According to some scholars, it is one of very few witnesses of the Western text-type with complete text of the Book of Acts.[3][4][5] But Robert Waltz categorizes it with the Harklean Family (Family 2138) in a subgroup with its close relative Minuscule 2412. The earliest representative of this family is the marginal readings of the seventh-century Harklean Syriac version.[6]
The Greek text of the codex has been described as a representative of the Western text-type. Aland placed it in Category III. It is a sister manuscript to Minuscule 2412; they share slight variations of the Harklean marginal addition to Acts 18:21, καὶ ἀνήχθη ἀπὸ τῆς Ἐφέσου, τὸν δὲ Ἀκύλαν εἴασεν ἐν Ἐφέσῳ (and he sailed from Ephesus, but left Aquila in Ephesus). In the Catholic epistles Aland placed it in Category V.[4]
The same text is found at the margin of the Book of Acts in Harklean Syriac.[3] It has some the Caesarean readings in the Catholic epistles.[10] In Pauline epistles its text is almost pure the Byzantine text.[11]Bruce M. Metzger noted: "It contains a large number of pre-Byzantine readings, many of them of the Western type of text."[12]
Clark and Riddle, who collated and published text of 2412, speculated that 614 might even have been copied from 2412.[11]
The text is similar to Codex Bezae and Codex Laudianus. It is important witness of the Western text in that parts of the Acts where these two manuscripts are mutilated, especially at the end, because they do not have ending parts (Codex Beae lacks Acts 22:29–28:31; Codex Laudianus – Acts 26:29–28:26).[13] In Acts 27:5; 28:16.19 codex 614 is witness for unique textual variants, which these two codices formerly contained.[3]
Textual variants
In the Acts
Acts 15:23 — it has unique reading γραψαντης δια χειρος αυτων επιστολην και πεμψαντες περιεχουσαν ταδε (they wrote by their hands this letter that contains), it is not supported by other manuscripts.[14]
Acts 27:5 — additional δι ημερων δεκαπεντε (by fifteen days ); this reading is supported by 2147;[15]
Acts 27:15 — interpolation τω πλεοντι και συστειλαντες τα ιστια along with the codex 2147 syrh**.[16]
Acts 27:19 — at the end of the verse it has additional phrase εις την θαλασσαν (to the sea) along with the codex 2147, Old Latin versions, some Vulgate manuscripts, syrh**, and Sahidic version.[17]
Acts 27:30 — codex 614 has singulary omission, it lacks word προφασει (pretext).[18]
Acts 27:35 — the verse ends with the addition of επιδιδους και ημιν (and giving [it] also to us)
Acts 28:16 — additional εξω της παρεμβολης (outside the camp) supported by 2147 and Old Latin manuscripts.[19]
Acts 28:19 — additional και επικραζοντων αιρε τον εχθρον ημων supported only by 2147 and syrh**.[19]
Acts 28:30 — it has addition at the end of verse: Ιουδαιους τε και Ελληνας (Jews and Greks) along with codices 2147, Codex Gigas, some Vulgate manuscripts, syrh**.[20]
In rest of books
Romans 8:1 it reads Ιησου κατα σαρκα περιπατουσιν αλλα κατα πνευμα, for Ιησου. The reading of the manuscript is supported by אc, Dc, K, P, 33, 88, 104, 181, 326, 330, (436 omit μη), 456, 630, 1241, 1877, 1962, 1984, 1985, 2492, 2495, Byz, Lect.[21]
^ abcK. Aland, M. Welte, B. Köster, K. Junack, "Kurzgefasste Liste der griechischen Handschriften des Neues Testaments", Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, New York 1994, p. 83.
^Michael W. Holmes, From Nestle to the `Editio Critica Maior`, in: The Bible as Book: The Transmission of the Greek Text, London 2003, p. 128. ISBN0-7123-4727-5
Further reading
C.-B. Amphoux, Quelques témoins grecs des formes textuelles les plus anciennes de l'Epître de Jacques: le groupe 2138 (ou 614) New Testament Studies 28.
A. V. Valentine-Richards (and J.M. Creed), The Text of Acts in Codex 614 (Tischendorf 137) and its Allies (Cambridge, 1934) (Review by F. C. Burkitt, JTS XXXVI (1935), 191.
K. W. Clark, Eight American Praxapostoloi (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1941)