Isaiah - Part 2. Chapters 25 to 66

Isaiah 25:5 - Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the BRANCH of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

God continues to pronounce the coming judgment upon the world. In verse 5 we read: "the BRANCH of the terrible ones shall be brought low." 

The branch would stand for their power and strength, which would be pruned and cut down. BRANCH is the reading of Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew’ Bible 1549, the 1936 Hebrew Publishing company translation, Douay, several Spanish versions, Webster's translation 1833, the KJV 21st Century 1994 and the Third Millennium Bible 1998. 

The Jubilee Bible 2020 translates this as “ thou shalt cause THE OFFSHOOT of the stout ones to wither.”

Lamsa’s 1936 translation of the Syriac Peshitta agrees with the KJB and says “THE BRANCH of the mighty ones shall be humbled.”

Also reading BRANCH are the French Martin bible 1744 - le BRANCHAGE des terribles sera abattu., and the Spanish Las Sagradas Escrituras 1569 - harás marchitar EL RENUEVO  de los robustos., the Spanish Reina Valera Gomez, the Spanish Reina Valera 1960 and 1995 editions - “harás marchitar EL RENUEVO de los poderosos.”

However the NKJV joins the NASB, ESV and NIV in saying "the SONGS of the terrible ones will be diminished."

The Hebrew word used here can be translated as either “song” or “branch”. This may seem odd at first, but it comes from the Hebrew verb that means both “to prune” and “to sing”.  The verb is used in Leviticus 23:3-4 “PRUNE thy vineyard”, and Isaiah 5:6 “it shall not be PRUNED or digged”, as well as “sing psalms unto him” and “I will sing praises unto my God.”

Barnes notes - “The word זמיר zâmiyr is indeed used to denote a branch, or bough, as derived from זמר zâmar, “to prune a vine;” but it also has the I sense of “a song;” a song of praise, or a song of exultation, from a second signification of זמר zâmar, “to sing.”

John Gill comments: “the branch of the terrible ones shall be made low; meaning the most eminent of them; a branch being put for a most eminent person, Isaiah 4:2 … Some render it, "the song of the terrible ones shall be brought low" ; it will be brought a note lower; their triumphing will be at an end; the voice of harpers and musicians, of pipers and trumpeters, will be heard no more among them; but instead thereof weeping and howling.”

The versions are divided. The Geneva Bible read “he will bring down the SONG of the mighty”, while the Bishops’ bible said “the NOISE of the cruel tyrants”, but the KJB translators rejected these and went with “BRANCH”.

Also reading BRANCH are The Jewish Virtual Library Tanach full text 1994 - “the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.”

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yeshayahu-isaiah-chapter-25

The Hebrew Transliteration Scriptures 2010 - “the BRANCH of the terrible ones shall be brought low.”

https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/YeshaYahu/Yeshayahu25.htm

Isaiah 25:8 "He will swallow up death IN VICTORY; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces."

 We read of this quote in I Corinthians 15:54 "then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."

This "saying that is written" is found here in Isaiah 25:8. VICTORY is the reading of the KJB, Young's 1898, Darby's, Rotherham's Emphatic Bible 1902, the KJV 21, Webster's, the Third Millennium Bible 1998, New Heart English Bible 2010, 

The Spanish Reina Valera Gómez Bible - Sorberá a la muerte en victoria

The French Martin bible 1744 - par sa victoire. 

They (the KJB translators) followed more the 1588 French reading, "Il engloutira la mort a' victoire:" or Diodati's 1607, "Tranghiottira' la morte in vittoria".

The Jewish Virtual Library Tanach  1994 - He will swallow up death IN VICTORY.

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yeshayahu-isaiah-chapter-25

This Hebrew Interlinear - “He will swallow up death IN VICTORY”

https://studybible.info/IHOT/Isaiah%2025:8

The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907 - “He will swallow up death IN VICTORY”

https://archive.org/details/ancienthebrewlit03yyyauoft/page/58/mode/2up

The Hebrew Transliteration Scriptures 2010 - He will swallow up death in VICTORY.

https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/YeshaYahu/Yeshayahu25.htm

And the Modern Greek Bible - Θελει καταπιει τον θανατον εν νικη = He will swallow up death IN VICTORY.

https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/bible/greek-modern/isaiah/25/8

Lamsa’s 1936 translation of the Syriac Peshitta  says: “He will swallow up death IN VICTORY for ever.”

However again the NKJV joins the NIV, ESV, NASB in saying: " He will swallow up death FOREVER", which doesn't match the quote as found in I Corinthians 15:54 - “the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up IN VICTORY”.

Even the NKJV, ESV and NASB have translated this same Hebrew word as "Victory" in 1 Chronicles 29:11 "Thine, 0 LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the VICTORY”

This particular Hebrew word (5331), like many others, has several meanings including “victory, for ever, always, perpetual, and strength”. 

The NASB complete concordance shows they have translated it as: “always, end, eternally, forever, Glory, limit, never, perpetual, strength, and victory.”

The famous LXX or Greek Septuagint the NIV, NASB, ESV keep on using instead of the Hebrew actually says "Death hath prevailed and swallowed up". 

Not quite the same meaning, is it? In fact, it is the opposite.

But the Modern Greek Bible got it right - Θελει καταπιει τον θανατον εν νικη = He will swallow up death IN VICTORY.

Isaiah 26:3

One of my favorite verses has been botched by the NASBs. 

Isaiah 26:3 "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, WHOSE MIND IS STAYED ON THEE; because he trusteth in thee." This is the reading of the KJB, NKJV ASV, Revised Version, Darby, RSV,  NKJV, Green's Literal,  Modern English Version 2014,  Jubilee Bible 2020, English Standard Version and others.  

The Spanish Las Sagradas Escrituras and the Reina Valera = the KJB - Tú le guardarás en completa paz, cuyo pensamiento en ti persevera; porque en ti se ha confiado. 

The Italian La Nuova Diodati 1991 - Alla mente che riposa in te tu conservi una pace perfetta, perché confida in te. = the KJB.

ESV - "You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you."

But the NASB of 1971 says: "Thou wilt keep THE NATION OF STEADFAST PURPOSE in perfect peace, because IT trusts in Thee." 

Then in 1972 the NASB changed this to read: "THE STEADFAST OF MIND thou wilt keep in perfect peace, because HE trusts in thee." 

Dan Wallaces' ongoing train wreck is very different from them all.  The NET version actually says: "You keep completely safe THE PEOPLE WHO MAINTAIN THEIR FAITH, for they trust in you."

Isaiah 26:15 "Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: THOU HADST REMOVED IT FAR UNTO ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH." 

This verse refers to the nation of Israel and its history.

A couple of commentators remark about this verse.

Matthew Henry Isaiah 26:15 - They had sometimes been carried into captivity before their enemies (v. 15): "The nation which at first thou didst increase, and make to take root, thou hast now diminished, and plucked up, and removed to all the ends of the earth, driven out to the utmost parts of heaven,’’ as is threatened, Deu. 30:4; 28:64.

John Wesley - 26:15 The nation - This nation seems to be the people of Israel. Removed - Thou hast removed thy people out of their own land, and suffered them to be carried captive to the ends of the earth.

The KJB reading or meaning is the same in the Bishops’ Bible 1568 - Thou hast sent them far off unto all the coasts of the earth.”, the Great Bible 1540, Webster’s bible 1833, the 1936 Hebrew Publication Society translation, Darby 1890, KJV 21, Webster's, Third Millennium Bible 1998. 

The Jewish Virtual Library Tanach 1994 - thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yeshayahu-isaiah-chapter-26

The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907 - Thou hast increased the nation : Thou art glorified : Thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth. 

https://archive.org/details/ancienthebrewlit03yyyauoft/page/58/mode/2up

The Hebrew Transliteration Scriptures 2010 - ADONAI (יהוה), you have increased the nation: you art glorified:you hadst removed [it] far [to] all the ends of the earth.

https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/YeshaYahu/Yeshayahu26.htm

Lamsa’s 1936 translation of the Syriac Peshitta has the same meaning as the KJB saying: “Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD…THOU HAST REMOVED IT AFAR, AND SCATTERED IT TO ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.”

However the NKJV again joins the NASB, ESV, NIV in saying: "YOU HAVE EXPANDED ALL THE BORDERS OF THE LAND." instead of "thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth".

The Greek Septuagint is totally messed up. The whole verse says: “Bring more evils on the glorious ones of the earth.”  That’s it.

And the Jubilee Bible is different still with: “thou hast extended THYSELF unto the ends of the earth.”

In Isaiah 26:18 the nation of Israel continues to complain "We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; NEITHER HAVE THE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD FALLEN."

This is the reading of the KJB, Wycliffe 1395, the Geneva Bible 1587 - "neither did the inhabitants of the world fall.", the Douay-Rheims 1610, the RV 1885, ASV 1901, the RSV, Youngs, Darby, Douay 1950, the New Berkeley Version in Modern English 1969, the NKJV 1982, ESV 2001-2011, Holman Standard 2003, the Judaica Press Tanach - "neither do the inhabitants of the world fall.", the Common English Bible (a critical text edition)of 2011 and the Knox Bible of 2012.

Coverdale's bible says: "and the inhabitours of the worlde perish not." 

Foreign language bibles that follow the Hebrew text and read as does the KJB are the Spanish Sagradas Escrituras of 1569, the Spanish Reina Valera 1090, 1960, 1995 and the RV Gomez of 2010 - "ninguna liberación logramos en la tierra ni cayeron los moradores del mundo.", = "neither have the inhabitants of the earth fallen", the Italian Nuova Diodati of 1991 - "e gli abitanti del mondo non sono caduti." = "and the inhabitants of the earth are not fallen.", the Portuguese A Sagrada Biblia em Portugués and the Portuguese Almeida Corrigida E Fiel 1681 - "nem caíram os moradores do mundo."= "neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.", the French Darby - "et les habitants du monde ne sont pas tombés" and Luther's German bible 1545 - "und die Einwohner auf dem Erdboden wollen nicht fallen."

However the NASB actually changes this to "NOR WERE THE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD BORN."

The NIV 1984 edition is similar with the equally ridiculous "WE HAVE NOT GIVEN BIRTH TO THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD." 

 However the NIV 2011 edition changed this verse once again and now it reads: "AND THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD HAVE NOT COME TO LIFE.", which would be the exact opposite meaning of that found in the KJB, ESV, RV, ASV, etc.

The NASB concordance shows they have translated this word # 5307 as Fallen or Fall, as in Babylon is Fallen, 197 times but only once as "BORN"; and the NIV likewise has "Fall or Fallen" 237 times and only one time as "GIVEN BIRTH".

Dan "Anything but the KJB" Wallace and company's NET version also reads in a similar manner to the NASB, NIVs. It says: "We were pregnant, we strained, we gave birth, as it were, to wind. We cannot produce deliverance on the earth; PEOPLE TO POPULATE THE WORLD ARE NOT BORN." (30). He then footnotes: "Heb “and the inhabitants of the world do not fall.”

The Voice 2012, put out by Thomas Nelson Company, the same people who give us the NKJV, reads: "WE COULDN'T MAKE IT TEEM WITH LIFE." - Again, the opposite of what even the NKJV says.

Which other version do you think reads this way? You got it. The modern Catholic New Jerusalem bible 1985 reads: "we have not given salvation to the earth, NO INHABITANTS FOR THE WORLD HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO BIRTH." 

 Oh, but wait. Now the 2009 Catholic Public Domain Version has come out and it has gone back to the Hebrew reading - "For this reason, THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH HAVE NOT FALLEN."

The RSV reads as does the Hebrew and the KJB with: "AND THE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD HAVE NOT FALLEN." However the NRSV of 1989 went with: "and NO ONE IS BORN TO INHABIT THE WORLD."

 But then the revision of the revision of the revision, the ESV of 2001-2016, went back to the Hebrew reading of "AND THE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD HAVE NOT FALLEN."

The so called Greek Septuagint version is really messed up in this verse. Instead of saying: ""We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth WIND; WE HAVE NOT WROUGHT ANY DELIVERANCE in the earth; NEITHER HAVE THE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD FALLEN." (KJB) 

the LXX actually says: "We have conceived, O Lord, BECAUSE OF THY FEAR, and have been in pain and have brought forth THE BREATH OF THY SALVATION, WHICH WE HAVE WROUGHT UPON THE EARTH; WE SHALL NOT FALL, BUT ALL THAT DWELL UPON THE LAND SHALL FALL."!!! The meaning of the LXX is almost the exact opposite of the Hebrew text. NO Bible version follows the so called Greek Septuagint in this verse.

However the Modern Greek Bible reads like the Hebrew text and the KJB saying: " ουδε επεσαν οι κατοικοι του κοσμου." = "neither have the inhabitants of the earth fallen."

Any time some bible agnostic tries to tell you that "Thanks to the science of textual criticism, we are now very, very close to what the originals said." you should know that he is full of baloney and hot air - not a good combination.

Jamison, Faucett and Brown remark in their commentary: neither . . . world fallen--The "world" at large, is in antithesis to Judea. The world at enmity with the city of God has not been subdued. But MAURER explains "fallen," according to Arabic idiom, of the birth of a child, which is said to fall when being born; "inhabitants of the world are not yet born"; that is, the country as yet lies desolate, and is not yet populated."

So, did the NASB, NIV follow this Arabic idiom instead of the Hebrew?

Here is the straight forward comment by Matthew Henry - neither have the inhabitants of the world, whom we have been contesting with, fallen before us, either in their power or in their hopes; but they are still as high and arrogant as ever.’’

John Gill comments - "neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen; worldly men, the great men, the kings of the earth; particularly such as commit fornication with the whore of Rome, Popish persecuting princes; these as yet are not fallen, though they shall in the battle of Armageddon."

John Calvin comments on this verse saying: "And the inhabitants of the world have not fallen. for lpn (naphal) signifies "to fall." ... if we follow the ordinary interpretation, we must view it as referring to the wicked. "The inhabitants of the world annoy us and do not fall; everything goes on prosperously with them."

The Pulpit Commentary says: "we have not effected the downfall of our heathen enemies."

Do you still think all bible say the same thing, but with different words?

Isaiah 27 A Rat's nest of Confusion

God continues to reveal His dealings with His people Israel and the world. This whole section continues to have a double fulfillment of prophesy, as many of the Old Testament Scriptures do. They speak of the past history of Israel and of the future dealings of God with His people.

27:1 "In that day the LORD with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay THE DRAGON that is in the sea."

This foreshadows the final judgment upon Satan, that old serpent and the dragon. See Revelation 12:3; 13:2 and 20:2. DRAGON is the reading of even the NASB, the KJB, Geneva Bible, Young's, 1917, 1936 Jewish translations, RV, nrsv and the 2001 English Standard Version plus others. However the nkjv obscures this connection and reads "THE REPTILE" while the niv has THE MONSTER.

In the rest of the chapter, God tells us he will plant Israel in their land, chastize them because of their false worship and finally restore them to Himself in true worship.

We read in 6-8 "He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.

7. HATH HE SMITTEN HIM, AS HE SMOTE THOSE THAT SMOTE HIM? OR IS HE SLAIN ACCORDING TO THE SLAUGHTR OF THEM THAT ARE SLAIN BY HIM?

8. IN MEASURE, WHEN IT SHOOTETH FORTH, thou wilt debate with it: HE STAYETH his rough wind in the day of the east wind."

Here is what I believe to be the true meaning of this passage as written by John Wesley in his commentary.

John Wesley: 27:7 Hath he - He hath not dealt so severely with his people, as he hath dealt with their enemies, whom he hath utterly destroyed. Of them - Of those who were slain by God on the behalf of Israel. 27:8 In measure - With moderation. When - When the vine shooteth forth its luxuriant branches, he cuts them off, but so as not to destroy the vine. Stayeth - He mitigates the severity of the judgment. In the day - In the time when he sends forth his east - wind; which he mentions because that wind in those parts was most violent and most hurtful.

This is pretty straight forward. God will not slay His people Israel in the same manner or degree as He slays the enemies of God and His people. He will chastise His own, but never utterly destroy them. He disciplines IN MEASURE with a view to final restoration. He STAYETH or restrains from His people the full judgment He reserves for His enemies.

The reading of verses 7 and 8 in the KJB are also found in the KJV 21, Third Millennium Bible, Webster's 1833 translation, the Spanish and in varying degrees in other versions.

However the NKJV reads in 7: "Has He struck ISRAEL (not in any text, though the "him" does refer to Israel) as He struck those who struck him? Or has He (notice the capital H) been slain according to the slaughter of those who were slain by Him?

The NKJV capitalizes the wrong H and makes it refer to God and asks if God has been slain by God. Duh.

Then the NKJV reads in verse 8: "In measure, BY SENDING IT AWAY (not - "when it shooteth forth") You contended with it. He REMOVES IT by His rough wind in the day of the east wind."

The NKJV, NASB, NIV all have translated this same word as referring to a branch or plant as "shooting forth" in Ezekiel 17:6, 7; and Eze. 31:5, 10 but here they have it as "remove", "banish" or "exile".

Does God STAY his rough wind, or REMOVE Israel? Not the same meaning at all, is it?

The NASB and NIV both make use ot the Septuagint Greek LXX instead of the Hebrew in verse 8. When He asks the question as to whether Israel was slain in the same way as the enemies, we are told "IN MEASURE".

The NASB says in verse "Or like the slaughter of His slain, have they been slain? YOU DID CONTEND WITH THEM BY BANISHING THEM, BY DRIVING THEM AWAY. With his fierce wind HE HAS EXPELLED THEM on the day of the east wind."

The NASB has omitted "In Measure", changed "when it shooteth forth" and nothing about "Staying" His rough wind, but rather has them totally expelled from the land.

The NIV reads: "Has THE LORD (not in the text) struck her as he struck down those who struck her? Has she been killed as those were killed who killed her? (Changes the meaning from God slaying the enemies to the enemies killing Israel) By WARFARE AND EXILE you contend with her-- as on a day the east wind blows."

In regards to IN MEASURE, the NIV footnote tells us to see the Septuagint, which reads "making war" and that the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. Both the NASB, NIV followed the LXX here. At least the NIV tells us this, but the NASB never mentions in its "scholarly notes" when they have departed from the Hebrew text. Which do you think is more deceptive?

It is of interest to note that the versions that answer the question "Did God punish Israel in the same way as He did the enemies?" with IN MEASURE, are the KJB, NKJV, 1917, 1936 Jewish translations, the Revised Version, the American Standard Version (the predecessor to the NASB fiasco), Young's literal translation, the Geneva Bible, Douay, Spanish versions, RSV of 1952 and, Lo and behold, the brand new 2001-2016 English Standard Version. 

I guess the Hebrew reading that was uncertain to the NIV editors was finally cleared up in the late$t bible ver$ion and it turns out the KJB was right after all.

Isaiah 29 - 30

These two chapters continue to speak of the coming judgment upon God's people of Israel because of their sins, and their final restoration.

In Isaiah 29:13 most versions agree with the KJB, including the NKJV, NIV, ASV, RV, ESV, in saying: "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, AND THEIR FEAR TOWARD ME IS TAUGHT BY THE PRECEPT OF MEN."

This same thought is quoted by our Lord in Matthew 15:8, 9 "In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." In other words, they had departed from the word of God and were following the teachings of men.

But the NASB says: "Their reverence for me consists of TRADITION LEARNED BY ROTE." The word MEN is in all Hebrew texts, but the NASB omitted it and added "by rote". Actually we are told that true doctrine is taught by rote in 28:9, 10 "and whom shall he make to understand doctrine?...For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept: line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little."

Israel knew they were about to be attacked and they turned to Egypt to hire mercenaries who would help them. In Isaiah 30:7 we read: "For the Egyptians shall help in vain, and to no purpose: therefore HAVE I CRIED CONCERNING THIS, THEIR STRENGTH IS TO SIT STILL."

This is the reading of the KJB, the Geneva Bible, Young's 'literal' translation, Green's interlinear, the Douay version, the Spanish Reina Valera, Webster's, Third Millennium Bible 1998, the Mebust Bible 2007, the Jubilee Bible 2020 and the KJV 21st Century Version.  Also reading like the King James Bible are 

this online Hebrew Interlinear - THEIR STRENGTH IS TO SIT STILL.

https://studybible.info/IHOT/Isaia%2030:7

The Jewish Virtual Library Tanach (full text) 1994 - therefore have I cried concerning this, THEIR STRENGTH IS TO SIT STILL.

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yeshayahu-isaiah-chapter-30

The Hebrew Transliteration Scriptures 2010 - Therefore have I cried concerning this, THEIR STRENGTH IS TO SIT STILL.

https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/YeshaYahu/Yeshayahu30.htm

The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907 - Therefore have I cried concerning this ------"THEIR STRENGTH IS TO SIT STILL."

https://archive.org/details/ancienthebrewlit03yyyauoft/page/64/mode/2up

Matthew Henry and John Wesley comment on this verse.

