427 vg arm geo Origen Jerome Augustine WH.[13] Alexandrian text-type: Westcott and Hort 1881, Westcott and Hort / [NA27 and UBS4 variants] 1864–94, Tischendorf 8th Edition, Nestle 1904[14]
ἐν ὕδατι (in water) – A E F G K L P W (Θ μέν before ἐν) Π Σ ƒ1ƒ13 28 157 180 205 565 579 700 892c 1009 1010 1071 1079 1195 1230 1241 1242 1253 1292 1344 1365 1424 1505 1546 1646 2148 2174 Byz Lect itaur itb itc itf itl itq itt vgmss copsa copbo goth eth Hippolytus ς.[13]Byz: Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550, Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894, RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005, Greek Orthodox Church[14]. Compare Matthew 3:11; John 1:26.[13]
ἐν ὕδατι (in water) inserted after λέγων in Mark 1:7 – D ita itd itff2 itr1[13]
εἰς τὰ ὅρια τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, (to the region/border of Judea, and/also/even/namely beyond the Jordan,) – Alexandrian text-type: Westcott and Hort 1881, Westcott and Hort / [NA27 and UBS4 variants], Tischendorf 8th Edition 1864–94, Nestle 1904
εἰς τὰ ὅρια τῆς Ἰουδαίας διὰ τοῦ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου· (to the region/border of Judea by/through the [land] beyond the Jordan.) – Byz: Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550, Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894, RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005, Greek Orthodox Church
πρὶν ἢ δὶς ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι (before that the rooster has crowed twice) – AByz[19]
πρὶν ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι (before the rooster has crowed) – א[20]C* aeth, arm, Western text-type: D cu2 lat.afr-eur[19]
Mark 14:39
τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον εἰπών (spoke the same words) – omitted by D a, b, c, d, ff2, k, (syrcur)
Mark 14:68
καὶ άλέκτωρ ἐφώνησεν (and the rooster crowed) – inserted by Western and Byzantine text-types after προαύλιον; not found in Alexandrian text-type (אBL it, 17 c, me)[19]
Mark 14:72a
εὐθὺς (immediately) – Alexandrian text-type; omitted by Byz[21]
ἐκ δευτέρου (for the second time) – omitted by אc, Lc, vg.cod[19]
Mark 14:72b
πριν αλεκτορα φωνηϲαι τριϲ με απαρνηϲη (before the rooster has crowed thrice me you will have denied) – אc;[22] several other mss also omit δίς (twice)[19]
mss such as A and Byz do include δίς (twice),[19] but in varying word orders:[21]
Πρὶν ἀλέκτορα δὶς φωνῆσαι τρίς με ἀπαρνήσῃ (before the rooster twice has crowed thrice me you will have denied) – Westcott and Hort 1881, Westcott and Hort / [NA27 and UBS4 variants], Nestle 1904
Πρὶν ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι δίς, ἀπαρνήσῃ με τρίς (before the rooster has crowed twice, you will have denied me thrice) – Stephanus Textus Receptus 1550, Scrivener's Textus Receptus 1894, RP Byzantine Majority Text 2005, Greek Orthodox Church
πρὶν ἀλέκτορα φωνῆσαι δὶς τρίς με ἀπαρνήσῃ (before the rooster has crowed twice thrice me you will have denied) – Tischendorf 8th Edition 1864–94
^Fox, Adam (1954). John Mill and Richard Bentley: A Study of the Textual Criticism of the New Testament 1675–1729. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. pp. 105–115.; Mill, John (1707). Novum Testamentum Graecum, cum lectionibus variantibus MSS. Oxford.
Ehrman, Bart D. (1996). The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture: The Effect of Early Christological Controversies on the Text of the New Testament. New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 223–227.
Metzger, Bruce Manning (1994). A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament: A Companion Volume to the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament. London, New York: United Bible Societies.
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