Jehovah’s Witness Bible Translation Examined

.:IS THE JEHOVAH’S WITNESS BIBLE, THE NEW WORLD TRANSLATION, A GOOD TRANSLATION?

It is a well-known fact that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses denies the Deity of Jesus Christ. To this end, when they produced their own translation of the Bible (The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures), they went to great lengths to make it appear that the Scriptures do not support the idea that Jesus Christ is God (Jehovah). In an attempt to shift the emphasis off of Jesus Christ as God, they inserted the derivation “Jehovah” (an adaptation from the original Hebrew “YHWH” for God’s Name) in place of theos (God) and kurios (Lord) in multiple verses in the Christian Greek Scriptures (New Testament). Thus, they created a distinction between Jehovah God and Jesus Christ that is not warranted in the text. In addition to inserting God’s Name where it is not supported by the text, they have also mistranslated many verses that support the Deity of Jesus Christ to justify their own anti-Trinitarian dogma. The following list (prepared by Chris Stire of Life After Watchtower Support Ministries) provides a record of the verses where the Watchtower Society’s anti-Trinitarian bias can be seen in their New World Translation. We encourage readers to verify these errors with any Greek/English Interlinear, including the Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures published by the Watchtower Society. NOTE: All references to brackets in the list below are from the 1984 edition of the New World Translation because in 2006, the Watchtower Society updated their version of the New World Translation Bible to remove the brackets that they used to have around words that they inserted that are not found in the Greek text. Thus, all editions of the New World Translation except the ones between 1984 and 2006 have words deceptively added without the brackets to make it seem as if these words are found in the original Greek text even though they are not in the text. Note: The examples in this article are based upon the 1984 edition of the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures compared to the 1985 edition of the Kingdom Interlinear translation of the Greek Scriptures.

List of Mistranslated Verses in the Christian Greek Scriptures (New Testament) of Jehovah’s Witnesses

INSERTING “JEHOVAH” IN PLACE OF “LORD” OR “GOD” IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

The Greek word kurios meaning “Lord” is mistranslated as “Jehovah” or “Jehovah’s.”

Matthew 22:44; 23:39; 27:10
Mark 5:19; 12:29; 12:30; 12:36; 13:20
Luke 1:25; 1:28; 1:32; 1:58; 1:68; 2:15; 20:42
Acts 2:34; 2:39; 2:47; 3:22; 7:33; 7:49; 12:11; 12:17; 13:47
Romans 4:8; 9:28; 9:29; 12:19; 14:11
1 Corinthians 1:31; 3:20; 4:4; 4:19; 7:17; 14:21; 16:7
2 Corinthians 6:17; 6:18; 10:18
Colossians 3:16
1 Thessalonians 4:6
2 Timothy 1:18; 2:19 (twice); 4:14
Hebrews 7:21; 8:2; 8:8; 8:9; 8:10; 10:16; 10:30; 12:6; 13:6
James 4:15; 5:15
2 Peter 2:9; 3:9
Jude 5, 9, 14
Revelation 1:8; 4:11; 18:8; 19:6; 21:22; 22:5; 22:6

Greek word kurie meaning “Lord” is mistranslated as “Jehovah.”

John 12:38
Acts 1:24; 4:29; 7:60
Romans 10:16; 11:3; 14:6 (three times); 14:8 (three times)
Revelation 15:4; 16:7

The Greek word kuriou meaning “of Lord” or “of Lord’s” is mistranslated as “Jehovah” or “Jehovah’s.”

Matthew 1:20; 1:22; 1:24; 2:13, 2:15; 2:19; 3:3; 28:2
Mark 1:3; 11:9; 12:11
Luke 1:6; 1:9; 1:15; 1:45; 1:66; 1:76; 2:9 (twice); 2:23; 2:24; 2:26; 2:39; 3:4; 4:18; 4:19; 5:17; 13:35; 19:38
John 1:23; 12:13; 12:38
Acts 2:20; 2:21; 3:19; 4:26; 5:9; 5:19; 7:31; 8:22; 8:25; 8:26; 8:39; 9:31; 10:33; 11:21; 12:7; 12:23; 12:24; 13:10; 13:11; 13:12; 13:49; 15:35; 15:36; 15:40; 18:25; 19:20
Romans 10:13; 11:34
1 Corinthians 10:21; 10:26; 11:32; 16:10
2 Corinthians 3:17 (twice) 3:18 (twice); 8:21
Ephesians 5:17; 6:4; 6:8
Colossians 1:10; 3:24
1 Thessalonians 1:8; 4:15; 5:2
2 Thessalonians 2:2; 2:13; 3:1
Hebrews 12:5
James 1:7; 4:10; 5:4; 5:10; 5:11 (twice); 5:14
1 Peter 1:25; 3:12
2 Peter 3:10

The Greek word kurion meaning “Lord” is mistranslated as “Jehovah.”

Matthew 4:7; 4:10; 22:37
Luke 1:16; 1:46; 4:8; 4:12; 10:27; 30:37
Acts 2:25; 8:24; 15:17
Romans 15:11
1 Corinthians 10:9; 10:22
2 Corinthians 3:16
Colossians 3:23
Hebrews 8:11
James 3:9

The Greek word kurio meaning “Lord” is mistranslated as “Jehovah.”

