We wish that every book of the Bible was a model of correct grammar, punctuation, syntax and high literary style. However, the Bible is a very ancient collection of small books and letters written by at least thirty-six authors over a span of 1,600 years. The writers include prophets, fishermen, kings, ministers, lawyers, priests, a doctor and even a tax collector.
In addition to the wide variety of the language skills of the authors there are missing letters and words in many of the old manuscripts. These missing parts are referred to as "lacuna," which is the Latin word for a space where something has been omitted or left out. As you can see from the picture of the facsimile, many old manuscripts are the worse for the wear having numerous holes and missing parts. It then becomes the challenge of Bible scholars to literally fill in the blanks while staying as true to the original text as possible. Of course, it would be ideal if we had beautiful copies of the original books and letters that were somehow miraculously preserved, but such is not the case. Instead we have, in whole or in part, over 4000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament which date back to around 350 A.D. In addition there are thousands of fragments of copies of the books of the New Testament that may date back much earlier. By comparing these fragments, scholars have been able to assemble the Holy Scriptures as we know them today.
Where there is still reason to doubt about what is the most accurate text, many Bibles include comments in the margins. For instance, in the New English Bible, the translators put a letter beside a questioned text and then place their notes at the bottom of the page. As an example, In John 9:35 the text reads, "...When he found him he asked, ‘Have you faith in the Son of Man (a)?'" In footnote (a) we read "Some witnesses (manuscripts) read Son of God." Obviously this is not a crucial matter as to whether the text reads "Son of Man" or "Son of God," however for the sake of accuracy the variant reading has been noted for the readers to make up their own minds.
Also, there is the challenge of translating the exact meaning of words from one language to another. To meet these difficulties the translators carefully added words to the text and put them in italics to alert the reader that the word was added. The italicized words are put in for two purposes. Some of the words in italics are words which may not have any equivalents in the Hebrew or Greek text. These words have been supplied by the translators to make the meaning of the sentence more understandable, or in order to make the passage read more smoothly in English. Many italicized words are found in Matthew the fifth chapter, and they can also be found all through other parts of the Scriptures. For instance, in Matthew 5, verses 3 through 10, the word are has been added to smooth up the reading. The texts all read, "Blessed are..." with the word supplied in italics.
Another example of how words have been supplied is in John 5:2, "Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches." The reader can quickly see that common sense calls for supplying, or putting back the lacuna, the word market, which clearly makes the passage more understandable. The Geneva Bible of 1577 was the first to use italics in this fashion.
And finally, we should never forget the work of the Holy Spirit in preserving the Word of God for us today. The Bible states, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scritpure is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Peter 1:20-21. People in ever increasing numbers, can and do trust the Bible as a guide in this life and the life to come. The Bible is always on the bestseller list---just as God intended.

Blessings in your study of God's Word!

Marvin Hunt

There is never a charge for my articles, and if you have a good reason, there is no limit to how many you may request. However, if you find them valuable you may want to order my latest book, History, Mystery and Facts About the Bible. Order at 1-800-845-7618 (ext. 301). You may also order from Amazon.com. Proceeds from the book go to support this ministry.

Blessings!
Marvin Hunt

Http://www.biblehistory.com

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