Why Our Bibles are Mistranslated

'Blasphemy!' Some of you might say, but let me show you why everyone should take caution when reading an English-translated Bible.

The Bible is constantly the best-selling book in the world. That is such a testament to the Gospel and how God's Word is still able to impact and reach people today. The Bible can transform a life, and even reading one chapter can lead anyone to repentance.

Before we continue, let me outline something. The message is and always will be - If you believe that God sent His one and only son, Yeshua, to die for our sins and that Yeshua rose from the grave and defeated death, and you repent and enter into a loving relationship with God and demonstrate your faith through obedience, you will be SAVED. This salvation is by grace alone and you cannot get to it by good deeds or following rules or laws.

The goal here is to give Christians a framework to better interpret the scriptures. You just have to look at all the denominations we have in Christianity, all the sects, cults, and interpretations people have of the Scriptures to realize that we are not all aligned on what the Word says. Whilst almost all denominations get the salvation part right, all the peripherals are completely misaligned. Why is that? Is God a God of confusion? Of course not, so clearly we are doing something wrong in today's age.

I have a theory as to why that is - The English language has failed to capture the essence and proper meaning of words from the original manuscripts and as a result, our Bibles leave much up for interpretation. In our recent series, Heaven and Hell, we saw that there are THREE kinds of Hell, but our English-translated Bibles have put that all into one word. People then fail to understand what Hell is, and ultimately leads to an incorrect interpretation of it. This kind of thing happens EVERYWHERE in the Scriptures and has ultimately led to many sects of Christianity that are seemingly opposed to each other.

Historical Context and Translation Challenges

There are three main languages that the manuscripts were written - Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic. All of these languages have their nuances and special meanings. For example, in Greek, the word Agape is translated as Love in English. But Agape means something deeper than that, it is an incredibly deep, unconditional, selfless love.

Translating these manuscripts is an impossible task as humans are inherently imperfect and can often reflect their own bias, just like we uncovered during our Forbidden Food series, where translators added an additional sentence in brackets in Mark 7, declaring that Yeshua declared all foods clean. When checking the original manuscripts, and also checking the same Parable in Matthew, we saw that this parable had nothing to do with food, and Yeshua never said or implied a change in His Father's Law.

Some of these translations were even done under duress and political and time pressure, which could further have contributed to errors in translation.

However, having said this, it is still a miracle that we can walk into a store and buy a Bible. We should all be grateful for all the efforts of those involved in translating the manuscripts. The main message of the Bible is still true and very clear in the English Bible!

The Biggest Errors in the English Bibles

Mis-use of Yehovah and Yeshua & Other Names
Adding / Subtracting from the Word
Mistranslations and Bias.

Let's go through these and uncover examples:

Mis-use of Yehovah and Yeshua

On our site, we have done teachings on the true names of God and Christ. Please read them for more context. In summary, God's real name is Yehovah and Christ's true name is Yeshua.

Here is a summary of the translations that involve God and Jesus:

Real Name	English Translated Name	Hebrew Name
Yehovah	LORD	יהוה – Yehovah / YHVH
Yeshua	Jesus	ישׁוּע - Yeshua
Adonai	Lord (Small letters)	אדני – A title

In the English Bible, God is referred to as LORD and Lord (Adonai). This is sad, as it does not give weight to His mighty name. Only in the King James Version do you see God's true name, Jehovah (Pronounced Yehovah). Yahweh appears in the English Bibles, but this is not the correct pronunciation as it is just another attempt to pronounce יהוה (YHVH). With the original manuscripts, it has been shown that Yehovah is the correct name to use. Please read our teaching 'Our God Has a Name - Yehovah' for a deep dive.

Removing God's real name seems to have been a common theme in all English translations.

Jesus is the product of many transliterations from 4 different languages. This is also sad, because Yeshua means "God saves". How beautiful is that? The name Jesus has no meaning behind it at all.

