Section 5
How Many Missing Words?
The most striking detail about the modern
versions is that their New Testaments are clearly shorter than the Authorized
King James Bible. The following depicts just how much shorter they are.
As translation from one language
to another tends to expand or contract the number of words, an accurate picture
would not be gained by merely counting the English words in the KJB, NIV or
NASV. It is necessary to go to the Greek texts underlying these versions to
obtain such. Even this will not yield a completely accurate count since a version
will usually not follow one of the standard Greek editions at every point. However,
the matter may be simplified by the realization that there are really only two
kinds of Greek New Testaments-the Received Text and the Modern Critical Text.
The Authorized (King James) Bible and all other Reformation Bibles were based
on the former and practically all modern Bibles on the latter. We will not here
examine their relative merits, but will rather show book by book and chapter
by chapter that the Critical Text is shorter.
The two most popular editions of
the Critical Text are: The Nestle-Aland 26th Edition, and The United Bible Society
- 3rd Edition. These have a different format but their text is identical. The
most widely used edition of the Received Text was that prepared by Robert Stephanus
in 1550. The KJB does not follow Stephanus in every instance, nor is the NIV
text identical with the Nestle-Aland, but they are extremely close. Thus these
two Greek Testaments provide a basis for comparison.
The following gives a chapter by
chapter comparison of the Stephanus-1550 (number of words given first) and the
Nestle-Aland 26th. Keep in mind that word omissions are only part of the story,
there are also many word alterations in the modern version text.
MATTHEW
(1) 445 - 438 |
(2) 458 - 457 |
(3) 334 - 335 |
(4) 432 - 427 |
(5) 841 - 822 |
(6) 683 - 653 |
(7) 514 - 517 |
(8) 599 - 585 |
(9) 657 - 646 |
(10) 721 - 724 |
(11) 498 - 493 |
(12) 920 - 905 |
(13) 1096 - 1076 |
(14) 565 - 561 |
(15) 625 - 610 |
(16) 533 - 525 |
(17) 517 - 496 |
(18) 695 - 668 |
(19) 549 - 533 |
(20) 572 - 542 |
(21) 869 - 865 |
(22) 668 - 661 |
(23) 688 - 656 |
(24) 835 - 825 |
(25) 773 - 763 |
(26) 1274 - 1239 |
(27) 1036 - 1008 |
(28) 341 - 329 |
TOTAL:
18,738 - 18,359 = 379 fewer words in the modern version text
MARK
(1) 721 - 708 |
(2) 558 - 541 |
(3) 541 - 547 |
(4) 698 - 682 |
(5) 710 - 697 |
(6) 1017 - 981 |
(7) 631 - 605 |
(8) 644 - 630 |
(9) 914 - 858 |
(10) 919 - 885 |
(11) 595 - 563 |
(12) 837 - 793 |
(13) 637 - 606 |
(14) 1234 - 1197 |
(15) 689 - 667 |
(16) 301 - 308* |
TOTAL:
11,646 - 11,268 = 378 fewer words in the modern version text
LUKE
(1) 1204 - 1186 |
(2) 864 - 849 |
(3) 594 - 585 |
(4) 799 - 767 |
(5) 760 - 754 |
(6) 957 - 924 |
(7) 913 - 890 |
(8) 1117 - 1086 |
(9) 1199 - 1151 |
(10) 808 - 782 |
(11) 1028 - 978 |
(12) 1059 - 1036 |
(13) 672 - 663 |
(14) 612 - 607 |
(15) 564 - 561 |
(16) 605 - 595 |
(17) 583 - 570 |
(18) 688 - 683 |
(19) 767 - 762 |
(20) 719 - 702 |
(21) 593 - 586 |
(22) 1113 - 1086 |
(23) 878 - 852 |
(24) 843 - 818 |
TOTAL:
19,939 - 19,473 = 466 fewer words in the modern version text
JOHN
(1) 844 - 829 |
(2) 434 - 430 |
(3) 671 - 658 |
(4) 952 - 946 |
(5) 830 - 792 |
(6) 1283 - 1241 |
(7) 871 - 861 |
(8) 1115 - 1070* |
(9) 698 - 692 |
(10) 711 - 695 |
(11) 985 - 944 |
(12) 888 - 892 |
(13) 668 - 665 |
(14) 592 - 580 |
(15) 499 - 500 |
(16) 601 - 581 |
(17) 512 - 499 |
(18) 804 - 779 |
(19) 821 - 821 |
(20) 627 - 614 |
(21) 551 - 547 |
TOTAL:
15,957 - 15,636 = 321 fewer words in the modern version text*The modern versions
either omit, place in the footnotes, question their authenticity, or place
in brackets, Mark 16:9 - 20 and John 7: 53 - 8:11.
