"The Upper Room" devotions

[vrjenny]

Okay, i have to bring something up that has bothered me. I am one who likes to do the "The Upper Room" devotionals..i really enjoyed them not really paying a close attention to the version of bible they use. Well, it caught my attention yesterday. They use the New Revised Standard Version and it was on Psalm 22:1-2,14-24.

Now, what i noticed was in verse 16. "For dogs are all around me;a company of evildoers encircles me. My hands and feet have shriveled; "

The KJV says this, "For dogs have compassed me:the assembly of the wicked have in closed me: they pierced my hands and my feet."

I dont claim to be a real smart person but i have to say i can notice a difference in the meaning of the word shriveled and pierced.

This is what Websters dictionary says: Pierce >>> 1 a : to run into or through as a pointed weapon does : STAB b : to enter or thrust into sharply or painfully

2 : to make a hole through : PERFORATE

3 : to force or make a way into or through

4 : to penetrate with the eye or mind : DISCERN

5 : to penetrate so as to move or touch the emotions of

intransitive senses : to force a way into or through something

Shrivel>>>1 : to draw into wrinkles especially with a loss of moisture

2 a : to become reduced to inanition, helplessness, or inefficiency b : DWINDLE

transitive senses : to cause to shrivel

Do these look like they have a different impact on the scripture???

This disturbes me for a couple of reasons but my biggest concern is how the devil can have power and joy over these things... i know it is one little word...but how many times is it just one little word...

Rev. 22:18,19 " For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book. "

Also another thing to consider how the devil works... as in Gen 3:1-5

" Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil

maybe some of you might think that i am going over board...i just get bothered that the devil can have that kind of power in something i cherish... I think it is sad that people put God "in a box"...but i seems to me scarey and even deadly that people but Satan "in a box"...

I used to pick up most any bible and read...but for me now...i will stick to the KJV.

In Christ's love, Jenny.

[Botz]

Hi Jenny.

I think you make a good point here...it is things like this that determine which translations we appreciate and why..although the KJV is not without its faults.

In this instance I can find no reason at all to use the word shrivelled generally there has been contention in the past about the word being translated as Kaari or karru because of a similarity beteen two letters (yod and vav )...hence one translates 'as a lion' which doesn't make much sense but tries to stay true to the direct meaning and 'they pierced' which fits in with the context...personally I think the imagery from the verb that has its root in the Hebrew word for lion is possibly showing that His hands and feet were 'pierced' with nails like the claws or bite of a lion...but you would not get this 'impression' from the mere translation of words...which is where 'all' translations fall short.

[kittylover0991]

Amen Jenny

As for Botz.. he he he.... i have one thing i have to disagree with... you said that the KJV has its faults. As you can probably guess by now, i use only the KJV and that is becasue i belive it is teh perfect, preserved, infalable word of God. I don't know of one thing in the KJV that is false, and as mentioned in another thread, the differnt manuscripts during translation were compared till perfection.

God says in the bible that he would preserve his word..... are you saying that his word is not preserved?.... thereby calling Him a liar?

sorry...... i can go overbaord easily on this topic... sorry if i sound harsh etc....

[Botz]

As for Botz.. he he he.... i have one thing i have to disagree with... you said that the KJV has its faults. As you can probably guess by now, i use only the KJV and that is becasue i belive it is teh perfect, preserved, infalable word of God. I don't know of one thing in the KJV that is false, and as mentioned in another thread, the differnt manuscripts during translation were compared till perfection.

God says in the bible that he would preserve his word..... are you saying that his word is not preserved?.... thereby calling Him a liar?

sorry...... i can go overbaord easily on this topic... sorry if i sound harsh etc....

No worries Kitty....try Acts 12 verse 4 and spot the deliberate mistake in the KJV...I am not about to bash the KJV I love it...although I use several other versions rather more these days.

I do believe in the inherent infallibility of Scripture....I just don't believe it is found in the KJV or any other version...and of course I am not calling the King of Kings a liar....but some people are in danger of turning their favourite Bible versions into a Nehushtan.