Another King James Bible Believer

“GOD FORBID!” -  Do Bible Correctors Really Know What They Are Talking About? Of Course Not!

Doug Kutilek is a virulent critic of the King James Bible. He has written this short article criticizing the reading of “God forbid” as is found in the Holy Bible. Here is his opinion and then I will post the refutation.

Doug Kutilek writes: The phrase “God forbid” occurs some 24 times in the King James Version of the Bible. Nine of these occurrences are in the OT (and thrice the similar “the LORD forbid”), while fifteen are found in the NT. Of the NT occurrences, all but one are found in the writings of Paul.

As has been pointed out countless times with regard to the use of the phrase “God forbid” to render the words of the original Hebrew and Greek, it is a close English equivalent except for two facts: 1. the word “God” is not found in the original text; and 2. neither is the word “forbid.” Other than that, it is a fine representation of the original!

It is obvious, of course, that here at least, the KJV is not a literal translation of the original, but is at best a paraphrase, a “dynamic equivalent.” (Do I hear some rigid KJV adherent mutter under his breath, “God forbid!”?)

The New Testament passages, gleaned from Strong’s concordance, are Luke 20:16; Romans 3:4; 3:6; 3:31; 6:2; 6:15; 7:7; 7:13; 9:14; 11:1; 11:11; I Corinthians 6:15; Galatians 2:17; 3:21; 6:14. In every case but the last, the phrase is a self-standing grammatical unit, expressing strong opposition or rejection of a just mentioned opinion, point of view, or implied answer to a question. In Galatians 6:14, it is incorporated into a sentence.

In all 15 references, the Greek phrase is identical: ME GENOITO. ME is a negative particle usually used with verbs in the subjunctive, optative or imperative moods. GENOITO is a rare NT occurrence of a verb in the optative mood (just 56 cases in all). It is from the verb GINOMAI, “to be, become, happen,” etc. Taken together, the phrase may be literally rendered, “may it not be,” a phrase weaker in force in English than the Greek original.

Modern English equivalents would be “not at all!” or “absolutely not!” or “certainly not!” or “by no means” or “under no circumstances” or “perish the thought!” or even the colloquial, “no way, Jose!” (see the New King James Bible, New American Standard Bible, and New International Version in the passages involved).

While all of these modern renderings are other than strictly literal renderings of ME GENOITO, they at least have the advantage over the KJV rendering of not introducing the name of God where it is not found in the original.

Frankly, I am at a loss to explain how it came to pass that “God forbid,” came to be considered by Wycliffe and other early English translators from Tyndale to the KJV as a suitable and correct translation of the Greek ME GENOITO. It was strictly a phenomenon that arose in the then-very small English-speaking world, as far as I can tell. It cannot be defended as “the closest possible English equivalent.” The renderings of the NKJB, NASB, and NIV are very much to be preferred to it.

---Doug Kutilek "AS I SEE IT" Volume 4, Number 4, April, 2001

And now for my rebuttal.

First of all, you need to keep something firmly in mind when dealing with men like Doug Kutilek and others like him who have taken it upon themselves to "correct" God's Masterpiece, the King James Holy Bible. And this is it - even though our Bible critic, Mr. Kutilek, piously refers to "the originals" or "the original Greek and Hebrew" 5 times in his short criticism of the KJB, the man couldn't show you a copy of these "originals" or a translation of them if his life depended on it.

Yet he refers five times here to something he has NEVER seen and in fact that he himself KNOWS does NOT exist. There simply is NO "the original" our Bible corrector refers to, and he knows there isn't.  The only "final authority" these men have is their own opinions and personal preferences, subject to change at any moment.

Now, let's look more specifically at the expression "God forbid", as found in the only English Bible believed by thousands even today to be the complete, inspired and infallible words of the living God - the King James Holy Bible. 

All previous English versions use this same expression, "God forbid", including Wycliffe 1380, 1395; Tyndale 1525, 1534; Coverdale 1535; The Great Bible (Cranmer) 1539, Matthew's Bible (John Rogers) 1549, the Bishop's Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1557, 1587, 1599, 1602, the Beza New Testament 1599 and the Douay-Rheims version of 1582.

