Why is Matthew 17:21 missing in some Bible translations? Text of the Verse “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.” — Matthew 17:21, Berean Standard Bible Where the Verse Appears and Where It Does Not • Present in the vast majority of later Greek manuscripts (the Byzantine tradition), in the Latin Vulgate, and therefore in Reformation-era versions such as the KJV, NKJV, and MEV. • Absent from the earliest and most broadly distributed witnesses—Codex Sinaiticus (א 01, 4th c.), Codex Vaticanus (B 03, 4th c.), Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (C 04, 5th c.), Codex Regius (L 019, 8th c.), several important minuscules (e.g., 33, 565, 892), the Sahidic and Bohairic Coptic, and the earliest Syriac (Sinaitic and Curetonian). • Patristic evidence is divided: Origen (3rd c.) and Eusebius (early 4th c.) follow manuscripts lacking the verse; Didymus the Blind (4th c.) and Chrysostom (late 4th c.) quote or allude to it. How the Variant Arose 1. Scribal assimilation to Mark 9:29. The longer reading in Mark—“prayer and fasting”—was early and familiar in liturgical use. Scribes harmonized Matthew to match the more detailed Markan account. 2. Marginal gloss that became text. Notes explaining why the disciples failed (Mark 9:29) were sometimes copied into Matthew’s margin; later copyists folded the gloss into the body. 3. Liturgical convenience. Early lectionaries often paired the two healing narratives; the harmonized form made public reading smoother. Why Modern Translations Omit or Bracket Translations that prioritize earliest, geographically diverse witnesses (critical editions such as NA28/UBS5) omit the verse or place it in brackets with a footnote. Those following the Textus Receptus retain it because Erasmus’ 1516 edition leaned on the later Byzantine stream where the verse is standard. Does This Threaten Inerrancy or Authority? No. • The theme—spiritual victory through prayer and fasting—is fully taught elsewhere (e.g., Mark 9:29; Acts 13:2–3; 1 Corinthians 7:5). • No doctrine rises or falls on this verse’s placement; the teaching remains in canonical Mark. • Less than one-half of one percent of the New Testament text is genuinely in doubt, and not a single Christian doctrine hinges on any disputed line. As Dr. Dan Wallace notes, “We have an embarrassment of riches,” with more than 5,800 Greek manuscripts to cross-check. The variants display normal scribal tendencies, not theological tampering. Patristic and Early Liturgical Testimony • Didache 8.1 already links fasting with spiritual warfare. • The Didascalia Apostolorum (3rd c.) emphasizes fasting when expelling unclean spirits. Early church leaders therefore found Matthew 17:21 congenial and may have welcomed it into copies of Matthew. The Fasting Motif in Scripture Fasting appears in key deliverance moments: Esther 4:16, Ezra 8:21–23, Daniel 9:3. Jesus Himself fasts forty days before facing the Tempter (Matthew 4:1–11). Whether in Matthew or Mark, the truth remains: some demonic strongholds fall only through concentrated prayer and self-denial. Guidance for Preachers and Teachers 1. Explain the variant openly; withholding information breeds doubt. 2. Preach the principle confidently; it is affirmed elsewhere. 3. Emphasize God’s providence in preserving His word so abundantly that we can detect and correct scribal slips. Archaeological Corroboration of Scribal Fidelity The Chester Beatty papyri (P45, early 3rd c.) and Bodmer papyri (P66, P75, late 2nd c.) show a text strikingly close to today’s critical Greek New Testament—long before Constantine, councils, or medieval monks. Such finds, like the Dead Sea Scrolls’ confirmation of the Masoretic fidelity for Isaiah, demonstrate God’s safeguarding of Scripture across millennia. Practical Take-Away for the Believer Whether one’s Bible includes Matthew 17:21 in the main text or in a footnote, the call is clear: victory over entrenched evil requires fervent prayer and genuine self-denial. The manuscripts may vary on the placement, but the Holy Spirit’s directive remains unchanged. Summary Matthew 17:21 is absent from the earliest, most reliable Greek witnesses and is therefore set aside in many modern translations. The verse most likely entered the text through harmonization with Mark 9:29 and devotional usage. This minor scribal addition does not undermine any doctrine, for the substance is fully preserved elsewhere. The extraordinary wealth of manuscript data—thousands of New Testament copies, early papyri, and patristic quotations—confirms that Scripture stands secure and that every essential truth, including the resurrected Christ’s triumph and the believer’s call to prayer-saturated warfare, shines with undiminished authority. |
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