A Student's Guide to Textual Criticism of the Bible
Its History, Methods and Results
By: Paul D. Wegner
Paperback | 9 March 2006
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The Bible has been on a long historical journey since its original composition. Its texts have been copied and recopied. And despite the most careful and painstaking efforts of scribes and publishers down through the centuries, errors of one sort or another have crept in and have been reproduced. Sorting out the errors and determining the original wording is the task of textual criticism. In fact, the task of textual criticism is so daunting and detailed that it is divided between Old Testament textual critics and New Testament textual critics. That is why nearly every book on the subject focuses on the textual criticism of either the Old or New Testament. But if you are one of those interested in a general understanding of textual criticism, this book introduces you to textual criticism of the whole Bible--the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament. In plain language and with ample illustration, Paul D. Wegner gives you an overview of the history and methods, aims and results of textual criticism. In the process you will gain an appreciation for the vast work that has been accomplished in preserving the text of Scripture and find a renewed confidence in its reliability.
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Abbreviations | p. 13 |
List of Figures, Tables and Maps | p. 16 |
Preface | p. 19 |
Introductory Material | |
Introduction to Textual Criticism | p. 23 |
Definition of Textual Criticism | p. 23 |
Importance of Textual Criticism | p. 24 |
Differences Between Old Testament and New Testament Textual Criticism | p. 26 |
Old Testament Transmissional History | p. 26 |
Different Starting Points | p. 29 |
Goal of Textual Criticism | p. 29 |
Goal of Old Testament Textual Criticism | p. 29 |
Final Form or Forms of the Old Testament Text | p. 32 |
Fluidity of the Old Testament Text | p. 34 |
A Complex Goal | p. 36 |
Goal of New Testament Textual Criticism | p. 37 |
The Current Debate | p. 37 |
The Goal | p. 39 |
Transmissional Errors Occurring in the Bible | p. 44 |
Unintentional Changes | p. 44 |
Mistaken Letters | p. 44 |
Homophony | p. 45 |
Haplography | p. 46 |
Dittography | p. 48 |
Metathesis | p. 48 |
Fusion | p. 48 |
Fission | p. 49 |
Homoioteleuton and Homoioarkton | p. 49 |
Other Omissions or Additions | p. 50 |
Intentional Changes | p. 50 |
Changes in Spelling or Grammar | p. 52 |
Clearing Up Other Difficulties | p. 52 |
Harmonization | p. 52 |
Euphemistic Changes | p. 53 |
Theological Changes | p. 53 |
Additions and Glosses | p. 54 |
Transmission of the Biblical Texts | p. 58 |
The Old Testament Text | p. 58 |
The Old Testament Text Prior to 400 B.C. | p. 59 |
The Old Testament Text 400 B.C. to A.D. 100 | p. 63 |
Preserving the Text | p. 63 |
Revising the Text | p. 64 |
The Old Testament Text from About A.D. 100-500 | p. 70 |
The Old Testament Text from About A.D. 500-1000 | p. 74 |
Masoretic Notations | p. 74 |
Masoretic Families | p. 77 |
The Hebrew Text After A.D. 1000 | p. 78 |
New Testament Text | p. 78 |
The New Testament Text Prior to A.D. 100 | p. 79 |
The New Testament Text After A.D. 100 | p. 80 |
The Transmission Process | p. 82 |
Old Testament Textual Criticism | |
A Brief History of Old Testament Textual Criticism | p. 89 |
Dead Sea Scrolls | p. 89 |
Septuagint (LXX) | p. 93 |
A Unified Text by the First Century A.D. | p. 93 |
Origen's Hexapla | p. 95 |
Latin Vulgate | p. 95 |
Masoretes | p. 97 |
Printed Hebrew Bibles | p. 97 |
Polyglot Bibles | p. 98 |
Hebrew Editions with Textual Apparatuses | p. 99 |
Diplomatic Editions | p. 100 |
Present State of Old Testament Textual Criticism | p. 103 |
Modern Diplomatic Editions of the Hebrew Bible | p. 106 |
Determining the Most Plausible Original Reading | p. 120 |
Where Do We Start? | p. 121 |
Collecting the Evidence | p. 121 |
Examining the Masoretic Tradition | p. 122 |
Examining Other Sources | p. 123 |
Evaluating the Internal and External Evidence | p. 125 |
Internal Evidence | p. 127 |
External Evidence | p. 127 |
Language of the Witness | p. 128 |
Date of the Witness | p. 128 |
Reliability of the Witness | p. 129 |
Provenance (Origin/Source) and Purpose of the Text | p. 129 |
The Interdependence of the Witnesses | p. 129 |
Quality of the Sources | p. 129 |
Determining the Most Plausible Original Reading | p. 132 |