"God forbid" is also the reading found in John Wesley's N.T. translation of 1755, the Mace N.T. 1729, Whiston's Primitive New Testament of 1745, the Worsley Version of 1770, Thomas Haweis N.T. 1795, the Book of the New Covenant 1836 (Granville Penn), the English Revised Version (of Westcott-Hort fame) of 1885, and the American Standard Version of 1901. The Douay version of 1950 has "God forbid" in Luke 20:16; Romans, I Corinthians and Galatians, The World English Bible 2000 in Luke 20:16 and Gal. 2:17, Weymouth Version 1912 in Mat. 16:22, Luke 20:16 and Gal. 6:14, the Revised Standard Version of 1952 in Mt. 16:22 and Luke 20:16,  J. B. Phillips N.T. 1962 has "God forbid" in Luke 20:16, the New Jerusalem bible 1985 has "God forbid" in Luke 20:16, the New Living Translation 1996 in Luke 20:16, and Galatians 6:14, and the 1998 Third Millennium Bible, and The Update Bible of 2003 have "God forbid" in all the same passages as does the King James Bible. 

Other English Bibles that use the phrase "GOD FORBID" in places like Romans 3:4 are The Bill Bible 1671, the Clarke N.T. 1795, The Revised Translation 1815, The Hussey N.T. 1845, The Hewett N.T. 1850, The Revised N.T. 1862, The Alford N.T. 1870, The Revised English Bible 1877, The Clarke N.T. 1913, The Amplified Bible 1987, The Word of Yah 1993, God's First Truth 1999, The Sacred Family of Yah 2001 "Elohim forbid", The Tomson New Testament 2002 - "God forbid", the Evidence Bible 2003, The Resurrection Life New Testament 2005 (Vince Garcia), the Bond Slave Version 2009, The New European Version 2010, Conservative Bible 2011, the Aramaic Bible in Plain English 2013, The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible 2011, The BRG Bible 2012 and The Modern English Version 2014.

The Common English Bible 2011 - “GOD FORBID that we should rebel against the Lord” (Joshua 22:29), “Then the people answered, “GOD FORBID that we ever leave the Lord to serve other gods!” (Joshua 24:16), “GOD FORBID that I should do that,” he said. “Isn’t this the blood of men who risked their lives?” (1 Chronicles 11:19), “Then Peter took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him: “GOD FORBID, Lord! This won’t happen to you.” (Matthew 16:22), “But as for me, GOD FORBID that I should boast about anything except for the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 6:14)

Maybe these Common English Bible translators should have consulted with Mr. Kutilek before they made all these "blunders", ya think?  Oh, wait. There's more.

The Holy Bible, Modern English Version 2014  not only has “GOD FORBID” in Romans 3:4 - GOD FORBID! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: “That You may be justified in Your words, and may prevail in Your judging.”, but also in Romans 3:6, 31; 6:2, 15; 7:7, 13;  9:14;  11:1; 1 Cor. 6:15, Galatians 2:17, 3:21 and 6:14 - "GOD FORBID that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ"

The New RSV has "heaven forbid" in Luke 20:16 (likewise no heaven nor forbid-according to Kutilek). By the way the NRSV also has "God forbid" in Mat. 16:22, as well as the RSV and the NASB where likewise it is not "in the Greek" as the scholars like to say.  The 1998 Complete Jewish Bible has "Heaven forbid" in passages like Luke 20:16 and Romans 3:4 etc.

The modern Hebrew Names Version 2014 contains "God forbid" in Gal. 2:17,

The New Century Version 2005 has "heaven forbid" in all the same verses where the KJB has "God forbid"

The Living Bible 1971 has "God forbid" in Romans 3:6, Gal 2:17, and 6:14, 1 Samuel 26:11 "But GOD FORBID that I should kill the man he has chosen to be king!", 1 Chronicles 11:19 and in Job 22:18 "GOD FORBID that I should say a thing like that."

The Expanded Bible 2011 has "GOD FORBID" in 1 Chronicles 11:19, Matthew 16:22 and Luke 20:16.

The Complete Jewish Bible 1998 - “My GOD FORBID that I should do such a thing! Am I to drink the blood of these men who went and put their lives in jeopardy?” (1 Chronicles 11:19), “Heaven forbid!” (Romans 3:4, 6)

The Lexham English Bible 2012 has ''God forbid" in Matthew 16:22 - "And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, GOD FORBID, Lord! This will never happen to you!”

The International Standard Version 2014 has "GOD FORBID" in 1 Samuel 24:6 - "He told his men, “GOD FORBID that I should do this thing to your majesty, the Lord’s anointed, by stretching out my hand against him, since he’s the Lord’s anointed.”, and in 1 Chronicles 11:19.