Isaiah  30:7 Matthew Henry - Their strength is to sit still, in a humble dependence upon God and his goodness and a quiet submission to his will, and not to wander about and put themselves to great trouble to seek help from this and the other creature.’’

John Wesley - 30:7 Sit still - It is safer and better for them to sit quietly at home, seeking to me for help.

John Trapp  Commentary - Their strength is to sit still. ] To bide at home, and "behold the salvation of the Lord"; for the prophet here seemeth to relate to that in Exodus 14:14, and quiet godliness is great strength, saith the prophet here. "Their strength is to sit still." As good sit still, saith our English proverb, as rise and fall.

John Gill - Their strength [is] to sit still; either concerning this embassy, that it would have been better for the ambassadors to have spared all their toil, and labour, and strength, in going down to Egypt, and have remained quiet and easy in their own country: or, "I cried, or called, to this city of Jerusalem, and the inhabitants of it, and declared to them, that it was best for them quietly to trust in the Lord, and depend upon his protection, and sit still in Jerusalem, and not attempt to flee from thence to Egypt for safety, and they should see the salvation of God, as in Exodus 14:13 to which some think there is an allusion.

The immediate context also argues for this interpretation. We read in verse 15 "For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not."

The Hebrew word in question here is # 7293 rah-hav, which is variously translated as "proud, Rahab and strength". It comes from the verb #7292 rah-hav and it is found only 4 times and translated as "MAKE SURE they friend" (Proverbs 6:3), "the child shall BEHAVE HIMSELF PROUDLY" (Isaiah 3:5),  "THEY HAVE OVERCOME me" (Song of Solomon 6:5) and "and STRENGTHENEDST me with strength in my soul." (Psalms 138:3)

However instead of the KJB's "I cried concerning this, THEIR STRENGTH IS TO SIT STILL.l" 

the NKJV says: I HAVE CALLED HER RAHAB-HEM-SHEBETH", 

the NIV has "I CALL HER RAHAB THE DO-NOTHING" 

the NASB says: "I HAVE CALLED HER RAHAB WHO HAS BEEN EXTERMINATED." 

And the ESV says: "therefore I have called her RAHAB WHO SITS STILL." 

Other Versions make it even more confusing.

Darby 1890 - therefore have I named her, ARROGANCE THAT DOETH NOTHING.

Coverdale 1535 - therefore I told you also that YOUR PRIDE SHOULD HAVE AN END.

Lamsa's translation of the Syriac Peshitta says: "therefore have I warned them, FOR THIS THEIR TRUST IS IN VAIN.

The Greek Septuagint has - TELL THEM, THIS YOUR CONSOLATION IS VAIN.

Dan Wallace's NET version - For this reason I call her "PROUD ONE WHO IS SILENCED."

Contemporary English Version 1995 - That's why I CALL THAT NATION A HELPLESS MONSTER."

Evangelical Heritage Version 2119 - That is why I have called her “THE DRAGON THAT JUST SITS THERE."

The Message 2018 - My name for her is TOOTHLESS DRAGON.

Boy, am I glad they cleared that up for us, aren't you?

Isaiah 30:30 "And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, WITH THE INDIGNATION OF HIS ANGER, and with the flame of a devouring fire..."

This phrase "with the indignation of his anger" is found in the Hebrew text, the NKJV, RV, ASV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, Young's and the NIV. The NASB omitted the entire phrase in the 1972 edition, but then in 1995 they put it back in with "in fierce anger". So, which NASB is the true word of God?

The meaning of verse 31 has been changed in some of the new versions. In the KJB we read: "For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, WHICH SMOTE WITH A ROD."

This is the reading of the Revised Version, the NKJV, Spanish Reina Valera, Geneva Bible, Webster's, Third Millenium Bible, KJV 21 and the 1936 Jewish translation.

Matthew Henry comments: "the Assyrian shall be beaten down, v. 31. The Assyrian had been himself a rod in God’s hand for the chastising of his people, and had smitten them, ch. 10:5.

In Isaiah 10:5 we read where God says: "O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation." God used the Assyrian to smite Israel for her disobedience.

However the NASB, NIV, ESV have reversed who smote whom and the NASB says: "Assyria will be terrified, when He (God) strikes with the rod" and the NIV has "The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria; with his (God's) scepter he (God) will stike them down".

WHO'S WHO? - Total Confusion

Isaiah 32 - 33 tell of the threatening army of the Assyrians and of their defeat. It is also a double prophesy telling of the future troubles of God's people and their final deliverance from the forces of Antichrist.

Isaiah 32:1-2 KJB - "Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. V.2 And A MAN shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land."

ESV (RSV, NRSV, NIV, NASB, Holman, NET) - "EACH will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place." Then the ESV gives a false footnote saying: "Hebrew 'they'"

Other Perversions

The Voice 2012 says: "FOR THE PEOPLE they'll be like cover from the storm, a wall against the wind."

Names of God Bible 2011 - “Then EACH RULER will be like a shelter from the wind and a hiding place from the rain.”

The Hebrew word in question here is #376 eesh (masculine). It has many different meanings, but one of the main meanings is "MAN". The first time it occurs in the entire Old Testament is in Genesis 2:23 ' "And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of MAN." (eesh # 376). The second time this word is used is in the very next verse - Genesis 2:24 "Therefore shall A MAN leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

The first MAN Adam was a type of the second MAN Christ. In 1 Corinthians 15:47 we read: "The first man Adam is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven."

The ESV is wrong and its footnote is wrong and misleading. The word eesh is translated in a wide variety of ways including "man (which is the most common meaning), husband, men, any (of us), every man, fellow, persons, goodman, every one, either of them and another (all referring to men in the contexts)

In fact the same Hebrew word is used in that great Isaiah 53 passage about Christ - "He is despised and rejected of men; A MAN of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not."

The NASB complete concordance shows that they have translated this Hebrew word eesh as "man" 753 times and as "men" 673 times and as "they" ZERO times!

Dan Wallace and company's goofy NET version reads: "Each of them (3) will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from a rainstorm; like streams of water in a dry region and like the shade of a large cliff in a parched land."

And then he has the chutzpah to footnote: Hebrew “a man,” but אִישׁ (’ish) probably refers here to “each” of the officials mentioned in the previous verse."

None so blind as an educated bible agnostic, huh, Dan?

"And A MAN shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as a river of water in a dry land, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land."

This obviously refers ultimately to the Lord Jesus Christ, the only righteous king and the MAN who is our hiding place.

A MAN (or even "that man" - the Great Bible 1540, Bishops' bible 1568, Geneva Bible 1587 - referring back to the king who shall reign in righteousness in verse 1.) is the reading of the Wycliffe 1395, the Revised Version 1881, Julia Smith translation 1855, the ASV 1901 "And A MAN shall be as a hiding place", Darby 1890, the 1917 JPS (Jewish Publication Society), 1936 Hebrew Publishing Company Bible, the Complete Tanach, World English Bible, the NKJV 1982, Green's interlinear, KJV 21st Century 1994, the Third Millennium Bible 1998, the 2010 New Heart English Bible and the 2012 Natural Israelite Bible - "A MAN will be as a hiding place from the wind, And a cover from the tempest"

The Bible Commentators

John Gill - Verse 2. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest,... the King Messiah before mentioned; who had agreed to become man, was promised and prophesied of as such, "as a hiding place, and covert from the wind and tempest," of his Father's wrath, raised by sin; and which all men are deserving of, and on whom it must fall, unless secured from it by Christ."

Jamieson, Faussett and Brown - 2. a man--rather, the man Christ, it is as "the Son of man" He is to reign, as it was as Son of man He suffered . NOT as MAURER explains, "every one of the princes shall be"

Adam Clarke - “It is evident, however, that in the fullest sense these words cannot be applied to any man; God alone can do all that is promised here.”

Coffman’s Commentary - “A MAN shall be a hiding place” - “There is much difference of opinion about the identity of that "King who shall reign in righteousness," which is the prominent feature of this paragraph…There are serious reasons why the theory of this "king's" being Hezekiah cannot be accepted. (1) Neither Hezekiah nor the conditions during his reign fulfill the conditions of justice, righteousness, and proper understanding and discernment by the people in all the land. "The evidence does not seem to warrant this interpretation.”…Objections to the refusal to see this as a Messianic passage are weak and ineffective. Some, of course, say that in Christ's kingdom, there are no "princes" to reign with Him. While true enough in an ordinary sense, it is nevertheless true that "all Christians" are a "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9) and does not the Bible say, "He hath made us (Christians) to be kings and priests unto God.” (Rev, 1:6 KJV) and that Our Lord himself is "The prince of the kings of the earth" (Rev. 1:5) and that, "They (Christians) lived and reigned with Christ"? (Rev. 20:6).”

Thomas Coke Commentary - “as a type of Jesus Christ, the most perfect king, who was to spring from him; such as he should shew himself in his kingdom, after having avenged his church by the rulers of the Roman empire, from the tyranny of Satan, opposing and endeavouring to extirpate it: and in Isaiah 32:3-8 he sets forth the repentance and conversion of many. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THESE WORDS HAVE THEIR MOST COMPLETE AND FULL VERIFICATION IN THE MESSIAH."

Matthew Henry - “All this, and much more, the man Christ Jesus is to all the willing faithful subjects of his kingdom. When the greatest evils befal us, not only the wind, but the tempest, when storms of guilt and wrath beset us and beat upon us, they drive us to Christ, and in him we are not only safe, but satisfied that we are so in him we find rivers of water for those that hunger and thirst after righteousness, all the refreshment and comfort that a needy soul can desire, and the shadow, not of a tree, which sun or rain may beat through, but of a rock, of a great rock, which reaches a great way for the shelter of the traveller. Some observe here that as the covert, and the hiding-place, and the rock, do themselves receive the battering of the wind and storm, to save those from it that take shelter in them, so Christ bore the storm himself to keep it off from us."

Paul Kretzmann's Popular Commentary - "And a Man, or the Man, namely, the great Son of Man, Jesus Christ, shall be as an hiding-place from the wind, a Shelter against wind-storms, and a Covert from the tempest, a Protector against oppression; as rivers of water in a dry place, giving refreshment to the souls of the poor and wretched, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land, where dense shade brings welcome relief to the heated traveler. This sounds the merciful invitation of the Savior, extended to all those that are heavy laden, to come unto Him and find rest for their souls, Mat.11:28-30."

However instead of A MAN, referring to Christ the God-Man, the NASB, RSV, ESV, Holman, NET says: "And EACH will be like a refuge from the wind..." and the NIV has: "EACH MAN will be like a shelter", thus removing all reference to Christ and making this apply to many different men.

Fake bible versions detract from the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

"I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another" Isaiah 42:8

Isaiah 33:1 "Woe to thee that spoilest, and thou wast not spoiled; and DEALEST treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with THEE!"

THEE of course is the second person singular. 'Thee' is the reading of the KJB, RV., ASV, 1917, 1936 Jewish translations, the Geneva Bible, Young's, Webster's, while the modern counterparts like the NKJV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, and the NIV read, YOU, which is still the second person singular.

This is addressed in the first place to the Assyrian nation which conquered the lands about Israel and in turn would be judged by God. The secondary application would be to the kingdom of Antichrist.

However only the NASB has changed the "and dealest treacherously and they dealt not treacherously with THEE" to "And HE who is treacherous, while others did not deal treacherously with HIM" - thus altering the second person 'thee' to the third person 'him'.

Verse 2. "O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for thee: be thou THEIR arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble."

The "THEIR arm" refers back to verse one where Assyria is addressed and told "THEY shall deal tracherously with thee." The Babylonians were sent by God to judge the Assyrian empire. The Chaldeans will do the same to the Assyrians, as the Assyrians did to Israel, and the Medes and Persians will do the same to the Chaldeans, and all of this is under the direct control of the God who rules the nations. God is their arm. They are but a tool and an instrument in the hands of God and He brings them to destroy the oppressor.

"THEIR arm" is the reading of the KJB, NKJV, 1917, 1936 Jewish translations, Geneva, Young's, Spanish, NASB and others. But the NIV, RSV, ASV, and ESV all say OUR arm or OUR strength, with a footnote in the RSV and ASV telling us that the Hebrew actually reads "their" and not 'our'.

The passage continues with the destruction of the enemies of God's people and the restoration of Israel. "The LORD is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness. And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is HIS treasure."

Isaiah 33:6 "And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation"

In the NASB and NIV this becomes: "And HE shall be the stability of your times, a wealth of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge".

Also there is much dispute concerning who is being referred to by this last phrase - "the fear of the LORD is his treasure." Rather than just translating the phrase as the KJB and the Hebrew have it, many modern versions have added their own interpretation.

'The fear of the LORD is his treasure' is the reading of the KJB, Geneva, NASB, and the RSV. I think the 'his' refers back to Israel whom God has restored, but in any case, we should leave the text as it stands.

The NKJV has: "the fear of the Lord is His treasure" capitalizing the H in He, thus making this refer to God. That doesn't seem to make much sense.

The ASV has "fear of the LORD is THY treasure" with a footnote saying the Hebrew says 'his'.

The NSRV, and the 2001 English Standard Version say: "the fear of the LORD is ZION'S treasure" with a footnote saying 'Hebrew - his'.

Then the NIV changes everything, follows no Hebrew text, and comes up with: "the fear of the LORD IS THE KEY TO THIS treasure."

Isaiah 33:6 and the Bible Babble Buffet Versions

KJB - “And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.”

ESV (NASB, NIV) - “and he will be the stability of your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of the Lord is Zion's[a] treasure.” ft. Hebrew - his.

ASV 1901 - “And there shall be stability in thy times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge: the fear of Jehovah is [b]thy treasure.” Ft. Hebrew - his.

Holman Christian Standard 2017 - “There will be times of security for you— a storehouse of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure.”

Geneva Bible 1599 - “And there shall be stability of [a]the times, strength, salvation, wisdom, and knowledge: for the fear of the Lord shall be his treasure.”

Tree of Life Version 2015 - “It will be your time of faithfulness, a wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge— the fear of Adonai is His treasure.”

World English Bible 2000 - “There will be stability in your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of Yahweh is your treasure.”

Young’s 1898 - “ And hath been the stedfastness of thy times, The strength of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge, Fear of Jehovah -- it [is] His treasure.”

Rotherham’s Emphasized bible 1902 - “So shall a wealth of deliverances, wisdom and knowledge, become the stability of thy times, - the reverence of Yahweh, the game is his treasure.”

Bible in Basic English 1961 - “And she will have no more fear of change, being full of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge: the fear of the Lord is her wealth.”

Matthew’s Bible 1540 - “Let trueth and faythfulnesse be in her tyme: power, health, wisdome, knowledge and the feare of God are her treasure.”

The Geneva Bible 1599 -“And there shall be stabilitie of thy times, strength, saluation, wisdome and knowledge: for the feare of the Lord shalbe his treasure.”

Lamsa’s 1933 translation of the Syraic Peshitta - “And faith shall be the stability of your times, and your salvation in a place of refuge; wisdom and knowledge and the reverence of the LORD is his treasure.”

The Complete Tanach 2004 - “And the faith of your times shall be the strength of salvations, wisdom and knowledge; fear of the Lord, that is his treasure.”

The JPS (Jewish Publication Society) 1917 - “And the stability of thy times shall be a hoard of salvation - wisdom and knowledge, And the fear of the LORD which is His treasure.”

God’s First Truth 1999 - “Let truth and faithfulness be in her time: power, health, wisdom, knowledge and the fear of God are her treasure.”

The New English Septuagint Translation 2014 - “By law they will be handed over. Our salvation is in treasures:

wisdom and knowledge and piety toward the Lord are there; these are the treasures of righteousness.”

The New European Version 2010 - “There will be stability in your times, abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. The fear of Yahweh is your treasure.”

The Far Above All Translation 2014 - “And the abundance of acts of salvation, wisdom and knowledge will be the mainstay of your times, And fear of the Lord will be his treasure.”

King James Bible

KJB - “And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the Lord is his treasure.”

Agreeing with the King James Bible are The Great Bible 1540, the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Webster Bible 1833, The Lesser O.T. 1835, The Julia Smith Translation 1855, The Bill Bible 1671, The Longman Version 1841, The Smith Bible 1876, The Sharpe Bible 1883, The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907 - “And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times”, the NKJV 1982 - “Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, And the strength of salvation; The fear of the Lord is His treasure.”, The Third Millennium Bible 1998, New Heart English Bible 2010, The Hebrew Transliteration Scripture 2010 - “And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of YHWH (יהוה) is his treasure.”, The Bond Slave Version 2012, The Biblos Bible 2013 and the Hebrew Names Version 2014.

The Modern Greek Bible also agrees with the KJB - Σοφια δε και επιστημη θελουσιν εισθαι η στερεωσις των καιρων σου και η σωτηριος δυναμις· ο φοβος του Κυριου, αυτος ειναι ο θησαυρος αυτου. = “Wisdom and knowledge will be the strength of your times….

Jewish Virtual Library The Tanakh [Full Text] 1998

Isaiah 33:6 And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yeshayahu-isaiah-chapter-33

Foreign Language Bibles = KJB

The Spanish Sagradas Escrituras 1569 and the Spanish Reina Valera 1960 - “Y reinarán en tus tiempos la sabiduría y la ciencia, y abundancia de salvación; el temor de Jehová será su tesoro.”

The Italian La Nuova Diodati 1991 - “e sarà la sicurezza dei tuoi giorni, la forza della salvezza, sapienza e conoscenza; il timore dell'Eterno sarà il suo tesoro.”

The Portuguese Almeida Corrigida 2009 - “ E haverá estabilidade nos teus tempos, abundância de salvação, sabedoria e ciência; e o temor do Senhor será o seu tesouro.”

The French Martin Bible 1744 - “Et la certitude de ta durée, et la force de tes délivrances sera la sagesse et la science; la crainte de l'Eternel sera son trésor.”

The Modern Greek Bible also agrees with the KJB - Σοφια δε και επιστημη θελουσιν εισθαι η στερεωσις των καιρων σου και η σωτηριος δυναμις· ο φοβος του Κυριου, αυτος ειναι ο θησαυρος αυτου. = “Wisdom and knowledge will be the strength of your times….

In Isaiah 33: 8 the NIV again clearly departs from the Hebrew text and follows a Dead Sea Scrolls reading in this verse, yet it did NOT follow other DSS readings in this same chapter. And many other modern critical text versions do not agree with the NIV's choice, as we shall soon see.

We read in the KJB a description of the destruction caused by Sennacherib, king of Assyria, who had previously made a covenant with Israel not to invade the land, but later changed his mind and came against them to destroy. See II Kings 18:14-17.

Isaiah 33:8 says: "The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth: he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised THE CITIES, he regardeth no man."

The CITIES is the reading of the Hebrew Masoretic text and Wycliffe 1395, Coverdale 1535, Bishops' Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, the Douay-Rheims 1610, the KJB, NKJB 1982, NASB 1995, 1917 Jewish Publication Society, 1936 Hebrew Publishing Company version, Darby 1890, the Douay 1950, the Hebrew Names Version, The Amplified Bible 1987, The Complete Jewish Bible 1998, The Sacred Scriptures Family of Yah 2001, The Judaica Press Tanach 2004, Jubilee Bible 2010, Knox Bible 2012, Lexham English Bible 2012, Orthodox Jewish Bible 2011 and the ESVs 2001 and 2011 editions.

Also following the Hebrew Masoretic text - "he hath despised THE CITIES" are The Hebraic Transliteration Scripture 2010, The Holy Scriptures VW Edition 2010, The Online Interlinear 2010 (André de Mol), the Biblos interlinear Bible 2011, The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible 2011, the Interlinear Hebrew-Greek Scriptures 2012 (Mebust), The Natural Israelite Bible 2012, The World English Bible 2012, and the Modern English Version 2014.

However the NIVs 1984-2011, RSV 1952, and NRSV 1989 say: "The treaty is broken, ITS WITNESSES are despised", then give us a footnote telling us this reading of 'witnesses' comes from the Dead Sea Scrolls, but that the Hebrew Masoretic text says "cities".

Please notice that the previous liberal RSV and NRSV went with the DSS. reading "witnesses" (RSV 1952) and "OATHS are despised" (NRSV 1989), but then the ESV 2001-2011 went back to the Traditional Hebrew Masoretic text reading of "cities".

The Common English Bible 2011 (another Critical text version) also rejects the traditional Hebrew reading and has "SOLEMN PLEDGES were broken". It then footnotes "Correction; or cities; DSS - witnesses." This perversion doesn't even follow the DSS reading, but paraphrases it. You see, you have to make enough changes in order to get your copyright and make some money.

