2. Relation to the Peshito and to Older Texts. — In ex- amining the Curetonian text with the common printed Peshito, we often find such identity of phrase and ren- dering as to show that they are not wholly independent translations; then, again, we meet with such variety in the forms of words, etc., as seems to indicate that in the Peshito the phraseology had been revised and refined. But the great (it might be said characteristic) differ- ence between the Curetonian and the Peshito gospels is in their readings; for while the latter cannot in its present state be deemed an unchanged production of the 2d century, the former bears all the marks of ex- treme antiquity, even though in places it maj' have suffered from the introduction of readings current in very early times.
The following are a few of the very many cases in which the ancient reading is found in the Curetonian, and the later or transition reading in the Peshito. For the general authorities on the subject of each passage, reference must be made to the notes in critical editions of the Greek New Test.
Matt, xix, 17, Ti jue Apuras- wepi ToJ uyaS-or. ; the ancicnt reading, as we find in the best authorities, and as we kuow from Oiigen ; so the Curetonian : ti jue XtTcic u7aioi' ; the commim text with the Peshito. Matt, xx, 22, the clause
of the common text, Kai to (iti-n-Tiafjia o tyu) /3u7rTi^o/ua<
(and the correspoudiiig part of the following verse), are in the Peshito; while we know from Origen that they were in his day a peculiarity of Marie: omitted in the Cureto- nian with the other best autliorities. lu fact, except the Peshito and some revised Latin copies, there is no evi- dence at all extant for these words prior to the 5th ceu- tury. Matt, v, 4, 5 : here the ancient order of the beati- tudes, as supported by Oiigen, Tertnllian, the canons of Eul^ebius, and Hilary, is that of placing naKd^tioi ol Trpa- erf, K. T. \., before /laKapioi oi nevSrovnTef, k. t. \. ; here the Curetonian agrees with the distinct testimonies for this order against the Peshito. In i, IS, we know from IreuEeus thiit the uame "Jesus" was not read; and this is con- firmed by the Curetonian : in fact, the common reading, however widely supported, could not have originated until 'iiiCToD? xi""''"^ was treated as a combined proper name, otherwise the meaning of top di 'itiffot xp'O'tu!' >'? t^- yetrir would not be "the birth of Jesus Christ," but "the l)irth of Jesus as the Christ." Here the Curetonian read- ing is in full accordance with what we know of the 2d century in opposition to the Peshito. In vi, 4 the Curetonian omits a^Tor; in the same ver. and in ver. 6 it omits ei- Tui (pavepui: in each case with the best authori- ties, but against the Peshito. Matt. v. 44 has been ampli- fied by copyists in an extraordinary maimer: the words in brackets show the amplifications, and the place from which each was taken : eyiii 6i \eyui u/iii/. 'A7a7raTe rovt
6X^poi'V vfxwv [ei'Xo7€tTe toi^9 KaTapw/iet'oir i'/ia9, Luke vi, 2S ; KaAii'9 TTOfeiTe tou? ^iGovvra'i i^^dc, ver. 2TJ, Kai irpoaev' XiaSii vtri-p tiTpk [eTrtipeatoKTWi' I'Muf Kai, ver. 35] iiuiKi^vTuiv 1,/iaf. The briefer form is attested by Irenaeus, Clement, Origen, Cyprian, Eusebius, etc. ; and though the inserted words and clauses are found in almost all Greek MSS. (except Codices Vaticanus and Sinaiticus), and in many veisions, including the Peshito, they are not in the Cureto- nian Syriac. Of a similar kind are Matt, xviii, 35, ra wa-
SYRIAC VERSIONS
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SYRIAC VERSIONS
paTTTiujuaTO avTaiv : Lllke viii, 54, eK/3a\u)v €?«) irtii'Tar Kai : ix, 7, i/7r' ixurou ; vei'. 54, liir Kui 'HAiut firoiii<r£v : xi, 'J, -yein- ifjToi TO ^tXri/Jti <rou ai9 ti/ ovpaiw Kai tTri ti 9 7»)f : vei'. 29, toD iTi>oip<}Tov : ver. 44, 7pa/uM'''''eu- kck <paf>i(raToi i/7roKfjiTui : John iv, 43, Kai uTrriASei/ : V, 16, Kai i-^iirom avTov uTroKTeii-ai : vi, 51, !lv t7«) 6a)cra) : vef. 69, toD ^tui/Tov.
On the other hand, the Curetonian often changes the text for the worse, as in the following examples:
lu Luke sxiv the fortieth verse is omitted, contrary to the Peshito and the most ancient uncial MSS. A, B, X. In Malt, xxii, 35, kcu Xtyaiv is read by the Curetonian ; but it is absent from the Peshito, which is supported by B and S. In vii, 22, the words "have we not eaten and drunk in thy name?'' are inserted without any MS. auihoritj', ap- parently from Luke xiii, 26. In xi, 23, instead of the usual Greek text, it has "thou shalt not be exalted to heaven, but;" contrary to all authority, and betrayinj; at the same time a Greek original with /iri. In xxi, H, it is added at the end, "and many went out to meet him, and were re- joicing and praising God concerning all that which they saw," words wholly unauthorized. In ver. 23, SiddaKovTi is omitted without authority. In xxiii, 18, from m cuk to to-Tii' are also left out, contrary to all external evidence. In Luke viii, 16, is the unauthorized addition "he set forth another parable." In xi, 29, "except the sign of the prophet Jonas" is omitted, contrary to MSS. Luke XX, 12 is omitted without authority. In xxii, ver. 20 is wanting, and ver. 19 is put before ver. 17; itdv/jievov is also absent in ver. 19 without authority. In John v, 8, we have the addition "go away to thy house." So, too, in ver. 9, "and he took up his bed" is omitted. In vi, 20, ^i; (poi3ei(Ti€ are left out, against MS. authority.