The Voice 2012 has GOD FORBID in the following verses -

1 Samuel 24:6 - “GOD FORBID that I do any harm to my lord, the one chosen by the Eternal to rule. How could I even pretend to assault him, knowing he is the Eternal’s anointed king?”

1 Samuel 26:11 - “GOD FORBID that I would be the one to harm the Eternal’s anointed king. But please, take his spear next to his head and that water jug, and let’s go.”

Luke 20:16 - “I’ll tell you what he’ll do; he’ll come and wipe those tenants out, and he’ll give the vineyard to others. Crowd: No! GOD FORBID that this should happen!” (μη γενοιτο)

1 Corinthians 8:13 - “So if any type of food is an issue that causes my brothers and sisters to fall away from God, then GOD FORBID I should ever eat it again so that I would never be the crack, the rise, or the rock on the road that causes them to stumble.”

Dan Wallace’s NET version 2006 has GOD FORBID in 1 Chronicles 11:19 - “GOD FORBID that I should do this!”, and in Matthew 16:22 - “So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: “GOD FORBID, Lord! This must not happen to you!”

Mr Kutilek apparently is totally unaware that the NASB has 'God forbid" in Matthew 16:22 (as well as Dan Wallace's NET version) where his own scholarly standards would condemn this version he recommends. It is a different Greek construction, but again neither the words “God” nor “forbid” are found there. The NASB, ESV and the NIV all frequently add the words God or Lord when they are not “in the original text”.

Surprise! Even the New KJV, which he told us to consult, has translated the exact same “me genoito” as GOD FORBID in Galatians 6:14 !  

Oh, wait! There's even more.  The "old" NIV of 1984 had completely omitted all references to "God forbid" when translating the words me genoito and translated it as "May this never be!" in Luke 20:16.  But now in 2005 in the TNIV and again in 2011 the "new" New International Version have come out, and guess what they did. They have now translated this same phrase as "When the people heard this, they said, "GOD FORBID!" (μη γενοιτο)  

And the 2012 Knox Bible has "God forbid" in Genesis 44:17; 1 Kings 20:9; 22:15; Luke 20:16; Romans 6:2,15; Romans 7:7, 13; Romans 11:11 "Tell me, then, have they stumbled so as to fall altogether? GOD FORBID" = (μη γενοιτο) ; 1 Corinthians 6:15 and Galatians 6:14 (μη γενοιτο)

In fact this is the definition that the Oxford Greek Dictionary gives. Also Constantine Tsirpanlis, former Instructor in Modern Greek Language and Literature at New York University, Former Consultant for the Program in Modern Greek Studies at Hunter College, Professor of Church History and Greek Studies at Unification Theological Seminary, gives the definition of "me genoito" on page 72 of his book, "Modern Greek Idiom And Phrase Book," Barron's Educational Services, Inc., 1978, ISBN 0-8120-0476-0. The ONLY definition Tsirpanlis (a native Greek) gives for "me genoito" is "God forbid!" There is NO reference to "may it never be", "by no means" or "certainly not"! 

The Greek Lexicons -  μη γενοιτο 

A Greek-English Lexicon, Liddell & Scott, 1968 Oxford Press page 349 gives one definition of the Greek  μη γενοιτο and that is "GOD FORBID."

Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament 1882 page 115 defines  μη γενοιτο as "a formula especially frequent in Paul (and in Epictetus) "far be it! GOD FORBID!"

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, by William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, University of Chicago Press 1957 page 157 defines  μη γενοιτο as "far from it, GOD FORBID."

God Forbid - This from KJV Today -

http://www.kjvtoday.com/home/god-forbid-or-may-it-not-be-in-romans-34-et-al

Μη γενοιτο is a prayer

Contrary to what many critics believe, the idiom, “God forbid” did not originate in English. It is an idiom of biblical Hebrew origin, first introduced in 1 Samuel 24:6: “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing….” (ESV, NIV). Thus the idiom has biblical precedent and is legitimate. The charge, however, is that the word “God (θεός)” is not in the Greek "μη γενοιτο" in Romans 3:4 and elsewhere. The Greek literally says “become (optative) not.” However, the verb in the optative mood expresses a strong negative wish in the strongest of terms, even invoking a "prayer":

