ACCIDENTAL CAUSES OF CORRUPTION.
I. Pure Accident.
[It often happens that more causes than one are combined in the origin
of the corruption in any one passage. In the following history of a
blunder and of the fatal consequences that ensued upon it, only the
first step was accidental. But much instruction may be derived from the
initial blunder, and though the later stages in the history come under
another head, they nevertheless illustrate the effects of early
accident, besides throwing light upon parts of the discussion which are
yet to come.]
§ 1.
We are sometimes able to trace the origin and progress of accidental
depravations of the text: and the study is as instructive as it is
interesting. Let me invite attention to what is found in St. John x. 29;
where,--instead of, 'My Father, who hath given them [viz. My sheep] to
Me, is greater than all,'--Tischendorf, Tregelles, Alford, are for
reading, 'That thing which My (_or_ the) Father hath given to Me is
greater (i.e. is a greater thing) than all.' A vastly different
proposition, truly; and, whatever it may mean, wholly inadmissible here,
as the context proves. It has been the result of sheer accident
moreover,--as I proceed to explain.
St. John certainly wrote the familiar words,--[Greek: ho patêr mou]
[Greek: os dedôke moi, meizôn pantôn esti]. But, with the licentiousness
[or inaccuracy] which prevailed in the earliest age, some remote copyist
is found to have substituted for [Greek: hos dedôke], its grammatical
equivalent [Greek: ho dedôkôs]. And this proved fatal; for it was only
necessary that another scribe should substitute [Greek: meizon] for
[Greek: meizôn] (after the example of such places as St. Matt. xii. 6,
41, 42, &c.), and thus the door had been opened to at least four
distinct deflections from the evangelical verity,--which straightway
found their way into manuscripts:--(1) [Greek: o dedôkôs ... meizôn]--of
which reading at this day D is the sole representative: (2) [Greek: os
dedôke ... meizon]--which survives only in AX: (3) [Greek: o dedôke ...
meizôn]--which is only found in [Symbol: Aleph]L: (4) [Greek: o dedôke
... meizon]--which is the peculiar property of B. The 1st and 2nd of
these sufficiently represent the Evangelist's meaning, though neither of
them is what he actually wrote; but the 3rd is untranslatable: while the
4th is nothing else but a desperate attempt to force a meaning into the
3rd, by writing [Greek: meizon] for [Greek: meizôn]; treating [Greek: o]
not as the article but as the neuter of the relative [Greek: os].
This last exhibition of the text, which in fact scarcely yields an
intelligible meaning and rests upon the minimum of manuscript evidence,
would long since have been forgotten, but that, calamitously for the
Western Church, its Version of the New Testament Scriptures was executed
from MSS. of the same vicious type as Cod. B[18]. Accordingly, all the
Latin copies, and therefore all the Latin Fathers[19], translate,--
'Pater [meus] quod dedit mihi, majus omnibus est[20].' The Westerns
resolutely extracted a meaning from whatever they presumed to be genuine
Scripture: and one can but admire the piety which insists on finding
sound Divinity in what proves after all to be nothing else but a sorry
blunder. What, asks Augustine, was 'the thing, greater than all,' which
the Father gave to the Son? To be the Word of the Father (he answers),
His only-begotten Son and the brightness of His glory[21]. The Greeks
knew better. Basil[22], Chrysostom[23], Cyril on nine occasions[24],
Theodoret[25]--as many as quote the place--invariably exhibit the
_textus receptus_ [Greek: ôs ... meizôn], which is obviously the true
reading and may on no account suffer molestation.
