Matius 15:14

15:14 Leave them! They are blind guides. ¹  If someone who is blind leads another who is blind, ²  both will fall into a pit.”

Matius 23:16

23:16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing. ³  But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’

Matius 23:24

23:24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel! ⁴ 

[15:14]  ¹ tc ‡ Most mss, some of which are significant, read “They are blind guides of the blind” (א¹ C L W Z Θ Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat). The shorter reading is read by א*^,2 B D 0237 Epiph. There is a distinct possibility of omission due to homoioarcton in א*; this manuscript has a word order variation which puts the word τυφλοί (tufloi, “blind”) right before the word τυφλῶν (tuflwn, “of the blind”). This does not explain the shorter reading, however, in the other witnesses, of which B and D are quite weighty. Internal considerations suggest that the shorter reading is original: “of the blind” was likely added by scribes to balance this phrase with Jesus’ following statement about the blind leading the blind, which clearly has two groups in view. A decision is difficult, but internal considerations here along with the strength of the witnesses argue that the shorter reading is more likely original. NA²⁷ places τυφλῶν in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[15:14]  ² tn Grk “If blind leads blind.”

[23:16]  ³ tn Grk “Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing.”

[23:24]  ⁴ tn Grk “Blind guides who strain out a gnat yet who swallow a camel!”