Implications of Modern Versions - Does God Sometimes Deceive People?
Does God Sometimes Deceive People? -
A closer examination of the Old Testament Passage in Ezekiel 14:9
Does God Sometimes Deceive People? - Ezekiel 14:9
There are many truths found in the Holy Scriptures that many present day Christians find unpalatable. Most Christians today do not read their Bibles, so they don't come across these truths, and the modern versions are doing their best to hide them, if one should stumble upon them in God's word. Such is the case with Ezekiel 14:9.
The context is clearly about a false prophet and the person who comes to him. Beginning at Ezekiel 14:7 we read: "For everyone of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself; And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. And IF THE PROPHET BE DECEIVED when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD HAVE DECEIVED that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him." (Eze. 14:7-11)
God does deceive. 2 Thessalonians 2:11 tells of those who received not the love of the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness and "for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie."
Isaiah 29:10
"For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered."
Matthew 11:25-26
"At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because THOU HAST HID THESE THINGS from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight."
John 12:37-40
"But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Therefore THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE, BECAUSE that Esaias said again, HE HATH BLINDED THEIR EYES, and HARDENED THEIR HEART; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."
Isaiah 63:17
"O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance."
In 1 Kings 22:19-23 the LORD was sitting on his throne and all the host of heaven were about Him. He asked who shall persuade Ahab that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead. A spirit volunteered to go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of his prophets. "Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets."
Job 12:16 tells us "the deceived and the deceiver are his."
Here in Ezekiel 14:9 the phrase "If the prophet be DECEIVED when he hath spoken a thing, I THE LORD HAVE DECEIVED that prophet" is the same in the Geneva Bible 1599, Coverdale 1535, Bishop's Bible 1568, the Revised Version 1881, the ASV 1901, the RSV, NRSV, the 2001 ESV, Green's interlinear, the 1936 Hebrew-English translation put out by the Hebrew Publishing Company, New York, the Catholic Douay Version 1950, the St. Joseph New American Bible 1970, Bible in Basic English 1961, the Spanish Reina Valera 1960, the KJV 21st Century, the Itlalian Diodati, the Greek Septuagint, Lamsa's 1933 translation of the Syriac Peshitta, and the 2003 Holman Standard Version.
The NIV departs the least from the true reading with its "if the prophet is ENTICED to utter a prophecy, I the LORD have ENTICED that prophet."
The NKJV changes the whole meaning with: "if the prophet IS INDUCED TO SPEAK anything, I the LORD have INDUCED that prophet."
The NASB basically agrees with the NKJV saying: "if the prophet IS PREVAILED UPON to speak a word, it is I , the LORD, who have PREVAILED UPON that prophet."
Both the NKJV and NASB obliterate the sense of God's deceiving this prophet, and have blandly substituted the idea of God merely moving upon him to cause him to speak.
With the NIV, we could well ask: With what did God entice the prophet? It doesn't hint at any incentive given, or temptation offered. Rather, the prophet is deceived by God as well as the man who comes to him because they have separated themselves from the LORD and set up their idols in their hearts.
A similar thing seems to be occuring today with the Bible version issue. Many have set up their own intellects, respected men, and scholarship as an idol in their hearts, and God is handing them over to deception and unbelief. These modern versions are not God's true, inspired words, and the church is being deceived into thinking there is no inerrant, pure word of God on earth today.
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Psalm 78 Can God be DECEIVED? - NASB, Holman Blunder
I am presently in two Christian forums discussing the inerrancy of the King James Bible. I was challenged to bring up one example of doctrinal corruption found in the modern versions. I have many examples to list, but I started off with something very simple. The following posts and discussions reveal how people think when confronted with a clear doctrinal error. I posted this short article, and then received the following responses from two men, who promote the modern versions and criticize the King James Bible.
Psalm 78:36 "They did flatter Him"
Psalms 78 tells us of Israel's rebellion and sin against their God and of his continued compassion towards them. One of the people's many recorded sins is found in v.36: "they did FLATTER him with their mouth, and lied unto him with their tongue." We can flatter God - say all kinds of nice things about him yet not really mean them. God is not fooled by mans false words of adoration.
Charles Spurgeon notes in his Treasury of David, a commentary on the Psalms, - Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. - "they did but flatter and lie, and play the hypocrites with God...A flatterer, you know, differs from a friend, in that he pretends much kindness, yet wants inward good will, doing it for his own ends...he being a God that knows the heart, to flatter him is the greatest mockery; for that is it which chiefly provoketh men to hate such as dissemble friendship."
