WHO KILLED
GOLIATH IN YOUR BIBLE?
There are now over 100 different Bibles in the English
language. Choosing a Bible from this large number raises several questions in
the minds of many God-fearing Christians. Are all these Bibles the inspired
word of God? If they are, why are they all different? If all of them are not
God’s word, which one is? How can I identify God’s word?
If we fear God, then it makes good sense to see what
God has to say about His word. The first thing we observe is that God promised
to preserve both His WORD and WORDS.
God’s WORD
“endureth for ever.” I
Peter 1:25
“My WORDS shall
not pass away.” Luke
21:33
“Thou shalt
preserve THEM.” Psalm
12:6-7
(See also Psalm
119:152,160; Isaiah 30:8; 40:8; 59:21).
Did God keep His promises? We should, like Abraham
when God promised that Sarah would have a son, ignore natural concerns and
believe that Cod is able to perform His promises (Romans 4:19-21). Believing
God’s promises by faith, we can be fully persuaded, with evidence, that God has
surely preserved His WORD and WORDS (Hebrews 11:1).
Jesus believed the promises of God. He said, “Till
heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the
law” (Matthew 5:18). And He further taught the scriptures were WORD PERFECT
when He said, “The scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35).
God further promised His preserved words would have
certain characteristics. These God-given features were to provide the criteria
by which all Bibles could be judged.
“Every
word of God is pure.” Proverbs
30:5
They are not
“froward or perverse.” Proverbs
8:8
“No lie is of the
truth.” I John 2:21
(See also Psalm 19:7-9; Luke 4:4; 16:17; John 10:35).
When tried by these criteria, modern Bibles condemn
themselves. Thank God for giving us wisdom and light to determine His
infallible words from the words of men.
We come now to the issue of this pamphlet. Since God
promised His preserved words are pure, with nothing froward or perverse in
them, and cannot be broken; it is our duty to judge each Bible by these standards.
The first question to ask is the title of this pamphlet, “Who killed Goliath in
your Bible?” The answer may surprise you. The verse to be tried is II Samuel
21:19. In our brief review the following abbreviations are used: RV for the
Revised Version (1881), ASV for the American Standard Version (1901), RSV for
the Revised Standard Version (1952), NWT for the New World Translation
(1961), NASV for the New American Standard Version (1970), NAB for the New
American Bible (1970), NE for the New English Bible (1970), LB for the Living
Bible (1971), GNB for the Good News Bible (1976), and NIV for the New
International Version (1978). Read II Samuel 21:19.
RV: “Elhanan ... slew
Goliath the Gittite.”
ASV: “Elhanan ... slew
Goliath the Gittite.”
RSV: “Elhanan ... slew
Goliath the Gittite,”
NWT: “Elhanan ... got to
strike down Goliath.”
NASV: “Elhanan ... killed
Goliath the Gittite.”
NAB: “Elhanan ... killed
Goliath of Gath.”
NEB: “Elhanan ... killed
Goliath of Gath.”
LB: “Elhanan ... killed
the brother of Goliath.”
GNB: “Elhanan ... killed
Goliath from Gath.”
NIV: “Elhanan ... killed
Goliath the Gittite.”
KJV: “Elhanan ... slew THE
BROTHER OF Goliath.”
As you see from this simple test, only two Bibles tell
the truth about Goliath and Elhanan. David killed Goliath as we all know (I
Samuel 17). The Holy Spirit tells us plainly that Elhanan, one of David’s
chosen men, killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath (I Chronicles 20:5). Is it not
interesting that the King James Version had this figured out way back in 1611?
Why do the modern Bibles lie when they record this well-known Bible fact? Why
do the “scholars” mess up here? We will answer this question at the end of our
review.
It is our duty to determine which of these versions
have condemned themselves as not being the word of God by having impure,
froward, perverse, and lying words in them. While such language certainly
sounds strong, remember that this is simply restating the criteria God gave us.
Let us now review Mark 1:2, where Mark quotes from
Malachi 3:1 about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Does your Bible know
where this quotation came from?
RY: “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet.”
ASY: “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet.”
RSV: “As it is written In Isaiah the prophet.”
NWT: “As it is written in Isaiah the prophet.”
NASY: “As it is written In Isaiah the prophet.”
NAB: “In Isaiah the prophet it is written.”
NEB: “In the prophet Isaiah it stands written.”
LB: “In the book written by the prophet Isaiah.”
GNB: “As the prophet Isaiah had written....”
NIV: “It is written in Isaiah the prophet”
KJV: “As It is written in THE PROPHETS.”
This time every modern Bible contradicts the testimony
of the Holy Spirit in the King James Version. The KJV uses the plural noun
PROPHETS to allow Mark 1:2 to be quoted from Malachi 1:3 and Mark 1:3 to be
quoted from Isaiah 40:3. There are two quotations from two different prophets.
The modern versions simply lie about Isaiah and Malachi.
Let us also review Matthew 5:22, where Jesus teaches
against ungodly anger. Godly anger is good. God was angry with Moses (Exodus
4:14), Aaron (Deuteronomy 9:20), David (Psalm 38:3), and Solomon (I Kings
11:9). Jesus Himself got angry (Mark 3:5). However, because he does not
understand or fear God (Romans 3:11,18), natural man will change scripture to
present a God he likes (Romans 1:22-23).
RY: Anger against a brother is wrong.
ASY: Anger against a brother is wrong.
RSV: Anger against a brother is wrong.
NYT: Anger against a brother is wrong.
NASY: Anger against a brother is wrong.
NAB: Anger against a brother is wrong.
NEB: Anger against a brother is wrong.
LB: Anger against anything is wrong.
GNB: Anger against a brother is wrong.
NIV: Anger against a brother is wrong.
KJV: Anger WITHOUT A CAUSE is wrong.
Only the King James Version keeps God from being a
sinner. When there is a cause, anger is good and right. As you can see, the
modern Bibles stand opposed to the pure WORDS and NATURE of Almighty God.
Serious Bible students will also want to study these additional passages in the
modern versions: 1 Samuel 13:1 compared to Acts 13:21; Luke 2:22 compared to
Leviticus 12; Acts 13:19-20 compared to Joshua 14; and Galatians 3:16 compared
to Genesis 17:8.
These simple comparisons were prepared to show the
internal contradictions of the modern Bibles. These false Bibles condemn
themselves by their own internal testimony in these passages. For a brief
sample of other changes in these Bibles, check the following verses: Matthew
17:21; 18:11; 23:14; Mark 7:16; 11:26; Luke 4:4; 4:8; John 5:4; Acts 8:37;
Ephesians 3:9; I Timothy 6:5; and I John 5:7.
Now we must answer a question raised earlier, “Why do
these versions make such obvious errors?” Scripture answers it this way: “He
taketh the wise in their own craftiness” (Job 5:12-14). Our God is supremely
jealous for His word, which lie has magnified above His name (Psalm 138:2), and
will confound man’s efforts to corrupt it. “I will destroy the wisdom of the
wise . . . Where is the wise? Where is the SCRIBE? Where is the DISPUTER of
this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”
This review shows clearly the flagrant changes made to
the words of God by modern “scribes” and “disputers.” Historical events are
denied, cross-references are destroyed, doctrine is perverted, and God’s
promises of preservation are rejected. As a result, in spite of 100 different
Bibles being available today, many do not have the words of God. Peter
considered his scriptures MORE SURE than the voice of God from heaven (II Peter
1:16-21). We have this MORE SURE word in the English language in the
God-approved, fruit-bearing, and enduring King James Version.