Be Thou Instructed and Corrected
By MBPSTB
Tuesday, 31 January, 2017
3rdDofW, 15thD, 11thM
Many churches of different denominations insist upon their members using one translation of the bible exclusively. While this is good for the purpose of following along in church or bible study in groups so all can know and keep up with verses being read, it hinders the student who has great desire in their hearts to know more deeply, the Truth of our God in His Word.
My hunger to know God’s Word began a few years after I became a Christian in 1981. In about 1985, I began with a simplified version called “The Book”. In the early 90s I began to branch out. Someone I knew in the AF Reserve suggested the NIV and I read and studied from that for a few years with no discernible growth. In the mid 90s, I found an English translation of the Torah by the Jewish Publication Society on clearance at a bookstore. That one book was my breakthrough Bible.
From there, I acquired a NKJV, then a KJV, then other translations. Then, in 2006, the same year I came into understanding about the Sabbath and told my family we were to keep this day set apart and rest that hunger increased tenfold. I went on to acquire many other versions; HRV, NASB, KJV1611, JPS Tanach, Stone’s Artscroll Edition, etc.
I would read and study from other translations having my KJV by my side along with my Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. This was so, I could compare the verses side by side, then lookup the words in the Strong’s for clarification. As time went on, it became abundantly clear that many changes in wording had taken place and it mostly seemed that each translator was using various flavors of the same Hebrew word. The example I will use is the one that prompted me this morning as I was reading in Jeremiah. I have at the breakfast table, the HRV from which I read and my KJV is to my left. When I compared the same verse, I found different words being used in the same verse and so here we are.
The HRV, or Hebraic Roots Version is mostly based off the JPS as far as I can tell. Most of any changes have to do with using the Hebrew name of God in place of the standard LORD. The newer JPS translations have been watered down in my opinion. The truer wording is found in the 1917 copy. The same can be said for the Strong’s Concordance. 1995 or earlier is more accurate.
So, for the sake of ease in putting together this study, I will compare the JPS to the KJV as e-Sword has no HRV module from which to copy the verses into this study.
So, here is the verse in question:
Jer 6:8(JPS) Be thou corrected, O Jerusalem, lest My soul be alienated from thee, lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
Jer 6:8(KJV) Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
Jer 6:8 Be thou instructed,H3256 O Jerusalem,H3389 lestH6435 my soulH5315 departH3363 fromH4480 thee; lestH6435 I makeH7760 thee desolate,H8077 a landH776 notH3808 inhabited.H3427
H3256 instructed,H3256
יסר
yâsar
yaw-sar'
A primitive root; to chastise, literally (with blows) or figuratively (with words); hence to instruct: - bind, chasten, chastise, correct, instruct, punish, reform, reprove, sore, teach.
As you can see, we have two different words which can have two different meanings, yet we find BOTH meanings given within the Strong’s definition. So then, which is the more correct one?
“Instruction” we would use for perhaps a classroom and teacher with students. “Correction” we tend to think if a parent disciplining their child. Yes, both can be found in the examples given (teachers can correct in classrooms and parents can instruct their children) but when we are studying God’s Word, we must have ALL of the meanings applied to round out the understanding of what it means.
If we are reading in KJV alone, we get the word “instructed” and it seems that the reader might gloss over that without “absorbing “it. The same can be said of the JPS reader with “corrected”. It is only through comparing both versions and then looking up the word in the Strong’s that we find BOTH words together under one Hebrew word. For the student of Torah, this becomes very clear. For those who lack knowledge of Torah, not so much and even if we have an orthodox Christian who might study from various flavors, it is my experience that it would most likely still be missed.
So, while most of the meat of this study is directed at using more than one translation, the last point made has to do with this very verse used as example.
I can’t speak for anyone else but myself and my family when I say that since 2006, when we began keeping Sabbath, we have been instructed in His Word, by studying Torah, keeping His Feast Days, and we have been corrected also when we either strayed or did something that breached His Word. So in this context of learning to walk on his path, both meanings apply to us. When we entered into Covenant with Him, agreeing to keep his Sabbath, His Appointed Times, to eat Kosher, we entered His classroom and both instruction and correction have taken place and continue to this day and most likely beyond.