'But,'--I shall perhaps be asked,--'although Patristic and manuscript
evidence are wanting for the reading [Greek: o dedôke moi ...
meizôn],--is it not a significant circumstance that three translations
of such high antiquity as the Latin, the Bohairic, and the Gothic,
should concur in supporting it? and does it not inspire extraordinary
confidence in B to find that B alone of MSS. agrees with them?' To which
I answer,--It makes me, on the contrary, more and more distrustful of
the Latin, the Bohairic and the Gothic versions to find them exclusively
siding with Cod. B on such an occasion as the present. It is obviously
not more 'significant' that the Latin, the Bohairic, and the Gothic,
should here conspire with--than that the Syriac, the Sahidic, and the
Ethiopic, should here combine against B. On the other hand, how utterly
insignificant is the testimony of B when opposed to all the uncials, all
the cursives, and all the Greek fathers who quote the place. So far from
inspiring me with confidence in B, the present indication of the fatal
sympathy of that Codex with the corrupt copies from which confessedly
many of the Old Latin were executed, confirms me in my habitual distrust
of it. About the true reading of St. John x. 29, there really exists no
manner of doubt. As for the 'old uncials' they are (as usual) hopelessly
at variance on the subject. In an easy sentence of only 9 words,--which
however Tischendorf exhibits in conformity with no known Codex, while
Tregelles and Alford blindly follow Cod. B,--they have contrived to
invent five 'various readings,' as may be seen at foot[26]. Shall we
wonder more at the badness of the Codexes to which we are just now
invited to pin our faith; or at the infatuation of our guides?
§ 2.
I do not find that sufficient attention has been paid to grave
disturbances of the Text which have resulted from a slight clerical
error. While we are enumerating the various causes of Textual depravity,
we may not fail to specify this. Once trace a serious Textual
disturbance back to (what for convenience may be called) a 'clerical
error,' and you are supplied with an effectual answer to a form of
inquiry which else is sometimes very perplexing: viz. If the true
meaning of this passage be what you suppose, for what conceivable reason
should the scribe have misrepresented it in this strange way,--made
nonsense, in short, of the place?... I will further remark, that it is
always interesting, sometimes instructive, after detecting the remote
origin of an ancient blunder, to note what has been its subsequent
history and progress.
Some specimens of the thing referred to I have already given in another
place. The reader is invited to acquaint himself with the strange
process by which the '276 souls' who suffered shipwreck with St. Paul
(Acts xxvii. 37), have since dwindled down to 'about 76[27].'--He is
further requested to note how 'a certain man' who in the time of St.
Paul bore the name of 'Justus' (Acts xviii. 7), has been since
transformed into '_Titus_,' '_Titus Justus_,' and even '_Titius
Justus_[28].'--But for a far sadder travestie of sacred words, the
reader is referred to what has happened in St. Matt. xi. 23 and St. Luke
x. 15,--where our Saviour is made to ask an unmeaning question--instead
of being permitted to announce a solemn fact--concerning
Capernaum[29].--The newly-discovered ancient name of the Island of
Malta, _Melitene_[30], (for which geographers are indebted to the
adventurous spirit of Westcott and Hort), may also be profitably
considered in connexion with what is to be the subject of the present
chapter. And now to break up fresh ground.
Attention is therefore invited to a case of attraction in Acts xx. 24.
It is but the change of a single letter ([Greek: logoU] for [Greek:
logoN]), yet has that minute deflection from the truth led to a complete
mangling of the most affecting perhaps of St. Paul's utterances. I refer
to the famous words [Greek: all' oudenos logon poioumai, oude echô tên
psuchên mou timian emautô, hôs teleiôsai ton dromon mou meta charas]:
excellently, because idiomatically, rendered by our Translators of
1611,--'But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear
unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy.'
For [Greek: oudenos loGON], (the accusative after [Greek: poioumai]),
some one having substituted [Greek: oudenos loGOU],--a reading which
survives to this hour in B and C[31],--it became necessary to find
something else for the verb to govern. [Greek: Tên psychên] was at hand,
but [Greek: oude echô] stood in the way. [Greek: Oude echô] must
therefore go[32]; and go it did,--as B, C, and [Symbol: Aleph] remain to
attest. [Greek: Timian] should have gone also, if the sentence was to be
made translatable; but [Greek: timian] was left behind[33]. The authors
of ancient embroilments of the text were sad bunglers. In the meantime,
Cod. [Symbol: Aleph] inadvertently retained St. Luke's word, [Greek:
LOGON]; and because [Symbol: Aleph] here follows B in every other
respect, it exhibits a text which is simply unintelligible[34].
