The way in which we have shaped the text of the Greek New Testament and the text-critical apparatus allows us to broadly follow the text lore through the centuries:
1. One finds the Greek text before the invention of printing represented in the clues in the text-critical apparatus: the manuscripts we have selected are divided into Byzantine, Egyptian, and others that do not belong to the Byzantine or Egyptian text type, abbreviated by Byz, Eg, and Ov, respectively (for further explanation, see the article "The Text of the New Testament").
De getuigen voor de lezingen die overeenkomen met de editie die men heeft geselecteerd, worden onder de tekst vermeld. (Een getuige is in dit geval een handschrift – in ruimere zin ook een vertaling of editie – dat een bepaalde tekst, lezing of ook letter waarborgt doordat het zelf ook die bepaalde tekst, lezing of letter vertoont.) De geselecteerde handschriften, die per Bijbelboek kunnen variëren, zijn opgenomen in een overview. Ze worden steeds daar genoemd waar blijkt dat het Griekse tekstverschil de vertalers van de elf Bijbelvertalingen op de rechterbladzijde van de Studiebijbel gedwongen heeft tot een keuze uit de Griekse lezingen, eveneens waar het tekstverschil niet in de elf Bijbelvertalingen zichtbaar is, maar toch een belangrijk verschil in betekenis inhoudt, en bovendien waar de commentaarschrijver van het betreffende Bijbelboek een Griekse variant voor de exegese van belang acht. Er worden geen handschriften genoemd wanneer het gaat om verschillen in spelling en plaatsing van woorden in een vers zonder onderscheid in betekenis, en evenmin in het geval van grammaticale verschillen zonder noemenswaardig onderscheid in betekenis.
2. The Textus Receptus (TR), which was the common text in the four centuries following the invention of printing, roughly between 1500 and 1900, is found as the first edition from which to choose. This is the (3rd) Stephanus edition of the Textus Receptus, from the year 1550. Only we have limited the capital letters to the proper names, and the comma at the beginning of a direct speech has been replaced by the colon. The not very numerous differences between this edition and the Textus Receptus in the 1624 Elzevier edition have been mentioned only when they had noticeable influence on the 1637 Statenvertaling, which is based on it.
3. The most recent text edition along the lines of the Byzantine text type is found in the text critical apparatus represented in H-F, the designation for The Greek New Testament According to the Majority Text. This edition was prepared under the direction of Z.C. Hodges and A.L. Farstad and appeared in 1982. As its name suggests, its text is based on the majority manuscripts, and thus this edition along the lines of Byzantine text lore.
4. The text criticism that rejected the Textus Receptus in the 19th century and beyond is found in the text criticism apparatus summarized in N25, the designation for the 25th Nestle-edition from 1963. The most important recent text edition in this line is N27, the 27th Nestle-edition from 1993. The Greek text of this edition is identical to the text of the 26th edition (N26). However, the text-critical apparatus - the basis for the manuscript information in the Study Bible - has been adapted to the current state of textual research. The differences and similarities between N25 and N27 and thus the change, as well as the persistence in view of certain readings and related theories, can be seen immediately.
5. The relationship between differences in the Greek text and differences in the text of the translations listed in the window to the right of the Greek text is made visible in the text-critical apparatus (below the Greek text), insofar as it concerns Greek text differences listed in this Study Bible. Namely, does a translation reveal that it has based the text section in question on a text with a reading that corresponds to the Textus Receptus, then it is listed, abbreviated, with the text witnesses. Turns out that a translation is based on a text that contains a variant listed in this Study Bible, then it is listed, abbreviated, with the witnesses for that variant.
To summarize, one can see in the text-critical apparatus how the Textus Receptus (TR), the edition of Hodges and Farstad (H-F), the 25th and 27th Nestle editions (N25 and N27), zich ten opzichte van elkaar verhouden. Meestal zullen N25 en N27 tegenover TR en H-F staan, twee tegenover twee, Egyptisch tegenover Byzantijns. Interessant is het om bij afwijkingen van deze algemene regel, die toch regelmatig voorkomen, waar te nemen welke handschriften tot de verschillende conclusies hebben geleid. Daarnaast kan men op vele plaatsen zien hoe Griekse tekstverschillen hebben veroorzaakt dat ook Bijbelvertalingen in tekst van elkaar verschillen.
A more detailed explanation of text lore and research on the Greek text of the New Testament can be found in the article "The Text of the New Testament.
See also How do I determine the value of a text and variant reading?