I was raised in the Baptist Denomination. At that time, the King James Version was the only Bible and some people still believe that the King James Version is still the only “true” Bible out there. Baptists believed then, and still do, that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. In other words, there are no mistakes in the Bible.
There were very few (I don’t remember any) Bible translations until The Living Bible was produced when I was a teenager. The Living Bible opened the flood gates for other translations and today, there are hundreds of translations ranging from The Message to Young’s Literal Translation. In the small amount of research and study I have done of some of these translations, I have found some to be helpful in my understanding of scripture and some translations to be so far off, they’re not even on the radar screen.
I write all of this because I heard an interesting interpretation of a scripture verse last week at, of all places, a church tax seminar. (By the way, if you are reading this and you are a church business administrator, secretary, bookkeeper, check-writer, you need to call me ASAP.) This was actually a wonderful seminar because the speaker could have been a preacher, but that is not what God called him to do. There were several times throughout the day that we received short sermons. One of those sermons was on Isaiah 59:19. “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him.” He related that he had heard a different interpretation and the minister that shared it, said there had been a typographical error when the Bible was first translated into English. The comma had been put in the wrong place. Move the comma to after the word “in.” Now read it: “When the enemy comes in, like a flood the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him.” I must admit – I like this version a lot better because it places the strength and power with the Spirit and not the enemy.
So, what is it? A misinterpretation? A typographical error? Or is it right just the way the King James Version has it recorded?
You decide and let me know what you think!!
Maranatha!
© 2010 Edwina E. Cowgill
2 comments:
GOD gives us the Holy Spirit to discern and reveals HIMSELF through many translations and other things in life.
Blessings, andrea
I like your "adjusted comma" version, too! Blessings to you today, Edwina!
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