There is also, a second part to this teaching about the same verse. It has to do with the second part of the verse and again we find different words being used by either translation. Let’s look again:
Jer 6:8(JPS) Be thou corrected, O Jerusalem, lest My soul be alienated from thee, lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
Jer 6:8(KJV) Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
Jer 6:8 Be thou instructed,H3256 O Jerusalem,H3389 lestH6435 my soulH5315 departH3363 fromH4480 thee; lestH6435 I makeH7760 thee desolate,H8077 a landH776 notH3808 inhabited.H3427
H3363 departH3363
יקע
yâqa‛
yaw-kah'
A primitive root; properly to sever oneself, that is, (by implication) to be dislocated; figuratively to abandon; causatively to impale (and thus allow to drop to pieces by rotting): - be alienated, depart, hang (up), be out of joint.
But the message here, even though we find yet another example to support study from various versions, it is the verse itself which the message given is important and it is this:
We must be instructed in His Word. We must learn His Torah. We must practice it until we get it as close to perfect as is humanly possible. When we agree to enter in to agreement with Him (marriage by virtue of the Passover cup of wine), we also are subject to correction. In simplified terms, before marriage or (more correctly) betrothal, we were free to do as we please. In our man made traditions, we typically know that after a man and woman become engaged, it is a new set of rules we must abide by. No longer to do as we please, we have made a pledge to be married, to be joined together. If we stray outside those rules, if we break any of them, some form of retribution will most likely follow. Even more so when we become legally married.
Entering into Covenant with YHWH is no different. Absolutely no different, except to say that we are fallible and we live in this flesh for which we are at war daily. Having said that, when we walk in His Torah (Instruction and Teaching) we are held to His higher standard. What do I mean by this? I can only cite our own experience and here it is:
In either 2011, or 2012, I believe, my husband’s brother passed away. It was the week prior to Passover. Because the funeral took place three days before Passover, I thought we would be okay. We were still very new to this walk. However, when the day of Passover came it was disaster. The spirit of anger was roused among us at the Passover table and without giving any details, suffice it to say we were all so distressed by it. We had been keeping Passover since 2009 and each time was a blessed and wonderful time. So, I was beside myself and went off to pray on the matter and I was led back into the Torah and reread the part about being clean for Passover. It was SEVEN days, not three. We had been corrected. God allowed for the enemy to come into our camp and wreak havoc because WE WERE NOT CLEAN in His eyes and according to His teaching and Instruction He had DEPARTED from us!
YHWH is awesome! He had made provision in His Torah for those who were rendered unclean by reason of a dead body, to keep Passover in the second month.
So we did do that and it was a good and blessed time. We learned our lesson.
This was just the first of a few times we have been “corrected”. Let’s bring it back to this verse!
Jer 6:8(JPS) Be thou corrected, O Jerusalem, lest My soul be alienated from thee, lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
Jer 6:8(KJV) Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest my soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited.
Jer 6:8 Be thou instructed,H3256 O Jerusalem,H3389 lestH6435 my soulH5315 departH3363 fromH4480 thee; lestH6435 I makeH7760 thee desolate,H8077 a landH776 notH3808 inhabited.H3427
H3363 departH3363
יקע
yâqa‛
yaw-kah'
A primitive root; properly to sever oneself, that is, (by implication) to be dislocated; figuratively to abandon; causatively to impale (and thus allow to drop to pieces by rotting): - be alienated, depart, hang (up), be out of joint.
Also we find it in Psalms:
Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Psa 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
IF we enter in to Covenant with YHWH, through His Torah, we are held accountable! While we have eternal salvation through the Blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ, we will be least in the kingdom if we do not HEED His correction! He will depart from us, for He will know us NOT!!!
Paul said:
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Rom 10:4 ForG1063 ChristG5547 is the endG5056 of the lawG3551 forG1519 righteousnessG1343 to every oneG3956 that believeth.G4100
G5056 endG5056
τέλος
telos
tel'-os
From a primary word τέλλω tellō (to set out for a definite point or goal); properly the point aimed at as a limit, that is, (by implication) the conclusion of an act or state (termination [literally, figuratively or indefinitely], result [immediate, ultimate or prophetic], purpose); specifically an impost or levy (as paid): - + continual, custom, end (-ing), finally, uttermost. Compare G5411.
to set out for a definite point or goal
to set out for a definite point or goal
to set out for a definite point or goal
We must STRIVE for that Goal!!!! While we cannot do it perfectly, we have the Blood of the Lamb of God that saves us from certain death.
And Paul also said:
1Co 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
1Co 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
1Co 9:26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
Gal 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
The truth. The truth is the Word and the Word is the Torah and that Torah is the Word and that Word is Jesus Christ.
So RUN!!! Run and obtain that GOAL, that prize for which we should STRIVE!
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