ACTS
(1) 511 - 506 |
(2) 848 - 839 |
(3) 504 - 506 |
(4) 682 - 687 |
(5) 787 - 771 |
(6) 280 - 280 |
(7) 1136 - 1113 |
(8) 723 - 695 |
(9) 812 - 786 |
(10) 872 - 837 |
(11) 533 - 528 |
(12) 496 - 501 |
(13) 954 - 932 |
(14) 481 - 472 |
(15) 716 - 694 |
(16) 723 - 721 |
(17) 677 - 673 |
(18) 528 - 511 |
(19) 766 - 756 |
(20) 694 - 676 |
(21) 814 - 798 |
(22) 584 - 567 |
(23) 676 - 662 |
(24) 495 - 459 |
(25) 539 - 530 |
(26) 597 - 596 |
(27) 748 - 755 |
(28) 618 - 597 |
TOTAL:
18,794 - 18,448 = 346 fewer words in the modern version text
ROMANS
(1) 547 - 543 |
(2) 452 - 448 |
(3) 432 - 429 |
(4) 408 - 402 |
(5) 431 - 432 |
(6) 372 - 367 |
(7) 467 - 469 |
(8) 662 - 652 |
(9) 531 - 524 |
(10) 345 - 340 |
(11) 595 - 581 |
(12) 307 - 305 |
(13) 275 - 270 |
(14) 393 - 379 |
(15) 550 - 543 |
(16) 437 - 424 |
TOTAL:
7,204 - 7,108 = 96 fewer words in the modern version text
I CORINTHIANS
(1) 502 - 501 |
(2) 293 - 288 |
(3) 347 - 341 |
(4) 347 - 345 |
(5) 231 - 220 |
(6) 344 - 335 |
(7) 690 - 686 |
(8) 227 - 225 |
(9) 452 - 450 |
(10) 484 - 463 |
(11) 538 - 531 |
(12) 475 - 471 |
(13) 199 - 196 |
(14) 624 - 608 |
(15) 852 - 847 |
(16) 328 - 323 |
TOTAL:
6,933 - 6,830 = 103 fewer words in the modern version text
II CORINTHIANS
(1) 488 - 488 |
(2) 286 - 285 |
(3) 299 - 296 |
(4) 323 - 322 |
(5) 343 - 338 |
(6) 266 - 266 |
(7) 331 - 329 |
(8) 413 - 409 |
(9) 287 - 284 |
(10) 314 - 311 |
(11) 502 - 500 |
(12) 415 - 412 |
(13) 242 - 236 |
TOTAL:
4,509 - 4,476 = 33 fewer words in the modern version text
GALATIANS
(1) 362 - 364 |
(2) 383 - 386 |
(3) 464 - 454 |
(4) 451 - 445 |
(5) 319 - 314 |
(6) 272 - 267 |
TOTAL:
2,251 - 2,230 = 21 fewer words in the modern version text
EPHESIANS
(1) 404 - 401 |
(2) 362 - 362 |
(3) 337 - 325 |
(4) 486 - 483 |
(5) 472 - 457 |
(6) 401 - 393 |
TOTAL:
2,462 - 2,421 = 41 fewer words in the modern version text
PHILIPPIANS
(1) 499 - 501 |
(2) 434 - 431 |
(3) 349 - 340 |
(4) 359 - 357 |
TOTAL:
1,641 - 1,629 = 12 fewer words in the modern version text
COLOSSIANS
(1) 552 - 538 |
(2) 403 - 388 |
(3) 378 - 369 |
(4) 288 - 286 |
TOTAL:
1,621 - 1,581 = 40 fewer words in the modern version text
I THESSALONIANS
(1) 219 - 214 |
(2) 393 - 390 |
(3) 253 - 248 |
(4) 308 - 310 (5) 322 - 319 |
TOTAL:
1,495 - 1,481 = 14 fewer words in the modern version text
II THESSALONIANS
(1) 237 - 235 |
(2) 319 - 310 |
(3) 278 - 274 |
TOTAL:
834 - 819 = 15 fewer words in the modern version text
I TIMOTHY
(1) 310 - 306 |
(2) 190 - 186 |
(3) 209 - 207 |
(4) 225 - 221 |
(5) 336 - 328 |
(6) 354 - 343 |
TOTAL:
1,624 - 1,591 = 33 fewer words in the modern version text
