The Apostolic Bible Polyglot.

[Scott Hutchinson]

This is a very interesting site.
http://apostolicbible.com

[Sam]

I have a copy of that Bible. I don't use it much. I did take it to church with me last night though. The Old Testament is based on the Septuagint (also called the LXX) Greek version instead of the Hebrew or Masoretic text the KJV Old Testament is based on. There are some differences. You may have noticed that at times when there is an OT quote in the NT, that if you go back to the OT to check it out, it may not read like our OT. That is because the LXX was used by (some or maybe all of) the writers of our OT.

One example is a text I used when I spoke today at a gathering. I used Hebrews 11:21 which says "By faith Jacob, when he was a-dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff." Paul (or whoever wrote Hebrews) used the LXX reading of Genesis 47:31. In the LXX it says that Jacob leaned on the top of his staff. In the KJV and some others which are based on the Hebrew text it says he leaned on the head of the bed.

[Sam]

The argument about different Bible versions is not new.

Below are three versions of the same verse of Scripture.

The first is from the King James Version. The second is from a quote by Justin Martyr. The third is from a prayer which quotes the psalm on a Coptic Church website. This prayer is still in use today by Coptic Christians.

The quote from the writings of Justin Martyr was probably written from Ephesus shortly after the Bar-Kochba rebellion of 132-135 A.D. He is addressing a Jew named Trypho and he accuses the Jews who did not accept Jesus as Messiah of deleting something in their version of the Scriptures that they were using. Justin Martyr, a Christian writer, quotes from the Septuagint Bible, sometimes called the LXX. The LXX was a translation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek begun around 282 B.C. by 70 or 72 Jewish translators. The reason for the translation was because the old Hebrew language was not in popular use but had been replaced by Aramaic and Greek. Jews who had been disbursed all over the Roman Empire could more easily read the Greek translation. The LXX was used by the early Church quite often. This is one reason why Old Testament quotes in our New Testament are some times different than they currently read if you check them out in our Old Testament. Our Old Testament is based on the Hebrew (Masoretic) version but the early Christian writers used the Greek (LXX) version.

This Psalm, which is number 95 in the LXX but number 96 in the King James Bible, exalts our God above the heathen gods. Our God is called Lord (Greek Kurios) in the LXX and is called LORD (Hebrew Jehovah or YHWH) in the KJV. Note that verse 10 states that God (the Lord or Jehovah) reigns "from the tree." The tree is seen as a reference to the cross. This was used as a proof text by early Christians to prove that the God of the Hebrews, the LORD Jehovah Himself, had come to earth as Jesus and even though He had been crucified was reigning triumphantly.

The Coptic Church denomination has its headquarters in Egypt. History/tradition says that the Church is the result of St. Mark (author of the Gospel) evangelization in Egypt. The Church organization or denomination that still exists there today traces its history back to the first century.

Here are the different versions of the verse.

10 Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.(KJV)

10 Say among the Gentiles, the Lord has reigned from the tree. For he has established the world, which will not be moved; He will judge the people with justice. (LXX as quoted by Justin Martyr)

10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigned on a wood: for He has established the world that it shall not be moved: He will judge the peoples in righteousness.”
(from the Coptic Church site)

[Scott Hutchinson]

This Bible does seem interesting ,I would like to purchase one.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Scott Hutchinson

This Bible does seem interesting ,I would like to purchase one.

I don't remember what mine cost. I got it by mail from somewhere but I don't remember where. It has the Greek text plus the English interpretation in a separate line below the Greek text. The English is translated literally so the word order is different than the way we speak or read and write.

I'm a Bible junkie. I don't remember offhand how many versions I have but I think it's about 25.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Scott Hutchinson

This Bible does seem interesting ,I would like to purchase one.

I don't remember for sure, but I think you can either read it online or download it from the site.

[Michael The Disciple]

The LXX in some verses weakens the Oneness message.

Note Isaiah 9:6-7 from it:

6 For a child is born to us, and a son is given to us, whose government is upon his shoulder: and his name is called the Messenger of great counsel: for I will bring peace upon the princes, and health to him. 7 His government shall be great, and of his peace there is no end: it shall be upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to establish it, and to support it with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth and forever. The seal of the Lord of hosts shall perform this.

Compared to the Masorite Text:

6: For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
7: Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.


Which one is inspired?

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

The LXX in some verses weakens the Oneness message.
...
Which one is inspired?

The inspired version was written by the hand of Isaiah or by a scribe or an assistant under his direction. That document has been gone for many centuries.

The NT writers used the LXX.
Some folks believe that the Masoretes developed the text which later carried their name as a reaction against Christianity and in doing so, may not have been completely honest in the way they presented it. They may have developed a text which they thought contradicted the "Christian" version.
Answers to a question like that require more knowledge than I have.

One hint might be Romans 3:1-2 in which Paul says that the Jews received, maintained, and disseminated God's Word. Of course we also need to remember that Jewish scholars translated the Hebrew into Greek so, in a way we can say that both the Masoretic and LXX are products of the Jews.

[Scott Hutchinson]

I would like to own that Jewish bible a Tankukah or something like that it's called.
Some say that since the early church was Jewish and followed Hebraic thought ,the OT. originally was or should have been in Hebrew.

[Sam]

Originally Posted by Scott Hutchinson

I would like to own that Jewish bible a Tankukah or something like that it's called.
Some say that since the early church was Jewish and followed Hebraic thought ,the OT. originally was or should have been in Hebrew.

I think you mean the Tanakh. It is an acronym formed from the first letters of the three parts of the Hebrew Bible: Torah (teaching or law), Nevi'im (Prophets), and K'tuvim (Writings).

The Hebrew language was not widely understood by Jewish people in the first century when our NT was written. Greek was pretty well understood throughout the Roman Empire so Koine Greek was the language generally used by the Apostles in preaching and writing. Greek was probably the language Peter used to preach on the Day of Pentecost, Aramaic or Syriac was a language used in that local area of the world and some folks believe that some or all of the NT books were originally written in Aramaic. Others believe that Matthew and maybe John were originally written in Aramaic but the rest of them were written in Greek.