Comparative Theology · Additions & Interpolations
The Long Ending of Mark (16:9-20)
Handle with care. Some scholars argue Mark's true ending was lost rather than that 16:8 was intentional. Either way the long ending is not original — that is the claim to make, and no more.
In short
- 1.Absent from Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus, the two oldest complete Bibles
- 2.The vocabulary and style differ sharply from the rest of Mark
- 3.A separate 'shorter ending' also circulated — evidence of scribes trying to finish the book
The claim being examined
The earliest Gospel originally ended with an empty tomb and frightened women. The twelve verses containing the resurrection appearances, the Great Commission and the snake-handling promise were added later.
The Islamic position
Islam teaches that the message of Jesus was altered by later hands. Here the addition is not disputed by scholars of any faith: it is printed in brackets in most Bibles.
Analysis
Mark 16:8 ends with the women fleeing in fear and saying nothing to anyone. Ancient scribes evidently found this unsatisfying: at least three different endings survive in the manuscript tradition, including the familiar long ending, a shorter ending, and a combination. The long ending uses words Mark never uses elsewhere and presupposes traditions found in Luke and John. Eusebius and Jerome both note that the accurate copies of their day lacked it. Its content is not trivial — it supplies the commission to preach, baptismal salvation, and the promise that believers will pick up snakes and drink poison unharmed.
Side by side
| Sinaiticus (4th c.) | Mark 16 | Ends at verse 8. |
|---|---|---|
| Vaticanus (4th c.) | Mark 16 | Ends at verse 8, with blank space following. |
| Shorter ending | some MSS | A brief alternative conclusion, sometimes printed alongside the long one. |
| Long ending | later MSS | Verses 9-20, including the snake-handling promise. |
From the Qur'an
Qur'an 5:13
يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِ
They distort words from their places and have forgotten a portion of what they were reminded of.
From the Bible
Mark 16:8
οὐδενὶ οὐδὲν εἶπαν· ἐφοβοῦντο γάρ
They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Read it in their BibleMark 16:17-18
ὄφεις ἀροῦσιν… θανάσιμόν τι πίωσιν
They will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison it will not hurt them.
Read it in their BibleSources
Bart D. Ehrman, Misquoting Jesus · Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament
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