A Student's Guide to
New Testament Textual Variants

Paul's Second Letter to the Corinthians

2 Corinthians 1:6-13:4


2 Corinthians 1:6-7:

TEXT: "for plyour comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, [it is] for plyour comfort--[comfort] that becomes effective in [plyour] endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer. ·And our hope for plyou [is] firm, since we know that"
EVIDENCE: S A C P Psi 104 1739 1881 some lat vg syr(p) cop
TRANSLATIONS: ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEV
RANK: B

NOTES: "for plyour comfort--[comfort] that becomes effective in [plyour] endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer--·and plyour firm hope for plyou; or if we are comforted, [it is] for plyour comfort and salvation, since we know that"
EVIDENCE: B 33
TRANSLATIONS: NEBn mentions

NOTES: "for plyour comfort and salvation, which becomes effective in [plyour] endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer. ·And our hope for plyou [is] firm. Or if we are comforted, [is is] for plyour comfort and salvation, since we know that"
EVIDENCE: D G K 614 1241 2495 Byz Lect some lat syr(h)
TRANSLATIONS: NEBn mentions

OTHER: "for plyour comfort and salvation, which becomes effective in [plyour] endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer; or if we are comforted, [is is] for plyour comfort and salvation. ·And our hope for plyou [is] firm, since we know that"
EVIDENCE: none

TRANSLATIONS: KJV
OTHER: "for plyour comfort--[comfort] that becomes effective in [plyour] endurance of the same sufferings which we also suffer. ·And our hope for plyou [is] firm, since we know that"
EVIDENCE: 81 630

COMMENTS: Apparently the phrase "and salvation; or if we are comforted, [it is] for plyour comfort" was accidently omitted through a mistake of the eye when copyists' eyes jumped from "for plyour comfort" to the same phrase in the next line. The different readings occurred when copyists noticed their oversight and restored the words in different places.

2 Corinthians 1:10:

TEXT: "He rescued us from so great a [peril of] death"
EVIDENCE: S A B C D G K P Psi 33 81 104 614 1241 1739* 1881 2495 Byz Lect cop
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEVn
RANK: D

NOTES: "He rescued us from such great [perils] of death"
EVIDENCE: p46 630 1739c two lat syr(p,h)
TRANSLATIONS: TEV

OTHER: "He rescued us from such great perils"
EVIDENCE: most lat vg

COMMENTS: Perhaps the singular was changed to the plural to heighten the account. The singular is supported by early manuscripts of several kinds of ancient text.

2 Corinthians 1:10:

TEXT: "death, and he will rescue [us]. On him"
EVIDENCE: p46 S B C P 33 81 one lat earlier vg cop
TRANSLATIONS: ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEV
RANK: C

NOTES: "death. On him"
EVIDENCE: A D* Psi three lat syr(p)
TRANSLATIONS: none

NOTES: "death, and he is rescuing [us]. On him"
EVIDENCE: Dc G K 104 614 630 1241 1739 1881 2495 Byz Lect most lat later vg syr(h)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV NEBn

COMMENTS: Apparently some copyists omitted "and he will rescue [us]" as superfluous because it is found again in the latter part of that verse. Others changed the future tense to the present to give the sequence "rescued, is rescuing, and will rescue."

2 Corinthians 1:10:

TEXT: "we have set our hope that indeed he will rescue [us] yet"
EVIDENCE: S A C Dc K P Psi 33 81 614 1241 Byz Lect four lat vg syr(p) cop
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSV NIV TEV
RANK: C

NOTES: "we have set our hope, and he will rescue [us] yet"
EVIDENCE: p46 B D* 1739 1881
TRANSLATIONS: ASVn NASV NEB

OTHER: "we have set our hope that indeed he will rescue [us]"
EVIDENCE: Db 104 630 2495 three lat syr(h)

COMMENTS: Three particles occur together here ("that," "and" or "indeed," and "yet"). This probably prompted copyists to omit one of them for stylistic reasons.

2 Corinthians 1:11:

TEXT: "thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf"
EVIDENCE: p46c S A C D* G Psi 33 81 104 1739 1881 2495 some Byz lat vg syr(p,h) cop
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEV
RANK: C

NOTES: "thanks may be given by many persons on plyour behalf"
EVIDENCE: p46* B Dc K P 614 630 1241 some Byz Lect
TRANSLATIONS: NIVn

COMMENTS: The words "our" and "plyour" were pronounced alike in later Greek. The text reading is supported by early manuscripts of both the Alexandrian and Western types of ancient text and makes better sense in the context.

