(~)The Seven Deadly Sins of Bible Study (Part 4 of 7) Jack Kuhatschek for New Man magazine Jul 17, 2002

4. Relying on Faulty Translations

The example mentioned earlier about the word touching illustrates how a faulty translation can sometimes get us into trouble. Another case in point involves the very popular passage on guidance, Proverbs 3:5,6: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths (KJV).

Concerning this passage, Bruce Waltke (as quoted by Garry Friesen in the book “Decision Making and the Will of God”) notes that direct thy paths is not accurate. Looking at the original manuscripts, the translation is He will make your paths smooth.

The idea of smooth or straight has nothing to do with guidance but rather means that the Lord will remove the obstacles from our paths and enable us to achieve His desired goals.

Although some Bible translations are clearly better than others, none is perfect. Therefore, it is helpful to read a passage in a variety of translations. When you do so, pay close attention to the differences in words, grammar and sentence structure. That way youll gain a better understanding of what the author was really trying to say.

Coming tomorrow … Reading Into Scripture