Adam Clarke notes: "They promised well, they called him their God, and their fathers' God, and told him how good, and kind, and merciful he had been to them. Thus, their mouth flattered him. And they said that, whatever the Lord their God commanded them to do, they would perform."
Agreeing with the reading found in the King James Bible that the people FLATTERED God are Coverdale 1535, Bishops' Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1599, the Revised Version 1881, American Standard Version 1901, the NIV, NKJV, Green's Modern KJV, Darby, the RSV 1952, NRSV 1989, the Spanish Reina Valera of 1909, 1960 (le lisonjeaban con la boca), the Italian Diodati, the 1936 Hebrew Publication Society translation, the KJV 21st Century, Third Millenium Bible, Green's 1998 Modern KJV, the Amplified bible, and the 2003 English Standard Version (ESV). But the NASB, as well as the Holman Christian Standard Version, says "they DECEIVED him with their mouth". Notice that the NASB and Holman CSB don't say "they TRIED TO deceive Him" but "they deceived Him". This is completely impossible. God certainly cannot be deceived.
The absurd reading found in the NASB and Holman Standard that people DECEIVED God is a theological error. The word Theology literally means the study of God. If we begin to list the atttibutes of God as found in Scripture, we can say that God is holy, God is righteous, God is love, God is light, and if we follow the NASB reading, we would also have to conclude that God is gullible - He can be deceived. Is this the true God of the Bible? I trow not.
One of the people I encountered who crticizes the King James Bible has a lot of theory about the multitude of conflicting and contradictory bible versions out there, but his theories, in my opinion, certainly do not fit the facts nor even his own arguments when it comes to specific Scriptues. A Christian who calls himself Grinch said: “I believe that while the translations have a few slight variations, the good exegetical practice of the faithful servant (who RIGHTLY divides the word of truth) takes the same meaning from them all...(which afterall is the truth of God's word!). God's word is not the precise exact words but the meaning behind those words which in actuality is the miracle of God's word. What I mean is that words are important, however different words can be used to describe the same exact truth. The miracle of God's word is that it transcends all languages and vocabularies and still teaches the same truth when exegetically interpreted correctly! "
Grinch continues: "Many KJV words are totally obsolete and unused even by college-educated people in recent decades. "In KJV language the word "suffer" meant "let" in 1611, but means "endure pain" now. So which version actually teaches the truth of God's word to the English reader today?" Obviously in the case above the newer versions better teach the truth of the passage, yet use a different word."
First of all, Grinch seems to think there are only "a few slight variations" among the various bible versions. He couldn't be more wrong. Grinch says he likes the NASB and the NKJV, yet between these two versions alone there are some 5000 words either omitted or changed in the New Testament of the NASB as compared to the NKJV. The NASB frequently departs from the Hebrew texts, and both these two versions have very different meanings in literally hundreds of verses; yet in Grinch's studied opinion, these thousands of very real textual and translational differenes are but "a few slight variations".
Secondly, Grinch tells us that the words may be different but the meaning is the same. Sorry Grinch, but there are hundreds of verses, or NON-VERSES because of omission, that have totally different meanings, and no amount of juggling or sleight of hand maneuvering can ever make them "teach the same truth".
Thirdly, Grinch criticizes the word "suffer" as found in the King James Bible. If you look at a dictionary, the word "suffer", meaning to allow or permit, is not archaic at all. Have we been so dumbed down that we think a word can have only one narrow meaning? The Revised Version, the ASV, Darby, Young’s, Tyndale, Geneva Bible, Third millenium Bible, and the KJV 21st Century versions, all render this word as "suffer to come unto me."
April 2, 2003, a commentator on Fox News, in opposition to the war, stated that, "...it may be incumbent upon us to possibly SUFFER the presence of Saddam Hussein as leader of Iraq in order to maintain a buffer between the Sunnis and Shiites."
The Rocky Mountain News in 2003 said of a politician: "He does not suffer fools gladly, and Washington is full of fools."
The other person who attempted to refute my arguments about the NASB blunder in Psalm 78:36 is a man called David. He posted: "Will, Ps 78:35 KJV "And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. 36.Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. 37.For their heart was not right with him,neither were they stedfast in his covenant. 38.But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away and did not stir up all his wrath. 40.How oft did they provoke him, . . . 41. Yea, they turned back and tempted God. . .42. they remembered not his hand. . .
