†1:2ειδεν και ατινα εισιν και α (ατινα Md,e, −α Mg) χρη γενεσθαι μετα ταυτα (−μ. τ. Mept) f35 Ma⅙,d,e,g CP ¦ 1 Ma,b,e⅙,f,h,i ℵA,C,RP,HF,OC,NU,TR (The long form has attestation from all three main lines of transmission—f35 is solid, as are d-e and g; h goes with the bulk of the third line for the short form. ειδεν would be ‘He saw’, referring to Christ—compare 22:20—He is the one passing on the ‘revelation’; the whole book is what Jesus Christ is testifying, as an eye witness; I assume that early copyists missed the point, applying ειδεν to John, but then they couldn’t make sense of the full text and so proceeded to omit the awkward parts.) [Since modern critics often reason like early copyists, I suspect that this variant at the outset of the book pre-disposed them against f35 (=Mc/Kr).]
‡1:4απο f35 Md,e⅔,g,hpt 𝕻18ℵA,C,CP,NU ¦ 1 θεου Ma,b,e⅓,fpt,hpt,i RP,HF,OC ¦ 1 του Mfpt TR (OC is in small print.) (I would say that θεου was added to help the reader make the correct association; see the next note.)
§1:4α εστιν f35 Md¼,e,g,hpt,ipt CP,TR ¦ 1 Ma,b,f,hpt,ipt 𝕻18C,RP,HF,OC,NU ¦ των Md ℵA (Render ‘the seven-fold Spirit that is’; απο ο ων … και απο των επτα … και απο ιησου … presumably refers to the Trinity, so ‘the seven-fold Spirit’ refers to the Holy Spirit—if the Godhead can be three in one, why may not the Holy Spirit be seven in one? The grammatical anomaly of a plural subject with a singular verb may have given rise to the other variants.)
*1:5εκ f35 Md¼,e CP,TR ¦ — Ma,b,d,e¼,f,g,h,i 𝕻18ℵA,C,RP,HF,OC,NU (The figure of death as a huge womb was too strong; by omitting the preposition the interpretation becomes ambiguous; ‘firstborn’ can receive the derived meaning of ‘boss’, or whatever. However, the point is precisely that Jesus Christ was the first one to be ‘born’ from that particular ‘womb’—but only the first!)
*1:13μαζοις f35 Md A,CP [Mept in comm] ¦ μαστοις Ma,b,e,f,h,i C,RP,HF,OC,NU,TR ¦ μασθοις Md⅕,e¼,g ℵ (It is possible that μαζοις was more commonly used of males, and μαστοις of females; since the figure was clothed, the nipples would not be visible, so the point is presumably to give the position of the belt—across the middle of the chest [see 15:6].)
†1:13χρυσην rell ¦ χρυσαν ℵA,C,NU ¦ three other spellings [6 mss]
‡1:14ωσει f35 Md,e⅔(⅓),hpt,ipt C,CP,TR ¦ ως Mapt,f,g,hpt,iptℵA,RP,OC,NU ¦ και ως Mapt,b HF (Since ως occurs twice immediately following, and twice more in the next verse, there may have been an assimilating influence.)
§1:15πεπυρωμενοι rell ¦ πεπυρωμενης A,C,NU ¦ πεπυρωμενω ℵ[+12 assorted mss] ¦ six further spellings [11 mss]
ειδεν και ατινα εισιν και α (ατινα Md,e, −α Mg) χρη γενεσθαι μετα ταυτα (−μ. τ. Mept) f35 Ma⅙,d,e,g CP ¦ 1 Ma,b,e⅙,f,h,i ℵA,C,RP,HF,OC,NU,TR (The long form has attestation from all three main lines of transmission—f35 is solid, as are d-e and g; h goes with the bulk of the third line for the short form. ειδεν would be ‘He saw’, referring to Christ—compare 22:20—He is the one passing on the ‘revelation’; the whole book is what Jesus Christ is testifying, as an eye witness; I assume that early copyists missed the point, applying ειδεν to John, but then they couldn’t make sense of the full text and so proceeded to omit the awkward parts.) [Since modern critics often reason like early copyists, I suspect that this variant at the outset of the book pre-disposed them against f35 (=Mc/Kr).]
απο f35 Md,e⅔,g,hpt 𝕻18ℵA,C,CP,NU ¦ 1 θεου Ma,b,e⅓,fpt,hpt,i RP,HF,OC ¦ 1 του Mfpt TR (OC is in small print.) (I would say that θεου was added to help the reader make the correct association; see the next note.)
α εστιν f35 Md¼,e,g,hpt,ipt CP,TR ¦ 1 Ma,b,f,hpt,ipt 𝕻18C,RP,HF,OC,NU ¦ των Md ℵA (Render ‘the seven-fold Spirit that is’; απο ο ων … και απο των επτα … και απο ιησου … presumably refers to the Trinity, so ‘the seven-fold Spirit’ refers to the Holy Spirit—if the Godhead can be three in one, why may not the Holy Spirit be seven in one? The grammatical anomaly of a plural subject with a singular verb may have given rise to the other variants.)
εκ f35 Md¼,e CP,TR ¦ — Ma,b,d,e¼,f,g,h,i 𝕻18ℵA,C,RP,HF,OC,NU (The figure of death as a huge womb was too strong; by omitting the preposition the interpretation becomes ambiguous; ‘firstborn’ can receive the derived meaning of ‘boss’, or whatever. However, the point is precisely that Jesus Christ was the first one to be ‘born’ from that particular ‘womb’—but only the first!)
μαζοις f35 Md A,CP [Mept in comm] ¦ μαστοις Ma,b,e,f,h,i C,RP,HF,OC,NU,TR ¦ μασθοις Md⅕,e¼,g ℵ (It is possible that μαζοις was more commonly used of males, and μαστοις of females; since the figure was clothed, the nipples would not be visible, so the point is presumably to give the position of the belt—across the middle of the chest [see 15:6].)
χρυσην rell ¦ χρυσαν ℵA,C,NU ¦ three other spellings [6 mss]
ωσει f35 Md,e⅔(⅓),hpt,ipt C,CP,TR ¦ ως Mapt,f,g,hpt,iptℵA,RP,OC,NU ¦ και ως Mapt,b HF (Since ως occurs twice immediately following, and twice more in the next verse, there may have been an assimilating influence.)
πεπυρωμενοι rell ¦ πεπυρωμενης A,C,NU ¦ πεπυρωμενω ℵ[+12 assorted mss] ¦ six further spellings [11 mss]