John 3:5

John 3:5 tou/ qeou/

A few Greek manuscripts (a* 245 291 472 1009 ù²⁶) and a wide range of early patristic writers replace tou/ qeou/ with tw/n ouvranw/n. Although it may be argued that the latter reading is original and that tou/ qeou/ was introduced in order to make the passage harmonize with ver. John 3:3, the Committee was impressed by (a) the age and diversity of the witnesses that support tou/ qeou/, and (b) the probability that copyists introduced tw/n ouvranw/n in imitation of the frequently recurring expression in Matthew (eivse,rcesqai @eivselqei/n# eivj th.n basilei,an tw/n ouvranw/n occurs in Matthew 5:20; Matthew 7:21; Matthew 18:3; Matthew 19:23), whereas eivselqei/n eivj th.n basilei,an tou/ qeou/ occurs only once elsewhere ( Matthew 19:24), while the combination of ivdei/n with th.n basilei,an tw/n ouvranw/n occurs nowhere (and therefore it is not surprising that copyists refrained from introducing tw/n ouvranw/n into ver. John 3:3).