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Chapter 20

Harmonized with Latin Vulgate

Variations 114- 116

 

   In this chapter, we will examine examples that never existed in the earliest Greek texts, because they were translated from the Latin Vulgate, becoming part of the Greek manuscripts by this circuitous and questionable route.

   116. a) Rev 22:19 (NRSV):

           if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away that person's share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

        b) Rev. 22:19 (KJV):

           And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

   The Greek reading biblou (book) instead of xulou(tree) in the Textus Receptus (followed by the KJV) never occurs in any Greek manuscript. For the book of Revelation Erasmus borrowed a copy from his friend Reuchlin, dating from the twelfth century, this lacked the final leaf, which had contained the last six verses of the book. For these verses Erasmus depended upon Jerome's Latin Vulgate, translating these verses into Greek. The corruption of "tree" into "book" had occured earlier in the translation of the Latin text when a scribe accidentally miscopied the correct word "lingo" ("tree") as "libro" ("book").

Conclusion: This chapter demonstrates that certain passages that were translated from the Latin Vulgate reflected inaccuracies that had crept in over many years of editing and revising the text, thus becoming less and less "pure."