Most Old Testament variants are minor and harmless; only a tiny fraction affect wording, and none overturns the theology preserved in the Masoretic Text.
Assessing Textual Confidence in the Old Testament Text: How Many Variants Are ‘Safe’?
Textual Corruption: Causes, Types, and Remedies in OT Transmission
Textual corruption in the Old Testament is real but limited, classifiable, and almost always correctable, leaving doctrine and message fully intact.
Faithfulness And Error: Theological Assumptions In Old Testament Textual Criticism
Theology always shapes textual criticism. When guided by Scripture itself, it protects us from both skeptical despair and rigid, evidence-blind dogmatism.
Do Textual Variants Affect Theology in the Old Testament Text? A Principled Approach
Variants appear in theological passages, but none create doctrinal uncertainty because the Masoretic Text preserves the original wording with exceptional fidelity.
Is the Masoretic Text Always the Best Witness? Case Studies
A study showing that while the Masoretic Text is the primary witness, the Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint occasionally preserve earlier readings when strong evidence supports them.
The Significance of Harmonization in Evaluating Reliability
Harmonization is limited, identifiable, and ultimately reinforces confidence in the faithfully preserved Masoretic Text.
The Role of Conjectural Emendation in Old Testament Textual Studies: A Look at When (or If) Emendations Are Justified
Conjectural emendation is rarely warranted; the Masoretic Text remains the preserved and reliable base, with conjecture appropriate only when all evidence fails.
Scribal Tendencies Toward Assimilation: Effect on Textual Trustworthiness
Scribal harmonization is real but mainly occurs in non-Masoretic traditions, highlighting rather than undermining the trustworthiness of the Masoretic Text.
Are There Conflations That Suggest Secondary Readings in the Old Testament?
An analysis showing that true conflations exist mainly in non-Masoretic witnesses, reinforcing the stability and priority of the Masoretic Text.
External Attestation vs Internal Probability: Balancing the Evidence
Balancing external attestation and internal probability ensures a disciplined, evidence-based process for evaluating divergent Old Testament readings.
