Grade School Math
יסף yâsaph to add, increase גּרע gâra‛ to diminish, do away, take from, clip
You shall not add to the Word which I command you, nor take from it, to keep the commandments of Yehovah your God which I command you. Deut 8:2 LITV
Seems fairly simple. When you are working with the very words of the Living God, let him say what he designed to say. Don’t add to it or take away from it.
In a high level corporate training one day, we played telephone like when we were children. A message was given to the first person in line and they relayed on the message.
Even though this was a wide ranging group of corporate managers including vice presidents, deputy directors, senior managers, COOs, CEOs. and others of the same level, it was a mess. Frankly, I thought the group should have done better, but we failed.
When scribes in Israel or other countries where they have ended up make a copy of the Torah, the teaching of the first five books of the Bible, they are exacting in what they do.
From the organization Aish comes the following description of the accuracy of a copy of the Torah:
The meticulous process of hand-copying a scroll takes about 2,000 hours (a full-time job for one year). Throughout the centuries, Jewish scribes have adhered to the following guidelines: A Torah Scroll is disqualified if even a single letter is added. A Torah Scroll is disqualified if even a single letter is deleted. The scribe must be a learned, pious Jew, who has undergone special training and certification. The scribe may not write even one letter into a Torah Scroll by heart. Rather, he must have a second, kosher scroll opened before him at all times. The scribe must pronounce every word out loud before copying it from the correct text. Every letter must have sufficient white space surrounding it. If one letter touched another in any spot, it invalidates the entire scroll. If a single letter was so marred that it cannot be read at all, or resembles another letter (whether the defect is in the writing, or is due to a hole, tear or smudge), this invalidates the entire scroll. Each letter must be sufficiently legible so that even an ordinary schoolchild could distinguish it from other, similar letters. The scribe must put precise space between words, so that one word will not look like two words, or two words look like one word. The scribe must not alter the design of the sections, and must conform to particular line-lengths and paragraph configurations. A Torah Scroll in which any mistake has been found, cannot be used, and must be fixed within 30 days, or buried. (https://www.aish.com/h/sh/tat/48969731.html)
They take seriously the text from Deuteronomy, and because of this we have exact copies of what was recorded in ancient times. And this standard did not stop with Deuteronomy.
Do not add to His Words, that He not reprove you, and you be found a liar. Pro 30:6 LITV
For I testify together with everyone hearing the Words of the prophecy of this Book, if anyone adds to these things, God will add upon him the plagues having been written in this Book. Rev 22:18 LITV
However, in our day some think nothing of adding to the word of God, including opinion and particular theological opinions and calling a translation that is really a commentary.
Yes, I am writing about the Passion “Translation” which really is not a translation but a one man commentary with no fear of adding word upon word to shape the “faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3 LITV) to his own liking.
One glaring example is Ephesians 2:11-12 “Because of this, remember that you, the nations, were then in the flesh (those having been called Uncircumcision by those having been called Circumcision in the flesh made by hands) that at that time you were without Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers of the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” LITV
Here it is in “The Passion”: “So don’t forget that you were not born as Jews and were uncircumcised (circumcision itself is just a work of man’s hands); you had none of the Jewish covenants and laws; you were foreigners to Israel’s incredible heritage; you were without the covenants and prophetic promises of the Messiah, the promised hope, and without God.”
The Greek word ιουδαιων ioudaion from which we get Jew, is never used in the book of Ephesians. The term “Jew” refers to the tribe of Judah with his little companion Benjamin, who came back to the land from captivity. It refers only to those two tribes who were in the land when Messiah was there. Israel can refer to the entire nation and more specifically to the ten northern tribes who were misplaced (not lost) in captivity.
Statements like “not born as Jews” and “none of the Jewish covenants” are not translations coming from a text. They are in fact, opinions at best and poor commentary at least. And then to the term covenant the author adds “laws” which in all of Ephesians only appears in 2:15. This is a section describing the barrier wall in the Temple that let the nations (Gentiles) only go far enough in to reach “The Court of the Gentiles.” This is the same issue that Peter had to deal with in Action 10 with Cornelius.
That was the barrier broken down, not as The Passion says, “he has broken down every wall of prejudice that separated us.” This was one particular wall that was in the Temple.
So either adding to his Word and subtracting from it is part of the “new math” or we no longer need God’s Word as given to us.
Myself, I would rather be a true scribe.
