Minuscule 33

Minuscule 33
New Testament manuscript
Folio 100 verso
Folio 100 verso
TextNew Testament (except Rev)
Date9th century
ScriptGreek
Now atNational Library of France
Size37.5 cm by 24.8 cm
TypeAlexandrian text-type
CategoryI/II
NoteMatthew 21:44 omitted
marginalia

Minuscule 33 is a Greek minuscule manuscript of the New Testament, written on parchment. Before the French Revolution was called Codex Colbertinus 2844. It is designated by the siglum 33 in the Gregory-Aland numbering of New Testament manuscripts, and as δ 48 in the von Soden numbering of New Testament manuscripts. Using the study of comparative handwriting styles (palaeography), it has been assigned to the 9th century. The manuscript has several gaps.

It has marginal notes. According to textual critics, it is one of the best minuscule manuscripts of the New Testament.

Description

The manuscript is a codex (precursor to the modern book format), containing part of the Prophets of the Old Testament, and all the books of the New Testament except the Revelation of John, written on 143 parchment leaves (sized 37.5 cm by 24.8 cm) in minuscule letters, with three missing portions in the Gospel of Mark (Mark 9:31-11:11; 13:11-14:60), and Gospel of Luke (Luke 21:38-23:26). The text is written in 1 column per page, 48-52 lines per page.

The text is divided according to the chapters (known as κεφαλαια / kephalaia), whose numerals are given in the margin, and their titles (known as τίτλοι / titloi) written at the top of the pages. It contains Prolegomena (introductions) to the Catholic epistles and the Pauline epistles (folios 73-76), and the Euthalian Apparatus (several additional materials to the Epistles such as summaries, lists, text divisions etc.).

Part of almost every leaf has been destroyed by dampness. The leaves were joined so firmly to each other — especially in the Book of Acts — that when separated, a part of the ink has adhered to the opposite page. Text is replete with errors of iotacism. The ends of the leaves are damaged.

Order of books

The ending of the Epistle to the Romans has the following order of verses: 16:23, 16:25-27, 16:24. This order is also seen in codices Codex Porphyrianus (P), minuscules 104. 256. 263. 365. 436. 459. 1319. 1573., and 1852., and some armenian manuscripts.

Text

Its Greek text is considered to be a representative of the Alexandrian text-type, but with some Byzantine readings, particularly in Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline epistles. Biblical scholar Kurt Aland placed it in Category II in the Gospels, and to Category I in the rest of books of the New Testament. According to the Claremont Profile Method (a specific analysis of textual data), it represents the Alexandrian text-type as its weak member.

Notable readings

Matthew 8:13

και υποστρεψας ο εκατονταρχος εις τον οικον αυτου εν αυτη τη ωρα ευρεν τον παιδα υγιαινοντα (and when the centurion returned to the house in that hour, he found the slave well) - 33 א C (N) Θ (0250) f1 1241 g1 syh
omit - Majority of manuscripts.: 18 

Matthew 16:12

της ζυμης των Φαρισαιων (the leaven of the Pharisees) - 33
της ζυμης των αρτων (the leaven of the breads) - אc2 B L 157. 892.
της ζυμης του αρτου (the leaven of the bread) - C L W X 13 700. Majority; Chrys.: 45 

Matthew 21:44

omit - 33 𝔓104 D b d e ff1 ff2 r1 sys diatess.
incl. - Majority of manuscripts.: 61 

Matthew 27:9

επληρωθη το ρηθεν δια του προφητου (fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet) - 33 Φ a b sys, p bo
επληρωθη το ρηθεν δια Ιερεμιου του προφητου (fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet) - Majority of manuscripts.

Luke 4:17

καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ βιβλίον (and opened the book) - 33 A B L W Ξ 892. 1195. 1241. ℓ 547 sys, h, pal sa bo
καὶ ἀναπτύξας τὸ βιβλίον (and unrolled the book) - א Dc K Δ Θ Π Ψ ƒ1 ƒ13 28 565 700 1009. 1010.: 164 

Acts 20:28

του κυριου (of the Lord) - 33 𝔓74 C* D E Ψ 36 453 945 1739 1891
του Θεου (of the God) - א B 614. 1175. 1505. vg sy bomt; Cyprian
του κυριου και του Θεου (of the Lord and God) - Majority of manuscripts.: 384 

Acts 28:29

omit - 33 𝔓74 א A B Codex Laudianus Ψ Codex Vaticanus 2061 81. 1175. 1739. 2464.
incl. - Majority of manuscripts.: 408 

1 Corinthians 3:4

ουκ ανθρωποι (not to men) - 33 𝔓46 א A B C 048 81. 1175. 1506. 1739. 1881.
ουχι σαρκικοι (not to flesh) - א2 Ψ Majority of manuscripts.: 444 

