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why is matthew 17 21 not in the bible

Matthew 17:21 is “missing” in many modern Bibles because most scholars believe it was not part of Matthew’s original Gospel, but a later scribal addition drawn from the parallel story in Mark 9:29.

Quick Scoop: What’s Going On?

In some older translations (like the King James Version), Matthew 17:21 reads:
“However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

In many modern translations (like NIV, ESV, CSB), you’ll either see:

  • No verse 21 at all (it jumps from 17:20 to 17:22), or
  • Verse 21 moved to a footnote, often saying something like “Some manuscripts include…”

This isn’t because publishers secretly removed a verse, but because earlier Greek manuscripts of Matthew simply do not have that sentence.

Why Is Matthew 17:21 Not in Many Bibles?

Textual scholars compare thousands of ancient manuscripts to reconstruct the most original form of the New Testament.

Key points:

  • Earliest and most reliable manuscripts (like Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus, 4th century) do not contain Matthew 17:21.
  • Some later manuscripts add the line “But this kind never comes out except by prayer and fasting.”
  • That wording closely matches Mark 9:29, where Jesus says something like, “This kind can come out only by prayer” (and in some manuscripts, “prayer and fasting”).

So the best explanation most scholars give:

A scribe, noticing the parallel in Mark 9:29, wrote a marginal note in Matthew to “harmonize” the stories. Later copyists then copied that note into the main text, so some later manuscripts of Matthew include it as verse 21.

Modern translations that prioritize the earliest manuscripts usually omit it from the main text and either:

  • Skip the verse number, or
  • Put the verse in a footnote, marked as doubtful or “not found in early manuscripts.”

Why Do Some Bibles Still Have It?

You’ll often still see Matthew 17:21 in:

  • King James Version (KJV)
  • New King James Version (NKJV)
  • Some older or traditional-style translations

These translations are based mainly on a later Greek text tradition (the “Textus Receptus”), which includes the verse.

Modern critical editions of the Greek New Testament, using a much larger and earlier set of manuscripts, generally consider Matthew 17:21 secondary (a later addition).

So:

  • KJV-type Bibles: keep the verse in the main text because their base manuscripts include it.
  • Most modern Bibles: put it in a note or margin because their base text follows earlier manuscripts that lack it.

Is This a Conspiracy or Corruption?

Online forums and videos sometimes frame this as “They removed verses from the Bible!”

But from the perspective of mainstream textual criticism:

  • The aim is not to remove Scripture, but to get as close as possible to what the biblical authors actually wrote.
  • When scholars see that a verse only appears in later copies and seems to be copied from a parallel passage (here, Mark 9:29), they flag it as likely not original.
  • That is why translations note it carefully rather than hiding it—they’re being transparent about manuscript differences.

Many Christian scholars also emphasize:

  • The content of Matthew 17:21 (prayer, fasting, spiritual struggle) is fully present elsewhere in Scripture (especially Mark 9:29), so no doctrine depends solely on this one verse.
  • Variations like this are real, but they affect wording, not core Christian beliefs.

Different Viewpoints People Have

You’ll find several angles in current discussions (including 2023–2025 forum threads and videos):

  • Textual-critical view (mainstream scholarly):
    • Matthew 17:21 is a later insertion from Mark 9:29.
    • Best practice is to omit it from the main text and note it.
  • Traditionalist / KJV-only style view:
    • God preserved the text in the traditional manuscript line and older English Bibles.
    • Removing the verse appears like “subtracting” from God’s word.
  • Pastoral / practical view:
    • The point about prayer and fasting remains valid, whether located in Matthew 17:21 or mainly in Mark 9:29.
    • Understanding how manuscripts differ can strengthen confidence by showing how carefully the text is examined.

Does This Change How You Read the Passage?

Even if your Bible doesn’t print Matthew 17:21 in the main text, you still have:

  • The teaching on faith like a mustard seed and moving mountains in Matthew 17:20.
  • The teaching about “this kind” of demon and the need for prayer (and sometimes “prayer and fasting”) in Mark 9:29.

So the spiritual emphases—faith, prayer, dependence on God, sometimes fasting—are clearly taught in the New Testament, regardless of whether Matthew 17:21 is in the main text or in a note.

Mini FAQ

1. Why does my Bible jump from verse 20 to 22?
Because the editors followed early manuscripts that don’t have verse 21; they keep the numbering aligned with traditional verse numbers, so the missing verse appears only in a footnote (or not at all).

2. Where can I read the “missing” words?
Look up the verse in a KJV or NKJV, or check the footnote in many modern Bibles; you’ll see the sentence about “this kind” going out “only by prayer and fasting.”

3. Does this break the warning about not adding or removing from Scripture?
Most scholars say the warning in Revelation 22:19 is about the book of Revelation itself, and that honest textual work—identifying later additions—is an attempt to avoid adding to God’s word, not to remove it.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.