How many time is the word 'maybe' in the bible?

Question

i'm guessing quite a few...

Answer 1

None, one more false assumption shot to hell.

Answer 2

A lot depends on what translation you use! The King James version doesn't have any, because "maybe" wasn't a word that was used in English back in the early 1600's very much. On the other hand, more modern translations, like the New Internationl Version, will use "maybe" where the KJV uses different words. For instance, in the below quote from Jonah, KJV reads "If so be that God will think upon us" where the NIV says "Maybe he will take notice of us." and in the Complete Jewish Bible it says "Maybe the god will remember us and we won't die" and The Message words it "Maybe your god will see we're in trouble and rescue us."

The New Living Translation uses "maybe" in 3 Verses but The Good News Translation uses it 28 times, and the New Century Version has the word 52 times!

Here are the 3 verses from the NIV:
1Ki 18:5
Ahab had said to Obadiah, "Go through the land to all the springs and valleys. Maybe we can find some grass to keep the horses and mules alive so we will not have to kill any of our animals."

1Ki 18:27 -
At noon Elijah began to taunt them. "Shout louder!" he said. "Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened." (Eli is taunting the priests of the false God, Ba'al, who were having a contest with Elijah to find out whose god was a better miracle-worker. They weren't getting any results from Ba'al)

Jonah 1:6 -
The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish." (Jonah -- you remember, the guy that got swallowed by the giant fish -- was sleeping below the deck during a big storm at sea where they were throwing cargo overboard to lighten the ship. Once he woke up they decided it was all his fault because he was running away from what God had told him to do, and they threw HIM overboard.)

On the other hand, the word "perhaps" -- which means the same thing as "maybe" -- is used a lot more - 47 times in The New Living Translation, for instance.

A great site for tracking particular words is crosswalk.com, where you can look up any word in the Bible in nearly 30 different translations, including two that give the main words in the original Hebrew or Greek, and the literal meaning of that word. Easy to use.

Answer 3

Why are you asking this question? Read the bible from cover to cover and keep a pen and paper next to the bible and write it down when and wherever you find it then come back and give us the answer we would like to know. Don't just tell us 25 times but give the scripture and how the word why was used.Just wondering why the word why is so important. what does it mean to you?The crowds and the apostles were always asking question of Jesus, so to be truthful the word why was more than likely used many times. And your point is?

Answer 4

I'm not sure, but perhaps "maybe" wasn't a word in the times of the "King James" translation. "May" is in Scripture many times, and is next to be 14 times in the first column (of 8). In none of them did it seem to have the meaning of maybe, but I didn't search all of Scripture.

Answer 5

Stop guessing and read the Bible

Answer 6

It would give us a lot more hope for a chance at forgiveness if it were wouldn't it.

Answer 7

none.

Answer 8

NONE.