II TIMOTHY
(1) 318 - 317 |
(2) 361 - 358 |
(3) 238 - 236 |
(4) 337 - 327 |
TOTAL:
1,254 - 1,238 = 16 fewer words in the modern version text
TITUS
(1) 253 - 251 |
(2) 190 - 189 |
(3) 223 - 219 |
TOTAL:
666 - 659 = 7 fewer words in the modern version text
PHILEMON
TOTAL: 339 - 334 = 5 fewer
words in the modern version text
HEBREWS
(1) 255 - 256 |
(2) 321 - 313 |
(3) 281 - 283 |
(4) 292 - 291 |
(5) 234 - 232 |
(6) 303 - 301 |
(7) 459 - 456 |
(8) 283 - 274 |
(9) 509 - 512 |
(10) 559 - 550 |
(11) 639 - 633 |
(12) 479 - 474 |
(13) 376 - 378 |
TOTAL:
4,990 - 4,953 = 37 fewer words in the modern version text
JAMES
(1) 411 - 406 |
(2) 428 - 416 |
(3) 300 - 295 |
(4) 278 - 277 |
(5) 346 - 348 |
TOTAL:
1,763 - 1,742 = 21 fewer words in the modern version text
I PETER
(1) 415 - 409 |
(2) 395 - 393 |
(3) 378 - 370 |
(4) 322 - 305 |
(5) 214 - 207 |
TOTAL:
1,724 - 1,684 = 40 fewer words in the modern version text
II PETER
(1) 385 - 384 |
(2) 376 - 374 |
(3) 343 - 341 |
TOTAL:
1,104 - 1,099 = 5 fewer words in the modern version text
I JOHN
(1) 207 - 207 |
(2) 579 - 587 |
(3) 471 - 469 |
(4) 453 - 449 |
(5) 465 - 429 |
TOTAL:
2,175 - 2,141 = 34 fewer words in the modern version text
II JOHN
TOTAL:
249 - 245 = 4 fewer words in the modern version text
III JOHN
TOTAL:
218 - 219 = 1 more word in the modern version text
JUDE
TOTAL:
452 - 461 = 9 more words in the modern version
REVELATION
(1) 500 - 469 |
(2) 636 - 622 |
(3) 526 - 525 |
(4) 293 - 293 |
(5) 351 - 338 |
(6) 422 - 417 |
(7) 406 - 398 |
(8) 307 - 319 |
(9) 495 - 497 |
(10) 292 - 292 |
(11) 494 - 496 |
(12) 436 - 438 |
(13) 444 - 447 |
(14) 545 - 549 |
(15) 222 - 217 |
(16) 484 - 470 |
(17) 444 - 442 |
(18) 622 - 626 |
(19) 535 - 526 |
(20) 411 - 407 |
(21) 621 - 611 |
(22) 455 - 452 |
TOTAL:
9,941 - 9,851 = 90 fewer words in the modern version text
SUB TOTAL:140,523
- 137,976 = 2,547* fewer words in the modern version text*
After taking the two well-known
passages into account in Mark 16 and John 7:53 - 8:11 (as shown on pg. 36),
the final tally is:
FINAL TOTAL:140,523
- 137,601 = 2,922 fewer words in the modern version textThus,
the modern version text is shorter in the New Testament than that of the King
James Bible by about the total number of words contained in I and II Peter
combined!
Floyd
Jones Th.D., Ph.D. |
Floyd
Jones Ministries, Inc. |
8222
Glencliffe Lane |
Houston,
Texas 77070 |
All the material
appearing in Sections 1-5
has been adapted by permission from Dr. Jack A.
Moorman's excellent manuscript,
MISSING IN MODERN BIBLES (pages 3 - 41).