This page is a work in progress, citing scripture that is translated in multiple ways, where both cannot be true.
Does God Hate Divorce or the Man?
See God on Divorce (Malachi 2:16) – Marg Mows posted a concise article (with the same title as this post) with the correct interpretation of Malachi 2:16. Extracts is there.
Paul’s Cosmology Hidden
Paul references cosmology and “the [starry] heavens (tois ouranois)—often misleadingly translated as simply “heaven” —frequently. perhaps most famously in 2Corinthians 12, where he reports on an elusive journey to the “third [starry] heaven“.
From Robyn Faith Walsh’s paper RFW Chap11 Paul, the Moon, and Cosmic Philosophy.pdf in her directory in Dropbox.
From Claude.ai:
Here are key scriptures where critical biblical scholars have identified mistranslations that they argue reflect bias against women:
Genesis 3:16 – The Woman’s “Desire”
The Issue: The Hebrew word teshuqah (תְּשׁוּקָה) is commonly translated as “desire” in modern English Bibles, but scholars argue this is incorrect.
Scholars’ Position:
- Katharine Bushnell (MD, biblical scholar who learned Hebrew and Greek) argued that teshuqah should be translated as “turning” based on the Septuagint’s use of the Greek word apostrophē, meaning “turning.”
- Walter Kaiser (Old Testament scholar) credits Bushnell’s research and agrees the word means “turning,” suggesting the verse warns Eve she is turning away from God to her husband.
- The translation “desire” originated with Pagnino (Italian Dominican monk) in 1528, who rendered it as “lust,” drawing from Jewish midrash rather than the Hebrew text itself.
Biblical Text (ASV): “unto thy husband shall be thy desire, and he shall rule over thee”
Proposed Alternative: “You are turning away to your husband, and he will rule over you”
Genesis 2:18 – “Helper”
The Issue: The Hebrew word ezer (עֵזֶר) is translated “helper,” which in English connotes subordination.
Scholars’ Position:
- Robert Alter (Hebrew literature expert) states that “‘Help’ is too weak because it suggests a merely auxiliary function, whereas ezer elsewhere connotes active intervention on behalf of someone, especially in military contexts.”
- R. David Freedman and Ziony Zevit argue ezer should be translated as “power” or “powerful counterpart” based on Ugaritic cognates.
- Walter Kaiser notes the Hebrew word refers to power, rescue, and strength, not subordinate assistance.
The phrase ezer kenegdo (עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ):
- The 1983 Afrikaans translation renders kenegdo as “sy gelyke,” meaning “his equal.”
Biblical Text (ASV): “I will make him a help meet for him”
Genesis 2:21 – “Rib”
The Issue: The Hebrew word tsela (צֵלָע) is translated “rib” only in this passage, though it appears 40+ times in the Hebrew Bible.
Scholars’ Position:
- Ziony Zevit (Distinguished Professor of Biblical Literature, American Jewish University) argues that tsela should be translated as “side,” not “rib,” noting the word refers to the side of buildings, altars, and the Ark of the Covenant in all other biblical uses.
- Katharine Bushnell pointed out that the same Hebrew word is translated as “side” 42 other times in the Old Testament, yet only as “rib” in Genesis 2:21.
- Rabbi Shemuel bar Nahman (Genesis Rabbah) argued: “one of its sides, as is written, ‘And for the other side wall of the Tabernacle.'”
Biblical Text (ASV): “and he took one of his ribs”
Proposed Alternative: “and he took one of his sides”
Romans 16:7 – Junia the Apostle
The Issue: The name was changed from the feminine “Junia” (Ἰουνία) to the masculine “Junias” (Ἰουνιᾶς) in some translations, and the phrase about apostleship has been disputed.
Scholars’ Position:
- Over a dozen early church fathers (including Origen, Chrysostom, Jerome) identified Junia as a woman and an apostle.
- John Chrysostom (347-407 AD) wrote: “Oh! how great is the devotion of this woman, that she should be even counted worthy of the appellation of apostle!”
- Until the 12th century, there is no record of Junia being interpreted as a man; the first author to masculinize the name was Giles of Rome in the 13th century.
- Douglas Moo (complementarian scholar) and others note that the Greek construction supports “outstanding among the apostles,” not “well known to the apostles.”
Biblical Text (NRSV): “Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives who were in prison with me; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.”
Additional Context
Harry Orlinsky (Bible scholar, worked on RSV and NRSV) argued that Bible versions had “too often rendered certain Hebrew nouns mechanically as referring to men—thus making women appear relatively invisible,” citing examples like translating avot as “fathers” when it should be “parents” or “ancestors.”
These scholars emphasize that many translation decisions were influenced by cultural assumptions about gender roles rather than faithful rendering of the original languages.