This is the result of "Christianizing" or "Anglicanising" names in the English Bibles. Here are more examples of people's REAL names vs their English names:

English Translated Name	Real Name
John	Yochanan
Matthew	Mathityahu
James	Yaakov
Simon	Shi-mon
Thomas	Taome
Isaac	Yitzach

Imagine your name being completely changed because a translator or official found it hard to understand or pronounce.

Adding / Subtracting from the Word

We have a teaching on the Parable of Unwashed Hands in Mark 7, where translators added a parenthesis stating "Thus Jesus declared all foods clean". In essence, the parable had nothing to do with food and this addition was not present in any other manuscripts. This would also make Yeshua a liar as he would have advocated breaking God's own Law, so he would be imperfect.

God forbids adding or subtracting from His Word!

Rev 22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.

Rev 22:19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

Here is another one of rework of God's Word: Revelation 22:14

This one is completely different based on translation:

Rev 22:14 (NIV) “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.

Luckily, the King James Version has the correct meaning:

Rev 22:14 (KJV) Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

The KJV is correct as it is backed up by the original manuscripts. It is crazy to think how different these translations are. And what different meanings each of them take.

Here is another one: Matthew 28:19

Verse 19 does not exist in the original Hebrew manuscript. This is quite interesting as it is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible:

Mat 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

The real manuscript simply combines verses 18 and 20 and it reads as follows:

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (From Mat 28:18), and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (From Mat 28:20)

Why would translators add an entire verse that seems to support a trinitarian doctrine? This same occurrence happens in Acts, where people were only baptized in the name of Christ, and not in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This list is exhaustive and I am just highlighting a few, but to keep moving, I will stop there.

Mistranslations and Bias.

This is probably the biggest cause of confusion. There are HUNDREDS of mistranslated words, but here are some examples:

Verse	English Words	Hebrew Word	English Meaning	Hebrew Meaning
Deu 32:22	Hell or Grave	she’ôl	Hell, red fire, Devil	Cold place where souls sleep.
Acts 12:4	Easter	Pascha	Worldly celebration of Easter Bunnies/Jesus	God’s Appointed Festival
Rev 8:7	Pale Horse	chlōros	White / Light	Green
Isa 14:12	Lucifer	Heylel	Devil	Shining Star

How can we avoid these mistranslations?

To address these mistranslations, it’s crucial to:

Study the Original Languages: Understanding Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic can provide deeper insights into the texts. I use the Blue Letter Bible to do this.
Contextual Reading: Always consider the historical, cultural, and literary context of passages. We always preach that context is important. Read into the history of the people in question to understand what is being said and that you cannot use a statement to a specific people or church and use it as a blanket statement to all people.
Diverse Translations: Comparing multiple translations can highlight where interpretations diverge and prompt further study. Blue Letter Bible can do this for you. Typically the King James Version and the Geneva Translation are considered the most accurate English translations.
Seek Scholarly Insights: Engage with Biblical scholars who can offer expert perspectives on complex passages. Reading different opinions can help greatly.
PRAY. Let the Holy Spirit guide you. When you see something that looks contradictory or confusing, ask God to lead you.

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding the nuances and potential mistranslations of the Bible is crucial for any growing closer to God. While it may seem daunting, recognizing the limitations of English translations allows us to seek a deeper, more authentic relationship with our Lord and Savior. The core message of the Bible remains the same no matter which translation - belief in Yeshua's sacrifice and resurrection, repentance, and a loving, obedient relationship with God lead to salvation by grace alone.

We touched on three main areas where our English Translated Bibles are flawed:

Mis-use of Yehovah and Yeshua & Other Names
Adding / Subtracting from the Word
Mistranslations and Bias.

All of these mistakes have contributed to misinterpretations, resulting in a divided Christianity.

However, to fully grasp the Scriptures, we must approach them with a willingness to dig deeper. By studying the original languages, considering historical and cultural contexts, comparing different translations, and seeking scholarly insights, we can uncover the true meanings behind the texts. Above all, prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit are essential in navigating and understanding the complexities of the Bible.