Matthew 16:3
 
Matthew 16:3
(KJV) And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?
(1611 KJV) And in the morning, It will be foule weather to day: for the skie is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, yee can discerne the face of the skie, but can ye not discerne the signes of the times?
(1587 Geneva Bible) And in the morning ye say, To day shall be a tempest: for the skie is red and lowring. O hypocrites, ye can discerne the face of the skie, and can ye not discerne the signes of the times?
(1526 Tyndale) and in the morninge ye saye to daye shalbe foule wedder and that because the skye is cloudy and reed. O ye ypocrites ye can discerne ye fassion of the skye: and can ye not discerne ye signes of the tymes?
 
Counterfeit Versions
(CSB) And in the morning, ‘Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can’t read the signs of the times.
(NIV) and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
(NASV) "And in the morning, 'There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times?
(THE MESSAGE) You find it easy enough to forecast the weather—why can't you read the signs of the times?
(NLT) red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.' You are good at reading the weather signs in the sky, but you can't read the obvious signs of the times!
(ESV) And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
(CEV) But if the sky is red and gloomy in the morning, you say it is going to rain. You can tell what the weather will be like by looking at the sky. But you don't understand what is happening now.
(1901 ASV) And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day: for the heaven is red and lowering. Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot discern the signs of the times.
(HCSB) And in the morning, 'Today will be stormy because the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to read the appearance of the sky, but you can't read the signs of the times.
(NCV) And in the morning you say that it will be a rainy day, because the sky is dark and red. You see these signs in the sky and know what they mean. In the same way, you see the things that I am doing now, but you don't know their meaning.
(RSV) And in the morning, `It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.
(NAB-Roman Catholic) and, in the morning, 'Today will be stormy, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to judge the appearance of the sky, but you cannot judge the signs of the times.)
(Douay-Rheims Roman Catholic) And in the morning: Today there will be a storm, for the sky is red and lowering. You know then how to discern the face of the sky: and can you not know the signs of the times?
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) and at morning, ‘It will be wintry, rainy weather today, for the sky is fire-red, but gloomy-looking.’ YOU know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but the signs of the times YOU cannot interpret.
 
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
kai prwi shmeron ceimwn purrazei gar stugnazwn o ouranoV upokritai to men proswpon tou ouranou ginwskete diakrinein ta de shmeia twn kairwn ou dunasqe
 
Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
kai prwi shmeron ceimwn purrazei gar stugnazwn o ouranoV to men proswpon tou ouranou ginwskete diakrinein ta de shmeia twn kairwn ou dunasqe
 
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century
D 05 - Bezae Cantabrigiensis - Fifth century
L 019 - Eighth century
W 032 - Fourth/fifth century
Theta 038 - Ninth century
33 - Ninth century
892 - Ninth century
 
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
Stephanus (1550 A.D.)
M 021 - Ninth century
 
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omits entire verse
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869 (in brackets or margin)
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871 (in brackets or margin)
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941 (in brackets or margin)
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition (in brackets or margin)
 
Affected Teaching
In Matthew 16, the Pharisees and Sadducees had tried to tempt the Lord Jesus into giving them a sign as to whether He was who He said He was. The religious leaders continued to hound the Lord Jesus and in verse 3, the Lord called them hypocrites. They were not really concerned as to whether the Lord was who He claimed to be and that is why they were called hypocrites. A hypocrite is a person who says one thing and does another. They live contradictory lifestyles. It is like many today who are church leaders on Sunday and live like the world the rest of the week. I knew a Pastor who was spotted by my Aunt gambling in Atlantic City. Religious on Sunday for show and worldly when no one is looking. I guess there is a little hypocrite in each of us being humans.
 
The modern versions omit the term “hypocrites” which accurately described these religious leaders. They were the leaders of Israel and should have had a very good grasp on the Scriptures resulting in knowing who the Lord Jesus was since His coming was prophesied many times in the Old Testament. By removing the term “hypocrite” it removes the divine assessment of how bad these religious leaders really were and the parallel we see today with many of the religious leaders in the churches which also serves as a warning for us. Many claim to be pastors but are more concerned with worldly endeavors. Once again the King James gives us the true assessment of false leaders.

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