Western non-interpolations is the term named by F. J. A. Hort of the shortest texts of all the New Testament text types. The Alexandrian text is generally terse or concise; the Western text is larger and paraphrased at places; the Byzantine text is a combination of those two. Nevertheless, the Western text is in certain places shorter than the Alexandrian text. All these shorter readings Hort named western non-interpolations. Since the 19th century, scholars have preferred the shorter reading. It was the authentic text according to B. F. Westcott and F. J. A. Hort. When they printed The New Testament in the Original Greek, in almost all cases, it followed the Alexandrian text with the few exceptions that use the Western non-interpolations instead. According to Westcott and Hort, on some rare occasions Western textual witnesses have preserved the original text, against all other witnesses.
Luke 24:36 – καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς εἰρήνη ὑμῖν, omitted by D, a, b, d, e, ff2, l, r1
Luke 24:40 – καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἔδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τοὺς πόδας, omitted by D, a, b, d, e, ff2, l, r1, syrsin, syrcur
Luke 24:51 – καὶ ἀνεφέρετο εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, omitted by א*, D, a, b, d, e, ff2, l,, sin geo1
Luke 24:52 – προσκυνήσαντες αὐτὸν, omitted by D, a, b, d, e, ff2, l, sin, geo2
Other possible Western non-interpolations
Matt. 6:15 – τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, omitted by א D 1-118-205-209-1582, 22, 892*, a, aur, c, ff1, g1, syrh
Matt. 9:34 – οἱ δὲ Φαρισαῖοι ἔλεγον ἐν τᾡ ἂρχωντι τῶν δαιμονίων ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια, omitted by D, a, d, k, sin, Hilary
Matt. 13:33 – ἐλάλησεν αὐτοῖς omitted by D, d,, sin, syrcur
Matt. 21:44 – entire verse omitted by 104, D, 33, a, b, d, e, ff1, ff2, r1, syrsin, Irenaeus, Origen
Matt. 23:26 – καὶ τῆς παροψίδος, found in: B, C, L, W, 33, Byz, cop; but omitted by D, Q, 1-118-209-1582, 700, a, d, e, ff1, r1, sin, geo, Irenaeuslat, Clement
Mark 10:2 – προσελθοντες Φαρισαιοι, or προσελθοντες οι Φαρισαιοι, omitted by D, a, b, d, k, r1, syrsin
Mark 14:39 – τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον εἰπών, omitted by D, a, b, c, d, ff2, k,
Luke 5:39 – entire verse omitted by D, a, b, c, d, e, ff2, l, r1
Luke 10:41-42 – instead μεριμνας και θορυβαζη περι πολλα, ολιγων δε εστιν χρεια Μαριαμ γαρ has only θορυβαζη with
Luke 12:21 – entire verse omitted by D, a, b, d
Luke 22:62 – entire verse omitted by a, b, e, ff2, i, l, r1
Luke 24:9 – απο του μνημειου, omitted by D, a, b, c, d, e, ff2, l, r1, arm, geo
John 4:9 – ου γαρ συγχρωνται Ιουδαιοι Σαμαριταις, omitted by א*, D, a, b, d, e, j, copfay
The "Western non-interpolations" were not included in the main text of Westcott-Hort edition, but were instead moved to the footnotes. The editions of Nestle and Nestle-Aland did the same. In 1968, "the editorial committee decided to abandon the theories of Westcott-Hort and the Western non-interpolations." Since 1968 they are included in the main text, but marked with brackets.
