Another King James Bible "error" bites the dust
Exodus 3:22 "But every woman shall BORROW of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians." See also Exodus 11:2 and 12:35.
Lots of Bible critics love to bring up this alleged error in the King James Bible. They tell us that "borrow" is a poor and misleading translation. One site that calls itself Christian Answers Net says:
"The Israelites "borrowed" from the Egyptians (Ex. 12:35, R.V., "asked") in accordance with a divine command (3:22; 11:2). But the word (sha'al) so rendered here means simply and always to "request" or "demand." The Hebrew had another word which is properly translated "borrow" in Deut. 28:12; Ps. 37:21. It was well known that the parting was final."
Christian Answers Net is completely wrong when they say the word shaal means SIMPLY AND ALWAYS to request or to demand. Not only has the King James Bible translated this word shaal as to borrow, but so has the NASB, NIV, NKJV and an host of other bible versions both old and new.
For example, the NASB has translated this same word as "borrow" three times. So too the NKJV, and the NIV twice. Exodus 22:14 "And if a man BORROW ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good."
In 2 Kings 4:3 the prophet Elisha tells the widow woman: "Go, BORROW thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours..." and again in 2 Kings 6:5 when one was felling a beam, "the axe head fell in the water, and the man cried out, and said, Alas, master! for it was BORROWED."
The NASB, NIV, NKJV etc. certainly do not "always" translate this word as to request or to demand, but also as to "ask, beg, borrow, consult, dedicate, desire, greet, give, granted, inquire, lent, looks, a medium, obtain decisions, pray, question, require, said, sought, tell, took, and wish."
Another site called Christian Courier says: "The KJV suggests that the Israelites were to “borrow” certain objects from the Egyptians. But there was never any intention of repayment. The King James translation is poor here; later renditions, including the NKJV, translate the verb sa’al by “ask”."
In answer to this alleged error in the King James Bible, let's first look at other Bible versions that agree with the KJB reading and then offer some explanations as to why the King James Bible is not in error at all.
Not only does the King James Bible tell us in Exodus 3:22 and 12:35-36 that "the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they BORROWED of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they LENT unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians", but so also do the following Bible versions:
William Tyndale 1530, Miles Coverdale 1535, the Bishops' Bible 1568, Webster's 1833 translation, Lamsa's 1933 translation of the Syriac Peshitta, the 1936 Hebrew Publishing Company translation, the KJV 21st Century version, and the Third Millenium Bible. Some previous English versions like Wycliffe and the Geneva bible read "ask", so the KJB translators were not unaware of this reading, but deliberately and providentially chose to translate it as "borrow".
The Explanation
In The Book of Bible Problems, Gerardus D. Bouw, Ph.D., explains on pages 32-33: "It has long puzzled critics that Exodus 3:22 says that the Israelite women BORROWED jewels from their Egyptian neighbors, for to borrow means that there will be a time to pay them back. Much of the silver and gold carried from Egypt went into the construction of the tabernacle, which later was used in the temple. In 1 Kings 14:25-26 we have the record of the Israelites repayment to the Egyptians."
He then quotes the passage which says: "And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem: And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all: and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made."
Just as in Genesis the Lord predicted the sojourning of the nation of Israel in the land of Egypt and their departing from it with great substance, so also in Exodus is the veiled prophecy of their returning to the Egyptians what they had once "borrowed".
In Genesis 15:14, hundreds of years before it happened, God told Abraham "And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance."
We see the fulfillment of this in Exodus 3:21-22 where God tells Moses: "And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty...and ye shall spoil the Egyptians."
Everything we have is on loan from the Lord; nothing is really ours but everything is borrowed. God tells His people in Deuteronomy 8:17-18 to beware that they forget not the LORD "And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God; for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth..."
We are again reminded of this truth when David prays before the congregation after they had amassed treasures for the building of the temple. King David says to God: "Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all...But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and OF THINE OWN have we given thee...O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, AND IS ALL THINE OWN." 1 Chronicles 29:12-16.
The modern versions like the NKJV, NIV, NASB that say: "But every woman SHALL ASK of her neighbor..articles of silver, gold...So you shall plunder the Egyptians" actually miss the mark. If we merely "ask" for something, that doesn't mean we will necessarily get it. If we borrow something, we do get it.
The King James Bible and all the others that have correctly translated this word as "borrow" not only allude to the prophetic fact that the treasures of Egypt would one day be returned, but also convey the Biblical idea that everything we have is on loan from the Lord and it all belongs to Him.
The modern versions like the NKJV often mess up or miss the prophetic application of many verses found in the King James Bible. A case in point is also found in Exodus, chapter 15 and verse two.
Exodus 15:2 "I will prepare him an habitation"
Not all bible versions end up teaching the same things, even when they translate the same Hebrew texts.
In the King James Bible, immediately after the children of Israel are delivered through the Red Sea and Pharoah and his armies are drowned, we read in Exodus 15:2: "The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, AND I WILL PREPARE HIM AN HABITATION; my father's God, and I will exalt him."
So reads the King James Bible, which I firmly consider to be the true, inerrant, complete, and perfect word of God. It is also the reading found in Webster's 1833 translation, the KJV 21st Century, and the Third Millenium Bible. The Geneva Bible of 1599 reads: "and I will prepare him a tabernacle."
However when we look at the NKJV, NIV, RSV, ESV, NASB we read instead: "He is my God, AND I WILL PRAISE HIM." Now, you have to admit there is quite a difference in meaning between "I will prepare Him an habitation" and "I will praise him". At least, I hope your thinking has not degenerated to the point where you can no longer see that these two phrases do not mean the same thing.
The King James Bible is always right, and I will try to show why this is so in Exodus 15:2. There is only one Hebrew word used here which is rendered as "I will prepare him an habitation". The verb is # 5115 nah-vah and is found only twice in the entire Old Testament. The other time the verb is used is in the book of Habakkuk 2:5 where even the NKJV and NASB translate the verb as "stay at home". Your home is your habitation.
The noun form of the verb #5115 nah-vah is a very common noun used many times. It is #5116 nah-veh, and is frequently translated by all versions as "habitation". In fact, in the same context of Exodus 15:13 it is used in the same song of Moses when they say: "Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy HABITATION."
Neither the verb nor the noun have anything to do with "praise" as the NKJV, NIV, NASB, RSV, ESV have rendered Exodus 15:2. In the King James Bible and a few others we read that the children of Israel would prepare "an habitation" for their God. This is exactly what we are told they would do later in the book of Exodus.
In Exodus 25 God commands Moses to tell the children of Israel to bring offerings of precious metals, linen and animal skins to build the tabernacle where God will meet with them. In verse 25:8 God says: "And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them." This is what is prophetically referred to in Exodus 15:2 when the King James Bible has Moses and the children of Israel singing "and I will prepare him an habitation."
As usual, the commentators disagree among themselves, but John Gill notes: "Moses, or the people of Israel, or both, determine to "prepare" him an "habitation"...and seem to have some respect unto, and knowledge of an habitation hereafter to be built, the tabernacle and temple."
A.W. Pink remarks: "He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation" (v. 2). Beautiful is this. A spirit of true devotion is here expressed. An "habitation" is a dwelling-place. It was Jehovah’s presence in their midst that their hearts desired. And is it not ever thus with the Lord’s redeemed—to enjoy fellowship with the One who has saved us! "
The King James Holy Bible is ALWAYS right.
Will Kinney