Occasionally one will encounter a verse or passage in a text of a Bible (or other document) that is blank except for the verse reference. The temptation is to think that the text was accidentally omitted from the database that appears in BibleWorks.

Actually, these omissions are deliberate, and reflect differences that result for textual variants between manuscripts. In most print editions of the Bible, these gaps will not always be apparent. In BibleWorks, where texts are compiled databases, the gaps stand out. This is because the place where a verse would have been is occupied by a placeholder.

Take, for example, Matthew 23:14. In many ancient manuscripts, the text of this verse was not present. The way this is represented in our printed texts varies. In many texts, Greek and English alike, the verse is simply skipped, and a footnote will provide the explanation. In other cases, the text of the verse appears, but in a different typestyle, usually italic.

In some cases one can hold the mouse cursor over the verse reference to display the note in the Analysis Window that some manuscripts omit the verse. Another source of information about this may be obtained from Metzger's Textual Commentary on the Greek NT.

Last Update - ELM/August 2, 2007