"The voluntative optative seems to be used this way in the language of prayer. Again, as with μη γενοιτο, it is largely a carry-over from Attic even though its meaning has changed. This is not due to any substantive change in syntax, but is rather due to a change in theological perspective. Prayers offered to the semi-gods of ancient Athens could expect to be haggled over, rebuffed, and left unanswered. But the God of the NT was bigger than that. The prayers offered to him depend on his sovereignty and goodness. Thus, although the form of much prayer language in the NT has the tinge of remote possibility, when it is offered to the God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead, its meaning often moves into the realm of expectation. If uncertainty is part of the package, it is not due to questions of God's ability, but simply to the petitioner's humility before the transcendent one." (Daniel Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics at 481).

Daniel Wallace in no uncertain terms acknowledges that μη γενοιτο is a language of prayer carried over from Attic Greek. Whereas the Athenians directed the plea "μη γενοιτο" to their pagan gods, the writers of the New Testament direct this same prayer phrase to God. Thus when a New Testament writer says "μη γενοιτο," the implied subject is God.

"God" is made explicit, but not added

The KJV translators did not add "God" in translating μη γενοιτο, but merely made explicit the subject that was implicit in Greek. Such a practice is so common in translation that it is never an issue. [End of comments from KJV Today article]

The proper force of this Greek phrase 'me genoito' is to express a negative in the strongest of possible terms. The English expression "God forbid" perfectly and accurately conveys the force of this thought, whereas such phases as "may it not be" come across as prissy and effeminate.

Mr. Kutilek chides our AV because "God" is not literally found in the text. In spite of all his learning he has little understanding of how languages work and exalts his opinion above any bible version out there today.

Another example of "God not being in the original" is seen in the use of the verb kreematizo and the noun kreematismos  as found in Romans 11:4 and other passages.  In Romans 11:4 we read:  “But what saith the answer of God unto him?”. The NIV reads, “And what was God's answer to him?” It is interesting to note that there is no word in ANY Greek text for the word “God”. Despite this fact the NIV reads "God's answer".

Not only do the NASB and NIV say "the answer of GOD" here in Romans 11:4 but so also do Wycliffe 1395, Tyndale 1525, Coverdale 1535, Bishops' Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, Wesley's translation 1755, the Revised Version 1881, ASV of 1901, the RSV 1973, ESV 2001-2011, the Amplified 1987 and the Holman Standard of 2009. Now I wonder what Mr. Kutilek would say to that?

Literally the Greek of Rom. 11:4 reads, “alla ti legei autoo ho kreematismos”. The last word in the previous phrase is ‘kreematismos’ and it carries the idea of 1) an answer from God or 2) a divine response or revelation. So, in order to accurately preserve the Greek in this sentence the word “God” or “Divine” must be "added" (even though NOTHING has been added) to the English text. In fact if "God" were not 'added' then the sense of the verse would be lost.

The verb form is found in Matthew 2:12, 22: Acts 10:22; and Hebrews 8:5 and 11:7. In Matthew 2:12 and 22 the KJB reads, “And being warned of God”. The NASB likewise reads in both, “And having been warned by God”, and so does the NKJV in 2:22.

The NASB also renders this verb as "warned by God" twice in Hebrews 8:5 and 11:7. The NKJV reads "divinely instructed", though strictly speaking the words 'God' or 'Divinely' are not "literally" there.

Once again we see that the NASB, NKJV, ESV 2011 and NIV have committed the unpardonable sin, according to Mr. Kutilek, of saying "by God" when God is not in the Greek text.  So too have Tyndale, Coverdale, Bishops' Bible, the Geneva Bible, the Revised Version, the ASV, RSV and the Amplified Bibe 1987 to name just a few.

The 2001-2011 English Standard Version editions also "add" the word God in the expressions "warned of God", "God's reply", and "instructed by God" in Romans 11:4; Hebrews 8:5 and Hebrews 11:7. It also adds the word God to other passages when not literally found in the Greek.

The ESV as well as the RSV and NIV adds the word "God" to Hebrews 4:8 when it is not in any Greek text at all. "...then would HE (God - ESV) not have spoken of another day." They also add the word GOD when not found in any text in Acts 7:4 "he (GOD in ESV, NASB, RSV, NIV) removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell."

 Likewise the New Jerusalem Bible of 1985 has "me genoito" as "God forbid" in Luke 20:16 and has the expression "warned of God" in Acts 10:22, Hebrews 8:5 and 11:7 as well.