Consider the Strength of the Textual Tradition | p. 132 |
Examine Internal Evidence | p. 132 |
Examine External Evidence | p. 132 |
Evaluate the Evidence | p. 132 |
Possible Emendations | p. 135 |
Specific Examples | p. 135 |
1 Chronicles 6:40 (MT 25) | p. 135 |
Hosea 7:14 | p. 136 |
Getting to Know the Sources of Old Testament Textual Criticism | p. 140 |
Primary Sources (Hebrew Texts) | p. 140 |
Silver Amulets | p. 140 |
Dead Sea Scrolls | p. 142 |
The First Isaiah Scroll | p. 145 |
The Second Isaiah Scroll | p. 146 |
The Habakkuk Commentary | p. 146 |
The Psalms Scroll | p. 146 |
Nash Papyrus | p. 148 |
Murabba'at Manuscripts | p. 149 |
Manuscripts at Masada | p. 151 |
Nahal Hever Manuscripts | p. 154 |
Cairo Genizah Manuscripts | p. 155 |
Important Hebrew Manuscripts of the Old Testament | p. 157 |
Ben Asher Manuscripts | p. 157 |
Leningrad (Formerly Petersburg) Codex of the Prophets | p. 159 |
Damascus Pentateuch | p. 159 |
Codex Reuchlinianus of the Prophets | p. 161 |
Erfurtensis Codices | p. 161 |
Important Printed Hebrew Editions | p. 161 |
Secondary Sources (Non-Hebrew Texts) | p. 166 |
Samaritan Pentateuch (sp) | p. 168 |
Aramaic Targums (or Targumim) | p. 172 |
Pentateuch | p. 173 |
Prophets | p. 174 |
Writings | p. 175 |
The Septuagint (LXX) | p. 176 |
Other Greek Recensions | p. 187 |
Aquila | p. 188 |
Theodotion | p. 189 |
Symmachus | p. 191 |
Origen's Hexapla | p. 192 |
Other Recensions of the LXX | p. 196 |
Kaige Recension | p. 200 |
Philo's Quotations of the Old Testament | p. 201 |
New Testament Textual Criticism | |
A Brief History of New Testament Textual Criticism | p. 207 |
Irenaeus | p. 208 |
Origen of Alexandria / Caesarea | p. 208 |
Jerome | p. 208 |
Erasmus of Rotterdam | p. 209 |
Brian Walton | p. 210 |
Other Greek Texts | p. 211 |
Johann Bengel | p. 212 |
Johann Jakob Griesbach | p. 212 |
Karl Lachmann | p. 213 |
Constantin von Tischendorf | p. 214 |
Brooke F. Westcott and Fenton J. A. Hort | p. 214 |
Present State of New Testament Textual Criticism | p. 217 |
Modern Eclectic Editions of the Greek Bible | p. 223 |
Determining the Most Plausible Reading | p. 229 |
Where Do We Start? | p. 231 |
Collecting the Evidence | p. 231 |
External Evidence | p. 231 |
New Testament Greek Manuscripts | p. 231 |
Versions | p. 235 |
Patristic Citations | p. 236 |
Internal Evidence | p. 238 |
Evaluating the Evidence | p. 239 |
Manuscripts Must Be Weighed, Not Merely Counted | p. 240 |
Examine the Textual Tradition | p. 241 |
Determine the Reading That Would Most Likely Give Rise to the Others | p. 246 |
The More Difficult Reading Is Preferable | p. 247 |
The Shorter Reading Is Generally Preferable | p. 247 |
Determine Which Reading Is More Appropriate in Its Context | p. 247 |
Specific Examples | p. 249 |
Ephesians 1:1 | p. 249 |
Romans 15:7 | p. 252 |
When Should I Use Textual Criticism? | p. 254 |
Getting to Know the Sources of New Testament Textual Criticism | p. 256 |
Biblical Papyri | p. 257 |
Chester Beatty Collection | p. 257 |
John Rylands Library | p. 258 |
Bodmer Collection | p. 258 |
Important Uncials | p. 259 |
Codex Vaticanus | p. 259 |
Codex Sinaiticus | p. 260 |
Codex Alexandrinus | p. 262 |
Codex Ephraemi | p. 262 |
Codex Bezae | p. 263 |
Minuscule Manuscripts | p. 264 |
Ferrar Family | p. 264 |
Lake Family | p. 264 |
Minuscule 33 | p. 265 |
Minuscule 16 | p. 265 |
Additional Ancient Versions for Old and New Testament Textual Criticism | |
Examining the Ancient Versions | p. 269 |
Early Eastern Versions of the Bible | p. 271 |
Syriac Versions | p. 271 |
Coptic Versions | p. 276 |
Armenian Version | p. 280 |
Ethiopic Version | p. 282 |
Georgian Version | p. 284 |
Arabic Versions | p. 286 |
Early Western Versions of the Bible | p. 287 |
Old Latin Versions | p. 287 |
The Latin Vulgate | p. 289 |
The Gothic Version | p. 292 |
The Old Slavonic Version | p. 295 |
Conclusion | p. 298 |
Glossary | p. 302 |
Permissions | p. 311 |
Names Index | p. 314 |
Subject Index | p. 319 |
Scripture Index | p. 332 |
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
ISBN: 9780830827312
ISBN-10: 0830827315
Series: No Series Linked
Published: 9th March 2006
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Number of Pages: 336
Audience: General Adult
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Country of Publication: US
Dimensions (cm): 22.86 x 15.24 x 1.91
Weight (kg): 0.5
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