They flattered God -- c'mon Will, what's the matter? Do you ever read an entire statement, or just the parts you want. Yes, the KJV says Israel "flattered" God -- but notice it says they flattered God with their lips, and then please note "they lied unto him with their tongues." Is that not an attempt to deceive God? In the same passage, vs. 41 note that they "tempted" God. Now using your own rationalization "can God be tempted????" No, of course not. But the KJV says Israel tempted God. Why don't you think a little and read the whole context while you're thinking. This was a silly example for you to use."
I then responded to brother David in the following manner:
When the Mind turns to Mush.
Hi David, I find your answer regarding the NASB's rendering of how the children of Israel DECEIVED God to be of great interest.
You said: "They flattered God -- c'mon Will, what's the matter? Do you ever read an entire statement, or just the parts you want. Yes, the KJV says Israel "flattered" God -- but notice it says they flattered God with their lips, and then please note "they lied unto him with their tongues." Is that not AN ATTEMPT TO DECEIVE God? In the same passage, vs. 41 note that they "tempted" God. Now using your own rationalization "CAN GOD BE DEMPTED???? NO, OF COURSE NOT. But the KJV says Israel tempted God. Why don't you think a little and read the whole context while you're thinking. This was a silly example for you to use. "
David, your thinking is decidedly unbiblical. I had first posted that the NASB does not say "they TRIED TO deceive" God, but that they DECEIVED Him. Apparently you missed this.
Secondly, you now tell me that the KJB says Israel TEMPTED God, and you say " Now using your own rationalization "can God be tempted????" No, of course not. "
Uh, David, may I suggest you take another look at your own NASB. Right here in this same Psalm 78 in verses 41 and 56 your favorite NASB says: "Again and again they TEMPTED God"...."Yet they TEMPTED and rebelled against the Most High God", and again in Psalm 106:14 your NASB says that the children of Israel "TEMPTED God in the wilderness."
You really need to learn a bit more about both your NASB and the English language, instead of being educated out of your faith in an inerrant Book.
The word "tempt" means to put to the test, to try, and your own NASB uses this same word in the same way as the KJB does.
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Then again Grinch answered: RE: Psalm 78:36 "You have got to be kidding me! Surely you cannot be serious. My goodness your nonsensical arguments are juvenile at best! This is precisely what I mean by KJVO's molesting Scripture by trying to create doctrines from verses yanked out of their context using single words. They lied to God and deceived Him with their mouths. Read the context for meaning. Will, you are obviously (for good reason) running from the issue.
Let me throw another stupid KJVO style argument back at you. Genesis 6:6
And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. Exodus 32:14
And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people. So KJV teaches that God makes mistakes and thinks evil? I marvel at the hatred for context by professed Christians, Grinch."
My comments: Notice that Grinch did not address the issue that the NASB teaches that God the people DECEIVED God. Instead Grinch attempts the tactic of ridicule rather than of reason. I guess he thinks by making a lot of noise and casting dust into the air about how I must be kidding; I can't be serious, my arguments are junvenile at best, we are molesting Scripture and yanking verses out of context... that by this means he can distract us from the simple issue at hand. Does the NASB teach, not merely that they TRIED TO deceive, or practiced deception against God, but that they DECEIVED Him? And then Grinch has the nerve to tell me that I am the one running from the issue. The irony is simply overwhelming.
Grinch also sidesteps the issue of Psalm 78:36 by tossing out what he thinks is another error in the KJB. The fact that God repents of certain actions is recorded in a multiplicity of Bible translations, including Geneva, Coverdale, Bishops' Bible, the RV, ASV, the Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, Darby, Youngs, Spanish, Diodati, the KJV 21st Century, the Third Millenium Bible, and Green's 1998 Modern KJV.
Grinch prefers the NASB, but I wonder if Grinch ever bothered to look up what his own favorite NASB says in Jeremiah 26:3. Here the NASB uses the word "repent" in exactly the same way he ignorantly criticizes in the KJB. The NASB says: "Thus says the LORD...Perhaps they will listen and everyone will turn from his evil way, THAT I MAY REPENT of the calamity which I am planning to do to them because of the evil of their deeds."
