Introduction: Understanding Scribal Errors in NT Manuscripts

The discipline of New Testament Textual Criticism (NTTC) involves not only identifying the most reliable text but also understanding the errors introduced during the transmission process. Scribal errors were an unavoidable consequence of manual copying. Yet, by analyzing these errors, we gain valuable insights into the preservation and stability of the New Testament text. This study explores how scribal mistakes arose, how textual critics identify and classify these errors, and what these phenomena reveal about the integrity of Scripture.

The Nature of Scribal Errors

Scribal errors fall broadly into two categories: unintentional errors and intentional changes. These distinctions are essential for understanding the manuscript tradition and assessing textual variations.

Unintentional Errors

Unintentional errors occurred during the physical act of copying manuscripts. They were not deliberate but arose due to the limitations of human faculties.

Errors of the Eye:

1. Haplography: The scribe accidentally omitted a letter, word, or line due to similar visual patterns. For instance, in Luke 12:6, some manuscripts omit part of the phrase about sparrows because the words “five” (πέντε) and “two” (δύο) appear in close proximity.
2. Dittography: This error involved the duplication of a word or phrase. An example is found in John 1:15, where a few manuscripts redundantly repeat phrases describing John the Baptist’s testimony.

Errors of the Ear:

When manuscripts were copied by dictation, phonetic similarities led to errors:

• Homophony: Words that sound alike but have different meanings were confused. In Greek, “o” (omicron) and “ω” (omega) could be interchanged.
• A notable instance occurs in Romans 5:1, where some manuscripts read “we have peace” (ἔχομεν) and others “let us have peace” (ἔχωμεν). Though similar in sound, these readings carry distinct theological nuances.

Errors of Memory and Judgment:

1. Metathesis: Letters or words were transposed.
2. Contextual Assumptions: Scribes sometimes inserted marginal glosses into the main text, believing them to be part of the original. This likely explains the addition of the Johannine Comma (1 John 5:7–8) in the Textus Receptus.

Intentional Changes

Intentional alterations stemmed from theological motives, harmonization efforts, or perceived grammatical improvements. These changes, though deliberate, often sought to clarify or preserve the text rather than corrupt it maliciously.

Harmonization:

To resolve perceived contradictions, scribes sometimes aligned parallel passages. For instance, the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:13 and Luke 11:2–4 was harmonized in some manuscripts to match verbatim.

Theological Motivations:

Certain alterations reflect doctrinal concerns. One example is the addition of phrases emphasizing the divinity of Christ in some later Byzantine manuscripts, particularly in passages like John 1:18.

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How Scribal Errors Are Identified

The methodology of identifying and analyzing scribal errors relies on the comparison of manuscripts. By studying the textual tradition in its entirety, critics can trace how errors originated and propagated.

Internal Evidence

Critics evaluate the internal coherence of the text. This involves:

1. Intrinsic Probability: Which reading aligns with the author’s known style and vocabulary?
2. Transcriptional Probability: Which reading best explains the emergence of variants?
   For example, in Mark 1:41, where manuscripts vary between “moved with compassion” (σπλαγχνισθείς) and “moved with anger” (ὀργισθείς), intrinsic and transcriptional evidence suggests “compassion” as the more likely original.

External Evidence

Manuscripts are grouped into text types (e.g., Alexandrian, Byzantine, Western), and the oldest and most widely attested readings generally carry more weight. For instance, Codices Vaticanus and Sinaiticus, representing the Alexandrian text type, often preserve the shorter and more challenging readings.

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Notable Examples of Scribal Errors in the NT

Several case studies illustrate the practical application of NTTC principles.

The Ending of Mark (Mark 16:9–20)

This longer ending, found in later Byzantine manuscripts, is absent from earlier Alexandrian witnesses (e.g., Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus). Internal evidence also suggests its secondary nature, as the style and vocabulary differ significantly from Mark’s known characteristics.

The Pericope Adulterae (John 7:53–8:11)

Though beloved by many, this passage is absent from the earliest and most reliable manuscripts, such as P66 and P75. Its inclusion in later texts reflects an effort to preserve a tradition about Jesus but is not original to John’s Gospel.

The Lord’s Prayer Doxology (Matthew 6:13)

The familiar conclusion, “For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen,” is absent in earlier witnesses such as Codex Vaticanus. It likely originated as a liturgical addition.

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Theological and Practical Implications

The identification of scribal errors does not undermine the reliability of the New Testament. Instead, it affirms the rigorous efforts of textual critics to preserve the original words. Despite the presence of variants, the essential message of the New Testament remains intact and trustworthy (Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35).

Jehovah’s providence is evident in the sheer volume and diversity of New Testament manuscripts, which allow textual critics to reconstruct the original with remarkable accuracy. Far from destabilizing faith, the study of NTTC enriches our understanding of the text’s historical transmission and the meticulous care with which it has been preserved.

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Is the Preservation and Restoration of the New Testament Text Miraculous or Providential?

