Featured Lockman to Drop "Palestine" from Its New American Standard Bible

The article mentions two cases where it was used,

Joshua 10:29 and Joshua 11:1​

It's seen in both the NASB (1977) and NASB95 editions

Joshua’s Conquest of Southern Palestine
29 Then Joshua and all Israel with him passed on from Makkedah to Libnah, and fought against Libnah.


Northern Palestine Taken
1 Then it came about, when Jabin king of Hazor heard of it, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon and to the king of Shimron and to the king of Achshaph,

More importantly it's nice to know that the update will occur in 2019

Rob

 

I can't see any objection to dropping "Palestine" from Bible translation, BUT I hope it doesn't indicate a hostile attitude to living, persecuted Palestinians.

 

I guess I fall into the “big deal?-who cares?” crowd. (Although I’m grateful that the Perrys didn’t sing “Living in Palestine Now”! ) The Kaplan contributor writes, “…there was no land known as Palestine for 1,500 years after Joshua’s time” and Michael Brown writes, “…that ‘Palestine’ did not exist at that time.” But aren’t they talking about Palestine as we know it as a country today and not the long-time historic use of the word in English to refer to the land of the Philistines?

I don’t know exactly when the word entered the English language, but it was around by the time Wycliffe translated the Bible in 1382. The Jewish Virtual Library says, “A derivative of the name Palestine first appears in Greek literature in the 5th Century BCE when the historian Herodotus called the area Palaistinē (Greek - Παλαιστινη)” and English dictionaries give its etymology sometimes like this: “From Greek Palaistinē (used in early Christian writing), from Latin (Syria) Palaestina (the name of a Roman province), from Philistia ‘land of the Philistines’.”

According to the modernized printing of Wycliffe’s Bible available at Bible Gateway, Palestine is used 15 times in his Old Testament.

• Genesis (5)
• Exodus (1)
• Jeremiah (2)
• Ezekiel (4)
• Joel (1)
• Amos (2)

The earliest use I found was in Genesis 21:32 – “the land of Palestines.” This is translated “the land of the Philistines” in most every other English Bible. So, to me, it seems that saying “…there was no land known as Palestine for 1,500 years after Joshua’s time” is the same as saying “…there was no land of the Philistines for 1,500 years after Joshua’s time.” And yet the NASB itself says there was a land of Philistia even in the book of Genesis. So are they contradicting themselves?

Nevertheless, with Covenanter, I don’t have any objection to dropping “Palestine” from this Bible.

 

Modern folks (well my age) are familiar with the term Palestine.

It was a better term then Canaan because of the typical person understanding modern geographical areas.

For centuries the area was called Palestine.

I am not certain this is a good decision.

Does the typical under educated bible reader know, without dragging out a map, what is meant by the location Canaan?

Do bibles still have that neat map section in the back?

I looked on the back of my IPad and it wasn’t there.

 

Even the KJV has "Palestina" (Ex 15:14; Isa 14:29, 31) and "Palestine" (Joel 3:4).
So why are there objections to the NASV headings?

 

Those "persecuted Palestinians" shoot rockets every day into Israeli villages where Israeli children are vastly traumatized. A friend of mine with a ministry to those villages tells about how there are Israeli children in border villages who tremble in fear all day long.

Those "persecuted Palestinians" also make up the majority of the population in Jordan, and have a sizable population in various other Arab countries, because their language, culture and DNA are all Arab.

 

John, does your friend in the ministry to those villages also work with Palestinian believers?

Some years ago I read about the believers (both Jew and Palestinian) seeming to be caught between the viciousness.

 

His ministry is to feed poor Israeli children, of which there are many, and thus gain an audience for the Gospel. The Israeli government is so involved with military issues, etc., that there is quite a large percentage of Israelis, especially immigrant Jews, who are below the poverty line. Some of those children are literally starving, so his burden is for them, not the Palestinian believers, who I am sure could also use the help.

 

My daughter (a nurse) spent time over there giving aid and comfort primarily to the Jews.

I am not critical of any who desire to assist, but was wondering if the modern church should example that of the early and send support to those the believers in Israel no matter the nationality?

 

I don't disagree, but I think it would be difficult ministering to both Palestinians and Israeli's at the same time--like trying to work with Indians and Pakistanis at the same time. There is no love lost between the two groups, but animosity is there even among Christians in the two groups.

 

About time.

 

Yep, I wish Israel would shoot some rockets back at them. Big, Big, Big rockets with Big, Big, Big, warheads. Just my 1 and 1/2 cents.

 

UH there aren't any

 

It could happen....

 

Well spoken as an ambassador of the Prince of Peace.
Evil.

 

Persecuted by whom?

 

Israeli settlers and military, demolishing Bedouin villages, diverting water supplies, dividing farmers from their land by the separation wall, burning olive trees, etc.
Gaza children suffering deprivation because of the Israeli siege. Settlers are free to throw stones at children on their way to school, while Palestinian children suffer night arrests, military interrogation without parents or legal representation, and long prison sentences.
Arbitrary administrative detention without charges or trial.

Get your information from Christian and various aid sources, even Israeli news sources like Haaretz, and peace organizations like Jews for Justice in Palestine.

And don't forget the murderous deliberate Israeli attack on US reconnaissance ship Liberty in 1967. Officially covered up by orders of the U.S.president. And survivors warned against telling what really happened.