The Fringe on the Borders of a Garment

When translators create a new version, they use various types of documents to bring the message from one language to another whose readers they are targeting. In the process, they must make decisions as to the best wording that their potential readers will be able to comprehend. This can cause a shade of difference in meaning from version to version. Errors are inevitable, despite the sincerity of the translators. Denominational bias may occur, either intentionally or unintentionally. The following analysis of a portion of Numbers 15: 38 is an example of what can occur. In some cases, the variation of words and their meanings may appear to be minimal.

The King James Version is used here as the basic version. Four words from this version (underlined in the rendering below) head each list. Following them are the words used by forty-one other versions. A summary of the number of times each word is used is given.

Versions Compared

  1. AAT - An American Translation (Beck)
  2. AB - Amplified Bible
  3. ASV - American Standard Version
  4. DHB - Darby Holy Bible
  5. EBR - The Emphasized Bible
  6. EVD - English Version for the Deaf
  7. GW - God's Word
  8. HBME - The Holy Bible in Modern English
  9. HBRV - Holy Bible, Revised Version
  10. HSH - Holy Scriptures (Harkavy)
  11. IB - Interlinear Bible
  12. IV - Inspired Version
  13. JBK - Jerusalem Bible (Koren)
  14. KJV - King James Version
  15. KTC - Knox Translation
  16. LB - Living Bible
  17. LBP - Lamsa Bible
  18. LXX - The Septuagint
  19. MNT - Moffatt New Translation
  20. NAB - New American Bible
  21. NAS - New American Standard Version
  22. NBV - New Berkeley Version
  23. NCV - New Century Version
  24. NEB - New English Bible
  25. NIV - New International Version
  26. NJB - New Jerusalem Bible
  27. NJPS - New JPS Version
  28. NKJ - New King James Version
  29. NLT - New Living Translation
  30. NLV - New Life Version
  31. NRS - New Revised Standard Version
  32. NTJ - A New Translation (Jewish)
  33. NWT - New World Translation
  34. REB - Revised English Bible
  35. RSV - Revised Standard Version
  36. SGAT - An American Translation (Smith-Goodspeed)
  37. SISR - The Scriptures (ISR)
  38. SNB - Restoration of Original Sacred Name Bible
  39. SSBE - The Sacred Scriptures, Bethel Edition
  40. TEV - Today's English Version
  41. TJB - The Jerusalem Bible (Catholic)
  42. YLR - Young's Literal Translation, Revised Edition

 

Numbers 15: 38

Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: ... .

  1. AAT:   tassel - corner - string - violet
  2. AB:   tassel - corner - cord - blue
  3. ASV:   fringe - border - cord - blue
  4. DHB:   tassel - corners - lace - blue
  5. EBR:   fringe - corner - cord - blue
  6. EVD:   tassels - corners - thread - blue
  7. GW:   tassel - corners - threads - violet
  8. HBME:   fringes - borders - cords - purple
  9. HBRV:   fringe - border - cord - blue
  10. HSH:   fringe - border - thread - blue
  11. IB:   fringe - corner - thread - blue
  12. IV:   fringe - borders - ribband - blue
  13. JBK:   fringe - corner - thread - blue
  14. KJV:   fringe - border - ribband - blue
  15. KTC:   tassels - corners - cords - blue
  16. LB:   tassels - hems - cord - blue
  17. LBP:   fringes - borders - ribbon - blue
  18. LXX:   fringes - borders - lace - blue
  19. MNT:   tassels - corners - thread - violet
  20. NAB:   tassel - corner - cord - violet
  21. NAS:   tassels - corners - cord - blue
  22. NBV:   tassels - hems - thread - blue
  23. NCV:   tassels - corners - thread - blue
  24. NEB:   tassel - corners - thread - violet
  25. NIV:   tassels - corners - cord - blue
  26. NJB:   tassel - hem - thread - violet
  27. NJPS:   fringe - corner - cord - blue
  28. NKJ:   tassels - corners - thread - blue
  29. NLT:   tassels - corner - cord - blue
  30. NLV:   tassel - corner - rope - blue
  31. NRS:   fringe - corner - cord - blue
  32. NTJ:   fringe - corner - thread - blue
  33. NWT:   fringed - skirt - string - blue
  34. REB:   tassel - corners - thread - violet
  35. RSV:   tassel - corner - cord - blue
  36. SGAT:   tassel - corner - string - violet
  37. SISR:   tzitzit - corners - cord - blue
  38. SNB:   fringe - corner - cord - blue
  39. SSBE:   fringe - corner - cord - blue
  40. TEV:   tassels - corners - cord - blue
  41. TJB:   tassel - hem - cord - violet
  42. YLR:   fringe - skirt - ribbon - blue

 

Totals

Following is a list of the translations of the four words in the King James Version. The number of versions using the various words is stated. There is no distinction given between singular and plural words.

  1. Fringe
    1. tassel - 23
    2. fringe - 18
    3. tzitzit - 1
  2. Border
    1. corner - 28
    2. border - 8
    3. hem - 3
    4. skirt - 3
  3. Ribband
    1. cord - 19
    2. thread - 13
    3. string - 3
    4. lace - 2
    5. ribband - 2
    6. ribbon - 2
    7. rope - 1
  4. Blue
    1. blue - 32
    2. violet - 9
    3. purple - 1