Unit 1 — “the beginning and the ending”
Fourth century — Codex Sinaiticus first hand. Sinaiticus includes “the beginning and the ending.”
Earliest surviving Greek support: Fourth century — Codex Sinaiticus first hand.
Revelation 1:8
Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending
KJV Reading Defended
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
Why the KJV Reading Is Retained
The KJV’s title “the beginning and the ending” has genuine Greek manuscript support and belongs unmistakably to Revelation’s own language, appearing securely at Revelation 21:6 and in closely related form at 22:13. The full KJV wording also stands in the historic Textus Receptus and versional tradition.
Disputed unit
Two independent units: ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος at address 15, and the attribution following the title at addresses 16-22.
Doctrinally discussed variantLimited Greek supportLatin supportSinaiticus first handTR divergenceComplex evidence
Evidence assessment
At ‘beginning and ending,’ ECM displays 23 exact states, eight related article forms and 62 omissions. At the independent attribution, no Greek manuscript has the exact phrase ‘says the Lord’; the Greek tradition overwhelmingly reads a form of ‘says the Lord God.’
Primary support for the KJV reading
Twenty-three exact Greek states for ‘beginning and ending,’ with versional and printed support at the attribution
King James Bible reading
Revelation 1:8 in the King James Bible
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
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.
- B. M. Metzger, The Early Versions of the New Testament
- David Robert Palmer, Revelation apparatus
- H. A. G. Houghton, The Latin New Testament
- INTF digital Editio Critica Maior: Revelation
- INTF Kurzgefasste Liste / NTVMR manuscript metadata
- University of Birmingham ITSEE, Concordance of Old Latin New Testament sigla
Earliest KJV-supporting evidence
The earliest reviewed support at a glance.
Unit 2 — “saith the Lord”
Fourth–fifth century onward — ancient Latin and versional evidence; the exact wording also stands in received-text history.
Earliest surviving Greek support: No surviving Greek manuscript is presently identified for the exact “saith the Lord” form.
Primary support for the KJV reading
Twenty-three exact Greek states for ‘beginning and ending,’ with versional and printed support at the attribution
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
23 exact states at address 15; 0 exact Greek at addresses 16-22
Greek competing evidence in the cited corpus
62 omissions at address 15; 90 assigned non-KJV artifacts at the attribution
Principal competing witnesses named in the snapshot
- 01C2
- Codex Alexandrinus (02)
- 04
- 046
Evidence represented on this page
Greek manuscripts
Represented
Ancient versions
Represented
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
- 23 exact states at address 15; 0 exact Greek at addresses 16-22
- Greek competing evidence in cited scope
- 62 omissions at address 15; 90 assigned non-KJV artifacts at the attribution
- Evidence classification
- Twenty-three exact Greek states for ‘beginning and ending,’ with versional and printed support at the attribution
ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος
KJV/TR unit: ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος
Exact ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος
Supports the KJV/TR form01* 61mg 250 254 1828 1854 1888 2028 2048r 2050 2056 2057 2067 2071 2073 2081* 2286r 2351 2432 2595 2814 2886 2919
ἡ ἀρχὴ καὶ τὸ τέλος
Related or qualified evidence1773 2019 2026 2037 2081C 2329 2436
Grouped evidence: Ar:E
ἀρχὴ καὶ τὸ τέλος
Related or qualified evidence2074
Phrase omitted
Competing reading01C2 02 04 025 046 35 61* 69 82 91 93 104 141 177 201 218 325 367 452 456 469 498 506 522 620 632 792 808 911 1006 1424 1611 1637 1719 1732 1734 1780 1795 1849 1852 1872 2042 2053 2070 2076 2077 2080 2138 2200 2256 2350 2429 2495 2582 2672 2681 2723 2845 2846 2847 2917 2921
Grouped evidence: A G Slᵇ L:K S Ä
Indeterminate among the exact and article forms
Non-directional evidenceGrouped evidence: L:V> Slᵃ S:Hᴹ>
Version states indeterminate among rows b, c and d.
Attribution after the title
KJV/TR unit: λέγει ὁ κύριος
Exact λέγει ὁ κύριος
Supports the KJV/TR formGrouped evidence: L:D · Ethiopic Ä · Erasmus 1516 · Erasmus 1521 · Stephanus 1550
No Greek manuscript entry.
λέγει κύριος ὁ θεός
Competing reading522
λέγει κς ὁ θς
Competing reading01 02 04 025 046 35 69 82 91 93 104 141 177 201 218 250 254 325 367 452 456 469 498 506 620 632 792 808 911 1006 1611 1637 1719 1732 1734 1773 1780 1795 1828 1849 1852 1854 1872 1888 2019 2026 2028 2037 2042 2048 2053 2056 2057 2067 2070 2071 2073 2076 2077 2080 2081 2138 2200 2256 2286 2350 2351 2429 2432 2436 2495 2582 2595 2672 2681 2723 2814 2845 2846 2847 2886 2917 2919 2921
λέγει κύριος ὁ θς
Competing reading1424
λέγει κς ὁ θεός
Competing reading61
κς ὁ θς
Competing reading2074
ὁ θς
Competing reading2329
Whole attribution omitted
Competing reading2050
Fully non-extant for the verse
Non-extant
Non-directional evidenceP18 P98
Roster distinctions
- The correct exact roster contains 2067, not 2065.
- P18 and P98 are fully non-extant for the verse and are not omission witnesses.
Evidence notes
Important distinctions in the evidence.
- Codex Vaticanus does not contain Revelation and is not a witness at this passage.
- “The beginning and the ending” is a minority Greek reading, but it is genuinely present in the Greek manuscript tradition.
- The “Lord” and “Lord God” variation is a separate unit with a different support profile.
- The same titles are textually secure elsewhere in Revelation.
- The correct exact roster contains 2067, not 2065.
- P18 and P98 are fully non-extant for the verse and are not omission witnesses.
Evidence assessment
Why the KJV reading is retained
At ‘beginning and ending,’ ECM displays 23 exact states, eight related article forms and 62 omissions. At the independent attribution, no Greek manuscript has the exact phrase ‘says the Lord’; the Greek tradition overwhelmingly reads a form of ‘says the Lord God.’
Primary support for the KJV reading
Twenty-three exact Greek states for ‘beginning and ending,’ with versional and printed support at the attribution
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
Catalogued records
3
Named / aggregate
2 / 1
Date span
AD 1592–2007
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 |
|---|---|---|
Stuttgart Vulgate Textual unitἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος (“the beginning and the ending”) after “Alpha and Omega.” Aggregate / traditionPrinted edition | AD 1969–2007 | The modern critical edition supports “beginning and end.” |
Clementine Vulgate Textual unitἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος (“the beginning and the ending”) after “Alpha and Omega.” Named witnessPrinted edition | AD 1592 | The 1592 printed edition supports “beginning and end.” |
Wordsworth–White Vulgate Textual unitἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος (“the beginning and the ending”) after “Alpha and Omega.” Named witnessPrinted edition | AD 1889–1954 | The Oxford critical edition supports “beginning and end.” |
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.
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.
INTF digital Editio Critica Maior: Revelation. Revelation 1:8.
INTF Kurzgefasste Liste / NTVMR manuscript metadata