The Need to Revise
the
Cornilescu Romanian Bible
From Missionary
Pete Heisey in Romania
February 2, 2006
Dr. Waite:
Here's a brief list I compiled for someone else
of some of the textual problems in Cornilescu.
I am working with Brian Nibbe on the Romanian
translation which is 100% and exclusively from the TR (and MT). He
asked me to send you an additional list of textual problems from the
Cornilescu version. I did a quick check using my "short" list of
textual variants from I Timothy through Jude only(!) and here's what
I found.
TR = Textus Receptus (I don't think there are any
errors in the TR readings underlying the King James Translation)
KJV = King James Version (I don't think there are
any errors in the KJV)
CT = Critical Text (United Bible Societies text
or Westcott and Hort text)
1. I Timothy 2:8 - Cornilescu ("C") has "indoieli"
("doubtings", plural) following the CT/WH, but the TR and the KJV
have the singular (doubting)
2. I Timothy 6:3 - C has "tine" ("hold to")
following the CT, but the TR and KJV have "consent to"
3. II Timothy 2:13 - C adds "caci" ("because" He
cannot deny Himself) following the CT, but the TR and KJV do not
have this word
4. Titus 2:5 - It's complicated but there is a
textual problem/difference here
5. Titus 2:8 - C has "noi" ("us") at the end of
the verse following the CT, but the TR and KJV have "you".
6. Hebrews 1:1 - C adds "nostri" ("our" fathers)
following the CT, but the TR and KJV have "the" fathers.
7. Hebrews 1:2 - C has "la sfīrsitul acestor zile"
("at the end of these days"), but the TR and KJV have "In these last
days"
8. Hebrews 3:16 (major theological and
translational problem here as well) - C, following the CT has "N-au
fost oare toti aceeia, care iesisera din Egipt prin Moise?" ("Didn't
in fact all those who came out of Egipt with Moses rebel . . . ."
implying/saying that they all did rebel, when in fact they all did
not rebel), but the TR and KJV have, "But not all . . . . "
9. Hebrews 5:1 - C, following the CT, omits the
word "both", but the TR and KJV have it.
10. Hebrews 6:2 - C begins with the nominative
case ("īnvatatura" or "teaching about baptisms"), but the TR and KJV
have the genitive case ("of the doctrine of baptisms . . ")
11. Hebrews 6:6 - again a little complicated here
but C is wrong in his translation.
12. Hebrews 10:15 - C, following the CT, omits
the word "before" at the end of the verse, but the TR and KJV have
it
13. Hebrews 10:16 - C, following the CT, has the
singular "mintea" ("mind"), but the TR and KJV have the plural
("minds")
14. Hebrews 10:34 - C, following the CT, omits
the phrase "in yourselves", but the TR and KJV have it
15. Hebrews 11:26 - C, following the CT, has
"comorile Egiptului" ("the treasures of Egypt"), but the TR and KJV
have "treasures in Egypt" ("comorile īn Egypt" or "tezaurele īn
Egipt")
16. Hebrews 12:7 - C, following the CT, omits the
word "if" from the beginning of the verse, but the TR and KJV have
it
17. Hebrews 13:6 - C, following the CT, omits the
word "and" (I will not fear), but the TR and KJV have it ("and I
will not fear" / "si nu ma voi teme")
18. James 2:19 - C, following the CT, reads "ca
Dumnezeu este unul . ." ("that God is one" or " . . .the one"), but
the TR and KJV have "there is one God"
19. James 3:3 - C, following the CT, adds the
word "if" ("daca") after "Behold" and before "we". The TR and KJV do
not have the word "if" here.
20. James 3:17 - C, following the CT, omits the
word "and" without hypocrisy, but the TR and KJV have it.
21. James 4:2 - C, following the CT, uses the
word "si" ("and") rather than "yet" near the end of the verse (TR
and KJV have it right).
22. James 4:5 - C, following the CT, adds the
phrase "pe care L-a pus Dumnezeu" (which God has put), but the TR
and KJV don't have it.
23. James 4:11 - C, following the CT, uses the
word "sau" ("or") instead of "si" ("and") before "judgeth his
brother". TR and KJV have it right.
24. James 5:9 - C, following the CT, says "ca sa
nu fiti judecati" ("so that you will not be judged"), but TR and KJV
have "lest ye be condemned"
25. James 5:11 - C, following the CT, uses the
past tense without reason "au rabdat" ("ye endured"), but the TR and
KJV have the present tense "endure"
26. James 5:20 - C, following the CT, says at the
beginning of the verse "sa stiti" ("know ye") rather than "Let him
know" as the TR and KJV have
27. I Peter 2:2 - C, following the CT, adds the
phrase at the end of the verse, "spre mīntuire" ("toward
salvation"), but the TR and KJV do not have this
28. I Peter 2:21 - C, following the CT, says "a
suferit pentru voi, si v-a lasat . . ." ("Christ suffered for you
and left you an example"), but TR and KJV have "Christ suffered for
us, leaving us and example . . ."
29. I Peter 3:8 - C, following the CT, says
"smeriti" (humble) rather than the TR/KJV "courteous".