The Catholic Connection

Also notice that the previous Catholic versions of the Douay-Rheims 1610 and the Douay of 1950 stuck with the Hebrew Masoretic reading of "cities", but the Catholic New Jerusalem Bible of 1985 rejected the traditional Hebrew text and went with "WITNESSES held in contempt" and then footnotes that the Hebrew reads "cities".

But once again, now the 2009 Catholic Public Domain Version has come out and it goes BACK to the Hebrew reading and says: "He has tossed aside CITIES."

Not only do many critical text editions not agree with the NIV's choice to follow this particular DSS reading, but we see the typical "toss the dice and see what come up" mentality in the NIV itself.

These same Dead Sea Scrolls in this same chapter of Isaiah 33 also say "AT THY SILENCE nations scattered" in 33:3. Yet the Hebrew Masoretic text AND the NIV 1984-2011, ESV 2001-2011, NASB, Holman 2003 all say "AT THE LIFTING UP OF THYSELF the nations were scattered."

Dan Wallace and company's goofy NET version also follows this particular DSS reading in 33:8 and paraphrases the whole section saying: "Highways are empty, there are no travelers.Treaties are broken, WITNESSES are despised "(22). He then footnotes: "The Hebrew text reads literally, “he despises cities.” The term עָרִים (’arim, “cities”) is probably a corruption of an original עֵדִים (’edim, “[legal] witnesses”), a reading that is preserved in the Qumran scroll."

You see, Dan Wallace and others like him think something is "PROBABLY A CORRUPTION", but others who know just as much Hebrew disagree with him and go with the traditional Hebrew reading.

Did Dan Wallace's company also decide to follow the Dead Sea Scroll reading of "AT YOUR SILENCE the nations were scattered" in verse 3? No, they did not. They stuck with the Hebrew Masoretic text there and paraphrased it as: "the nations scatter WHEN YOU SPRING INTO ACTION!"

This is how their "science" of textual criticism really works! Most Christians today have only "a PROBABLE Bible" and that is why there is such widespread unbelief in the infallibility of the Scriptures.

The International Standard Version 2014 also rejects the Hebrew text and says "he despises THEIR WITNESSES", and then footnotes that the Masoretic Text says "CITIES".

But the International Standard Version DID adopt the Dead Sea Scroll reading in Isaiah 33:3 (even though the NASB, NIV, ESV, and NET did not) and says: “AT YOUR SILENCE your silence,[a] the nations scatter.”

Then it tells us in a footnote that “AT YOUR SILENCE” comes from a Dead Sea Scrolls reading, but that the Masoretic text reads ‘WHEN YOU RISE UP” and that the Greek Septuagint has “FROM FEAR OF YOU.” So now you can have great confidence in knowing what God REALLY said, right?

Do you see how the “scholar game” is played?

Get yourself the Bible God has born witness to like no other as His complete and infallible words - the Authorized King James Holy Bible. You will never go wrong.

In verses 10, 11 God tells us: "Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted: now will I lift up myself. Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: YOUR breath, as fire, shall devour you."

God is still addressing the enemies of Israel and tells of their ultimate destruction. Some have commented thus on the phrase "YOUR breath, as fire, shall devour you":

33:11 John Wesley - . Your breath - Your rage against my people shall bring ruin upon yourselves.

John Gill- Verse 11. your breath [as] fire shall devour you; your rage, wrath, and fury, against the saints; your blasphemy against God and Christ shall be the reason why the fire of God's wrath shall consume you.

Matthew Henry - your malignant breath, the threatenings and slaughter you breathe out against the people of God, this shall devour you, and your blasphemous breath against God and his name."

YOUR breath is the reading of the KJB, NKJV, 1917, 1936, ESV, ASV, RSV, NRSV, RV, NIV, and many others, But the NASB again goes contrary to the Hebrew and says: MY breath will consume you like a fire."

So what we see in this section is a total mix up of Who's Who.

32:2 KJB - A MAN shall be as an hiding place; NASB /NIV/ESV - EACH MAN

33:1 KJB - THEE or You - NASB -Him

33:6 KJB -Wisdom and stability; NASB, NIV - He

33:6 KJB - his treasure ; NKJV - His treasure; ESV - Zion's treasure ; NIV - is the key to this treasure

33:11 KJB - your breath; NASB - My breath

So- are all bibles "reliable translations"? I'll stick with the Holy Bible God has given us.

Isaiah 34

Just a few comparisons in this chapter alone between the KJB and the NKJV will show that the NKJV has changed far more than Thee and Ye. I'm not going to get into all the different renderings in the various versions, but only compare the KJB with the NKJV here.

Verse 6, 7 KJB "it is made fat with fatness", "made fat with fatness"

NKJV "made overflowing with fatness", "saturated with fatness"

V. 7 KJB unicorns - Nkjv - wild goats

V. 11 KJB - bittern (a bird) - NKJV - porcupine

V. 13 KJB - dragons / owls - NKJV - jackals / ostriches

V. 14 KJB the satyr / the screech owl - NKJV - the wild goat / night creature

V. 15 KJB the great owl / vultures - NKJV - the arrow snake / hawks

Isaiah 34:14 "the screech owl"

Some Bible correctors tell us that the KJB got it wrong with "the screech owl" and tell us it should be something like "Lillith" or "lilit".  That is not a translation; it is a transliteration of the Hebrew word.

There are many different ways various bible versions have translated this word.

Agreeing with the KJB's "the screech owl" are the Geneva Bible 1587, A Conservative Version 2005, J.P. Green's literal Translation, the Jubilee Bible 2010, KJV 21st Century Version 1994, God's Word Translation 1995, Modern English Version 2014, Names of God Version 2011, 

And this online Hebrew Interlinear - "screech owl"

https://studybible.info/IHOT/Isaiah%2034:14

The Jewish Virtual Library Full Text Tanach 1994 - "the screech owl"

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yeshayahu-isaiah-chapter-34

Other versions - "a night creature" - World English Bible, 

ESV 2016 - "the night bird"

RSV 1971 - "the night hag"

NRSV 1989 - "the Lilith". 

NASB 1995 - "the night monster"

Holman Standard 2017 - "the night birds"

NIV - "the night creatures", NKJV - the night creature"

"night owl" - Young's 1898

"the demons" - Living Bible1971

Bishops' bible 1568, Coverdale 1535, Great bible 1540, Douay-Rheims 1610 - "the Lamia"

"night spectre" - Rotherham's Emphasized Bible 1902

"creatures of the night" - Contemporary English Version 1995, Evangelical Heritage Version 2017

"nocturnal animals" - New Heart English bible 2010, NET version 2006

In verse 16 we read: "Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for MY mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them.”

MY mouth is the reading of the KJB, NKJV, ASV, RV, 1917, 1936 Jewish translations, Douay, Darby, Young's, Green's interlinear, and the Hebrew Names Version plus several others.

The NASB and NIV both read: "For HIS mouth has given the order" while the RSV, NRSV, and the new ESV all read, "the mouth OF THE LORD has commanded it." These words "of the LORD" are not found in the Hebrew Masoretic text. The ESV, RSV are following other texts here but they don't tell you which ones. The Septuagint reads "the Lord" (ho Kurios) but it omits the word 'mouth'.

Isaiah 35

This chapter deals with the restoration and blessings of God's people under the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

35:1 "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom AS THE ROSE."

"AS THE ROSE" is the reading of the Geneva Bible, the NKJV, the ASV, Revised Version, Darby's, Young's, Spanish Reina Valera, Italian Diodati, 1917, 1936 Jewish translations, Webster's, and others.

However the NASB, NIV, RSV, and ESV read: "blossom AS THE CROCUS."

This word is # 2261 and it occurs only twice in the entire Hebrew O.T. The other time is in the Song of Solomon 2:1 where the NASB, NIV, and ESV all read as does the KJB: "I am the rose of Sharon".

I believe these changes for changes sake are deplorable. In verse 3 we read, "Strengthen ye the WEAK HANDS". This is the reading of the Hebrew, the ASV, RV, NKJV, and the NIV, but the NASB says: "Encourage THE EXHAUSTED"; yet when quoting this verse in Hebrews 12:12 the NASB goes back to "weak hands".

In verse 6 we read of "streams in the DESERT" which is the reading of the ASV, RV, NKJV, NIV, and others, but the NASB says: "streams in the ARABAH." Much clearer, huh?

In verse 7 we read of the "habitation of DRAGONS". Yet the NASB, NIV, NKJV, and ESV, all have JACKALS instead of dragons. The word here is the plural masculine #8577 taneem, yet the NASB and ESV have translated the singular masculine of this same word as dragon in Isaiah 27:1. Go figure.

Isaiah 35:8 - "THE WAYFARING MEN, THOUGH FOOLS, SHALL NOT ERR THEREIN."

KJB, ASV, RV, ESV, Holman, NKJV got it right.  NASB, NIV, NET did not.

“And an highway shall be there, an a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: THE WAYFARING MEN, THOUGH FOOLS, SHALL NOT ERR THEREIN. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there.”

This verse teaches that there will be an highway for the redeemed to walk on and EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY BE FOOLS, THEY SHALL NOT ERR FROM THE HIGHWAY OF THE REDEEMED. If we are among the redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, He will keep us secure even though we, in and of ourselves, are at times foolish.

What a comfort and encouragement to our souls. We are all foolish at times. All of us make dumb mistakes and do not think clearly nor act with wisdom all too often.

But praise God He chose the foolish things of this world to confound the wise - I Cor. 1:27 and even though “the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light”- Luke 16:8

John Gill comments: "they may not have that sharpness of wit, and quickness of natural parts, as some men have; and though they may not have that clear and distinct knowledge of Gospel truths as others, at least of some of them, yet shall not err as to the way of salvation; and though they may err or mistake in some things, yet not in the main, not fundamentally, nor finally; the way of salvation by Christ is so plain a way, that he that has any spiritual understanding of it shall not err in it."

David Guzik states in his Bible commentary: "Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray: When we stick on God's Highway of Holiness, even though His work in us isn't complete yet - we may still be in some ways a fool - yet we are safe because we are on His highway!"

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown comment: "though fools--rather, "And (even) fools," that is, the simple shall not go astray, namely, because "He shall be with them" (Mt 11:25; 1Co 1:26-28). 

John Wesley comments: "Though fools - The way shall be so plain and strait, that even the most foolish travellers cannot easily mistake it. " And finally...

Matthew Henry tells us: "though fools, of weak capacity in other things, shall have such plain directions from the word and Spirit of God in this way that they shall not err therein; not that they shall be infallible even in their own conduct, or that they shall in nothing mistake, but they shall not be guilty of any fatal misconduct, shall not so miss their way but that they shall recover it again, and get well to their journey's end."

Bibles that agree in Isaiah 35:8 with the KJB in sense or the exact reading are Wycliffe 1395, Coverdale 1535 - "the ignorant shall not err", the Great Bible 1540, Matthew's Bible 1549, the Bishops' Bible 1568 "and the wayfayer nor ignorant shall not err",  the Geneva Bible 1587 - "and walke in the way, and the fooles shall not erre.", The Jewish Family Bible 1864, the Revised Version 1885, Darby 1890, Youngs 1898, the ASV 1901 -"the wayfaring men, yea fools, shall not err therein." 1917 Jewish Publication Society Bible, 1936 Hebrew Publishing Company, Living Bible 1971 - “God will walk there with you; EVEN THE MOST STUPID CANNOT MISS THE WAY.”, the RSV, NRSV 1989 - "but it shall be for God's people; NO TRAVELER, NOT EVEN FOOLS, SHALL GO ASTRAY.", ESV 2001-2016 -"EVEN IF THEY ARE FOOLS, THEY SHALL NOT GO ASTRAY." the Holman Standard 2009 -"The unclean will not travel on it, but it will be for him who walks the path. EVEN THE FOOL WILL NOT GO ASTRAY.", the NKJV 1982, KJV 21st Century Version 1994, the Third Millennium Bible 1998, Jubilee Bible 2010 - “and for those in it there shall be someone to go with them, IN SUCH A MANNER THAT THE FOOLISH SHALL NOT ERR THEREIN.”The Common English Bible 2011 - “ but it will be for those walking on that way. EVEN FOOLS WON’T GET LOST ON IT.”

Other English Bible that read like the KJB with “THE WAYFARING MEN, THOUGH FOOLS, SHALL NOT ERR THEREIN.” are the Amplified Bible 1987 - “the wayfaring men, YES, THE SIMPLE ONES AND FOOLS, SHALL NOT ERR IN IT AND LOSE THEIR WAY.”, The Word of Yah 1993, God’s First Truth 1999, The Judaica Press Complete Tanach 2004 - “and it shall be for them; the traveler, even fools shall not go astray therein.”, Green’s Literal 2005 - “even foolish ones shall not go astray.”, Context Group Version 2007, the Bond Slave Version 2009, Hebraic Transliteration Scripture 2010, Online Interlinear 2010 (André de Mol), The Holy Scriptures VW Edition 2010 - “Whoever travels on it, though a fool, shall not go astray.”, Biblos Interlinear Bible 2011, The Work of God’s Children Illustrated Bible 2011, Conservative Bible 2011, Orthodox Jewish Bible 2011, Interlinear Hebrew-Greek Scriptures 2012 (Mebust) - “and fools shall not go astray”, the Natural Israelite Bible 2012 - “Whoever walks the road, ALTHOUGH A FOOL, SHALL NOT GO ASTRAY.", and the Hebraic Roots Bible 2012 - “And it is for them, the one going in the way; yea, fools shall not go astray.”, International Standard Version 2014 - “but it will be for whomever is traveling on that Way—NOT EVEN FOOLS WILL GET LOST.”

The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907 - "the wayfaring men, yea fools, shall not go astray therein."

https://archive.org/stream/ancienthebrewlit03yyyauoft#page/72/mode/2up

This online Hebrew Interlinear O.T. - "the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err."

https://studybible.info/IHOT/Isaiah%2035:8

The Jewish Virtual Library Complete Tanach 1994 - "the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not go astray therein."

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yeshayahu-isaiah-chapter-35

The Complete Tanach 2005 - "and it shall be for the traveler, even fools shall not go astray therein."

https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15966#showrashi=true

However when we get to the NASB we read: “And a highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the highway of holiness, but it will be for him (the Hebrew is them- not him) who walks that way, AND FOOLS WILL NOT WANDER ON IT."

The NASB “fools will not wander on it” seems to be saying fools will not get on it occasionally but the NIV is even clearer in its false teaching. 

LLikewise the Legacy Standard Bible 2021 says: "And IGNORANT FOOLS WILL NOT WANDER ON IT." There is no Hebrew word here for "ignorant". They just added that to their faulty translation.

The NIV has: “And a highway will be there, it will be called the Way of Holiness, The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way, WICKED FOOLS WILL NOT GO ABOUT ON IT."

There is no word for “wicked” in Hebrew, and the NIV is teaching that there will be no fools on the highway - the exact opposite meaning of that found the KJB and many others.

Dan Wallace and company's NET version is very much like the NIV, NASB with: "it is reserved for those authorized to use it – FOOLS WILL NOT STRAY INTO IT." 

Wallace's NET version teaches that fools will not walk on this path. Proving that this is the view of Dan Wallace and company, the NET footnotes - "those authorized to use the Way of Holiness would be morally upright people who are the recipients of God’s deliverance, in contrast to the morally impure and FOOLISH WHO ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT COMMUNITY." 

(Well, Dan Wallace better hope that's not true, for his own sake.)

The Names of God Bible 2011 (Critical text version) says: “A highway will be there, a roadway. It will be called the Holy Road. SINNERS WON’T TRAVEL ON IT. It will be for those who walk on it. GODLESS FOOLS WON’T WANDER ONTO IT.”

If you are a Christian, and can honestly admit that you are sometimes foolish, then there is no comfort or assurance that you are a child of God and among the redeemed if you believe the NIV, NASB, Names of God Bible or Dan Wallace's NET perversion. Corrupt bible versions DO pervert sound doctrine. 

Isaiah 37-39

In these chapters, besides some renderings that are totally different from the King James Bible, we see instances of where the NASB and NIV depart from the Hebrew Masoretic Text and follow the Dead Sea Scrolls or another text.

In 37:20 we read: "Now therefore. O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the LORD, even thou only."

This is the reading of the Hebrew Masoretic text, the KJB, Geneva Bible, the ASV, RV, RSV, NRSV, 1917, 1936 Jewish translations, the NKJV, and the 2001 English Standard Version.

However here both the NASB and NIV have added the word "God". In the NIV and NASB we read, ". . . so all the kingdoms on earth may know that you alone, O LORD ARE GOD." The NIV at least tells us in a footnote that these extra words "are God" come from the DSS, but that the Masoretic Text does not say this. The NASB here, and in at least 40 other places in the O.T., makes a change in the text but doesn't tell the reader they have done so.

In Isaiah 37:25 it is as though the Assyrian king Sennacherib is boasting of his conquests and he says: "I have digged * and drunk water: and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of THE BESIEGED PLACES."

Isaiah 37:25 KJB - “I dried up all the rivers of THE BESIEGED PLACES."

Instead of “the rivers of THE BESIEGED PLACES” many versions read “the rivers of EGYPT.”  So read the NASB, ESV, NIV, 

But the NASB footnotes: “Or THE BESIEGED PLACES.”

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+37%3A25&version=NASB

BUT the NKJV says “I have dried up all the BROOKS OF DEFENCE.”

And Young’s “literal” says: “all FLOODS OF A BULWARK.”  (Huh?)

So what is going on here? According to Wigram’s The Englishman’s Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance of the Old Testament, the Hebrew word the KJB translators went with is #4692 man-tzohr, which means “besieged” as in “the city was besieged” in 2 Kings 24:10 and 25:2; Jeremiah 52:5, or “he hath laid SEIGE against us” (Micah 5:1).

According to Strong’s concordance it is another Hebrew word that is spelled in the same way that is a variant of the usual word for EGYPT.

Agreeing with the King James Bible’s “the rivers of THE BESIEGED PLACES.” Are - the Lesser Old Testament 1835 - all the streams of BESIEGED PLACES., the Webster Bible 1833,  the KJV 21st Century Version 1994, the Third Millennium Bible 1998.

This online Hebrew Interlinear - the rivers of the besieged places.

https://studybible.info/IHOT/Isaiah%2037:25

The Jewish Virtual Library Tanach full text 1994 - the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of THE BESIEGED PLACES. 

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yeshayahu-isaiah-chapter-37

The Hebrew Transliteration Scriptures 2010 - I dried up all the rivers of THE BESIEGED PLACES.

https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/YeshaYahu/Yeshayahu37.htm

The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907 - all the rivers OF THE BESIEGED PLACES.

https://archive.org/details/ancienthebrewlit03yyyauoft/page/74/mode/2up

The Modern Greek Bible - Isaiah 37:25 -  τους ποταμους των πολιορκουμενων. = the rivers of THE BESIEGED.

https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/bible/greek-modern/isaiah/37/25

The Koster Scriptures 1998 - I have dried up all the STREAMS OF DEFENCE.

https://www.eliyah.com/thescriptures/

God’s First Truth - the WATERS OF DEFENCE.

The Concordant Literal Version 2009 - the waterways OF THE BESIEGED.”

https://studybible.info/CLV/Isaiah%2037:25

Foreign Language Bibles 

Italian Diodati 1649 - tutti i rivi de’ luoghi assediati. = the rivers of BESIEGED PLACES. 

The Spanish Cipriano de Valera bible 1602 - y con las pisadas de mis pies seca- ré todos los ríos de lugares atrincherados. - the rivers of the ENTRENCHED PLACES. 

Spanish Reina Valera Antigua and the Spanish Reina Valera Gomez - todos los ríos de los lugares sitiados. = all the BESIEGED PLACES.

The French Martin Bible 1744 - les ruisseaux des forteresses. = the rivers of the fortresses.

The Portuguese La Biblia Sagrada - todos os rios dos lugares sitiados. = alll the rivers of THE BESIEGED PLACES.

In chapter 38 we read of the sickness of king Hezekiah, the miraculous sign of the sun going backward ten degrees in the sundial, his physical restoration, and the great confession of the forgiveness of his sins.

In 38:8 God tells us: "Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the DEGREES, which is gone down in the SUN DIAL of Ahaz, ten DEGREES backward".

The reading of the SUN DIAL, or dial, of Ahaz going back ten DEGREES is the reading of the KJB, the NKJV, ASV (the predecessor of the NASB), the RV, Geneva Bible, Italian Diodati, Spanish Reina Valera, the Douay, RSV, NRSV, and the new ESV.

