Matthew 5:44

Bless Them That Curse You

KJV Reading Defended

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Why the KJV Reading Is Retained

The KJV preserves the full four-part command to love, bless, do good, and pray. This fuller form has broad Byzantine Greek support, extensive versional transmission, and close parallels in very early Christian teaching. Its circulation across Greek, Latin, Syriac, and early Christian sources shows that it is an ancient ecclesiastical form of the saying.

Disputed unit

Three independent clauses: A “bless them that curse you”, B “do good to them that hate you”, and C the object of the prayer clause.

Short omitted phraseMajority Greek supportPatristic evidenceLatin supportSyriac supportComplex evidence

Evidence assessment

The KJV's longer wording combines three elements that travel independently: “bless them that curse you”, “do good to them that hate you”, and the fuller prayer clause. The full combination stands in Codex Bezae, Washingtonianus, six further named uncials, Family 13 and the Byzantine tradition, and in the Apostolic Constitutions. Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Old Latin k, the Old Syriac and mae-2 carry the short endpoint.

Primary support for the KJV reading

Byzantine and fifth-century Greek support across all three clauses

King James Bible reading

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

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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 first–early second century — Didache 1.3, related fuller teaching. This is early Christian evidence for the fuller command, not a manuscript of Matthew.

Earliest surviving Greek support: Fifth century — Codices D and W preserve the fuller Matthean form.

Primary support for the KJV reading

Byzantine and fifth-century Greek support across all three clauses

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

Majority Text standing

The fuller three-clause form

The KJV/TR wording is the Byzantine majority endpoint across the three disputed clauses.

Estimated Greek support: Approximately 1,400 to 1,600 Greek manuscripts

Unit qualification: The three clauses also travel separately in some witnesses, so the estimate describes the dominant fuller form rather than claiming that every supporting copy has an identical local arrangement.

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

13 named Greek witnesses plus Family 13 and the Byzantine tradition carry the full combination

Greek competing evidence in the cited corpus

7 named Greek witnesses plus Family 1 carry the short endpoint

Principal competing witnesses named in the snapshot

Codex Sinaiticus (01)
Codex Vaticanus (03)
Old Latin k
Old Syriac Sinaitic and Curetonian

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: 13 named Greek witnesses plus Family 13 and the Byzantine tradition carry the full combination
Greek competing evidence in cited scope: 7 named Greek witnesses plus Family 1 carry the short endpoint
Evidence classification: Byzantine and fifth-century Greek support across all three clauses

Clause A — “bless them that curse you”

KJV/TR unit: εὐλογεῖτε τοὺς καταρωμένους ὑμᾶς

Greek manuscripts

Supports the KJV/TR form

05 019 032 037 038 042 047 33 118 372 700 892 1071 2737

Grouped evidence: Family 13 · Byz · lectionaries cited collectively

Old Latin

Supports the KJV/TR form

d (VL5) h (VL12) f (VL10) c (VL6)

Coptic and other versions

Supports the KJV/TR form

Bohairic-part Georgian-1

Greek manuscripts

Competing reading

01 03 22 279 660* 1192 2786*

Grouped evidence: Family 1

Old Latin and Vulgate

Competing reading

k (VL1) a (VL3) b (VL4) aur (VL15) ff1 (VL9) l (VL11) g1 (VL7)

Grouped evidence: Vulgate tradition

Syriac and Coptic

Competing reading

Sinaitic Curetonian Sahidic Bohairic-strand mae-2

Lacunose

Non-directional evidence

04

Clause B — “do good to them that hate you”

KJV/TR unit: καλῶς ποιεῖτε τοῖς μισοῦσιν ὑμᾶς

Greek manuscripts

Supports the KJV/TR form

05 019 032 037 038 042 047 33 118 372 700 892 1230 1242* 2737

Grouped evidence: Family 13 · Byz

Old Latin and Vulgate

Supports the KJV/TR form

a (VL3) b (VL4) aur (VL15) ff1 (VL9) l (VL11) g1 (VL7) d (VL5) h (VL12) f (VL10) c (VL6)

Grouped evidence: Vulgate tradition · Armenian manuscripts

Greek manuscripts

Competing reading

01 03 22 279 660* 1071 1192 2786*

Grouped evidence: Family 1

Old Latin, Syriac and Coptic

Competing reading

k (VL1) Sinaitic Curetonian Sahidic Bohairic-strand mae-2

Lacunose

Non-directional evidence

04

Clause C — object of the prayer clause

KJV/TR unit: …ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ὑμᾶς καὶ διωκόντων ὑμᾶς

Greek manuscripts

Supports the KJV/TR form

05 019 032 037 038 042 047 33 118 372 700 892 2737

Grouped evidence: Family 13 · Byz

Syriac

Supports the KJV/TR form

Peshitta Harklean

Greek manuscripts

Related or qualified evidence

“despitefully use” only

1230 1241

Grouped evidence: Gothic · lectionaries cited collectively

Greek manuscripts

Competing reading

καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν διωκόντων ὑμᾶς

01 03

Grouped evidence: Family 1

Syriac and Coptic

Competing reading

Sinaitic Curetonian Sahidic

Lacunose

Non-directional evidence

04

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.

