If you study the Bible (KJV) for any length of time, you will come across some mistranslations and oddities. I discussed this in, “Is The Bible The Actual Or Inspired Word Of God?” As Scripture tells us, the Bible is the “inspired” word of God, not the “literal” word of God, (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21).
This is painfully obvious as there are tens of thousands of different manuscripts, and hundreds of different Bibles floating around out there. They all read a little differently so they cannot be the “literal” word of God. Moreover, the Bible is filled with symbology and we must understand that.
With that said, here are some mistranslations that I have come across in my studies. There are many more, these are only what I have made note of.
Mistranslations
Jesus or Joshua?
Hebrews 4:8
For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Jesus is the Greek form of Joshua, and Joshua is being discussed, not our Lord and Savior.
If you back up to Hebrews 3:7, you will see the subject is the Old Testament and the Israelites in Canaan. They obtained rest under Joshua’s leadership, but this was not an eternal rest.
That’s why 500 years later, David spoke of a future rest for the people, one spiritually obtained through God.
This Scriptural misshape also occurs in Acts 7:45.
Brother or father-in-law?
In Judges 1:16 and 4:11, Hobab is said to be the “father in law” of Moses. However, Exodus 3:1 and Numbers 10:29 tell us, Jethro was Moses’ father in law, and Hobab was Jethro’s son.
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Therefore, the proper rendering of Judges is below, which is correctly reflected in newer revisions.
Judges 1:16
And the children of the Kenite [Hobab], Moses’father[brother] in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.
And…
Judges 4:11
Now Heber the Kenite, which was of the children of Hobab thefather[brother] in law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites, and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.
Verse Additions
Bless them that curse you…
Matthew 5:44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies,bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you,and pray for them whichdespitefully use you, andpersecute you;
- The portions crossed out do not appear in the most critical Biblical texts.
- However, we do have a partial phrase recorded in Luke 6:28.
By prayer and fasting…
Matthew 17:21
Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
- The above verse is omitted in the two best manuscripts.
These three are one…
1 John 5:7-8
7 For there are three that bear recordin heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.8
And there are three that bear witness in earth,the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
- The crossed-out portions are not in the ancient manuscripts.
- There is near universal consensus among scholars, 1 John 5:7 was added to our Biblical text.
- The portions crossed out do not appear in the Codex Sinaiticus, nor are they found before the sixteenth century.
Missing Portion Of A Verse
1 Samuel 10:1
Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because <missing portion> the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?
- A large portion of this verse is missing, it’s included in the Vulgate and Septuagint.
The Cambridge Bible explains, (the bold portion below is the missing portion)
The Septuagint reads “Hath not the Lord anointed thee to be ruler over his people Israel? And thou shalt rule the people of the Lord, and thou shalt save them out of the hand of their enemies. And this shall be the sign unto thee that the Lord hath anointed thee to be ruler over his inheritance. When, &c.”
The Vulgate also contains the greater part of this addition, which seems to be required to connect 1 Sa 10:1-2. Its omission in the Hebrew may be accounted for by what is called Homoeoteleuton. When two sentences end with the same words, the scribe’s eye is liable to catch the second instead of the first, so that he omits the intervening words.
- A “homoeoteleuton” is also found in 1 Samuel 14:41.
Questionable
Matthew 10:8
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
- Cambridge Bible: “[raise the dead] These words are omitted in a large number of important MSS. but not in the two most ancient Codices.”
This is only a small sample.
Closing Thoughts
I point out these inconsistencies to help you understand Scripture, and to provide you with a realistic understanding of the Bible. I provide this insight, so when some skeptic comes along, you have the answers you need to defend your faith.
You can learn more about the history of our Holy Book by watching, How We Got The Bible And Its History.