The late Dr. Bruce Metzger, in his
A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (1975 ed. UBS) says regarding the CT reading,
Although the evidence for tw qew is slight (A eth), this reading best accounts for the origin of the others.
The CT’s reading is given a {C} rating which indicates that in “the mind of the Committee….there is a considerable degree of doubt whether the text or the apparatus contains the superior reading” (p. xxviii).
So the CT’s reading is admittedly conjectural and uncertain. And yet it is pivotal in the Committee’s view of the correct reading in Rev 5:10,
KJV: And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and
we shall reign on the earth.
NASB: and madest them [to be] unto our God a kingdom and priests; and
they reign upon earth.
We are only looking at the TR’s
basileusomen “we shall reign” vs. the NASB’s
basileusousin “they reign” for the moment (the MT’s 046 does agree with the CT here). Metzger says of this,
Of the three variant readings, it is obvious that basileusomen [of the TR] is a secondary development, arising from the introduction of hmaj [us] in the preceding verse…
It is amazing how far a doubtful conjecture can be stretched! From {C}
uncertainty to apparent certainty!