However in both the NIV and the NASB the degrees become stairs and the sundial becomes a stairway. In them we read: "I will cause the shadow ON THE STAIRWAY, which has gone down with the sun on THE STAIRWAY of Ahaz, to go back ten STEPS." Say what?

Isaiah 38:10 - Here what king Hezekiah says has been totally garbled. In the KJB, Geneva, Young's, 1936 Jewish, Webster's translation, Third Millennium Bible, and the KJV 21 Hezekiah says: "I said IN THE CUTTING OFF OF MY DAYS, I shall go to the gates of the grave."

The NKJV and NIV say: " I said IN THE PRIME OF MY LIFE": while the NASB has : "in the middle of my LIFE".  And the ESV says: "in the middle of my days."

'Cutting off" is # 1824 and is a noun found only once. It comes from the verb #1820 to cut off, cut down, destroy, to cause to cease. Days is # 3117 yohm, literally - days.

In Isaiah 38:12 Hezekiah continues with these words. "Mine AGE is departed" and so read the Revised Version 1885, Third Millennium Bible, Webster's and the KJV 21. The NKJV is close with "my life span" is gone. 

But the NASB, ESV and NIV say, "My DWELLING (house - NIV) is pulled up"

The Hebrew word is #1755 dohr and it means either “age” or “generations”. It does not mean “dwelling”.  It is used in Job 8:8 where he says: “Inquire, I pray thee, of the former AGE.”

So read this online Hebrew interlinear - “Mine AGE is departed”

https://studybible.info/IHOT/Isaiah%2038:12

The Hebrew Transliteration Scriptures - Mine AGE is departed.

https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/YeshaYahu/Yeshayahu38.htm

Also reading “Mine AGE is departed” are the English Revised Version 1885 - “Mine AGE is removed”, Coverdale 1535, the Great bible 1540, Matthew’s bible 1549, the Bishops’ bible 1568, Julia Smith Translation 1855, Darby 1890 - Mine AGE is departed, Lamsa’s Translation of the Syriac Peshitta - “My AGE is departed”,

The Jewish Virtual Library 1994 - “Mine AGE is departed, and is removed like a shepherd’s tent”

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yeshayahu-isaiah-chapter-38

The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907 - Mine AGE is departed, and is removed from me as a shepherd’s tent.

https://archive.org/details/ancienthebrewlit03yyyauoft/page/76/mode/2up

The NKJV - MY LIFE SPAN is gone, taken from me like a shepherd’s tent.

The Voice 2012 - MY TIME ON EARTH is folded up

The Common English Bible 2011 says: “My LIFETIME is plucked up and taken from me”

The Contemporary English Version 1995 has: “MY LIFE was taken from me”

Living Bible 1971, Names of God Bible 2011, God’s Word Translation 2020 - MY LIFE was over. 

He continues in Isaiah 38:12 with "he will cut me off with PINING SICKNESS". This is the reading of the KJB, the Great Bible 1540, Bishops’ bible 1568, TMB, Websters, KJV 21, Jubilee Bible 2010 and Spanish. Young's has 'weakness' which is pretty close.

The Hebrew Transliteration Scriptures 2010 also read: “he will cut me off with PINING SICKNESS.”

https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/YeshaYahu/Yeshayahu38.htm

However the NKJV, NIV, ESV and NASB say: "He cuts me off FROM THE LOOM".

IN LOVE TO MY SOUL

In the KJB we read Hezekiah saying in Isaiah 38:17 "Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; BUT THOU HAST IN LOVE TO MY SOUL delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back."

Isn't that a beautiful and comforting truth? God loves us and forgives all our sins.

"THOU HAST IN LOVE to my soul" is the reading of the KJB, NKJV, NIV, Jewish Publishing Company 1917 - “But thou hast IN LOVE to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption.”, ASV, RV, and others.  Even the ESV says: “but IN LOVE you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction.” 

The ASV 1901 reads like the KJB with: “But thou hast IN LOVE TO MY SOUL delivered it from the pit of corruption; For thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.”

The New European Version - “but You have IN LOVE FOR MY SOUL delivered it from the pit of corruption.

https://www.n-e-v.info/ot/is38.html

The Jewish Virtual Library Tanach full text 1994 - Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but thou hast IN LOVE TO MY SOUL  delivered it from the pit of corruption: for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back.

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yeshayahu-isaiah-chapter-38

The Hebrew Transliteration Scriptures 2010 - “but you have IN LOVE to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption.”

https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/YeshaYahu/Yeshayahu38.htm

The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907 - But thou hast IN LOVE to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption.

https://archive.org/details/ancienthebrewlit03yyyauoft/page/76/mode/2up

However, the NASB joins the RSV and NRSV and says simply: "It is You who have KEPT my soul from the pit of nothingness." 

Even the online NASB has a footnote that tells us that the Masoretic Hebrew Text says “loved”

Likewise Dan Wallace’s NET version says: “You delivered me from the Pit of oblivion.” 

His translation again completely omits the idea of the love of God.  Then he footnotes:”The Hebrew text reads, “you loved my soul”. But “doctor” Wallace does not think this fits "syntactically"  And so he just changed it.

And the Modern English Version also omits the idea of the love of God and says - “but You HAVE KEPT my soul from the pit of corruption.”

The NASB leaves out the central idea of the love of God in doing what He does for us. Also the pit of nothingness is not the same as the pit of corruption.

The NASB never tells you when they depart from the Masoretic text, but the RSV and NRSV both have a footnote that tells us to compare the Greek and the Vulgate for this reading of 'kept' or 'held back', but that the Hebrew Masoretic text says 'love'.

But the Greek Septuagint reads quite differently from either the KJB or the NASB.   It says: “For thou hast CHOSEN  my soul, that it should not perish; and thou hast cast all sins behind me.”

The NASB may be following an obscure corrupt manuscript here. Only one letter needs to be altered in this word to change it from 'love' to 'keep'. However the NASB concordance shows that they have translated this same word as 'to love' and 'set thy love", yet only once as 'kept'.

All Bibles are not the same. 

Isaiah 40

There are so many little things that are changed here and there throughout these chapters that alter the meaning, it is difficult to decide which ones are worth mentioning. I will note just a few of the many.

Isaiah, chapter 40 begins the section of this book that reveals so much truth concerning the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the gospel of His saving work for His people.

In verse 9 we read of Zion and Jerusalem bringing good tidings to the cities of Judah. The gospel began to be published from the center of Jerusalem and went from there to the ends of the earth. In Acts 1:8 the risen Lord tells the apostles: "and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

Verse 9. "O Zion, THAT BRINGEST GOOD TIDINGS, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, THAT BRINGEST GOOD TIDINGS, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God."

The fact that it is Zion and Jerusalem that bring the good tidings is the reading of the KJB, NKJV, NASB, ESV, NRSV, RSV, Young's, Spanish, Geneva Bible, Darby, and others.

However the NIV reads as though someone else is bringing the good tiding TO Zion and Jerusalem. The NIV says: "YOU WHO BRING GOOD TIDINGS TO Zion, go up on a high mountain. YOU WHO BRING GOOD TIDINGS TO Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout..."

It is amazing to me just how many old, familiar verses are totally messed up in the modern versions. One such verse is Isaiah 40:22. This verse proves that the earth is round and not flat.

The reading of the KJB, RV, ASV, NIV, NKJV, Young's, Geneva, ESV, and others have the word CIRCLE in it. Speaking of God it says: "It is he that sitteth upon the CIRCLE of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers."

However the NASB of 1972 and 1977 says, "It is He who sits above the VAULT of the earth". Now there are lots of different kinds of vaults. There is the barrel vault, the cross vault, the Welsh vault, and the cloister vault, none of which form a circle. Then there is the pole vault, the bank vault, and the burial vault. The NASB of 1995 did change this back to circle, but one wonders which NASB is the real word of God because they change hundreds of words from one edition to the next.

Isaiah 42

God speaks of judgment in verses 13-15 "The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. I have long time holden my peace; I have been still, and refrained myself: now will I cry like a travailing woman; I WILL DESTROY AND DEVOUR AT ONCE. I will make wast mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs"

"I WILL DESTROY AND DEVOUR AT ONCE" is the reading of the KJB, Coverdale, the Great Bible, Matthew's Bible, the Bishops' Bible, the Geneva Bible, the Lesser O.T. 1835, Young's, Webster's 1833 translation, the KJV 21, Third Millennium bible 1998, the Modern English Version 2014, the Jubilee Bible 2020, the Spanish Reina Valera, 

Wycliffe's Bible 1395 is very similar with - "I shall scatter, and I shall swallow up altogether."

God's First Truth 2022 - at once will I destroy, and devour.

https://www.godstruthtous.com/isaiah-daniel/esai5.htm

Also reading  "I WILL DESTROY AND DEVOUR AT ONCE" is this online Hebrew Interlinear -

https://studybible.info/IHOT/Isaiah%2042:14

The Orthodox Jewish Bible - I WILL LAY WASTE AND DEVOUR AT ONCE.

The Jewish Virtual Library Tanach full text 1994 - I WILL DESTROY AND DEVOUR AT ONCE.

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yeshayahu-isaiah-chapter-42

The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1909 - I WILL DESTROY AND DEVOUR AT ONCE

https://archive.org/details/ancienthebrewlit03yyyauoft/page/302/mode/2up

The Hebrew Transliteration Scriptures 2010 - I WILL DESTROY AND DEVOUR AT ONCE

https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/YeshaYahu/Yeshayahu42.htm

The French Martin Bible 1744 agrees with the KJB reading - je détruirai, et j'engloutirai tout ensemble.

And so too the Spanish Las Sagradas Escrituras 1569, Reina Valera 1960 and 1995 editions  - asolaré y devoraré juntamente.

The Italian Diodati 1649 - distruggerò, ed abisserò insieme.

The Portuguese Almeida Corrigida 2009 - e a todos assolarei, e juntamente devorarei.

And the Modern Greek Bible - θελω καταστρεψει και καταπιει ομου. = I WILL DESTROY AND DEVOUR AT ONCE.

https://newchristianbiblestudy.org/bible/greek-modern/isaiah/42/14

However the NKJV joins the NIV, NASB and the ESV and says: "I WILL PANT AND GASP AT ONCE". 

Is God tired like an old man? Or will He destroy and devour His enemies effortlessly?

The Catholic Connection -

The Catholic Douay-Rheims 1610 and the Douay 1950 both read like the KJB with "I WILL DESTROY AND SWALLOW UP AT ONCE."

BUT the St. Joseph New American bible 1970 says - GASPING AND PANTING, and the New Jerusalem bible 1985 has - PANTING AND GASPING FOR AIR

Isaiah 43:22 God reproves His people with these words: "But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob; but THOU HAST BEEN WEARY OF ME, O Israel." 

The people were weary of God. This is the reading of the KJB, the NKJV, NASB, ASV, ESV, etc. but the NIV says: "You have not wearied yourselves for me."

The NIV says they hadn't worked themselves to a frazzle for God instead of them being wearied with God. Not the same meaning at all, is it?

God continues His rebuke of His people in Isaiah 43:27 with: "Thy first father hath sinned, and thy TEACHERS have transgressed against me." 

There was much false teaching among the Jews just as there is much false teaching today. The teachers transgress against the Lord.

TEACHERS is the reading of the KJB, Geneva, ASV, 1936, Douay, Hebrew Names Version, the KJV 21, Third Millennium Bible, Webster's, and the Spanish. 

But the NKJV along with the ESV obscures this by reading MEDIATORS. Mediators would perhaps be those who tried to make peace with other nations, but this shifts the blame from the false teachers as we have them today who use false bibles. 

The NIV and NASB say: SPOKESMEN instead of teachers, thus again making it the political leaders rather than the spiritual leaders who are transgressing against the Lord.

I believe the new versions needlessly change the meaning of many words. The NIV, ESV and NASB are just as guilty but I will focus on the NKJV and its translation of the word #4975 loins. The loins of a man are his strength and this word describes the area from the stomach region to the thighs. The KJB always translates this word as loins or sometimes as side as in a sword girt about his side.

The NKJV also translates this word as loins in Isaiah 11:5; 20:2, and 21:3, but when we get to Isaiah 45:1, they completely change it as they do in several other places.

The KJB reads: "Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the LOINS of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut."

God will use Cyrus, the king of Persia, to conquer other kings and nations. The loins of the kings would be their own strength and sometimes this happened in a literal sense as when Babylon was conquered by Persia.

In Daniel 5:6 we read of kind Belshazar who saw the writing on the wall that told of his doom, that "the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another."

LOINS is the reading of the KJB, ASV, RV, Young's, NASB, Geneva Bible, and others. The NKJV joins the NIV and says: "and loose the ARMOR of kings", and the English Standard Version of 2001 says, "to loose the BELTS of kings".

Likewise the NKJV substitutes waist for loins many times, as well as flanks, backs (Ps. 66:11), hips, herself (Pro. 31:17), bodies (Ezek. 44:18), hear (Ezek. 21:6), and instead of "gird thy loins" (Jer. 1:17), the NKJV says, prepare yourself .

I believe all of these are instances of changing things for the sake of change; not to make the text more accurate. The NKJV does this type of thing repeatedly with many words. I'll stick with my King James Bible.

Isaiah 45:11 - Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, ASK ME OF THINGS TO COME CONCERNING MY SONS, AND CONCERNING THE WORK OF MY HANDS COMMAND YE ME. 

So read Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Bishops’ bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, the Revised Version 1885, ASV 1901, Darby 1890, Young’s 1898, the 1917 Jewish Publication Society O.T., the NKJV 1982, Holman Standard 2009, International Standard Version 2014, Modern English Version 2014, Jubilee Bible 2020, the Greek Septuagint version as well as Lamsa’s translation of the Syriac Peshitta,  to name but a few. 

The NASB 2020 is a bit different by changing a command in the second part to a future statement - This is what the Lord says, the Holy One of Israel and his Maker: “Ask Me about the things to come concerning My sons, AND YOU SHALL COMMIT TO ME THE WORK OF MY HANDS.

Dan Wallace’s NET version is different still, making it an exclamation, saying: This is what the Lord says, the Holy One of Israel, the one who formed him, concerning things to come: “HOW DARE YOU QUESTION ME ABOUT MY CHILDREN ! HOW DARE YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO WITH THE WORK OF MY HANDS!

And some  versions completely change the meaning and make this a question.

ESV - Thus says the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, and the one who formed him: “Ask me of things to come;  WILL YOU COMMAND ME CONCERNING MY CHILDREN AND THE WORK OF MY HANDS?

NIV - “This is what the Lord says— the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker: Concerning things to come, DO YOU QUESTION ME ABOUT MY CHILDREN, OR GIVE ME ORDERS ABOUT THE WORK OF MY HANDS?

And the Catholic New Jerusalem 1985 is different still from all of the ones mentioned so far.  It actually says: “Thus says Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel and his Maker: I AM ASKED FOR SIGNS REGARDING MY SONS, I AM GIVEN ORDERS ABOUT THE WORK I DO.” 

It should be obvious that the Geneva Bible, RV, ASV, Holman Standard and the ISV, as well as the Septuagint and Peshitta agree with the KJB, while the NASB is different in meaning, and the NET versions is different from both the KJB and the NASB, and none of them agree with the ESV and NIV, nor do ANY of them agree with the New Jerusalem.

Small wonder Christians are confused and few believe in the inerrancy of the Bible. 

Isaiah 47:3

In Isaiah  47:3 the Lord is pronouncing judgment upon Babylon. In verse 3 God says: "Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I WILL NOT MEET THEE AS A MAN."

In other words, God Himself will bring His mighty fury against Babylon. I mere man would not be that hard to resist, but when GOD brings his wrath and judgement against a nation, there is no possible way to avoid it. 

In the first instance He moved other nations to come against Babylon, and in the final fulfillment of this prophesy it is the Lord Jesus Christ who will bring the final judgment upon the spiritual Babylon. A mere man could perhaps be resisted, but when God is behind the judgment there is no way of escape.

"I will not meet thee as a man" is the reading of the KJB, Geneva Bible,  Green's interlinear, Webster's 1833 translation,  the KJV 21st Century, the Modern English Bible 2014, 

Lamsa's 1933 translation of the Syriac Peshitta - I will execute vengeance upon you, and I WILL NOT MEET YOU AS A MAN.

A Faithful Version 2022 - I will takevengeance and I WILL NOT MEET YOU AS A MAN.

https://afaithfulversion.org/isaiah-47

Online Hebrew Interlinear - I will not meet thee as a man.

https://studybible.info/IHOT/Isaiah%2047:3

The Jewish Virtual Library Complete Tanach - I will take vengeance, and I WILL NOT MEET THEE AS A MAN.

https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yeshayahu-isaiah-chapter-47

The Hebrew Transliteration Scriptures 2010 - and I WILL NOT MEET THEE AS A MAN.

https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/YeshaYahu/Yeshayahu47.htm

The NKJV says: "I will not ARBITRATE WITH A MAN." This is obviously not the same meaning as the KJB.

The NASB says "I WILL NOT SPARE A MAN", 

while the NIV and ESV have "I will SPARE NO ONE." 

Again, not every person in the whole kingdom of Babylon perished though the kingdom did fall.

Other Bible Babble Versions -

Greek Septuagint - "I will exact of thee due vengeance, I WILL NO LONGER DELIVER THEE TO MEN."

Young's 1898 - Vengeance I take, AND I MEET NOT A MAN.

The 1917 Jewish Publication Society says: "I will take vengeance, And WILL LET NO MAN INTERCEDE."

Complete Apostle's Bible - I WILL NO LONGER DELIVER YOU TO MEN.

In chapters 48 and 49 we will see several examples of how the NASB, NIV and even the NKJV depart from the Hebrew Masoretic text.

Isaiah 48:1 "waters", "loins" or "seed"?

Isaiah 48:1 KJB - "Here ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are ome forth out of the WATERS of Judah..."

The word here in the Hebrew Masoretic text is cleary WATERS of Judah, and is so rendered by the KJB, Wycliffe 1395, the Geneva Bible - "Heare yee this, O house of Iaakob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come out of THE WATERS of Iudah", the Douay-Rheims of 1610, The Jewish Family Bible 1864, the Revised Version 1881, ASV 1901, Rotherham's Emphasized bible 1902, Young's 1898, Webster's 1833, Douay of 1950, the New Berkeley Version in Modern English 1969, The New Jewish Version 1985, The Word of Yah 1993, the Third Millennium Bible 1998, The Koster Scriptures 1998, Green's literal 2005, the Judaica Press Tanach 2004 - "and who emanated from THE WATERS of Judah", the Apostolic Bible Polyglot 2003, the Context Group Version 2007, The Mebust Bible 2007, the Concordant Literal Version 2009, the New Heart English Bible 2010, the Orthodox Jewish Bible 2011, The Hebraic Transliteration Scripture 2010 - “are come forth out of the WATERS of Yehudah”, The New European Version 2010 - "the WATERS of Judah", The Online Interlinear 2010 (André de Mol), The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible 2011, The Orthodox Jewish Bible 2011 - "the WATERS of Yisroel", the English Standard Version 2011, Lexham English Bible 2012, The Hebraic Roots Bible 2012, The Biblos Bible 2013 and The Modern English Version 2014.

The NKJV needlessly alters this to the WELLSPRINGS of Judah, but at least retains the idea of water.

BUT the NASB 1995, RSV, NRSV and ISV 2014 say 'the LOINS of Judah" with a footnote in the RSV and the ISV telling us this is a correction to the text and that the Hebrew reads 'waters'. The reading or interpretation of 'loins' comes from some Targum commentators but it is not what the Hebrew actually says.

John Gill says the 'seed of Judah' is a Targum interpretation.

The NIV likewise says "from the LINE of Judah."

The Holman Standard of 2003 is a bit weird in that it just omits the phrase altogether and reads: "who are called by the name Israel and have DESCENDED FROM [1] Judah", but then in their Footnote they tell us "Literally 'have come from the WATERS of Judah". Perhaps the Holman is following the so called Greek Septuagint here because the LXX likewise omits the phrase altogether and simply says "are come from Judah".

Dan Wallace and company's NET version likewise omits the phrase and has "and are descended from Judah." He then footnotes "The Hebrew text reads literally “and from THE WATERS of Judah came out.” The Latin Vulgate of 405 A.D. follows the Hebrew text in this place and says -"et de AQUIS Juda existis" = "waters of Judah".

Once again we see the purification process in the previous English Bibles. Wycliffe 1395 correctly has "the waters of Judah" but Coverdale 1535, The Great Bible 1540, Matthew's Bible 1549 and the Bishops' Bible 1568 erroneously have "the STOCK of Judah".

The Geneva Bible the went back to the Hebrew reading of "the WATERS of Judah".

