|
In 1385 a Spanish Jew called Shem Tob ben Shaprut wrote a book
called "Even Bohan" - the touch stone. It was written
as counteract Christianity of the Pauline variety. He called upon
earlier manuscripts in Hebrew, not Greek. He did not always like
what was there but could do nothing about destroying them as they
contained the sacred name - HaShem or YHWH.
A professor, called George Howard
at the university of Georgia USA has translated the gospel of
Matthew contained within Shem Tob’s work and produced a book
with the Hebrew on one page and English on the other, with comments
and comparisons with other versions after.
Some of the differences are very striking and make you realize
what would the original have been like, if this is an intermediate
form? A quite different "feel" to the teaching of Yeshua
comes over - softer, more compassionate, more Jewish.
Some of the details show that the manuscripts have been tampered
with to make things fit with Pauline Christianity.
This is quite a shock to those of us who thought what we had was
the word of God in its purity and totally to be relied upon.
As the book is expensive there follows a list of the major differences
that have a real spiritual significance.
Ch 1
The genealogy is included (many people believe who are ebionites
that there was no such list) but has some differences: Rahab the
harlot and David begot Solomon from the wife of Uriah.THE NAMES
BETWEEN UZZIAH AND HEZEKIAH ARE MISSING.
v21 " he shall save MY people from their sins"
v 22 "Lord "has the mark signifying HaShem the name
of God.
ch 2
Where we have wise men or magi it has a word meaning seers, prophets
or diviners and George Howard has translated it as astrologers.
.
The word used for star is not the usual but can also mean a prince
- a star personality.
v6 is very interesting in that is much closer to the Hebrew of
Micah 5 in having " you are insignificant" of Bethlehem.
This suggests that the original was in Hebrew and the people asked
did quote from the Hebrew text and not the Septuagint.
v16 has" all the male children born at the time the magicians
spoke of him.."
nothing about them being two years old and under.
v22 has "Joseph being afraid to go to Judah so the angel
urged him in a dream that he should turn unto the land of GILGAL."
ch 3
v4 "John was clothed with hair of camels and black leather
and ate locust and honey of the forest."
ch3 v9 " God is able to raise up his son Abraham from these
stones"
v11 John said " I baptize you in the days of repentance,
but another comes ......he will baptize you with fire of the Holy
Spirit"
ch 4.
Satan took Jesus to the "highest point in all the temple" and
in verse 9 said "All these things I will give you if you bare
your head to me"
In verse 12 "Jesus went to Gilgal. He passed by Capernaum-raithah,
that is Maritima, on the outskirts of the land of Zebulon." (no " naphthali")
ch 5.
v4 "Blessed are those who WAIT ..."
v 17 the word we have as "fulfill in the Hebrew means to "perform
or restore."
v 32 "Everyone who leaves his wife is to give her a bill
of divorce"
ch6v 8 "Father knows your words" (not needs)
v 10 very significant : " may your kingdom be blessed.." (not
come.. with all that means with regard to the second coming etc.)
v11 " Give our bread continually.."
v24 " You cannot serve God and the world " (not "mammon")
v 27 " who is able to add to one cubit to his height"
v 32 .."all these things the bodies seek..."(the word
is that for dead bodies who perhaps would long for these things,
but also gives the idea of the spiritually dead longing for things.)
ch 7
v 14 reads .." how narrow is the gate and grievous the way
that leads straight to life, and few that be that find it."
v 20 " has by their fruits, that is, their deeds, ye shall
know them."
ch 8 v6 it is the SON of the centurion who is sick.
v 11 " many will come and rest with Abraham etc. in the kingdom
of heaven ..." we have "sit"
v 17 has added of Isaiah " of blessed memory"
v20 has "son of man, son of the virgin,.."
v 29 has "go evil host"
ch 9
v2 significantly it is " by the faith of God that your sins
are forgiven"
v 11 we have not " publicans and sinners " but " violent
and evil men"
ch 10
v 36 " The enemy is to be loved ones"
v 37 " he who loves father and mother more than me, (no son
or daughter) I am not suitable for him. " (we have " is
not worthy of me")
ch 11
v 1 " he commanded them to teach and reprove in their own
cities."
v5 .......". and the poor are acquitted " where we have
.. " have the gospel preached to them."
v 12 "From his days until now the kingdom of heaven has been
oppressed and senseless persons have been rending it."
v19 ......"He is a friend to violent men and sinners."
