It really
becomes quite difficult to tell who is being addressed without
being able to distinguish properly between singular and plural pronouns.
Ambiguity arises from not properly
translating singulars and plurals.
Exodus 29:42, "This shall be a
continual burnt offering
throughout YOUR generations at the door of
the tabernacle of
the congregation before the LORD where I
will meet YOU, to
speak there unto THEE." The
*you*, referring to the children
of Israel, is explained in the following
verse, but *thee*
refers to Moses, who had the holy privilege
of hearing the
words of God directly (Leviticus 1:1).
And yes, before Jeff
Doles asks, I believe a tape recorder would
have picked them
up.
2 Samuel 7:23, "An what nation in
the earth is like THY
people, even like Israel, whom God went to
redeem for a people
to himself, and to make him a name, and to
do for YOU great
things and terrible, for THY land, before
THY people, which
THOU redeemedst to THEE from Egypt."
Here David prayed to
God in the second person singular, but referred to the people of
Israel as YOU. What confusion could
result if this important
distinction were done away? It could
be incorrectly thought
that David was praying in part to the
nation -- or that the
land belonged to the people and not to God.
Either
misconstruction invites error.
Matthew 26:64, "Jesus saith unto
him, THOU has said:
nevertheless I say unto YOU, hereafter
shall YE see the Son of
man sitting on the right hand of power, and
coming in the
clouds of heaven." THOU refers to the
High Priest. YE and YOU
are open to some interpretation, but AT
LEAST include all
those who were standing there IN ADDITION
to the high priest.
John 3:7, 11, "Marvel not that I
said unto THEE, YE must be
born again." The message was spoken to
the individual
Nicodemus, but obviously has wider
application. So also at
verse 11, "I say unto THEE...that YE
receive not our witness."
1 Corinthians 8:9-12, "Take heed
lest...this liberty of
YOURS.... If any man see THEE which
hast knowledge... through
THY knowledge...but when YE sin." The
plural form likely
refers to all church members, but the
singular form to those
in responsibility.
I would invite readers to get out a
"modern" translation that
has dropped the use of the 2nd person
singular/plural
distinction and read these passages along
with Numbers
16:8-11; Deuteronomy 4:3; 1 Kings 9:5-6;
Isaiah 33:2-4;
Matthew 5:39; Matthew 6:4-7; Matthew
11:23-24; Matthew
18:9-10; Matthew 18:22-35; Matthew
20:21-22; Matthew 23:37-38;
Mark 14:37-38; Luke 5:4; Luke 6:30-31; Luke
9:41; Luke
10:13-14; Luke 16:25-26; Luke 22:31-32;
John 1:50-51; James
2:16; etc.
Surely you will notice that replacing
"thou/thee/thy/thine"
with the ambiguous "you" does NOT
clarify, but tends to muddy
the Scriptures.
Perhaps also, as a result of these few
posts, there will be a
greater appreciation for the important
distinctions that are
retained by the AV. Rather than
seeing "thou/thee/thy/thine"
as a reason for adopting a MODERN
translation, we should see
them as being a more accurate depiction of
the WORDS GOD
INSPIRED.
 |