Deliberate Altering of Scripture to Fit the Narrative

[timothyu]

I put this statement into AI for the fun of it, to see its interpretation of the conflict. It is interesting as a rule how it usually worms its way around to defend worldly ideals, but in this case gives good evidence of scripture deliberately being altered to fit the religious institutions' narrative.

"While some ancient manuscripts and traditions interpret sons of God as referring to divine beings or angels, others, including the Masoretic Text used for many English translations, read "sons of Israel" Yet when this scripture was written, Israel did not yet exist"

This is AI's take...

AI Overview

The phrase in Deuteronomy 32:8 reads "sons of God" in the Hebrew text of the
Dead Sea Scrolls and the Greek Septuagint, but "sons of Israel" in the Masoretic Text, which forms the basis for most English translations. The original Hebrew phrase "sons of God" ( b'nei ha-elohim ) likely referred to divine beings, fitting the context of God assigning territories to the nations, but was likely changed to "sons of Israel" by later scribes to avoid the appearance of polytheism or to emphasize God's unique inheritance being Israel.

The Different Readings

Dead Sea Scrolls & Septuagint: These versions read "sons of God" or "angels of God," suggesting that God assigned the lands to the various nations by appointing heavenly beings to them.

Masoretic Text: This tradition, used for most English Old Testament translations, reads "sons of Israel".

Theological Implications and Interpretations

"Sons of God" Reading: Interpreting the original reading as "sons of God" aligns with the broader biblical context of a divine council and God's sovereignty over all nations.

"Sons of Israel" Reading: This reading was likely a deliberate theological correction to remove any hint of polytheism by connecting God's assignment of territories directly to the people of Israel.
Historical Context: The phrase could have appeared at a time when the concept of divine beings was being carefully defined and the idea of a single, supreme God was being emphasized.

Conclusion
The textual evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Septuagint strongly supports the reading "sons of God" for Deuteronomy 32:8. The alteration to "sons of Israel" in the Masoretic Text is a notable example of how later scribes, possibly motivated by theological concerns, changed the text to align with their evolving understanding of God. ​

 

[bèlla]

That’s how I’ve interpreted it for warfare purposes. Every nation, state, city and region has a spiritual ruler. I remember the first time I went to Boston. We were duking it out on the plane because I entered another territory when I left the state.

~bella