2 Corinthians 1:12:

TEXT: "with simplicity and godly sincerity"
EVIDENCE: Sc D G 104 614 1241 2495 Byz Lect most lat vg syr(p,h)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV NEBn TEV
RANK: D

NOTES: "with holiness and godly sincerity"
EVIDENCE: p46 S* A B C K P Psi 33 81 630 1739 1881 one lat cop
TRANSLATIONS: ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEVn

COMMENTS: There are only two letters' difference between the Greek words for "simplicity" and "holiness." Either could be easily mistaken for the other. A majority of the UBS Textual Committee favored the reading "simplicity" which seems to fit the context better and is supported by the Western and Byzantine types of ancient text.

2 Corinthians 1:15:

TEXT: "plyou might have a second [proof of my] favor"
EVIDENCE: S* A C D G K Psi 33 630 1241 1739 1881 2495 Byz Lect lat vg syr(p,h) cop(south)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSVn NASV NIV NEB TEV
RANK: C

NOTES: "plyou might have a double joy"
EVIDENCE: Sc B L P 81 104 614 cop(north)
TRANSLATIONS: ASVn RSV NASVn

COMMENTS: The same Greek word can be translated "second" or "double." The difference in the readings is between "favor" and "joy" which are only one letter different in Greek. The change from "favor" to "joy" may be due to a mistake of the ear, or copyists may have borrowed "joy" from chapter 2, verse 3.

2 Corinthians 2:1:

TEXT: "·For I decided this within myself"
EVIDENCE: p46 B 0223 33 630 1739 1881 2495 one lat syr(p,h,pal) most cop(north) one cop(south)
TRANSLATIONS: ASVn RSV
RANK: C

NOTES: "·But I decided this within myself"
EVIDENCE: S A C Db,c G K P Psi 081 81 104 614 1241 Byz Lect most lat vg
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV NASV

OTHER: "·And I decided this within myself"
EVIDENCE: D*

OTHER: "·I decided this within myself"
EVIDENCE: some cop(north) most cop(south)

OTHER: "·So I decided this within myself"
EVIDENCE: none

TRANSLATIONS: NIV NEB TEV
COMMENTS: Despite the limited evidence for the word "for," a majority of the UBS Textual Committee preferred it because verse 1 gives the reason for Paul's delay in visiting the Corinthians.

2 Corinthians 2:7:

TEXT: "on the contrary plyou should rather forgive and comfort [him]"
EVIDENCE: p46 S C D G K L P Psi 081 33 81 104 614 630 1241 1739 1881 2495 Byz Lect lat vg syr(h,pal) cop
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSV NASV
RANK: C

NOTES: "on the contrary plyou should forgive and comfort [him]"
EVIDENCE: A B syr(p)
TRANSLATIONS: ASVn NIV NEB TEV

COMMENTS: The words for "on the contrary" and "rather" both end in the same two letters. Perhaps "rather" was accidently omitted when copyists' eyes jumped from the end of "on the contrary" to the end of "rather" or perhaps it was deliberately omitted as unnecessary after "on the contrary." This latter may be the case with the NIV, NEB, and TEV.

2 Corinthians 2:9:

TEXT: "the proof of plyour character, whether plyou are obedient"
EVIDENCE: S C D G K L P Psi 081 81 104 614 630 1241 1739 1881 Byz Lect lat vg syr(p,h,pal) cop(north)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEV
RANK: B

NOTES: "the proof of plyour character, by which plyou are obedient"
EVIDENCE: A B 33
TRANSLATIONS: ASVn

OTHER: "the proof of plyour character; plyou are obedient"
EVIDENCE: p46 2495

COMMENTS: The next word begins with the same letters that spell "whether" or "if." This explains the omission of "whether" in a few manuscripts as due to a mistake of the eye. In later Greek "whether" and "by which" were pronounced alike. Thus the reading "by which" in three manuscripts is due to a mistake of the ear.

2 Corinthians 3:2:

TEXT: "written in our hearts"
EVIDENCE: p46 A B C D G K P Psi 81 104 614 630 1241 1739 2495vid Byz Lect lat vg syr(p,h) cop
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSVn NASV NIV NEB TEV
RANK: C

NOTES: "written in plyour hearts"
EVIDENCE: S 33 1881
TRANSLATIONS: RSV

COMMENTS: The words "our" and "plyour" were pronounced alike in later Greek. Thus the change from "our" to "plyour" was due to a mistake of the ear.

2 Corinthians 3:9:

TEXT: "if with the ministry of condemnation [came] glory"
EVIDENCE: p46 S A C D* G Psi 33 104 630 1739 three lat syr(p,h) cop(south)
TRANSLATIONS: ASV RSV NASV? NEB
RANK: C

NOTES: "if the ministry of condemnation [is] glory"
EVIDENCE: B Db,c K P 614 1241 1881 Byz Lect most lat vg cop(north)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASVn NASV? NIV TEV

COMMENTS: The difference in the two readings is between whether "the ministry" is in the dative (text reading) or nominative (reading in the notes) case. Since the word "ministry" is found in the nominative case in the last part of the verse and in the preceding verse, it is likely that copyists changed the dative to the nominative to be like the others.