Another example of “God not being in the text” is found in the NASB FOUR times in Acts 7:4, Acts 13:43; and Acts 17:4 and 17. In Acts 7:4 we read in all texts "he removed him into this land wherein ye now dwell." But the NASB as well as the ESV, NIV, RSV add the word GOD to the text, saying "GOD removed him from this land..." 

In Acts 13:43 the KJB, as well as the NKJV, RV, ASV, and even the NIV read: “many of the Jews and RELIGIOUS (or devout) proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas”. The word is sebomai and there is nothing literally found about God in the word at all. Even the NASB in this same chapter verse 50 the word is simply translated as “devout”

However in Acts 13:43, 17:4 and 17 the NASB reads “GOD-fearing”, with no literal “God” in any Greek text. The NIV too switches gears and in both Acts 17:4 and 17 likewise “adds” the word God just like the NASB, but not so the KJB, NKJV, RV or ASV.

The NASB and other modern versions often add the words Jesus, God and Lord to their translations, when these words are not found in the Hebrew and Greek texts. 

The NASB adds the word "Jesus" in Mark 1:45; Luke 22:63, and Acts 3:16; Acts 9:22. It also adds the word "God" in 1 Samuel 16:7, adds "God" in Job 20:23 (as well as the RV, ASV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, NKJV, NIV, NET and Holman Standard) and 21:17 (as well as the NIV, NKJV, RV, ASV, NET, RSV, NRSV and ESV), "God" in Isaiah 37:20 (from Dead Sea Scrolls, but not from Hebrew Masoretic text), Nehemiah 6:9 (along with the RV, ASV, NKJV, RSV, NRSV, ESV,etc.), Matthew 15:5, 16:22, Acts 3:19, Acts 7:4, Acts 13:43, Acts 19:26, Acts 26:7 - "serving GOD" (along with the NIV, NKJV, NET) Romans 11:28, 1 Peter 2:9; and "Lord" in Exodus 33:9, Exodus 34:10, 2 Kings 23:19, Job 21:19, 2 Chronicles 32:24,  2 Chronicles 33:19 add "God" (NASB, NIV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, NET, NKJV, RV, ASV and Holman Standard too) Hosea 1:6, 9, and 10:2.

The ESV, RSV, NRSV, NET and NIV all add the words "the LORD" to Exodus 15:25.  The Hebrew text and the KJB say "...there HE made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them."  "HE" is what the RV, ASV, NASB, Holman and NKJV have. But the ESV (and the others mentioned) says "...there the LORD made for them a statute..." Then it footnotes that the Hebrew simply says "he".  The Voice says "the Eternal"; they just made that up.

In Psalms 16:4 we read "Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another GOD"

The word "god" is not in any Hebrew text and the KJB puts it in italics, but numerous modern versions simple add the word "god" without putting it in italics.  Among these are the ESV, NIV, NASB, NET, ISV, NKJV, NRSV, Holman, Complete Jewish bible 1998 and the Orthodox Jewish Bible 2011 plus a whole bunch more.

 1 Peter 2:9 KJB - "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people"

NASB  1995 - But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION

NIV  1984 edition - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,

NIV 2011 edition - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession

It is a bit hypocritical to hear the new versionists complain about the KJB “adding” the word ‘God’ to such expressions as “God forbid”, and then turn around and add the word ‘God’ themselves when it most definitely is not in any Greek text at all. 

In Ecclesiastes 2:26 we read: "For GOD giveth to a man that is good in his sight wisdom, and knowledge, and joy..." Even though the word GOD is not in the Hebrew texts, translations like the ASV, RV, NKJV, NIV, RSV, NRSV, ESV and many others "add" the word so the passage makes sense. The NASB and Holman add the word "HE", referring to God, and not even in italics, for the same reason.

Jeremiah 3:1 - "THEY SAY, If a man put away his wife...". So read the King James Bible, the Geneva Bible, the NKJV, RV, ASV, Darby and the Spanish Reina Valera. 

However the NASB adds the word "God" here without any textual support from the Hebrew Scriptures. The NASB reads: "GOD says, If a husband divorces his wife..."

The NIV, RSV, ESV and Holman just omit the phrase altogether, but the RSV, ESV footnotes inform us that the omission is due to the Syriac and the Greek, but that the Hebrew texts read "saying". So, this is another case of the NASB adding the word GOD when it is not in the text, and the NIV, ESV, Holman omitting what the Hebrew texts DO read.

