Translation question concerning witchcraft

[philomena92]

Hello,

I have a family member who has fallen into witchcraft and tells me it is not wrong on the basis of a main claim of the Bible being mistranslated and that Biblical scholars recognize this to this day. The part they say is wrong is when the Israelites are told when they come into the new land they are not to do certain things… the claim my family makes is that the ‘real translation’ says to ‘let no prisoner live’… and that the translation we currently have telling us not to do witchcraft is just prejudice against witches…

I know there are many other areas to refute witchcraft but i never know how to answer when someone flatly says the Bible is mistranslated… She lives in Africa so this practice is rampant there. Her past is very difficult as well in regards to God and She is confused about Mary and has placed Her atop the pagan triple goddess… which is a long story in itself.

But my question is does anyone know any information on why someone would state that Biblical scholars would currently accept to this day that the Bible is still in translation error on that one passage… 'when you come into the new land, ‘let no prisoner live’…

Thank you

 

[Usagi]

Are you sure she didn’t say “poisoner”? I have heard that version a time or two, but not “prisoner.”

It is my understanding that one of the words translated as “sorcery” or “witchcraft” in the Bible is actually the Greek ancestor of our word “pharmacy,” and thus could refer to poisoning (but also to herb use for magical purposes). Being Greek, though, that would be a New Testament or Septuagint term, not one originally used in the case of the Israelites.

I have just found an argument online that the same applies to the Hebrew words commonly translated as “witchcraft” and “sorcery” in the OT – that they come from a root meaning “to cut” and thus refer in some way to herbalism (herbs being cut and prepared from the original plants).

Of course, words can develop a long way from their roots, and the condemnation still could be referring to herbal use in magic. It would probably be best to consult Jewish commentaries on the passages in question and see what they say. If the interpretation has always been “witch” or “sorcerer” even without Christians being involved, then it would seem to be there’s a better chance that that’s what was originally meant, whatever the root word might be.

Usagi

 

[Speedypizza]

My understanding is that the word does in fact translate as poisoner, however back in the day, a person who knew how to make poisons was also a witch. However if she is in witchcraft she should not care much about the bible or what Catholics think about her. I am speaking as somebody who has just gotten out of that after spending 19 years as a warlock. Please prey for her.

 

[Trolol]

Witchcraft is the most epic thing ever. I hope that the pope is over run with witches and warlocks, and dies so that they may feed off of his rotting sack of a corpse. And then brutally eat every single Catholic follower alive.

 

[Dave_Noonan]

Hello,

I have a family member who has fallen into witchcraft and tells me it is not wrong on the basis of a main claim of the Bible being mistranslated and that Biblical scholars recognize this to this day. The part they say is wrong is when the Israelites are told when they come into the new land they are not to do certain things… the claim my family makes is that the ‘real translation’ says to ‘let no prisoner live’… and that the translation we currently have telling us not to do witchcraft is just prejudice against witches…

I know there are many other areas to refute witchcraft but i never know how to answer when someone flatly says the Bible is mistranslated… She lives in Africa so this practice is rampant there. Her past is very difficult as well in regards to God and She is confused about Mary and has placed Her atop the pagan triple goddess… which is a long story in itself.

But my question is does anyone know any information on why someone would state that Biblical scholars would currently accept to this day that the Bible is still in translation error on that one passage… 'when you come into the new land, ‘let no prisoner live’…

Thank you

The word used doesn’t have anything to do with prisons, poisons or cutting as far as I can see. It’s the same word used for Pharaoh’s “magicians” in the story of the plagues, except in Ex 22:18, it’s in the feminine singular.