Now the second clause of the sentence, viz. the words [Greek: oude echo
tên psychên mou timian emautô], may on no account be surrendered. It is
indeed beyond the reach of suspicion, being found in Codd. A, D, E, H,
L, P, 13, 31,--in fact in every known copy of the Acts, except the
discordant [Symbol: Aleph]BC. The clause in question is further
witnessed to by the Vulgate[35],--by the Harkleian[36],--by
Basil[37],--by Chrysostom[38],--by Cyril[39],--by Euthalius[40],--and by
the interpolator of Ignatius[41]. What are we to think of our guides
(Tischendorf, Tregelles, Westcott and Hort, and the Revisers) who have
nevertheless surrendered the Traditional Text and presented us instead
with what Dr. Field,--who is indeed a Master in Israel,--describes as
the impossible [Greek: all' oudenos logou poioumai tên psychên timian
emautô][42]?
The words of the last-named eminent scholar on the reading just cited
are so valuable in themselves, and are observed to be so often in point,
that they shall find place here:--'Modern Critics,' he says, 'in
deference to the authority of the older MSS., and to certain critical
canons which prescribe that preference should be given to the shorter
and more difficult reading over the longer and easier one, have decided
that the T.R. in this passage is to be replaced by that which is
contained in those older MSS.
'In regard to the difficulty of this reading, that term seems hardly
applicable to the present case. A difficult reading is one which
presents something apparently incongruous in the sense, or anomalous in
the construction, which an ignorant or half-learned copyist would
endeavour, by the use of such critical faculty as he possessed, to
remove; but which a true critic is able, by probable explanation, and a
comparison of similar cases, to defend against all such fancied
improvements. In the reading before us, [Greek: all' oudenos logou
poioumai tên psychên timian emautô], it is the construction, and not the
sense, which is in question; and this is not simply difficult, but
impossible. There is really no way of getting over it; it baffles
novices and experts alike[43].' When will men believe that a reading
vouched for by only B[Symbol: Aleph]C is safe to be a fabrication[44]?
But at least when Copies and Fathers combine, as here they do, against
those three copies, what can justify critics in upholding a text which
carries on its face its own condemnation?
§ 3.
We now come to the inattention of those long-since-forgotten Ist or IInd
century scribes who, beguiled by the similarity of the letters [Greek:
EN] and [Greek: AN] (in the expression [Greek: ENANthrôpois eudokia],
St. Luke ii. 14), left out the preposition. An unintelligible clause was
the consequence, as has been explained above (p. 21): which some one
next sought to remedy by adding to [Greek: eudokia] the sign of the
genitive ([Greek: S]). Thus the Old Latin translations were made.
That this is the true history of a blunder which the latest Editors of
the New Testament have mistaken for genuine Gospel, is I submit
certain[45]. Most Latin copies (except 14[46]) exhibit 'pax hominibus
bonae voluntatis,' as well as many Latin Fathers[47]. On the other hand,
the preposition [Greek: EN] is retained in every known Greek copy of St.
Luke without exception, while the reading [Greek: eudokias] is
absolutely limited to the four uncials AB[Symbol: Aleph]D. The witness
of antiquity on this head is thus overwhelming and decisive.
§ 4.
In other cases the source, the very progress of a blunder,--is
discoverable. Thus whereas St. Mark (in xv. 6) certainly wrote [Greek:
hena desmion], [Greek: ONPER êtounto], the scribe of [Symbol: Delta],
who evidently derived his text from an earlier copy in uncial letters is
found to have divided the Evangelist's syllables wrongly, and to exhibit
in this place [Greek: ON.PERÊTOUNTO]. The consequence might have been
predicted. [Symbol: Aleph]AB transform this into [Greek: ON PARÊTOUNTO]:
which accordingly is the reading adopted by Tischendorf and by Westcott
and Hort.
Whenever in fact the final syllable of one word can possibly be mistaken
for the first syllable of the next, or _vice versa_, it is safe sooner
or later to have misled somebody. Thus, we are not at all surprised to
find St. Mark's [Greek: ha parelabon] (vii. 4) transformed into [Greek:
haper elabon], but only by B.
