Why is Mark 11:26 omitted in some Bible translations? Mark 11:26—Textual Status, Translation, and Theological Significance The Verse in Question Berean Standard Bible (main text): Mark 11:25 — “And whenever you stand praying, forgive anything you may have against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive your trespasses.” BSB footnote: v. 26 (omitted)—“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Why Many Modern Translations Omit or Bracket Verse 26 The principal reason is textual: the earliest and most geographically diverse Greek manuscripts of Mark omit the sentence. Translators who base their work on the current eclectic critical text (NA28/UBS5) therefore either leave the verse out or place it in brackets with a note. Versions derived from the Textus Receptus (TR) retain the verse because the late-medieval manuscripts Erasmus used contained it. External Manuscript Evidence 1. Omit verse 26: Codex Sinaiticus (01 ℵ), Codex Vaticanus (03 B), Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus (04 C), Codex Washingtonianus (032 W), Codex L (019), 33, 892, 1241, 2427, and the earliest Coptic, Sahidic, and Bohairic witnesses. 2. Include verse 26: Codex Alexandrinus (02 A), Codex Theta (038), later Byzantine minuscules (family K^x), the majority of medieval Greek manuscripts, the Latin Vulgate, the Peshitta, and Gothic versions. 3. Patristic citation: No clear quotation earlier than the fourth century; the first unmistakable reference is in Augustine (early 5th century), who quotes it while harmonizing the Gospels. The absence in pre-Nicene fathers such as Origen, Tertullian, and Irenaeus is noteworthy given their frequent discussion of forgiveness. Internal (Intrinsic and Transcriptional) Evidence • The sentence is nearly identical to Matthew 6:15, suggesting a scribe harmonized Mark to the better-known Lord’s Prayer context. • The vocabulary (“trespasses,” paraptōmata) is Markan only in 11:25; duplicating it in 11:26 would be uncharacteristically repetitive for Mark’s concise style. • Scribal tendencies lean toward expansion rather than omission, especially when a saying of Jesus can be “filled out” from a parallel Gospel. That argues against verse 26 being original. How Translation Committees Decide • Formal-equivalence versions that follow the critical text (e.g., ESV, CSB, NIV, NASB 2020) omit or bracket the verse and supply a footnote. • TR-based versions (KJV, NKJV) print the verse because the TR’s underlying manuscripts contain it. • The Berean Standard Bible follows the critical text in its main line while footnoting traditional readings for transparency. Biblical Consistency and Divine Preservation The omission/footnoting of Mark 11:26 actually illustrates the providential preservation of Scripture: • We possess over 5,800 Greek New Testament manuscripts, tens of thousands of early versions, and extensive patristic quotations—far surpassing any other ancient text. • Variants such as this one are identified precisely because the vast manuscript treasury makes comparison possible. Less than one percent of the New Testament text is in question, and none of those variants overturn a single point of Christian teaching. • This reflects the biblical principle that “the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8) while simultaneously displaying the human element through which God delivered His word (2 Peter 1:21). A Concise Timeline of Transmission AD 30-70 — Jesus’ ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection; Mark’s Gospel composed within that generation. AD 90-300 — Papyrus fragments, early translations, and citations spread throughout the Mediterranean. AD 330-450 — Codices ℵ, B, A, C produced; textual streams begin to show minor divergences such as the presence or absence of Mark 11:26. AD 500-1500 — Byzantine scribes multiply manuscripts, often inserting harmonizing glosses like 11:26. AD 1516 — Erasmus’ first Greek NT (limited late manuscripts) becomes the base of the TR. AD 1881-present — Discovery of earlier Alexandrian witnesses leads scholars to refine the critical text, prompting some translations to omit bracketed verses. Practical and Pastoral Takeaway Forgiveness remains non-negotiable for followers of Christ, whether the exact words appear twice in Mark or only once in Matthew’s Gospel. Anyone troubled by textual variants can rest in the knowledge that the core gospel—Christ’s death, burial, and bodily resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)—is fixed beyond dispute. That gospel both empowers and obligates believers to forgive as they have been forgiven. Answer in Brief Mark 11:26 is omitted in many modern translations because the most ancient and reliable Greek manuscripts lack it, and internal evidence suggests it was a later harmonization with Matthew 6:15. The teaching it contains is fully preserved elsewhere, so no doctrine is lost, and the integrity of Scripture is upheld through God-guided textual scholarship. |
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