Comparative Theology · Additions & Interpolations
The Missing Verses of Modern Bibles
Handle with care. This is about the history of the text, not a cover-up: the changes were made by Christian scholars and are footnoted openly. Say that plainly.
In short
- 1.Matthew 17:21, 18:11, 23:14, Mark 7:16, 9:44, 9:46, 11:26, Luke 17:36, Acts 8:37, Romans 16:24
- 2.All present in the KJV; all removed or footnoted in modern critical translations
- 3.Most are harmonisations copied in from a parallel Gospel
The claim being examined
Open a King James Bible and a modern translation side by side and whole verses have vanished — the numbers skip.
The Islamic position
Islam distinguishes revelation preserved verbatim from scripture transmitted by human copying. The skipped verse numbers are that distinction made visible on the page.
Analysis
These verses entered the Byzantine manuscript tradition that underlies the Textus Receptus and therefore the King James Version. When earlier manuscripts became available, editors found them absent and removed them. Several are demonstrably imported from parallels — Matthew 17:21 duplicates Mark 9:29, Matthew 18:11 duplicates Luke 19:10. Acts 8:37 supplies the Ethiopian eunuch's confession of faith, a doctrinally significant line absent from the earliest text. The doxology of the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:13 belongs to the same category and is now footnoted rather than printed.
Side by side
| King James Version | 1611 | All twelve verses present, based on the Textus Receptus. |
|---|---|---|
| NA28 / UBS5 critical text | modern | Omitted from the text, listed in the apparatus. |
| NIV / ESV / NRSV | modern | Verse numbers skipped, with a footnote giving the KJV wording. |
From the Qur'an
Qur'an 15:9
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
Indeed, We sent down the Reminder, and indeed We are its guardian.
From the Bible
Acts 8:37 (KJV)
Πιστεύω τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ εἶναι τὸν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Read it in their BibleMatthew 6:13 (KJV)
ὅτι σοῦ ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δύναμις καὶ ἡ δόξα
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Read it in their BibleSources
Bart D. Ehrman, Misquoting Jesus · Bruce M. Metzger, The Text of the New Testament
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