John 12:41

John 12:41

(KJV) These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

(1611 KJV) These things said Esaias, when he saw his glory, and spake of him.

(1587 Geneva Bible) These things sayd Esaias when he sawe his glory, and spake of him.

(1526 Tyndale) Soche thinges sayde Esaias when he sawe his glory and spake of him.

 

Counterfeit Versions

(1881 RV) These things said Isaiah, because he saw his glory; and he spake of him.

(1901 ASV) These things said Isaiah, because he saw his glory; and he spake of him.

(AMP) Isaiah said this because he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

(CEB) Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus’ glory; he spoke about Jesus.

(CEV) Isaiah said this, because he saw the glory of Jesus and spoke about him.

(CSB) Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke about him.

(ESV) Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke of him.

(GNB) Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.

(HCSB) Isaiah said these things because he saw His glory and spoke about Him.

(THE MESSAGE) Isaiah said these things after he got a glimpse of God's cascading brightness that would pour through the Messiah.

(1995 NASV) These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him.

(NCV) Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus' glory and spoke about him.

(2011 NIV) Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.

(NLT) Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory.

(RSV) Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke of him.

(NAB-Roman Catholic) Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke about him.

(NWT- Jehovah’s Witnesses) Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory, and he spoke about him.

 

Textus Receptus - Traditional Text

ταυτα ειπεν ησαιας οτε ειδεν την δοξαν αυτου και ελαλησεν περι αυτου

 

Hort-Westcott - Critical Text

ταυτα ειπεν ησαιας οτι ειδεν την δοξαν αυτου και ελαλησεν περι αυτου

 

Corrupted Manuscripts

This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:

P 66 - circa 200 AD

P 75 - Third Century

Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century

B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century

L 019 - Seventh century

X 033 - Tenth century

Theta 038 - Ninth century

XI 040 - Sixth century

33 (Minuscule) - Ninth Century

 

Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse

Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)

D 05 - Bezae Cantabrigiensis - Fifth century

K 017 - Ninth century

PI-041 - Ninth century

036 - (Majuscule) Tenth century

037 - (Majuscule) Ninth Century

13 (Minuscule) - Eighth century

565 - (Minuscule) - Ninth century

700 - (Minuscule) Eleventh century

 

Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions

Reads “because” instead of “when he saw”

Greisbach, Johann - 1805

Lachmann, Karl - 1842

Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869

Tregelles, Samuel - 1857

Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871

Westcott and Hort - 1881

Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941

Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition

Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition

United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition

 

Affected Teaching

Both words “because” and “when” are conjunctions. When is also used as a noun, adverb, and pronoun. John 12:40-41 ties into Isaiah 6 where Isaiah sees the Glory of God in His temple. (Isa 6:9-10 KJV) And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. {10} Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed. John 12:41 is pointing to the fact that Isaiah was in the presence of the Lord and recorded his commission to go to Israel and preach the truth. Isaiah received this commission to be a prophet to Israel when he was in the presence of the Lord and not because of it. The word ”when” shows that Isaiah was present when the Lord spoke to him but the word “because” could be deemed a reaction by Isaiah where he would not necessarily have been present. The word “when” shows that Isaiah received his commission from the mouth of the Lord and “because” can show a delayed reaction to the calling and can also open the door for a third party commission, thus lessening Isaiah‘s authority. For example, God spoke to X and X told Isaiah and because he was told by X, he became a prophet by proxy. However, the word “when” tells us that Isaiah was in the presence of the Lord just like John was in Revelation. When God commissioned a prophet, He did it personally when they were in His presence.

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