Revelation 1:11

I Am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last

KJV Reading Defended

Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Why the KJV Reading Is Retained

The KJV expansion is preserved exactly in two known late Greek witnesses, with related expansions in additional Greek manuscripts. More importantly, every title in the expansion is securely Johannine: “the first and the last” appears in Revelation 1:17 and 2:8, and the Alpha-and-Omega title appears elsewhere in the book.

Disputed unit

The insertion beginning ‘I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last’ at word address 3.

Long added phraseDoctrinally discussed variantNot majority Greek supportLate Greek supportTR divergenceComplex evidence

Evidence assessment

The ECM target row has 90 assigned Greek entries. Eight entries preserve the full KJV lexical and syntactic expansion—seven in the main text and 61mg—while 64 omit the insertion and the remainder carry related forms.

Primary support for the KJV reading

Eight ECM Greek entries with the complete lexical and syntactic form

King James Bible reading

Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

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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

The current digital ECM Revelation apparatus. Counts are the named Greek reading states displayed for the exact target unit; fully non-extant witnesses remain separate.

Full witness information

Earliest KJV-supporting evidence

The earliest reviewed support at a glance.

Twelfth century — minuscule 2814. It contains the exact Alpha-and-Omega expansion later received into the Textus Receptus.

Earliest surviving Greek support: Twelfth century — 2814.

Primary support for the KJV reading

Eight ECM Greek entries with the complete lexical and syntactic form

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

Source scope and denominator

The current digital ECM Revelation apparatus. Counts are the named Greek reading states displayed for the exact target unit; fully non-extant witnesses remain separate.

Greek support in the cited corpus

8 exact lexical/syntactic entries: 7 main text plus 61mg

Greek competing evidence in the cited corpus

64 omission entries

Principal competing witnesses named in the snapshot

Codex Sinaiticus (01)
Codex Alexandrinus (02)
04
046

Evidence represented on this page

Greek manuscripts

Represented

Ancient versions

No entry listed

Church fathers

No entry listed

Printed editions

Represented

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 Revelation apparatus. Counts are the named Greek reading states displayed for the exact target unit; fully non-extant witnesses remain separate.

Greek support in cited scope: 8 exact lexical/syntactic entries: 7 main text plus 61mg
Greek competing evidence in cited scope: 64 omission entries
Evidence classification: Eight ECM Greek entries with the complete lexical and syntactic form

Alpha and Omega expansion

KJV/TR unit: ἐγὼ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ ω πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος

Exact form with spelled ἄλφα

Supports the KJV/TR form

367 2019 2429 2919

Exact form with α/ω letters

Supports the KJV/TR form

61mg 2067 2595 2814

Insertion omitted

Competing reading

01 02 04 046 35 69 82 91 93 141 177 201 218 250 325 452 456 469 498 506 522 632 792 808 911 1006 1424 1637 1719 1732 1734 1773 1780 1795 1828 1849 1852 1872 1888 2037 2042 2048 2070 2071 2076 2077 2080 2138 2200 2256 2329 2351 2436 2495 2582 2672 2681 2723 2845 2846 2847 2886 2917 2921

μοι

Related or qualified evidence

1611 1854

μοι Ἰωάννῃ

Related or qualified evidence

2053 2350r

μοι ὡς σάλπιγγος μεγάλης

Related or qualified evidence

2050

ἐγὼ α καὶ ω πρῶτος καὶ ἔσχατος καὶ

Related or qualified evidence

2074

ECM row eo; row e has no witness.

ἐγὼ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ ω πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος

Related or qualified evidence

104 620

ECM row f.

Row f form with final καί

Related or qualified evidence

025

ECM row g: the same form as row f with a final καί.

Other related ECM rows (i, io, j, k, ko, l, mo)

Related or qualified evidence

2432 2026 2057 2073 254 2028 2056r 2286 2081

i: 2432; io: 2026; j: 2057; k: 2073; ko: 254 2028 2056r; l: 2286; mo: 2081. Row m has no witness.

Unassigned at target

Non-directional evidence

2344

Fully non-extant

Non-directional evidence

P18 P98

Roster distinctions

The exact family divides into spelled ἄλφα and letter-form α/ω orthography.
P18 and P98 are fully non-extant; 2344 is not assigned at the target row.

Evidence notes

Important distinctions in the evidence.