2 Corinthians 4:5:

TEXT: "ourselves [as] plyour slaves for Jesus' sake."
EVIDENCE: A*(vid) B D G H K P Psi 81 104 614 2495 Byz Lect syr(p,h,pal)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEV
RANK: C

NOTES: "ourselves [as] plyour slaves through Jesus."
EVIDENCE: p46 S* Ac C 33 1739 1881 most lat vg most cop
TRANSLATIONS: ASVn NASVn

OTHER: "ourselves [as] plyour slaves through Christ."
EVIDENCE: Sa two lat one cop(north)

COMMENTS: The text reading has better evidence supporting it than that in the notes. The difference is between the accusative (text) and genitive (notes) cases. Some copyists changed "Jesus" to "Christ."

2 Corinthians 4:6:

TEXT: "the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
EVIDENCE: p46 S C H K L P Psi Maj one lat some vg syr(p,h) cop(north)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV NEB
RANK: -

NOTES: "the glory of God in the face of Christ."
EVIDENCE: A B 33 1739*? cop(south)
TRANSLATIONS: RSV NASV NIV TEV

OTHER: "the glory of God in the face of Christ Jesus."
EVIDENCE: D F G 630 1739c? 1881 two lat most vg

COMMENTS: The name "Jesus" is enclosed in brackets in the UBS text. Although it is possible that the name "Jesus" was added by copyists, either before or after "Christ," a majority of the UBS Textual Committee felt that the evidence indicated it should be included.

2 Corinthians 4:14:

TEXT: "the One who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us"
EVIDENCE: S C D G K L P Psi 048? 81 104 614 1241 1881 2495 Byz Lect some lat syr(p,h) (most read "our Lord") most cop(north)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEV
RANK: C

NOTES: "the One who raised Jesus will raise us"
EVIDENCE: p46 B 33 630 1739 some lat vg one cop(north) cop(south)
TRANSLATIONS: ASVn

COMMENTS: Although there was a tendency among copyists to add titles to the name of "Jesus," a majority of the UBS Textual Committee felt that the shorter reading came from copyists making this passage read like Romans 8:11. It is also possible that the word "Lord" was accidently omitted when copyists' eyes jumped from the end of "the" to the end of "Lord," both of which end in the same two letters.

2 Corinthians 5:3:

TEXT: "·inasmuch as, even though we take [it] off, we"
EVIDENCE: D* {F G} two lat
TRANSLATIONS: none
RANK: D

NOTES: "·inasmuch as, when we have put [it] on, we"
EVIDENCE: p46 S B C D2 Psi Maj most lat vg syr cop
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEV

COMMENTS: The evidence listed in braces is misspelled. Although the evidence for the reading in the notes is much stronger, a majority of the UBS Textual Committee felt that the reading "take off" was needed to avoid a rather obvious statement. The difference between the two readings is only that of one letter.

2 Corinthians 7:8:

TEXT: "(even though I was regretting [it]), for I see"
EVIDENCE: S C Dc G K P Psi 33 81 104 614 630 1241 1739 1881 2495 Byz Lect two lat syr(p,h) cop(north)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSV
RANK: D

NOTES: "(even though I was regretting [it]). I see"
EVIDENCE: p46c B D* three lat cop(south)?
TRANSLATIONS: ASVn NASV NIV NEB TEV

OTHER: "(even though I was regretting [it]), seeing"
EVIDENCE: p46* four lat vg cop(south)?

COMMENTS: The word "for" is enclosed in brackets in the UBS text. Although it is possible that a new sentence began with "I see" and copyists tied it to the previous sentence by inserting "for" or changing it to "seeing," the evidence would seem to indicate that "for" was originally present.

2 Corinthians 8:7:

TEXT: "and in our love for plyou"
EVIDENCE: p46 B 104 630 1739 1881 one lat syr(p) cop
TRANSLATIONS: ASVn NASV NIVn NEBn TEVn
RANK: D

NOTES: "and in plyour love for us"
EVIDENCE: S C D G K P Psi 33 81 614 1241 2495 Byz Lect most lat vg syr(h)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSV NASVn NIV NEB TEV

COMMENTS: In later Greek the words "our" and "plyour," as well as "plyou" and "us," were pronounced alike. The text reading is the more difficult to understand, and is thus much more likely to have been misunderstood as the reading in the notes than vice versa.

