The Causes of the Corruption of the Traditional Text of the Holy Gospels Part 36

But he argues with an ingenuity that denotes a bad cause that the difference between [Greek: autou] and [Greek: pros auton] is really in his favour, chiefly because [Greek: autou] would very likely _if_ it had previously existed been changed into [Greek: pros auton]--which no one can doubt; and that '[Greek: synelthon pros auton] is certainly otiose after [Greek: synedramon ekei],' which shews that he did not understand the whole meaning of the pa.s.sage. His argument upon what he terms 'Intrinsic Probability' leads to a similar inference. For simply [Greek: exelthon] cannot mean that 'He "came out" of His retirement in some sequestered nook to meet them,' such a nook being not mentioned by St.

Mark, whereas [Greek: ploion] is; nor can [Greek: ekei] denote 'the desert region.' Indeed the position of that region or nook was known before it was reached solely to our Lord and His Apostles: the mult.i.tude was guided only by what they saw, or at least by vague surmise.

Accordingly, Dr. Hort's conclusion must be reversed. 'The balance of Internal Evidence of Readings, alike from Transcriptional and from Intrinsic Probability, is decidedly' _not_ 'in favour of [Symbol: delta]

from [Symbol: alpha] and [Symbol: beta],' _but_ 'of [Symbol: alpha] and [Symbol: beta] from [Symbol: delta].' The reading of the Traditional Text is the superior both as regards the meaning, and as to the probability of its pre-existence. The derivation of the two others from that is explained by that besetting fault of transcribers which is termed Omission. Above all, the Traditional reading is proved by a largely over-balancing weight of evidence.

(2) 'To examine other pa.s.sages equally in detail would occupy too much s.p.a.ce.' So says Dr. Hort: but we must examine points that require attention.

St. Mark viii. 26. After curing the blind man outside Bethsaida, our Lord in that remarkable period of His career directed him, according to the Traditional reading, ([Symbol: alpha]) neither to enter into that place, [Greek: mede eis ten komen eiselthes], nor ([Symbol: beta]) to tell what had happened to any inhabitant of Bethsaida ([Greek: mede eipes tini en te kome]). Either some one who did not understand the Greek, or some matter-of-fact and officious scholar, or both, thought or maintained that [Greek: tini en te kome] must mean some one who was at the moment actually in the place. So the second clause got to be omitted from the text of B[Symbol: Aleph], who are followed only by one cursive and a half (the first reading of 1 being afterwards corrected), and the Bohairic version, and the Lewis MS. The Traditional reading is attested by ACN[Symbol: Sigma] and thirteen other Uncials, all Cursives except eight, of which six with [Symbol: Phi] read a consolidation of both clauses, by several versions, and by Theophylact (i. 210) who is the only Father that quotes the place. This evidence ought amply to ensure the genuineness of this reading.

But what says Dr. Hort? 'Here [Symbol: alpha] is simple and vigorous, and it is unique in the New Testament: the peculiar [Greek: Mede] has the terse force of many sayings as given by St. Mark, but the softening into [Greek: Me] by [Symbol: Aleph]* shews that it might trouble scribes.' It is surely not necessary to controvert this. It may be said however that [Symbol: alpha] is bald as well as simple, and that the very difficulty in [Symbol: beta] makes it probable that that clause was not invented. To take [Greek: tini en te kome] Hebraistically for [Greek: tini ton en te kome], like the [Greek: tis en hymin] of St.

James v. 19[620], need not trouble scholars, I think. Otherwise they can follow Meyer, according to Winer's Grammar (II. 511), and translate the second [Greek: mede] _nor even_. At all events, this is a poor pillar to support a great theory.

(3) St. Mark ix. 38. 'Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, ([Symbol: beta]) who doth not follow us, and we forbad him ([Symbol: alpha]) because he followeth not us.'

Here the authority for [Symbol: alpha] is [Symbol: Aleph]BCL[Symbol: Delta], four Cursives, f, Bohairic, Pes.h.i.+tto, Ethiopic, and the Lewis MS. For [Symbol: beta] there are D, two Cursives, all the Old Latin but f and the Vulgate. For the Traditional Text, i.e. the whole pa.s.sage, A[Symbol: Phi][Symbol: Sigma]N + eleven Uncials, all the Cursives but six, the Harkleian (yet obelizes [Symbol: alpha]) and Gothic versions, Basil (ii. 252), Victor of Antioch (Cramer, Cat. i. 365), Theophylact (i. 219): and Augustine quotes separately both omissions ([Symbol: alpha] ix. 533, and [Symbol: beta] III. ii. 153). No other Fathers, so far as I can find, quote the pa.s.sage.

