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The Reading Culture of Early Christianity

The study of New Testament textual criticism often involves navigating through variations in manuscript evidence to discern the most likely original text. In Matthew 14:30, we encounter a textual variant that sheds light on the meticulous nature of this discipline. The verse in question describes the moment when Peter, walking on water towards Jesus, begins to sink due to his fear after seeing the wind. The textual witnesses for this verse present us with an interesting conundrum regarding the adjective “ἰσχυρόν” (strong).

The text as per the Textus Receptus (TR) and the Nestle-Aland (NU) editions reads “τὸν ἄνεμον [ἰσχυρόν],” which translates to “the strong wind.” This reading is supported by a significant array of manuscripts including B1, C, D, L, Θ, 0106, f13, and the Majority text (Maj). Within this group, manuscript W uniquely adds “σφορδα” (very), intensifying the description to “a very strong wind.” This addition by W could suggest an attempt by scribes to amplify the dramatic tension of the narrative, a common scribal habit when copying sacred texts.

However, the variant reading, preferred by the Westcott-Hort (WH) critical text, omits the adjective “ἰσχυρόν,” rendering simply “τὸν ἄνεμον” or “the wind.” This reading is supported by early and significant witnesses like Codex Sinaiticus (א), the original hand of Codex Vaticanus (B*), 073, 33, and the Sahidic Coptic (copsa). The omission in these manuscripts could be due to homoeoteleuton, an error where scribes might skip from one “-ον” ending to another, accidentally dropping “ἰσχυρόν.”

The debate hinges on whether “ἰσχυρόν” was part of the original text or a later scribal addition. The argument for its originality is strengthened by the need for such an adjective to explain Peter’s sudden fear. Without “ἰσχυρόν,” the narrative might lose some of its dramatic clarity, as it would not explicitly state why Peter became so frightened. Yet, the uniformity of the witnesses that omit it suggests a strong tradition within a specific text-type, pointing perhaps to an accidental omission in their common ancestor.

The Updated American Standard Version (UASV) reflects this scholarly debate by including a textual note, acknowledging the variant as likely original, which aligns with the critical text’s decision to bracket “ἰσχυρόν,” indicating uncertainty about its presence in the original text.

This case exemplifies the nuanced work of textual criticism, where each decision can alter our understanding of the biblical narrative’s intensity. Modern translations vary in their approach; some opt for the shorter reading (“the wind” – RSV, NIV, NJB, TOB, FC), while others include the adjective for dramatic effect (“strong wind” – NRSV, TEV, Seg). As a conservative Evangelical scholar, one must weigh the manuscript evidence with a commitment to preserving the integrity and meaning of the text, recognizing that every word in Scripture can have theological and narrative significance.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).