This article may require
cleanup to meet Wikipedia's
quality standards. The specific problem is: The large amount of Greek text needs to be translated or explained for English-language Wikipedia readers, preferably with sourced third-party translation. Also consider whether the differences listed are encyclopedic, or if they should be moved to another project. Document any differences causing controversy or important interpretive consequences, as those are definitely notable. Please help
improve this article if you can.(August 2018) (
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Codex Sinaiticus and
Codex Vaticanus, two of the
great uncial codices, representatives of the
Alexandrian text-type, are considered excellent manuscript witnesses of the text of the New Testament. Most critical editions of the Greek New Testament give precedence to these two chief uncial manuscripts, and the majority of translations are based on their text. Nevertheless, there are many differences between these two manuscripts. A recent scientific comparative study of interest published on these two Alexandrian codices is "The Relationship between Vaticanus & Sinaiticus and the Majority Text in Galatians" by Dr. Graham G. Thomason and "THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SPLIT TEXT-TYPES FOR THE RECOVERY OF THE ORIGINAL TEXT OF THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT" by Dr LESLIE McFALL - both are freely made available on the internet. Historically, the true character of these two Alexandrian manuscripts was quickly and thoroughly challenged by Dean John William Burgon's exhaustive analysis: "It is in fact easier to find two consecutive verses in which these two MSS differ the one from the other, than two consecutive verses in which they entirely agree."[1]
According to
Herman C. Hoskier,[2] there are, without counting errors of
iotacism, 3,036 textual variations between Sinaiticus and Vaticanus in the text of the Gospels alone, enumerated as follows:
Hoskier noted in his book: "I make a present to
Gregory and
Souter of the 'provincial' exchange of ως and ωσπερ, παντα and απαντα, ως and ωσει, εναντιον and ενωπιον, εστηκοτων and εστωτων, εαυτου and αυτου, με and εμε, οικιαν and οικον, ετερον and αλλον and αλληλον, πιειν and πειν and πιν, ηυδοκησεν and ευδοκησεν, ευθυς and ευθεως, σπυριδας and σφυριδας, καγω and και εγω, υποκατω and υποποδιον, εαν and αν, απο and υπο, προς αυτους and αυτοις, επι and εις, ινα and οπως."[3]
According to contemporary scholars,[which?] these two manuscripts represent two different textual families of the Alexandrian text-type. John has more differences than the other gospels because in Codex Sinaiticus, John 1:1–8:38 and parts of chapters 16 and 21 have
early Western Christian writing ancestry.[4]
Codex Sinaiticus is designated by
siglum א, and Codex Vaticanus by alpha character B. The following represent scribal corrections:
א* – original text of Codex Sinaiticus before scribal correction(s)
א1 – first corrector of Codex Sinaiticus
א2 – second corrector of Codex Sinaiticus
B* – original text of Codex Vaticanus before scribal correction(s)
Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament: A Companion Volume to the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament, 1994, United Bible Societies, London & New York.
This article may require
cleanup to meet Wikipedia's
quality standards. The specific problem is: The large amount of Greek text needs to be translated or explained for English-language Wikipedia readers, preferably with sourced third-party translation. Also consider whether the differences listed are encyclopedic, or if they should be moved to another project. Document any differences causing controversy or important interpretive consequences, as those are definitely notable. Please help
improve this article if you can.(August 2018) (
Learn how and when to remove this message)
Codex Sinaiticus and
Codex Vaticanus, two of the
great uncial codices, representatives of the
Alexandrian text-type, are considered excellent manuscript witnesses of the text of the New Testament. Most critical editions of the Greek New Testament give precedence to these two chief uncial manuscripts, and the majority of translations are based on their text. Nevertheless, there are many differences between these two manuscripts. A recent scientific comparative study of interest published on these two Alexandrian codices is "The Relationship between Vaticanus & Sinaiticus and the Majority Text in Galatians" by Dr. Graham G. Thomason and "THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SPLIT TEXT-TYPES FOR THE RECOVERY OF THE ORIGINAL TEXT OF THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT" by Dr LESLIE McFALL - both are freely made available on the internet. Historically, the true character of these two Alexandrian manuscripts was quickly and thoroughly challenged by Dean John William Burgon's exhaustive analysis: "It is in fact easier to find two consecutive verses in which these two MSS differ the one from the other, than two consecutive verses in which they entirely agree."[1]
According to
Herman C. Hoskier,[2] there are, without counting errors of
iotacism, 3,036 textual variations between Sinaiticus and Vaticanus in the text of the Gospels alone, enumerated as follows:
Hoskier noted in his book: "I make a present to
Gregory and
Souter of the 'provincial' exchange of ως and ωσπερ, παντα and απαντα, ως and ωσει, εναντιον and ενωπιον, εστηκοτων and εστωτων, εαυτου and αυτου, με and εμε, οικιαν and οικον, ετερον and αλλον and αλληλον, πιειν and πειν and πιν, ηυδοκησεν and ευδοκησεν, ευθυς and ευθεως, σπυριδας and σφυριδας, καγω and και εγω, υποκατω and υποποδιον, εαν and αν, απο and υπο, προς αυτους and αυτοις, επι and εις, ινα and οπως."[3]
According to contemporary scholars,[which?] these two manuscripts represent two different textual families of the Alexandrian text-type. John has more differences than the other gospels because in Codex Sinaiticus, John 1:1–8:38 and parts of chapters 16 and 21 have
early Western Christian writing ancestry.[4]
Codex Sinaiticus is designated by
siglum א, and Codex Vaticanus by alpha character B. The following represent scribal corrections:
א* – original text of Codex Sinaiticus before scribal correction(s)
א1 – first corrector of Codex Sinaiticus
א2 – second corrector of Codex Sinaiticus
B* – original text of Codex Vaticanus before scribal correction(s)
Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament: A Companion Volume to the United Bible Societies' Greek New Testament, 1994, United Bible Societies, London & New York.