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NASB | Hebrews 12:25 ¶ See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Hebrews 12:25 ¶ See to it that you do not refuse [to listen to] Him who is speaking [to you now]. For if those [sons of Israel] did not escape when they refused [to listen to] him who warned them on earth [revealing God's will], how much less will we escape if we turn our backs on Him who warns from heaven? [Heb 2:1-4] |
Bible Question: Re: "him who warned them on earth" Who does "him" refer to in this verse? |
Bible Answer: Hello, Mommapbs. The various ways that several translations have treated the second "him" of Hebrews 12:25 is a classic example of interpretation through capitalization of pronouns, a practice of which I've never been especially fond. ...... In the NASB's rendering of this "him" in question, putting it in lower case, one of two possibilities emerge. The first is that this is a glaring printer's error, but that is highly unlikely. The second, and by far the more likely, is that the NASB translators viewed the antecedent of "him" as being someone else than deity, probably Moses at Sinai (see Exodus 20:22; Heb. 8:5). This interpretation is not in conflict with the context of Hebrews 12, for the writer draws a contrast between Sinai and Zion in this chapter, beginning at verse 18. In the absence of any translators' gloss that might shed light, this is the only explanation I can think that appears to fit the facts. ..... The New Living Translation removes all doubt about its translators' interpretation of this verse, substituting "Moses" for "him" in this segment of the verse. But as we know, the NKJV holds to an interpretation of deity, using "Him" instead of "him." The Holman Christian Standard Bible agrees with the NKJV. ..... All things considered, the context appears to lean toward the antecedent of the second "him" being Moses at Sinai, and if this be so, then the NASB is correct in not capitalizing the second "him." ...... It has been said that to capitalize personal pronouns that refer to deity is a gesture of respect and honor. I have never been convinced of the validity of this argument. No version has ever shown more reverence for God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit than the King James Bible, yet it does not capitalize pronouns unless they begin a sentence. The modern practice of capitalizing pronouns that, in the opinion of the translators, refer to deity is a clear infraction of standard English usage and imposes an unwarranted imposition of translator interpretation on the reader. This is illustrated clearly by our text in question, Hebrews 12:25, wherein two translations, the NASB and the NKJV, both claiming to be literal translations, differ in their respective renditions of the pronoun "him," the former casting it in lower case to indicate that the antecedent does not refer to deity, and the latter capitalizing it to indicate that it does. Certain other modern translations, notably the English Standard Version, the New International Version, do not capitalize pronouns whose antecedents are deity, and in this I cannot but feel that they made a wise choice by deferring to the good sense of their readers to be able to determine the proper antecedents for themselves. --Hank |