"So fools judge the wise." We have " but wisdom
is justified by her children."
v21 has "Tyre and Sodom" not Sidon, and even is you
allow for no vowels in Hebrew one cannot mistake an m for and n
. Also in verse 22 and 23.
v25 " At that time Jesus raised himself up.........have revealed
them to the humble "(not "babes")
v 28 ......." I will help you bear your yoke." where
we have "I will give you rest".
ch 12.
v1....." began to crush ears and to crush them between their
hands" - is missing in ours. This is significant because it
was not the eating but the work of crushing that was in question.
v 5..." the priests in the temple sometimes profane the Sabbath
yet are without sin"
v6 "I say to you the temple is greater than this." We
have " In this place is one greater than the temple" which
suggests Jesus saying he is greater than the temple rather than
the temple being greater than what the priests did in it.
v12 " So much more is man better than that. Therefore it
is permissible and necessary for man to do better on the Sabbath."
v26 "If satan casts out another satan, there will be division
among them, how will his kingdom stand?"
v27 ...".why do your sons not cast them out?" We have " by
whom do your sons cast them out?"
v 28 " But if I cast out demons by the spirit of God truly
the end of (his) kingdom has come."
v34 "Surely the mouth awakens, the heart speaks." We
have " Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks"
v36 " For I say to you for ALL the words which a man shall
speak he will be obliged to give an account on the day of judgment."(we
have idle words)
v38......" we wish to see a sign from heaven by you." We
have .." a sign from you.".
ch 13
v7 "thorns grew and darkened it " (not choked)
v11 "to you has been given to know the kingdom of heaven" (no "secrets")
v19 begins "The sower is the son of man..."
v21 "He is without root and is in confusion and when a little
trouble and distress come to them satan causes them to forget from
their heart."
v23 Has a long addition of:...."As for the hundred this is
the one purified of heart and sanctified of body. As for the sixty
this is the one separated from women. As for the thirty this is
the one sanctified in matrimony, in body and in heart."
v37 " The one that sows the seed is man" (not the son
of man)
v45 "merchant seeking precious stones " (not pearls)
v52 "The wise man is....like a father of children"
v55 " Is this not the son of the SMITH and Mary?"
and the three brothers are Joseph,Simon and Judah no James in
this version.
v58 "He did not WISH to do any sign because of their little
faith." Looses the idea that lack faith on part of those present
prevented him doing miracles. This would make many charismatics
have to rethink.
ch 14
v2 (Herod) said to his servants " I believe John the Baptizer
is doing these miracles".
Not as we have "This is John the Baptist - he is risen from
the dead: and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in
him"
v6 It was Herod’s daughter that danced, not Herodias’daughter.
ch15
v4 says "he who smites his fath er mother..." .not "curses" Which
is paralleled by Ex 21 15 in The literal translation. Ex 21 v 17
says" if you revile your parents you also are guilty of death."
v21 has "Tyre and Sodom"
v22 has" a Canaanite woman who came from the lands of the
east"
v 23 has " Why do you abandon this woman who is crying out
after us?" We have the disciples saying " send her away.."
v24 Jesus answered" THEY did not send me except to the lost
sheep from the house of Israel"
ch16
v12 "Beware the behaviour " (not leaven) of the Pharisees.
V18 "I will build upon you my house of prayer "(not
church or assembly) "The gates of Gehenna …".(not
hell)
V23 "Go away satan, do not disobey me "(not "Get
thee behind me satan, thou art an offence to me")
V24 " Who comes after me let him despise himself, take the
cross, that is offer himself unto death…"
Ch 17
V3 " Then, Moses and Elijah, whilst speaking with him were
revealed to them, and they told Jesus all t hat would happen to
him in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were asleep. Asleep,but
not asleep, awake but not awake.They saw his body and the two men
with him. " This is missing from our versions.
V7 "When the voice ceased……"
V11…" indeed Elijah will come and save all the world."
V15 "my son is terrified of an evil spirit" (not a lunatic)
After verse seventeen there is an insert from Mark’s account
of this story of verses 20 –27 of ch 9
Mark 9v20.. "Jesus looked at him, the satan subdued him,…"
V21 " Jesus asked… "How long has the satan taken
him?" " This shows there is not one Satan in this gospel,
but many satans,or adversaries.
V24…".Lord, I believe, help me according to my faith. "(not" help
thou my unbelief".)
Then it returns to Matt. 17 v 19
Ch18
V2 " He called a small lad." In fact in most places
where we have "child" it actualy means a small boy.
V7 where we have offences it is "confusion"
V10…."the small lads,: their angels always see the sons
of my father in heaven." We have "face" of my father..
V11 " The son of man has stopped saving the enemy" (not " has
come to save that which is lost")
V16&17 "If by every oath….."
V18 …".every oath you shall bind….and every oath
which you shall loose…." Gives a very different context
from the later versions whereupon much "binding and loosing
has been based.
Here it is about being bound by or loosed from oaths taken.
V19 …" if two of you want to make peace on earth everything
which you ask will be yours from my father……" Here,
again a different context. It is not that all you have to do is
to agree with someone on earth about anything and if both pray
it must be done. Its about two people making peace with each other.
Ch19
V1……"the land of Judah across Jordan."
V6……".whatever the creator has joined together
man is UNABLE to separate."
V9 " everyone who leaves his wife " (we have "put
away his wife")
V12 has added " these are those which have not sinned" after
the eunuchs from birth. And "some have subdued their desire
for the kingdom of heaven and enter into great prominance"
V22 …"the young man went away angry because he DID NOT
have much property." Exactly the opposite from our story.
