Missing words in 1 Corinthians 6:9

[arunma]

I've got a question that maybe someone can answer regarding 1 Corinthians 6:9. In the ESV Bible (which is how it appears in most Bibles I've seen), it says:

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality."

If you read a different translation, however, you'll see that many modern Bibles are actually missing a couple words! Here's the KJV:

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind."

Generally speaking, I trust modern Bible translations over a translation that was made with one manuscript back in 1611. So I checked the original Greek of the Textus Receptus (from which we get the KJV) and the Robinson/Pierpoint Byzantine text. It turns out that the Greek words "ουτε μαλακοι" (or oute malakos when transliterated) are missing. The English translation is "nor effeminate."

Like I said, this phrase is missing from most Bibles I've checked. Believe it or not, the NIV includes it! It's translated "nor male prostitutes." So I'm wondering, why don't other Bible translations include this phrase? Is it not found in the Alexandrian manuscripts, or something?

 

[bjh]

Did you check the NASB? It's in there ("nor effeminate") It's also in the original Greek of the NU (Alexandrian) text. Other stats I've discovered ... The other Bibles I checked - NKJV, NRSV, Darby, ASV, CEV, and NLT - have it translated. The Good News Translation combines the last two phrases, as does the Living Bible.

 

[bjh]

I probably could have edited my previous post, but instead I'll add another.
Which Bibles were you looking at in your study of 1 Corinthians 6:9? I guess I'm a little surprised at the remark because the Bibles I normally use all have the phrase "nor effeminate" or something to that effect.

One thing that surprised me on second glance was that the NKJV translated it homosexuals and then the next word ἀρσενοκοῖται arsenokoitai (lex. arsenokoites) the NKJV translates as sodomites, but the NASB translates it homosexuals.

 

[Dmckay]

A word for word translation of the Greek text reads: "Or know you not that unrighteous men of G-d the Kingdom will not inherit? Be not led astray; not fornicators nor idolators nor adulterers nor voluptuous persons nor homosexuals"The term translated voluptuous persons is "malakoi"–and means soft, effeminate and is a technical term for the passive partner in a homosexual relationship. The word translated homosexual is "apsenokoitai" and means a male who has sexual relations with another male.

 

[bluemarkus]

A word for word translation of the Greek text reads: "Or know you not that unrighteous men of G-d the Kingdom will not inherit? Be not led astray; not fornicators nor idolators nor adulterers nor voluptuous persons nor homosexuals"The term translated voluptuous persons is "malakoi"–and means soft, effeminate and is a technical term for the passive partner in a homosexual relationship. The word translated homosexual is "apsenokoitai" and means a male who has sexual relations with another male.

i´d love to know which translation this is taken from !

thank you in advance...dmckay.

greetings

MB

 

[Dmckay]

i´d love to know which translation this is taken from !

thank you in advance...dmckay.

greetings

MB

The verse is a word for word translation from my Greek New Testament. The comments on the specific terms I was sure I included, but I must have messed up the HTML code when I entered the Reference. It is from Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament by Fritz Rienecker and Cleon Rogers.

 

[AngelusSax]

....nor voluptuous persons ....

Well, I guess all the ... um... "gifted" women are doomed....

 

[Dmckay]

Well, I guess all the ... um... "gifted" women are doomed....

I was going to assume that you were joking, and then decided that I better not. You may not have noticed the explanation with the rest of that post. "The term translated voluptuous persons is "malakoi"–and means soft, effeminate and is a technical term for the passive partner in a homosexual relationship."

 

[AngelusSax]

Yeah, I was joking... and making fun of how we take words and change their meaning over time so that our understanding of anything written before 5 years ago can be skewed.

 

[greeker57married]

"are do you not know that unrighteous ones, of God's kingdom they shall not inherit, stop being decieved; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (malakoi a catamite, a male who submits his body to unnatural lewdness), nor homosexuals arsenokoitai ( one who lies with a male as with a female, a sodomite)" (a transliteration of 1Cor. 6:9, from "The Greek New Testament (Third Edition, Corrected, United Bible Society)

It is in the Greek text.

God Bless
Greeker

 

[arunma]

OK, I think I now understand why the words are "missing" from modern translations. The word malakoi and the word arsenokoitai are translated as one phrase, "men who practice homosexuality." Right?

 

[Dmckay]

OK, I think I now understand why the words are "missing" from modern translations. The word malakoi and the word arsenokoitai are translated as one phrase, "men who practice homosexuality." Right?

That is probably the case. I haven't ever looked at ESV, but it sounds like the translation from the KJV is acceptable within the terms used.

"It turns out that the Greek words "???? ???????" (or oute malakos when transliterated) are missing. The English translation is "nor effeminate."

The translation "nor effeminate" is a pretty close translation. It literally translates, voluptuous person—but the main idea is the passive or effeminate partner in a homosexual relationship.

It really isn't much more than a difference of perspective on the translation of the word within the context of the verse.

 

[HomeBound]

WAIT! the Homosexual part is missing from the original Greek?

Did I misinterpret that?

 

[Dmckay]

WAIT! the Homosexual part is missing from the original Greek?

Did I misinterpret that?

No it is there, the last couple of posts had to do with the word translated effeminate. It refers to the passive partner in a homosexual relationship. The word translated homosexual is "apsenokoitai" and means a male who has sexual relations with another male. So in the Greek text are the words for an effeminate male (or the passive partner in a homosexual relationship) and specific word for homosexual which means a man who engages in sexual relations with another man.

 

[Ave Maria]

Arsenokoitai is a commonly mistranslated word in the Bible. This Bible study on homosexuality discusses the term in much more depth: http://www.truthsetsfree.net/study.pdf I highly recommend it.

 

[Dmckay]

Arsenokoitai is a commonly mistranslated word in the Bible. This Bible study on homosexuality discusses the term in much more depth: http://www.truthsetsfree.net/study.pdf I highly recommend it.

I guess that you really mean what you say by your description in your IDent box, "Hard-Core Liberal Christian" I just read the Pdf file that you recommended which is one of the most erudite twisting and perversions of the original languages of Scripture that I have ever read in such a blatant attempt to excuse the abomination of homosexuality and try to make it acceptable to true Christians.

The last time I saw such convoluted misuse and misinterpretation of Scripture it was down by the WatchTower Bible and Tract Society—commonly known as the Jehovah's Witnesses, in their attempt to limit the Deity of Jesus Christ. Homosexual relations, whether male on male or woman on woman are an abomination in the sight of G-d and is one of the last steps in the total degeneration of the mind and actions of a G-d rejecting sinner. What is condemned is not merely a form of rape, it is the denial of G-d's purpose and plan in the creation of man and woman.