THGNT or NA28?

[swagner1187]

Hey everyone, I'm a new beginning Greek student at Covenant Baptist Theological Seminary and I'm slowly working on learning to read my Greek New Testament.

We had to get the NA28 because of it's apparatus, which I have enjoyed learning how to use, but I already have a copy of the Tyndale House Greek New Testament.

For those of you who regularly read the GNT, which do you prefer out of the 2, the NA28 or the THGNT? I'm trying to decide which one I should make my "main" GNT.

Thanks, and God bless!

 

[Ploutos]

Do you have a developed view of which manuscript tradition you believe to be most faithful? NA28 is probably the most scholarly and academic - of course it will lean heavily toward the Critical Text (though as I understand it, now taking into account newer and more balanced approaches like CBGM) but it will also give you a ton of information about different variants, if you can come to decipher the footnotes.

What little I know about the THGNT - it appears to be a somewhat idiosyncratic approach. NA28 is probably better.

 

[CasualWestminsterEnjoyer]

They are both critical texts. The Tyndale House is slightly more conservative in its textual criticism and the print edition looks nicer. The NA28 looks like a mess of strange critical marks. It's not really meant for readers.

Neither are my go-to Greek bible. I usually use the 1904 Antoniades text.

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

Hello Stephen,

These may be of interest to you:

Exciting Release of Long Awaited Greek New Testament!

Biblical Studies and Reviews, Stephen Hackett

Today we're releasing a free PDF of The Greek New Testament According to the Byzantine Text — a project four years in the making. It's the Robinson–Pierpont 2026 Byzantine Textform, and it's the first time this text has appeared alongside real manuscript evidence. In this video I cover what's in the edition, how to grab a hyperlinked copy so you're not scrolling through 748 pages to find a verse, and what's next for a possible hardback.

What's in this edition: An Edition Apparatus comparing the text against eleven landmark Greek New Testaments (NA28, SBL, Tyndale House, Westcott–Hort, both Textus Receptus editions, Hodges–Farstad, Pickering's Family 35, the Ecumenical Patriarchal Text, and more), plus a Manuscript Apparatus giving early papyri and uncial evidence — 9th century and earlier — for 50 significant variant units, including the woman caught in adultery and 1 John 5:7. Released entirely into the public domain: free to copy, print, or redistribute.

Links: Download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zOfe... My website: https://excavatingthetext.com — scroll down to Resources for the PDF, the hyperlinked edition, and print-on-demand instructions (Snowfall Press)

----

And also this: New book on the Byzantine Text by Prof. Maurice A. Robinson

 

[JP Wallace]

Tyndale is nicer to use, better font etc. in my opinion.

The other main difference is that the NA28 text is the result of a thoroughgoing eclecticism whereas the Tyndale only includes texts that have actual manuscript support - in other words it is not just the result of processes of textual criticism but has a very document focused weighting. If it can't be seen in a mss they aimed not to include it. It does lean on the oldest mss.

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

@LanceJ are you aware of this (above) post 4?

 

[swagner1187]

Do you have a developed view of which manuscript tradition you believe to be most faithful? NA28 is probably the most scholarly and academic - of course it will lean heavily toward the Critical Text (though as I understand it, now taking into account newer and more balanced approaches like CBGM) but it will also give you a ton of information about different variants, if you can come to decipher the footnotes.

What little I know about the THGNT - it appears to be a somewhat idiosyncratic approach. NA28 is probably better.

I certainly lean towards a Critical Text preference, from what I know of the subject. But I am, of course, open to other views.

I know the NA28 is the standard for the CT perspective, and from what I can decipher if the apparatus, I find it quite interesting.

At this point if I had to pick only one, I would pick the NA28, but the THGNT is quite nice as far as reading experience goes.

 

[swagner1187]

They are both critical texts. The Tyndale House is slightly more conservative in its textual criticism and the print edition looks nicer. The NA28 looks like a mess of strange critical marks. It's not really meant for readers.

Neither are my go-to Greek bible. I usually use the 1904 Antoniades text.

Oh interesting, I’ve not heard of the 1904 Antoniades text. What tradition does it follow?

 

[swagner1187]

Hello Stephen,

These may be of interest to you:

Exciting Release of Long Awaited Greek New Testament!

Biblical Studies and Reviews, Stephen Hackett

Today we're releasing a free PDF of The Greek New Testament According to the Byzantine Text — a project four years in the making. It's the Robinson–Pierpont 2026 Byzantine Textform, and it's the first time this text has appeared alongside real manuscript evidence. In this video I cover what's in the edition, how to grab a hyperlinked copy so you're not scrolling through 748 pages to find a verse, and what's next for a possible hardback.

What's in this edition: An Edition Apparatus comparing the text against eleven landmark Greek New Testaments (NA28, SBL, Tyndale House, Westcott–Hort, both Textus Receptus editions, Hodges–Farstad, Pickering's Family 35, the Ecumenical Patriarchal Text, and more), plus a Manuscript Apparatus giving early papyri and uncial evidence — 9th century and earlier — for 50 significant variant units, including the woman caught in adultery and 1 John 5:7. Released entirely into the public domain: free to copy, print, or redistribute.

Links: Download here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zOfe... My website: https://excavatingthetext.com — scroll down to Resources for the PDF, the hyperlinked edition, and print-on-demand instructions (Snowfall Press)

----

And also this: New book on the Byzantine Text by Prof. Maurice A. Robinson

Wow, this is great, thanks for the resource! I certainly look forward to diving into this. As I mentioned earlier, I lean towards the Critical Text view, but it is great that there is an edition for the Byzantine. I heard Dr. Robinson discuss related topics on a YouTube video’s panel, and he seemed to have some interesting thoughts.

Looking forward to this, both the video and the text. Thank you, brother!

 

[swagner1187]

Tyndale is nicer to use, better font etc. in my opinion.

The other main difference is that the NA28 text is the result of a thoroughgoing eclecticism whereas the Tyndale only includes texts that have actual manuscript support - in other words it is not just the result of processes of textual criticism but has a very document focused weighting. If it can't be seen in a mss they aimed not to include it. It does lean on the oldest mss.

I do like that I’ve heard this about the TH, it seems like they’re using a great methodology. I’m reading through their companion book, An Introduction to the Greek New Testament Produces at Tyndale House, Cambridge, and looking forward to seeing more about their methodology.

It certainly is easier on the eyes than the NA28, but the apparatus seems very minimal compared to the NA28. But maybe I’m just not far enough into my studies to be able to see the difference.

Thanks for the recommendation!