Can i be sure that what i read in the bible is what the writer intended?

Question

as the bible was originally in hebrew ( i think ) and then translated into latin and greek, and then into the english version i can understand, i feel it would be virtually impossible for everything to be as intended. If you translate a poem and you want to keep the meaning close to the original, usually you have to lose the rhyme, and so lose the instrinsic qualities of a poem and turn it into prose. ( either that or try to keep a rhyme scheme and stray further from the source text in order to make it fit )Therefore there might be some passages in which the intention is altered. I've heard that hebrew is both a very metaphorical, lyrical and poetical language, so i worry i am missing out on a lot .

Answer 1

Any book or source of information that has been through the hands of anyone other than the writer may not be the end product they desired. Anything that has to be interpreted or edited is subject to change at the hands of the person doing the editing/interpretation. And what guarantee do we have that the person doing this work knows perfectly the mind of the works originator? In fact, isn't that an impossibility?

The most important thing is to appreciate that virtually no information available to us is unbiased or unpolluted, take things with a pinch of salt and decide what they mean to you and what your understanding means to your life. That's the most important meaning.

Is the bible the word of God? Maybe, but it has a lot of human fingerprints on it...

Answer 2

God used human beings to physical pen the biblical text. But remember God is the author, they are His words. The Bible is inspired by God. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew. The New Testament was originally written in Greek (with a few portions in aramaic). Unless you can read these languages you will miss out on a few things. If it really concerns you, you should study about it. Learn those languages so you can read it for yourself in it's original. Check out some good commentaries (NIV Application commentary, Anchor Bible Commentary, New International Commentary on the New Testament (also one on OT), New International Greek Testament Commentary). But there is good news if you don't want to go that far.

The Bible is inerrant and infallible. Inerrant means it is incapable of having errors, and infallible means incapable of being false. So this means that God protected the Bible while it was being translated to other languages and other translations. Author's intent is a huge topic in the biblical scholar's world so you can study about it. Look into Redaction Criticism.

When you read different translations of the Bible use translations that have been worked on by a group of people not one that was just done by one person. That way you know there has been much more study, debate, and work in general put in to make sure it is close as possible to the same meaning as it had originally.

When scribes were copying the biblical text they would count how many words were in each book, in each page, and in each sentence. They knew which word would be exactly the middle of the book/page/sentence. If their text did not match up they threw it away and started over. So they were extremely careful and meticulous in their work.

2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed...


(In an answer below someone mentioned about virgin vs young woman. If you read commentaries "young woman" generally means unmarried virgin.)

Answer 3

It is true that the Bible has gone through various stages of translation. The translators may have done some slight modifications of various passages and phrases.

Because the Bible was inspired by the Holy Spirit, it is only the Author that can interpret the Bible correctly. This is why you must as a matter of fact, always invite the Holy Spirit when you go into the study of the Bible. This is the only way you can get the intended meaning of the Bible passages as originally written.

Answer 4

1) Look at what the translators say in the opening of their translations as to the reasons they translated.

2) Compare several different translations,
By comparing several translations - you can get the flow of ideas going on what it means - and you can see if the majority say the same as some of the few - for example examine 1 John Chapter 5

3) and by all means get a direct Greek to English translation (it shows both languages at the same time - which helps you to see if the English is too long to fit, and you can see what some of the Greek words look like - some that are translated as the same word into English, actually look different in the Greek. - This can be done even if you do not read Greek) If you can find a Hebrew to English - then get one of those too.

Answer 5

Are those the only 2 information on a thank you to understand? What some penitent soul, or a ideas that seeks awareness? the challenge here is not any longer in spite of if the bible or the church leaders have a greater value. the challenge here is what's physically powerful and actual. How can one understand what's physically powerful and actual devoid of going stunning to the source? If a church chief isn't foremost from the source, he's a faux prophet who can not and should no longer be relied on. If a church chief is including or subtracting from what's written, he's deceptive his followers. He (Jesus) predicted the Jews to have self belief God's word until now his crucifixion and all of people who might have self belief (Christians) to boot. If there is not any common from which the Church chief constructive factors his authority, what pick is there to maintain on with him? The bible is that common.

Answer 6

It is true that we can not ever know the exact feeling and intent completely unless we know and are fluent in ancient Hebrew and Greek as well as familiar with the exact circumstances under which the words were written. Thats is why we have not one, but 66 books and letters that help us to see the Bible as a whole, and therefore discern the overall message of what is found within. Then, we can compare individual verses with the entire message and gain a closer understanding as to what is actually being said.

Answer 7

Yes, of course you can. The problem is that people throughout time and especially today make up wrong interpretaions of the Scriptures. The Bible tells us that "Men Filled With The Holy Spirit Wrote What Jesus Told Them To".

I know you will get all sorts of replies, but you must have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ to find out these things. Every word becomes alive and the Truth is revealed. You have to be a Born-Again-Christian, to fully understand what God is telling you through His Word. He won't let you down and He will give you the greatest gift that everyone wants, eternal life in Paradise.

Don't approach the Bible with a closed mind like some of your answers. You can't deny, what you haven't tried. Believe me, I wouldn't be alive today, if Jesus was not my Saviour and my Life.

Answer 8

There was a lot that was incorrectly translated from Hebrew, just for an example in the Hebrew text there is no mention of a Virgin Mary, she was known as a young woman, and that's fact, so just think about that for your answer, and of course it was written by man kind for man to profit, and to control man over the years, man has never been trusted just take a look at the things that are going on today in the world

Answer 9

There is a great book called 'why trust the Bible' by amy orr-ewing, try and get hold of a copy it might put your mind at rest. Remember that God is in control and the basic message of the Bible will always be salvation through Jesus, that's all you need, the rest will help you live as a Christian and I recommend you read it and believe it as it is, otherwise you will be missing a lot.

Answer 10

It is best to read the 'Old Testament' in its original Hebrew.
To understand it, you would probably need good commentaries. No translation is adequate, but if you cannot understand the Hebrew, the King James is the most elegant translation, but meaningless at times. Better choose a simpler one for accuracy.