The Myth of Miraculous Preservation

Among certain groups, the belief in the “miraculous preservation” of the biblical text is commonly held. This view asserts that the Scriptures have remained unchanged since their original composition, free from errors or alterations. Proponents often cite verses like 1 Peter 1:25 (“But the word of the Lord remains forever”) and Isaiah 40:8 (“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever”). However, this interpretation is not consistent with the reality of textual transmission or the evidence of hundreds of thousands of textual variants across thousands of manuscripts.

Instead of miraculous preservation, the Bible’s text has been preserved through the diligent efforts of scribes who, despite their human limitations, worked tirelessly to copy and transmit Scripture. The historical process of transmission was not without flaws, but the remarkable agreement among manuscripts confirms that the message of the Bible has been providentially preserved.

Scribal Skills and Manuscript Quality

The quality of New Testament manuscripts varies significantly based on the skill level of the scribes who copied them. By analyzing these scribal hands, textual scholars gain insight into the historical and cultural circumstances of the text’s transmission.

The Common Hand

The “common hand” reflects the work of untrained or semi-literate scribes. These manuscripts often exhibit uneven handwriting, frequent mistakes, and a lack of formal structure. The inconsistency of the writing reveals the limited proficiency of these scribes in Greek.

The Documentary Hand

Scribes familiar with documentary work—such as legal contracts or letters—often produced manuscripts in the “documentary hand.” These documents are functional rather than artistic, with uneven letters and inconsistent lines. The first letter of a line is often larger, but the writing lacks the polish of a literary text.

The Reformed Documentary Hand

Recognizing the literary or sacred nature of the text, some scribes adopted a “reformed documentary hand.” These manuscripts show a greater effort at uniformity, with better spacing and alignment, although the handwriting does not reach the refinement of professional scribes.

The Professional Bookhand

Manuscripts produced in the “professional bookhand” exhibit the highest degree of craftsmanship. Scribes trained in calligraphy created these texts with precision, employing features like paragraph divisions, punctuation, and double-column formatting. A notable example is P4+64+67, an early Gospel codex that demonstrates the advanced skill of professional scribes in preserving the text.

Transmission of the Greek Text of the New Testament

The transmission of the Greek New Testament followed a complex but divinely guided process, ensuring that its message reached future generations despite human imperfections.

Inspiration and Original Writing

According to 2 Peter 1:21, the original New Testament writings were divinely inspired: “For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” The autographs, or original manuscripts, were inerrant and contained the pure words of God. However, the subsequent copying process was not inspired and was subject to human error.

Manuscript Copying

From the earliest days of Christianity, scribes began producing copies of the New Testament writings to meet the needs of growing congregations. These copies were disseminated across the Roman Empire and beyond, often under challenging circumstances, such as persecution or lack of resources. While this copying process preserved the text, it also introduced variants.

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Causes of Textual Corruption

Understanding the causes of textual corruption is crucial for identifying and restoring the original text.

Unintentional Errors

1. Orthographic Variants: Variations in spelling, often due to regional differences in Greek pronunciation. For instance, the interchange of ει and ι (both pronounced “i” in later Greek) led to orthographic discrepancies.
2. Omissions or Additions: Scribes sometimes skipped words or lines (haplography) or duplicated them (dittography).
3. Transpositions: Words or letters were accidentally written out of order, such as in Revelation 1:5, where some manuscripts reverse the sequence of “freed us” and “washed us.”

Intentional Changes

1. Harmonizations: To align parallel passages, scribes often modified one text to match another. For example, discrepancies in the synoptic Gospels regarding the wording of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane were occasionally harmonized.
2. Theological Emendations: Scribes sometimes altered texts to clarify doctrine or counter heretical interpretations. For example, in 1 Timothy 3:16, the variant “God was manifest in the flesh” in later manuscripts reflects a doctrinally motivated alteration.

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Restoration of the Text

The restoration of the New Testament text is a meticulous process involving both ancient methods and modern scholarship.

Textual Criticism

Beginning with pioneers like Johann Jakob Griesbach and continuing through the work of scholars such as Constantin von Tischendorf, Kurt and Barbara Aland, and Bruce M. Metzger, textual criticism has sought to reconstruct the original text.

Collation of Manuscripts

Comparing thousands of manuscripts allows scholars to document variations and establish genealogies of textual transmission.

Textual Analysis

Variants are evaluated based on external evidence (e.g., manuscript age, geographical distribution) and internal evidence (e.g., scribal tendencies, authorial style).

Eclectic Editions

Modern critical editions, such as the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament and the United Bible Societies’ edition, represent the culmination of these efforts. These texts synthesize readings from multiple manuscript traditions to approximate the autographs.

Digital Tools and Future Research

Advances in technology have revolutionized textual criticism. Digital imaging and databases, like the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts (CSNTM), enable scholars to access and analyze manuscripts with unprecedented precision. These tools contribute to the ongoing restoration of the New Testament text.

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Conclusion: Providential Preservation, Not Miraculous Perfection

The preservation of the New Testament text is a testament to Jehovah’s providence rather than a claim of miraculous perfection. Despite human errors in copying, the sheer number and diversity of manuscripts allow scholars to confidently reconstruct the original text with remarkable accuracy. The Word of God, as preserved and restored, continues to stand as a reliable and authoritative witness to divine truth (Matthew 24:35).

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