Acts 7:4 is a bit interesting in that all Greek texts read as the King James Bible has it with: "...when his father was dead, HE removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell." The 1963 and 1972 NASBs put GOD in the text with no italics, but in 1977 and again in 1995 they placed it in italics. The online NASB still has it not in italics.

Likewise the RSV, NRSV, ESV, NIV, Holman and NET versions place the word GOD in the text (with no italics), when in fact it is not there. The point being, it is highly hypocritical of the modern versionists to criticize the King James Bible for doing something that they themselves do as much or more than that great old Book that is loved and believed to be the very words of God. 

James 1:12 provides us with an interesting example of where versions like the ESV, NASB, NIV, NET and others ADD the word "LORD" or "God" to the text, when it is not found in the texts they are using.  In the King James Bible and many others the words "the LORD" ARE in the text, because they are following the right texts.  This includes Tyndale 1525, Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew's Bible 1549, the Bishops' Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587 and the NKJV to name but a few.

Here we read: "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which THE LORD hath promised to them that love him." 

The words "the Lord" ARE found in the Majority of all mansucripts as well as C. However in the UBS/Nestle-Aland critical texts, upon which versions the ESV, NIV, NASB, NET and the modern Catholic versions are based, completely omit the words "the Lord" or "God". Vaticanus, Sinaiticus and A omit it. You will not find it in the UBS text. 

Yet the NASB puts "the Lord" in italics, and versions like the RSV, ESV, Dan Wallace's NET version and the NIV put the words "THE LORD" in the verse and NOT even in italics.  Actually, the NIV 1984 edition said "that GOD has promised" (as do The Voice 2012 and the Common English Bible 2011, both critical text versions) but the NIV 2011 edition now changed this to "that THE LORD has promised." 

Dan Wallace's NET version says: "life that GOD promised" and then footnotes: "Most mss (C P 0246 Ï) read ὁ κύριος  “the Lord” here, while others have ὁ θεός  “God”; 4 33 vid 323 945 1739 al). However, several important and early witnesses (Ì23 א A B Ψ 81 co) have no explicit subject. In light of the scribal tendency toward clarification, and the fact that both κύριος and θεός are well represented, there can be no doubt that the original text had no explicit subject. The referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity, not because of textual basis." 

So, according to men like Dan Wallace, even though "there can be no doubt" the original text didn't have any word there for 'the Lord' or 'God'" (what pompous presumption on his part!), he will put it in anyway just to clarify it for us!

Likewise in Mark 7:11 we read in all texts: "But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, A GIFT (dooron), by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free."

However instead of the simple word "gift", the NASB, NIV, ESV all add the word GOD to the text by saying: "given TO GOD", while the NKJV paraphrases and adds these words: "dedicated TO THE TEMPLE", none of which are found in any Greek text.

The NIV 1984 edition likewise mistranslates the word hagios, which means saints, as "God's people" a total of ten times in the New Testament. Neither the words "God" nor "people" are there in any text. The NIV 2011 has completely removed the word "saints" even in places where it was found in the "old" NIV and now says "God's people" everywhere.

The NIV continually adds to and takes away from the true words of God in both the Old and New testaments. There are certain expressions where the word God or Lord are implied, as in 'God forbid' or 'God save the king', and in these cases the KJB as well as many other translations express this. However in the NIV what we often find is the word "God" or "Lord" being left out of these expressions and instead, the NIV adds the words God, Lord, Jesus or Christ when it is not in any text, be it Hebrew or Greek.

You might want to take a look at the NIV 1984 edition complete concordance for yourself. In it you will find by their own documentation that the NIV has ADDED the name of 'Jesus' to the New Testament a total of 336 times when it is not found in the Greek texts they themselves are using. That's three hundred and thirty six times!  Here are just a few of those 336 times that the NIV ADDS the word JESUS to their version, and yet when you look at their own NIV complete concordance the word Jesus is followed by these capitalized letters NIG, meaning NOT In Greek. They just added them. Matthew 4:12, 18, 19, 21, 23; 8:3, 7; 12:22, 25; 13:24; 14:14, 22, 25; 15:10, 39; 16:1, 4;  19:8; 21:7; 22:34; 26:23, 25; 27:14. You can check out their own UBS critical Greek text and you will not find the word "Jesus" in these passages.