[Another startling instance of the same phenomenon is supplied by the
substitution in St. Mark vi. 22 of [Greek: tês thygatros autou
Hêrôdiados] for [Greek: tês thygatros autês tês Hêrôdiados]. Here a
first copyist left out [Greek: tês] as being a repetition of the last
syllable of [Greek: autês], and afterwards a second attempted to improve
the Greek by putting the masculine pronoun for the feminine ([Greek:
AUTOU] for [Greek: AUTÊS]). The consequence was hardly to have been
foreseen.]
Strange to say it results in the following monstrous figment:--that the
fruit of Herod's incestuous connexion with Herodias had been a daughter,
who was also named Herodias; and that she,--the King's own
daughter,--was the immodest one[48] who came in and danced before him,
'his lords, high captains, and chief estates of Galilee,' as they sat at
the birthday banquet. Probability, natural feeling, the obvious
requirements of the narrative, History itself--, for Josephus expressly
informs us that 'Salome,' not 'Herodias,' was the name of Herodias'
daughter[49],--all reclaim loudly against such a perversion of the
truth. But what ought to be in itself conclusive, what in fact settles
the question, is the testimony of the MSS.,--of which only seven
([Symbol: Aleph]BDL[Symbol: Delta] with two cursive copies) can be found
to exhibit this strange mistake. Accordingly the reading [Greek: AUTOU]
is rejected by Griesbach, Lachmann, Tregelles, Tischendorf and Alford.
It has nevertheless found favour with Dr. Hort; and it has even been
thrust into the margin of the revised Text of our Authorized Version, as
a reading having some probability.
This is indeed an instructive instance of the effect of accidental
errors--another proof that [Symbol: Aleph]BDL cannot be trusted.
Sufficiently obvious are the steps whereby the present erroneous reading
was brought to perfection. The immediate proximity in MSS. of the
selfsame combination of letters is observed invariably to result in a
various reading. [Greek: AUTÊSTÊS] was safe to part with its second
[Greek: TÊS] on the first opportunity, and the definitive article
([Greek: tês]) once lost, the substitution of [Greek: AUTOU] for [Greek:
AUTÊS] is just such a mistake as a copyist with ill-directed
intelligence would be sure to fall into if he were bestowing sufficient
attention on the subject to be aware that the person spoken of in verses
20 and 21 is Herod the King.
[This recurrence of identical or similar syllables near together was a
frequent source of error. Copying has always a tendency to become
mechanical: and when the mind of the copyist sank to sleep in his
monotonous toil, as well as if it became too active, the sacred Text
suffered more or less, and so even a trifling mistake might be the seed
of serious depravation.]
§ 5.
Another interesting and instructive instance of error originating in
sheer accident, is supplied by the reading in certain MSS. of St. Mark
viii. 1. That the Evangelist wrote [Greek: pampollou ochlou] 'the
multitude being very great,' is certain. This is the reading of all the
uncials but eight, of all the cursives but fifteen. But instead of this,
it has been proposed that we should read, 'when there was again a great
multitude,' the plain fact being that some ancient scribe mistook, as he
easily might, the less usual compound word for what was to himself a far
more familiar expression: i.e. he mistook [Greek: PAMPOLLOU] for [Greek:
PALIN POLLOU].
This blunder must date from the second century, for 'iterum' is met with
in the Old Latin as well as in the Vulgate, the Gothic, the Bohairic,
and some other versions. On the other hand, it is against 'every true
principle of Textual Criticism' (as Dr. Tregelles would say), that the
more difficult expression should be abandoned for the easier, when
forty-nine out of every fifty MSS. are observed to uphold it; when the
oldest version of all, the Syriac, is on the same side; when the source
of the mistake is patent; and when the rarer word is observed to be in
St. Mark's peculiar manner. There could be in fact no hesitation on this
subject, if the opposition had not been headed by those notorious false
witnesses [Symbol: Aleph]BDL, which it is just now the fashion to uphold
at all hazards. They happen to be supported on this occasion by
GMN[Symbol: Delta] and fifteen cursives: while two other cursives look
both ways and exhibit [Greek: palin pampollou].
