The “literal” NASB and Other Modern Versions
The “literal” NASB and Other Modern Versions
We often hear from people who use this constantly changing Vatican supervised text NASB version about how “literal” it is. But for anyone who has actually looked into the matter, the NASB is far from being a literal translation. No translation is strictly “literal” in every case, but the NASB often goes to ridiculous extremes of being non-literal.
For many more examples see my article “You Better Hope Your Surgeon is Not a Modern Versionist”
Day or Night?
Can your surgeon tell the difference between Day or Night when you make an appointment?
In Matthew 27:19 we read: “When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this DAY in a dream because of him.”
All texts read “this DAY” - σημερον - seemeron. And so too do Wycliffe 1395, Tyndale 1524, Coverdale 1535, The Great Bible 1540, Matthew’s Bible 1549, the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, the Revised Version 1881, the ASV 1901, Young’s 1898, Darby 1890, the NKJV 1982, ESV 2016, Holman Standard 2009, NIV 2011 and Dan Wallace’s NET Version.
However the NASB, in spite of having translated this exact same word as “today” or “this day” some 37 times, here it translated it as “LAST NIGHT”. (The only time)
NASB - While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent him a message, saying, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for LAST NIGHT I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.”
THE FLESH - σαρξ - sarx
The word “flesh” is found some 148 times in the New Testament, and the KJB translates it some 145 times as “FLESH” and 3 times as “carnal”.
The NASB Complete Concordance shows that they too have translated it as “flesh” or “fleshly” some 132 times, BUT also as “bodily” (there is an entirely different Greek word for “body” - soma - το σωμα), “bodily condition”, “earthly”, “fellow countrymen”, “life” (3 times), “man”, “mankind” (twice), “nation”, “on earth” and “personally”.
So much for the “literal” NASB.
The NIV 1984 edition, which is basically an entire paraphrase Comic Book Bible, makes no pretense about being “literal”.
According to their own NIV Complete Concordance, the NIV 1984 edition has translated this Greek word “σαρξ - sarx” in such varied ways as: “flesh (33 times), “sinful nature” (23 times), “human” (3 times), “people” (3 times), “sinful man” (3 times), “earthly”, “in the ordinary way”, “nature” (twice), “physical” (twice), “the world” (twice), “birth”, “bodies”, “external”, “from a worldly point of view”, “human ancestry”, “human effort”, “human standards”, “illness”, “in this way”, “life”, “life on earth”, “man”, “natural”, “outwardly”, “perversion”, “sensual”, “sinful”, “sinful human nature”, “this world”, “unspiritual” “worldly manner” and 13 times they did not translate it at all.
All this information comes right out of their own NIV Complete Concordance. I have a hard copy of it right here in my study.
The “literal” NASB and other Modern Versions continued -
Galatians 4:13 KJB - “Ye know how through infirmity of the FLESH I preached the gospel unto you at the first.”
Galatians 4:14 KJB - “And my temptation which was in my FLESH ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.
So too read Wycliffe, Tyndale, Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew’s bible 1549, the Bishops’ bible 1568, the Geneva Bible, the Revised Version, Darby 1890, Young’s 1898, the ASV 1901, World English bible 2000, Jubilee Bible 2010, Lexham English bible 2012.
But the NASB has: “but you know that it was because of a BODILY illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; 14 and that which was a trial to you in my BODILY CONDITION you did not despise or oathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself.”
The Holman Standard has “FLESH” in verse 13 but “PHYSICAL CONDITION” in v. 14
The ESV has “BODILY AILMENT” in v. 13 and “CONDITION” in v. 14
And the NIV totally paraphrases “infirmity of the flesh” as “AN ILLNESS” in v. 13 and the literal “flesh” as “ILLNESS” in verse 14.
FLESH or EARTHLY?
In Hebrews 12:9 we read in the King James Bible - “ Furthermore we have had fathers of OUR FLESH (της σαρκος ημων) which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?”
So too read Wycliffe, Tyndale, Coverdale, Great Bible, Matthew’s bible, the Revised Version, the ASV 1901, Darby 1890, Youngs 1898, Jubilee bible 2010, and the New Matthew Bible 2016.
But the NASB, ESV and NET say: “Furthermore, we had EARTHLY fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?”
The NKJV and NIV say “HUMAN fathers”.
Holman has “NATURAL fathers”
Romans 11:14 KJB - “If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my FLESH (την σαρκα) , and might save some of them.”
So read the Wycliffe, Tyndale, Coverdale, the Great Bible, Matthew’s bible, the Bishops’ bible, the Geneva bible, the Revised Version, the ASV, Darby 1890, Young’s 1898, NKJV 1982, World English Bible 2000, and the New Matthew Bible 2016.
But the NASB has: “ if somehow I might move to jealousy my FELLOW COUNTRYMEN and save some of them.”
