Why do Christians continue to use a mistranslation when a true translation has been available for 25 years?

Question

Published by The Union of American Hebrew Congregations (c)1981, the verse at Exodus, chapter 22, verse 17 is more properly translated as "Thou shalt not tolerate a sorceress."
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There are no direction to kill a Witch.

There have been "witches" murdered within the last 100 years. The Bible was quoted as Native American "Witches" were put to death.

And now an answerer wants the whole thing dropped because I made a typo.
Christians will do about anything to uphold there excuses to hate and fear.

Answer 1

Terry, my dear....it's been available for longer than that. My copy of the Tanakh was published in 1955, and reads the same way:

Exodus 22:17 "Thou shalt not suffer a sorceress to live"


But that's really beside the point, Terry.

The *point* is that each and every one of the "Thou shalts" and "Thou shalt nots" in Exodus were only for "the children of Israel".

Exodus 19:5
"Now therefore, if ye will hearken unto My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples"

Exodus 20:1,2
"And God spoke all these words, saying: I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage"


WHY is it that people do not "get" that when Moses went down to the bottom of Mount Sinai and delivered this message, it was to *a very specific group of people", not everyone in the world.

It wasn't for the people living in Asia, or the Americas, or *anyone at all* except "the children of Israel", who God had "brought out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage".

Period.



Thus, ALL those laws were only for THEM.

The "children of Israel" were not to allow a "sorceress" to live AMONG THEM.

(***EDIT: Note that one of the folks below me who is quoting a few different versions of the OT in his reply *proves my point* with the verses that say specifically "among you" - folks, the "you" referred to are "the children of Israel" - those folks who were gathered at the bottom of Mount Sinai when Moses came down to deliver a message from the God that had made a contract with them. NONE if this applies to Christians, no matter *what* translation you use)

They were NOT directed to go force *their* laws onto other peoples.

Exodus 22:20
"And a stranger shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt."


EDIT: Is there a severe reading comprehension problem here? Terry says, right there in his question, that he's referencing the Tanakh "Published by The Union of American Hebrew Congregations (c)1981", and y'all are going to "correct" him from a *different* book? Are you really going to do that stupid thing and say that it's NOT verse 17 in the book that he is looking at, when you don't even HAVE a copy of that book?

*snort*

Answer 2

Thats good they finally came out with a newer and better translation, if they did it right the first time we wouldnt have that problem. By the way a Witch can be both a man and a woman, and Sorceress is not a Witch, it is a person who has gone against the normal bounds of Witchcraft and is trying to use their power to manipulate things to be good for them or to make others lives filled with problems. A sorcerer/sorceress was a term developed in the late middle ages in Scotland for those who did black magic as opposed to regular magic done by Witches.

Answer 3

The bible is full of mistranslations more interesting than that. It has over the years changed from thou shalt not kill to thou shalt not do murder so that the army can be good Christians. Another example is Jesus walking on water which actually translates as Jesus walked by the water not on it. The fact is that many of these mistranslations were not innocent mistakes but done deliberately so that Christianity could continue its atrocities in Gods name

Answer 4

That is Ex. 22 v. 18.

First - What does the Torah define as a "witch"?

Second - Do you think this is accurate?

One source of info is not recommended.

What does Proverbs 3:5 say in this version?

Answer 5

Nice dream but let's be real...that's never going to happen. There are other ways to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. And you seem to be suggesting that only "true" Christians wait until marriage - people of other religions do as well, you know.

Answer 6

Because they want a reason to hate people like me. So, they trot out a mistranslation and go "SEE! Everything in the Bible is true. And my Bible tells me that you are evil and should die for it. Who am I to argue? Therefore, you ought to die right now. But, I'll be the better person and just persecute you instead. Ok? Ok."

Answer 7

"mistranslation" is YOUR OPINION

Are you a Christian ?

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The height of INTOLERANCE is termination.

There is no stated prohibition of death.

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Exodus 22:18 (New International Version)

18 "Do not allow a sorceress to live.

Leviticus 20:27 (New International Version)

27 " 'A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.' "

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Exodus 22:18 (New American Standard Bible)

18"You shall not allow a sorceress to live.

Leviticus 20:27 (New American Standard Bible)

27'Now a man or a woman who is a medium or a spiritist shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones, their bloodguiltiness is upon them.'"

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Exodus 22:18 (King James Version)

18Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

Leviticus 20:27 (King James Version)

27A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.

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Exodus 22:18 (New King James Version)

18 “You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

Leviticus 20:27 (New King James Version)

27 ‘A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them.’”

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Exodus 22:18 (Young's Literal Translation)

18`A witch thou dost not keep alive.

Leviticus 20:27 (Young's Literal Translation)

27`And a man or woman -- when there is in them a familiar spirit, or who [are] wizards -- are certainly put to death; with stones they stone them; their blood [is] on them.'

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Exodus 22:18 (Amplified Bible)

18You shall not allow a woman to live who practices sorcery.

Leviticus 20:27 (Amplified Bible)

27A man or woman who is a medium and has a familiar spirit or is a wizard shall surely be put to death, be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.

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Exodus 22:18 (Today's New International Version)

18 "Do not allow a sorceress to live.

Leviticus 20:27 (Today's New International Version)

27 " 'A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.' "

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Above are SEVEN CHRISTIAN translations / versions.

Whatever you are referencing is not of Christian origin and does not apply to Christians.

dave

Answer 8

Good point! I would like to get my hands on this particular translation--I will look for one. Too bad they didn't have one of these translations at the Salem Witch trials-----Blessings!

Answer 9

Good point. It's amazing that people will not so much as consult with the text belonging to those of the original culture and language!

Answer 10

This is the same group that accepts homosexuality--against the Bible, as well as is against the death penalty--again, contrary to the Bible.

Yeah, I'm suppose to believe THEIR translation? Of course, they do not have an agenda, do they?

Of course, the Jehovah Witnesses say THEY have the most accurate translation. Hmmm, no agenda there.