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Bible Q

How many versions are there of the Bible and do any of them contradict each other?

There are hundreds, possibly thousands, of translations of the Bible. In English alone, there have been more than 100 published translations of the Bible in the last ten years (see www.biblereadersmuseum.com for a list). In general, the differences between the translations are largely about style of language and whether the translation is more word-for-word or […]

Does Matthew 24:7 refer to underwater earthquakes?

In the King James Version, this passage reads For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. (Matthew 24:7 KJV) “Divers places” does not refer to places where divers go. This is archaic spelling for “diverse places”. The King James Version was […]

How should 2 Corinthians 3:17 be translated?

Q. Should this verse read “the Lord is the Spirit” (ESV etc.) or “the Lord is that Spirit” (KJV)? 2 Co.3:12 Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being […]

How many times is the name Jesus in the Bible?

In the ESV, “Jesus” occurs 925 times, all in the New Testament.  The only book of the New Testament that does not contain the name Jesus is 3 John. The number is slightly different in each version because of variations in the ancient manuscripts and because the translators will sometimes choose to insert a name […]

Does a proper noun get translated or transliterated when translating from one language to another language?

Most proper nouns will be transliterated (i.e., the word is expressed in the characters of the target language). For example, the names of cities: Jerusalem = יְרוּשָׁלַיִם‎ and Corinth = Κόρινθος. Often the transliteration is not exact. Here, the Greek word for Corinth is Korinthos and the Hebrew word for Jerusalem is Yerushalayim. These differences […]

When did Christ rise? (Mark 16:9)

Q: If it is true that in the original Greek there “was no punctuation”, and different translations place the commas in different places, then that changes the understanding of the meaning of what is being said here. Holman, CEV and others place the comma in a way that implies that Jesus had already risen, before […]

What does “Lord” mean in the Bible?

Lord is used for God, Jesus and for other people in positions of authority. For example: Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. (Acts 2:36) Here, “Lord” is clearly referring to Jesus.