Matthew 23:19

Matthew 23:19
(KJV) Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
(1611 KJV) Ye fooles and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the Altar that sanctifieth the gift?
(1587 Geneva Bible) Ye fooles and blinde, whether is greater, the offering, or the altar which sanctifieth the offering?
(1526 Tyndale) Ye foles and blinde: whether is greater ye offeringe or ye aultre which sanctifieth ye offeringe?

Counterfeit Versions
(1881 RV) Ye blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
(1901 ASV) Ye blind: for which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
(AMP) You blind people! Which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy?
(CEV) Are you blind? Which is more important, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?

(CSB) Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

(1899 Douay-Rheims American Edition RC) Ye blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
(ERV) You are blind! Can’t you see that the altar is greater than any gift on it? It’s the altar that makes the gift holy!
(ESV) You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
(GNB) How blind you are! Which is the more important, the gift or the altar which makes the gift holy?
(HCSB) Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
(JB PHILLIPS) Have you no eyes—which is more important, the gift, or the altar which sanctifies the gift?
(THE MESSAGE) Does the leather on the Bible carry more weight than the skin on your hands?
(NASV) You blind men, which is more important, the offering, or the altar that sanctifies the offering?
(NCV) You are blind! Which is greater: the gift or the altar that makes the gift holy?
(2011 NIV) You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
(NLT) How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
(RSV) You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
(NAB-Roman Catholic) You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) Blind ones! Which, in fact, is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
μωροι και τυφλοι τι γαρ μειζον το δωρον η το θυσιαστηριον το αγιαζον το δωρον

Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
τυφλοι τι γαρ μειζον το δωρον η το θυσιαστηριον το αγιαζον το δωρον

Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
D 05 - Bezae Cantabrigiensis - Fifth century
L 019 - Seventh century
Theta 038 - Ninth century
1 (Minuscule) - Seventh century
892 - (Minuscule) - Ninth century

Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this Verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century
K 017 - Ninth century
W 032 - Fourth/fifth century
13 (Minuscule) - Eighth century
28 (Minuscule) - Eleventh century
33 (Minuscule) - Ninth Century
565 - (Minuscule) - Ninth century

Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omit “fools and”
Lachmann, Karl - 1842 (In brackets or margin)
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Westcott and Hort - 1881 (In brackets or margin)
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
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
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902

Affected Teaching
Jesus asks them a question concerning which is of more value, the gift or the altar. The altar has more value because it sanctifies the gift and gives it its value. Jesus calls them fools because in their mind, the gift was worth more because of the fact that they loved money and that was their god. The altar had consecrated the gift but the only thing the Pharisees had their minds on was wealth. This is why Jesus called them fools because their money would soon perish with them. (Rom 1:22 KJV) Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, They were looking at this completely backwards because their theology was backwards.

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