In St Mark vii. 14, [Greek: palin] was similarly misread by some
copyists for [Greek: panta], and has been preserved by [Symbol:
Aleph]BDL[Symbol: Delta] ([Greek: PALIN] for [Greek: PANTA]) against
thirteen uncials, all the cursives, the Peshitto and Armenian.
So again in St. John xiii. 37. A reads [Greek: dynasai moi] by an
evident slip of the pen for [Greek: dynamai soi]. And in xix. 31 [Greek:
megalÊ Ê Êmera] has become [Greek: megalê hêmera] in [Symbol:
Aleph]AE[Symbol: Gamma] and some cursive copies.
FOOTNOTES:
[18] See the passages quoted in Scrivener's Introduction, II. 270-2, 4th
ed.
[19] Tertull. (Prax. c. 22): Ambr. (ii. 576, 607, 689 _bis_): Hilary
(930 _bis_, 1089): Jerome (v. 208): Augustin (iii^2. 615): Maximinus, an
Arian bishop (_ap_. Aug. viii. 651).
[20] Pater (_or_ Pater meus) quod dedit mihi (_or_ mihi dedit), majus
omnibus est (_or_ majus est omnibus: _or_ omnibus majus est).
[21] iii^2. 615. He begins, '_Quid dedit Filio Pater majus omnibus? Ut
ipsi ille esset unigenitus Filius_.'
[22] i. 236.
[23] viii. 363 _bis_.
[24] i. 188: ii. 567: iii. 792: iv. 666 (ed. Pusey): v^1. 326, 577, 578:
_ap._ Mai ii. 13: iii. 336.
[25] v. 1065 (=Dial^{Maced} _ap._ Athanas. ii. 555).
[26] Viz. + [Greek: mou] ABD:--[Greek: mou] [Symbol: Aleph] | [Greek:
os] A: [Greek: o] B[Symbol: Aleph]D | [Greek: dedôken] B[Symbol:
Aleph]A: [Greek: dedôkôs] | [Greek: meizôn] [Symbol: Aleph]D: [Greek:
meizon] AB | [Greek: meiz. pantôn estin] A: [Greek: pantôn meiz. estin]
B[Symbol: Aleph]D.
[27] The Revision Revised, p. 51-3.
[28] The Revision Revised, p. 53-4.
[29] Ibid. p. 51-6.
[30] Ibid. p. 177-8.
[31] Also in Ammonius the presbyter, A.D. 458--see Cramer's Cat. p.
334-5, _last line_. [Greek: Logou] is read besides in the cursives Act.
36, 96, 105.
[32] I look for an approving word from learned Dr. Field, who wrote in
1875--'The real obstacle to our acquiescing in the reading of the T.R.
is, that if the words [Greek: oude echô] had once formed a part of the
original text, there is no possibility of accounting for the subsequent
omission of them.' The same remark, but considerably toned down, is
found in his delightful Otium Norvicense, P. iii, p. 84.
[33] B and C read--[Greek: all' oudenos logou poioumai tên psychên
emautô]: which is exactly what Lucifer Calarit. represents,--'_sed pro
nihilo aestimo animam meam caram esse mihi_' (Galland. vi. 241).
[34] [Symbol: Aleph] reads--[Greek: all' oudenos logon poioumai tên
psychên timian emautô hôs teleiôsô ton dromon mou].
[35] '_Sed nihil horum_ ([Greek: toutôn] is found in many Greek Codd.)
_vereor, nee facio animam meam pretiosiorem quam me_.' So, the _Cod.
Amiat._ It is evident then that when Ambrose (ii. 1040) writes '_nec
facio animam meam cariorem mihi_,' he is quoting the latter of these two
clauses. Augustine (iii^{1}. 516), when he cites the place thus, '_Non
enim facto animam meam preliosiorem quam me_'; and elsewhere (iv. 268)
'_pretiosam mihi_'; also Origen (_interp._ iv. 628 c), '_sed ego non
facto cariorem animam meam mihi_'; and even the Coptic, '_sed anima mea,
dico, non est pretiosa mihi in aliquo verbo_':--these evidently
summarize the place, by making a sentence out of what survives of the
second clause. The Latin of D exhibits '_Sed nihil horum cura est mihi:
neque habeo ipsam animam caram mihi_.'
