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NASB | Psalm 102:16 For the LORD has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Psalm 102:16 For the LORD has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory and brilliance; |
Subject: Prophetic perfect tense in other verses? |
Bible Note: Yes, I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses. And I do appreciate the textual accuracy of the New World Translation. For example,consider the perplexing text at Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” (King James Version) The New World Translation rendered it: “Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need.” The apostle Paul’s admonition rendered “be careful for nothing” (King James Version) was translated: “Do not be anxious over anything.” (Philippians 4:6) And the apostle John’s reference to “the concupiscence of the flesh” (Douay Version) reads, “the desire of the flesh.” (1 John 2:16) Clearly, the New World Translation opened up a new world of understanding. Various scholars were impressed. For example, British Bible scholar Alexander Thomson noted that the New World Translation is outstanding in accurately rendering the Greek present tense. To illustrate: Ephesians 5:25 reads “Husbands, continue loving your wives” instead of saying merely “Husbands, love your wife.” (King James Version) “No other version appears to have exhibited this fine feature with such fulness and frequency,” said Thomson regarding the New World Translation. For one thing, closely related words in the original Bible languages are translated, where possible, by different English words, thus alerting the Bible student to possible different shades of meaning. Thus, syn·te´lei·a is rendered “conclusion” and te´los “end,” although both words are translated “end” in many other versions. (Matthew 24:3, 13) The word ko´smos is rendered “world,” ai·on´ “system of things,” and oi·kou·me´ne “inhabited earth.” Again, many Bible translations use merely “world” to represent either two or all three of these Greek words, although, in fact, there are differences between them.-Matthew 13:38, 39; 24:14. Similarly, the New World Translation carefully notes the difference between gno´sis (“knowledge”) and e·pi´gno·sis (translated “accurate knowledge”)-a difference ignored by many others. (Philippians 1:9; 3:8) It also distinguishes between ta´phos (“grave,” an individual burial place), mne´ma (“tomb”), mne·mei´on (“memorial tomb”), and hai´des (“hades,” referring in the Bible to the common grave of dead mankind). (Matthew 27:60, 61; John 5:28; Acts 2:29, 31) Several Bible translations distinguish between ta´phos and mne·mei´on at Matthew 23:29 but not consistently elsewhere.-See Matthew 27:60, 61, New International Version. Verb tenses are carefully and precisely rendered. For example, in the Revised Standard Version, 1 John 2:1 reads: “If any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” Shortly after, the same translation renders 1 John 3:6: “No one who abides in [Jesus] sins.” If no follower of Jesus sins, how does 1 John 2:1 apply? The New World Translation resolves this seeming contradiction. At 1 John 2:1, it says: “I am writing you these things that you may not commit a sin. And yet, if anyone does commit a sin, we have a helper with the Father, Jesus Christ, a righteous one.” John used the aorist tense in this verse, indicating the committing of an isolated sin, the kind of thing all of us do from time to time because we are imperfect. However, 1 John 3:6 reads: “Everyone remaining in union with him does not practice sin; no one that practices sin has either seen him or come to know him.” John here used the present tense, indicating an ongoing, habitual course of sin that would invalidate anyone’s claim to be a Christian. At John 1:1 the New World Translation reads: “The Word was a god.” In many translations this expression simply reads: “The Word was God” and is used to support the Trinity doctrine. Not surprisingly, Trinitarians dislike the rendering in the New World Translation. But John 1:1 was not falsified in order to prove that Jesus is not Almighty God. Jehovah’s Witnesses, among many others, had challenged the capitalizing of “god” long before the appearance of the New World Translation, which endeavors accurately to render the original language. Five German Bible translators likewise use the term “a god” in that verse. At least 13 others have used expressions such as “of divine kind” or “godlike kind.” These renderings agree with other parts of the Bible to show that, yes, Jesus in heaven is a god in the sense of being divine. But Jehovah and Jesus are not the same being, the same God.-John 14:28; 20:17 These are but a few instances to show why the New World Translation is enjoyed by many. |