The Watchtower says: The Septuagint became God's Word

by opusdei1972 14 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • opusdei1972
    opusdei1972

    The last edition of the Watchtower (Study Edition) says the following:

    Alexander the Great later conquered much of the ancient world, and common, or Koine, Greek became an international language. Many Jews began to speak that language, leading to the translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. This translation, thought to have been done by 72 translators, became known as the Septuagint. It was the first translation of the Bible and one of the most important. The work of so many translators resulted in varied translation styles, from literal to rather free. Nevertheless, the Septuagint was viewed as God’s Word by Greek-speaking Jews and later by Christians. ........

    It is noteworthy that when writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures, they usually did so from the Septuagint. These quotations, which at times vary somewhat from the exact Hebrew wording, are now part of the inspired Scriptures. Thus, the work of imperfect human translators became part of the inspired Word of God, a God who does not favor one culture or language over another.—Read Acts 10:34.

    (The Watchtower, December 2015, page 5, paragraphs 5 and 9)


    Interestingly, the Watchtower is stating that "the Septuagint was viewed as God's Word....by Christians" and it "became part of the inspired Word of God" though it was "the work of imperfect human translators". Furthermore, the Watchtower admits that the Septuagint "at times vary somewhat from the exact Hebrew wording". So, in other words, the Governing Body is saying that an imperfect translation can result in an inspired work.

    Let's read some Septuagint's errors:

    The virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanu-El. (Isaiah 7:14)

    The Septuagint mistranslated the hebrew word "almah" (young woman) by the greek word "parthenos" (virgin). So, Christians misused this verse so as to "prove" that Mary was virgin after conceiving Jesus.

    Another example is Hebrews 10:5,6, where the author of this NT letter quoted Psalm 40:6 form the Septuagint:

    So when he comes into the world, he says: “‘Sacrifice and offering you did not want, but you prepared a body for me. You did not approve of whole burnt offerings and sin offerings.’

    However, the Hebrew Bible says:

    Sacrifice and offering you did not desire. But you opened up my ears to hear. You did not ask for burnt offerings and sin offerings. (Psalm 40:6)

    Note that the phrase "you prepared a body for me" is absent in the Hebrew Bible, but the author of the letter to the Hebrews quoted this Septuagint's verse conveniently.

    Now, note the following Matthew's trick :

    So Joseph got up and by night took along the young child and the child’s mother and went into Egypt. He stayed there until the death of Herod. This fulfilled what was spoken by Jehovah through his prophet, saying: “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2:14-15)

    Matthew quoted the phrase “Out of Egypt I called my son” from the Hebrew Bible in Hosea 11:1, because the Septuagint reads "out of Egypt have I called his children". So, in this verse the Septuagint was not God's Word according to Matthew.

    Do you note how this stuff is a mess???

  • DATA-DOG
    DATA-DOG

    This will become a touchstone article of sorts. JWs will be directed to this article to when confronted with inconsistencies in the Bible. They can say, "Oh, but the GB knew the bible wasn't exactly perfect."

    In other words, JWs will now magically believe that the Bible contains errors and God doesn't favor one group over the other, but the GB is still the most correct. I wonder if the resident WTBTS pseudo-scholar, David Splane, will present more "researched" information at this year's AGM?

    Saying that human imperfection, via translation, became part of the inspired word of God is equal to saying the bible is not infallible. This is no doubt a cleverly worded article meant to muddy the waters and give the WTBTS a loop-hole.

    Question: Don't all other major Xian sects claim that the Bible contains errors? Is this not a "mainstream" idea?

    The WTBTS has given up types/anti-types for the most part. These "truths" were tangible evidence that the WTBTS was the truth. Now they are saying translation errors are part of God's word. What would happen to a JW who went around saying the Bible has translation errors and is fallible?

    DD

  • opusdei1972
    opusdei1972

    In page 17, the Watchtower (Study Edition, December 2015), says:

    For example, at 2 Samuel 13:21, the Greek Septuagint contains the equivalent of the words: “But he would not hurt the feelings of Amnon his son, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn.” Earlier versions of the New World Translation did not include these words because they are not in the Masoretic text. However, the Dead Sea Scrolls do contain these words, which are now included in the 2013 revision.

    Note that The Watchtower has not shown a good argument for adding those Septuagint's words. They didn't include them "because they are not in the Massoretic text". However, we know that the Massoretic text does not contain, for instance, some chapters of the book of Daniel, but they appear in the Septuagint. Why doesn't the GB add them now?. Furthermore, the Dead Sea Scrolls contain writings of the Apocrypha, which appear in the Septuagint. This fact has been used in favor to Catholic Bible, which contains some of the Apocrypha.

  • The Marvster
    The Marvster

    Opusdei1972....

    Here's the problem I have with this sort of thing... While being in the org I was given the impression that the 'truth' as found in the bible was correct, the bible was actually infallible and any inconsistencies could be explained away, it was god's word and there was no reason to doubt anything in it... and that's what made JW's know they had the 'truth'.. THE PROBLEM?.... I, and many other people, sacrificed big portions of a life, with the guarantee that the sacrifices we made would be rewarded at some future time, as promised in the infallible word of god.... and now as DATA-DOG pointed out:

    Saying that human imperfection, via translation, became part of the inspired word of God is equal to saying the bible is not infallible.

    more and more of this stuff is coming out of the woodwork and I tell you what, the anger I feel learning these things is 'all consuming', they lied to us, over and over and over and over again... but thanks for posting this, it just reinforces the hunch I had that leaving the 'truth' was the absolutely right thing to do.... Just wish I had awoken earlier..

  • opusdei1972
    opusdei1972

    Hi Marvster:

  • John Aquila
    John Aquila

    Interestingly, the Watchtower is stating that "the Septuagint was viewed as God's Word....by Christians" and it "became part of the inspired Word of God" though it was "the work of imperfect human translators".

    Data Dog What would happen to a JW who went around saying the Bible has translation errors and is fallible?

    The Watchtower admits that all the Bibles we have today are not inspired by God, including the RNWT.

    *** w96 4/15 p. 19 Why True Worship Receives God’s Blessing ***

    Bible translations themselves are not inspired by God. Translations, by their very nature, may reflect variations of the understanding of the original tongues in which the Bible was recorded

  • Phizzy
    Phizzy

    I think the W.T/JW stance is that the actual words included in the N.T which come from the Septuagint are to be viewed as "inspired of god" but not the whole of the Septuagint, just as they view other words quoted from elsewhere, say a Poet or Philosopher, but not the whole work by such a person.

    Like the WT/JW approach to most things, none of this makes any sense.

    The Bible they accept was cobbled together by the Church in the late 4th Century, a Church that the WT/JW's label as Apostate.

    So, the JW/WT Bible is an Apostate Bible.

  • ScenicViewer
    ScenicViewer

    Thus, the work of imperfect human translators became part of the inspired Word of God...


    Now that is some really twisted logic. It can't be the work of imperfect men -and- the inspired work of God at the same time.

    I think Data-Dog nailed it, they need a loop-hole for something and this is the set up for it.

  • Room 215
    Room 215
    In this, the Watchtower agrees with the Eastern Orthodox Church, which has always regarded the Septuagint as inspired.
  • Crazyguy
    Crazyguy
    They make this statement yet don't use it and even reject parts of it out right.

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