Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>]

Steve,

It is entirely possible that at the time when Mat. Was written, in the late
1st century CE, there were several slightly different versions of Isaiah in
circulation. One, which is represented by what eventually became the MT, has
WQR)T, which the Masoretes read as "veqarat" - "she shall call". The same
spelling can also be read "veqarata" - "and you shall call", which is what
the LXX has. A second text-type may have read WQR)W - "and they shall call",
and this may have been the text picked up by Mat.

The real problem in the translation of this verse, of course, is the
translation of "Almah" - "young woman" as "virgin", which also goes back to
the LXX.


Yigal Levin

  

-----Original Message-----
From: b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:b-hebrew-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Steve Miller
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 5:24 AM
To: davedonnelly1 AT juno.com; b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Would B-hebrew discuss the name Jehovah with a KJBO
Christian?

Dave,

I do not personally know any KJBO Christians, but I do think KJB is an
excellent translation, better than any modern Old Testament translation, but
it is not perfect.  Here is an argument I would use against the doctrine
that KJB is a perfect translation:

Foremost, it is extrabiblical doctrine. 

2nd, an instance where KJB proves itself not perfect:
Matt 1:22 (KJB) Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth
a son, and *they* shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is,
God with us.

This is a quote from
Isa 7:14 (KJB) ... Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and **
shall call his name Immanuel.

Matt 1:22 says "*they* shall call his name", but Isa 7:14 says "a virgin ...
shall call his name". This is a big difference. As pointed out by
counter-missionary Rabbi Tovia Singer, "What gives Matthew the right to
change the word of God?". "they shall call his name", by use of the
indefinite pronoun, means that Emmanuel is not his actual name given to him
by his parents, but that is what he is, and that is what many unnamed people
know him to be. The mother calling his name Immanuel could just be something
of what the mother is experiencing at that time.

If KJB Matt 1:22 is perfect, then KJB Isa 7:14 cannot be, and vice versa.

At the time KJB was translated, they did not have the Dead Sea Scrolls, but
relied on the Masoretic Text and the LXX. The DSS text for Isa 7:14 says,
"and they shall call His name Immanuel", which perfectly agrees with Matthew
1:22. Since Matt 1:22 is the inspired word of God, then the DSS must be the
correct text, and not the MT or LXX, for this specific verse. 

While KJB did not do a bad job of translating Isa 7:14 from MT, the MT was
in error here, hence the KJB translation has an error.

Sincerely,
-Steve Miller
Detroit