[font=Times New Roman, Times]Recently, some of the teachers in the Messianic movement have stated that the Book of Hebrews is errant, and therefore, should be disregarded. One of the errors pointed to as being reason to disregard the Book as Scripture, is based on the fact that in most modern translations, there is a discrepancy in relation to the placement of the Altar of Incense.
Here are a few Modern versions, showing how they render this:
Hebrews 9:4 :
NASB
having a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tables of the covenant;
NIV
which had the golden altar of incense and the gold-covered ark of the covenant. This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.[/font]
[font=Times New Roman, Times]ESV[/font]
[font=Times New Roman, Times]having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered on all sides with gold, in which was a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets of the covenant.
Message
In it were placed the gold incense altar and the gold-covered ark of the covenant containing the gold urn of manna, Aaron's rod that budded, the covenant tablets,
Complete Jewish Bible
which had the golden altar for burning incense and the Ark of the Covenant, entirely covered with gold. In the Ark were the gold jar containing the man, Aharon's rod that sprouted and the stone Tablets of the Covenant;
The translations quoted above, only represent a cross section of the Modern Versions that render the passage as altar of incense.
Here is what one of the teachers stated in his article:
The writer states that the golden altar of incense was stationed with the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. This is incorrect. The Altar of Incense was in the Holy Place with the Menorah and Table of Shewbread. A teacher making that mistake today would be considered incompetent to the task of teaching the Bible. Why do I bring these particular mistakes up? Because these obvious errors are immediately following the statement that the New has made the Old obsolete. Hebrews 8:13 is immediately followed by Hebrews 9:1-5. When the Biblical text was originally written, chapters and verses were put in the Scripture later for referencing purposes by Bible scholars. The separation of these verses are artificial.
First of all, it is important to note that the KJVrenders the passage as this:
Hebrews 9:4Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein [was] the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;[/font]
[font=Times New Roman, Times]The NKJV translates this as golden censer also.
This is in agreement with
Leviticus 16:12
And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring [it] within the vail:
When I pointed this out to another one of the teachers, this was his response:
BUT, if you must justify your argument by English translations - NASB,
ASV, RSV, NET, NIV, NLT, all agree it is the ALTAR being spoken about...
He was correct in his assertion that most of the modern translations, did in fact, render it as altar of incense. There were, however, a few other points that he had overlooked, that needed to be examined and addressed, because Young's Literal Translation also rendered the phrase in question as golden censer:
4 having a golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid all round about with gold, in which [is] the golden pot having the manna, and the rod of Aaron that budded, and the tables of the covenant,
Additionally, it is important to note, that not only does the KJV, NKJV, and the YLT render it as golden censer, but all of the Reformation translations render the phrase in question as golden censer, instead of the incorrect (according to Leviticus 16) altar of incense:
Hebrews 9:4
Bishops Bible translated 1568 c.e.(43 years before KJV)
Which had the golden senser, and the arke of the couenaunt ouerlaide rounde about with golde, wherin was the golden pot hauyng Manna, and Aarons rodde that had budded, and the tables of the couenaunt:
Geneva Bible printed 1560 c.e. (51 years before the KJV)
Which had the golden censer, and the Ark of the Testament overlaid round about with gold, wherein the golden pot, which had Manna, was, and Aaron's rod that had budded, and the tables of the Testament.
Miles Coverdale Bible 1535 c.e.(76 years before KJV)
which had the golden censor, and the Arke of the Testament ouerlayed rounde aboute with golde, wherin was the golden pot with Manna, and Aarons rodd that florished, and the tables of the Testament:
Tyndale New Testamant 1525 (86 years before KJV)
which had the golden senser and the arcke of the testamet overlayde round about with golde wherin was the golden pot with manna and Aarons rodde that spronge and the tables of the testament.
Wycliffe Bible translated 1384 c.e.(216 years before KJV)
hauynge a goldun cenrer, and the arke of the testament, keuered aboute on ech side with gold, in which was a pot of gold hauynge manna, and the yerde of Aaron that florischide, and the tablis of the testament;
If we review the Latin Vulgate translated by Jerome 385 c.e. from the ancient Greek and Old Latin manuscripts (translated 1200 years before the KJV) we also find the same rendering:
aureum habens turibulum et arcam testamenti circumtectam ex omni parte auro in qua urna aurea habens manna et virga Aaron quae fronduerat et tabulae testamenti
aurarius -a -um [golden , of gold] aurum : gold.
turibulum -i n. [a censer for burning incense]
Here is the Douay Rheims[/font][font=Times New Roman, Times]Catholic English translation of the Vulgate:
Having a golden censer and the ark of the testament covered about on every part with gold, in which was a golden pot that had manna and the rod of Aaron that had blossomed and the tables of the testament.[/font]
[font=Times New Roman, serif]Additional translations that use [/font][font=Times New Roman, Times]golden censer[/font][font=Times New Roman, serif] :[/font]
[font=Times New Roman, serif]Mace New Testament (published in 1729), Wesley's New Testament (published in 1755), Noah Webster Bible (published in 1833), Weymouth New Testament (published in 1886), Darby's English Translation (published in 1890), Bible in Basic English (published in 1949).[/font][font=Times New Roman, Times]
The reason that I am demonstrating this in such a exhaustive manner, is because when I brought up the KJV as being rendered correctly, one teacher accused the translators of intentionally changing it from Altar of incense to Golden censer, which he said was not the correct translation according to the Greek. With the above plethora of translations that were done before the KJV translators were even born, this clearly demonstrates otherwise in reference to his allegation of intentional tampering. (see Greek explanation at bottom)
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Since some of the people who are teaching that the book of Hebrews is not valid, claim to be Aramaic Primacists, let's review how some translations of the Aramaic Peshitta render this verse:
Hebrews 9:4
Aramaic Peshitta (Murdock) published 1851
And there were in it the golden censer and the ark of the covenant, which was all over laid with gold; and in it were the golden urn which contained the manna and the rod of Aaron which sprouted, and the tables of the covenant;
Aramaic Peshitta (Etheridge) published late 1840's
But the interior tabernacle, that was within the second veil, was called the Holy of Holies: in it were the incense-vessel of gold, and the ark of the covenant, which was altogether covered with gold; and within it were the golden urn, in which was the manna, and the rod of Aharun that budded, and the tablets of the covenant:
Aramaic Peshitta (Lamsa) published 1933
03 But the inner tabernacle, which is within the veil of the second door, was called the Holy of Holies.
04 And there was in it the golden censer and the ark of the covenant all over laid with gold, and in it were the golden pot containing the manna, and Aaron's rod which budded, and the tablets of the covenant;
The fact that they would say that the KJV was intentionally altered, in light of the fact that the Aramaic Peshitta translations render it as golden censer also, then creates a little problem for their theory of the Aramaic Peshitta being the original Bible if their own statement of alteration holds true.
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