30. I Peter 3:13 - C, following the CT, says
"plini de rīvna pentru bine" ("full of zeal for good"), but the TR
and KJV have "followers of that which is good"
31. I Peter 3:16 - C, following the CT, omits the
phrase "as of evildoers" but the TR and KJV have it
32. I Peter 4:3 - C, following the CT, omits the
word "us", but the TR and KJV have it
33. I Peter 4:8 - C, following the CT, uses
"acopere"/"acopera" ("covers"), but the TR and KJV have future tense
("shall cover")
34. I Peter 5:10 - C, following the CT about 5
times in this one verse fails to use the subjunctive
35. II Peter 1:3 - C, following the CT, adds the
word "Lui" ("His" [power]), but the TR and KJV do not have this.
36. II Peter 1:12 - C, following the CT, says
"voi fi gata" ("I will be ready"), but the TR and KJV have "I will
not be negligent"
37. I John 1:3 - C, following the CT, adds the
word "si" ("and"/"also") before the word "you" near the beginning of
the verse. The TR and KJV don't have this
38. I John 2:29 - C, following the CT, adds the
word "si" ("and") before "know".
39. I John 5:6 - C, following the CT, adds the
word "cu" ("with"/"in") before blood
40. II John v.7 - C, following the CT says "s-au
raspīndit" ("were scattered into the world"), but the TR and KJV
have "entered" [into the world]
41. III John v.12 - C, following the CT says "si
stii" ("and you know" - singular), but the TR and KJV have the
plural ("and ye know"/"si stiti")
42. Jude v.3 - C, following the CT adds the word
"noastra" ("our") after "mīntuire" ("salvation"). TR and KJV don't
have this.
43. Jude v.4 - C, following the CT, omits the
word "Dumnezeu" ("God") after "Stapīn" ("Lord"). TR and KJV have
"Lord God"
44. Jude v.5 - C, following the CT, uses the
plural "aceste lucruri" ("these things"), but the TR and KJV have
the singular "this"
45. Jude v.19 - C, following the CT, says "cari
dau nastere la dezbinari" ("who give birth to divisions"), but the
TR and KJV have "separate themselves"
46. Jude vss 22 and 23 are a mess translationally
and textually in Cornilescu
Testimonials About the
Revised Romanian Bible
From: "Ron Rockney" <rockney@chick.com>
To: <BJNIBBE@aol.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2006 1:05 AM
Subject: Re: Romanian language
Dear Brother,
It's exciting to hear that someone is working on
a translation in Romanian using the TR! We don't speak Romanian, so
we have always had to rely on the translators. I would assume that
they would simply use the Bible that is available to them or, in
some cases, translate the KJV.
You offered a list of errors with English
explanations? Would you be so kind as to send that? I can pass it
along to the brother who works with this and would expect approval
in a short time to go ahead with your new translation.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Ron Rockney
Chick Publications
From: BJNIBBE@aol.com
To: rockney@chick.com
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2006 1:36 PM
Subject: RE: Romanian language
Greetings from Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
My name is Brian Nibbe. I have been a missionary
in Romania since 1995. Four years ago our church accepted the
responsibility to produce the preserved Word of God in the Romanian
language. We believe that the preserved Word of God comes from the
Textus Receptus Greek and the Masoretic Hebrew texts. We have
finished translating the NT and are working on the OT right now. We
have had 14 different people involved in this translation, of which
two are American missionaries committed to the TR and Masoretic
texts. We understand very well the issue of Formal Equivalence and
reject wholesale the practice of Dynamic Equivalence.
I have been reading on your site about your stand
on the Bible text issue and I agree with you. I also have seen your
tracts and you use the Cornilescu version. Cornilescu is not based
on the TR and Masoretic texts. It cannot be traced to any text as it
has TR/Masoretic readings and a host of Critical Text readings. It
is NOT to be relied upon. The main reason we produced the NT in
Romanian is because the Cornilescu is so very weak. I can send you a
host of errors with English explanations if you wish.
I would like you to consider our translation. We
believe that we have produced a very readable, accurate, translation
of the Word of God in Romanian. Another group (TBS) has claimed to
have done this already but when we reviewed their text we found
hundreds, in excess of 500, of textual errors in the NT; plus a host
of translational errors.
Many people are searching for the correct text in
Romanian and it now exists. Our translation is not a revision but a
brand new translation directly from the TR. The OT is being done
from the Masoretic text. Would you be interested in knowing more
about what we have done?
A bit about myself. I have been married for
almost 20 years to my one and only wife, Lynette. We have four boys.
I have a degree in business and accounting from Metro State
University in St Paul, Minnesota. I also have a Master's of Pastoral
Theology degree from Hyles Anderson Seminary in Crown Point,
Indiana. I am currently working on my Doctorate of Ministry degree.
I have been a missionary for 12 years and a pastor for almost six. I
started an independent Baptist church in Cluj Napoca, Romania in
2000.
If we can help with tract translation I do
believe that our group would enjoy the opportunity. We have
excellent translators who are all members of our church and all
understand the importance of an accurate soul winning presentation.
Sincerely,
Brian Nibbe
Cluj Napoca, Romania
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