Dr. Hort appears to advance no special arguments on his side, relying apparently upon the obvious repet.i.tion. In the first part of the verse, St. John describes the case of the man: in the second he reports for our Lord's judgement the grounds of the prohibition which the Apostles gave him. Is it so certain that the original text of the pa.s.sage contained only the description, and omitted the reason of the prohibition as it was given to the non-follower of our Lord? To me it seems that the simplicity of St. Mark's style is best preserved by the inclusion of both. The Apostles did not curtly forbid the man: they treated him with reasonableness, and in the same spirit St. John reported to his Master all that occurred. Besides this, the evidence on the Traditional side is too strong to admit of it not being the genuine reading.

(4) St. Mark ix. 49. 'For ([Symbol: alpha]) every one shall be salted with fire, ([Symbol: beta]) and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.' The authorities are--

[Symbol: alpha]. [Symbol: Aleph]BL[Symbol: Delta], fifteen Cursives, some MSS. of the Bohairic, some of the Armenian, and the Lewis.

[Symbol: beta]. D, six copies of the Old Latin, three MSS. of the Vulgate. Chromatius of Aquileia (Galland. viii. 338).

Trad. Text. AC[Symbol: Phi][Symbol: Sigma]N and twelve more Uncials, all Cursives except fifteen, two Old Latin, Vulgate, Pes.h.i.+tto, Harkleian, some MSS. of Ethiopic and Armenian, Gothic, Victor of Antioch (Cramer's Cat. i. 368), Theophylact (i. 221).

This evidence must surely be conclusive of the genuineness of the Traditional reading. But now for Dr. Hort.

'A reminiscence of Lev. vii. 13 ... has created [Symbol: beta] out of [Symbol: alpha].' But why should not the reminiscence have been our Lord's? The pa.s.sage appears like a quotation, or an adaptation, of some authoritative saying. He positively advances no other argument than the one just quoted, beyond stating two points in which the alteration might be easily effected.

(5) St. Luke ix. 10. 'He took (His Apostles) and withdrew privately

[Symbol: alpha]. Into a city called Bethsaida [Greek: (eis polin kaloumenen] B.).

[Symbol: beta]. Into a desert place ([Greek: eis topon eremon]), or Into a desert place called Bethsaida, or of Bethsaida.

Trad. Text. Into a desert place belonging to a city called Bethsaida.'

The evidence for these readings respectively is--

[Symbol: alpha]. BLX[Symbol: Xi], with one correction of [Symbol: Aleph] (C^{a}), one Cursive, the Bohairic and Sahidic.

D reads [Greek: komen].

[Symbol: beta]. The first and later readings (C^{b}) of [Symbol: Aleph], four Cursives?, Curetonian, some variant Old Latin ([Symbol: beta]^{2}), Pes.h.i.+tto also variant ([Symbol: beta]^{3}).

Trad. Text. A (with [Greek: eremon topon]) C + twelve Uncials, all Cursives except three or five, Harkleian, Lewis (omits [Greek: eremon]), Ethiopic, Armenian, Gothic, with Theophylact (i. 33).

Remark the curious character of [Symbol: alpha] and [Symbol: beta]. In Dr. Hort's Neutral Text, which he maintains to have been the original text of the Gospels, our Lord is represented here as having withdrawn in private ([Greek: kat' idian], which the Revisers s.h.i.+rking the difficulty translate inaccurately 'apart') _into the city called Bethsaida_. How could there have been privacy of life _in_ a city in those days? In fact, [Greek: kat' idian] necessitates the adoption of [Greek: topon eremon], as to which the Pes.h.i.+tto ([Symbol: beta]^{3}) is in substantial agreement with the Traditional Text. Bethsaida is represented as the capital of a district, which included, at sufficient distance from the city, a desert or retired spot. The group arranged under [Symbol: beta]

is so weakly supported, and is evidently such a group of fragments, that it can come into no sort of compet.i.tion with the Traditional reading.