The Holman Standard, NIV and NET have “my OWN PEOPLE”
ESV has “MY FELLOW JEWS”
FLESH or LIFE?
Three times the NASB mistranslates the word “flesh” as “life”, which is an entirely different Greek word # 2222 ζωη - Zoe.
It does this in Matthew 24:22; Mark 13:20 and in 1 Corinthians 7:28 KJB - “such shall have trouble IN THE FLESH” (τη σαρκι).
So read Tyndale, Coverdale, the Great Bible, Matthew’s bible, the Bishops’ bible, the Geneva bible, the RV, ASV, NKJV, Darby, Young’s, World English bible 2000, Lexham English bible 2012 and the New Matthew Bible 2016.
The NASB - “such will have trouble IN THIS LIFE.”
The NIV and Holman Standard also have “in THIS LIFE”
while the ESV has “will have WORLDLY troubles”
and Dan Wallace’s NET version totally paraphrases this as “will FACE DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES”
FLESH or MAN?
1 Corinthians 1:29 KJB - “That no FLESH should glory in his presence.”
So read Tyndale, Coverdale, the Great Bible, Matthew’s Bible, the Bishops’ bible, the Geneva Bible, the RV, ASV, Darby, Young’s, NKJV, Jubilee bible 2010, the Lexham English bible 2012 and the New Matthew Bible 2016 to name but a few.
The normal Greek word for “man” is anthropos - ο ανθρωπος. But it is NOT the word used here in 1 Corinthians 1:29. The word used here is “flesh” σαρξ
Yet the “literal” NASB says: “so that no MAN may boast before God.”
The Holman Standard, NIV, and NET have “that NO ONE can boast”
While the ESV has “that no HUMAN BEING might boast”
FLESH or MANKIND?
The NASB has twice mistranslated the word “flesh” as “mankind”. Both in John 17:2 - KJB “As thou hast given him power over all FLESH (σαρκος) that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.”
So read Wycliffe, Tyndale, Coverdale, the Great Bible, Matthew’s bible, the Bishops’ bible, the Geneva bible, the Revised Version, ASV 1901, NKJV, ESV, Holman Standard 2009, Lexham English bible, World English bible and New Matthew Bible 2016.
But the NASB has - “over all MANKIND”
While Dan Wallace’s NET version has “over all HUMANITY”
And the NIV has “over all PEOPLE”
And in Acts 2:17 KJB - “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all FLESH (σαρκα) : and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams”
So read Wycliffe, Tyndale, Coverdale, the Great Bible, Matthew’s bible, the Bishops’ bible, the Geneva bible, the RV, ASV, Darby, Young’s, the NKJV, Lexham English Bible 2010, ESV 2016, Jubilee bible, World English bible 2000 and the New Matthew Bible 2016, to name but a few.
But the NASB says: “on all MANKIND”
While the NIV, NET versions say; “on all PEOPLE”
And the Holman Standard has “on all HUMANITY”
FLESH or NATION?
1 Corinthians 10:18 KJB - “Behold Israel AFTER THE FLESH: (κατα σαρκα) are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?”
So read the Coverdale, the Great bible, Matthew’s bible, the Bishops’ bible, the Geneva bible, Darby, Young’s, the RV, ASV, NKJV, World English bible 2000, Lexham English bible 2012, Modern English bible 2014 and the New Matthew Bible 2016.
But the NASB says: “Look at THEN NATION Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?”
The ESV, NIV, NET and Holman Standard have “Consider THE PEOPLE of Israel”
And the ISV (International Standard Version 2014) has “Look at the Israelis FROM A HUMAN POINT OF VIEW”
FLESH or THE EARTH?
Colossians 3:22 KJB - “Servants, obey in all things your masters ACCORDING TO THE FLESH (κατα σαρκα); not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God”
So read Wycliffe, the Geneva Bible, the Revised Version, ASV, Darby, Young’s, the NKJV, World English bible 2000, Jubilee bible 2010 and the New Matthew’s Bible 2016.
However the NASB has: “Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters ON EARTH not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.”
The ESV, NIV and Dan Wallace’s NET version have - “your EARTHLY masters”
And the Holman Standard has “your HUMAN masters”
FLESH or PERSONALLY?
Colossians 2:1 KJB - “For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen MY FACE IN THE FLESH” (το προσωπον μου εν σαρκι)
So read Wycliffe, Tyndale, Coverdale, The Great Bible, Matthew’s bible, the Bishops’ bible, the Geneva bible, Darby, Young’s, the RV, ASV, World English bible, Modern English Version 2014 and the New Matthew’s bible 2016.