So what does this do to the theory that he was sad because he could
not bring himself to do it, or that the Jews believed you were
bound to get in if you were rich because God blessed the righteous
with riches?
V28….".in the day of judgement when man sits on the
throne…". Here the word for man is as it is when it says " son
of man": "adam" not " ish" for man as
opposed to woman
Ch20
V19 " mock" is missing.
V23…". And baptized with the baptism I am baptized with " is
missing, which looses the idea of his death being a baptism as
Paul has it in Romans.
V30 …" the prophet Jesus of Nazareth is coming.."
Ch21
V9 "Hosanna saviour of the world……. Hosanna, our
saviour, may you be glorified in heaven and on earth." This
has " saviour of the world "in stead of "son of
David" and the last phrase has been added in this gospel.
V13 "you have made it a cave of violent men" instead
of the den of thieves we have.
V16… "you have established strength" instead of
praise.
V19 .." the fig tree died up" instead of withered away.
V32…" who has ears let him hear in disgrace, "added.
Ch22
V19 "they brought a plain one to him "(tax coin)
V 30 has "men will not take women nor women men" instead
of marrying or being given in marriage.
Ch23
V38 "You will leave your house s desolate" not your
house will be left to you desolate – which suggests the destruction
of the temple.
Ch24
V14 "This gospel will be preached…..as a witness concerning
me…. " v15 " This is the antichrist and the abomination
which desolates.."
V41 .." the angels at the end of the world will remove the
stumbling blocks "– is added, making it plain it is the
wicked who are removed and not the righteous who are raptured!
V47….." the good servent is placed over his children" not
goods
Ch25
V1 "the virgins go out to meet a bridegroom and a bride."
V46 Where we have everlasting punishment it has "eternal
abhorrhence"
Ch26
V2 …. "Delivered into the hands of the Jews for the
GALLOWS"
V13 " What she has done will be told in rememberance of MY
memory " (not hers)
V32 This gospel does not speak of him rising or being raised – it
says "resurrection from death".
V36 "Then Jesus came with them to the VILLAGE of Gethshemonim ";
which means in Hebrew the pressing of oils, or hill of oils.
V38It says "support me and watch with me " not stay
with me ….
V41 …."truly the spirit is ready to go its creator,
but the flesh is weak and sick."
V53 "Do you not understand I can meet my enemies and indeed
there will be for me at once
More than 12 legions of angels? "(instead of praying to
father :he can meet his enemies)
V64. In reply to the question as to whether he was Messiah he
answers: "You say it, but I again say to you, you have yet
to see the son of man sitting at the right of the power of God
coming on the clouds of heaven" . In v 61,63,64,65 God is "el".
YHWH is not used by anyone, so why do they accuse him of cursing
God (or in our versions blasphemy)?
V73 Where we have "you are one of them" it says " you
are one of the Prophet’s group".
Ch27
V5 has added "He took a rope…"making it plain Judas
did hang himself
V8 "that field is called a tent of blood.".,
V9" then was fulfilled the word of ZACHARIAH" not Jeremiah,
which puts right the mistake in our versions. So where did it come
from?
V16 "Pilate had a prisoner who was almost crazy…" we
have a notable prisoner..
V18 where we have "envy" here we have " hatred
without cause".
V22 "all of them answered he should be HUNG"
V23 "then they vigorously cried out, let them HANG him, let
them HANG him,let them HANG him."
V28" They clothed Jesus with silk garments, and covered him
with a greenish silk robe " Nothing about stripping him or
a –purple robe of a king.
V31… "and gave orders to hang him."
V32 "they compelled him to carry the GALLOWS that is the
cross "(these words in the Hebrew give the ides of it being
the cross piece that he carried that he would be tied to and hung
on a permanent wooden tree stump for a gibbet.)
V37
not the accusation this is Jesus king of the Jews, but" afterrwards
they set over his head a writing which said: This Jesus of Nazareth,
the king of ISRAEL"
v40 & 42 " come down from the gallows" not from
the "cross".
"Let him come down from the tree….".
V46 "Jesus cried out in a loud voice in the Holy language "(ie
Hebrew not Aramaic) So he was quoting scripture – the beginning
on Psalm 22.
V57 "A rich man from Karnasiah came . His name was Joseph…"(looks
nothing like Aramathea in Hebrew, so where did that come from?)
V59 "Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a very fine SILK
garment" (not linen). Where does that leave the Turin shroud?
Ch 28
V5 …"you seek Jesus who was hung."
V9 when Jesus greets them he says" May the Name deliver you" a
typical pious Jew’s greeting rather than the Greek/Roman "All
hail" we have.
V16 has twelve disciples going to Galilee which is a bit odd if
Judas was dead.
…" the mountain where they had prayed" rather than
where he had appointed them.
V19& 20" Go, and teach them to carry out all the things
which I have commanded you forever."
NO " baptising them in the name of the father,son and holy
spirit," No "I am with you always,even to the end of
the world."
next section : Genesis
|
