Originally posted by Will J. Kinney:
Brian, the position I now see several of you Biblical relativists promoting is that all the bible versions are inspired and infallible, no matter how contradictory in numerous passages, and no matter that the ESV adds literally hundreds of words to the Old Testament not found even in the NASB, or NIV.
It apparently doesn't matter that numerous whole verses are found in one version and not in another, or that the meaning is drastically different in hundreds of verses - they all are inspired by the same Holy Spirit. So says Dr. Bob too.
I sit back and marvel. It looks like words do not have the same meaning for you as they do for me. We both speak English, yet it is like we are each using a foreign language with the other that both do not know.
Is this called Bible Babel?
How someone can think that these two examples of literally hundreds I have noticed can both equally be the inspired, infallible, complete words of God, baffles me.
One of the hundreds of Scripture references called into question by today's bible translators is I Samuel 13:1. We read in the Authorized King James Bible: "Saul reigned ONE YEAR; and when he had reigned TWO YEARS over Israel, Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent."
"Saul reigned ONE YEAR; and when he had reigned TWO YEARS..." This is the reading of the KJB, the NKJV, Miles Coverdale 1535, Bishop's Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible of 1599, Daniel Webster's translation of 1833, Lamsa's translation of the Syriac Peshitta, the Spanish Reina Valera of 1602 and 1960, the Italian Diodati version, the KJV 21st century version and the Third Millenium Bible.
The Spanish Reina Valera 1960 reads: "Había ya reinado Saúl UN ANO; y cuando hubo reinado DOS años sobre Israel..."= KJB
Italian Diodati - Saulle avea regnato UN ANNO, e poi (then) dopo (after) aver regnato DUE ANNI sopra Israele..." = KJB
Luther 1545: Saul war ein jar König gewesen / vnd da er zwey jar vber Jsrael regiert hatte...
"Saul was king one year, and when he had reigned two years over Israel...= KJB
The Swiss Zürcher 1531 says exactly the same thing.
There are several bible versions like Darby's, the RSV, NRSV, ESV, and the New Scofield KJV, which actually read: "Saul was ____years old when he began to reign; and he reigned_____and two years over Israel." Then in a footnote they tell us "the number is lacking in Hebrew" and "two is not the entire number. Something has dropped out."
The ASV of 1901, which is the predecessor of the NASB, says: "Saul was (forty) years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned TWO years over Israel..." Then in a footnote it tells us "The number is lacking in the Hebrew text, and is supplied conjecturally."
When we finally get to the NASB and the NIV we really get confused. The NASB of 1972 and 1977 reads: "Saul was THIRTY years old when he began to reign, and he reigned THIRTY TWO years over Israel." But the 1995 edition of the NASB has changed the 32 years to now read 42 years. The NIV says: "Saul was THIRTY years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel FORTY TWO years." So was Saul 30 or 40, and did he reign 2 years as the ASV tells us, or 32 as some NASBs have it or the 42 of the NIV?
Not only do the NIV, ASV and NASB all contradict each other, but they also contradict Acts 13:21 where we are told that Saul reigned over Israel 40 years.
Have some of God's words been lost or dropped out of the text? Or has God been faithful to His promises to preserve His words here on this earth till heaven and earth pass away? Jesus said in Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." This is either a true statement or Jesus lied to us. The modern version translators imply that the Lord Jesus Christ didn't really mean what He said.
Example #2
Exodus 26:14
"Thou shalt make a covering for the tent of ram's skins dyed red, and a covering of BADGER'S skins". The NKJV, Geneva, Darby, Young’s, Webster's, KJB 21, Third Millenium Bible, Rotherham's Emphatic Bible, and the Spanish all agree with the KJB. The NASB says the covering would be "of PORPOISE skins" while the NIV has "sea cows". The RSV and the 2001 ESV both have "GOATSKINS".
While wandering around in the wilderness for 40 years, badger's skins might be troublesome to get, but how many "porpoises" (NASB) or "sea cows" (NIV) do you think they could have scrounged up?
Now, could you do me a big favor? Explain to me real slowly so I can understand, how are all of these equally the inspired, infallible words of God. I just don't get it.
Maybe Ed or John can help out here. I'm a little slow on the uptake sometimes and could use some tutoring.
Thanks,
Will