Exact KJV support and related expansion forms are listed separately.
The reading is not presented as the Greek majority form.
Revelation 1:17, 2:8, and 22:13 securely preserve the same divine titles.
The exact family divides into spelled ἄλφα and letter-form α/ω orthography.
P18 and P98 are fully non-extant; 2344 is not assigned at the target row.

Evidence assessment

Why the KJV reading is retained

Primary support for the KJV reading

Eight ECM Greek entries with the complete lexical and syntactic form

Evidence represented on this page

Evidence types, without turning rows into votes.

GreekRepresented

LatinRepresented

Other versionsRepresented

FathersNot listed

Printed editionsRepresented

Separate evidence category

Printed editions and reception history

Printed editions are presented apart from handwritten manuscripts and ancient versions. Edition-group summaries appear first; named supporting and competing editions then follow chronologically.

Edition evidence for both readings

Sources for the dates and readings in this section

David Robert Palmer, Revelation apparatus
Textus Receptus printed tradition

Catalogued records

Named / aggregate

1 / 1

Date span

AD 1516–1894

Tradition conclusions appear first. Named manuscripts and other identifiable witnesses follow from oldest to newest with their dates and passage-specific readings.

Witness	Date range	Notes
Textus Receptus editions Textual unitThe full “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last” expansion Aggregate / traditionEdition groupPrinted edition	AD 1516–1894	Printed Greek editions that carry the full Alpha and Omega wording found in the KJV — printed editions, not early manuscript evidence.
Arabic text in Walton's London Polyglot (arab-w) Textual unitἘγώ εἰμι τὸ Α καὶ τὸ Ω, ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος· καί (“I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and”). Named witnessPrinted edition	AD 1657	Aligns with a related expansion, not the exact KJV form; arab-w identifies Walton's printed Arabic text rather than an ancient Arabic manuscript.

Witness

Date range

Notes

Textus Receptus editions

Textual unitThe full “I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last” expansion

Aggregate / traditionEdition groupPrinted edition

AD 1516–1894

Printed Greek editions that carry the full Alpha and Omega wording found in the KJV — printed editions, not early manuscript evidence.

Arabic text in Walton's London Polyglot (arab-w)

Textual unitἘγώ εἰμι τὸ Α καὶ τὸ Ω, ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος· καί (“I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and”).

Named witnessPrinted edition

AD 1657

Aligns with a related expansion, not the exact KJV form; arab-w identifies Walton's printed Arabic text rather than an ancient Arabic manuscript.

References

Editions and works cited.

Palmer, David Robert. The Revelation of John: The Ancient Greek Text, Alternating Verse by Verse with a New English Translation from the Greek. 2026 ed.
The Revelation of John: The Ancient Greek Text, Alternating Verse by Verse with a New English Translation from the Greek
Hoskier, Herman C. Concerning the Text of the Apocalypse: Collations of All Existing Available Greek Documents with the Standard Text of Stephen’s Third Edition, Together with the Testimony of Versions, Commentaries and Fathers. 2 vols. London: Bernard Quaritch, 1929.
Concerning the Text of the Apocalypse: Collations of All Existing Available Greek Documents with the Standard Text of Stephen’s Third Edition, Together with the Testimony of Versions, Commentaries and Fathers
INTF digital Editio Critica Maior: Revelation. Revelation 1:11.
Open source
INTF Kurzgefasste Liste / NTVMR manuscript metadata
Open source

Previous contested passage

Revelation 1:8

Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending

Next contested passage

Revelation 16:5

Which Art, and Wast, and Shalt Be

I Am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last

Revelation 1:11 in the King James Bible

Where the evidence on this page comes from.

The earliest reviewed support at a glance.

Eight ECM Greek entries with the complete lexical and syntactic form

Complete roster within the stated source scope.

Alpha and Omega expansion

Exact form with spelled ἄλφα

Exact form with α/ω letters

Insertion omitted

μοι

μοι Ἰωάννῃ

μοι ὡς σάλπιγγος μεγάλης

ἐγὼ α καὶ ω πρῶτος καὶ ἔσχατος καὶ

ἐγὼ ἄλφα καὶ τὸ ω πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος

Row f form with final καί

Other related ECM rows (i, io, j, k, ko, l, mo)

Unassigned at target

Fully non-extant

Important distinctions in the evidence.

Why the KJV reading is retained

Evidence types, without turning rows into votes.

Printed editions and reception history

Edition evidence for both readings

Editions and works cited.