The Catholic Connection

Among the Catholic versions we see the usual confusion. The older Douay-Rheims 1610 and the Douay of 1950 both followed the Hebrew text and say "the WATERS of Judah".

But then the 1969 Jerusalem bible and the 1970 St. Joseph New American Bible both changed this to "the STOCK of Judah". Oh, but wait! Now the 1985 New Jerusalem bible and the 2009 Catholic Public Domain Version have gone back to the Hebrew reading of "the WATERS of Judah". Nothing like consistent inconsistency, is there.

Foreign Language Bibles

Foreign language Bibles that also read "the WATERS of Judah" are Luther's German bible 1545 and the 2000 Schlacher Bible - "aus dem Wasser Juda's", the Spanish Reina Valers 1960 - 1995 - "los que salieron de LAS AGUAS de Judá", the Portuguese A Biblia Sagrada em Portugués and the Almeida Corrigida E Fiel 2009 - "e saístes DAS AGUAS de Judá", the Italian Diodati of 1649 - "e siete usciti DELLE ACQUE acque di Giuda", and the Dutch Staten Vertaling Bible - "en uit DE WATEREN van Juda". The Modern Greek Bible reads "the fountain of Judah" - "και εξελθοντες εκ της πηγης του Ιουδα·"

Isaiah 48:10 is a verse where the NKJV, NIV and NASB have departed from the Hebrew Masoretic text. God says: "Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver: I have CHOSEN thee in the furnace of affliction."

The Hebrew word is clearly TO CHOOSE # 977 and is used repeatedly in this book - 14:1; 43:10; 44:1, 2; 49:10, 49:7 etc. "I have chosen thee" is the reading of the KJB, ASV, RV, TMB, Darby, Young's, Geneva, Spanish etc.

However the NKJV, NIV, RSV, ESV and NASB all follow a different text by changing one single letter which alters the word from 'chosen' to 'tested'. The NKJV says: "I have TESTED you in the furnace of affliction." The ESV says: "I have TRIED you in the furnace of affliction."

Both John Gill and Adam Clarke note that one manuscript changes a single letter and thus alters the word. If you look in the NASB concordance they list this word under #977 and translate it as to choose or chosen 155 times and only once as 'tested'.

Isaiah 49:5 KJB - "Though Israel be NOT gathered, YET shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength."

NKJV (NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman, Jehovah Witness NWT, ) - "SO THAT Israel IS gathered to HIM, FOR I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD."

Footnote - "Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint read "IS gathered to Him", Masoretic Text reads "is NOT gathered"

However the so called Septuagint adds words that these versions did NOT follow. The LXX says: "to gather JACOB TO HIM AND Israel. I SHALL BE GATHERED AND glorified BEFORE the Lord".

And the Dead Sea Scrolls reads differently too. Instead of saying "saith the Lord that formed ME", the DSS have "says the Lord who formed YOU", and instead of "my God shall be my STRENGTH" (Masoretic text and the LXX), the DSS read "my God shall be my HELP."

The meaning has been totally changed in Isaiah 49:5 by the NKJV, NIV, RSV, ESV, Jehovah Witness NWT and NASB. In the KJB we read a whole prophetic section dealing with the Lord Jesus Christ as the servant of the LORD: " And now, saith the LORD, that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel BE NOT GATHERED, YET shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength."

Here are precious words of the Lord Jesus Christ saying that even if Israel is NOT gathered, YET He will be glorious in the eyes of the Lord. Just by the perfection of His person regardless if anyone is saved through His ministry, He will be precious to His Father.

The KJB reading of "though Israel be NOT gathered, YET shall I be glorious" is also that of Wycliffe 1395, Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew's Bible 1549, the Bishops' bible 1568, Douai-Rheims 1582, the Geneva Bible 1587, the Darby 1890, Young's 1898, Webster's 1833, The Word of Yah 1993, the KJV 21st Century Version 1994, Third Millennium Bible 1998, God's First Truth 1999, Green's Literal 2005, Bond Slave Version 2009, the Hebraic Transliteration Scripture 2010 - "Though Yisrael be NOT gathered, YET shall I be glorious in the eyes of YHWH (יהוה)", the Holy Scriptures VW Edition 2010, the Jubilee Bible 2010, Online Interlinear 2010 (André de Mol), Biblos Interlinear Bible 2011, The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible 2011, the Interlinear Hebrew-Greek Scriptures 2012 (Mebust), Lexham English Bible 2012, and the Hebraic Roots Bible 2012 - "Though Israel is NOT gathered, YET I am honored in the eye of YAHWEH, and My Elohim is My strength2.

2 "And then it comments: “Even though Israel would have to wait for their redemption till the latter days, the Servant of YHWH is still honored throughout the earth until that time. “

Foreign language bibles that read like the KJB are the Spanish Sagradas Escrituras 1569, Cipriano de Valera 1602, and the Reina Valera Gómez bible 2010 - "Bien que Israel NO se juntará, con todo, estimado seré en los ojos de Jehová, y el Dios mío será mi fortaleza.", Luther's German Bible 1545 - "Israel NICHT weggeraffet werde", the French Martin 1744 and French Ostervald 1998

and the Modern Greek Bible - δια να επαναφερω τον Ιακωβ προς αυτον και δια να συναχθη προς αυτον ο Ισραηλ, και θελω δοξασθη εις τους οφθαλμους του Κυριου, και ο Θεος μου θελει εισθαι η δυναμις μου· = "even though Israel NOT be gathered to him, YET I will be glorified in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength."

And the Modern Hebrew Bible ועתה אמר יהוה יצרי מבטן לעבד לו לשובב יעקב אליו וישראל לא יאסף ואכבד בעיני יהוה ואלהי היה עזי = "and Israel is NOT gathered"

However the NKJV, ASV, NASB, RSV, ESV, NET, JW version, modern Catholic versions and NIV say: "to be His Servant, To bring Jacob back TO HIM, SO THAT Israel IS gathered TO HIM, FOR I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD.' - NKJV.

Then the NKJV has a footnote that tells us the Kethtib or the reading of the text itself reads 'NOT gathered' but that the Qere or the marginal reading that some think should be substitued for the textual reading is "IS gathered TO HIM.

The Catholic Connection

The older Catholic versions like the Douai-Rheims of 1582 and the Douay of 1950 both followed the Hebrew text and said "Israel will NOT be gathered". But then the 1968 Jerusalem bible, the 1970 St. Joseph New American bible and the 1985 New Jerusalem all changed the text and now read like the NKJV with "and TO REUNITE Israel TO HIM"

BUT, once again the Catholics have come out with another version called The Sacred Scriptures Public Domain Version 2009 and it now reads: "for Israel will NOT be gathered together, BUT I have been glorified in the eyes of the Lord and my God has become my strength."

John Gill's commentary on Isaiah 49:5 -though Israel be NOT gathered: in general, only a remnant, according to the election of grace, the greater part refusing to be gathered ministerially by him; and the rulers not suffering the common people to attend on his ministry. It may be observed that there is a marginal reading of the Hebrew, different from the written text; instead of al, "not" it is wl, "to him"; and may be rendered thus, "and Israel shall be gathered unto him"

Jamieson, Faussett and Brown -Though Israel be NOT gathered--metaphor from a scattered flock which the shepherd gathers together again; or a hen and her chickens. Instead of the text "not," the Keri has the similar Hebrew word, "to Him".

Matthew Henry - “Though Israel be NOT gathered - But what if Jacob will not be brought back to God and Israel will not be gathered? So it proved; but this is a satisfaction in that case, Christ will be glorious in the eyes of the Lord; and those are truly glorious that are so in God's eyes. Though few of the Jewish nation were converted by Christ's preaching and miracles, and many of them loaded him with ignominy and disgrace, yet God put honour upon him, and made him glorious, at his baptism, and in his transfiguration, spoke to him from heaven, sent angels to minister to him, made even his shameful death glorious by the many prodigies that attended it, much more his resurrection.”

John Calvin - “And though Israel be NOT gathered. The Jews read these words as a question: “Shall I not bring back Jacob? and shall Israel not be gathered?” But that reading is excessively unnatural, and the Jews do not consider what was the Prophet’s meaning, but, so far as lies in their power, corrupt the text, in order to conceal the disgrace of their nation….“Though Israel be not gathered, yet I shall be glorious;” for it is probable that opposite things are contrasted with each other in this passage… Although therefore Israel refuse to be “gathered,” yet the ministry of Christ shall retain its glory unimpaired; for it will be ascribed to the baseness and wickedness of men, that they have not been “gathered.”

John Trapp (English Puritan) - “Though Israel be NOT gathered, that is, by God’s Word, which is his arm, or will not be gathered, as Matthew 23:37. YET shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, Who will reward me according to my pains, and not according to my success; yea, it is more than probable that such as patiently persist in the work of the ministry, though few or none be converted thereby, shall have a greater measure of glory than those that see much fruit of their labours, and so have their honeycomb here to feed on.”

Matthew Poole - “Though Israel be NOT gathered - Though Israel, God’s own and only people, reject me, which will be an occasion of great wonder and scandal. YET shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord. God will not despise me for the unsuccessfulness of my labours, but will honour and glorify me, both with himself and in the face of the world, in crowning my endeavours with glorious success among other people.”

Thus far in the book of Isaiah alone we have three examples of where the nkjv does not follow the same Hebrew text as the KJB. They are Isaiah 9:3 where it removes the word NOT; 48:10 where it changes 'chosen' to ' tested' and here where it changes 'not' to 'to Him'.

In Isaiah 49:12 there is an interesting example of how the NIV and ESV depart again from the Hebrew Masoretic text. There we read in the KJB - "Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west: and these from the LAND OF SINIM." Many think Sinim may be a referrence to China, but in any case, the Hebrew clearly says Sinim.

Sinim is also the reading of the NASB, ASV, RV, NKJV, the Lexham English Bible of 2012, the Jewish translations JPS 1917, Judaica Press Tanach, the Orthodox Jewish Bible of 2011 and many others. Not even Dan Wallace and their NET version changes the Hebrew text here but says "from the land of SINIM." and so too does the 2003 Holman Standard Version - "the land of SINIM."

However the NIV says "from the REGION OF ASWAN." Then in a footnote the NIV tells us this Aswan comes from the Dead Sea Scrolls but that the Hebrew says Sinim.

The goofy critical text version that recently came out called The Common English Bible of 2011 totally paraphrases this verse as: "Look! These will come from far away. Look! These from the north and west, and these FROM THE SOUTHLAND." BUT then it footnotes: from the southland.[a] Heb Sinim

It is of interest to note that the RSV and the new ESV both say "land of SYENE" and also have a footnote telling us Syene comes from the Dead Sea Scrolls but that the Hebrew Masoretic text reads Sinim. Here we have two different groups of modern "scholars" giving us two different readings, Aswan and Syene, and both telling us that this reading comes from the Dead Sea Scrolls. They both agree in rejecting the Hebrew traditional text but can't seem to agree on what the DSS says! Maybe they should have gone with the Greek Septuagint - it says "from the land OF THE PERSIANS."!!! And these Bible "scholars" want us to take them seriously!

Isaiah 49:17 "children" or "builders"?

King James Bible - "Thy CHILDREN shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee."

Holman Standard 2009, ESV 2016, NASB 1995, ISV 2014, Modern English Version 2014 - "Your BUILDERS make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you."

In this verse the NASB, ISV, MEV and ESV depart from the Hebrew Masoretic text and this time the NIV doesn't go along with them. The modern version "scholars" have really got their act together, don't they?

"Thy CHILDREN shall make haste"

In the KJB we read: "Thy CHILDREN shall make haste: thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee." 'Children' is the reading of the Hebrew Masoretic Text, the KJB, NKJV 1982, Webster's 1833, Revised Version of 1881, Darby 1890, the ASV of 1901 - "Thy CHILDREN make haste", Rotherham's Emphasized bible 1902, The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907, the Jewish translations of JPS 1917, Hebrew Publishing Company version 1936, The New Jewish Version 1985, Amplified Bible 1987, The Word of Yah Bible 1993, The Complete Jewish Bible 1998, The Koster Scriptures 1998, the Third Millennium Bible 1998, World English Version 2000, Green's literal of 2000, the 2004 Judaica Press Tanach, The Mebust Bible 2007, The Voice 2012, The New European Version 2010, The Hebrew Transliteration Scripture 2010, The Names of God Bible 2011, Lexham English Bible 2012, The Biblos Bible 2013, the Hebrew Names Version 2014, and The Tree of Life Version 2015.

Even the NIV 1984 edition says "Your SONS hasten back" and the 2011 NIV now says: "Your CHILDREN hasten back." This time even Daniel Wallace and company's NET version sticks with the Hebrew text and says: "Your CHILDREN hurry back".

The Hebrew word is # 1121 Ben, which means "sons" or "children" and the context of Isaiah 49 is God bring children taken from among the Gentile nations and bringing them to Israel. See verses 6, 12, 20-22.

Among foreign language Bibles that follow the Hebrew Masoretic text and say "Thy CHILDREN make haste" are the Modern Greek translation - "Τα τεκνα σου θελουσιν ελθει μετα σπουδης·", the French Martin 1744 and French Ostervald 1996 and the French Louis Segond of 2007 - "Tes enfants viendront à grande hâte", the Italian Diodati 1649, La Nuova Diodati of 1991 and the 2006 Nuova Riveduta - "I tuoi figli accorrono", the German Schlachter of 2000 - "Deine Söhne eilen herbei" and the Portuguese A Biblia Sagrada em Portugués and the Almeida Actualizada -(modern Portuguese version) as well as the NIV 1999 Nova Versão Internacional - "Os teus filhos pressurosamente virão"

However the NASB, RSV, NRSV, ESV 2001-2016 (English Standard Version), Holman Standard 2003 and The Message say "Your BUILDERS make haste" instead of 'CHILDREN'.

Young's "literal" has this time rejected the Hebrew for some strange reason and reads: "Hastened have THOSE BUILDING THEE."

The NASB never tells you when they depart from the Hebrew Masoretic text, but the ESV tells us in a footnote that the word "BUILDERS" comes from a Dead Sea Scroll manuscript, but that the Hebrew reads CHILDREN.

The Holman Standard footnotes that the word "BUILDERS" comes from one DSS manuscript and the Latin Vulgate, but that both the Hebrew and the Syriac reads "sons" or "children".

Yet there are NUMEROUS readings found in the Dead Sea Scrolls copies of the book of Isaiah that NONE of these modern versions have adopted. For example. In this same chapter we read in verse 5 "And now saith the LORD God that formed ME from the womb to be his servant."

The Masoretic text says ME, but the DSS has: "..the Lord who formed YOU from the womb." Yet the NASB, ESV, NET and Holman all stick with the Hebrew Masoretic text reading of "ME" and not the DSS "you".

In Isaiah 49:5 the Masoretic text says "my God shall be my STRENGTH" but the DSS say "my God shall be my HELP", yet the NASB, ESV, NET and Holman stuck with the Masoretic text's "STRENGTH".

In Isaiah 49:6 the Masoretic text reads "to raise up the tribes of JACOB and to restore the preserved of ISRAEL" but the DSS reverses the names and reads "the tribes of ISRAEL and bring back the preserved of JACOB", yet once again the NASB, ESV, NET, Holman stick with "tribes of JACOB and the preserved of ISRAEL"

In Isaiah 49:9 the Masoretic text reads: "They shall feed IN THE WAYS" and the NASB, ESV, NET and Holman stayed with this reading, yet the DSS says: "They will feed UPON ALL THE MOUNTAINS".

In Isaiah 49:12 the Masoretic text says: "and these from the land of SINIM." and so read the NKJV, NASB, NET and Holman.

However the DSS say: "from the land of SYENE" and this time the ESV goes with the DSS reading of SYENE instead of SINIM. The NIV says: "from the region of ASWAN" and then footnotes that this supposedly comes from the DSS (which it doesn't) but that the Hebrew Masoretic text reads SINIM.

And in Isaiah 49:24 "or the LAWFUL captive delivered?" (one who is righteously or justly taken captive) from the Masoretic text is changed in the DSS into "the captives OF A TYRANT" and so read the ESV and NASB, but the NIV reads: "captives rescued FROM THE FIERCE" and Wallace's NET says "from A CONQUEROR?", but the Holman and NKJV go with the Masoretic text instead.

Even these versions are confused among themselves. The RSV has- "Your BUILDERS outstrip your destroyers"; the NRSV says - "Your BUILDERS outdo your destroyers" and the ESV has - "Your BUILDERS make haste."

The Douay-Rheims and Douay say - "Thy BUILDERS ARE COME." but the newer Catholic versions like the St. Joseph and New Jerusalem read: "Your REBUILDERS are hurrying."

There IS no method to their madness; it's just random madness.

The Inconsistent NIVs

The NIV presents us with contradiction and confusion when they translate it into other languages. In the English NIV and the NIV Portuguese version of 1999 they correctly read "Your CHILDREN hasten back" - "Os teus filhos pressurosamente virão", but the Spanish NIV of 1999 has rejected the Hebrew Masoretic text and says "Your BUILDERS make haste" - "Tus CONSTRUCTORES se apresuran."

The Spanish versions have not done very well with this verse. The early Sagradas Escrituras of 1569 and the Reina Valera of 1909, 1960 and 1995 and even the R.V. Gómez of 2010 have followed the Latin Vulgate instead of the Hebrew and read - "Tus edificadores vendrán aprisa;"= "Your BUILDERS WILL COME QUICKLY".

However the 2010 paraphrase called Nueva Traducción Viviente is pretty close with "Dentro de poco tus DESCENDIENTES regresarán" = "Within a little while your DESCENDANTS will return." and the 2012 Palabra de Dios para Todos (The Word of God For Everybody) is a lot better with: "Tus HIJOS se apresuran a regresar a ti" = "Your CHILDREN will hurry up to return to you."

The Catholic Connection

The Catholic versions have followed the Latin Vulgate here instead of the Hebrew and also read "your BUILDERS". These are the Douay-Rheims, Douay 1950, St. Joseph NAB 1970 and the New Jerusalem bible 1985. The Latin Vulgate of 405 A.D. itself reads: " venerunt structores tui" = "your BUILDERS are come".

The so called Greek Septuagint (Benton's translation) is a bit confused in that it reads - "Thou shalt soon be built by whom thou wast destroyed."!! Not at all the same as any modern version.

Once again we can see the gradual purification process of the words of God in the English translations. Wycliffe 1395 followed the Latin Vulgate and his translation said "The BUILDERS are come". Both Coverdale's translation of 1535 and the Bishops' Bible of 1568 likewise did not follow the Hebrew text but said: "They that haue broken the downe, shal make haist to buylde the vp agayne."

Not even the Geneva Bible of 1587 got it right, but also followed the Latin Vulgate and says: "Thy BUILDERS make haste."

It wasn't till God finally finished the purification process that we get perfection and infallibility in the King James Bible that reads: "Thy CHILDREN shall make haste, thy destroyers, and they that made thee waste, shall goe forth of thee."

Get yourself the true "book of the LORD", the King James Holy Bible. It is always right and you will never go wrong.

In Isaiah 49:24 we read: "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or THE LAWFUL CAPTIVE delivered?" - that is, one who is justly or righteously taken captive. Here God speaks of delivering His people who were lawfully or righteously given over to captivity. God had judged them because they had broken His law and now He was going to deliver them to show His grace after having chastised them. Once again the NASB, NIV, ESV all depart from the Traditional Hebrew Masoretic text.

The LAWFUL CAPTIVE is the reading of the KJB, Revised Version 1881, the American Standard Version of 1901 (the predecessor to the NASB)- "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the LAWFUL captives be delivered?", the 1936 Jewish translation put out by the Hebrew Publishing Company, New York, Webster's 1833 translation, the Hebrew Names Bible, the 1969 New Berkeley Version in Modern English - "or shall LAWFULLY HELD captives be rescued?", the Third Millenium Bible 1998, World English Bible and the Hebrew Names Version - "THE LAWFUL captive be delivered?", the Amplified Bible 1987 - "or the LAWFUL captives of the just be delivered?", A Conservative Version - "the LAWFUL captives be delivered?" and the English Jubilee Version 2000.

The Geneva Bible of 1587 had the right idea by saying: "Or the just captiuitie deliuered?" Young's literal was perhaps too "literal" but at least he followed the Masoretic text, as does the Holman Standard of 2003 saying: "And the captive of the righteous delivered?", but still the idea is there that those who took them captive were righteous in doing so. Also reading this way is the Lexham English Bible of 2012.

Rotherham's Emphasized bible of 1902 has the right idea as well with: "Or the captive OF ONE IN THE RIGHT, be delivered?" as does Darby's translation - "and shall HE THAT IS RIGHTFULLY CAPTIVE be delivered?"

