Searching Critical Apparatus SBL Greek New Testament

The SBL Greek New Testament includes a simple critical apparatus listing variations between various eclectic editions of the Greek New Testament (Westcott-Hort, Nestle-Aland, Robinson-Pierpont, etc.). I have tried to search on these notes without success.

In Matthew 3:1, for example, there is the following footnote:

The surface text of the SBLGNT has εις, whereas τὴν is listed in the footnote for some editions. I have tried searching on all of the search fields, including Variant reading and Variant Unit, but I cannot find this verse. Even if I select all of the search fields and search for τὴν, I still do not get this verse if I do a Bible search.

The only way I seem to be able to search in the critical apparatus is through a Basic search. Then the search fields are searchable. But in the Bible and Morph search, checking off the various search fields does not give me this verse or others with this text in the footnote.

How can I search on these footnotes containing the critical apparatus using a Bible or Morph search?

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Comments

Dave Hooton

Your footnote comes from Mk 3:1 not Mt 3:1

How can I search on these footnotes containing the critical apparatus using a Bible or Morph search?

If you are searching in Bible text you won't find footnotes! So that is why you must use Basic Search.

τὴν can be found in Negative Apparatus Text (specifically) or Footnote Text (generally) of a Basic Search. You can restrict the search using

τὴν WITHIN {Milestone <Bible Mark>}

Harry Hahne

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/891038#Comment_891038

If you are searching in Bible text you won't find footnotes! So that is why you must use Basic Search.

I realize that is true for footnotes in general. But the Bible search gives the impression that it includes options to search on some types of footnotes. Here are the search fields in the Bible search on the SBLGNT:

By contrast, the Search Fields with a Basic search on the SBLGNT are much larger:

The fields "Variation Unit" and "Variant Reading" suggest that some types of critical footnotes could be searched with a Bible search. But others require the Basic search (Negative Apparatus Text, Positive Apparatus Text).

In fact, on further inspection it appears the Logos fields "Variation Unit" and "Variant Reading" are tags on the surface text for which there is a footnote with a variant reading. This is shown by the fact that the surface text is highlighted, not the footnote text. However, I think this is a misleading label, because "variant" suggest the content of the critical footnote. By contrast Negative Apparatus Text and Positive Apparatus Text actually are the content of the footnote itself, not the surface text.

It would be great if the Bible search could search on all types of footnotes, because the results would display by Bible verse rather than Bible chapter.

I have not figured out how to search all of the text of the apparatus and only the apparatus, even with the basic search. I don't know if Negative Apparatus Text and Positive Apparatus Text will include all of the apparatus footnotes. It also is not clear if Footnote Text includes all types of footnotes.

Dave Hooton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/891206#Comment_891206

In fact, on further inspection it appears the Logos fields "Variation Unit" and "Variant Reading" are tags on the surface text for which there is a footnote with a variant reading. This is shown by the fact that the surface text is highlighted, not the footnote text. However, I think this is a misleading label, because "variant" suggest the content of the critical footnote. By contrast Negative Apparatus Text and Positive Apparatus Text actually are the content of the footnote itself, not the surface text.

"Variation Unit" and "Variant Reading" are not footnotes. They are fields that are also part of the Bible Text and thus searchable in Bible Search and Morph Search.

"Variation Unit" is defined as "A unit that is treated as a variation unit within the apparatus" and it doesn't suggest the content; which is contained within the footnotes "Negative Apparatus Text" and "Positive Apparatus Text".

"Variant Reading" is defined as "Variant morphological form of a word" and is not connected with the apparatus e.g. search for Nouns in that field and check the alternate morphology.

It would be great if the Bible search could search on all types of footnotes, because the results would display by Bible verse rather than Bible chapter.

I understand the sentiment, but it can't search footnotes.

Dave Hooton

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/891206#Comment_891206

I have not figured out how to search all of the text of the apparatus and only the apparatus, even with the basic search. I don't know if Negative Apparatus Text and Positive Apparatus Text will include all of the apparatus footnotes. It also is not clear if Footnote Text includes all types of footnotes.

A wildcard search is the only way to get all apparatus text (footnotes) but a wildcard Bible Search of "Variation Unit" will get all the entries in the Apparatus and be slightly more efficient (about 6 minutes).

It would be better to search "Variation Unit" for nouns, pronouns etc. in a Morph Search e.g. @N, R (it won't work with footnotes as the text is not associated with Bible Text).

Harry Hahne

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/891370#Comment_891370

a wildcard Bible Search of "Variation Unit" will get all the entries in the Apparatus

Thanks for the tip.