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Bible Translations
It’s All Greek To Me!• 5,255 Greek Manuscripts– Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 87 (Kurt Aland)
• 127 Papyrus Fragments• 267 Uncials (Books with Uppercase Letters)• 2,764 Minuscules• 80% of the N.T. Quoted by Church Fathers• 90% of the N.T. Quoted in Lectionaries (2,143)• The Challenge: How do you deal with so much!
How Do You Deal With So ManyGreek Manuscripts & Fragments?
• Scholars group their source material into categories with similar features.
• Alexandrian text-type: The earliest.– “Up until the 9th century, Greek texts were written
entirely in UPPERCASE letters…”• Byzantine text-type: The most numerous.– “During the 9th & 10th centuries, the new lower-
case writing hand of Minuscules came gradually to replace the older style.”
Features of these Text-Types• Alexandrian Manuscripts Are Usually Shorter &
Byzantine Usually Longer.– Alexandrian: And forgive us our sins; for we ourselves
also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation. (Luke 4:11 NASB95)
– Byzantine: And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. (Luke 4:11 KJV)
• Alexandrian Manuscripts Have More “Difficult” Readings & Byzantine More Parallel.– Mark 1:2 “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet…”
Alex.– Mark 1:2 “As it is written in the prophets…” Byz.
Scholars Then Assemble The Complete Greek New Testament• Three popular versions of the Greek New
Testaments result based on the priority given to each text-type.
• Byzantine Emphasis: (KJV)– The Majority Text/Textus Receptus
• Alexandrian Emphasis: (ASV, ESV, NIV) – Westcott & Hort
• Eclectic: (NAS, NASB95)– Novum Testamentum Graece (Nestle-Aland)
About The Textus Receptus• The first printed edition of the Greek New Testament was
completed by Erasmus and published on March 1, 1516. This version was rushed to publication because of competition with the Complutensian Polygot.
• To meet his deadline, Erasmus based his work on approximately 6 manuscripts, all of which dated from the 12th Century or later; and only one was not of the Byzantine text type.
• He also back-translated six verses from the Latin Vulgate, and introduced many readings from the Vulgate and Church Fathers.
• The Point: It is a wonderful and monumental text, but it was not created using a wide range of early manuscripts.
About Wescott & Hort• “the general validity of their critical principles and
procedures is widely acknowledged by scholars today.” – Bruce Metzger
• “The international committee that produced the UBS Greek New Testament, not only adopted the Wescott and Hort edition as its basic text, but followed their methodology in giving attention to both external and internal consideration.” – B.M.
• The Point: It is a scholarly and monumental accomplishment, but the authors openly rejected the history of Genesis 1-3 and miracles. They also held many other very troublesome beliefs.
About The Nestle-Aland• Presents the Greek Text as a compilation of both
text-types. Uses a complex set of abbreviations (the critical apparatus) to alert the reader of the source documents.
About The Nestle-Aland• Presents the Greek Text as a compilation of both
text-types. Uses a complex set of abbreviations (the critical apparatus) to alert the reader of the source documents.
• Began in 1898 combining three major Greek Text: Tischendorf, Wescott & Hort, and Weymouth.
• In 1901, Weymouth’s was replaced with the Greek text of Bernhard Weiss.
• In 1952 Kurt Aland became associate editor and added notations for many more manuscripts leading to the 25th edition in 1963.
About The Nestle-Aland• The 25th edition contained 558 differences from
the Wescott-Hort edition.• Great manuscript discoveries during the Twentieth
Century then led to the creation of the 26th edition.– “The age of Westcott-Hort and of Tischendorf is
definitely over.” Kurt Aland, Intro to 26th Edition• For the 27th edition, the notations were heavily
updated and the introduction and appendices were rewritten.
Choosing Your Bible Translation• First, it should be pointed out that it is very
profitable to study from more than one.• The KJV or NKJV: Byzantine & Latin Emphasis
from the 12th Century and Later.• The ESV: Alexandrian Emphasis, Variant readings
are omitted or placed in footnotes.• The NASB: Closely follows the Nestle-Aland 27th
Edition, significant variant readings are placed in brackets within the text.
• The NET Bible. For reviewing tons of details. It includes 57,875 Translator Notes!
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