8 biblical truths that got twisted in translation

While you might recognize some Bible words in English, it turns out that the original Hebrew and Greek words had a pretty different meaning.

When the room sneaks in

A ‘church’ is a building in the modern world. You know the kind, one with stained glass and someone playing the piano, although the Greek word ekklesia was a little broader than that. It’s referring more to a group of people, kind of like a congregation.

An ‘assembly’ would be a better translation of the word. It’s only later, when people started building walls and steeples, that the idea of ‘church’ as a building became more common.

Phoebe gets trimmed down

Phoebe’s a diakonos. That’s what it says in Romans 16:1, and she’s said to be a servant of the church at Cenchreae. Or is she? The word could mean servant, yes, but it could also mean a minister or deacon.

It’s funny because it’s translated as ‘deacon’ when it’s used for men, but ‘servant’ for women, even though the Greek version doesn’t show any kind of distinction. It’s a kind of sexist translation when you really think about it.

Not just warm feelings

We use ‘love’ in English to talk about practically everything under the Sun. We love God, we love pizza, we love dogs, and we love our partners. It’s in the New Testament as agape, although that kind of love isn’t the warm, fuzzy feeling you might imagine.

Agape has a lot more to do with active care and obedience, especially in Deuteronomy and the parts talking about loving God. You’re also supposed to ‘love thy neighbor.’ No, you don’t need to have heart eyes for them or anything, you’re supposed to be merciful and show restraint.

A stronger kind of help

Modern English has a helper problem, and it all starts with the Hebrew word ezer, used to describe Eve. You might think that makes her second to Adam, like she’s some kind of assistant. That’s wrong. The Hebrew Bible actually uses ezer to talk about God, too.

You don’t think He’s an assistant now, do you? An ezer is a helper, yes, but it’s more like someone who’s helping and on the same level as the other person.

A softer English choice

It gets worse, though, because even ‘servant’ doesn’t have the same meaning. It sounds way more noble than the Greek word doulos, a word that roughly translates into ‘slaves.’ The English version went for the softer ‘servant’ for phrases like ‘servant of Christ.’

Still, you might find some newer translations sticking closer to the source by using ‘slave’ instead, and that changes the feeling of the sentence. We’re supposed to be bound to Christ and see Him as our master.

One word, two paths

Isaiah 7:14 is a prophecy in the Old Testament about Mary giving birth to Jesus, something that doesn’t happen until the New Testament. The Hebrew word almah describes Mary, and we translate it as ‘virgin’ because the Greek version uses parthenos, meaning ‘virgin.’

However, almah isn’t actually as restrictive. Almah is a woman who’s old enough to be married, kind of like saying she’s eighteen years old by modern law. That throws the whole story of Mary being a virgin out of whack, doesn’t it?

Two Greek words, one modern label

1 Corinthians 6:9 is probably one of the most famous sections of the Bible, but the truth is, people are quoting it all wrong. Paul uses the Greek words malakoi and arsenokoitai, which were translated as ‘homosexuals’ in English. That’s not right, though.

The older Bibles use words more like ‘effeminate’ or ‘soft’ to describe these men, especially since the idea of being gay didn’t really exist back then. Gay people did exist, of course, but the label wasn’t the same, and the Greek words could even mean exploitation or prostitution.

One verb causes a mess

The Greek verb authentein has a verb problem. It’s usually translated in 1 Timothy 2:12 as ‘to have authority,’ so it seems like Paul is telling women that he doesn’t allow them to have authority over a man. 

However, some older English versions say it should be ‘usurp authority.’ Others say it’s more like ‘taking control.’ That’d mean the Bible’s saying women shouldn’t take control unfairly from a man, not that they shouldn’t have any authority at all.

Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.

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