2 Corinthians 10:12-13:

TEXT: "compare themselves with themselves, they are not showing comprehension. ·Now we will not boast"
EVIDENCE: p46 Sa B Dc H(vid) K P Psi 33 81 104 614 630 1241 1739 1881 2495 Byz Lect one lat syr(p,h) cop
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEV
RANK: C

NOTES: "compare ourselves with ourselves, ·we will not boast"
EVIDENCE: D* G five lat
TRANSLATIONS: NEBn

OTHER: "compare ourselves with ourselves, ·now we will not boast"
EVIDENCE: three lat vg

OTHER: "compare themselves with themselves, they do not comprehend [that they are doing so]. ·Now we will not boast"
EVIDENCE: S* 88

COMMENTS: The reading in the notes is actually an omission of "they are not showing comprehension. Now we." It was caused when copyists eyes jumped from the "not" in verse 12 to the "not" in verse 13. The vulgate reading comes from adding "Now we" back into the text.

2 Corinthians 11:3:

TEXT: "corrupted from the sincerity and purity [of devotion] to Christ."
EVIDENCE: p46 S* B {D*} G 33 81 104 most lat {two lat} syr(h+) cop
TRANSLATIONS: ASV RSV NASV NIV NEBn TEV
RANK: C

NOTES: "corrupted from the sincerity to Christ."
EVIDENCE: Sc Dc H K P Psi 614 630 1241 1739 1881 2495 Byz Lect four lat vg syr(p,h)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV NEB

COMMENTS: The words "and purity" are enclosed in brackets in the UBS text. The evidence listed in braces reverses the order to have "purity" before "sincerity." Although it is possible that "purity" was originally a marginal gloss by copyists on "sincerity" that later copyists added to the text, the fact that the two words are spelled almost alike makes it likely that the second was accidently omitted when copyists' eyes jumped from the end of "sincerity" to the end of "purity."

2 Corinthians 12:1:

TEXT: "It is necessary to keep boasting, although it is not expedient; but"
EVIDENCE: p46 B G 33 1739 {two lat vg cop(south)} one cop(north)
TRANSLATIONS: ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEV
RANK: C

NOTES: "Now to keep boasting is not expedient for me, but"
EVIDENCE: D* (omit "for me") K Psi 2495 some Byz Lect
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASVn

OTHER: "It is necessary to keep boasting; it is not expedient for me, but"
EVIDENCE: Dc {H} P (omit "for me") {81} 104 614 630 1241 1881 some Byz two lat {one lat} syr(p) (omit "for me") syr(h)

OTHER: "Now to keep boasting [is] not being expedient, but"
EVIDENCE: S* {Sc} most cop(north)

COMMENTS: The evidence in braces begins with "if." The words "although it is not expedient" and "not being expedient" are two translations of the same participle. The Greek words for "it is necessary" and "now" are spelled and sound almost alike. The evidence seems to favor "it is necessary" as being original. The evidence also seems to indicate that the participle was changed to an indicative verb to improve the style and that an untranslated particle (men) that means "on the one hand" was changed to "for me" (moi).

2 Corinthians 12:7:

TEXT: "of the revelations, therefore, so that I might not"
EVIDENCE: S A B G 33 81 1739 one lat syr(h) cop(north)
TRANSLATIONS: ASVn NASV NEBn
RANK: D

NOTES: "of the revelations, so that I might not"
EVIDENCE: p46 D K P Psi 104 614 630 1241 1881 2495 Byz Lect most lat vg syr(p) cop(south)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSV NIV NEB TEV

COMMENTS: The word "therefore" was apparently omitted by many copyists to improve the style of the sentence.

2 Corinthians 12:9:

TEXT: "for [my] power is made perfect in weakness."
EVIDENCE: p46vid S* A* B D* F G two lat vg cop(south) some cop(north)
TRANSLATIONS: ASV RSV? NASV NIV? NEB TEV?
RANK: -

NOTES: "for my power is made perfect in weakness."
EVIDENCE: Sc A2 Db,c E K L P Psi Maj syr(p,h) some cop(north)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV RSV? NASVn NIV? TEV?

COMMENTS: The possessive pronoun "my," which is implied by the definite article, was apparently added by copyists to make the sense clear.

2 Corinthians 13:4:

TEXT: "For indeed we are weak in him, but"
EVIDENCE: B D K P Psi 33 81 104 614 630 1241 1739 1881 2495 Byz Lect most lat vg syr(h) cop(south)
TRANSLATIONS: KJV ASV RSV NASV NIV NEB TEV
RANK: B

NOTES: "For indeed we are weak with him, but"
EVIDENCE: S A F G three lat syr(p) cop(north)
TRANSLATIONS: ASVn NASVn

COMMENTS: Apparently some copyists changed "in him" to read "with him" like in the following phrase. A few manuscripts (p46vid D* 33 two lat) made the opposite change, making "with him" in the next phrase read "in him."


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