Matthew 17:21 removed or added?
Matthew 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
These are words spoken by Jesus, or are they?
Most modern versions of the Bible such as the NIV, ESV, ERV, ISV and more do not include this verse. The NWT also omits this verse.
The NASB has the verse in brackets with the obvious intention as to bring doubt to its authenticity
This fact is not surprising really as they are all translated using the Nestle -Aland/UBS text, which has its foundation in none other than Codices Vaticanus (predominantly) and Sinaiticus. The Nestle-Alund text does not include the verse.
The verse is, surprise surprise NOT found in Codex Vaticanus nor is it found in the original of Sinaiticus.
Modern Textual Scholarship rejects the authenticity of this verse asserting that it is not originally part of the gospel of Matthew but was a later addition to the text.
Referring to the exclusion of Matthew 17:21 (and Matthew 18:11) Bart Ehrman states on his blog:
The reasons are simple: a thorough study of the manuscripts of Matthew shows that these verses were inserted later by scribes; they were not original to the text. This came to be known only after the King James was published. So now the translators are more interested in publishing the text as it comes from the pens of the actual authors, without additions put in by later scribes.
https://ehrmanblog.org/are-bible-translators-consistent-readers-mailbag/
The notes on the Net Bible gives us a little information regarding the evidence behind the rejection of the verse.
1 tc Many important
Net Notes on Matthew 17:21
The verse comes at the end of a passage where Jesus casts out a demon after the disciples fail to do so.
Matthew 17:5 And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying, 15 Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. 16 And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. 17 Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me. 18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out? 10 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
The verse although not in Vaticanus is yet again found in the majority of Greek manuscripts (around 99%)
C, D, E, F, G, H, K, L, M, O, S, U, V, W, X, Y, Gamma, Delta, Pi, Sigma, Phi and Omega
It is included in the Diatessaron, of Tatian which dates around 175AD at least 150 years before Vaticanus.
It is included in the Old Latin a, aur, b, c, d, f, ff2, g1, l, n, q, r1.
Its included in the Latin Vulgate, We must remember that Jerome stated that he consulted ancient manuscripts when translating the vulgate. That’s ancient manuscripts to Jerome in 383 AD.
It is also included in the Syriac Peshitta, Harclean, the Armenian, some Ethiopic, the Georgian and the Slavonic ancient versions.
AND it is found in Sinaiticus correction.
The manuscript evidence is pretty much conclusive for the inclusion of the words but of course the numerical evidence is pretty much ignored when it comes to the weight of evidence of Vaticanus.
While the weight of Vaticanus (and Sinaiticus) is in favour of the exclusion, the weight of evidence not only from the numerical manuscript attestation, but also the wide range of evidence cannot be ignored.
Textual Critic Bruce Metzger said that that as there was no good reason that it would be removed, it appears manuscripts have assimulated into their text the text from Mark 9:29.
“Since there is no good reason why the passage, if originally present in Mathew, should have been omitted, and since copyists frequently inserted material derived from another Gospel, it appears that most manuscripts have been assimilated to the parallel in Mk. 9.29.” (Textual Commentary on the GNT, p. 43)
The verse is also missing from À* B Q 579 788 892* l253 ite ff1 the Sinaitic Syriac, the Curetonian Syriac, Palestinian Aramaic and the Sahidic version,
So it certainly does have some strong evidence against it, specifically Vaticanus,the original reading of Sinaiticus and the Old Syriac manuscripts. When it comes to Textual criticism, the weight of evidence of Vaticanus and Sinaticus cannot be underestimated, especially if we are going to ignore 99% of manuscript evidence.
The verse is quoted by antiquity LONG before Vaticanus had come on the scene.
Pseudo-Clement 100-200AD Letters on Virginity (1:12)
Such men are “like a sounding pipe, or a tinkling cymbal;” and they bring no help to those over whom they make their adjurations; but they speak with terrible words, and affright people, but do not act with true faith, according to the teaching of our Lord, who hath said: ‘This kind goeth not out but by fasting and prayer,’ offered unceasingly and with earnest mind.6
Although this is not written by Clement himself, it does show that the words of Jesus were known long before Vaticanus was produced, being in existence in quotation form in the 2nd Century.
Tertullian also quotes the verse.
Tertullian (late 2nd Century)
After that, he prescribed that fasting should be carried out without sadness. For why should what is beneficial be sad? He also taught to fight against the more fierce demons by means of fasting. For is it surprising that the Holy Spirit is led in through the same means by which the sinful spirit is led out?
On Fasting, against the Psychics;
Clement of Alexandria also quotes the verse
The Savior plainly declared to the believing apostles that prayer was stronger than faith in the case of a certain demoniac, whom they could not cleanse, when he said, ‘Such things are accomplished successfully through prayer.’”
Clement of Alexandria Extracts from the Prophets,
As does Origen.
Origen
That those, then, who suffer from what is called lunacy sometimes fall into the water is evident, and that they also fall into the fire, less frequently indeed, yet it does happen; and it is evident that this disorder is very difficult to cure, so that those who have the power to cure demoniacs sometimes fail in respect of this, and sometimes with fastings and supplications and more toils, succeed.
But let us also attend to this, “This kind goeth not out save by prayer and fasting,” in order that if at any time it is necessary that we should be engaged in the healing of one suffering from such a disorder, we may not adjure, nor put questions, nor speak to the impure spirit as if it heard, but devoting ourselves to prayer and fasting, may be successful as we pray for the sufferer, and by our own fasting may thrust out the unclean spirit from him
Commentarium in evangelium Matthaei (while the others it could be argued quote Mark 9:29 it cannot be argued here seeing this is Origen’s commentary on Matthew).
So we see that evidence for the originality and authenticity of the verse pre dates any evidence against it. The important thing to remember is that we are working with manuscript evidence that we have available to us today, this does not in any way mean that this is an accurate representation of the manuscripts that existed of the 2nd and 3rd centuries.
Others that quoted this verse are
Asterius (340), Hilary (355), Basil (370), Athanasius (375), Ambrose (385), Chrysostom (395), Jerome (400), and Augustine (430)
Attestation to the originality of the words are found in a wide range of witnesses and are quoted very early in church history. The rejection of these words are primarily based upon the weight of the witness of codices Vaticanus and Sinaiticus given to them by modern textual criticism.
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