Matthew 6:13
KJV Reading Defended
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Why the KJV Reading Is Retained
Modern editions often omit or footnote the doxology at the end of Matthew's Lord's Prayer.
Disputed unit
The closing doxology: kingdom, power, glory, for ever, Amen — against partial doxologies, Trinitarian expansions, and no doxology.
Evidence assessment
The doxology stands in Washingtonianus, Rossanensis, Regius, six further named uncials, Family 13 and the Byzantine tradition, and Chrysostom expounds it in full in the late fourth century. Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Bezae and a fourth-century Greek ostracon end the prayer at “evil”, and the Didache, Sahidic, Fayyumic and Curetonian carry partial doxologies.
Primary support for the KJV reading
Byzantine, Syriac and Gothic support
King James Bible reading
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Evidence sources
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.
Earliest KJV-supporting evidence
Early second century — Didache 8, related doxology. The Didache places a doxology after the Lord’s Prayer; its form is shorter than the complete KJV wording. Complete Matthean form: c. AD 400 — John Chrysostom.
Earliest surviving Greek support: Fifth century — Codex W.
Primary support for the KJV reading
The sections below preserve each supporting, competing, and related record under its proper evidence type.
Majority Text standing
The complete closing doxology
The complete KJV/TR doxology is the numerical Majority Text reading and dominates the later Greek transmission.
Estimated Greek support: Approximately 1,400 to 1,600 Greek manuscripts
Unit qualification: Partial and expanded doxologies are listed separately and are not counted as exact copies of the complete KJV form.
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
12 named Greek witnesses plus Family 13 and the Byzantine tradition in Willker's apparatus
Greek competing evidence in the cited corpus
13 named Greek witnesses plus Family 1
Lectionary evidence
Eastern liturgical tradition uses a doxology with the Lord's Prayer
Principal competing witnesses named in the snapshot
Evidence represented on this page
Greek manuscripts
Represented
Ancient versions
Represented
Church fathers
Represented
Printed editions
No entry listed
Complete source-scoped roster
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.
KJV/TR unit: ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν
011 017 019 032 037 038 041 042 0233 33 565 892
Grouped evidence: Family 13 · Byz · many later minuscules and lectionaries
f (VL10) q (VL13)
Peshitta Harklean Christian-Palestinian-Aramaic Bohairic Armenian Georgian Ethiopic Gothic
partial doxology
1342
Kingdom, glory and Amen, without “power”.
partial doxology
g1 (VL7) k (VL1) Curetonian Sahidic Fayyumic
Trinitarian expansion
157 225 418 1253
no doxology
01 03 05 035 0170 130 372 890 1090C 2701S 2737 2780* 2786
Grouped evidence: Family 1
a (VL3) b (VL4) h (VL12) aur (VL15) ff1 (VL9) l (VL11) c (VL6)
Grouped evidence: principal Vulgate text
Bohairic-strand mae-1 mae-2 Syriac-Diatessaron-descendant Megara-ostracon
The Megara ostracon is fourth-century Greek and ends at “evil”.
04
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.
Syria
Didache 8.2
For thine is the power and the glory for ever.
Open sourceOn Prayer 8
Direct quotation in On Prayer 8.
Locator: De oratione 8
Open sourceActs of Thomas 144
Parallel tradition in Acts of Thomas 144.
Locator: Acta Thomae 144, printed at Willker TVU 55
Open sourceOn Prayer 19
Direct quotation in On Prayer 19.
Locator: De oratione 19
Open sourceOn the Lord's Prayer 27
Direct quotation in On the Lord's Prayer 27.
Locator: De dominica oratione 27
Open sourceSyria
Apostolic Constitutions 7.24
Uses the Lord's Prayer with doxological ending
Locator: Constitutiones apostolorum 7.24
Open sourceConstantinople
Homilies on Matthew 19.10
Quotes the doxology as part of Matthew's Lord's Prayer
Locator: Homiliae in Matthaeum 19.10
Open sourceRoster distinctions
Evidence notes
Evidence assessment
The doxology stands in Washingtonianus, Rossanensis, Regius, six further named uncials, Family 13 and the Byzantine tradition, and Chrysostom expounds it in full in the late fourth century. Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Bezae and a fourth-century Greek ostracon end the prayer at “evil”, and the Didache, Sahidic, Fayyumic and Curetonian carry partial doxologies.
Primary support for the KJV reading
Byzantine, Syriac and Gothic support
Evidence represented on this page
References
Institut für Neutestamentliche Textforschung. New Testament Virtual Manuscript Room. Münster: University of Münster.
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.
Tyndale House, Cambridge, ed. The Greek New Testament. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017.
Wieland Willker, A Textual Commentary on the Greek Gospels, Vol. 1: Matthew. TVU 55, PDF p. 99.
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.
British Library Archives and Manuscripts record, Curetonian Syriac (Add MS 14451). Physical date of the Curetonian manuscript, c. AD 450–470 (Curetonian carries the partial kingdom + glory + Amen doxology).
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).
New Advent Fathers of the Church. Didache 8.2; Tertullian, De oratione 8; Chrysostom, Hom. in Matt. 19.10.
Origen, On Prayer (CCEL). De oratione 19.