Among foreign language Bibles that got it right are the Spanish Reina Valera 1909 (but not the 1960 -1995 editions; they read "tyrant") "la cautividad legítima" = "the LEGITIMATE captivity freed?" and Las Sagradas Escrituras of 1569 - "¿la cautividad justa será dada por libre?", the Italian Diodati 1649, Luther's German Bible 1545, the French Martin of 1744 - "et les captifs du juste seront-ils délivrés?", the Portuguese A Biblia em Portugués - "ou escapariam os legalmente presos?" - "or will escape those LEGALLY prisoners?" and the Portugues Almeida Corrigida E Fiel - "Ou os presos justamente escapariam?" = "those JUSTLY prisoners escape?"

The so called Greek Septuagint actually has THE OPPOSITE meaning with: "Will anyone take spoils from a giant? and if one should take a man captive UNJUSTLY, shall he be delivered?". However the Modern Greek Bible got it right with: "να ελευθερωθωσιν οι δικαιως αιχμαλωτισθεντες;" = "Shall be freed those who are JUSTLY taken captives?"

But the NIV says: "Can plunder be taken from warriors, or captives rescued FROM THE FIERCE?". Then in a footnote they tell us this reading comes from the DSS, the Syriac and the Vulgate. The NASB, ISV and ESV likewise read "captives of THE TYRANT" instead of 'lawful captives' and the ESV footnotes that the reading of "THE TYRANT" comes from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Vulgate and Syriac, but the Hebrew Masoretic text has "of a righteous man".

In typical fashion, Daniel Wallace says the Hebrew reading "makes no sense" and so his NET version goes with the Qumran reading of "tyrant" and he translates it as "or captives be rescued from A CONQUEROR?" (Note: Once a man has messed with the Book as much as Dan Wallace has, it is small wonder that not much of anything "makes sense" to him.)

ALL the Catholic versions reject the traditional Hebrew text here and the St. Joseph New American Bible 1970 and the New Jerusalem bible 1985 read: "captives be rescued FROM A TYRANT?"

The NKJV and Holman also change the meaning of the text by saying: "Or the captives of the righteous be delivered?", but at least it is an attempt to follow the Masoretic text. The word in question can have several meanings including "righteous, just, or lawfully." Even the NASB translated it once as "righteously" and if they had said here "the captives righteously held captive delivered" they would have gotten it right.

Matthew Henry comments: "We were LAWFUL captives to the justice of God, yet delivered by a price of unspeakable value."

The Pulpit Commentary states: "Babylon was mighty. By the laws of war SHE HAD A RIGHTFUL CLAIM TO HER CAPTIVES. How was she to be induced or compelled to give them up?"

John Gill's first explanation is: "or the lawful captive delivered? justly and lawfully taken captive in war, as the Jews were by the Babylonians."

Jamieson, Fausset and Brown correctly comment: "LAWFUL CAPTIVE —the Jews justly consigned for their sins (Isa 50:1) as captives to the foe. Secondarily, Satan and Death are "the mighty" conquerors of man, upon whom his sin give them their "lawful" claim. Christ answers that claim for the sinners, and so the captive is set free."

And John Calvin comments: "And we ought, first, to observe this metaphor, that the Church is called "the captivity of the righteous," that is, LAWFUL CAPTIVITY. He is said to be the "righteous" possessor who is the lawful possessor; just as the prey, when the war has been righteous, passes into the hands of a righteous possessor. Such was the condition of the ancient people, after having been driven into captivity; for, along with their native country, they had lost their liberty, and were entirely in the power, and at the disposal, of the conqueror."

The King James Bible is ALWAYS right. Accept no substitutes.

Isaiah 52 and 53

These are beautiful chapters that teach us so much about the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ. God's people were in bondage and He promises them deliverance through the work of the Messiah.

In Isaiah 52:5 we read of the children of Israel's bondage. "Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them MAKE THEM TO HOWL."

This is the reading of the KJB, NKJV, Geneva Bible - "& they that rule ouer them, make them to howle, saith the Lorde?", Webster’s 1833, Young's - "Its rulers cause howling", 1936 Jewish translation, Lamsa’s 1936 translation of the Syriac - “Their RULERS MAKE THEM TO WAIL, says the LORD”, Darby - "They that rule over them make them to howl", Third Millennium Bible, the French Martin 1744, French Ostervald 1996, the Italian Diodati 1649 and La Nuova Diodati 1991 - “quelli che lo signoreggiano lo fanno urlare, dice il Signore”, the Spanish Sagradas Escrituras 1569 and the Spanish Reina Valera version 1909, 1960, 1995- “ya que mi pueblo es llevado injustamente? Los que de él se enseñorean lo hacen aullar”, the 2005 Reina Valera Gomez, the KJV 21st Century 1994 and the Third Millenium Bible 1998.

Here the NIV again departs from the Hebrew Masoretic text and says: "those who rule them MOCK." Then in a footnote the NIV tells us this reading 'mock' comes from the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Vulgate but that the MT reads as does the KJB.

The NIV footnote about “mock” being found in the Dead Sea Scrolls is false. I have a copy of the Dead Sea Scrolls Bible (Abegg Jr., Flint & Ulrich 1999) and it reads: “Those who rule over them ARE DELUDED”. Then it footnotes “Meaning unclear. “wail” MT, LXX.

There IS however one of the modern perversion that DOES follow this DSS reading and that is the presumptuously titled International Standard Version (ISV) of 2012. It reads: "Those who rule over them ARE DELUDED," says the LORD."

In addition to this, the LXX does not read as either the Hebrew text nor the KJB. The KJB says: “Now therefore, what have I here, saith the LORD, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them MAKE THEM TO HOWL, saith the LORD.” However the LXX says: “And now why ARE YE here? Thus saith the Lord, Because my people was taken for nothing, WONDER YE AND HOWL.” So, the NIV footnote is completely inaccurate.

The NASB and the ESV both change the meaning from the one found in the KJB and many others and sides with the RSV and Holman saying "THOSE WHO RULE OVER THEM HOWL.", as though the rulers are howling and not the people ruled by them.

The Catholic Connection

What is interesting is to compare the Catholic versions. ANY modern bible version based on the UBS, Nestle-Aland critical Greek text is in fact using the same "interconfessional" text as the modern Catholic versions. The Vatican is directly involved in making up this new text.

The older Douay Rheims 1610 and the Douay of 1950 both read: "My people is taken away gratis. THEY THAT RULE OVER THEM TREAT THEM UNJUSTLY, saith the LORD." However the 1970 St. Joseph New American bible changed this to: "THEIR RULERS MAKE A BOAST OF IT" and the New Jerusalem bible of 1985 says: "my people have been carried off for nothing, THEIR MASTERS HOWL IN TRIUMPH".

And right there along with them is Dan "anything but the KJB" Wallace who footnotes that the Hebrew word is "howl" but then says "perhaps here in the sense of to mock" and then gives us his paraphrase NET version: "those who rule over them TAUNT, says the Lord." It's all just a big coincidence, right?

Matthew Henry comments: "Those that rule over them make them to howl, as the Egyptians of old made them to sigh, Ex. 2:23. So the Babylonians now, using them more hardly, extorted from them louder complaints and made them to howl."

Both Coverdale's Bible 1535 and the Bishops' Bible of 1568 makes this very clear, saying: "my people is frely caried awaye, & BROUGHT IN TO HEUYNES BY THEIR RULERS, and my name euer still blasphemed? saieth the LORDE." Young's literal says: "its rulers cause howling".

In 52:14 we enter the great section that tells us of the Servant of the Lord and His redemptive work. "As many were astonied at THEE." This is the reading of the KJB, nkjv, ESV 2001, Young's, Hebrew Names Version, Webster's, TMB, KJV 21 and others. Many see this as being addressed to Christ Himself.

However the NASB says "astonished at you, MY PEOPLE" which is interpretation rather than translation, while the NIV has "astonished at HIM" but with a footnote telling us the Hebrew reads 'You' (or thee).

Isaiah 52:15 KJB - “So shall he SPRINKLE many nations”

Isaiah 52:13 through Isaiah 53:12 is a direct prophesy about the Lord Jesus Christ as our Messiah who is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and makes his soul an offering for sin. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6

In Isaiah 52:14-15 we read “…his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he SPRINKLE many nations”

The whole passage is speaking about the substitutionary death of our Lord and Saviour for His people - “For the transgression of my people was he stricken” Isaiah 53:8

And in the New Testament we read of this fulfillment - “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and SPRINKLING OF THE BLOOD of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.” 1 Peter 1:2

Ye are come “to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to THE BLOOD OF SPRINKLING, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” Hebrews 12:24

However several modern versions have perverted and changed the meaning of this verse here in Isaiah 52:15.

Instead of “So shall he SPRINKLE many nations” (as the KJB and many others read) we see in versions like the RSV, NRSV, the modern Catholic versions, Dan Wallace’s NET version and the Jehovah Witness New World Translation - “So shall he STARTLE many nations”

Then the RSV and NRSV footnote - “The meaning of the Hebrew words is uncertain.”

The ESV and the NKJV both read: “So shall He SPRINKLE many nations” but then they BOTH included this Footnote - “Or STARTLE”

The Catholic Connection

The Douay-Rheims of 1610 and the 1950 Douay Version both correctly read: “So shall he SPRINKLE many nations”. BUT then the Catholic St. Joseph New American Bible 1970 and the New Jerusalem bible 1985 changed their texts to now read “So shall he STARTLE many nations” (St. Joseph) and “many nations will be ASTONISHED” (New Jerusalem).

But now the Catholics have come out with another version in 2009 called The Sacred Scriptures Catholic Public Domain Version and it goes back to the Hebrew and so reads: “He will SPRINKLE many nations”

The Jehovah Witness New World Translation also reads “He will likewise STARTLE many nations”.

Dan Wallace’s NET (per)version 2006 - “his form was so marred he no longer looked human - so now he will STARTLE many nations.”

NIV - “so he will SPRINKLE many nations” [a] Footnote - “Or so will many nations BE AMAZED AT HIM (see also Septuagint)

But the NIV Spanish version - Nueva Versión Internacional 1999 has “Del mismo modo, muchas naciones SE ASOMBRARAN” - “In the same way, many nations WILL BE AMAZED”.

However the NIV Portuguese version - Nova Versão Internacional of 2000 - got it right, with: “de igual modo ele ASPERGIRA muitas nações” - “He WILL SPRINKLE many nations”, but then it contains the footnote telling us that the Septuagint reads “many nations WILL BE ASTONISHED before him”

The so called Greek Septuagint says “Thus SHALL MANY NATIONS WONDER AT HIM.” This is where this bogus reading comes from.

The Hebrew word “SPRINKLE” is # 5137 nah-zah and it occurs 24 times in the Old Testament and EVERY TIME it is translated as “SPRINKLE”. It is always used in the ritualistic sense of sprinkling of the blood of the sacrifices (21 times), twice of the sprinkling of the water of purification (Numbers 19:21 and Numbers 8:7 “SPRINKLE the water of purifying”, and once more in Isaiah 63:3 “and their blood shall be SPRINKLED upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.”

“and SPRINKLE of the blood seven times before the LORD” Leviticus 4:6

“And he shall SPRINKLE of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar” Leviticus 5:9

“And he shall take of the blood of the bullock, and SPRINKLE it with his finger upon the mercy seat” Leviticus 16:14

It NEVER means “to startle” or to “amaze” or “to cause to wonder”.

Even Lamsa’s translation of Isaiah 52:15 in the Syriac says “So shall he PURIFY many nations”

Other Perverted Versions

The so called Complete Jewish Bible, as well as the Amplified bible 1987 have BOTH readings (and thus has added to and perverted the words of God) saying:

“So shall He STARTLE AND SPRINKLE many nations”

Other perversions that say “he will STARTLE many nations” or “he will ASTONISH many nations” are Rotherham’s Emphasized bible 1902, the JPS 1917 version, the Common English bible 2011, ISV 2014 - “STARTLE”, New Living Translation 2013 - “STARTLE many nations”,

Living Bible 1971, Easy to Read Version 2006 - “will be AMAZED AT him”

Good News Translation 1992 - “many nations WILL MARVEL AT HIM”, ,

Many early English versions did not get it right either. The King James Bible is the end product of the purification and perfection of God’s infallible words, not the earlier English bibles.

Coverdale Bible 1534 and the Great Bible 1540 and Matthew’s bible 1549 all had: “Even so shall the multitude of the Gentiles LOOK UNTO HIM”

The Bishop’s bible 1568 was also wrong, saying: “Euen so shall the multitude of the gentiles SPEAK OF HIM”

The first one to get it right was the Geneva Bible of 1587 - “So shall hee SPRINKLE many nations”.

Though Wycliffe’s bible of 1395 was pretty close with: “He shall BESPRINKLE MANY FOLKS” and the Latin Vulgate was good too with “iste asperget gentes multas” - “he will SPRINKLE many nations (or people)”

Bible in Basic English 1961 - “So will nations GIVE HIM HONOUR”

Darby 1890 - “so shall he ASTONISH many nations”

The Message 2002 - “Nations all over the world WILL BE IN AWE, TAKEN ABACK”

The Voice 2012 - “many nations WILL BE ASTONISHED AT HIS PROMINENCE”

New Life Version 1969, New Century Version 2005 - “he will SURPRISE many nations”

Total Paraphrase

The Contemporary English Version 1995 has a complete paraphrase, saying: “MY SERVANT WILL MAKE nations WORTHY TO WORSHIP ME”

Ancient Roots bible 2006 - “So these many nations AND KINGS WILL ZIP THEIR MOUTHS toward him when they see him”

Judaica Press Tanach 2004 - “So SHALL HE CAST DOWN many nations”

Names of God Bible 2011 - “HE WILL CLEANSE MANY NATIONS WITH HIS BLOOD.” (This is a total paraphrase, but they at least got the right meaning.)

The World English Bible 2012 also says “HE WILL CLEANS MANY NATIONS”

Agreeing with the Hebrew text and the King James Bible about how the Lord Jesus will SPRINKLE many nations are the Geneva bible 1587, Webster’s Translation 1833, Young’s 1898, the Revised Version 1885, ASV 1901, The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907, The Word of Yah Bible 1993, the NASB 1995, The Yah Sacred Scriptures 2001, Holman Standard 2003, World English Bible 2000, Context Group Version 2007, Jubilee Bible 2010, the Hebraic Transliteration Scripture 2010, The New European Version 2010, The Orthodox Jewish Bible 2011, Biblos Interlinear Bible 2011, The Work of God’s Children Illustrated Bible 2011, Lexham English Bible 2012, Interlinear Hebrew-Greek Scriptures 2012 (Mebust), The Natural Israelite Bible 2012, The Hebraic Roots Bible 2012, the Modern English Version 2014, Hebrew Names Version 2014, and the International Children’s Bible 2015 “he will SPRINKLE many nations”.

John Gill - “the blood of Christ, called the blood of SPRINKLING, by which the conscience is purged from dead works, and the heart from an evil conscience, and by which multitudes of many nations are justified and sanctified”

Matthew Henry - “Many nations shall be the better for him, for he shall SPRINKLE them, and not the Jews only; the blood of SPRINKLING shall be applied to their consciences, to purify them. He suffered, and died, and so SPRINKLED many nations; for in his death there was a fountain opened, Zec. 13:1.”

Matthew Poole’s Commentary - “Shall he SPRINKLE, either,

1. With his blood, which is called the blood of sprinkling, Hebrews 12:24 or, shall justify them, as it follows, Isaiah 53:11, which is frequently expressed by washing, as Psalms 51L2, 7, Ezekiel 16:9 and by sprinkling clean water, Ezekiel 36:25.”

Jamieson, Faussett and Brown - “the word universally in the Old Testament means either to sprinkle with blood, as the high priest makes an expiation (Lev. 4:6; 16:18,19) or with water, to purify (Eze. 36:25) both appropriate to Messiah (John 13:8; Hebrews 9:13-14; 10:22;12:24; 1 Peter 1:2)

You may have a modern “easy to read” version, but most of them are actually perversions of God’s precious words of truth and entirely miss the point in many parts of God’s Holy Book.

The King James Bible is ALWAYS right. Accept no substitutes.

The various readings of chapter 53 are so different one from another they are barely recognizable. Commentators are constantly changing the text and disagreeing with one another. Each one apparently considers himself to be the final authority

I will only touch on the more blatant differences in this chapter.

Verse 53:8 KJB "He was taken FROM PRISON and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of he land of the living: for the transgression of my people WAS HE STRICKEN."

This is the reading of the KJB, NKJV, Geneva Bible, Spanish Reina Valera, Young's, Webster's, Third Millenium Bible and the KJV 21.

The NASB, NIV differ from each other as well as from the KJB. The NASB says: "By OPPRESSION and judgment He was taken away; And as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off out of the land of the living, for the transgression of my people TO WHOM THE STROKE WAS DUE?" Say what? Read that again and see if you can make any sense out of it. Only a modern seminarian could come up with something that clear.

The NIV differs from the NASB too in that it says: "By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his DESCENDANTS? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken."

Verse 9 likewise is quite different. In the KJB we read: "And HE made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death." "HE made his grave" is what the Hebrew says as well as the Geneva Bible, Lamsa's 1936 translation of the Syriac, the Lexham English bible 2011, the Orthodox Jewish Bible 2011 and many others. 

However the NKJV says "THEY made his grave with the wicked" and then has a footnote telling us that the Hebrew literally says HE. God did this, not man.  Other versions that changed the "he" to "they" are the ASV, RSV and the ESV.

The NASB says: "HIS GRAVE WAS ASSIGNED to be with wicked men" and the NIV has "He was assigned a grave with the wicked" - both of which remove God as He who did this.

Verse 10 also suffers from distorted meanings. The KJB says: "Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him: he hath put him to grief: WHEN THOU SHALT MAKE HIS SOUL AN OFFERING FOR SIN, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and he pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand."

This is the reading of the KJB, ASV, Revised Version, NKJV, NRSV, Darby, Hebrew Names Bible, Webster's, TMB and the KJV 21.

The NASB actually says: "IF HE WOULD RENDER HIMSELF AS A GUILT OFFERING, He will see His offspring". Here the NASB puts in a big little word IF. Then it changes the THOU which refers to God the Father and is the type of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22 to "He"; "his soul" to 'himself' and 'an offering for sin' to 'a guilt offering'. The NASB reading of "HE" is found in the margin but not the text itself of the Hebrew.

The NIV reads: "and THOUGH THE LORD makes his LIFE a GUILT OFFERING, he will see his offspring". Here the NIV adds the words 'the LORD' though not in the text, but at least it has God doing this and not the "He himself" of the NASB. The NIV has a footnote that tells us the Hebrew text reads 'YOU', as is found in the KJB. The NIV adds the words 'THE LORD" (Jehovah) 52 times in the OT when not in the text and 38 times when it is in the Hebrew text they omit it. This information is found in the NIV complete concordance itself. I am not making this up.

Isaiah 53:11 "He shall SEE THE TRAVAIL OF HIS SOUL, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."

"HE SHALL SEE THE TRAVAIL OF HIS SOUL"

So read numerous Bible translations including the Geneva Bible 1587 - " Hee shall see of the trauaile of his soule, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many: for hee shall beare their iniquities.", the Bishops' Bible 1568, Young's literal, Darby, the Revised Version 1885 - "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many: and he shall bear their iniquities.", the World English Bible, KJV 21st Century 1994, Third Millennium Bible 1998.

The NKJV 1982 also reads like the KJB - "He shall see the labor of His soul, [1] and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities."

But then the NKJV has this footnote: Footnotes: [1] : Following Masoretic Text, Targum, and Vulgate; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint read from the labor of His soul HE SHALL SEE LIGHT."

This NKJV footnote is highly misleading, and in fact, downright deceptive. The so called Greek Septuagint verse of Isaiah 53:11 is almost unrecognizable. It differs significantly from the Hebrew Masoretic text. Brenton's Greek Septuagint actually says: "THE LORD also is pleased to take away from the travail of his soul, to shew him light, and to form him with understanding; to justify the just one who serves many well; and he shall bear their sins."

Go back and read it again. This is almost totally different in meaning than the Hebrew text or ANY translation in ANY bible ever published. The ONLY thing that is the same is the last line that says "he shall bear their sins". Other than this part, NOTHING IS THE SAME. So for the NKJV to tell us that the NIV's extra words come from "the LXX" is more than a little lame and misleading.

The NIV clearly departs from the Hebrew Masoretic text in verse 11. The NIV says: “After he has suffered he will see THE LIGHT OF LIFE and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.”

Then the NIV footnotes that the words “THE LIGHT OF LIFE” come from the Dead Sea Scrolls, but the Masoretic text does not have these words.

But in the King James Bible, the Traditional Hebrew Text and all Reformation bibles we read: "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied."