1 Corinthians 7:5

τη προσευχη (prayer) - 33 𝔓11𝔓46 א* A B C D F G P Ψ 6. 81. 104. 181. 629. 630. 1739. 1877. 1881. 1962. it vg sa bo arm eth.
τη νηστεια και τη προσευχη (fasting and prayer) - Majority of manuscripts.: 450 

2 Timothy 1:11

καὶ διάκονος (and servant) - 33 pc
καὶ διδάσκαλος ἐθνῶν (and teacher of nations) - Majority of Manuscripts.: 551 

History

The earliest history of the manuscript is unknown. It was called "the queen of the cursives" by J. G. Eichhorn (1752-1827), but now it has several rivals (81, 892, 1175, 1739). The manuscript was examined by many scholars, such as Griesbach, who collated its text in Matthew 1-18. It was also studied by Birch and others. The text of the codex was fully collated by S. P. Tregelles in 1850. Tregelles said that, of all the manuscripts he collated (presumably excluding palimpsests), it was the hardest to read.

It was examined and described by Paulin Martin. C. R. Gregory saw the manuscript twice, in 1884 and in 1885. The manuscript was included to a critical apparatus by Kurt Aland in his 25th edition of Novum Testamentum Graece (1963).

Scholz and Martin dated the manuscript to the 11th century. Gregory dated it to the 9th or 10th century. Currently it is dated by the INTF to the 9th century. The codex is now located in the National Library of France (shelf number Cod. Gr. 14) at Paris.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ For more details about textual variants of this verse see: Textual variants in the Acts of the Apostles.

References

  1. ↑ Gregory, Caspar René (1908). Die griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testament [Thr Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament]. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs. p. 49.
  2. 1 2 Kurt Aland; M. Welte; B. Köster; K. Junack (1994). Kurzgefasste Liste der griechischen Handschriften des Neues Testaments [A Concise List of the Greek Manuscripts of the New Testament] (in German). Berlin, New York: Walter de Gruyter. p. 48.
  3. 1 2 3 "Liste Handschriften: Minuscule 33". Münster: Institute for New Testament Textual Research. Retrieved 2026-10-13.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Gregory, Caspar René (1900). Textkritik des Neuen Testamentes [Textual Criticism of the New Testament]. Vol. 1. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs. p. 136.
  5. ↑ S. P. Tregelles, "An Introduction to the Critical study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures", London 1856, p. 210.
  6. 1 2 Scrivener, Frederick Henry Ambrose; Edward Miller (1894). A Plain Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament. Vol. 1 (4 ed.). London: George Bell & Sons. p. 195.
  7. ↑ Metzger, Bruce Manning; Ehrman, Bart D. (2005). The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption and Restoration (4 ed.). New York; Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 88. ISBN 978-0-19-516122-9.
  8. ↑ Aland, Kurt; Aland, Barbara (1995). The Text of the New Testament: An Introduction to the Critical Editions and to the Theory and Practice of Modern Textual Criticism. Translated by Erroll F. Rhodes. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 129. ISBN 978-0-8028-4098-1.
  9. ↑ Wisse, Frederik (1982). The Profile Method for the Classification and Evaluation of Manuscript Evidence, as Applied to the Continuous Greek Text of the Gospel of Luke. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. p. 53. ISBN 0-8028-1918-4.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Aland, Kurt; Black, Matthew; Martini, Carlo Maria; Metzger, Bruce M.; Wikgren, Allen, eds. (1981). Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece (26 ed.). Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelstiftung. ISBN 3-438-051001. (NA26)
  11. ↑ UBS4, p. 108.
  12. ↑ Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft: Stuttgart 2001), p. 114.
  13. ↑ "Die Königin unter den Cursiv geschriebenen Handschriften" (J. G. Eichhorn, Einleitung in das NT, Bd. IV, Weidmannsche Buchhandlung, Leipzig 1827, S. 217.)
  14. ↑ Minuscule 33 at the Encyclopedia of Textual Criticism
  15. ↑ J. J. Griesbach, Symbolae criticae ad supplendas et corrigendas variarum N. T. lectionum collectiones (Halle, 1793), pp. 87-148
  16. ↑ Jean-Pierre-Paul Martin, Description technique des manuscrits grecs, relatifs au Nouveau Testament, conservés dans les bibliothèques des Paris (Paris 1883), p. 42-43
  17. ↑ Michael W. Holmes, From Nestle to the `Editio Critica Maior`, in: The Bible as Book: The Transmission of the Greek Text, London 2003, p. 128. ISBN 0-7123-4727-5

Further reading