Dr. Hort confines himself to shewing _how_ the process he advocates might have arisen, not _that_ it did actually arise. Indeed, this position can only be held by a.s.suming the conclusion to be established that it _did_ so arise.

(6) St. Luke xi. 54. 'The Scribes and Pharisees began to urge Him vehemently and to provoke Him to speak of many things ([Greek: enedreuontes thereusai]),

[Symbol: alpha]. Laying wait for Him to catch something out of His mouth.

[Symbol: beta]. Seeking to get some opportunity ([Greek: aphormen tina]) for finding out how to accuse Him ([Greek: hina eurosin kategoresai]); or, for accusing Him ([Greek: hina kategoresosin autou]).

Trad. Text. Laying wait for Him, _and_ seeking to catch something ([Greek: zetountes thereusai ti]) out of His mouth, that they might accuse Him.'

The evidence is--

[Symbol: alpha]. [Symbol: Aleph]BL, Bohairic, Ethiopic, Cyril Alex. (Mai, Nov. Pp. Bibliotheca, ii. 87, iii. 249, not accurately).

[Symbol: beta]. D, Old Latin except f, Curetonian.

Trad. Text. AC + twelve Uncials, all Cursives (except five which omit [Greek: zetountes]), Pes.h.i.+tto, Lewis (with omission), Vulgate, Harkleian, Theophylact (i. 363).

As to genuineness, the evidence is decisive. The reading [Symbol: Alpha]

is Alexandrian, adopted by B[Symbol: Aleph], and is bad Greek into the bargain, [Greek: enedreuontes thereusai] being very rough, and being probably due to incompetent acquaintance with the Greek language. If [Symbol: alpha] was the original, it is hard to see how [Symbol: beta]

could have come from it. That the figurative language of [Symbol: alpha]

was replaced in [Symbol: beta] by a simply descriptive paraphrase, as Dr. Hort suggests, seems scarcely probable. On the other hand, the derivation of either [Symbol: alpha] or [Symbol: beta] from the Traditional Text is much easier. A scribe would without difficulty pa.s.s over one of the participles lying contiguously with no connecting conjunction, and having a kind of h.o.m.oeoteleuton. And as to [Symbol: beta], the distinguis.h.i.+ng [Greek: aphormen tina] would be a very natural gloss, requiring for completeness of the phrase the accompanying [Greek: labein]. This is surely a more probable solution of the question of the mutual relations.h.i.+p of the readings than the laboured account of Dr.

Hort, which is too long to be produced here.

(7) St. Luke xii. 18. 'I will pull down my barns, and build greater, and there will I bestow all

[Symbol: alpha]. My corn and my goods.

[Symbol: beta]. My crops ([Greek: ta genemata mou]). My fruits ([Greek: tous karpous mou]).

Trad. Text. My crops ([Greek: ta genemata mou]) and my goods.'

This is a faulty instance, because it is simply a subst.i.tution, as Dr.

Hort admitted, in [Symbol: alpha] of the more comprehensive word [Greek: genemata] for [Greek: siton], and a simple omission of [Greek: kai ta agatha mou] in [Symbol: beta]. And the admission of it into the selected eight shews the difficulty that Dr. Hort must have experienced in choosing his examples. The evidence is--

[Symbol: alpha]. BTLX and a correction of [Symbol: Aleph](a^{c}), eight Cursives, Pes.h.i.+tto, Bohairic, Sahidic, Armenian, Ethiopic.

[Symbol: beta]. [Symbol: Aleph]*D, three Cursives, b ff i q, Curetonian and Lewis, St. Ambrose (i. 573).

Trad. Text. AQ + thirteen Uncials. All Cursives except twelve, _f_, Vulgate, Harkleian, Cyril Alex. (Mai, ii. 294-5) _bis_, Theophylact (i. 370), Peter Chrysologus (Migne 52, 490-1) _bis_.

No more need be said: subst.i.tutions and omissions are too common to require justification.

(8) St. Luke xxiv. 53. 'They were continually in the temple

[Symbol: alpha]. Blessing G.o.d ([Greek: eulogountes]).

[Symbol: beta]. Praising G.o.d ([Greek: ainountes]).

Trad. Text. Praising and blessing G.o.d.'