Numbers 16 in the NAB has a different number of verses than other translations

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JustinMartyr100

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I was reading through Korah’s Rebellion in Numbers 16 in a couple of different Bibles, and I noticed, than in the New American Bible, chapter 16 only has 35 verses, and the story continues into chapter 17. My Douay and RSC-CE, as well as two protestant Bibles I checked (the NIV, and KJV) have 50 verses. Nothing is missing, chapter 17 in the NAB has extra verses to make up for it, and chapter 18 starts in the right place.

Does anybody have any information on why this happened?

Thanks.
 
According the translators of the NAB and other contemporary translations, the “additional” verses in Numbers 16 and elsewhere are either left out entirely or re-arranged based on manuscripts which suggest such a form is, in fact, proper rather than the more “traditional” English translations.

My *Jewish Study Bible *also leaves these verses out, suggesting they were not part of the original text.
 
Can you tell me where you read that? Did you read it online, or is it in a book somewhere? Could it be in my NAB as an editorial note and I just haven’t found it? I would like to read that directly.

I have no problem with rearranging the verses, such as moving the final verses of chapter 16 into the beginning of chapter 17 since these books were not originally written with chapter and verse…even though it makes it inconvenient in some cases. But I was surprised to hear you say that they leave some verses out completely? By what authority?

Thanks for your reply.
 
I’m not sure about leaving any out. There might be some combined though. In any case what the NAB does is follow the numbering of the verses in the BHS text. The traditional numbering system we use follows what you see with the 50 verses in chapter 16.

I’m not sure the origin of the difference, but as far as I know the text behind the NAB is the same as other modern translations, it’s simply a numbering of the verses difference.

JJ
 
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