In the May 2011 print edition of Voice of the Martyrs, Director Tom White states, “I do not need to be shielded by a miserably comfortable religion, existing in what I call a numbed down Christianity. One current example of this dangerous numbing down of the Christian faith is the 2011 NIV Bible. It was written, it seems, by cowards for cowards. In Job, Amos, Psalms, Isaiah and Jeremiah, the translators have removed all 16 references to our greatest motive for evangelizing–the “shadow of death”–and replaced the phrase with “darkness.” [1]
Mr. White continues, “The words ‘shadow of death’ in the Old Testament are from the Hebrew word ’Tsalmaveth,’ which literally means the ‘grave’ or figuratively, ‘calamity.’ The grave has been artfully removed. Now Job in his struggles never has to face death. He only faces some kind of internal ‘darkness.’ Today he could simply get a prescription to avoid this challenge.” [2]
Reading Mr. White’s comments, two missionaries back from Africa referred to this verse from Revelation: But the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.
Is the famine here? The famine not of bread and water but of the very Word of God? (Amos 8:11) It is not just The Message, or the new (?) NIV. This will continue. Here you can read yet another example of what is being done: APPRISING.ORG
Here, too, is Eric Barger warning what the new (?) NIV is all about: READ
And there is always The Message, with its omission of Scriptures concerning homosexuality as sin and its God of green hope: READ
Endnotes:
1. Voice of the Martyrs May 2011, From The Director, pg. 2, “Taking the Bull by the Horns,” by Tom White
2. Ibid., pg. 2
It is not accurate to say that the word ‘tsalmaveth’ literally means the grave.
The word ‘tsalmaveth’ comes from two Hebrew roots, one meaning “to be or grow dark” (tsll). The word shadow (tsl) is related to that verb.
The second verb is “to die” (mooth).
Therefore, the tsalmaveth does not “literal mean” the “grave.” In fact, the more literal rendering would be shadow of death. The standard Hebrew lexicon BDB has “death-shadow, deep shadow.”
Further, to say the word refers literally to the grave does not give adequate attention to the range of meaning, because the word is used to describe the world of the dead. That world is more than “the grave.” It the term were restricted to the “grave,” it would only refer to the physical location in which a dead body is placed.
To say that the translators have somehow changed the book to teach that Job doesn’t have to face death, is simply preposterous and shows a lack of careful consideration of the text. The words “death” and “die” appear throughout the book of Job. The Hebrew words “mooth” and “gava” appear.
A check of an English translation indicates the words “death” and “die” appear more than 25 times. In addition there are several uses of the phrase going down to the “pit,” a clear reference to the grave.
Finally, to suggest that translators are going to Hell because they have translated the word in this manner is a staggering statement for missionaries to make. People don’t go to Hell on account of their translations; they go to Hell for rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ: “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).
There are valid reasons for disliking the New NIV. For example, I don’t like the treatment of the “Son of Man.”
Even so, we must be accurate and gracious in our criticism of others.
As a church planter, I was fortunate enough to receive a free copy of the 2011 NIV. Among other things I look for in a Bible, I generally go to Mark 16 and see if it’s been butchered. The NIV did not disappoint.
Immediately following verse 8 is a line and a bracketed note which states: “[The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9-20]”
That they separate the text in such a bold and obtrusive manner is bad enough. It begs the question “Wait, am I still reading God’s Word or not?”. But they’ve taken it a step farther than any other modern version I’ve ever seen. They actually continue verses 9-20 in italics!
How on earth can I teach anyone from a Bible that questions the validity of certain verses? If this particular portion is “not really the Word of God” then how can I expect those who sit under my teaching to respect ANY of the Word?
It’s wrong and it’s a big mistake.
Thank you Ariel. After reading your comment I am now going to have to find one to read what it says in the introduction. The new (?) NIV is going to be picked up and used without hesitation by many–because they do not know what has been done. Talk about a water-down. I am very appreciative of what the head of Voice of the Martyrs had to say.
Great post and thank you for exposing the NIV. I have heard that in its own introduction it admits to rewording certain things to take the weight off of sin!!!!! Which is the very thing one needs to be told about so that he can come to the realization of his need for a Savior, Jesus the Messiah!
Thanks brother, I will check it out in a bit.
Bless you!
Hey Lyn! I have been thinking about you, wondering how you are doing your own self. We are well, thank you. At the bottom of this article is a link to Ken Silva’s site about this fake “bible.”
Here is the link: http://apprising.org/2011/07/13/new-bible-translation-changes-jesus-from-son-of-man-to-%e2%80%98the-human-one%e2%80%99/
Hi brother John,
I pray all is well with you and your family.
Have you heard about the new common english bible translation(i use that term loosely)? Here is the link..http://www.christianpost.com/news/new-bible-for-public-release-changes-jesus-from-son-of-man-to-the-human-one-52232/
May our great and awesome God bless you and your family this day.
Lyn