The Nugget:
Act 3:13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. (KJV)
Act 3:13 `The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, did glorify His child Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, he having given judgment to release him , (YLT, Young’s Literal Translation)
Act 3:13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. (ESV)
My Comment:
Notice that some modern English versions of Acts 3:13 render the underlying Greek word for “servant” differently than the King James Version, which translates that word “Son.” In this case, the modern English translations are actually more accurately translating the underlying Greek text.
One Muslim used this as well as other examples of translation difference to suggest that the Bible has been corrupted over time in its translation, so that what we now have cannot be trusted or regarded as the Word of God. This attitude on the part of Muslims and others is not correct. The underlying text in the original language has remained the same. Our modern understanding of the ancient Greek language is sometimes more adequate than the understanding of the King James version translators of 1611, a good while ago. That is no fault of the Bible. We are blessed to live in a time when we can more accurately access God’s Word as written in the Bible than ever before.
The Muslim challenge and my Response:
Jerome Smith Abdul Wasiu Abdul Fatah, in a comment I read some distance above in this valuable discussion, you said in part:
“Let me tell the more they edited the bible the more the change the word of god therein let me give one scenario if you can think deeply this is where you also need to realise that bible is in a great manifest errors and god is not the author of confusion in
In KJV act 3:13 this 13 KJV:The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his #Son Jesus;
This same verse in NIV says 13 NIV:The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his #servant Jesus”
Just a little checking regarding your claim in this instance involving Acts 3:13 as an example of supposed “corruption” of the Bible, I found this explanation in the Jamison, Fawcett, and Brown commentary:
“hath glorified his Son Jesus — rather, “his Servant Jesus,” as the same word is rendered in Mat 12:18, but in that high sense in which Isaiah applies it always to Messiah (Isa 42:1; Isa 49:6; Isa 52:13; Isa 53:11). When “Son” is intended a different word is used.”
Verifying the correctness of the commentary, I find that the underlying word in the Greek text is given this definition in the standard Strong’s Concordance Lexicon:
G3816
pa???
pais
paheece
Perhaps from G3817; a boy (as often beaten with impunity), or (by analogy) a girl, and (generally) a child; specifically a slave or servant (especially a minister to a king; and by eminence to God): – child, maid (-en), (man) servant, son, young man.
Total KJV occurrences: 24
Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries
This difference in translation is hardly to be considered a corruption.