The Causes of the Corruption of the Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels Part 7

[A suggestive example[112] of the corruption introduced by a petty Itacism may be found in Rev. i. 5, where the beautiful expression which has found its way into so many tender pa.s.sages relating to Christian devotion, 'Who hath _washed_[113] us from our sins in His own blood'

(A.V.), is replaced in many critical editions (R.V.) by, 'Who hath _loosed_[114] us from our sins by His blood.' In early times a purist scribe, who had a dislike of anything that savoured of provincial retention of Aeolian or Dorian p.r.o.nunciations, wrote from unconscious bias [Greek: u] for [Greek: ou], transcribing [Greek: lusanti] for [Greek: lousanti] (unless he were not Greek scholar enough to understand the difference): and he was followed by others, especially such as, whether from their own prejudices or owing to sympathy with the scruples of other people, but at all events under the influence of a slavish literalism, hesitated about a pa.s.sage as to which they did not rise to the spiritual height of the precious meaning really conveyed therein.

Accordingly the three uncials, which of those that give the Apocalypse date nearest to the period of corruption, adopt [Greek: u], followed by nine cursives, the Harkleian Syriac, and the Armenian versions. On the other side, two uncials--viz. B^{2} of the eighth century and P of the ninth--the Vulgate, Bohairic, and Ethiopic, write [Greek: lousanti]

and--what is most important--all the other cursives except the handful just mentioned, so far as examination has yet gone, form a barrier which forbids intrusion.]

[An instance where an error from an Itacism has crept into the Textus Receptus may be seen in St. Luke xvi. 25. Some scribes needlessly changed [Greek: hode] into [Greek: hode], misinterpreting the letter which served often for both the long and the short [Greek: o], and thereby cast out some ill.u.s.trative meaning, since Abraham meant to lay stress upon the enjoyment 'in his bosom' of comfort by Lazarus. The unanimity of the uncials, a majority of the cursives, the witness of the versions, that of the Fathers quote the place being uncertain, are sufficient to prove that [Greek: hode] is the genuine word.]

[Again, in St. John xiii. 25, [Greek: houtos] has dropped out of many copies and so out of the Received Text because by an Itacism it was written [Greek: outos] in many ma.n.u.scripts. Therefore [Greek: ekeinos outos] was thought to be a clear mistake, and the weaker word was accordingly omitted. No doubt Latins and others who did not understand Greek well considered also that [Greek: houtos] was redundant, and this was the cause of its being omitted in the Vulgate. But really [Greek: houtos], being sufficiently authenticated[115], is exactly in consonance with Greek usage and St. John's style[116], and adds considerably to the graphic character of the sacred narrative. St. John was reclining ([Greek: anakeimenos]) on his left arm over the bosom of the robe ([Greek: en toi kolpoi]) of the Saviour. When St. Peter beckoned to him he turned his head for the moment and sank ([Greek: epipeson], not [Greek: anapeson] which has the testimony only of B and about twenty-five uncials, [Symbol: Aleph] and C being divided against themselves) on the breast of the Lord, being still in the general posture in which he was ([Greek: houtos][117]), and asked Him in a whisper 'Lord, who is it?']

[Another case of confusion between [Greek: o] and [Greek: o] may be seen in St. Luke xv. 24, 32, where [Greek: apololos] has gained so strong a hold that it is found in the Received Text for [Greek: apololos], which last being the better attested appears to be the right reading[118]. But the instance which requires the most attention is [Greek: katharizon] in St. Mark vii. 19, and all the more because in _The Last Twelve Verses of St. Mark_, the alteration into [Greek: katharizon] is advocated as being 'no part of the Divine discourse, but the Evangelist's inspired comment on the Saviour's words[119].' Such a question must be decided strictly by the testimony, not upon internal evidence--which in fact is in this case absolutely decisive neither way, for people must not be led by the attractive view opened by [Greek: katharizon], and [Greek: katharizon]

bears a very intelligible meaning. When we find that the uncial evidence is divided, there being eight against the change ([Symbol: Phi][Symbol: Sigma]KMUV[Symbol: Gamma][Symbol: Pi]), and eleven for it ([Symbol: Aleph]ABEFGHLSX[Symbol: Delta]);--that not much is advanced by the versions, though the Pes.h.i.+tto, the Lewis Codex, the Harkleian (?), the Gothic, the Old Latin[120], the Vulgate, favour [Greek: katharizon];--nor by the Fathers:--since Aphraates[121], Augustine (?)[122], and Novatian[123] are contradicted by Origen[124], Theophylact[125], and Gregory Thaumaturgus[126], we discover that we have not so far made much way towards a satisfactory conclusion. The only decided element of judgement, so far as present enquiries have reached, since suspicion is always aroused by the conjunction of [Symbol: Aleph]AB, is supplied by the cursives which with a large majority witness to the received reading. It is not therefore safe to alter it till a much larger examination of existing evidence is made than is now possible. If difficulty is felt in the meaning given by [Greek: katharizon],--and that there is such difficulty cannot candidly be denied,--this is balanced by the grammatical difficulty introduced by [Greek: katharizon], which would be made to agree in the same clause with a verb separated from it by thirty-five parenthetic words, including two interrogations and the closing sentence. Those people who form their judgement from the Revised Version should bear in mind that the Revisers, in order to make intelligible sense, were obliged to introduce three fresh English words that have nothing to correspond to them in the Greek; being a repet.i.tion of what the mind of the reader would hardly bear in memory. Let any reader who doubts this leave out the words in italics and try the effect for himself. The fact is that to make this reading satisfactory, another alteration is required. [Greek: Katharizon panta ta bromata] ought either to be transferred to the 20th verse or to the beginning of the 18th. Then all would be clear enough, though dest.i.tute of a balance of authority: as it is now proposed to read, the pa.s.sage would have absolutely no parallel in the simple and transparent sentences of St. Mark. We must therefore be guided by the balance of evidence, and that is turned by the cursive testimony.]

