Riplinger's "The Language of the KJB" reviewed

CHAMBERING
Rom. 13:13 | "chambering and wantoness" | WEB | "wanton"
​

"Wanton" can be a definition of CHAMBERING, but it is not the precise definition in this context. How do I know? Because the Scripture shows me a trustworthy pattern of sets of different sins each in this verse --

Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.​

Drunkeness is not the definition for rioting in the first pair of sins because drunkeness is clearly different than rioting; envying is not the definition for strife in the last pair of sins because envying is obviously different than strife. It follows then in this literary structure that wantonness is not intended to be synonymous with chambering in the context of this pattern. Like CHARGE of the previous set of her examples, CHAMBERING is just one item of a list where each individual item is distinct from the others in the list. This is the only occurrence of the word in the KJV.

"Wantonness" itself is not such a common word today. Romans 13:13 is the first of only two occurrences of "wantonness"; so, why doesn't the BID define "wantonness" for us here? To define it with CHAMBERING would be unproductively circular. To discover the distinctions of words should be our goal, not to erase them.

 

CURRENT
Ge. 23:16 | current "money" (Modern usage 'currency') | OED | "of money" "Circulation of money" (A current of water moves.) ​

The KJV construction might think CURRENT was the translation of an adjective describing "money" (a noun), but it is not a translation of an adjective. In fact, the word "money" isn't even in the Hebrew; it is supposedly supplied by the translators to smooth out the English here. In the text of a well printed KJV the word "money" would appear in italic typeface; but in electronic text the supplied words are often displayed in [brackets] like this --

And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current [money] with the merchant. ​

The manner in which Riplinger displays definitions in the chart might cause you to think that CURRENT is a translated from a noun ("A current ... moves"), but that would also be incorrect. Webster's 1828 only lists two forms of CURRENT: adjective or noun; but the Hebrew word that supports CURRENT is actually a verb. This Hebrew verb is abar (Strong's #5674) which means cross over, pass along by, pass through, or pass away. In its 559 OT occurrences it most often rendered in the KJV as "over", "pass", "through", etc.; Genesis 23:16 is the only place where it is rendered "current" (for it is the only place where "current" is used in the entire KJV).

Let's focus on just the phrases of the verse describing the transaction: Abraham weighed the silver, four hundred shekels of silver, current with the merchant. Now, knowing that CURRENT is a verb that may mean something like passable (allowable) and without the distraction of "[money]" the reader can get the sense that the amount of Abraham's payment was acceptable to the merchant. Clearly, it is the procedure (method of weighing) that is being agreed upon here, as there would be no doubt that silver would be an acceptable form of payment.

To summarize: the KJV men add an untranslated word into the English text, and in addition transform a Hebrew verb into an English adjective (or possibly as a noun). Even still, "money" completely misses the meaning behind CURRENT in this context.

 

DURST
Esther 7:5 | "durst presume" | NRTDF | "presume"
(Note: 'durst' is the past tense of 'dare') ​

Sorry, I neglected to include Riplinger's note in my initial post of this example. DURST is an archaic past tense form; today it would be "dared". The NRTDF is the New Roget's Thesaurus in Dictionary Form [published by Putnam 1981] (it is one of the 14 dictionaries and sources she apparently uses in the book). Since the NRTDF is not a Webster's or an Oxford edition the BID technically fails to meet her stated standard (xvi, and p.3) --

The King James Bible contains God's Built-in Dictionary, defining each word, in its context, using the very words of the Webster's and Oxford English Dictionaries!

... God defines all of them, in the context, in their first usage, using the very words of the Webster's or Oxford English Dictionary. ​

Regardless, she uses this as one of only ten examples she offers for Step One; a reader might durst presume that she would choose some of the best and clearest cases of the BID for examples in Chapter One. GAR had to look far and wide in dictionaries to find one that had "presume" among the defining terms for DURST (well, actually not under DURST but under "dare" on p.124) --

dare, v. brave, challenge, throw (or fling) down the guantlet (DEFIANCE); venture, make bold (COURAGE); risk, hazard, speculate (DANGER); be so bold, presume (DISCOURTESY).​

Indeed, Riplinger had found "presume" synonymously with DARE but only in the sense of discourtesy which she conveniently edited out of her chart. Why? Perhaps because discourteousness is not the proper meaning of DURST in the context of this passage --

4 For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.
5 ¶ Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?
6 And Esther said, The adversary and enemy [is] this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.
​

It could be said that Haman had been defiant of the king and he may have boldly taken a risk, but he did not hang for merely being discourteous.

