Acts 15:23: They wrote this, letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren . . .
This is just odd. Something went awry. Here is the KJV:
Acts 15:23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren . . .
Odd NKJV renderings
Discussion in 'Bible Versions & Translations' started by jonathan.borland, Jun 22, 2017.
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InTheLight Well-Known MemberSite Supporter
My NKJV has no comma between 'this' and 'letter'.
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The word "letter(s)" is not in the Greek. "They wrote these things by their hand: “The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, . . . "
One letter, with several copies, to be distributed among the churches in that area. -
E. W. Bullinger asserted: “In Acts 15:23, the A. V. omits ‘by the hands of them,’ and substitutes the word ‘letters’ in italics” (Figures of Speech, p. 411).
The word "letters" was not in italics [or in a different type] in the 1611 edition of the KJV, but it was put in italics in some later edition. -
Thanks for information! The only one I had at hand, the NKJV The Woman's Study Bible, had the comma there. It's very odd with a pause there.
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So can anyone else find an NKJV with a comma between "this" and italicized "letter," or is this just the NKJV The Woman's Study Bible peculiarity?
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Reading your wife's bible?
Both digital versions of the NKJV in Logos have the comma before letter in Acts 15:23.
Rob -
There is no comma in an older 1980's hardback edition [perhaps pew Bible edition] of the NKJV, which did not have the textual notes or footnotes. There is also no comma in the MacArthur Study Bible [NKJV edition].
I did find a comma in the Inspirational Study Bible of Max Lucado [NKJV edition]. -
1982 Thomas Nelson Hardback print edition (maybe item # 410BG): No comma.
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My two Holman published Bibles do not have the comma, but my digital copy in Olive Tree does have the comma.
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I submitted a typo report for them to investigate the issue
Rob -
Thanks everyone. Now, do you think the original (without the comma) NKJV rendering of the Byz/TR is pretty good here? The only difference between the Byz/TR and the NA/UBS editions is the absence of τάδε in the latter.
Byz/TR..: γράψαντες διὰ χειρὸς αὐτῶν τάδε
NA/UBS: γράψαντες διὰ χειρὸς αὐτῶν
The translations, though, are various:
KJV: And they wrote letters by them after this manner
NKJV: They wrote this letter by them
WEB: They wrote these things by their hand
RV: and they wrote thus by them
ASV: and they wrote thus by them
NRSV: with the following letter
ESV: with the following letter
HCSB: They wrote this letter to be delivered by them
NASB: and they sent this letter by them
NET: They sent this letter with them
NIV: With them they sent the following letter
It is interesting, with the evangelical interest in literal renderings, how few translations mention "by/in their (own) hand" (διὰ χειρὸς αὐτῶν); also, how many add "letter" (which actually appears in a few Greek mss here and here) instead "these (things)" i.e. "the following" in context. -
The Holy Bible NKJV Nelson 410BG. Word of Christ in Red: Thomas Nelson Bibles: Amazon.com: Books -
The computer-based texts or digital text editions of Bible translations that were prepared for web sites or for Bible software programs may have also been used for printing some editions by publishers. Thus, digital editions may be responsible for introducing variations in NKJV editions, but also in other Bible translations including the KJV.
I have found that a number of KJV editions beginning in the 1980's and up to today that were likely based on a digital text edition or computer-based edition of the KJV have a new set of variations. The person typing up the KJV text likely introduced the variations or differences unintentionally. -
I have found that there are at least two different digital text editions of the KJV that have also been used in printed editions. Each of them has their own set of twenty or so variations from other typical KJV editions. One of them has been used by more different publishers. This more commonly used digital KJV text can be found in two forms, both with the same common group of new variations, but one with several additional ones. It would seem that either someone made some corrections to the original digital edition or else someone may have used one of the printed editions of it in making another digital edition, introducing more variations.
Be aware that KJV editions with the same copyright date may or may not be based on the digital text, depending on the actual year that they were printed. I have found that some publishers kept the same copyright date in their KJV edition when they switched over to printing it from a digital text edition, and they never seemed to realize that it differed in some places. Beginning at some point in 2014, Holman corrected most of these variations in their Holman KJV Study Bible personal size edition that came out in 2014 and in the bigger edition with the 2012 copyright date and perhaps in some of their other Holman editions.
Here is an example variation from one of the digital KJV texts with the KJV editions that I have found to have it.
Genesis 5:3
and after his image (1985 Visualized Bible) (1987 PSI) (1987, 2001, 2002 Thomas Nelson) (Jack Van Impe Prophecy Bible) (2003 Evidence Bible) (2004 World) (2005 ICC in Nashville) (2006 Paradise Press) (2008 Pilot) (2010, 2015 Baker) (2010 D & H Brothers) (American Patriot's Bible) (1979-2, 1996, 1998, 2010, 2013 Holman) (2011 AMProductions) (2011, 2012, 2015, 2016 Barbour) (2011 Prayer Journal Bible) (2012 Holman KJV Study Bible) (2012 Freeman-Smith) (2012 Woman's Study Bible by Thomas Nelson) (2014 Names of God Bible) (2015 KAPPA Books Publishers)
after his image (1769 Oxford, SRB) [1769 Cambridge, DKJB]
Here is an example variation from the other digital KJV text used by a few publishers:
Genesis 50:23
son Manasseh (2003 New Pilgrim Bible) (2001, 2002, 2003 Barbour) (2003 Inspirational Gift Company) (KJV Journaling Bible by Barbour) (2008, 2012 Rock of Ages Study Bible) (2009 Strand Study BIble)
son of Manasseh (1769 Oxford, SRB) [1769 Cambridge, DKJB]
Rock of Ages Study Bible was supposed to correct these variations in its new edition. I have heard that this new edition is now in print, but I have not seen one yet. -
HeLives4me New MemberSite Supporter
Thanks for bringing this up! I checked my Olive Tree app on the tablet, and it has this issue. Although Quick Bible did not have it.
I wrote them about it and here is the response:
Melissa V (OliveTree)
Jul 27, 11:51 PDT
Hello,
Thank you for letting us know about this formatting error. I have reported it to our formatting department for further review. Once the issue is confirmed, it should be resolved in a future update to the title. Thank you for your patience.
So it looks like they will update the "formatting error" in a future release. They replied the next day, which impressed me that they looked into it.
V. Wright -
Acts 15:23New King James Version (NKJV)