Matt 1:20 Μαριαμ

     A few scribes (B L f1 1241 pc co) altered Μαριαμ into Μαριαν, either in the interest of grammatical purism to denote the accusative case of the name, or by "mere error" (so Bloomfield, Annotations, 1) due to the similarity of the final consonants Μ and Ν not only in appearance but also in speech. But Matthew, as Bengel notes (Apparatus, 93), may well be imitating the Aramaic speech of the angel. See John 11:19, 28, 31, 45, where some of the same witnesses above reflect the opposite change, but where the consensus spelling Μαριαν is nevertheless corroborated by early papyri and other old manuscripts, and also Matt 1:24, where Matthäi (36) notes that before την γυναικα five manuscripts add Μαριαν and one Μαριαμ, indicating at least a scribal knowledge of if not even a preference for the so-called accusative form of the name in that place. Considering the relatively localized appearance of the support for Μαριαν, the above internal reasons, and the general reliability of the spelling of names reflected in the consensus of all manuscripts in other places, the spelling Μαριαμ is to be preferred. Cf. also the notes on Matt 1:5 (two), 7–8, 10, 13, 14, etc.