Hebrews 11:17

Hebrews 11:17 prosenh,nocen VAbraa.m to.n VIsaa.k peirazo,menoj

The evidence for the inclusion and for the position of the name VAbraa,m fluctuates curiously: (a) most witnesses read prosenh,nocen VAbraa.m…; (b) a few Western witnesses (D it^d) read…peirazo,menoj VAbraa,m; (c) 1912 reads VAbraa.m prosenh,nocen…; (d) 1245 1611 arm read…VAbraa.m peirazo,menoj; and (e) the name is omitted by î⁴⁶ Y 330 2005 syr^h Chrysostom.

On the one hand, if the name were not original, the fact that verses Hebrews 11:13-16 constitute a parenthesis may have led copyists to insert it in ver. Hebrews 11:17, which resumes the narrative concerning Abraham; the variety of positions of the name suggests that it is secondary. On the other hand, if the omission of the name is not accidental, copyists may have felt that the subject of ver. Hebrews 11:17 was so obvious that VAbraa,m was unnecessary. In any case, the Committee did not see its way clear to disregard the weight of the mass of evidence supporting the reading adopted as text.