This is the exact reading or basic meaning of also the NASB 1995, NKJV 1982, RSV, the ESV 2016, Dan Wallace's NET Version 2006, Orthodox Jewish Bible 2011, Names of God Version 2011, Holman Standard 2009 and the Modern English Version 2014. None of these other modern versions follow the NIV's reading here.

To learn more about the Dead Sea Scrolls and what a confused mess they really are, see “The Dead Sea Scrolls Fiasco.”

dssfiasco.htm

However the recent ISV, Common English Bible and The Voice DO include this extra reading. Do any of these versions follow ALL the many different Dead Sea Scroll readings in the book of Isaiah? Of course not. In fact there are at least FIVE different DSS copies of Isaiah found and they OFTEN disagree even with each other! They just randomly pick one reading and ignore others so they can $ell you the late$t Finding$ in the $o Called $cience of $cholar$hip.

Dan Wallace's NET version is sooooo paraphrased that the first part of the verse hardly makes any sense. His NET version reads: "Having suffered, he will reflect on his work, he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. My servant will acquit many, for he carried their sins." But at least he did not adopt the DSS reading the NIV did.

The NIV sides with the NRSV (the first English version to introduce this "extra" reading) and adds words not found in the Hebrew Masoretic Text. The NIV 1984 edition says: "After the suffering OF HIS SOUL, he will see THE LIGHT [OF LIFE] and be satisfied." 

The NIV 2011 edition changed the text again and took away the brackets and now says: "After HE has suffered, he will see THE LIGHT OF LIFE and be satisfied." Then it tells us in a footnote that 'the light of life' comes from the Dead Sea Scrolls but it is lacking from the MT. 

The NRSV footnote likewise tells us this added reading comes from one manuscript called Q but that the Masoretic text does not have it. It is of interest that the late$t in $cholar$hip English Standard Version of 2001 goes back to the KJB reading and rejects the NIV'S added words.

Is it any wonder modern bible proponents are "tossed to and from by every wind" and have no settled Final Authority?

Repeat study on Isaiah 53:11

Isaiah 53:11 

KJB and the Hebrew text. “He shall see of THE TRAVAIL OF HIS SOUL,  and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.”

NIV - “After he has suffered, he will see THE LIGHT OF LIFE and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.”

Then the NIV footnotes that the reading of THE LIGHT OF LIFE comes from the Dead Sea Scrolls (see also Septuagint); the Masoretic Text does not have “the light of life”. 

This verse is very messed up in many modern versions, and they are not even consistent with each other. 

The phrase “the TRAVAIL of his SOUL” is full of significance.  The word does NOT mean “suffering” as the NIV (and some others) has it. 

The word TRAVAIL means “painful or laborious effort”.  The most common meaning of this word if “labour”.  Even the NIV complete concordance shows that they translated this word as “work” 8 times; labor 5 times and “toil” 5 times, but as “suffering” only one time, and that is here.

It was not just the physical sufferings of Christ that is in view here, but “he shall put him to grief when thou shalt make HIS SOUL an offering for sin” Isaiah 53:10

When the Lord Jesus was agonizing in prayer in the garden he told his disciples: “My SOUL is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death”.

The NIV 1978 and 1984 editions at least retained the word SOUL when they said; “After the suffering OF HIS SOUL, he will see the light of life…”

But the NIV 2011 edition has even removed this word which is found in all Hebrew texts and even in the DSS, and it now reads: “After he has suffered, he will see the light of life”

The so called Greek Septuagint (which the NIV mentions) is almost completely different than both the Traditional Hebrew text and the DSS.

Let’s contrast the two.

KJB - He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Septuagint - THE LORD also is pleased TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE TRAVAIL OF HIS SOUL TO SHOW HIM LIGHT,  AND TO FORM HIM WITH UNDERSTANDING, to justify THE JUST ONE WHO SERVES MANY WELL; and he shall bear their sins.”  Yeah, that’s pretty close, huh?

And as for the Dead Sea Scrolls it does say: “Out of the suffering OF HIS SOUL HE WILL SEE LIGHT and find satisfaction”

But why does the NIV take one small part of the Dead Sea Scrolls in Isaiah 53 but not other readings from the DSS?  

In 53:2 “that we should DESIRE him”, but the DSS says “that we should LOOK AT him”; 

in 53:8 in the KJB we read: “and who shall declare his generation?” But the NIV has the completely different “and who of his generation PROTESTED?”, But the DSS reads “and who can EVEN THINK ABOUT HIS DESCENDANTS?”.

In 53:9 KJB has “And HE made his grace with the wicked”, but the DSS reads “THEN THEY made his grave with the wicked” but the NIV reads: “HE WAS ASSIGNED a grave with the wicked.”

And in 53:11 - the very verse we are looking at, BOTH the KJB and the NIV read “shall MY righteous servant justify many” but  the DSS says: “HIS servant, the righteous one, will make many righteous.”

Not even the NASB, ESV, Holman Standard or NET agree with the NIV by adding “THE LIGHT OF LIFE” to the verse here, but other modern versions like the Christian Standard Bible and ISV do.  Can you guess who else ADDS these words?  You got it.  The Catholic St. Joseph NAB 1970 and the New Jerusalem bible 1985.

The Modern Bible Babble Buffet versions don’t even agree with each other either textually or in meaning in literally hundreds of verses.  Small wonder most Christians no longer believe in the inerrancy of the Bible - ANY Bible in any language.

The Geneva bible - He shall see of the travail  of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many: for he shall bear their iniquities.

Isaiah 55:3 "Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even THE SURE MERCIES OF DAVID."

The sure mercies of David are again spoken of in Acts 13:34 in the KJB and the reference is to Christ, the son of David, who was raised from the dead and now sits on the throne. These are called the sure mercies of David because God had promised to set up his seed (Christ) to sit on his throne. Christ would build the house of the Lord, God would be His Father and He would be His Son and God's mercy would not be taken away as He had done with Saul. See II Samuel 7:12-16 for these promises.

David had grievously sinned by committing adultery and murder, yet God did not break His promises to David for his sins, and so these are called the sure MERCIES of David. Mercy is not getting punished as we should be.

"the SURE MERCIES of David" is the reading of the KJB, NKJV, 1917, 1936 Jewish translations, Webster's, KJV 21, Third Millennium Bible, RV, ASV, Geneva, and the Hebrew Names Bible.

The NASB is close in meaning here with "the faithful mercies shown to David" but the NIV along with the RSV says: "MY FAITHFUL LOVE promised to David."

Love and mercy are not the same concept. Mercy is not being punished as we deserve. David certainly deserved to be punished but God had mercy on him as He does with us. In the Acts 13:34 passage the NASB and NIV say "I will give you THE HOLY AND SURE BLESSINGS of David" instead of "the sure mercies of David" as the KJB and others say.

This concept of mercy is gradually being diluted in the new versions. The words mercy and merciful are found in the Old Testament of the KJB 288 times, yet in these same passages the NIV only has mercy 85 times while the NASB is down to 51 times. Instead they substitute the word 'love' in place of 'mercy'.

In 59:4 God is rebuking His people for their sins and says: "None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth:." This is the reading of the NKJV, Geneva Bible, 1936 Jewish translation, Spanish, Webster's, TMB, and KJV 21.

But the NASB joins the RSV and says: "No one sues righteously (goes to court) and no one pleads honestly" while the NIV is different yet with "No one calls for justice (OK), no one pleads his case with integrity."

There is a difference in pleading for the truth of God and pleading my own case in a court of law with integrity, and there is a difference between calling for justice and suing somebody.

The latter part of this verse says: "they trust in VANITY, and speak lies." This word 'vanity' was used in Isaiah 44:9 where it says: "they that make a graven image are all of them vanity...they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed. Who hath formed a god, or moten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?"

The phrase "they trust in vanity" can refer to the false gods and idols which Israel constantly turned to. This is the reading of the KJB, RV, ASV, Geneva, KJV 21, TMB, Webster's, Spanish and Hebrew Names Version. But the NKJV says: "they trust in EMPTY WORDS", the NIV "they rely on EMPTY ARGUMENTS", and the NASB has: "they trust IN CONFUSION."

Isaiah 59:19 KJB - "So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the ENEMY shall come in like a flood, the SPIRIT of the LORD SHALL LIFT UP A STANDARD AGAINST HIM."

ESV - "So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun, FOR HE WILL COME LIKE A RUSHING STREAM, WHICH THE WIND OF THE LORD DRIVES."

This beautiful verse has been totally changed in the ESV, NIV, NASB, NET and Holman.

Agreeing with the King James Bible's "When the ENEMY shall come in like a flood, the SPIRIT of the LORD SHALL LIFT UP A STANDARD AGAINST HIM." are the Boothroyd Bible 1853, The Jewish Family Bible 1864, the NKJV 1982, Darby 1890, Young's 1898, 1936 Hebrew Publishing Company, Spanish Cipriano de Valera and Reina Valera, the Italian Diodati, French Martin and Ostervald, Portuguese A Biblia Sagrada, Webster's, Amplified Bible 1987, Third Millennium Bible 1998, the 2012 Natural Israelite Bible, and KJV 21st Century 1994 we read: "When the ENEMY shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD SHALL LIFT UP A STANDARD AGAINST HIM." and The Biblos Bible 2013.

The Hebrew Transliteration Bible 2010 - "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of ADONAI (יהוה) shall lift up a standard against him."

This online Hebrew Interlinear O.T. - "When shall come in like a flood the enemy the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard."

https://studybible.info/IHOT/Isaiah%2059:19

The Jewish Virtual Library Complete Tanach 1994 - "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him."

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yeshayahu-isaiah-chapter-59

The Natural Israelite Bible of 2012 - "So shall they fear The name of Yahweh from the west, And His glory from the rising of the sun; WHEN THE ENEMY COMES IN LIKE A FLOOD, THE SPIRIT OF YAHWEH WILL LIFT UP A STANDARD AGAINST HIM."

Darby's translation - "When the adversary shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of Jehovah will lift up a banner against him."

Young's literal - "When come in as a flood doth an adversary, The Spirit of Jehovah hath raised an ensign against him."

NKJV 1982 - "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him."

The Amplified Bible 1987 - "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him and put him to flight."

The Orthodox Jewish Bible 2011 - "When the enemy shall come in like a nahar (flood, river), the Ruach [Hakodesh] of Hashem shall lift up a standard against him."

Foreign Language Bibles - KJB

The Spanish Cipriano de Valera 1602, Reina Valera 1909 and 1960 editions (but not the 1995) and the R.V. Gómez 2010 all read like the KJB with: "porque vendrá el enemigo como río, mas el Espíritu de Jehová levantará bandera contra él." = "The enemy will come like a river, but the Spirit of the Lord will raise a standard (flag) against him."

The French Martin 1744, the French Darby version and the French Ostervald 1996 read like the KJB - "quand l'adversaire viendra comme un fleuve, l'Esprit de l'Éternel lèvera l'étendard contre lui." - "When the enemy comes in live a flood, the Spirit of the Eternal will raise up a standard against him."

So too do the Italian Diodati 1649 and La Nuova Diodati of 1991 - "quando lavversario verr come una fiumana, lo Spirito dellEterno alzer contro di lui una bandiera." = "When the enemy comes like a flood, the Spirit of the Eternal One (the Lord) shall raise up a banner against him."

And so do the Portuguese Almeida Corrigida E Fiel and A Biblia Sagrada em Portugués 2009 - "vindo o inimigo como uma corrente de guas, o Esprito do SENHOR arvorar contra ele a sua bandeira." = "When the enemy comes like a current of waters, the Spirit of the Lord will raise up a banner against him."

The Romainian Fidela Bible 2009 reads exactly like the KJB - "Când duşmanul va intra ca un potop, Duhul DOMNULUI va ridica un steag împotriva lui." = "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will raise up a standard against him."

The Dutch Staten Vertaling Bible - " als de vijand zal komen gelijk een stroom, zal de Geest des HEEREN de banier tegen hen oprichten." = "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against them."

This is a marvelous promise of protection against the enemy when he assails us with a flood of persecution or temptations.

However the NASB, ESV, NET, ISV, Holman and NIV all join the RSV. The NASB says: "For He (God) will come like a RUSHING stream WHICH THE WIND OF THE LORD DRIVES."

The NIV says: "For he will come like A PENT UP up flood that THE BREATH OF THE LORD DRIVES ALONG."

The entire meaning is changed. They have omitted the word for "enemy", yet the NIV concordance shows they have translated this Hebrew word as "enemy" or "foe" some 61 times but only once as "pent up".

The NASB concordance shows they translated this same Hebrew word #6862 TSAR as "enemy" or "adversary" some 68 times and only once as "rushing". And the very word that is translated as "lift up a standard" is also translated as "lift up a banner" by the NASB, ESV and NIV Psalms 60:4.

The Catholic Connection

Can you guess which other versions read like the ESV, NIV, NASB? You got it. The Catholic Douay 1950 reads: "When he shall come as a violent stream, which the spirit of the Lord driveth on."

The St. Joseph NAB 1970 has: "For it shall come like a pent-up river which the breath of the LORD drives on."

And the New Jerusalem bible 1985 reads: "for he shall come like a pent-up stream impelled by the breath of Yahweh." = just like the ESV, NIV, NET, ISV, Holman and NASB. Just a coincidence, huh?

The so called Greek Septuagint is really weird, as usual, and totally opposite to the KJB with: "FOR THE WRATH OF THE LORD SHALL COME as a mighty river; IT SHALL COME WITH FURY." Yeah, that's pretty close, huh?

Yet the Modern Greek Bible reads like the King James Bible with: "οταν ο εχθρος επελθη ως ποταμος, το πνευμα του Κυριου θελει υψωσει σημαιαν εναντιον αυτου.: = "WHEN THE ENEMY COMES IN LIKE A FLOOD (river), the SPIRIT OF THE LORD WILL RAISE UP A BANNER AGAINST HIM."

Lamsa's translation of the Syriac is at least a little closer in meaning to the KJB, but not at all like the LXX with: "For the OPPRESSOR shall come in LIKE A FLOOD, and the Spirit of the LORD shall humble him."

The King James Bible was the first English Bible to get it right. The Geneva didn't quite get it, but read: "for THE ENEMIE SHALL COME IN LIKE A FLOOD, BUT THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SHALL CHASE HIM AWAY."

John Wesley comments: "At what time soever the devil, or his instruments shall make violent irruptions upon the church. A standard - God shall make known himself to take their part and defend them, by his spirit alone."

John Calvin comments on this passage: "For the enemy shall come as a river. As to the reason now assigned, commentators differ. But the true meaning, in my opinion, is, that the attack of the enemy shall be so furious that, like a rapid and impetuous torrent, it shall appear to sweep away and destroy everything, but that the Lord shall cause it instantly to subside and disappear. It is therefore intended to heighten the description of the divine power, by which the vast strength and dreadful fury of the enemies are repelled, receive a different direction, and fall to pieces."

John Gill comments: "when the enemy shall come in like a flood; when Satan, the common "enemy" of mankind, the avowed and implacable enemy of Christ and his people, "shall come" into the world, and into the church, as he will in the latter day; and has already entered "like" an impetuous flood, threatening to carry all before him, introducing a flood of immorality and profaneness, as in the days of Noah and Lot, to which the times of the Son of Man's coming are likened, Luke 17:26 or else a flood of error and heresy of all sorts; see Revelation 12:15 and likewise a flood of persecution, as will be at the slaying of the witnesses, that hour of temptation that will come upon all the earth, to try the inhabitants of it...the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him; Christ and his Gospel, or Christ the standard lifted up in the ministry of the Gospel, Isaiah 11:10 a set of ministers shall be raised up, having the everlasting Gospel, which they shall publish to all nations, and which shall have an universal spread; and by means of which the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea; and which will be a sufficient check to the enemy's flood of immorality, error, and persecution; and which, after this, shall be no more."

David Guzik's Commentary - "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him. The enemies of the LORD will never triumph over Him. Even if they come in like a flood, and seem unstoppable, the LORD will lift up a battle-standard against him, and he will be stopped. God gives His people the glorious privilege of beingmore than conquerors (Romans 8:37), but will win it with or without us."

The Pulpit Commentary - "When the enemy shall come in - even the King of Assyria and all his glory," When this shall be the case, then the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him (comp. Isaiah 10:18; Zechariah 9:16), and easily vanquish him. The metaphor of "lifting a standard" for making an armed resistance is common in Isaiah (Isaiah 5:26; Isaiah 13:2; Isaiah 18:3; Isaiah 31:9, etc.)."

The King James Bible is right, as always. Accept no substitutes.

Isaiah 61:10 is one of my favorite verses. "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself WITH ORNAMENTS, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels."

"as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments" is the reading of the NKJV, 1936, Young's, Green's interlinear, TMB, Webster's and the KJV 21.

The word for "ornaments" here is the same word as "beauty" found in 61:3 "to give them beauty for ashes". The verb means to beautify and is found in 60:13 'to beautify the place of my sanctuary'. It is rendered as beauty in 61:3 by the KJB, NKJV, Geneva, Darby, Young's, TMB, KJV 21 and Webster's. There the NASB says "to give them a GARLAND for ashes" but the NIV has 'to give them a CROWN OF BEAUTY for ashes".

But when we get to verse 61:10 the NASB again translates the word as garland and says "as a bridegroom decks himself with a GARLAND" but the NIV says: "as a bridegroom adorns HIS HEAD LIKE A PRIEST." How did a priest get in there? The old RSV and even the NRSV read "garland" just like the NASB, but now the new ESV or English Standard Version of 2001, which is a revision of the RSV, says "as a bridegroom decks himself LIKE A PRIEST WITH A BEAUTIFUL HEADDRESS."

John Gill says this is a Targum interpretation rather than what the Hebrew text actually says.

I have passed over many other changes in meaning found in these chapters, but these few will show that not all bibles are just saying the same thing but with different words. Different words, unless they are synonyms, change the meaning of the text. This should be obvious to us all.

Isaiah 62-63

In many subtle ways the character of Almighty God is being diminished in some of today's modern versions. A case in point in Isaiah 62:6. In the KJB we read: "I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye THAT MAKE MENTION OF the LORD, keep not silence."

This verb, to make mention, is used several times in Isaiah as in 48:1, 49:1, and 63:7 "I will mention the lovingkindness of the LORD" where even the NASB has 'mention'. However in 62:6 the NASB says: "you WHO REMIND THE LORD, take no rest". Now, does God need to be reminded of something by men? Is He a forgetful old man?

The NASB alone tells us in Psalm 78:36 that the children of Israel DECEIVED God, whereas all the other Bible say they did FLATTER Him with their mouth. We can flatter God and insincerely say nice things about Him, but surely we cannot deceive God.

Another example of diminishing God is found in Jeremiah 3:7 where the Hebrew Masoretic text, the Jewish translations, RV, ASV, NKJV, Young's, Darby, Geneva etc. have God saying: "And I SAID after she had done all these things, TURN THOU unto me. But she returned not."

However both the NASB and the NIV have followed a different text and have God saying: "I THOUGHT, 'After she has done all these things SHE WOULD RETURN to Me; but she did not ." Was God mistaken? Does God need to be reminded of something? Can He be deceived ? The NASB teaches us that He can be.

In 63:1-3 we have a picture of God taking vengeance as a man treading grapes and staining his garments. "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with DYED garments from Bozrah?...Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; ...their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments."

DYED garments is the reading of the KJB, RV, ASV, NKJV, Young's, Douay, Webster's, TMB, KJV 21. The NIV has 'garments stained crimson' but the NASB says: "with garments OF GLOWING COLORS".

In 63:11 we read: "Then HE remembered the days of old, Moses and his people..." HE refers to God and is the reading of the KJB, RV, ASV, NKJV, ESV, Young's, Darby, Geneva, RSV, Spanish, KJV 21, TMB, Webster's and the Douay versions.

Jamieson, Faussett and Brown remark - 11. remembered--Notwithstanding their perversity, He forgot not His covenant of old; therefore He did not wholly forsake them - God is represented, in human language, mentally speaking of Himself and His former acts of love to Israel, as His ground for pitying them notwithstanding their rebellion.

However the NASB and NIV say "HIS PEOPLE remembered..." It is of interest to note that the NRSV says THEY but then in a footnote tells us the Hebrew says HE.

The meaning of 63:19 has been changed in the NASB and the NKJV. There we read in the KJB, Young's, Webster's Bible, the Third Millenium Bible, the KJV 21 and even in the NIV "We are thine; thou never barest rule over them; they were not called by thy name." The NIV reads: "We are yours from of old; but you have not ruled over them, they have not been called by your name."

God's people belong to Him. He chose them to be His own and He did not chose the surrounding nations. They were not called by the name of the one true God.