 

I just wanted to say that I have prayed concerning posting these comments about Riplinger's book and I felt assured that the Lord wanted these facts made public. It is my sincere desire that information provided in these posts help someone, now or in the near future. If they have been a help to you, I'd like hear about it. If I have made any factual errors I'd also like to have those corrected by a post. Thanks

 

CHAPMEN
2 Chron. 9:14 | "chapmen and merchants" | OED | "a merchant"
(Note:The word 'cheap' comes from this word)
​

This another case where I had originally neglected to include the Riplinger Note. This note reflects the fact that the current British understanding of "chapman" would be a peddler of cheap goods.

But the BID seemingly gets it right here: the archaic meaning of "chapman" is a merchant. The meaning of "merchant" was already shifting to a cheap hawker by the early 17th century as demostrated by Shakespear's use of "chapman" in a couple of his works.

Interestingly, the Hebrew word only rendered here as CHAPMEN is the masculine noun 'enowsh (Strong's#582) which is simply translated "man" in the KJV text 92% of the time it occurs in the OT. Additionally, the Hebrew word underlying "merchants" is the verb cachar (Strong's #5503) meaning to travel about for trade. So, this is another case where the KJV translators have changed the verb form of the underlying Hebrew word of into a noun in English.

 

I've been trying to apply Step One when confronted with a 'difficult' word in the KJV these past few days. During the Sunday night service our pastor spoke from Luke 11 (v.8) --

I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. ​

The meaning of "importunity" can be derived from the context, but Step One the BID did not work. This is the first and only time this word is used in the KJV, but the words immediately next to it do not help define it here. Webster's 1828 defines IMPORTUNITY as a Pressing solicitation; urgent request etc.

Here is another one I ran across (John 3:8) --

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. ​

This is the first of only two occurrences of LISTETH in the KJV. The immediate words next to it do not define it. Webster's 1828 does not seem to have an entry for this word; it does have definitions for "list" (primarily related to either a row of items such as in a written register, or meaning to lean to one side as in tilting a boat). Somewhat ironically, in the other KJV occurrence (James 3:4) the writer is using a sailing metaphor but "listeth" is not used in the sense of leaning; however, the meaning is rather easily discerned.

 

In Chapter One, the author introduces us to Step One in how to find her alleged King James Bible's BID: "Look at the word next to the word in question". Here are her other three steps --

Step Two: Look at the words in the verse
Step Three: Look at the words in the next or preceding verse
Step Four: Read beginning at the paragraph mark; read the entire chapter ​

Since the verse and chapter divisions are not present in most ancient manuscripts (the verse and chapters are not inspired) there is little real distinction between these Steps. I can agree that there could be some value looking beyond the immediate next word towards a few words before or after the diffcult word; however, if to define a diffcult word an entire paragraph or chapter must be read then the efficiency (if nothing else) of the BID is lost. Candidly, Step Four feels like a desperate grasping-at-straws on her part to me.

Basically, I agree that often the meaning of a word can be extrapolated from the surrounding context, but I can often just look up a word in a secular dictionary quicker. Additionally, when reading the many words of a chapter (or even a long paragraph) it becomes less and less certain that the defining word can be correctly identified.

BTW, the paragraph signs ('pilcrow') of the KJV inexplicably cease near the end of Acts. Therefore, wouldn't it be neccessary to read from that point through several complete books of the New Testament just to define a word near the end of the Bible?

 

Previously, I applied Step One to some difficult words not in LoKJB; now Steps Two and Three --

10 And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.
11 And I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.
12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. ​

No matches for ABHOR.

¶ And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing [them] rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat. ​

"Turn in" or "tarry" could be considered a match for ABIDE. I think I'm at least being fair, if not outright generous.

2:46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
¶ And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.
2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. ​

No matches for AFFINITY.

15 And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, [but] that ye break my covenant:
16 I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart: and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
17 And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you. ​

No matches for AGUE.

21 For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD: therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.
22 Behold, the noise of the bruit is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, [and] a den of dragons.
23 ¶ O LORD, I know that the way of man [is] not in himself: [it is] not in man that walketh to direct his steps. ​

I do not find a match for BRUIT. After checking Webtser's 1828 I don't think "commotion" qualifies.

6 And he came to the ram that had [two] horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.
7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.
8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. ​

I think "fury" is a match for CHOLER.

2 And [there was] a man in Maon, whose possessions [were] in Carmel; and the man [was] very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
3 Now the name of the man [was] Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail: and [she was] a woman of good understanding, and of a beautiful countenance: but the man [was] churlish and evil in his doings; and he [was] of the house of Caleb.
4 And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal did shear his sheep. ​

No matches for CHURLISH.

