Fourth–fifth century — Old Latin and Greek transmission. “Joseph and his mother” is present in the ancient versional stream and Codex A.
Earliest surviving Greek support: Fifth century — Codex A.
Luke 2:33
Joseph and His Mother
KJV Reading Defended
And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
Why the KJV Reading Is Retained
“Joseph and his mother” is the Byzantine majority reading and is supported by important Greek, Old Latin, and Syriac witnesses. It preserves Luke’s careful distinction between Joseph and Mary within the infancy narrative while remaining fully consistent with Joseph’s legal and social role as Jesus’ father.
Disputed unit
“Joseph and his mother” against “his father and his mother”, with a no-possessive form, a double-possessive form and a hybrid form.
Doctrinally discussed variantMajority Greek supportLatin evidenceSyriac evidenceComplex evidence
Evidence assessment
“Joseph and his mother” is carried by Codex Alexandrinus, Zacynthius, Sangallensis, Koridethi, Athous Lavrensis, 579, 892, Family 13 and the Byzantine tradition, with Old Latin, several Vulgate manuscripts, the Peshitta, Harklean and Palestinian Syriac, part of Bohairic and Gothic. “His father and his mother” stands in the corrector of Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Bezae, Regius, Washingtonianus and Family 1.
Primary support for the KJV reading
Byzantine tradition with broad Latin and Syriac support
King James Bible reading
Luke 2:33 in the King James Bible
And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
Evidence sources
Where the evidence on this page comes from.
Sources used for the witnesses, readings, dates, and notes on this page. Complete citations appear in the References section at the end of the page.
Governing apparatus and count scope
Willker's selected Luke apparatus, which prints named witnesses together with the group siglum Maj. Counts below name the witnesses this apparatus prints.
- B. M. Metzger, The Early Versions of the New Testament
- H. A. G. Houghton, The Latin New Testament
- IGNTP, The New Testament in Greek: The Gospel According to St Luke, Parts 1–2 (OUP 1984, 1987)
- INTF Kurzgefasste Liste / NTVMR manuscript metadata
- University of Birmingham ITSEE, Concordance of Old Latin New Testament sigla
- Vetus Latina Gospel manuscript register (ITSEE, University of Birmingham)
- Wieland Willker, A Textual Commentary on the Greek Gospels, Vol. 3: Luke
Earliest KJV-supporting evidence
The earliest reviewed support at a glance.
Primary support for the KJV reading
Byzantine tradition with broad Latin and Syriac support
The sections below preserve each supporting, competing, and related record under its proper evidence type.
Majority Text standing
“Joseph and his mother”
The KJV/TR wording is the numerical Majority Text reading and the dominant Byzantine form.
Estimated Greek support: Approximately 1,400 to 1,600 Greek manuscripts
This is a conservative working estimate based on the published Majority or Byzantine designation and the approximate number of continuous-text manuscripts that preserve the book. Lacunae and collation scope make the exact denominator vary by verse.
Source scope and denominator
Willker's selected Luke apparatus, which prints named witnesses together with the group siglum Maj. Counts below name the witnesses this apparatus prints.
Greek support in the cited corpus
7 named Greek witnesses plus Family 13 and the Maj group in Willker's apparatus
Greek competing evidence in the cited corpus
8 named Greek witnesses plus Family 1
Principal competing witnesses named in the snapshot
- Codex Vaticanus (03)
- Codex Bezae (05)
- Codex Regius (019)
- Codex Washingtonianus (032)
Evidence represented on this page
Greek manuscripts
Represented
Ancient versions
Represented
Church fathers
No entry listed
Printed editions
No entry listed
Complete source-scoped roster
Complete roster within the stated source scope.
This roster preserves every named or grouped state recovered in the governing sources, including exact readings, competing readings, corrections, related forms, lacunae, versions, and aggregate traditions. When Maj or Byz appears on the KJV side, it marks the numerically dominant Greek transmission at that unit. The green Majority Text card above supplies the best available passage-specific estimate. The grouped siglum is then retained so it is not mistaken for one individual manuscript.
Apparatus and roster scope
Willker's selected Luke apparatus, which prints named witnesses together with the group siglum Maj. Counts below name the witnesses this apparatus prints.
- Greek support in cited scope
- 7 named Greek witnesses plus Family 13 and the Maj group in Willker's apparatus
- Greek competing evidence in cited scope
- 8 named Greek witnesses plus Family 1
- Evidence classification
- Byzantine tradition with broad Latin and Syriac support
The subject of the verse
KJV/TR unit: Ἰωσὴφ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ
Greek manuscripts
Supports the KJV/TR form02 037 038 040 044 579 892
Grouped evidence: Family 13 · Maj
Latin, Syriac, Coptic and other versions
Supports the KJV/TR formPeshitta Harklean Palestinian-Syriac Bohairic-part Gothic
Grouped evidence: Old Latin evidence on this line · some Vulgate manuscripts
Greek manuscripts
Related or qualified evidenceἸωσὴφ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ, without the possessive
022 33 579
Grouped evidence: five further manuscripts cited collectively
Greek manuscripts
Related or qualified evidenceἸωσὴφ ὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ — hybrid
157 165 176 Ethiopic
Greek manuscripts
Competing readingὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ
01C1 03 05 019 032 131 700 1241
Grouped evidence: Family 1
Latin and Coptic
Competing readingd (VL5) Sahidic Bohairic-part
Grouped evidence: Vulgate tradition
Greek manuscripts
Related or qualified evidenceὁ πατὴρ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ
01* 019 Sinaitic-Syriac Harklean-margin
Grouped evidence: a Vulgate manuscript
Lacunose
Non-directional evidence04 033
Evidence notes
Important distinctions in the evidence.
- Luke 1:26–35 explicitly teaches the virgin conception in every mainstream textual form.
- Luke 2:48 uses “thy father” as ordinary family language, so the competing reading does not deny the virgin birth.
- The KJV form’s breadth in the Byzantine and versional traditions supports its established place in the text.
Evidence assessment
Why the KJV reading is retained
“Joseph and his mother” is carried by Codex Alexandrinus, Zacynthius, Sangallensis, Koridethi, Athous Lavrensis, 579, 892, Family 13 and the Byzantine tradition, with Old Latin, several Vulgate manuscripts, the Peshitta, Harklean and Palestinian Syriac, part of Bohairic and Gothic. “His father and his mother” stands in the corrector of Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Bezae, Regius, Washingtonianus and Family 1.
Primary support for the KJV reading
Byzantine tradition with broad Latin and Syriac support
Evidence represented on this page
Evidence types, without turning rows into votes.
GreekRepresented
LatinRepresented
Other versionsRepresented
FathersNot listed
Printed editionsNot listed
References
Editions and works cited.
Willker, Wieland. A Textual Commentary on the Greek Gospels. Vol. 3, Luke. 12th ed. Bremen, 2015.
Wieland Willker, A Textual Commentary on the Greek Gospels, Vol. 3: Luke. Luke 2:33, PDF p. 41.
IGNTP, The New Testament in Greek: The Gospel According to St Luke, Parts 1–2 (OUP 1984, 1987). Comprehensive Luke collation.
INTF Kurzgefasste Liste / NTVMR manuscript metadata. Physical dates for the named Greek manuscripts.
Vetus Latina Gospel manuscripts register (ITSEE, University of Birmingham). Identity and physical date of the named Old Latin manuscripts.