Alan Dale Gross
Active Member
"Hebrews 2.16: Did Christ take upon Himself the nature of the seed of Abraham, or did he merely ‘help’ the seed of Abraham?
"We now return to our consideration of the text of the NKJV. The NKJV alters with its translation a very important passage in Hebrews 2.16 concerning Christ’s Incarnation and His taking our human nature.
"The Authorized Version correctly renders this verse as: ‘For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham’. This means that Christ did not take to Himself an Angelic nature; He took to Himself the nature of mankind, specifically, being born of the seed of Abraham. Note the italics for the words the nature of and Him. The Authorized Version itself gives us the literal reading of the passage in the marginal note it appends to this verse: ‘Gr. taketh not hold of Angels, but of the seed of Abraham He taketh hold’.
"The Greek word for ‘taketh hold’ is epilambanomai (epilambanomai), which literally means 'to take upon', but which can also mean 'to lay hold of' or 'to seize'. Only in a figurative sense could it mean 'give aid', but this is how the New King James Version renders it, without there being any clear reason for translating it in a figurative sense here.
"The context of this passage shows us clearly that Christ took to Himself flesh and blood, and not the nature of Angels. ‘Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same’, verse 14 of this same chapter tells us.
"Accordingly, the whole context of the passage tells us that He took to Himself our human nature, body and soul. Christ, as God, is Superior to all the Angels, chapter 1 of this book tells us. But Christ for our sakes was made ‘a little lower than the Angels’ (2.7,9), taking to Himself our human nature, that He might be made conformable to us in all things, sin excepted.
"But how does the New King James Version translate this verse? ‘For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham’. In this figurative rendering of epilambanomai, the New King James follows the New American Standard which reads ‘For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham’.
"Thus, the New King James here, contrary to its original alleged purpose, does not simply update the language of the Authorized Version; it retranslates this verse, even changing the doctrine of it! The verse in the NKJV merely speaks of Christ’s giving help to the seed of Abraham; the Doctrine of the Incarnation is altogether overlooked.
"Moreover, the translators had to employ a figurative sense of the Greek verb in order to do so.
"Once again, the NKJV translators betray their strong sympathies for the methodologies and philosophy behind the NASB translation, over against those of the Authorized Version.
"However, this is a very important text for showing the Incarnation of Christ. It is a very strong verse in proof of it. However, although other verses even in this chapter and context state the Incarnation of Christ, yet the NKJV’s rendering of this verse in this way weakens its testimony to this all important, Fundamental Doctrine, thus weakening Scripture’s testimony to the Incarnation of the Savior.
"Given that many Reformed confessions rightly cite Hebrews 2.16 in proof of the Incarnation and the Hypostatic Union, we cannot but condemn this rendering."
From:
An Examination of the NEW KING JAMES VERSION PART 2 by A. Hembd, MACS
"We now return to our consideration of the text of the NKJV. The NKJV alters with its translation a very important passage in Hebrews 2.16 concerning Christ’s Incarnation and His taking our human nature.
"The Authorized Version correctly renders this verse as: ‘For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham’. This means that Christ did not take to Himself an Angelic nature; He took to Himself the nature of mankind, specifically, being born of the seed of Abraham. Note the italics for the words the nature of and Him. The Authorized Version itself gives us the literal reading of the passage in the marginal note it appends to this verse: ‘Gr. taketh not hold of Angels, but of the seed of Abraham He taketh hold’.
"The Greek word for ‘taketh hold’ is epilambanomai (epilambanomai), which literally means 'to take upon', but which can also mean 'to lay hold of' or 'to seize'. Only in a figurative sense could it mean 'give aid', but this is how the New King James Version renders it, without there being any clear reason for translating it in a figurative sense here.
"The context of this passage shows us clearly that Christ took to Himself flesh and blood, and not the nature of Angels. ‘Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same’, verse 14 of this same chapter tells us.
"Accordingly, the whole context of the passage tells us that He took to Himself our human nature, body and soul. Christ, as God, is Superior to all the Angels, chapter 1 of this book tells us. But Christ for our sakes was made ‘a little lower than the Angels’ (2.7,9), taking to Himself our human nature, that He might be made conformable to us in all things, sin excepted.
"But how does the New King James Version translate this verse? ‘For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham’. In this figurative rendering of epilambanomai, the New King James follows the New American Standard which reads ‘For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendant of Abraham’.
"Thus, the New King James here, contrary to its original alleged purpose, does not simply update the language of the Authorized Version; it retranslates this verse, even changing the doctrine of it! The verse in the NKJV merely speaks of Christ’s giving help to the seed of Abraham; the Doctrine of the Incarnation is altogether overlooked.
"Moreover, the translators had to employ a figurative sense of the Greek verb in order to do so.
"Once again, the NKJV translators betray their strong sympathies for the methodologies and philosophy behind the NASB translation, over against those of the Authorized Version.
"However, this is a very important text for showing the Incarnation of Christ. It is a very strong verse in proof of it. However, although other verses even in this chapter and context state the Incarnation of Christ, yet the NKJV’s rendering of this verse in this way weakens its testimony to this all important, Fundamental Doctrine, thus weakening Scripture’s testimony to the Incarnation of the Savior.
"Given that many Reformed confessions rightly cite Hebrews 2.16 in proof of the Incarnation and the Hypostatic Union, we cannot but condemn this rendering."
From:
An Examination of the NEW KING JAMES VERSION PART 2 by A. Hembd, MACS