Matthew 11:2
- (KJV) Now when
John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent
two of his disciples,
(1611 KJV) Now when Iohn had heard in
the prison the workes of Christ, he sent two
of his disciples,
(1587 Geneva Bible) And when Iohn
heard in the prison the woorkes of Christ, he sent
two of his disciples, and sayde vnto him,
(1526 Tyndale) When Ihon beinge in
preson hearde ye workes of Christ he sent two
of his disciples
Counterfeit Versions
(1881 RV) Now when John heard in the prison the works
of the Christ, he sent by his disciples,
(1901 ASV) Now when John heard in the prison the works
of the Christ, he sent by his disciples
(AMP) Now when John [the Baptist] in prison heard
about the activities of Christ, he sent word by his disciples
(CEB) Now when John heard in prison about the things
the Christ was doing, he sent word by his disciples to Jesus, asking,
(CEV) John was in prison when he heard what Christ was
doing. So John sent some of his followers
-
(CSB) Now when John heard in prison what the Christ was doing, he sent a
message through his disciples
- (ERV) When John was in prison, he heard about the
things that were happening—things the Messiah would do. So he sent some of his
followers to Jesus.
(ESV) Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of
the Christ, he sent word by his disciples
(GNB) When John the Baptist heard in prison about the
things that Christ was doing, he sent some of his disciples to him.
(HCSB) When John heard in prison what the Messiah was
doing, he sent a message by his disciples
(JB PHILLIPS) John the Baptist was in prison when he
heard what Christ was doing, and he sent a message through his own disciples
asking the question, “Are you the one who was to come or are we to look for
somebody else?”
(LEB) Now when John heard in prison the deeds of
Christ, he sent word by his disciples
(LB) John the Baptist, who was now in prison, heard
about all the miracles the Messiah was doing, so he sent his disciples to ask
Jesus,
(THE MESSAGE) John, meanwhile, had been locked up in
prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to
ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”
(NABRE) When John heard in prison of the works of the
Messiah, he sent his disciples to him
(NASV) Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the
works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples
(NCV) John the Baptist was in prison, but he heard
about what the Christ was doing. So John sent some of his followers to Jesus.
(NET) Now when John heard in prison about the deeds
Christ had done, he sent his disciples to ask a question:
(NIRV) John the Baptist was in prison. When he heard
about the actions of the Messiah, he sent his disciples to him.
(NIV) When John, who was in prison, heard about the
deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples
(NLV) When John the Baptist was in prison, he heard
what Jesus was doing. He sent his followers.
(NLT) John the Baptist, who was in prison, heard about
all the things the Messiah was doing. So he sent his disciples to ask Jesus,
(NRSV) When John heard in prison what the Messiah was
doing, he sent word by his disciples
(RSV) Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of
the Christ, he sent word by his disciples
(TLV) Now when John heard in prison about the works of
the Messiah, he sent word through his disciples
(VOICE) John, meanwhile, was still in prison. But
stories about the Anointed One’s teachings and healing reached him. So John sent
his followers
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) But John, having heard in
jail about the works of the Christ, sent his disciples
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
ο δε ιωαννης ακουσας εν τω δεσμωτηριω τα εργα του
χριστου πεμψας δυο των μαθητων
αυτου
Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
ο δε ιωαννης ακουσας εν τω δεσμωτηριω τα εργα του
χριστου πεμψας δια των μαθητων αυτου
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Fourth century
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century
D 05 - Bezae Cantabrigiensis - Fifth century
W 032 - Fourth/fifth century
Delta 037 - Ninth century
Theta 038 - Ninth century
33 (Minuscule) - Ninth Century
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus
Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
K 017 - Ninth century
L 019 - Seventh century
Gamma 036 - Ninth or Tenth century
1 (Minuscule) - Seventh century
13 (Minuscule) - Eighth century
Published Critical Greek Texts with
Corruptions
Reads “by his disciples” instead of “two of his
disciples”
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870
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
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902
Affected Teaching
Here is an other open ended verse. While John was in
prison, he specifically sent two of his disciples to Jesus. The way the modern
versions read, it could look like he sent 520 disciples to Jesus or any other
number. God does things in order and here we have a specific number of two
disciples. Remember when Jesus sent out His disciples, it was by two by two.
Mark 6:7 (KJV) And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth
by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; In Luke 7:19 we
have Luke’s account of the disciples of John going to Jesus. Luke 7:19
(KJV) And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying,
Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? In Luke 7:19, the
modern versions correctly contain the number two. One of the principles of
interpreting Scripture is to compare Scripture with Scripture. In the KJV, these
two verses perfectly harmonize and cause no problem but in the modern versions
there is no harmony.
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