It's Short and Sweet, So Why Is Matthew 17:21 Missing from the Bible?

For nearly two thousand years, Christians have been guided by the principles of their Bible. The religious text encompasses everything from the original creation mythology to daily behavioral expectations, promises about the afterlife, and an ominous warning about the end of times.

But did you know that some versions of the Bible omit certain passages?

For instance, in some versions of the Bible, Matthew 17 verse 21 is missing. Here's what we know about why that is, and why other books were omitted from certain versions as well.

The Bible purports to be the word of God as scribed by certain individuals tasked with faithfully documenting it. Many Christians believe that a faithful, literal translation of what's in the Bible is the only way to ensure your soul's safe passage to Heaven after death.

So, why is it that even some of these literal sects are missing little pieces of the Bible?

In Matthew 17:21, the line itself is pretty simple. Jesus is speaking to the Disciples about being given the power to cast out demons from people. However, the passage notes that they cannot be cast out from people who are "lunatics." This seems to suggest that the Bible is hinting that not all people who behave oddly are possessed; some are, in fact, ill.

But instead of explaining this, newer versions of the Bible simply omit the phrase

Which reads in most translations as something along the lines of, "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." Meaning, this kind of demon. Why was it omitted or turned into a footnote for many versions of the Bible?

It's unclear. Bible Wings suggests that scribes skipped the passage, either unintentionally or accidentally. TikTok's Skeptic Pastor, Jeremy, says, "We don't take the Bible literally, we take it seriously."

And it's worth noting that this isn't the only omission from the Bible. There are several large passages or books that have been omitted from modern versions of the Bible, even some versions that are widely used among modern Christian sects.

Other passages missing from modern translations often include Mark 16:9-20, John 5:4, Acts 8:37, and 1 John 5:7. Bart Ehrman even explains that there are a solid 17 books missing from many versions. This raises many questions, which generally remain unanswered.

Catholic.com notes that many of those omitted were done so because they were not original parts of the manuscripts, or they were translated poorly. But even that isn't the most edifying answer.

The long and short answer may simply be: politics, or nothing at all. Certain passages were likely excluded from modern translations based on the choices of those approving the scripts, and there could be any reason, or no reason at all, to cut them from the final version.

In order to see the Bible's manuscripts in their entirety, you have to rely on much older translations than modern Bibles.