The word "repent" has several meanings of which Grinch seems to be ignorant. Besides meaning to turn from sin, the word in both Hebrew and English can also mean either to feel sorrow for something, to regret, or it can be used in an anthropormorphic sense when applied to God of "to change one's mind because of the actions of another".
Grinch then attempts another comeback saying: "Will states:You also said God cannot be tempted, yet your own NASB which you call reliable and infallible also says they tempted God."
Grinch says: KJV states: Exodus 17:7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD. KJV
(My Note: So? This is correct doctrine. They tempted, or put God to the test. There is nothing wrong with this statement and many other Bible versions agree with this reading. In fact, even the NKJV, which Grinch said he also likes, reads the same way: They TEMPTED the Lord.")
Then Grinch continues with these "insightful" words. He writes: "O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people KJV Jeremiah 4:10 and 20:7. Psalm 78:41Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. GO KJV! KJV teaches that God is a liar and that God can be tempted. (following KJVO idiotic logic)"
What Grinch utterly fails to see is that the Bible itself does teach that God can deceive people, but God cannot possibly BE DECEIVED Himself. Simple truths, yet they escape the mind of people like Grinch.
Grinch then tries to defend the NASB reading that the people DECEIVED God by "going to the Hebrew" for us. He posts: "I even took the time on the other forum to explain that "deceived" is a Piel, Imperfect verb which means that it is to be understood that the people were in the act of deceiving the Lord, NOT that the Lord was "deceived" (the people deceived, not the lord was deceived) such that the NASB translation is not only acceptable but is actually more consistent with the Hebrew word used."
Now, please pay close attention to what Grinch says. He takes us to the Hebrew text and attempts to defend the NASB reading of "they DECEIVED HIM" by telling us "it is to be understood that the people were in the act of deceiving the Lord, NOT that the Lord was "deceived"; the people deceived, not the lord was deceived."
What Grinch fails to see is that his NASB and his own explanation still says "the people were in the act of deceiving the Lord...the people deceived". Well, if the people were deceiving the Lord, it still means that God was DECEIVED! He contradicts himself, and then resorts to "explaining" the text with his own words that are the direct opposite of what is found in the NASB.
Part of his "defense" of this ridiculous NASB reading is that the Hebrew word CAN have the meaning of "to deceive". I know it CAN, but not every POSSIBLE meaning of a specific Hebrew or Greek correctly applies to every CONTEXT.
The Hebrew word can variously be translated as: "to deceive, to flatter, to allure, to persuade, to prevail, to entice, to be silly, or to be simple". The word is correctly translated as deceive when it is God who does the deceiving, as in Ezekiel 14:9. There the Lord speaks about the false prophets and says: "And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet..."
However it would be incorrect in the context of Hosea 2:14 to translate this same word as "deceive". Here God is wooing Israel back to Himself and He says: "Therefore, behold, I WILL ALLURE her...and speak comfortably unto her...and she shall sing there as in the days of her youth." It would be totally inaccurate to translate this same Hebrew word as "I will DECEIVE HER" in this context, and it certainly is a grave theological error to translate Psalm 78:36 as "the people DECEIVED God".
Hundreds of Hebrew words can have totally different meanings depending on the context. For example, the word yohm can mean either Day or Year, but the context of Exodus 13:10, where it speaks of celebrating the Passover from "year to year" requires that it be translated as "year to year" and not "day to day".
The Hebrew word #2617 gheh-sed normally means something like "mercy, goodness, or lovingkindness", but bible versions translate this same word as "reproach" in Proverbs 14:34 "Sin is a REPROACH to any people". "Mercy", "goodness" or "lovingkindness" do not fit this particular context.
The same Hebrew word (#1288 bah-rach) can mean either "to bless" OR "to curse", depending on the context. See Job 1:5 and 10 where the same word is used, and translated both ways.
Seeing the truth that God has preserved His words in the King James Bible is a spiritual revelation from God and not a mere "intellectual" exercise. "Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain." 1 Corinthians 3:18-20. And in Psalm 19:7 we read: "The law of the LORD is PERFECT, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is SURE, MAKING WISE THE SIMPLE."
The more we can see of how people think and reason, (those who do not believe any Bible or any text in any language is now the inerrant, complete and infallible words of God), the more convinced I become about the truth and purity of the King James Version Bible. One can observe and see what happens to the modern minds - the twisted logic and emotional tantrums, the desperate cries for emotional needs all while decrying God - This gives us cause to realize and be all the more thankful that God has had mercy on each of us individually, sinners in the hands of a Holy God, who has in His Grace revealed to us and many others where His words are found today - in the Authorized King James Version.