-- 3.

Another minute but interesting indication of the accuracy and fidelity with which the cursive copies were made, is supplied by the constancy with which they witness to the preposition [Greek: en] (_not the numeral_ [Greek: hen]) in St. Mark iv. 8. Our Lord says that the seed which 'fell into the good ground' 'yielded by ([Greek: en]) thirty, and by ([Greek: en]) sixty, and by ([Greek: en]) an hundred.' Tischendorf notes that besides all the uncials which are furnished with accents and breathings (viz. EFGHKMUV[Symbol: Pi]) 'nearly 100 cursives' exhibit [Greek: en] here and in ver. 20. But this is to misrepresent the case.

All the cursives may be declared to exhibit [Greek: en], e.g. all Matthaei's and all Scrivener's. I have myself with this object examined a large number of Evangelia, and found [Greek: en] in all. The Basle MS.

from which Erasmus derived his text[127] exhibits [Greek: en],--though he printed [Greek: hen] out of respect for the Vulgate. The Complutensian having [Greek: hen], the reading of the Textus Receptus follows in consequence: but the Traditional reading has been shewn to be [Greek: en],--which is doubtless intended by [Greek: EN] in Cod. A.

Codd. [Symbol: Aleph]C[Symbol: Delta] (two ever licentious and [Symbol: Delta] similarly so throughout St. Mark) subst.i.tute for the preposition [Greek: en] the preposition [Greek: eis],--(a sufficient proof to me that they understand [Greek: EN] to represent [Greek: en], not [Greek: hen]): and are followed by Tischendorf, Tregelles, and the Revisers. As for the chartered libertine B (and its servile henchman L), for the first [Greek: en] (but not for the second and third) it subst.i.tutes the preposition [Greek: EIS]: while, in ver. 20, it retains the first [Greek: en], but omits the other two. In all these vagaries Cod. B is followed by Westcott and Hort[128].

-- 4.

St. Paul[129] in his Epistle to t.i.tus [ii. 5] directs that young women shall be 'keepers at home,' [Greek: oikourous]. So, (with five exceptions,) every known Codex[130], including the corrected [Symbol: Aleph] and D,--HKLP; besides 17, 37, 47. So also Clemens Alex.[131]

(A.D. 180),--Theodore of Mopsuestia[132],--Basil[133],--Chrysostom[134]-- Theodoret[135],--Damascene[136]. So again the Old Latin (_domum custodientes_[137]),--the Vulgate (_domus curam habentes_[138]),--and Jerome (_habentes domus diligentiam_[139]): and so the Pes.h.i.+tto and the Harkleian versions,--besides the Bohairic. There evidently can be no doubt whatever about such a reading so supported. To be [Greek: oikouros] was held to be a woman's chiefest praise[140]: [Greek: kalliston ergon gyne oikouros], writes Clemens Alex.[141]; a.s.signing to the wife [Greek: oikouria] as her proper province[142]. On the contrary, 'gadding about from house to house' is what the Apostle, writing to Timothy[143], expressly condemns. But of course the decisive consideration is not the support derived from internal evidence; but the plain fact that antiquity, variety, respectability, numbers, continuity of attestation, are all in favour of the Traditional reading.

Notwithstanding this, Lachmann, Tischendorf, Tregelles, Westcott and Hort, because they find [Greek: oikourgous] in [Symbol: Aleph]*ACD*F-G, are for thrusting that 'barbarous and scarcely intelligible' word, if it be not even a non-existent[144], into t.i.tus ii. 5. The Revised Version in consequence exhibits 'workers at home'--which Dr. Field may well call an 'unnecessary and most tasteless innovation.' But it is insufficiently attested as well, besides being a plain perversion of the Apostle's teaching. [And the error must have arisen from carelessness and ignorance, probably in the West where Greek was not properly understood.]

So again, in the cry of the demoniacs, [Greek: ti hemin kai soi, Iesou, huie tou Theou]; (St. Matt. viii. 29) the name [Greek: Iesou] is omitted by B[Symbol: Aleph].

