Matt. 20:16

Matt. 20:16 (h.t.)

 

ουτως εσονται οι εσχατοι πρωτοι
και οι πρωτοι εσχατοι πολλοι
γαρ εισιν κλητοι ολιγοι δε εκλεκτοι

"..."So shall be the last first,
and of the first many last:
for many are called, but few chosen."

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INCLUDE LINE: C, D, W, Δ Θ , f1, f13, 33, Byz Maj (Majority of MSS), Latt, Sy, mae-1, Bo(pt), [Trg]

OMIT: א B, L, Z, 085, 892*, 1342, 1424, 1675*, pc⁽¹⁴⁾, sa, bopt, mae-2 pc = 4, 5, 36, 75*, 141, 278, 423*, 571, 797, 1093, 1243*, 1403, 1574, 2418*

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With ten different words ending in "οι" in a single compound sentence, its no wonder a tired copyist went cross-eyed here.

The original text is probably Mark 10:31, (cf. Luke 13:30) but Matthew is clearly aware of Luke's text, and probably has followed that, as he makes use of so much of Luke elsewhere.  Luke 14:24 (Byz text) also has the longer version of the verse.

We must suspect some deliberate editing here, possibly confusion, once the omission occured. The problem with Matthew's (and Luke's) text, is that two distinct sayings have indeed been apparently conflated, probably in an effort at providing a context for them both. Are we really supposed to equate the "first and last" in the first saying with the "called and chosen" in the second?

Many may feel the second saying is far more ominous, perhaps even suggesting loss of salvation. But as Jesus originally spoke these words, they probably did not imply that few would be saved, and many lost. That would be a catastrophic failure of His mission to redeem Israel and open salvation to the Gentiles. More likely we have a legitimate connection between the two sayings, implying loss of status, not loss of salvation here.

In any case, the textual evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of an early accidental omission, complicated by some frantic editing/copying. Sticking with the traditional text is again the safest course.

W. Willker admits (Textual Commentary Matthew):

This catchy saying has also been added after Lk 14:24. Nevertheless it might be an omission due to [homoioteleuton] TOI - TOI.  Note the corrected Byzantine minuscules!  This verse is the end of a lection. Possibly this caused the addition?'

- or omission...

Westcott/Hort omit the clause while following Aleph/B, and also other editors. No footnote or apparatus is provided in the UBS-text (2nd-4th ed.) and translators are wholly unaware that another important saying of Jesus has been snipped from the Gospels without even a hello.

Here is another possible format that makes the same mistake easy :

                                  Click on picture to enlarge.