Today, there are so many flavors of the Word out there. Who can know which one to choose of you are new to the Faith? When I first became a Christian in 1981, I began with the paraphrased "The Book". I read that for years. Then in the early 90s someone suggested the NIV. I read that for years. During all that time my walk was sluggish. I still lived my life as if nothing had really changed. But I know some things did because prayers did get answered even back then.
In the mid or early 90s I received a booklet in the mail. A bulk mailing of "The National Sunday Law". I took it in stride regarding the Sabbath but found it insightful and made me dig further into the scriptures.
One day in another bookstore, I found a JPS Torah on clearance. I purchased that. I love books.
As time went on, I acquired other flavors (Amplified Bible through Joyce Meyers). Then, one day in a Faith bookstore, a Navy Chaplain suggested the NKJV. This I think was early in 2000. From there I also acquired a KJV.
In 2003 I found myself no longer working due to a long illness, so I had more time to study. Truth be told, I was studying and reading anything I could get my hands on. Quite a few esoteric and very controversial writings, both ancient and modern day. Now most of us know that people will scoff at Enoch, Jasher, Jubilees, but these books are crucial to understanding more fully, the Scriptures, regardless of what flavor you find is your favorite.
I also read.....hang on to your hat....The Great Controversy by Ellen White. Yes, I know, right? But while she might have had some things to say that don't necessarily fit Scripture, she was right about one thing: Keeping the Sabbath. The 7th day Sabbath. Chew the meat, throw away the bones.
Other books, the Nag Hammadi Codices, Dead Sea Scrolls, etc. These too are important if you can read them. They are somewhat intense, heady and to many make no sense. To me, it began that way but I continued to study them on and off. As I did that, I found scriptural connections to vague things that Jesus mentioned, but that is for another posting.
Suffice it to say, if one desires truly to know as much truth as they can, it takes time, effort and a willingness to sort through many books. So, moving on, in 2006, in the late summer, the smatterings of over the years getting material about the Sabbath, all came into focus as I was reading in my KJV. I became convicted about the Sabbath and we as a family, began keeping it.
In 2007 we found a Seventh Day Baptist church to attend and they only read from the NASB. By then, I had acquired a Hebraic Roots Version and a couple of other True Name versions. I then went out and bought a NASB. In the process of reading and studying from all of these I found that the NIV was missing verses. Hmm...
I tried to read the NASB, but it just was not grabbing me, but I found it to be useful in comparing while studying.
Years later, actually a few months ago, found the NASB was also missing verses, yet in different places than the NIV. Which brings us to last night.
I have been reading the Torah to my family and we were in the Book of Numbers (Bamidbar in Hebrew). In chapter 18:18 it has one word that is different from the KJV:
JPS)Num 18:18 And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave-breast and as the right thigh, it shall be thine.
KJV)Num 18:18 And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine.
When I read "thigh", I stopped. I immediately thought of Jacob and his wrestling with the Angel of YHWH and how his right thigh (hip was put out of joint.) So, I pulled up e-Sword (this is why it is so great) and pulled up my KJV+ (has the Strong's built in). When I looked up the Hebrew word (H7785) for "shoulder" in the KJV, this is what I got:
H7785 "shoulder" (in KJV) "thigh" (in JPS)
שׁוק
shôq
shoke
From H7783; the (lower) leg (as a runner): - hip, leg, shoulder, thigh.
Now, I'm no doctor, but haven't we all been taught that the shoulder is part of our arms?? Also, see in the definition that all the other nouns are more similar and part of the leg so-to-speak. "Shoulder" stands out as not being of that group. Since we know that the KJV has gone through gyrations of being translated, that increases translation error exponentially. The JPS however, is directly translated from the Hebrew into English.
THIS is why; it is SO CRUCIAL, to study from various translations. Our favorite, my favorite will always be the KJV. Second the NKJV. Third, the JPS (on or before 1998 only).
If this was longwinded, I apologize, but sometimes, providing details help to paint the picture and form the message.
I know that many who read this might be going to church, might be faithful to a certain translation. That's okay. The message here though is that if you want to seriously study, the more versions you have to help, the better rounded out your study efforts will be. This is why I urge the use of e-Sword. There are many different translation modules that can be downloaded. Many are still free. Some you have to pay for. but it has a COMPARE feature that allows you to highlight averse and then COMPARE that same verse in all the versions you have loaded.
So while you might have a favorite, the one your church uses, your study library should include several.
Later, I will post exact places in other versions where discrepancies come up as I find them so you, the reader can see for yourself.
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