EXPLANATIONS

Table of Contents

Bible translations

In my personal Bible study, I primarily use the New American Standard Bible (Foundation, NASB 1995). I use other Bible translations for comparison and clarification.

Some people believe the King James Version of the Bible is the only one that should be used. Please use it if you prefer when going through this study, but be aware that there are different philosophies that are the basis of each translation.

For more information on Bible translations please see the article, “Which Bible translation is best?” on the Grace to You Website. (MacArthur, Which Bible translation is best? – Resource #QA167 2009)

Explanation of general format

ITALICS are used in the [scripture excerpts] to indicate words which are not found in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek but implied by it.

ASTERISKS are used to mark verbs that are historical presents in the Greek which have been translated with an English past tense in order to conform to modern usage. The translators recognized that in some contexts the present tense seems more unexpected and unjustified to the English reader than a past tense would have been. But Greek authors frequently used the present tense for the sake of heightened vividness, thereby transporting their readers in imagination to the actual scene at the time of occurrence. However, the translators felt that it would be wise to change these historical presents to English past tenses. (MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible – New American Standard Bible 2006)

Letter case of the word “Sabbath”

The letter case of the word “sabbath” differs depending on which version of the Bible you are viewing. In the short list below, the King James Version is the only one where “sabbath” is rendered in all lower case letters throughout the Bible. In the New American Standard Bible, “sabbath” is rendered in all lower case letters in the Old Testament, and the first letter capitalized in the New Testament. The other versions render “sabbath” with the first letter capitalized throughout the Bible.

Bible Version	Old Testament	New Testament
King James Version (KJV)	sabbath	sabbath
New American Standard Bible (NASB)	sabbath	Sabbath
New King James Version (NKJV)	Sabbath	Sabbath
English Standard Version (ESV)	Sabbath	Sabbath
New International Version (NIV)	Sabbath	Sabbath
New Living Translation (NLT)	Sabbath	Sabbath

Context

One reason the Bible is misunderstood is because the meaning of the words are often taken out of context. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines the word “context” in the following ways:

context (noun)

the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed

the parts of something written or spoken that immediately precede and follow a word or passage and clarify its meaning

PHRASES

in context: considered together with the surrounding words or circumstances

out of context: without the surrounding words or circumstances and so not fully understandable

In an effort to make sure our study of Scripture is not taken out of context, here are some questions to ask when trying to understand the Bible:

What was the historical and cultural context of the event or discourse?

• Who received the words?

• Who spoke the words?

• What was the occasion?

• Where did it take place?

• When did it take place?

• Why did it take place?

These questions and others must be asked, and properly answered when studying the Scriptures. For a broader discussion on how to understand the Bible, please see the article, “How to Study Your Bible,” on the Grace to You Website. (MacArthur, How to Study Your Bible – Resource #45STUDY n.d.)

Hebrew and Greek word definitions

The entries in this study with numbers beginning with either the letter “H” (for example, H9999), or the letter “G” (for example, G9999), correspond with definitions of Hebrew and Greek words from the original scripture texts. These original words are listed and defined in the Dictionaries of Hebrew and Greek Words in the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Strong 1890), and the New American Standard(r) Updated Edition Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. (Foundation, NASEC 1981, 1998)

Abbreviations

Bible Versions
ASV	The Holy Bible, American Standard Version
ESV	The Holy Bible, English Standard Version
ISV	The Holy Bible, International Standard Version
KJV	The Holy Bible, King James Version
NASB	New American Standard Bible
NIV	The Holy Bible, New International Version
NIrV	The Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version
NLT	The Holy Bible, New Living Translation
Other
Gr.	Greek
Heb.	Hebrew
NASEC	New American Standard(r) Updated Edition Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible

Explanations

RBGDev 82–0–103

26-Jun-21, 05:28