But the NASB says: “For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not PERSONALLY seen my face”
NIV- “not MET ME PERSONALLY”
The Holman Standard - “not seen ME IN PERSON”
ESV, ISV, NET - “not seen ME FACE TO FACE”
“Vessel” or “instrument”? (σκευος) Acts 9:15 KJB - “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen VESSEL unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:” Romans 9:21-23 KJB - “21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one VESSEL unto honour, and another unto dishonour?
22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the VESSELS of wrath fitted to destruction:
23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the VESSELS of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,”
The connection is clear in the King James Bible and many others. But many modern versions have lost this connection the Paul was a chosen VESSEL of mercy. The word is clearly “vessel”. It is used in such places as “carry any VESSEL through the temple” (Mark 11:16); “there was set A VESSEL full of vinegar” (John 19:29); “a certain VESSEL descending” (Acts 10:11); “and the VESSEL was received up again” (Acts 10:16); “a certain VESSEL descend” (Acts 11:5); “we have this treasure in earthen VESSELS” (2 Corinthians 4:7); “possess his VESSEL in sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:4); “not only VESSELS of gold and of silver”; “he shall be a VESSEL unto honour” (2 Timothy 2:20-21); “and all the VESSELS of the ministry” (Hebrews 9:21); “as unto the weaker VESSEL” (1 Peter 3:7); “as the VESSELS of a potter” (Revelation 2:27) and “all manner of VESSELS of ivory, and all manner of VESSELS of most precious wood” (Revelation 18:12). Back to Acts 9:15 KJB - “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen VESSEL unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:” Not only does the KJB correctly have “a chosen VESSEL unto me” but so too do Wycliffe 1395, Tyndale 1525, Coverdale 1535, The Great Bible 1540, Matthew’s bible 1549, the Bishops’ bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, the Revised Version 1881, the ASV 1901, Darby 1890, Young’s 1898, the NKJV, World English bible, Modern English Version 2014 and the New Matthew’s bible 2016 to name but a few. HOWEVER the NASB, ESV, NIV, NET, Holman Standard, RSV, NRSV, Catholic St. Joseph New American bible 1970, Catholic New Jerusalem bible 1985 all unite to say: “ But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen INSTRUMENT of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.” The connection with Romans 9:21-23 and the chosen VESSELS of mercy is lost, even though the ESV, NASB, NET keep the word VESSELS in Romans 9.
The NIV and Holman versions are even worse. The NIV has "he is my chosen INSTRUMENT" in Acts 9:15 but in Romans 9:21-23 instead of the literal word "vessel" three times, it has "PIECE OF POTTERY" followed by "OBJECTS of wrath" and "OBJECTS of mercy".
The Holman Standard has "my chosen INSTRUMENT" in Acts 9:15 but "SOME POTTERY" and "OBJECTS of wrath and mercy" in Romans 9:21-23. There IS a word for “instruments” but it is not this one. It is “hopla” as found in Romans 6:13 - “Neither yield ye your members as INSTRUMENTS of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as INSTRUMENTS of righteousness unto God.” (οπλα)
“GIRD UP THE LOINS OF YOUR MIND.”
In Luke 12:35 the literal Greek and the reading of the King James Bible is "LET YOUR LOINS BE GIRDED ABOUT, and your lights burning." (εστωσαν υμων αι οσφυες περιεζωσμεναι) So also read the RV, ASV, and the RSV of 1952.
The NKJV is slightly wrong with: "Let your WAIST be girded", whereas the NASB, NIV, ESV go way overboard in paraphrasing.
The NASB says: "BE DRESSED IN READINESS"; the NIV, NET "BE DRESSED FOR READY SERVICE"; and the ESV has "STAY DRESSED FOR ACTION" and then kindly footnotes for us the literal Greek as "Let your loins be girded".
In 1 Peter 1:13 we read: "Wherefore GIRD UP THE LOINS OF YOUR MIND, BE SOBER" - " διο αναζωσαμενοι τας οσφυας της διανοιας υμων νηφοντες"
So read the Geneva Bible, RV, ASV, NKJV. But the Holman Standard 2003 edition says: "GET YOUR MINDS READY FOR ACTION, BE SELF-DISCIPLINED" but the Holman Standard 2009 edition changed this to "WITH YOUR MINDS READY FOR ACTION, BE SERIOUS". Then it informs in the footnote that the literal reading is "gird the loins of your mind."
The NIV 1982 edition reads: "Therefore PREPARE YOUR MINDS FOR ACTION, BE SELF-CONTROLLED." BUT then the NIV 2011 edition again changed it to now read: "Therefore, with WITH MINDS THAT ARE ALERT AND FULLY SOBER" The NASB says: "PREPARE YOUR MINDS FOR ACTION, keep sober" and then footnotes that the literal Greek is "gird the loins of your mind"
The ESV has: "Therefore PREPARING YOUR MINDS FOR ACTION, AND BEING SOBER-MINDED", and then informs us that the literal Greek is "girding up the loins of your mind".
