Sunday, January 14, 2024

Wade Brown on JST John 1:18 and Codex Washingtonensis

  

John 1:18 and Codex Washingtonensis.

 

The Joseph Smith Translation changed this passage, re-creating a beautiful inverted parallel structure.

 

“And no man hath seen God at any time

except he hath borne record of the Son

for except it is through him

no man can be saved

Except” is used in both the second and third lines and could be considered the key-word in the structure. Although the balance of the structure is missing in available witnesses, Codex Washingtonensis contains “except” (GK) in the second line exactly as Joseph Smith placed it. (Wade Brown, A Textual Analysis of The Joseph Smith Translation of the New Testament [Studies in the Scriptures 2; N.P.: Research Publications, 1989], 76)

 

Here is an image with commentary concerning the text of John 1:18 from Codex Washingtonensis (c. A.D. 300-500):