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NASB | Genesis 7:1 Then the LORD said to Noah, "Enter the ark, you and all your household, for you alone I have seen to be righteous before Me in this time. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Genesis 7:1 Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you with all your household, for you [alone] I have seen as righteous (doing what is right) before Me in this generation. [Ps 27:5; 33:18, 19; 2 Pet 2:9] |
Bible Question: I'm trying to understand the difference between how some versions treat God's call to Noah to "enter" the Ark. Some translations use "go" and some use "come". Could someone shed some light on this discrepancy. It seems to make some difference. What was the sense of the original text? |
Bible Answer: Greetings dweaver! The NASB and the Amplified are a bit in 'discrepancy' here, since the NASB says "Enter.." and the Amplified, "Come".. The NASB and the 1902 Rotherham Bible include "Enter.." within their text of Genesis 7:1. The Amplified, KJV, NKJV, ASV, LITV, MKJV, The World English Bible, 1833 Webster Bible, Young's Literal Translation, and the Jewish Publication Society Old Testament render this verse as "Come.." "Go into" is the rendering in the RSV, ESV, NIV, 1965 Bible in Basic English, 1889 Darby Bible, 1899 Douay-Rheims, TEV, and GOD'S WORD. The Hebrew word in question here is 'bow', which means to go or to come or to enter. So each rendering, "Enter..", "Come..", "Go into..", is entirely justifiable and is an acceptable literal English equivalent of the Hebrew word "bow." If you look at the context closely (Gen. 7:1), it is pretty clear that Noah and his family were not already inside the Ark. By the different English renderings, we get the impression that either God is commanding them 'from' the Ark to enter into it, or He is commanding them 'from outside' of the Ark. Either way, Noah and his family are commanded to enter into the Ark. And since God is omnipresent (both inside of the Ark and outside), I really don't see much difference in the three different renderings. Blessings to you, Makarios |