31 Days of His Wisdom - Day 30 - Which Bible Version?

source Microsoft Office.com

5 Every word of G-d’s is pure;
    He shields those taking refuge in Him.
⁶ Don’t add anything to His words;
    or He will rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

In Judaism, the Torah is the basis of all teaching. I said yesterday that reading the Scriptures, especially the New Testament, through the lens of the Torah aids in understanding.   I'd like to give some background on why this is so important.

The Torah contains the first five books of the Old Testament.  These were given to Moses by G-d .  These words have been preserved through thousands of years with great meticulous care.  

The Hebrew language is more than just a language.  It contains the mind of ADONAI.  Each letter teaches a lesson.  The way the lines are set up is important.  The spacing is important.  All of these things combine to make a source of wisdom unseen in the volumes most people hold in their hands today.

A sefer is someone who has gone to school for many years to learn how to write Hebrew and the Torah so that no mistakes can be made.  Torah scrolls have been written the same way for thousands of years.  This is very important so that the message is not changed or diluted in any way.

Can you see what a difference there is between the Torah and the modern-day translations we use?  So many things have been changed to reflect present culture. For instance, I learned recently about a new translation that is gender neutral.  That is wrong. 

I've also seen translations that remove the words related to homosexuality because that would offend those who are homosexual.  This is definitely wrong.  

The Roman Catholic Church destroyed original manuscripts of the New Testament documents, so who knows what the originals had to say?  We know that they stripped all Jewishness from their church, changed the Sabbath, and replaced G-d's Feasts and Festivals with pagan holidays.

We do know that the disciples were Jews, and they would not have written in Greek.  Yet, how often have you heard preachers refer to the Greek translation for the meaning of a passage?

Trust me on this point:  The Jews did not then, and do not now, think from a Greek point of view.  So, I am not interested in the Greek.  I want to know the Jewish perspective.  I think that would be more accurate, don't you?  
 
When my husband, Rabbi Jem, and I got married, we read Proverbs together daily.  I read from the King James Version, while he read from the Hebrew.  I was amazed at the difference in many passages.  This made me realize the in-fallibility of that version. I had to conclude that the closer I got to the Hebrew, the better.

I am sure that thinking along this line is disconcerting to you if you have been brought up in the Greek mindset, following the pagan customs of the Christian church.  It was frightening to me at first.  I grew up with a preacher telling me that the King James Version was the infallible word of the L-rd.  It is not.  It is a translation and it contains many instances of wrong translation.  

This is why a study of the Torah enables one to understand the New Testament.  It helps one understand Yeshua's words and actions.  He did not say or do anything that contradicts the Torah.  He even said, "I have not come to do away with the Torah, but to fulfill it."  He showed us how to live in obedience to it.  He did not abandon Judaism, and He did not start a new religion. 

I'm sure I've given you something to think about, and I hope and pray you will consider this and seek G-d's face on these points.


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Quotations are from The Complete Jewish Bible

Each time I read through Proverbs, something different jumps out at me.  This is ADONAI quickening His Word to my heart.  

As I go through this month of studying Proverbs, I hope you'll join me and read the chapter, too.  I'll share what stands out to me for that day.  

I'd love for you to share something He shows you through the day's reading. 
I'll be linking these posts to the 31 Days event at The Nester


This 31 day series will focus on the things I learned from Proverbs, as well as some things from Torah study, and will add in a sprinkling of what I've learned from Judaism. 

I will be posting daily through October 31.  To read the posts, just go to the Labels section on the left, and click on "31 Days of His Wisdom".