1901 206 There prevails among Christians a traditional habit of misquoting or misapplying God's word to ill result. For thereby is given divine authority to what He nowhere says or means. Let us examine some that are most common. To rescue scripture from abuse, to expose any misapplication, to recover its just bearing, is a boon for which every believer should be grateful. A few of these errors may be comparatively slight in appearance; but others are of real and manifest importance. Mistranslations are added as a still more insidious source of error.
Gen. 3:15. — The woman's "Seed" to have the heel bruised but to bruise the serpent's head, is all but universally called a "promise." But this is a mistake. It was a revelation of grace, and not even said to Adam, but declared in judging the evil one. If at all a promise, it was to the Second man; for the first was not then an object of promise but of judicial dealing because of his fall into transgression.
Gen. 3:19. — "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread." It is not merely "thy brow" as generally misquoted. The "face" furnishes a larger and more graphic expression of the fact.
Gen. 32:24. — The wrestling is generally treated as simply to Jacob's honour in wrestling with God. But whatever divine mercy may have done in this as elsewhere (we have ground to know it well), it is certain that primarily it was the inverse: God was wrestling with Jacob. And He must wither natural strength and self-confidence as in the patriarch, while strengthening him to prevail under the new name of Israel.
Gen. 36:24. — This should be "found the warm (or, hot) springs" (not mules) in the wilderness.
Gen. 49:10. — "Unto Him (Shiloh) shall the obedience of the peoples be." It is neither of Israel (though this be true then), nor of the church now, but of the nations who own the great King in the future of His manifestation.
Ex. 11:2, 35, 36. — The real meaning is not "borrow," but "ask." There is no need to explain or apologise. Deceit did not exist. They asked, and the Egyptians gave.
Ex. 12:6. — "Between the two evenings," and not exactly or only "at even" will be found for the most momentous of all passovers, when it was fulfilled in Him Who is the True one. It explains the truth which many commentators on the Gospels have overlooked treating us to unfounded theories, to get rid of the general fact and the special statement in John 18:28.
Ex. 28:9. — It is of interest and importance that the truth which underlies priestly "consecrating" is filling their hand. It is not holiness nor yet devotedness, however necessary and prized, but appropriating the precious sacrifice of Christ in its intrinsic excellency before God. It is therefore no spiritual effort of saints, but Christ Godward possessed by faith.
Ex. 29:13. — The Hebrew term for "burning" the fat of the inwards, etc., even in the case of a Sin-offering, is the same as for burning incense; so expressive is it of acceptance, whilst the flesh, and skin, and dung were burnt with fire outside the camp. What a witness to Christ, most holy and object of divine complacency, and never so much as when Him Who knew no sin God made sin for us!
Ex. 34:33. — The A.V. is in substance right, the R.V. wrong, like Dean Alford on 2 Cor. 3. ; for the meaning is that Moses ended speaking with them, and, or when, he had put a veil over his face. During the communication of Jehovah's words to Israel, he kept the veil over his face until he went in to speak with Jehovah. So, when Israel's heart shall be turned to the Lord, the veil is taken away. But we all who now believe, with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord (which even Moses could not, only His back parts), are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from (or, by) the Lord the Spirit.
Lev. 1:3. — This should be, not "of his own voluntary will," but "at the door, etc. for his acceptance" before Jehovah.
Lev. 4:3. — The right meaning is "if the anointed priest sin to the guilt (or, trespass) of the people," that is, so as to bring guilt upon them.
Lev. 10:6. — This appears to forbid disordering (rather than "uncovering") their heads, as mourners were apt to do.
Lev. 16:1. — It is not when they "offered," but "came near before," or approached, Jehovah.
Num. 1:16. — Not "renowned," but summoned of the assembly, charged to take care of its affairs.
Num. 12:2-8. — How much deeper is the sense given by the literal force of the prepositions here! In ver. 2 it is "through" Moses, and "through" us, not exactly "to," though this was also true. But Jehovah (ver. 6), in making Himself known to a prophet, says, I will speak "in" him in a dream. Of Moses with whom He visibly conversed, He says, Mouth to mouth do I speak "in" him. So it is in Heb. 2:1, and in Zech. 1:9. There was an inner dealing of a special nature shared by the prophets, whatever the privilege of Moses.
Num. 21:1, 14. — Here we must omit "when." It is unwarranted and gives a false sense. We should also translate, ver. 14, "Vaheb in Suphah, and the valleys, or brooks, of Arnon."
Num. 23:15. — Balaam does not say whom he expected, but simply "I will go to meet … yonder." In fact "Jehovah" met him (in ver. 16), as it is said "God" did (in ver. 4). But he was used to enchantments under Satan's power, whatever the pious pretensions by which he deceived. The false prophet was by a miracle forced to utter true prophecies.
Deut. 2:13. — Carefully omit the unauthorised insertion, "said I"; it is really the word of Jehovah, not what Moses said by the way.
Deut. 33:6, 25. — This should be in its last clause, "and let his men be few"; as indeed it was. The latter verse should be "Iron and brass shall be thy bolts (or, bars); and thy rest (or, old age) as thy days" a very different meaning from a resource according to the need of one's days, as it is so often applied.