Raise the Dead, Matthew 10:8

KJV: Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

WEB: Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons. Freely you received, so freely give.

The presence or absence of the words “raise the dead” is a substantial difference in teaching! I took a look at the controversy and found a few interesting things. I will report a few things below.

Of the 62 versions/ translations of Matthew 10:8 on BibleGateway, every version has “raise the dead” or an equivalent expression – with one exception, the World English Bible. (Darby does put [raise the dead] in brackets.) The NET Bible has this note about “raise the dead”: “The majority of Byzantine minuscules, along with a few other witnesses (C3 K L Γ Θ 579 700txt* 1424c sa mae), lack νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε (nekrous egeirete, ‘raise the dead’), most likely because of oversight due to a string of similar endings (-ετε in the second person imperatives, occurring five times in v. 8). The longer version of this verse is found in several diverse and ancient witnesses such as א B C* (D) N 0281vid ƒ1, 13 33 565 579mg lat bo; P W Δ 348 syh have a word-order variation, but nevertheless include νεκροὺς ἐγείρετε.”

In a commentary edited by Charles John Ellicott, chairman of the 1880s New Testament revision company (the same revision with the better-known names Westcott and Hort) this statement is made about “raise the dead” in verse 8: “Raise the dead.—The words are omitted by the best MSS., and their absence is more in accordance with the facts of the Gospel history...” Nevertheless, both the RV of Ellicott/ Hort/ Westcott and its younger sister ASV both include “raise the dead” in Matthew 10:8. (Ellicott is the editor of the commentary and Edward Hayes Plumptre is the writer of the comments on Matthew. According to Ellicott, Plumptre served on the Old Testament revision committee.)

For what it’s worth, the Pulpit Commentary makes this observation:

“According to the true order of these commands, solely physical ills are mentioned first in their partial (sick) and in their final effect (dead); then physical and ceremonial pollution (lepers), which forms a transition to the mention of ills primarily spiritual, even though they ultimately affect the body (devils).”

It seems this author thinks the reading is correct, but does not like the order in the King James Bible.

Lastly, the giving of power to the apostles to “raise the dead” is in fact consistent with what actually happened in New Testament history. See Acts 9:36-42 and Acts 20:9-12.

My NAS-B Ryrie Study Bible has no comment whatsoever on “raise the dead.” If I were James White, I might say something about the tenacity of the reading “raise the dead.” But I’m not James White; I’m just a poor TR/KJV guy. So, instead I’ll just say “raise the dead” is the correct reading!

Much more could be said. These are just a few observations after quickly researching the passage.