Hello franklinmonroe
Sorry for the delay in responding to your question, but I am in the middle of a family emergency at this very moment;
But I have found some free time, so here is my response.
First of all, many people might question, that with all the catastrophic things that are happening all over the world right now, why waste our time talking about the accuracy of our Bible?
(Well this is a perfect time!)
Because the only answers to all of life’s problems are found in God’s Word; Therefore it is important that we KNOW that it can be trusted!
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You asked..........
“What about this specific missing Greek word in current KJV translations at Matthew 18:6? There are 37 English words in the AV text representing 29 Greek words (of which at least 2 are completely untranslated). Greek below from Stephanus 1550 TR (my bold)”
We have crossed swords before, so you know that you can’t expect me to respond from a preponderance of knowledge, in the area of the original languages.
As I have said many times before, my study of the original languages is mainly limited to the Strongs definitions.
The first thing I did was to take an extra close look at Matthew 18:6, and I discovered that the word “millstone” was identified by 2 corresponding Greek words........
(1) “moo’-los” (millstone) and
(2) “on-ik-os” (The word you discovered to be “untranslated”
-So you were right: “on-ik-os” was left untranslated!-
I also discovered, that the root word for “on-ik-os” is “on’-os”(ass)!
-So you were right again!-
I.e. A Greek word, that Jesus spoke in Matthew 18:6, was not included in this verse, when it was translated into English.
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Therefore, as I often do, when faced with a question of this caliber, I turned to someone who was more educated than myself.
Here is what John Gill says about this.......
“The mill stone, in the original, is called mulov onikov, which may be rendered "the ass mill stone," being either the nether mill stone, as some think, which was called "the ass," because, like an ass, it bears the chief of the weight and burden; or else respects such mill stones as were turned about by an ass, in distinction from those that were turned by the hand; for that it was usual with the Jews to make use of asses in grinding, as well as other nations, is certain: hence we read {a} of ayxyr armx "the ass of mills," that were employed in grinding in the mills, and of one that turned his mill with wild asses {b}: but it is further to be observed, that mention is made {c} of dy lv Myxr lv rwmx, "the ass of an handmill": which the commentators say {d}, was a beam on which an handmill was fixed, and was called "the ass." Now, I should rather think that this is meant than the other. It does not seem likely that a nether mill stone, or one that required an ass to turn it, should be tied to a man’s neck, in order to drown him, when cast into the sea; for our Lord must be thought to refer to a practice somewhere in use: but rather, that such a beam, or log, of an handmill, so called, were wont to be put about the necks of malefactors, in drowning them. Our Lord’s sense is, that it was much better for a man to endure the severest temporal punishment, rather than by offending, and evil treating any of his disciples, expose himself to everlasting destruction. The phrase of having a mill stone about the neck, I find, is sometimes used to denote anything very troublesome and burdensome {e}.”
As you can see, we are not the first Christians to be faced with this question.
So the answer seems to be; That the reason the translators of the KJB did not include this particular Greek word, when translating this verse, was because it would have be redundant.
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Now for the bigger question; Does this constitute “a mistake”, in the KJB?
You know, the way that I would frame this question is.......
“Does this mean that God, was unable to perfectly preserve His Word for His people?”
(Does this decision, to not include this word in Matthew 18:6, rise to the level of casting doubt upon the perfection of God’s Word?)
I didn’t think, that I would be able to come up with another way of putting this question, but I did.....
“Am I going to allow this knowledge, to destroy my faith in God’s Word?”
No I won’t!
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I won’t........because my faith in the Bible(the KJB), rests in three areas:
(1) I trust it unconditionally, because for the last 30 years, as I have been personally studying it, God Himself has used it’s words to touch and change my life(personally), and the lives of an untold number of people that I have used it to minister to.
(2) I trust it unconditionally, because for 280 years or so, it was the only Bible that most English speaking Christians used, with “no complaints”.
(I have said this before and people have asked for proof of this statement.)
Well for the last 100 years or so, the MV’s have been becoming more and more popular, so this statement isn’t true for about that period of time.
And in the 1600's when the KJB was first introduced; It didn’t find immediate popularity, among the majority of Christians, so we can say that this statement wasn’t true for that time period.
But(and this is a fact), as more and more Christians were exposed to it, it GAINED in popularity! And continued to gain in popularity for 200 years.
Now, if indeed the KJB was the sham, that most of it’s detractors say it is, this would not have happened.
(3) And thirdly, I trust it unconditionally, because I have been OPEN, for the Lord to break me from it, and to guide me into using some MV; And although I really like the Amplified Bible(the one I have), I am simply not hearing from the Lord at all, about making this change; And He speaks to me every day!
As I have always said, I don’t care what MV people use, as long as that “use only ONE”.
If anybody uses more than one English version, it will chip away at their faith in God’s preserved Word.
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Did you realize, that your faith can be being chipped away at, and you might not even realize it.
Faith, is one of those things, that we can “have”, but “not have”, at the same time........
Mark 9:24
“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
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I apologize franklinmonroe, because I know that this is not the answer that you were hoping for.
And you will probably accuse me of being unteachable, in this area; And as I have stated you are right.
For me, the Bible(the KJB), is a Rock, that I am building my life and eternity upon, for the three reasons that I have stated.
Have a great day