Matthew 1:25

Her Firstborn Son

KJV Reading Defended

And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Why the KJV Reading Is Retained

The KJV preserves the longer reading, “her firstborn son,” found throughout the Byzantine tradition and supported by important Greek witnesses, the Old Latin and Vulgate traditions, the Syriac Peshitta and Harklean versions, and a fourth-century quotation in the Basilian corpus. This combination shows that the wording is both ancient and widely transmitted, not a late English or printed-text addition.

Disputed unit

The wording after “till she had brought forth”: τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὸν πρωτότοκον (“her firstborn son”), against the short υἱόν and three intermediate forms.

Short omitted phraseMajority Greek supportLatin supportSyriac supportPatristic evidenceComplex evidence

Evidence assessment

The exact KJV form is ancient and stands in fifth-century Greek codices, several Old Latin and Vulgate witnesses, the Syriac Peshitta and Harklean, and explicit fourth-century patristic quotations. Sinaiticus and Vaticanus carry the shortest form, and three further intermediate forms circulate alongside them.

Primary support for the KJV reading

Byzantine and fifth-century Greek support

King James Bible reading

And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

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

Willker's selected Matthew apparatus, checked against the Münster-linked verse apparatus and, at Matthew 27:35, against a primary transcription. Counts below name the witnesses this apparatus prints.

Full witness information

Earliest KJV-supporting evidence

The earliest reviewed support at a glance.

Late fourth century — Basilian corpus. Against Eunomius 4 quotes the longer “firstborn son” form.

Earliest surviving Greek support: Fourth–fifth century — Codices W, C, and D.

Primary support for the KJV reading

Byzantine and fifth-century Greek support

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

Majority Text standing

The phrase “her firstborn son”

The KJV/TR form is the numerical Majority Text reading at this wording unit and is the dominant Byzantine form.

Estimated Greek support: Approximately 1,500 to 1,700 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 Matthew apparatus, checked against the Münster-linked verse apparatus and, at Matthew 27:35, against a primary transcription. Counts below name the witnesses this apparatus prints.

Greek support in the cited corpus

10 named Greek witnesses plus Family 13 and the Byzantine tradition in Willker's apparatus

Greek competing evidence in the cited corpus

7 named Greek witnesses in Willker's apparatus

Principal competing witnesses named in the snapshot

Codex Sinaiticus (01)
Codex Vaticanus (03)
Minuscule 33
Family 1

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

Willker's selected Matthew apparatus, checked against the Münster-linked verse apparatus and, at Matthew 27:35, against a primary transcription. Counts below name the witnesses this apparatus prints.

Greek support in cited scope: 10 named Greek witnesses plus Family 13 and the Byzantine tradition in Willker's apparatus
Greek competing evidence in cited scope: 7 named Greek witnesses in Willker's apparatus
Evidence classification: Byzantine and fifth-century Greek support

Wording after “till she had brought forth”

KJV/TR unit: τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὸν πρωτότοκον

Greek manuscripts

Supports the KJV/TR form

τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὸν πρωτότοκον

04 05 019C 032 037C 087 124 372 892 1071

Grouped evidence: Family 13 (part) · Byz

Old Latin

Supports the KJV/TR form

aur (VL15) f (VL10) ff1 (VL9)

Grouped evidence: Vulgate tradition

Syriac

Supports the KJV/TR form

Peshitta Harklean

Greek manuscripts

Related or qualified evidence

τὸν υἱόν· τὸν πρωτότοκον — “the son, the firstborn”, without “her”

019* 037*

Old Latin

Related or qualified evidence

the same intermediate form, without “her”

d (VL5) q (VL13)

Greek manuscripts

Related or qualified evidence

υἱὸν αὐτῆς — “her son”, without “firstborn”

1182

Coptic

Related or qualified evidence

υἱὸν αὐτῆς — “her son”

Sahidic

Greek manuscripts

Competing reading

υἱόν — “a son”

01 03 035V 071V 33 788 1192

Grouped evidence: Family 1

Syriac and Coptic

Competing reading

short forms

Sinaitic Curetonian Bohairic mae-1

Sinaitic Syriac reads the equivalent of “a son to him”; Bohairic reads “the son”.