The reason is plain the instant an ancient MS. is inspected:--[Greek: KAISOI_IU_UIETOU_THU_]:--the recurrence of the same letters caused too great a strain to scribes, and the omission of two of them was the result of ordinary human infirmity.

Indeed, to this same source are to be attributed an extraordinary number of so-called 'various readings'; but which in reality, as has already been shewn, are nothing else but a collection of mistakes,--the surviving tokens that anciently, as now, copying clerks left out words; whether misled by the fatal proximity of a like ending, or by the speedy recurrence of the like letters, or by some other phenomenon with which most men's acquaintance with books have long since made them familiar.

FOOTNOTES:

[96] St. Mark xi. 4. See Revision Revised, pp. 57-58.

[97] St. Mark vii. 19, [Greek: katharizon] for [Greek: katharizon]. See below, pp. 61-3.

[98] St. Luke ii. 14.

[99] St. Luke xxiii. 42.

[100] St. Matt. xx. 9. See also St. Mark xi. 9, 10.

[101] 'Quae quidem orationis prolixitas non conveniens esset si [Greek: hote] legendum esset.'

[102] iv. 577: 'quando.'

[103] Dem. Ev. 310, 312, 454 _bis._

[104] i. 301.

[105] ii. 488, and _ap._ Gall. vi. 580.

[106] Trin. 59, 99, 242.

[107] viii. 406, 407. Also ps.-Chrysost. v. 613. Note, that 'Apolinarius' in Cramer's Cat. 332 is Chrys. viii. 407.

[108] _Ap._ Chrys. vi. 453.

[109] iv. 505, 709, and _ap_. Mai iii. 85.

[110] ii. 102: iv. 709, and _ap_. Mai iii. 118.

[111] v^{1}. 642.

[112] Unfortunately, though the Dean left several lists of instances of Itacism, he worked out none, except the subst.i.tution of [Greek: hen] for [Greek: en] in St. Mark iv. 8, which as it is not strictly on all fours with the rest I have reserved till last. He mentioned all that I have introduced (besides a few others), on detached papers, some of them more than once, and [Greek: lousanti] and [Greek: katharizon] even more than the others. In the brief discussion of each instance which I have supplied, I have endeavoured whenever it was practicable to include any slight expressions of the Dean's that I could find, and to develop all surviving hints.

[113] [Greek: lousanti].

[114] [Greek: lusanti].

[115]

[Greek: houtos]. BCEFGHLMX[Symbol: Delta]. Most cursives. Goth.

[Greek: outos]. KSU[Symbol: Gamma][Symbol: Lambda]. Ten cursives.

_Omit_ [Symbol: Aleph]AD[Pi]. Many cursives. Vulg. Pesh. Ethiop.

Armen. Georg. Slavon.

Bohair. Pers.

[116] E.g. Thuc. vii. 15, St. John iv. 6.

[117] See St. John iv. 6: Acts xx. 11, xxvii. 17. The beloved Apostle was therefore called [Greek: ho epistethios]. See Suicer. s. v. Westcott on St. John xiii. 25.

[118]

24. [Greek: apololos.] [Symbol: Aleph]^{a}ABD &c.

[Greek: apololos]. [Symbol: Aleph]*GKMRSX[Symbol: Gamma][Symbol: Pi]*. Most curs.

32. [Greek: apololos]. [Symbol: Aleph]*ABD &c.

[Greek: apololos]. [Symbol: Aleph]^{c}KMRSX[Symbol: Gamma][Symbol: Pi]*. Most curs.

[119] Pp. 179, 180. Since the Dean has not adopted [Greek: katharizon]

into his corrected text, and on account of other indications which caused me to doubt whether he retained the opinion of his earlier years, I applied to the Rev. W. F. Rose, who answered as follows:--'I am thankful to say that I can resolve all doubt as to my uncle's later views of St. Mark vii. 19. In his annotated copy of the _Twelve Verses_ he deletes the words in his note p. 179, "This appears to be the true reading," and writes in the margin, "The old reading is doubtless the true one," and in the margin of the paragraph referring to [Greek: katharizon] on p. 180 he writes, "Alter the wording of this." This entirely agrees with my own recollection of many conversations with him on the subject. I think he felt that the weight of the cursive testimony to the old rending was conclusive,--at least that he was not justified in changing the text in spite of it.' These last words of Mr. Rose express exactly the inference that I had drawn.

[120] 'The majority of the Old Latin MSS. have "in secessum uadit (or exiit) purgans omnes escas"; _i_ (Vindobonensis) and _r_ (Usseria.n.u.s) have "et purgat" for "purgans": and _a_ has a conflation "in secessum exit purgans omnes escas et exit in rivum"--so they all point the same way.'--(Kindly communicated by Mr. H. J. White.)

[121] Dem. xv. (Graffin)--'Vadit enim esca in ventrem, unde purgatione in secessum emitt.i.tur.' (Lat.)