Papyrus 1 - Greek Matthew 1 - Between 200 & 300 AD

 

 

Recto

 

Verso

 

 

---Papyrus 1---

Date: Approximately 200 AD

Discovered: Oxyrhynchus, Egypt (1896)

Location: University of Pennsylvania

Contains: Matthew 1:1-9, 1:12, 1:14-20, 1:23

Text Type: Alexandrian, Category 1 

Language: Greek

 

~A picture of the Papyrus is above. Below I will post the Greek text and a translation of the Papyrus as well as a comparison to the Majority Text with additional commentary following.~

Recto

α

[1:1] βιβλος γενεσεως ΙΥ ΧΥ ΥΥ δαυιδ [ΥΥ]

αβρααμ [1:2] αβρααμ ε̣γ̣εννησεν τον̣ [ισαακ]

ισαακ δ̣[ε] ε̣γενν̣η̣σεν τ[ον] ιακω̣β̣ [ιακωβ]

δε εγ[ε]ν̣ν̣ησεν̣ τ̣ον̣ ιου̣δαν κ̣[α]ι̣ τ̣[ους]

α̣[δ]ελφο̣υ̣ς αυτου [1:3] ιουδα̣ς̣ δ̣ε εγεν̣ν̣η̣

σ̣ε̣ν̣ τον φαρες και τον ζαρε εκ της θα̣

μ̣αρ̣ φαρες δε εγεννησεν τον ε̣σρ̣ωμ

εσ[ρω]μ̣ δε εγ̣ε̣ννη̣σ̣ε̣ν τ̣[ο]ν̣ α̣ρ̣α̣μ̣ [1:4] α̣[ραμ]

δε̣ [ε]γ̣ε̣ννησεν το̣ν̣ α̣μ̣μ̣ι̣ν̣α̣δ̣α̣β̣ α̣μ̣

μ̣[ι]ν̣α̣δ̣[α]β δε εγεννησεν̣ τον ναασ̣σων

ν̣αα[σ]σων δε εγενν[ησ]ε̣ν τον σαλ̣[μω]ν

[1:5] σαλμων δε εγενν[η]σ̣εν τον βοες̣ [εκ]

της ραχαβ βοες δε ε̣γ̣ε̣ννησεν τον ι

ωβηδ’εκ της ρ[ο]υθ ιω̣[βηδ δ]ε εγεννη̣

σεν τον ιεσ̣σ̣α̣ι [1:6] ιεσ̣σ̣[αι] δ̣ε ε̣γ̣ε̣ν̣νησεν

τον δα̣υ̣ι̣δ̣ τ̣ον βα̣σιλ̣ε̣[α δαυ]ι̣δ̣ δ̣ε̣ εγ̣εν

νησ̣εν τον σο̣λο̣μωνα̣ ε̣κ̣ τ̣η̣ς ουρειου. [1:7] σο̣

λομ̣ων δε εγενν̣ησ̣εν̣ τ̣ο̣ν̣ [ρ]οβοαμ ροβο

α̣μ δε εγ̣ενν̣η̣σ̣εν̣ τ̣[ο]ν̣ [αβει]α αβ̣ει̣α̣ δε

εγεν̣ν̣ησεν [το]ν ασα̣[φ] [1:8] [α]σ[α]φ̣ δε̣ ε̣γ̣ε̣ν

νη̣σ̣ε̣ν̣ τον ιωσαφατ̣ ι̣[ω]σ̣α̣φατ δ[ε] ε̣γε̣ν

ν[η]σ̣ε̣[ν] το̣ν̣ ιωραμ ιωρ̣α̣μ̣ δε εγεν̣[νησεν

τον] ο̣ζε̣[ι]α̣ν [1:9] οζει̣ας̣ δ̣ε εγ̣εν̣[νησεν]

lacuna [1:12] lacuna [με

τοικεσιαν βαβυλωνος ιεχονι]ας εγ[εν

νησεν] lacuna

 

Verso

[1:14] [lacuna] β

[τον σ]α̣δω[κ σ]αδωκ̣ δε̣ ε̣γεννησεν το[ν

αχειμ] αχ̣ειμ δε εγε[ν]νησεν τον ελιου[δ]

[1:15] [ελιου]δ̣ δ̣ε̣ εγ[εν]νη̣[σ]ε̣[ν] τον ελε̣α̣ζαρ ελε

[αζ]α̣ρ [δε εγ]ενν̣ησεν [το]ν μ̣α̣θ̣θα̣ν̣ μαθθα̣[ν]

δ̣ε ε̣γε̣ν̣νη̣[σ]ε̣ν τον̣ [ι]ακωβ [1:16] ια̣κωβ δε

[εγ]εννησ̣εν̣ τ̣ον ιωσ̣η̣φ τον α̣νδρα μ̣[α]

ρ̣ι̣ας̣ [ε]ξ ης εγενν[ηθ]η̣ ΙΣ ο λεγομενο[ς ΧΣ]

[1:17] π̣ασ̣α̣ι̣ ο̣υ̣ν̣ γ̣ε̣[νε]α̣ι̣ α̣πο αβρααμ εω̣ς̣

δαυιδ γενεαι ΙΔ και̣ απο̣ [δ]α̣[υ]ι̣δ̣ [ε]ω̣ς̣ τ̣η̣[ς]