 

I also went to gradeschool with a fellow with the surname Chapman. Words are given their meaning contextually. Although 'Brown' is a rather common last name I do not neccessarily think of it only as a human moniker, but in the context of describing colours I would think of it as a colour designation. The "British" comment came straight from an online dictionary. I didn't intend to offend.

BTW, isn't the word "chap" (usually meaning a man, a male) a short form of CHAPMAN? From the online Etymology Dictionary --

chap (n.)
1570s, "customer," short for obsolete chapman (see cheap). Colloquial sense of "lad, fellow" is first attested 1716 (cf. slang tough customer).​

So, the word CHAPMAN besides meaning a "merchant" could have also meant "customer" in 1611.

 

Now, below I have followed GAR's Step Three (read the paragraph) and Step Four (read the chapter) with these remaining difficult words that had failed under Step One (the word next to it) and Step Two (the verses before or after, quoted below) to be found in the alleged KJV BID. I will not be posting additional verses of these passages, only a summary of my findings --

Verse 1 begins the paragraph (and the chapter; I had included 2:26 from the end of the prior chapter) and the paragraph ends with verse 3. There are no matches for AFFINITY in the paragraph. The chapter is well-known for King Solomon's dream in which he asks God for wisdom to judge, and God is pleased, concluding with Solomon's clever handling of the dispute of two mothers over a single baby, but there is no defining words for AFFINITY in the chapter.

Verse 22 appears in the middle of the paragraph (verses 19-25, ending the chapter) and I found no match for BRUIT. Likewise, I did not find a match among the other verses of Jeremiah 10.

Verse 2 begins the paragraph, which ends with verse 9. Verses 5 through 9 pertain primarily with the words that David instructs his men to say to Nabal; Nabal is not described further in the paragraph. There is no match at the paragraph level for CHURLISH. Nabal replies harshly to David's men in verse 10, and the narrative continues with Abigail saving her foolish husband from being killed by David. Nabal is described further as being a "man of Belial" (twice), and that "folly [is] with him", but these do not define CHURLISH. This well-known chapter concludes with Nabal dying a (super-)natural death, and Abigail becoming one of David's wives, but the there are no matches for CHURLISH.

These two examples are found in the same chapter of Leviticus --

The paragraph that verse 11 appears within starts at verse 9 and ends with verse 13; I found no defining words for ABHOR in this paragraph. Chapter 26 has 46 verses, and the word ABHOR occurs 4 times (11, 15, 30, & 44). The word "hate" does occur once (in verse 17, "they that hate you") but this emotion is attributed to humans, not to God. The word "despise" also occurs once (in verse 15, "if ye shall despise my statutes" ) but this emotion is attributed to the children of Israel, not to God. God speaks of punishment in the chapter but there is no referrence of God 'hating' or 'despising'. I do not think that the word ABHOR is ever directly defined in one or two words in the chapter, although the reader may take away the idea from the descriptions of the punishments.

The short paragraph containing AGUE begins in verse 14 and ends with 17; there are no matches for AGUE in the paragraph.There are no defining words for AGUE in the chapter, either.

 

ABHOR
ABIDE - 'defined' using Step Two
ABROAD
ADAMANT
AFFINITY
AGUE
AVERSE
BRUIT
CHARGE
CHASTE
CHOLER - 'defined' using Step Two
CHURLISH ​

Referring back to the earlier list of 12 'difficult' words (5 hers in blue, 7 mine) we can summarize: none were clearly defined by the KJV BID using Step One; only two of my words were probably defined when applying Step Two; but none of the rest of my words (shown in red) were defined by Step Three, nor by Step Four.

Might using Steps Two, Three or Four of the KJV's "built-in dictionary" work for any of her original 5 examples? We shall soon see!

 

Step Two applied to GAR's 5 examples

ABROAD
Gen. 10:18 | "spread abroad" | OED | "wide spread"

17 And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,
18 And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.
19 And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha. ​

There are no 'defining' words in the immediate verse preceding or following the one with the 'difficult' word. Although, "border" (v. 19) might be a good word to use in a definition of ABROAD.


AVERSE
Mic. 2:8 | "averse from war" | WEB | "This word includes the idea of from"

7 O [thou that art] named the house of Jacob, is the spirit of the LORD straitened? [are] these his doings? do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?
8 Even of late my people is risen up as an enemy: ye pull off the robe with the garment from them that pass by securely as men averse from war.
9 The women of my people have ye cast out from their pleasant houses; from their children have ye taken away my glory for ever. ​

Of course, the word "from" is present in Verse 9 (twice), but this is the problem with such a common word used in such a ridiculous 'definition' to begin with. There are no 'defining' words in the immediate verse preceding or following the one with the 'difficult' word.


