The text-critical problem in the very beginning of the Gospel of Mark is both crucial and much debated. The main question is whether the phrase ‘Son of God’ was accidentally omitted from an original or added by some scribes in order to expand the divine name or the title of the book. The disputed words are enclosed in square brackets in UBS4 and NA27 but omitted in the recent SBLGNT edition. Whereas most modern translations and commentators include the words, several scholars have recently argued for the shorter version of Mark 1:1. This article, however, defends the longer version that includes the words ‘Son of God’, taking into account external as well as internal evidence, in particular the plausibility of an accidental omission in the light of scribal habits.
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