However both the NASB and the NKJV say: "We have become like those of old, over whom You never ruled, Those who were never called by Your name." What happened to WE ARE THINE? Are they no longer the Lord's people?

Isaiah 64

1-3 "Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might FLOW DOWN at thy presence, As when THE MELTING FIRE BURNETH, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name know to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence! When thou didst terrible things whice we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains FLOWED DOWN at thy presence."

The picture here of the melting fire and the mountains flowing down at the presence of God was both portrayed symbolically at the giving of the law at mount Sinai (Judges 5:4) and will occur literally in the great day of the Lord when the elements shall melt with fervent heat (2 Peter 3:10).

The mountains FLOW DOWN, and THE MELTING FIRE BURNETH is the reading of the KJB, Webster's Bible, the Third Millenium Bible and the KJV 21. Both verbs for the flow down are the same, but some versions translate one as flow down and the other as to shake or tremble as Darby, Young's and Douay.

Matthew Henry comments: "mountains flow down, melting fire burneth" That the mountains might flow down at thy presence, that the fire of thy wrath may burn so fiercely against thy enemies as even to dissolve the rockiest mountains and melt them down before it, as metal in the furnace, which is made liquid and cast into what shape the operator pleases; so the melting fire burns"

The NKJV joins the NASB (which has "quaked") and translates both instances of this verb as "the mountains SHAKE" instead of FLOW DOWN, and it also says "as fire burns BRUSHWOOD" instead of "the MELTING FIRE burneth". The NIV translates both verbs as "tremble" and has the fire burning TWIGS. We see literally hundreds of such examples where the NKJV has changed far more than just the Thee and Ye of the KJB.

The meaning of verses 4, 5 and 7 have also been inconsistently changed in the Babel of modern versions, as we shall see.

Verse 4 "FOR SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD, men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen. O GOD, BESIDE THEE, WHAT HE HATH PREPARED for him that waiteth for him."

"For since the beginning of the world" is the reading of the KJB, NKJV, Geneva, 1936 Jewish translation, Douay, TMB, Webster's, and the KJV 21. The NASB says FROM OF OLD, while the NIV has SINCE ANCIENT TIMES.

"NEITHER HATH THE EYE SEEN, O GOD, BESIDE THEE, WHAT HE HATH PREPARED" is the reading of the KJB, Douay, ASV footnote, TMB, KJV 21 and Webster's.

Matthew Henry again comments - "since the beginning of the world men have not, either by hearing or seeing, the two learning senses, come to the full knowledge of it. None have seen, nor heard, nor can understand, but God himself, what the provision is that is made for the present and future felicity of holy souls. God himself knew what he had in store for believers, but none knew besides him."

The KJB reading is in agreement with the New Testament reference to this verse where the Holy Ghost says through Paul in I Corinthians 2:9 "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."

But here in Isaiah 64:4 the NKJV again joins the NASB, NIV in saying: "Nor has the sye seen ANY GOD BESIDE YOU, WHO ACTS FOR THE ONE who waits for Him." The meaning of the KJB is that no one has seen the things that God prepared but God. The NKJV's meaning is that some have seen God and He acts for them. The two meanings are very different. 64:5 "Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousnes, those that remember thee in THY WAYS; behold thou art wroth: for we have sinned: IN THOSE IS CONTINUANCE, AND WE SHALL BE SAVED." This is the reading of the KJB, Geneva, Darby, Webster, TMB and the KJV 21. The words IN THOSE IS CONTINUANCE refer back to the ways of God.

Jamieson, Faussett and Brown comment: in those is continuance--"it is not in Thy wrath that there is continuance but in Thy ways ("those"), namely, of covenant mercy to Thy people on the strength of the everlasting continuance of His covenant they infer by faith, "we shall be saved." God "remembered" for them His covenant though they often "remembered not" Him. CASTELLIO translates, "we have sinned for long in them ('thy ways'), and could we then be saved?" But they hardly would use such a plea when their very object was to be saved."

The Geneva Bible notes comment: 64:5 Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, [those that] remember thee in thy e ways: behold, thou art angry; for we have sinned: in f those is continuance, and we shall be saved. (e) They considered your great mercies. (f) That is, in your mercies, which he calls the ways of the Lord.

However we see the entire meaning of this verse completely changed in the multitude of modern versions. The NKJV says: "Who remembers You in Your ways. You are indeed angry, for we have sinned - In THESE WAYS WE CONTINUE; And WE NEED TO BE SAVED."

The NASB has: "remembers You in Your ways. Behold, You were angry, for we sinned, WE CONTINUED IN THEM FOR A LONG TIME; AND SHALL WE BE SAVED?"

The NIV reads: "who remember your ways. BUT WE CONTINUED TO SIN AGAINST THEM, you were angry. HOW THEN CAN WE BE SAVED?"

The NRSV is even weirder with "who remember you in your ways. But you were angry and we sinned: BECAUSE YOU HID YOURSELF WE TRANSGRESSED." Then it has a footnote telling us that the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain! This is a total lie because the Hebrew is very clearly a Future passive of the verb to save, just like in the KJB "we SHALL BE SAVED".

So where is your final authority? God's pure words preserved in the majestic and God honoring King James Bible that has stood solid for almost 400 years, or in the changing and contradictory opinions of today's scholars?

Finally in this single chapter we read in verse 7 "And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, AND HAST CONSUMED US, BECAUSE OF OUR INIQUITIES."

The verb "to consume" is #4127 and can mean either to consume, to melt or to dissolve. The KJB reading is shared by many Bible versions including the NKJV and the NIV. The NIV says: "you have hidden your face from us and made us aste away because of our sins."

But when we get to the NASB we see that they have followed texts other than the Hebrew Masoretic. The NASB reads like the RSV and the NRSV and says: "You have hidden Your face from us and HAVE DELIVERED us INTO THE POWER OF OUR INIQUITIES."

The NASB does not tell you when they have changed texts, which they do 40 to 50 times that I have found so far. But the RSV and NRSV both have a footnote telling us that this reading comes in part from the LXX, the Syriac and a Targum reading but the Hebrew reads "melt", not "delivered into". The new ESV, which is a revision of the RSV, has now gone back to "you melt”.

So where is your final authority? God's pure words preserved in the majestic and God honoring King James Bible that has stood solid for almost 400 years, or in the changing and contradictory opinions of today?

Isaiah 65:11 KJB - "But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for THAT TROOP, and that furnish the drink offering unto THAT NUMBER."

Troop, Number, Fortune, Destiny, Gad, Meni, the Devil, Fortune tellers, bowls, Jupiter, the Planets?

A fellow KJB believer writes -“I was listening to a man named Ken Peters and he made this comment: That Isaiah 65:11 in the KJV was mis-translated: He said instead of troop and number it should say Gad and mene. Not Gad the troop of the the Israelites but Gad the Babylonian god of prosperity and destiny.”

So let's see if there is any merit to what our Bible Corrector, Ken Peters, says. It should first be noted that lots of Bible translators disagree with Mr. Peters, who no doubt, himself does not believe that ANY Bible in any language is or ever was the complete and inerrant words of God. What we have going on today is that every man seems to think he is an expert, and it's Every Man For Himself Bible Versionism gone to seed. Let's take a closer look at this passage.

Isaiah 65:11 KJB - "But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for THAT TROOP, and that furnish the drink offering unto THAT NUMBER."

ESV, NIV, NASB - "But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for FORTUNE and fill cups for DESTINY." ESV 2011.

Ooops. No "Gad" and "meme". It looks like not everybody agrees with how Mr. Rogers thinks the verse should be translated.

NKJV - "But you are those who forsake the LORD, Who forget My holy mountain, Who prepare a table for GAD (44) And who furnish a drink offering for MENI (45).

The NKJV reads Gad and Meni and then footnotes the usual confusion I see with all these "scholarly" points of view. The NKJV had GAD - Footnote: Literally Troop or Fortune, a pagan deity. MENI - Footnote: Literally Number or Destiny, a pagan deity.

Well, the word "troop" also means a large company or many, and I don't know of any pagan deity names Troop. And the word "number" also can refer to a number or several false gods and pagan practices which are referred to in verses 3-7 of this same chapter.

The "scholars" offer us some 10 or more very different views and opinions about what this verse means or how it should be translated. What one affirms another denies. I'll stick with the KJB which makes perfect sense as it stands.

The word the KJB translates as "that TROOP" is # 1409 and is found only 2 times in the entire Hebrew Old Testament. It is the one we looked at earlier here in Genesis 30:11 where Leah says at the birth of Gad "A TROOP cometh: and she called his name Gad." The second time is here in Isaiah 65:11 "prepare a table for that TROOP". 

 The second word the KJB translates as "that NUMBER" is # 4507 and is found only 1 time in the entire Hebrew Old Testament.

Troop, Number, Fortune, Destiny, Gad, Meni, the Devil, Fortune tellers, bowls, Jupiter, the Planets?

Geneva Bible 1587 - "and haue prepared a table for THE MULTITUDE, and furnish the drinke offerings veto THE NUMBER."

Webster's Translation 1833 - "that prepare a table for that TROOP, and that furnish the drink-offering to that NUMBER."

The Great Bible 1540, Bishops' Bible 1568 - "ye haue set vp an aulter vnto JUPITER, and geuen riche drinke offeringes vnto THE PLANETS"

LXX, Complete Apostle's Bible 2005 - "prepare a table for THE DEVIL and fill the drink offering for FORTUNE.

Lamsa's translation of the Syriac - "who prepare tables for FORTUNE TELLERS, and have poured out wine INTO BOWLS FOR THEM."

The Compete Tanach - "who set a table for GAD and who fill mingled wine for a NUMBER."

The Jewish Virtual Library The Tanach [Full Text] 1994 -

“But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that TROOP, and that furnish the drink offering unto that NUMBER.”

https://members.webs.com/MembersB/EditPage/index.jsp?pageID=132368610

The Hebrew Transliteration Scriptures 2010 -

“But ye [are] they that forsake ADONAI (יהוה), that forget My kodesh mountain, that prepare a table for that TROOP, and that furnish the nesekh (drink offering) to that NUMBER.”

https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/YeshaYahu/Yeshayahu65.htm

The King James Bible is not wrong. You just have to think about it to figure out what the passage is talking about. If you want to learn of the wide variety of interpretations of what is being referred to in this verse, see such commentaries as John Gill, Matthew Poole, Barnes and others who tell of some 10 wildly different views held by different scholars. Some think it speaks of Jupiter, or the planet Mercury, or Venus, the Moon or the Sun or a star or Ashteroth or the host of heaven or a multitude of idols in general.

Barnes’ Notes on the Bible. Even though he doesn’t like the KJB translation, yet he admits: “Much has been written on this place, and the views of the learned concerning Gad and Meni are very various and uncertain.”

Several Bible commentators got it right.

Matthew Henry - "Here the different states of the godly and wicked, of the Jews who believed, and of those who persisted in unbelief, are set against one another. They prepared a table for THAT TROOP OF DEITIES which the heathen worship, and poured out drink-offerings to that countless NUMBER."

John Gill - "that prepare a table for that troop; or, "for a troop"; a troop of idols worshipped…And that furnish the drink offering unto that number: or, "to a number"; to a number of deities, which were as numerous as their cities.”

The Pulpit Commentary. Even though it differs from the KJB, yet their own explanation gives credit to why the KJB has it the way it does. "There is ground for believing that "Gad" was a Phoenician deity, perhaps "the god of good fortune" (Cheyne), though this is not clearly ascertained; sometimes worshipped as an aspect of Baal, whence the name, Baal-Gad sometimes connected with other deities, as Moloch and Ashtoreth." In other words "a TROOP of different deities"

Adam Clarke comments: "The disquisitions and conjectures of the learned concerning Gad and Meni are infinite and uncertain. “But why should we be solicitous about it?” says Schmidius. “It appears sufficiently, from the circumstances, that they were false gods; either stars, or some natural objects; or a mere fiction. The Holy Scriptures did not deign to explain more clearly what these objects of idolatrous worship were.”

Benson Commentary - "for that troop - A troop of idols, worshipped by the heathen”

John Wesley - "That troop - The idols of the ten tribes, and of the Assyrians, were a troop, where as the God of Israel was one God. Number - The multitude of their idols.”

And the Geneva Study Bible notes - "By the multitude and number he means their innumerable idols of whom they thought they could never have enough."

Todays "bibles" are getting worse, not better. Get yourself the King James Bible and stick to it. All others are poor substitutes. Friends don't let friends use fake bible versions.

Isaiah 66

In 66:4 God testifies against those who have gone after idols and chosen their own ways. To them He says: "I also will choose THEIR DELUSIONS, and will bring their fear upon them." This verse also ties in with II Thessalonians 2:11 where God says He will send strong DELUSION upon those who received not the love of the truth.

"I will choose their DELUSIONS" is the reading of the KJB, RV, ASV, NKJV, Geneva, Hebrew Names Bible and others. However the NASB says: "I will choose their PUNISHMENT"; the NIV "I will choose their HARSH TREATMENT" and the NRSV has: "I will choose TO MOCK THEM." These are not simple synonyms and do not mean the same thing.

Isaiah 66:5 But He shall appear to your joy

There are literally hundreds of examples of how the New KJV has changed the meaning of the Scriptures as found in the King James Bible. One more of these hundreds of examples is found in Isaiah 66:5.

There we read: "Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the LORD be glorified: BUT HE SHALL APPEAR TO YOUR JOY, and they shall be ashamed."

This is the reading of not only the KJB but also the Geneva Bible of 1587 - "Your brethren that hated you, and cast you out for my Names sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appeare to your ioy, and they shall be ashamed., Rotherham's Emphasized Bible of 1902- "Therefore shall he appear to your rejoicing", Daniel Webster's 1833 translation, the Lesser Old Testament 1853 - "Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for the sake of my name, said, "Let the Lord be glorified;" but he will appear to your joy, and they shall be made ashamed.", Green's Modern KJV - "But He will appear to your joy, and they will be ashamed.", the Jewish translation of the Hebrew Publishing Company 1936, the Third Millennium Bible1998 - "He shall appear to your joy'; and they shall be ashamed."

Among foreign language translations that have the same sense as found in the King James Bible are the French Martin 1744 - "que l'Eternel montre sa gloire. Il sera donc vu à votre joie, mais eux seront honteux.", the Spanish Sagradas Escrituras of 1569 - "Mas él se manifestará a vuestra alegría, y ellos serán confundidos." = "But He shall appear to your joy, and they shall be confounded.", the Spanish Reina Valera 1602, 1909, 1960 and the Reina Valera Gómez Bible of 2010 - "Jehová sea glorificado. Mas Él se mostrará para alegría vuestra, y ellos serán confundidos.", the Italian Diodati 1649 - "Certo egli apparirà in vostra letizia, ed essi saran confusi." = "he will appear in your joy, and they shall be confounded.", Luther's German Bible 1545 - "lasset ihn erscheinen zu eurer Freude!" = "Let him appear to your joy! ",  the Dutch Staten Vertaling Bible - "Doch Hij zal verschijnen tot ulieder vreugde" = "But He will appear to your joy", and the Modern Greek Bible - "Ας δοξασθη ο Κυριος· πλην αυτος θελει φανη εις χαραν σας, εκεινοι δε θελουσι καταισχυνθη." = "But He will appear to your joy".

However a host of modern versions, including the NKJV, give a very different message. The NKJV says along with the NASB, NIV, RSV, ESV: "Who cast you out for my name's sake, said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, THAT WE MAY SEE YOUR JOY'. But they shall be ashamed."

What happened to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is the true meaning "But He shall appear to your joy" or "That We may see your joy"?

The verb used here is # 7200 variously translated as "to see, to appear, to provide". It is a very common verb, but this particular instance is what is called a Niphal participle. It is only found three times in this particular form and the other two both refer to God or the Lord. Genesis 12:7 "the LORD who appeared unto him"; Genesis 35:1 "God that appeared unto thee", and here in Isaiah 66:5 "but he shall appear to your joy."

Jamison, Faussett and Brown -. They cast you out for my name's sake--excommunicate, as if too polluted to worship with them. So in Christ's first sojourn on earth . So it shall be again in the last times, when the believing shall be few (Luke 18:8). Let the Lord be glorified--the mocking challenge of the persecutors, as if their violence towards you was from zeal for God. "He shall appear to your joy," --giving you "joy" instead of your "rebuke"

Geneva Bible study notes:"but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed. He encourages the faithful by promising to destroy their enemies, who pretended to be as brethren, but were hypocrites, and hated them that feared God."

John Calvin translates it as "But He will be seen to your joy" and then comments: "As if he had said, "God, by his coming, will cause believers to know that they have not hoped in vain; for he will appear for the advantage of believers, and for the destruction of those who maintain that he will appear as the defender of wickedness, of which he will be the severe avenger. The former shall enjoy gladness and consolation, while the latter shall be ashamed and shall blush, for they shall quickly feel that the judgment of God, which they now laugh at, is at hand."

I personally believe this verse has a great deal of application to the Bible version issue so vehemently being fought today. There are two camps in this battle. We who believe God has in fact kept His promises to preserve His pure, inspired words and He has done this in the King James Bible for the last 400 years; we "tremble at His word". 

And then there are those on the other side  who profess to believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, but when their beliefs are closely examined, we find out that "only the originals were inspired",  "No Bible is 100% correct, All translations are faulty, The correct reading should be..., Here there is a mistake", etc. and they cast out the Bible believer as being some kind of a nut or a "cultist", who has "made an idol out of the Bible" and they think they are honoring God when they do this.  

In the Bible Agnostic's way of thinking (They don't KNOW where to find God's complete and infallible Book) they who do not believe that ANY Bible in ANY language IS or ever was the complete and perfect words of God are "Orthodox", while we who believe God HAS given us His perfect Bible in the English language of the King James Holy Bible are "heretics" and kooks.

The battle lines are clearly drawn and you cannot sit on the fence. By the grace of God, may we be among those who tremble at His word. We have God's promise that He will appear to our joy, and they shall be ashamed.

66:19 "And I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, PUL, and Lud, THAT DRAW THE BOW, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off..and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles."

The reading of PUL here is exacltly what the Hebrew says and is the reading of the RV, ASV, NKJV, Young's, ESV, Darby etc. However the NIV says "the LIBYANS" and the NASB, RSV say "PUT (instead of PUL). But the NIV and RSV both have a footnote telling us that the NASB reading of PUT comes from SOME LXX but that the Hebrew says PUL. My copy of the LXX says PHUD and not PUT, so I don't know which copies of the LXX the NASB committee felt free to use here.

Again in 66:19 the reading of "THAT DRAW THE BOW" is found in the KJB, ASV, RV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, NKJV, Young's, Geneva etc. Even the NIV has: "famous as archers" but the NASB alone renders "that draw the bow" as "MESHECH, ROSH". Again they may have followed some LXX in part because my copy of the LXX reads "Mosoch" but it omits the 'Rosh" part.

One final verse in this study of Isaiah is 66:23 where we read: "And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall ALL FLESH come TO WORSHIP before me, saith the LORD."

When God uses the word FLESH in referrence to men it denotes our weakness, frailty, liability to sin and corruption. During the Millenium there will be people born who will come up to Jerusalem to worship God. Notice it is to WORSHIP God. Both the words Flesh for men and Worship for God put both in their proper place. Only God is to be worshipped. These words Flesh (for man) and Worship (for God) are found in the KJB, RV, ASV, NKJV and even the liberal RSV, NRSV and the new ESV.

However in both the NASB and NIV we see both man exalted and God diminished by the sublte change in both these words. Here they both render this verse as "shall ALL MANKIND come to BOW DOWN before Me, saith the LORD."

Mankind is a much nobler word than Flesh. It exalts man rather than humbles him, and we may Bow Down to a mere man, as in Genesis 37:10 and Exodus 11:8, but we can only Worship God. The NASB / NIV have both changed many verses in the New Testament where Jesus Christ is worshipped, to men merely Bowing down or Kneeling down before Him. See Matthew 8:2; 9:18; 18:21 and 20:20 etc. Yet they translate this same word as worship when it is applied to the dragon in Rev. 13:4.

We have seen through this comparative study of Isaiah that all bibles do NOT teach the same thing in scores of verses. The NASB, NIV and NKJV do not always follow the same Hebrew Masoretic texts, nor do they have the same meaning even when they supposedly are translating the same text. This results in the present day Bible Babel of confusion and uncertainty. There is no final authority save the conflicting opinions of scholars who believe some of God's words have been lost and it is up to them to restore as best they think they can what God Himself was not able to preserve.

We who believe God has kept His promises to preserve His words and has in fact done so, and they are found today in the King James Bible. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Thank you and may God be pleased to open the eyes of your understanding that you may "know the certainty of the words of truth". Proverbs 22:21

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