ADAMANT
Ezek. 3:9 | "An adamant harder than flint" | WEB | "A very hard stone"
Zech. 7:12 | "An adamant stone"

8 Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.
9 As an adamant harder than flint have I made thy forehead: fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they [be] a rebellious house.
10 Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, all my words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.

11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
12 Yea, they made their hearts [as] an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the LORD of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the LORD of hosts.
13 Therefore it is come to pass, [that] as he cried, and they would not hear; so they cried, and I would not hear, saith the LORD of hosts:
​

There are no 'defining' words in the immediate verse preceding or following the one with the 'difficult' word. Ezekiel actually has the first occurrence of ADAMANT and should be the only one considered; but this shows that neither passage on its own has a complete definition.


CHARGE
Gen. 26:5 | "my charge, my commandments" | WEB | "synonomous with command"

4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;
5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
6 ¶ And Isaac dwelt in Gerar: ​

There are no 'defining' words in the immediate verse preceding or following the one with the 'difficult' word.


CHASTE
2 Cor. 11:2 | "a chaste virgin" | WNC | "refraining from all acts, thoughts, etc. that are not virginal"

1 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in [my] folly: and indeed bear with me.
2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present [you as] a chaste virgin to Christ.
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. ​

There are no 'defining' words in the immediate verse preceding or following the one with the 'difficult' word.

 

Steps Three & Four applied to GAR's examples

This paragraph of the genealogies of this chapter begins at verse 15 and ends with verse 20. There is very little narrative and I found no defining words that could be applied to ABROAD. Furthermore, I found no matches in the rest of the chapter.

This paragraph runs from verse 6 through the end of verse 11; no matches in the paragraph. Again, the word "from" occurs twice more in the chapter (v. 3, 4) but it is merely a common word and there is no specific connection to AVERSE.

The paragraph in Ezekiel Chapter Three starts with verse 4 and ends with 11 inclusively; neither of the words "stone" or "rock" occur in this paragraph, nor in this chapter. I found no matches of any kind. Additionally, the word "hard" does not occur in the paragraph, chapter, nor anywhere else in the entire book of Zechariah.

The paragraph begins at verse 1 and the next paragraph begins with verse 7. I found no defining words in the paragraph for CHARGE. Likewise, I found no matches in any of the 35 verses of this chapter.

The paragraph includes verses 1 through 5; there are no defining words there. In a well-known chapter where Paul lists the troubles he has endured, there are no matches for CHASTE.

 

Number 1 in the list of Mrs. Riplinger's objectives for her book was to show evidence of "God's built-in dictionary" in the KJV; it is clearly an important feature of her book because is also stated on the front cover. Chapter One covers four steps to discover an alleged "built-in" dictionary; primarily Step One is through two charts of examples (one on Page 6, the other on Page 7). I have examined her examples and have specific answers now to these questions --

Is the "built-in dictionary" (BID) really unique to the KJV, or do other versions have the same (or equivalent) defining words? No, it is not unique; if the same allowances are made for other versions as are made for the KJV's BID then there are many occassions in the other versions where a so-called 'defining' word is found nearby or next to a 'difficult' word. Additionally, many of the KJV's 'difficult' word/'defining' word combinations were not original to the KJV, but rather first appeared in some other early English version. See Post #14.

Are these truly difficult words? Why or why not? Not all of GAR's examples are truly 'diffcult' words, although this can be somewhat subjective. The difficulty of an English word for a particular reader rests primarily on personal exposure and experience with the English language (including such factors as country-of-origin, and education).

Is the BID consistent, or are some difficult words left undefined? No, it is not consistent; I found that most of her own examples are left undefined. In addition, I tested a few other difficult words against her method and discovered those words also were not defined by the KJV text in the way she suggests. The failure rate is quite high, even if my research is not completely accurate.

Is the very next word presented in the text actually a defining word? No; in her example of ADAMANT the very next words do not completely match the definition she has chosen.

Is it a proper definition for the word in the context? No; several of her examples do NOT properly define the difficult word for the particular context (her additional example of DURST probably being the most obvious).

Does the "built-in" definition actually match a dictionary definition? No; I found that her defining word "from" in the chart for AVERSE was not from an actual definition, but rather from a note at that dictionary entry.

Is the referrence given really the very first occurrence? No; she takes the defining word "sorts" for her additional example DIVERS actually from the second occurrence. ​