Mark 11:26

Forgiveness and Prayer

KJV Reading Defended

But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Why the KJV Reading Is Retained

Modern critical editions omit the verse from Mark, while the KJV/TR retains it.

Disputed unit

Mark 11:26/2–35: presence of the whole verse.

Short omitted phraseMajority Greek supportPatristic supportLatin supportSyriac supportScant evidence against KJV

Evidence assessment

The verse is carried by Codex Ephraemi, Bezae, Koridethi, twenty-five further named Greek entries, lectionary 950 and the Byzantine reconstructed witness, with the Latin K/D/I/V states, Peshitta and Harklean manuscripts, Bohairic manuscripts and Gothic. Cyprian quotes Mark 11:25–26 and names Mark explicitly in about AD 248–249. Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Regius, Washingtonianus, Sangallensis and Athous Lavrensis omit it.

Primary support for the KJV reading

Byzantine reconstructed witness with third-century Latin quotation

King James Bible reading

But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

Open in Research Desk

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.

Full witness information

Earliest KJV-supporting evidence

The earliest reviewed support at a glance.

c. AD 250 — Cyprian. Cyprian cites Mark’s forgiveness saying.

Earliest surviving Greek support: Fifth century — Codices A, C, and D.

Primary support for the KJV reading

Byzantine reconstructed witness with third-century Latin quotation

The sections below preserve each supporting, competing, and related record under its proper evidence type.

Majority Text standing

Presence of the verse

Mark 11:26 is the overwhelming numerical Majority Text reading in the surviving Greek tradition.

Estimated Greek support: Approximately 1,585 or more 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

27 named Greek entries plus a bracketed apparatus group and the Byzantine reconstructed witness

Greek competing evidence in the cited corpus

30 named Greek entries in the ECM Mark selected corpus

Lectionary evidence

No specific lectionary support listed.

Principal competing witnesses named in the snapshot

Codex Sinaiticus (01)
Codex Vaticanus (03)
Codex Regius (019)
Codex Washingtonianus (032)

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: 27 named Greek entries plus a bracketed apparatus group and the Byzantine reconstructed witness
Greek competing evidence in cited scope: 30 named Greek entries in the ECM Mark selected corpus
Evidence classification: Byzantine reconstructed witness with third-century Latin quotation

Mark 11:26/2–35 — presence of the whole verse

KJV/TR unit: εἰ δὲ ὑμεῖς οὐκ ἀφίετε, οὐδὲ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀφήσει τὰ παραπτώματα ὑμῶν

Greek manuscripts

Supports the KJV/TR form

04 05r 038r 1 13r 28 33 69 124 209 346 427r 543 579r 732r 788 792r 826 828 983r 1342 1424 1542S 1582 1689 2193A 2542

Grouped evidence: Byz · [043V 0233r 16r 61r 152r 153r 154C 178r 273r 382r 513r 517r 555r 706r 713r 716r 827r 829r 949r 1082r 1160Cr 1243r 1279r 1446r 1457r 1515r 1546r 1579r 1593r 2106r L387r L563r L773]r

Lectionaries

Supports the KJV/TR form

L950r

Versional states

Supports the KJV/TR form

L:KDIV S:PmssHmss K:Bmss Go

Greek manuscripts

Competing reading

01 03 019 032 037 044 055 4 154* 179 184 205 348 565 590 700 733 892 979 1093 1160* 1216 1273 1302 1337 1574 2193* 2206 2680 2766 2886

Versional states

Competing reading

L:Kalt K:SBmss S:VSPmsHmss CPA:CL Ä

Non-extant or partial

Non-directional evidence

P45 043 154C 590 2517 L547 L844

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.

Cyprian

AD 248–249

North Africa

Testimonia ad Quirinum 3.22

Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation

Cites Mark's forgiveness saying: Also according to Mark.

Locator: CCSL 3, CPL 39

Open source

Augustine

c. AD 400

North Africa

Apparatus-level attribution

Supporting witnessCitation type: Patristic citation

The controlling apparatus reports Augustine for this reading, but the exact work and section are not identified in the current dossier.

Locator: Digital Editio Critica Maior, Mark (INTF), Mark 11:26/2–35; exact work and section are not separately identified in the current dossier

Open source

Anastasius Sinaita

AD 601–700

Synopsis 12

Supporting witnessCitation type: Parallel tradition

Parallel tradition in Synopsis 12.

Locator: PG 89,840C12, CPG 7750, INTF 12362

Open source

Pseudo-Anastasius material

Late antique or Byzantine

Mark 11:26 parallel record

Supporting witnessCitation type: Parallel tradition

Parallel tradition in Mark 11:26 parallel record.

Locator: PG 59,566.67, CPG 4583, INTF 12363

Open source

Roster distinctions

Three codices have hand changes here: 154* omits and 154C includes; 1160* omits and 1160C includes; 2193* omits and 2193A includes.

Evidence notes

Important distinctions in the evidence.

Three codices have hand changes here: 154* omits and 154C includes; 1160* omits and 1160C includes; 2193* omits and 2193A includes.

Evidence assessment

Why the KJV reading is retained

The verse is carried by Codex Ephraemi, Bezae, Koridethi, twenty-five further named Greek entries, lectionary 950 and the Byzantine reconstructed witness, with the Latin K/D/I/V states, Peshitta and Harklean manuscripts, Bohairic manuscripts and Gothic. Cyprian quotes Mark 11:25–26 and names Mark explicitly in about AD 248–249. Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Regius, Washingtonianus, Sangallensis and Athous Lavrensis omit it.

Primary support for the KJV reading

Byzantine reconstructed witness with third-century Latin 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.

Institut für Neutestamentliche Textforschung. New Testament Virtual Manuscript Room. Münster: University of Münster.
New Testament Virtual Manuscript Room
Aland, Barbara, et al., eds. Novum Testamentum Graece. 28th rev. ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2012.
Robinson, Maurice A., and William G. Pierpont. The New Testament in the Original Greek: Byzantine Textform 2018. Nürnberg: VTR Publications, 2018.
The New Testament in the Original Greek: Byzantine Textform 2018
Tyndale House, Cambridge, ed. The Greek New Testament. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017.
Digital Editio Critica Maior, Mark (INTF). Mark 11:26/2–35.
Open source
INTF Kurzgefasste Liste / NTVMR manuscript metadata. Physical dates for the named Greek manuscripts.
Open source
INTF Patristic Citations database
Open source
BiblIndex work-edition record for Cyprian, Ad Quirinum (CCSL 3). Testimonia ad Quirinum 3.22.
Open source

Forgiveness and Prayer

Mark 11:26 in the King James Bible

Where the evidence on this page comes from.

The earliest reviewed support at a glance.

Byzantine reconstructed witness with third-century Latin quotation

Complete roster within the stated source scope.

Mark 11:26/2–35 — presence of the whole verse

Greek manuscripts

Lectionaries

Versional states

Greek manuscripts

Versional states

Non-extant or partial

Church Fathers and literary witnesses

Cyprian

Augustine

Anastasius Sinaita

Pseudo-Anastasius material

Important distinctions in the evidence.

Why the KJV reading is retained

Evidence types, without turning rows into votes.

Editions and works cited.