Didache

AD 67–133

Didache 1.3

Supporting witnessCitation type: Parallel tradition

combines blessing those who curse with prayer/love for enemies, but it is not a secure verbatim citation of Matthew 5:44

Locator: Didache 1

Open source

Justin Martyr

c. AD 155

First Apology 15

Supporting witnessCitation type: Evidence on both forms

preserves a fuller combined form with love, blessing, and prayer language

Locator: Justin, First Apology

Open source

Theophilus of Antioch

AD 167–200

To Autolycus 3.14

Supporting witnessCitation type: Allusion

Allusion in To Autolycus 3.14.

Locator: Ad Autolycum 3.14

Open source

Athenagoras

AD 176–177

Plea for the Christians 11

Supporting witnessCitation type: Close quotation

gives “Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; pray for them that persecute you”

Locator: Athenagoras, Plea 11

Open source

Clement of Alexandria

c. AD 200

Stromata 4

Supporting witnessCitation type: Close quotation

Close quotation in Stromata 4.

Locator: Stromateis 4

Open source

Cyprian

AD 248–249

Testimonies 3.49

Competing witnessCitation type: Direct quotation

Direct quotation in Testimonies 3.49.

Locator: Ad Quirinum 3.49

Open source

Apostolic Constitutions

AD 367–400

Apostolic Constitutions 1.2

Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation

Direct quotation in Apostolic Constitutions 1.2.

Locator: Constitutiones apostolorum 1.2

Open source

Roster distinctions

Old Latin is divided across the three clauses: d, h, f and c carry the full endpoint, k is short, and several others carry only selected elements.

Evidence notes

Important distinctions in the evidence.

The Didache, Justin, and Athenagoras show the antiquity of the fuller Christian teaching, although their wording is not treated as an exact copy of Matthew.
Luke 6:27–28 independently preserves the blessing and doing-good language.
The evidence shows early circulation of both a shorter and a fuller form; the KJV follows the form that became dominant in the church’s manuscript tradition.
Old Latin is divided across the three clauses: d, h, f and c carry the full endpoint, k is short, and several others carry only selected elements.

Evidence assessment

Why the KJV reading is retained

The KJV's longer wording combines three elements that travel independently: “bless them that curse you”, “do good to them that hate you”, and the fuller prayer clause. The full combination stands in Codex Bezae, Washingtonianus, six further named uncials, Family 13 and the Byzantine tradition, and in the Apostolic Constitutions. Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Old Latin k, the Old Syriac and mae-2 carry the short endpoint.

Primary support for the KJV reading

Byzantine and fifth-century Greek support across all three clauses

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
The Didache, §1.3. In Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 7.
The Didache, §1.3
Justin Martyr. The First Apology, §15. In Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1.
The First Apology, §15
Athenagoras. A Plea for the Christians, §11. In Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 2.
A Plea for the Christians, §11
Wieland Willker, A Textual Commentary on the Greek Gospels, Vol. 1: Matthew. TVU 45, PDF p. 82.
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.
Open source
Wieland Willker, study of Middle Egyptian mae-2 (Schøyen MS 2650). Identity and date of mae-2 (Schøyen MS 2650).
Open source
New Advent Fathers of the Church. Didache 1.3; Athenagoras, Legatio 11; Apostolic Constitutions 1.2.
Open source

Bless Them That Curse You

Matthew 5:44 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 across all three clauses

Complete roster within the stated source scope.

Clause A — “bless them that curse you”

Greek manuscripts

Old Latin

Coptic and other versions

Greek manuscripts

Old Latin and Vulgate

Syriac and Coptic

Lacunose

Clause B — “do good to them that hate you”

Greek manuscripts

Old Latin and Vulgate

Greek manuscripts

Old Latin, Syriac and Coptic

Lacunose

Clause C — object of the prayer clause

Greek manuscripts

Syriac

Greek manuscripts

Greek manuscripts

Syriac and Coptic

Lacunose

Church Fathers and literary witnesses

Didache

Justin Martyr

Theophilus of Antioch

Athenagoras

Clement of Alexandria

Cyprian

Apostolic Constitutions

Important distinctions in the evidence.

Why the KJV reading is retained

Evidence types, without turning rows into votes.

Editions and works cited.