In and by His grace alone,
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For those who object to this article
I understand that If I object to this article, that I need to take certain steps:
1. I need to clearly understand for myself what is the specific basis of my objection
2. I need to remember that other people cannot read my mind and may not understand what I have a problem with, and I will need to be patient in explaining my objection.
3. I need to examine my own motives and decide what is pushing me or motivating me to respond about this article. If there is an issue of lack of accuracy, then I do need to bring this up.
But if the issue is that the article is accurate, then I need to understand how I should be responding to the parts that I already know and understand are true.
4. I need to be wise, so that I do not use my own lack of knowledge, as the basis for objecting too fast. There are many questions and much documentation that can be provided to those who may object. If I have a problem I can ask for this documentation, but I need to be sure and ask myself just what I am placing my SECURITY in, as a fellow Christian.
5. does the article upset me because it may be TRUE, and I am disturbed because I am finding that I have put my security in a Version of the Bible that either is NOT accurate or that was NOT accurately translated ?
6. does this mean that I may be in spiritual danger, and that I need to do much more research personally, for myself, and stop taking the word of some Pastors or leaders who are simply telling me NOT to worry about these issues, but to be warm and filled and go back to sleep ?
7. Do I need to undertand that even though some of these Pastors who "bless" all versions may have good intentions, that they may not have the gift of Biblical Discernment, and therefore they may not understand either their own need to do a great deal of personal research on this matter, so that they do not endanger the Congregation and individual Church members that they have been entrusted with ?
8. Is the church that I am going to either part of a denomination that now is Liberal or has turned its back on God or historic Christianity, or part of a group that is endorsing Unbliblical or Anti-Historic Practices such as Word of Faith or selling the Gospel by Trends such as using Church Consultants that are far more committed to Church NUMBER growth, and NOT the individual Spiritual Maturity of the Christians that are ALREADY there ?
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The Real Question is what are you going to do with the information that was presented in this article.
Is the Information True ?
Is the Information Accurate ?
Is the Information documented ?
Do I - before God - have a responsibility if I am a Christian to accept and act on the information in this article ?
Am I comfortable in the knowledge, that some leaders under the guise of clarifying the text of the Bible, are actually changing that text, and changing MY understanding of what God wants to share with me through His Holy Word, the Old Testament and the New Testament ?
Do I understand that these "small" changes number from the hundreds to the THOUSANDS depending on which Modern Versions I use, and that these changes serve to cut away the clarity and the specific understanding found in the Greek New Testament, that these new modern versions are preventing me from understanding ?
Do I understand that most of these new Modern Versions were not developed because there was a genuine need, but because the teams of Bible Translators were Hired by PUBLISHING companies who are eager to make a profit on the Word of God, which remains the Number ONE bestseller every week of every year, and that these Publishers decided to cash in ?
Do I understand that the problem was that if these Bible Adjusters and Correctors did NOT make the changes that they chose to, that they would not be able to claim copyright protection, and therefore they would not be able to make a financial Profit from their new versions ?
Do I understand that there are Spiritual Forces that want to prevent me from having GREATER spiritual understanding about God, but that God himself is always in MORE of a hurry than I am, for Me to get to know HIM ?
Do I realize what my personal state of preparation will be, within me, when Islam becomes the Dominant Religion in the United States, as it is already in Europe, and how I will personally be required to defend my Faith, by argument and persuasion, using knowledge of the Bible and of History and of Christianity, and that God will rightly hold me accountable because I am claiming to be His Child and a personal follower of Jesus Christ ?
In view of these facts, should I try to set aside more time for the study of the Word of God, and more time for the study of History and the true history of the Christian Church, and to learn about how other Christians in the past, actually learned to have and to gain GREAT spiritual strength ?
If no one reaches out to help prepare me for the coming challenges, whose job is it STILL for me to be prepared to answer these challenges and questions ?
FREE Ebooks for your encouragement, consideration and learning (PDF) Page can be found here: http://www.exorthodoxforchrist.com/free_ebooks_instant_downloads_pdf.htm
I Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in
your hearts: and be ready always to give
an answer to every man that asketh you a
reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
II Timothy 2: 15
Study to show thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth.
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