Mark 12:23

Mark 12:23 evn th|/ avnasta,sei @o[tan avnastw/sin# {C}

The absence of o[tan avnastw/sin from a B C* D L W D Y al is probably deliberate, having been omitted by copyists as superfluous (Matthew and Luke also omitted the words, probably for the same reason). It is hard to imagine that a copyist would have been tempted to gloss evn th|/ avnasta,sei, and the pleonasm is in accord with Mark’s style (cf. Mark 13:19 f.). At the same time, however, in deference to the generally high reputation of the witnesses that attest the omission, the Committee thought it right to enclose the words within square brackets.

In order to suggest more clearly that ver. Mark 12:23 constitutes the nub of the query, copyists inserted ou=n at various places in various witnesses.