In New Testament textual criticism there occurs a phenomenon known as homoioteleuton, “same ending.” A scribe who is making a copy of a manuscript skips a phrase or line and proceeds with a different phrase or line that ends the same way as the one he was supposed to copy and write. The skipping of the eye is called parablepsis.

Here is the latest example of parablepsis by homoioteleuton that I have found. It is in a 9th century majuscule identified as G (012), in 1 Timothy chapter 3. Following are verses 6 – 8, where both v. 6 and v. 7 end with του διαβολου, “of the devil.” Then v. 8 starts with Διακονους, “deacons.”

1Ti 3:6 Μη νεοφυτον ινα μη τυφωθεις εις κριμα εμπεση του διαβολου.
1Ti 3:7 Δει δε και μαρτυριαν καλην εχειν απο των εξωθεν ινα μη εἰς ονειδισμον εμπεση και παγιδα του διαβολου.
1Ti 3:8 Διακονους ωσαυτως σεμνους μη διλογους μη οινω πολλω προσεχοντας μη αισχροκερδεις

A later scribe or editor marked the end of verse 6 with an asterisk, to draw attention to the oversight. The image above is a snippet of the manuscript image, showing the asterisk at the end of v. 6, then the beginning of v. 8 which starts with Διακονους. (The words above the Greek text are the Latin for the same text.)