In another topic,
stilllearning wrote --
... Now, we are about to embark, upon the subject, of “which New Testament manuscripts should be trusted”?
And since there seems to be some confusion in the minds of some people here, about the meanings of the “TR” or the “received text”: Let me cut through that confusion, and identify them as, the “majority Byzantine manuscripts”.
These are the texts that were fully accepted as God’s Word, up until 1893. And I still trust them today. ...
Perhaps, some people do not understand that there is a difference between the approximately 30 printed Greek editions collectively known as the
Textus Receptus (TR) and the printed Greek texts claiming to represent the 'majority' readings from the Byzantine family of manuscripts (often abbreviated as MT, but not to be confused with the Masoretic Text of the Hebrew scripture).
Two such Greek texts have been published:
The New Testament in the Original Greek: Byzantine Textform compiled by Robinson & Pierpont; and,
The Greek New Testament According to the Majority Text by Hodges & Farstad. Only a handful of English translations have been attempted based on these or other MT efforts. Many differences between the TR and the MT can be smoothed over in the translation to English. However, some are obvious and could be considered important.
For example, notice Matthew 10:8 in three TR-based versions include an
additional phrase "raise the dead" not found in MT-based versions --
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. (KJV)
Heale the sicke, clense the lepers rayse the deed, cast out the deuils. Frely ye haue receaued, frely geue againe. (Coverdale)
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead,* cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give (NKJV)
"Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. (EMTV)
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers*, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give. (WEB)
"Be healing [ones] being sick, be cleansing lepers [or, [ones] with a skin disease], be casting out demons; freely you* received, freely give. (ALT)
Another significant example, notice Matthew 23:25 in three TR-based versions have a
different word basically meaning "excess", while the MT-based versions display a word that essentially means "unrighteousness" (also witnessed iby Wycliffe below) --
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. (KJV)
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.* (NKJV)
Wo vnto you scrybes and Pharises, ye Ypocrytes, which make cleane the vttersyde of the cuppe and platter, but within are ye full of robbery and excesse. (Coverdale)
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and unrighteousness.*(EMTV)
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness. (WEB)
How horrible it will be to you*, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you* cleanse [or, purify] the outside of the cup and the plate, but within they are full of violent greed and unrighteousness. (ALT)
Woo to you, scribis and Farisees, ypocritis, that clensen the cuppe and the plater with outforth; but with ynne ye ben ful of raueyne and vnclennesse. (WYC)
A third quick example, notice Matthew 27:41 in three TR-based versions
are lacking the word "Pharisees", included in the MT-based versions (also found in a Geneva edition) --
Likewise also the chief priests mocking [him], with the scribes and elders, said, (KJV)
Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders,* said, (NKJV)
The hye prestes also in like maner with the scrybes & elders, laughed him to scorne, and sayde: (Coverdale)
Likewise the chief priests also, mocking Him with the scribes and elders, and Pharisees, said, (EMTV)
Likewise the chief priests also mocking, with the scribes, the Pharisees, and the elders, said, (WEB)
Then likewise also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders and Pharisees, ridiculing [Him], saying, (ALT)
Likewise also the hie Priests mocking him, with the Scribes, and Elders, and Pharises, said, (GEN1562)
It is evident that the KJV does NOT reflect all the majority readings from the Byzantine manuscript family. BTW: most modern versions based upon eclectic Greek texts (CT)
agree with the KJV/TR versions in all three verses above against the MT.
NOTE: the EMTV and WEB is text available online; I typed the ALT text in from my hardcopy. The ALT 'expands' some renderings in brackets. The ALT also has some special typographic features; one being that "you" followed by an asterisk indicates the plural form of the pronoun. The asterisks original to the NKJV verses denote that there are associated footnotes indicating the variant MT readings.
