Catholic/Protestant/Translation Bible Differences

[magdelaine]

Hi everyone,

I’m starting a Bible study with some friends and we have a couple of different Bibles. I was surprised to discover that the differences between them weren’t limited to Catholic/Protestant version (i.e. the missing books from the Septuagint being included/excluded) but that there are chapter and verse differences as well.

Case in point: 1 Kings 4

New American Bible has verses 1-20
New International Version has verses 1-29
Douay-Rheims has verses 1-21 and seems to be a different book altogether

In the New American Bible it turns out the verses that are “missing” compared to the NIV are actually the first verses of Chapter 5… In any case I’m very confused as to why there are chapter and verse differences between translations, and why DR is not similar at all (I actually like that one best of as far as the story being told 1 Kings).

Can someone clue me in to what is going on?

 

[Manfred]

Hi everyone,

I’m starting a Bible study with some friends and we have a couple of different Bibles. I was surprised to discover that the differences between them weren’t limited to Catholic/Protestant version (i.e. the missing books from the Septuagint being included/excluded) but that there are chapter and verse differences as well.

Case in point: 1 Kings 4

New American Bible has verses 1-20
New International Version has verses 1-29
Douay-Rheims has verses 1-21 and seems to be a different book altogether

In the New American Bible it turns out the verses that are “missing” compared to the NIV are actually the first verses of Chapter 5… In any case I’m very confused as to why there are chapter and verse differences between translations, and why DR is not similar at all (I actually like that one best of as far as the story being told 1 Kings).

Can someone clue me in to what is going on?

Magdelaine,

The D-R has FOUR Books of Kings:

1, 2 Kings are what all the other bibles call 1, 2 Samuel;

3, 4 Kings are what all the other bibles call 1, 2 Kings;

1, 2 Paralipomenon are what all the other bibles call 1, 2 Chronicles.

I don’t use the NAB, but it is notorious for verse rearrangement, at times way more than any other modern translation will put forth. Some of the rearrangements had little to do with this source manuscript or that one; it was more a matter of the editors of the NAB OT exercising “creativity”.

The RSV-CE hews closer to the Hebrew and usually indicates in a footnote if a chapter ends/begins differently than where commonly expected.

But kudos to you for choosing the venerable, beloved D-R!!

 

[Prodigal_Son1]

Magdelaine,

The D-R has FOUR Books of Kings:

1, 2 Kings are what all the other bibles call 1, 2 Samuel;

3, 4 Kings are what all the other bibles call 1, 2 Kings;

1, 2 Paralipomenon are what all the other bibles call 1, 2 Chronicles.

I don’t use the NAB, but it is notorious for verse rearrangement, at times way more than any other modern translation will put forth. Some of the rearrangements had little to do with this source manuscript or that one; it was more a matter of the editors of the NAB OT exercising “creativity”.

The RSV-CE hews closer to the Hebrew and usually indicates in a footnote if a chapter ends/begins differently than where commonly expected.

But kudos to you for choosing the venerable, beloved D-R!!

I prefer the Douay-Rheims over all the others and I have 16 versions installed on e-sword.

May the peace of the Lord be with you,
Prodigal Son1

 

[richardeekw]

Hi everyone,

I’m starting a Bible study with some friends and we have a couple of different Bibles. I was surprised to discover that the differences between them weren’t limited to Catholic/Protestant version (i.e. the missing books from the Septuagint being included/excluded) but that there are chapter and verse differences as well.

Case in point: 1 Kings 4

New American Bible has verses 1-20
New International Version has verses 1-29
Douay-Rheims has verses 1-21 and seems to be a different book altogether

In the New American Bible it turns out the verses that are “missing” compared to the NIV are actually the first verses of Chapter 5… In any case I’m very confused as to why there are chapter and verse differences between translations, and why DR is not similar at all (I actually like that one best of as far as the story being told 1 Kings).

Can someone clue me in to what is going on?

May I suggest you get to the historical developmnts, to understand, rather that individual verses.

angelfire.com/ms/seanie/deuteros/graham_contents.html

Where We Got the Bible: Our Debt to the Catholic Church
by The Right Rev. HENRY G. GRAHAM Nihil Obstat et Imprimatur JOANNES RITCHIE, Vic. Gen. Glasguae. Originally published by B. Herder Book Co., St. Louis, Missouri.

THE NEW CATHOLIC ANSWER BIBLE also provides a generous write up of the Origins and development of the Bible.

Going to individual verses will simple lead you to more confusion.
That is good for “later understanding” on why the changes.; but I suggest you go to the source and trace the development of changes in interpretation and linguistics

 

[magdelaine]

Thank you! This helps a lot.

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

You may want to simply agree as a group on a common translation to use for your studies.