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 of them are in the King James Version; all are removed or dropped to a footnote in modern Bibles
- 3.Most were copied in from a matching line in another 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
The King James Version was translated from a late set of Greek manuscripts. When much older copies came to light, editors found these verses missing from them, so modern Bibles drop them to a footnote. Some are clearly borrowed from elsewhere in the Bible: Matthew 17:21 repeats Mark 9:29, and Matthew 18:11 repeats Luke 19:10. Acts 8:37 supplies the Ethiopian official's statement of faith — a doctrinally useful line that the oldest copies do not have. The familiar ending of the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:13 is the same kind of (wording a later copyist added).
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
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا ٱلذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَـٰفِظُونَ
innā naḥnu nazzalnā l-dhik'ra wa-innā lahu laḥāfiẓūna
Indeed, We sent down the Reminder, and indeed We are its guardian.
From the Bible
Πιστεύω τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ εἶναι τὸν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Read it in their Bibleὅτι 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
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