Questioner: "B"
Subject: Read SeaQuestion:
- Why was the ancient Hebrew term, "yam suf", mistranlated to Red Sea when the words mean Reed Sea? An "e" was omitted by mistake, I guess, when the texts was translated into English. This is true. Could there be other mistranslations from the early texts into other languages
in the bible?
John of AllFaith's reply
Hi "B",Hebrew language is not my speciality, however this is not an inaccurate translation.
Cuwph or soof does mean "reed," but it also correctly translates as "rush" as in the reddish colored water plants floating on the surface of the Red Sea and giving it its name.
From a traditional Baptist perspective, the Bible is the absolutely perfectly inspired and preserved Word of God. But in which translation is this true? Today most Christians no longer use the Authorized King James Version as their main Bible. There are major differences between the various versions, so now more than ever we must ask, perfect in which version? The New International Version (NIV), as most other new paraphrases, does not even use the same source material as the KJV. We must wonder therefore about this belief that our English Bibles are perfect in every respect. If the KJV is, then the NIV can not be for instance.
My opinion therefore is that we can have certainty in the overall message of the Bible, regardless of version, but that there are other questionable translations as well as questionable source material. The Bible, as originally given -- in its original autographs -- is in my opinion the inspired Word of God. Translations like the KJV and paraphrases (like the Living Bible, the NIV and so on) do not have the same surety. Personally, I use the KJV. For this reason it is helpful to examine key words in their original forms, as you have done here. The important thing to understand here is that the Bible did not save you, Jesus did.
If you are interested, on my http://allfaith.com/Religions/Christianity/kingjames.html page I contrast a few of the differences between the KJV and the NIV.
Hope this helps,
-
~John of AllFaith
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