[36] Dr. Field says that it may be thus Graecized--[Greek: all' oudena
logon poioumai, oude lelogistai moi psychê ti timion].
[37] ii. 296 e,--exactly as the T.R.
[38] Exactly as the T.R., except that he writes [Greek: tên psychên]
without [Greek: mou] (ix. 332). So again, further on (334 b), [Greek:
ouk echô timian tên emautou psychên]. This latter place is quoted in
Cramer's Cat. 334.
[39] _Ap._ Mai ii. 336 [Greek: edei kai tês zôês kataphronein hyper tou
teleiôsai ton dromon, oude tên psychên ephê poieiôsai timian heautô.]
[40] [Greek: logon echô, oude poioumai tên psychên timian emautô, ôste
k.t.l.] (_ap._ Galland. x. 222).
[41] [Greek: all' oudenos logon poioumai tôn deinôn, oude echô tên
psychên timian emautô]. Epist. ad Tars. c. 1 (Dressel, p. 255).
[42] The whole of Dr. Field's learned annotation deserves to be
carefully read and pondered. I speak of it especially in the shape in
which it originally appeared, viz. in 1875.
[43] Ibid. p. 2 and 3.
[44] Surprising it is how largely the text of this place has suffered at
the hands of Copyists and Translators. In A and D, the words [Greek:
poioumai] and [Greek: echô] have been made to change places. The latter
Codex introduces [Greek: moi] after [Greek: echô],--for [Greek: emautô]
writes [Greek: emautou],--and exhibits [Greek: tou teleiôsai] without
[Greek: hôs]. C writes [Greek: hôs to teleiôsai]. [Symbol: Aleph]B alone
of Codexes present us with [Greek: teleiôsô] for [Greek: teleiôsai], and
are followed by Westcott and Hort _alone of Editors_. The Peshitto
('_sed mihi nihili aestimatur anima mea_'), the Sahidic ('_sed non facto
animam meam in ullâ re_'), and the Aethiopic ('_sed non reputo animam
meam nihil quidquam_'), get rid of [Greek: timian] as well as of [Greek:
oude echô]. So much diversity of text, and in such primitive witnesses,
while it points to a remote period as the date of the blunder to which
attention is called in the text, testifies eloquently to the utter
perplexity which that blunder occasioned from the first.
[45] Another example of the same phenomenon, (viz. the absorption of
[Greek: EN] by the first syllable of [Greek: ANthrôpois]) is to be seen
in Acts iv. 12,--where however the error has led to no mischievous
results.
[46] For those which insert _in_ (14), and those which reject it (25),
see Wordsworth's edition of the Vulgate on this passage.
[47] Of Fathers:--Ambrose i. 1298--Hieronymus i. 448^{2}, 693, 876: ii.
213: iv. 34, 92: v. 147: vi. 638: vii. 241, 251, 283,--Augustine 34
times,--Optatus (Galland. v. 472, 457),--Gaudentius Brix. (_ap._
Sabat.),--Chromatius Ag. (Gall. viii. 337),--Orosius (_ib._ ix. 134),
Marius M. (_ib._ viii. 672), Maximus Taur. (_ib._ ix. 355),--Sedulius
(_ib._ 575),--Leo M. (_ap._ Sabat.),--Mamertus Claudianus (Gall. x.
431),--Vigilius Taps. (_ap._ Sabat.),--Zacchaeus (Gall. ix.
241),--Caesarius Arel. (_ib._ xi. 11),--ps.-Ambros. ii. 394,
396,--Hormisdas P. (Conc. iv. 1494, 1496),--52 Bps. at 8th Council of
Toledo (Conc. vi. 395), &c., &c.
[48] See Wetstein on this place.
[49] Antiqq. i. 99, xviii. 5. 4.