“BAPTISED or UNDERGO”
In Luke 12:50 all Greek texts have the Lord Jesus saying: "But I have a baptism TO BE BAPTIZED WITH" (baptistheenai) and so read the RV, ASV, NKJV, RSV, NRSV, ESV and Holman, but the NASB, NET and NIV totally paraphrase this as: "But I have a baptism TO UNDERGO".
REDEEM or MAKE THE MOST OF.
Colossians 4:5 "Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, REDEEMING THE TIME."
The literal phrase "redeeming the time" - τον καιρον εξαγοραζομενοι - is also the reading of Tyndale 1525, the RV 1881, ASV 1901, NKJV, and others.
But the NASB, NIV paraphrase this as "MAKING THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY", while the ESV has "MAKING THE BEST USE OF THE TIME", NET has "making the most of the opportunities" and Holman reads: "MAKING THE MOST OF THE TIME."
UNCIRCUMCISED or unskilled.
Exodus 6:12 and 30 where Moses says to God - "how then shall Pharaoh hear me, WHO AM OF UNCIRCUMCISED LIPS?" This is the literal Hebrew and the reading of the Geneva bible, RV, ASV, Youngs, NKJV, RSV, ESV and many others.
But the NASB paraphrases this as "I am UNSKILLED IN SPEECH." and the NIV has "I SPEAK WITH FALTERING LIPS.". Dan Wallace's NET version says: "I SPEAK WITH DIFFICULTY." The Holman Standard gives us a total paraphrase with: "SINCE I AM SUCH A POOR SPEAKER."
WITH A HIGH HAND or boldly.
In Exodus 14:8 the literal Hebrew reads: "...and the children of Israel went out WITH AN HIGH HAND." and so do the Geneva bible, Youngs, the RV, ASV, 1917 JPS, Darby, but the NKJV, NIV, NASB say "went out BOLDLY" while the ESV and NET say "went out DEFIANTLY". Yet Wallace's NET version footnotes that the literal Hebrew is "with an high hand."
WISE HEARTED or skilled.
In Exodus 28:3 (as well as in Exodus 31:6; 35:10, 25; 36:1, 2, 4, and 8) we read the literal "And thou shalt speak unto all that are WISE HEARTED, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom...."
The phrase is literally "wise" #2450 and "heart" #3820 and reads this way in Wycliffe, Coverdale, Great Bible, Matthew's Bible, Bishops' Bible, the RV, ASV, Youngs, Darby, and the 1917 Jewish Publication Society and others.
However the NKJV paraphrase all these places as "all GIFTED ARTISANS", while the NASB has "SKILLED PERSONS", the NIV goes with "SKILLED MEN", the ESV has "all THE SKILLFUL", the Holman has "SKILLED CRAFTSMEN" and Dan Wallace's NET version has "all WHO ARE SPECIALLY SKILLED" and then he footnotes that the Hebrew is literally "wise of heart".
The new versions are NOT getting more “literal” and they (NASB, ESV, NIV, Holman, NET) are based on the constantly changing Vatican supervised Nestle-Aland Critical text (along with the modern Catholic versions and the Jehovah Witness New World Translation) and they all often reject and add to the Hebrew Scriptures.
I can prove all of these allegations from their own “bibles” that NOBODY (including the people who keep churning them out) seriously believes are the inerrant words of God.
If you want the real God guided Bible that is 100% true, then get yourself a King James Bible. You can believe and rely on every word of it and find rest, strength, comfort and an abiding faith for your souls.
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” Jeremiah 6:16
ALL of grace, believing the Book - the King James Holy Bible.
Will Kinney
Related subjects
1. Undeniable Proof the ESV, NIV, Holman Standard, NET, NASBs, Jehovah Witness NWT are the new "Vatican Versions" Part TWO
2. The NIV, NASB, ESV, NET, Holman Standard and other Vatican Versions reject the Hebrew Texts
NIV, NASB, ESV, NET and other Vatican Versions reject Hebrew texts Part 1
https://brandplucked.webs.com/modern-v-reject-hebrew-1-2
NIV, NASB, ESV, NET and other Vatican Versions reject Hebrew texts Part 2
https://brandplucked.webs.com/modern-vs-reject-hebrew-2
NIV, NASB, ESV, NET and other Vatican Versions reject Hebrew texts Part 3
https://brandplucked.webs.com/modern-vreject-hebrew-3
NIV, NASB, ESV, NET and other Vatican Versions reject Hebrew texts Part 4
https://brandplucked.webs.com/modern-v-reject-hebrew-4
3. Fake Bible Versions DO teach and pervert several biblical doctrines, and the infallibility of the Bible (any bible in any language) is a huge doctrine that most Christians do not believe anymore.“For ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.” Jeremiah 23:36