The NIV has omitted the name of God or JEHOVAH # 3378 thirty eight times (38 not translated) and 52 times they have added LORD, or GOD when it is not in the Hebrew text. This information comes right out of their own NIV complete concordance.

The word Elohim, or God found on page 454 of the NIV concordance, has not been translated 13 times when found in the Hebrew text and it was placed in the NIV text another 52 times when not in the Hebrew for a total of the word "God" being added 104 times and not translated when it is in the text 51 times, and all this just in the Old Testament.

The NIV has also ADDED the word God 117 times in the New Testament when it does not occur in any Greek text nor when it expresses the idea of "God forbid" and they have not translated it three times when it is in their Greek texts.

Likewise the NIV has added the word Christ 15 times when not in any Greek text See for example Colossians 1:22; 2:9, 10 and 13. The NIV has also added the word Lord to the New Testament 6 times when it is not found in any Greek text - for example: 1 Cor. 1:2; and 7:34. All this factual information is found by merely looking at their own NIV complete concordance. 

When the word GOD is not "God" in the new versions.

The NIV concordance for the 1984 edition lists under the word God or ὁ θεὸς that they have translated it as God some 1173 times but 16 times as either "he, him or his", 3 times "untranslated" and twice as "divine".  There is a different Greek word for "divine"; it is similar, but a different word nonetheless.

Let's look at one of those instances. The ESV and NASB do the same thing here. In 2 Corinthians 10:4 we read: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, BUT MIGHTY THROUGH GOD to the pulling down of strongholds." The phrase "but mighty through God" is ἀλλὰ δυνατὰ τῷ θεῷ in all Greek texts. There is the word "but" followed by the adjective "mighty" then the dative of instrumentality of the definite article meaning "through" and then the literal word "God".

Bible translations that give us the more literal "but mighty through God" or its equivalent are Wycliffe 1395, Tyndale 1525, Coverdale 1535, Bishops' Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible -"not carnall, but mightie through God", the RV, ASV, Rotherham's Emphasized bible 1904, Young's, Green's literal, the NKJV 1982 and even the Holman Standard 2003.

However both the NIV and the ESV (just as the liberal RSV) say: "BUT HAVE DIVINE POWER". The only word they got right was "but".  There is NO verb for "have" in any text and they translated the literal word God as "divine" and they turned an adjective "mighty" into a noun "power".  The NASB has: "but DIVINELY powerful".

Apparently the scholarly views of Mr. Kutilek are not shared by others members of the Bible of the Month Club. Perhaps Mr. Kutilek should write his own bible version to give us the true light the church of the Lord Jesus Christ has so long been left without as we wander in the darkness; don't ya think?

Mr. Kutilek, and fellow Bible critics are like those described in I Timothy 1:7 "Desiring to be teachers...understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm."

By the rigid standard he sets up, he himself condemns all bible versions in print. He criticizes the KJB for translating me genoito as God forbid, yet the lexicons, including Thayer, Liddel & Scott, and Baer, Arndt & Gingrich all tell us this is a perfectly acceptable way of rendering this expression. 

There are a whole host of Bible versions both before and after the King James Bible that do the very same thing, including some that Mr. Kutilek himself recommends!

Words of advice from Proverbs for those who think Mr. Kutilek has a handle on the truth. “Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.” Proverbs 14:7

Is the expression GOD FORBID found in foreign language bibles?

The surprising answer is Yes.  Here is the Spanish Cipriano de Valera Bible of 1602. Notice that this Spanish translation was done before the King James Bible. It often uses this phrase. Let's take a look at Romans 6:2 just by way of example where the expression occurs some 10 times, just in the book of Romans.

In the King James Bible we read: "GOD FORBID. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?"

In the Spanish Cipriano de Valera 1602 we have: "¡NO LO PERMITA DIOS! Porque los que somos muertos al peca- do, ¿cómo viviremos aún en él?" 

¡NO LO PERMITA DIOS! is literally "May God not permit it!" or its English equivalent "God forbid!"

In the French Martin Bible 1744 we read: "A DIEU NE PLAISE! Car nous qui sommes morts au péché, comment y vivrons-nous encore?" = God forbid.

And if you run many foreign language Bibles through a translation site, you will come up with "God forbid." as the English translation because this is the best way to express in English the strength of this particular Greek phrase - μη γενοιτο. 

The King James Bible is always right. Get used to it.

Will Kinney

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