What is Textual Criticism?
If you’ve been following along in my blog, you’re probably hoping I’ll move onto a different subject. I’ll present one more type of critical apparatus, this one comparing some ancient Greek manuscripts with modern critical editions. The apparatuses I’ve shown in previous articles are from United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament, Third Edition (USB3)1, Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 27th Edition (NA27)2 and Reuben Swanson’s New Testament Greek Manuscripts: Variant Readings Arranged in Horizontal Lines Against Codex Vaticanus3. Today’s article is about the Center for New Testament Restoration’s Greek New Testament Interlinear.
7…and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah…. (Matthew 1:7-8 ESV)
Center for New Testament Restoration
The apparatus is divided into four sections:
- Ancient Greek manuscripts
- GA P1 – Gregory Aland Papyrus 1 (A.D. 225-274)
- GA 01* – Gregory Aland 01 / א / Codex Sinaiticus – original scribe (A.D. 325-360)
- GA 01 – Gregory Aland 01 / א / Codex Sinaiticus – later corrector (A.D. 325-360)
- GA 03 – Gregory Aland 03 / B / Codex Vaticanus (A.D. 325-349)
- GA 04 – Gregory Aland 04 / C / Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (A.D. 375-499)
- GA 032 – Gregory Aland 032 / W / Codex Washingtonianus (A.D. 375-499)
- Modern Critical Editions
- WH – Westcott and Hort (1885)
- NA28 – Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th Edition (2012)
- SBL – Society of Biblical Literature Greek New Testament (2010)
- RP – Robinson-Pierpont Greek New Testament (2018)
- KJTR – King James Textus Receptus (2020)
- ST – Robertus Stephanus (1550)
- BHP+ – Bunning Heuristic Prototype Greek New Testament
- CNTRI – Center for New Testament Restoration Interlinear
The older manuscripts use Ἀσάφ (Asaph), while modern critical editions are split between Ἀσάφ (Asaph, a musician; 1 Chronicles 25:1) and Ἀσά (a King of Judah; 1 Kings 15:8-9). It isn’t obvious from the information shown here, but the critical editions using Ἀσάφ generally follow the Alexandrian text types, while the critical editions using Ἀσά generally follow the Byzantine text type.4
The presentation used by CNTR is much easier to understand than the ones used by UBS and NA. It’s slightly easier to read then the one by Swanson, but it only has 14 witnesses, verses Swanson’s 71.
Resources
- Andrews, Edward. NTTC MATTHEW 1:7-8: Absolute Inerrancy or Limited Inerrancy? What is the original reading Asa or Asaph? (Christian Publishing House, 23-Dec-2018) Accessed 01-Oct-2020.
- Hixon, Elijah. Asa or Asaph in Matthew 1: A Teaser for the THGNT Textual Commentary (Evengelical Textual Criticism, August 16, 2019) Accessed 01-Oct-2020.
Footnotes
