Late second century — Clement of Alexandria. Clement explicitly knows the longer “trust in riches” reading.
Earliest surviving Greek support: Fifth century — Codices A, C, and D.
Mark 10:24
Them That Trust in Riches
KJV Reading Defended
And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
Why the KJV Reading Is Retained
The KJV phrase “for them that trust in riches” has broad Greek support together with Latin, Syriac, and early patristic attestation. It makes explicit the spiritual danger already illustrated by the rich young ruler and preserves the form received across a wide ecclesiastical tradition.
Disputed unit
Mark 10:24, word 39: presence of τοὺς πεποιθότας ἐπὶ χρήμασιν and its prepositional subforms.
Short omitted phraseMajority Greek supportPatristic evidenceLatin supportSyriac supportComplex evidence
Evidence assessment
The qualification about trusting in riches is carried by Codex Ephraemi, the correction of Athous Lavrensis, ten further named Greek entries, lectionary 950 and the Byzantine reconstructed witness, with three further Greek subforms in a large minuscule group, and Clement of Alexandria quotes the long form directly. Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Washingtonianus, Sangallensis, the first hand of Athous Lavrensis and 2786 omit it.
Primary support for the KJV reading
Byzantine reconstructed witness with third-century patristic quotation
King James Bible reading
Mark 10:24 in the King James Bible
And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
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
The current digital ECM Mark apparatus, built on full transcriptions of 209 selected Greek manuscripts together with the reconstructed versional and patristic states. Counts below name the entries this apparatus displays.
- B. M. Metzger, The Early Versions of the New Testament
- Clement
- Digital Editio Critica Maior, Mark (INTF)
- GCS 17,162.31, CPG 1379, INTF 9476
- INTF Kurzgefasste Liste / NTVMR manuscript metadata
- INTF Patristic Citations database
- Vetus Latina Gospel manuscript register (ITSEE, University of Birmingham)
- Willker Mark apparatus
Earliest KJV-supporting evidence
The earliest reviewed support at a glance.
Primary support for the KJV reading
Byzantine reconstructed witness with third-century patristic quotation
The sections below preserve each supporting, competing, and related record under its proper evidence type.
Majority Text standing
The phrase “for them that trust in riches”
The KJV/TR qualification 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
The current digital ECM Mark apparatus, built on full transcriptions of 209 selected Greek manuscripts together with the reconstructed versional and patristic states. Counts below name the entries this apparatus displays.
Greek support in the cited corpus
10 named Greek entries for the primary long form plus 37 further entries in three subforms, with the Byzantine reconstructed witness
Greek competing evidence in the cited corpus
6 named Greek entries in the ECM Mark selected corpus
Principal competing witnesses named in the snapshot
- Codex Sinaiticus (01)
- Codex Vaticanus (03)
- Codex Washingtonianus (032)
- Codex Sangallensis (037)
Evidence represented on this page
Greek manuscripts
Represented
Ancient versions
Represented
Church fathers
Represented
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
The current digital ECM Mark apparatus, built on full transcriptions of 209 selected Greek manuscripts together with the reconstructed versional and patristic states. Counts below name the entries this apparatus displays.
- Greek support in cited scope
- 10 named Greek entries for the primary long form plus 37 further entries in three subforms, with the Byzantine reconstructed witness
- Greek competing evidence in cited scope
- 6 named Greek entries in the ECM Mark selected corpus
- Evidence classification
- Byzantine reconstructed witness with third-century patristic quotation
Mark 10:24, word 39 — the qualification about riches
KJV/TR unit: τοὺς πεποιθότας ἐπὶ χρήμασιν
Greek manuscripts
Supports the KJV/TR form04 044C 427r 579r 700 732 792 892 1342 1424
Grouped evidence: Byz · [0211r 0233V 61r 131r 179r 261r 382r 472r 513r 740r 752r 803r 829r 863r 873r 1009r 1128r 1243r 1326r 1515r 1555r 2106r 2148r 2738]r · Clem
Lectionaries
Supports the KJV/TR formL950r
Greek manuscripts
Related or qualified evidenceτοὺς πεποιθότας ἐπὶ τοῖς χρήμασιν
05 038r 043V 1 4 13r 28r 69 124 205 209 273r 346 372 543 565r 788 826 828r 872 983r 1093 1542S 1574 1582 1654 1689 2193 2542 2726 2737 2886
Greek manuscripts
Related or qualified evidenceτοὺς πεποιθότας ἐπὶ τὰ χρήματα
728 1546r 2206r 2487 L387-1r
Greek manuscripts
Related or qualified evidenceτοὺς πεποιθότας ἐπὶ χρήματα
780 L387-2r
Versional states carrying the qualification
Related or qualified evidenceL:IV S:VS>P>H K:Bmss Ä Go
Greek manuscripts
Competing reading01 03 032 037 044* 2786
Versional states
Competing readingL:K K:S
Non-extant at the unit
Non-directional evidence019 055 0274 544 2744 L60 L547 L563 L844 L2211
Church Fathers and literary witnesses
Precisely located citations and additional names reported by the controlling apparatus are kept separate. An apparatus-level attribution is not presented as an independently verified exact quotation.
Clement of Alexandria
AD 201–300Quis dives salvetur? 9
Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation
Clement's extended treatment quotes the qualification about trusting in riches
Locator: GCS 17,162.31, CPG 1379, INTF 9476
Open sourceRoster distinctions
- The larger paraphrase δυσκόλως οἱ τὰ χρήματα ἔχοντες… belongs to GA 1241.
- Athous Lavrensis is one codex in two states: 044* omits and 044C includes.
Evidence notes
Important distinctions in the evidence.
- The surrounding verses concern wealth in either textual form; the KJV phrase makes the moral focus explicit.
- Clement supplies early patristic evidence for the fuller wording.
- The shorter reading remains represented by Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Codex Δ, and other witnesses.
- The larger paraphrase δυσκόλως οἱ τὰ χρήματα ἔχοντες… belongs to GA 1241.
- Athous Lavrensis is one codex in two states: 044* omits and 044C includes.
Evidence assessment
Why the KJV reading is retained
The qualification about trusting in riches is carried by Codex Ephraemi, the correction of Athous Lavrensis, ten further named Greek entries, lectionary 950 and the Byzantine reconstructed witness, with three further Greek subforms in a large minuscule group, and Clement of Alexandria quotes the long form directly. Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Washingtonianus, Sangallensis, the first hand of Athous Lavrensis and 2786 omit it.
Primary support for the KJV reading
Byzantine reconstructed witness with third-century patristic quotation
Evidence represented on this page
Evidence types, without turning rows into votes.
GreekRepresented
LatinRepresented
Other versionsRepresented
FathersRepresented
Printed editionsNot listed
References
Editions and works cited.
Willker, Wieland. A Textual Commentary on the Greek Gospels. Vol. 2, Mark. 12th ed. Bremen, 2015.
Clement of Alexandria. Who Is the Rich Man That Shall Be Saved?, §4. In Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2.
Digital Editio Critica Maior, Mark (INTF). Mark 10:24, word 39.
INTF Kurzgefasste Liste / NTVMR manuscript metadata. Physical dates for the named Greek manuscripts.
INTF Patristic Citations database