Lacunose

Non-directional evidence

038 1424

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.

Pseudo-Basil

AD 301–400

Against Eunomius 4

Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation

the work says that Mary's only Son “is called her first born” and quotes “Till she brought forth her first born Son”

Locator: Adversus Eunomium 4 (Basilian corpus)

Open source

Cyril of Jerusalem

c. AD 350

Catechetical Lecture 7.9

Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation

Direct quotation in Catechetical Lecture 7.9.

Locator: Catechesis 7.9

Open source

John Chrysostom

AD 367–400

Homilies on Matthew 5

Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation

Direct quotation in Homilies on Matthew 5.

Locator: Homiliae in Matthaeum 5

Open source

Jerome

c. AD 383

Against Helvidius

Supporting witnessCitation type: Textual comment

Textual comment in Against Helvidius. Latin.

Locator: Adversus Helvidium

Open source

Roster distinctions

The KJV's Greek base contains αὐτῆς (“her”) explicitly.
Ephrem's Diatessaron tradition reads “until she bore her first-born” without “son”, while the Arabic Diatessaron has “firstborn son”.

Evidence notes

Important distinctions in the evidence.

The quotation in Against Eunomius 4 establishes fourth-century circulation of the longer wording even though the authorship of that portion of the work is disputed.
Luke 2:7 independently and securely calls Jesus Mary’s “firstborn,” confirming that the expression belongs to the earliest Gospel tradition.
The early witnesses divide, but the geographical and ecclesiastical breadth of the longer reading supports its retention in the KJV.
The KJV's Greek base contains αὐτῆς (“her”) explicitly.
Ephrem's Diatessaron tradition reads “until she bore her first-born” without “son”, while the Arabic Diatessaron has “firstborn son”.

Evidence assessment

Why the KJV reading is retained

The exact KJV form is ancient and stands in fifth-century Greek codices, several Old Latin and Vulgate witnesses, the Syriac Peshitta and Harklean, and explicit fourth-century patristic quotations. Sinaiticus and Vaticanus carry the shortest form, and three further intermediate forms circulate alongside them.

Primary support for the KJV reading

Byzantine and fifth-century Greek support

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. 1, Matthew. 12th ed. Bremen, 2015.
A Textual Commentary on the Greek Gospels. Vol. 1, Matthew
Pseudo-Basil. Against Eunomius, Book 4, note on Colossians 1:15. In Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, vol. 8.
Against Eunomius, Book 4, note on Colossians 1:15
Wieland Willker, A Textual Commentary on the Greek Gospels, Vol. 1: Matthew. TVU 10, PDF p. 24.
Open source
LaParola Münster-linked verse apparatus. Matthew 1:25 — subvariant separation and patristic/versional index.
Open source
INTF Kurzgefasste Liste / NTVMR manuscript metadata. Physical dates for the named Greek manuscripts.
Open source
Vetus Latina Gospel manuscripts register (ITSEE, University of Birmingham). Identity and physical date of the named Old Latin manuscripts.
Open source
British Library Archives and Manuscripts record, Curetonian Syriac (Add MS 14451). Physical date of the Curetonian manuscript, c. AD 450–470, distinct from the Old Syriac translation date.
Open source
Wieland Willker, study of Middle Egyptian mae-2 (Schøyen MS 2650). Identity and date of mae-1 (Codex Scheide) and mae-2 (Schøyen MS 2650).
Open source
New Advent Fathers of the Church. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechesis 7.9; Chrysostom, Hom. in Matt. 5.
Open source

Her Firstborn Son

Matthew 1:25 in the King James Bible

Where the evidence on this page comes from.

The earliest reviewed support at a glance.

Byzantine and fifth-century Greek support

Complete roster within the stated source scope.

Wording after “till she had brought forth”

Greek manuscripts

Old Latin

Syriac

Greek manuscripts

Old Latin

Greek manuscripts

Coptic

Greek manuscripts

Syriac and Coptic

Lacunose

Church Fathers and literary witnesses

Pseudo-Basil

Cyril of Jerusalem

John Chrysostom

Jerome

Important distinctions in the evidence.

Why the KJV reading is retained

Evidence types, without turning rows into votes.

Editions and works cited.