μετοικεσ̣ια̣ς βαβυλωνο̣[ς] γ̣ε[νεαι] ΙΔ κ̣α̣[ι]

α̣π̣ο της μετ̣[οι]κεσι̣ας βα̣β[υ]λων̣[ο]ς εως

του ΧΥ γ̣ενε̣α̣ι̣ [Ι]Δ [1:18] του δε ΙΥ ΧΥ η γενε

σις ουτως ην μ̣ν̣ηστ̣ε̣[υ]θεισης της μη

τρος αυτου μ̣[αρι]α̣[ς] τω̣ [ιω]σηφ πριν η̆ συν

[ε]λ̣θε̣[ι]ν αυ[το]υ̣[ς] ε̣υ̣ρε̣[θη] ε̣ν γ̣αστρι εχου

σα̣ ε̣[κ ΠΝΣ αγιου] [1:19] [ιωσηφ δε ο] ανη̣ρ̣ α̣υ̣

τ̣η̣ς̣ [δι]κ̣α̣ι[ος ων και μη θελων αυτην]

δ̣ειγμα̣[τ]ε̣[ισαι εβουλη]θ̣η̣ [λαθρα

α]π̣ο̣λυ[σαι] α̣[υ]τ̣[η]ν̣ [1:20] [τ]αυ̣τ̣α̣ [δε αυτου εν

θ]υ̣μ̣η[θεντος ι]δ̣ο̣υ̣ α̣γ̣[γελο]ς̣ ΚΥ [κ]α̣[τ

ο]ν̣αρ [εφανη αυ]τω̣ [λεγων] ι̣ω̣σ̣[η]φ

υιος] δ̣[αυιδ] μ̣[η] φο̣[βηθη]ς̣ π̣α̣ρ̣[αλαβ]ει̅

[μ]α̣ρι̣α̣ν̣ [την] γ̣υ̣ναι[κα σου] τ̣ο̣ [γαρ εν αυ

τη γεν]νηθ̣ε̣ν̣ ε̣[κ] ΠΝΣ [εστιν] α̣[γιου]

[1:21–23] lacuna

με̣[θερμηνευομενον μεθ ημων ο ΘΣ]

Translation

~~~~~~~~~~

Translation Key:

Underline -- minor translatable difference from the Majority Text.

Highlight -- minor non-translatable difference in spelling or word order in comparison to the Majority Text.

[Brackets] -- words missing --- either completely omitted or undetermined due to scroll damage

[...] -- text segment missing clearly due to manuscript damage/fragmentation

Italics -- letters/words implied or missing due to manuscript damage, with enough spacing present for the letters/word(s) to have existed in the original undamaged manuscript.

Asterisk* -- a footnote provides more information

Bold -- major textual variation (there are no major textual variations present in this papyrus)

Note: In this translation I use a Hebrew/Aramaic rendering of the name Jesus as "Yeshua."

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Matthew 1 (Papyrus 1)

(1) The book of the genealogy of Messiah Yeshua, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

(2) Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. (3) Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. (4) Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. (5) Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, (6) and Jesse begot David the king. David [the king] begot Solomon by that which had been Uriah's [wife]. (7) Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. (8) Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. (9) Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. [...] (12) And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. [...] (14) Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. (15) Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. (16) And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Yeshua who is called Messiah. (17) So all [the] generations from Abraham to David are fourteen* generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen* generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Messiah are fourteen* generations. (18) Now the birth of Messiah Yeshua was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. (19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. (20) But while he thought about these things, behold! A messenger of the LORD appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to yourself Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. [...] (23) “Behold! The virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

Footnotes: {Matthew 1:17} - in many early New Covenant manuscripts, numbers are represented by letter-digits rather than spelled out. In this case the text gives the numeral XIV (14) instead of δεκατέσσαρες (fourteen). It does not change meaning in the text.

Matthew 1 (Majority Text - only including verses present in Papyrus 1)

(1) The book of the genealogy of Messiah Yeshua, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

(2) Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. (3) Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. (4) Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. (5) Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, (6) and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been Uriah's wife. (7) Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. (8) Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. (9) Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. [---] (12) And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. [---] (14) Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. (15) Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. (16) And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Yeshua who is called Messiah. (17) So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Messiah are fourteen generations. (18) Now the birth of Messiah Yeshua was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. (19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. (20) But while he thought about these things, behold! A messenger of the LORD appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to yourself Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. [---] (23) “Behold! The virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

 

Comments: Although Papyrus 1 is Category 1 of the Alexandrian text family, this text is almost identical to the Byzantine Majority text that we use nearly 2,000 years later. Aside from a few omitted words, some due to manuscript damage, there is only a single minor translatable difference present in the text we have in this manuscript. In Matthew 1:6 of this manuscript we have the words "that which" in place where the Majority text says, "her who." The minor spelling and word order differences that are highlighted in yellow are not translatable differences. Both texts give the exact same message without deviation, and neither rendering is inaccurate to the event taking place. Considering that most Greek New Covenant Writing manuscripts were not copied by professional scribes, this level of preservation is incredible!