Matthew 5:33
Luke 1:17; 2:22; 2:23
Acts 13:2; 14:3; 14:23; 16:15
Romans 12:11; 14:4
1 Corinthians 2:16
2 Corinthians 10:17
Ephesians 2:21; 5:19; 6:7
Colossians 3:22
Hebrews 8:11
James 3:9

NOTE: Some of the strongest evidence of the New World Translation’s bias against the Deity of Jesus Christ can be seen in the surrounding verses of many of the passages noted above where the Jehovah’s Witness Bible inserts “Jehovah” instead of “Lord” when referencing attributes of God that are being applied directly to Jesus Christ in the New Testament. One example is Romans 10:9-13 where Jesus is proclaimed as the “Lord” to whom we are to confess and believe in for salvation. The flow of the context from verses 9 to 12 repeatedly emphasize that Jesus is the “Lord” we are to confess and believe, but when Paul cites Joel 2:32 of Jehovah God and applies this passage directly to Christ as “Lord” at verse 13, the Watchtower inserts “Jehovah” to draw attention away from Jesus Christ. Another example is Romans 14:7-9 where verse 9 in the New World Translation does not logically flow from the context of verses 7-8 because the Watchtower inserts “Jehovah” in these verses while leaving the translation “Lord” in verse 9 to interrupt the contextual emphasis of Jesus being the “Lord” to whom we are to live or die.

The Greek word theos meaning “God” is mistranslated as “Jehovah.”

Hebrews 2:13
Revelation 4:8

The Greek word theou meaning “of God” or “of God’s” is mistranslated as “Jehovah’s.”

Matthew 4:4
John 6:45
Acts 13:44; 13:48; 16:32; 18:21
James 2:23
2 Peter 3:12

The Greek word theon meaning “God” is mistranslated as “Jehovah.”

Acts 16:14

The Greek word theo meaning “God” is mistranslated as “Jehovah.”

Romans 4:3
Galatians 3:6
Colossians 3:16
James 2:23

ADDING “IN UNION WITH” TO THE WORD “IN”

The Greek word en meaning “in” is paraphrased as “in union with” to support the Watchtower teaching that Christians support the cause of Christ, but do not have Christ dwelling within them.

Matthew 10:32 (twice)
Luke 12:8 (twice)
John 6:56; 10:38; 14:10 (three times); 14:11 (twice); 14:20 (three times); 15:4 (three times); 15:5 (twice); 15:6; 15:7; 17:21 (three times); 17:26
Romans 8:1; 8:2; 8:10; 12:5; 16:7
1 Corinthians 1:2; 1:30; 15:18; 16:24
2 Corinthians 5:17; 12:2; 13:5
Galatians 1:22; 2:4; 2:20; 3:28; 5:10
Ephesians 1:1; 1:3; 1:4; 1:11; 2:6; 2:7; 2:10; 2:13; 2:15; 2:21; 2:22; 3:6; 6:1
Philippians 1:1; 3:9; 4:21
Colossians 1:27; 1:28; 2:6; 3:3
2 Timothy 1:1; 2:10; 3:15
Philemon :23
1 Peter 5:10; 5:14
1 John 1:5; 2:5; 2:6; 2:24; 2:27; 2:28; 3:6; 3:24 (three times)
1 John 4:4 (twice). 4:13 (twice); 4:15 (twice); 4:16 (twice); 5:20
Revelation 14:13

ADDING “EXERCISE” TO THE WORD “FAITH”

The English words “exercise,” “exercising,” “exercised,” “exercises” are added with no basis in the Greek text. This term is added to support the Watchtower doctrine of works being added to faith to complete the salvation process.

Mark 5:36
John 1:12; 3:16, 18, 36; 6:29, 35; 7:5; 11:25; 12:36; 14:1 (twice); 14:12; 16:9
Romans 4:3; 10:4, 9, 10
2 Corinthians 4:13 (twice)
Galatians 3:22
2 Thessalonians 1:10
Hebrews 4:3
1 Peter 1:8; 2:6

CHANGING ETERNAL “PUNISHMENT” TO EVERLASTING “CUTTING OFF”

The Greek word kolasis is translated “cutting-off” instead of “punishment” to support the Watchtower’s belief in annihilation and the rejection of an eternal place of torment called “hell.”

Matthew 25:46

THE WORD WAS GOD OR THE WORD WAS A GOD

The Greek words kai theos en ho logos are mistranslated as “the Word was a god,” instead of “the Word was God.” This is a distortion of the text as the word “a” is not in the Greek, but was added by the New World Translators to make the Word (Jesus) “a” second “god” who is separate from God the Father.

John 1:1

CHANGING “I AM” TO “I HAVE BEEN”

The Greek words ego eimi meaning “I am” are mistranslated as “I have been” to obscure the connection between Jesus being the “I Am” Jehovah God of Exodus 3:14.

John 8:58

REMOVING “ME” FROM “ASK ME”

The word “me” is omitted in “ask Me anything” to support the Watchtower claim that Jesus is not worthy to receive prayer.

John 14:14

CHANGING “YOUR THRONE, O GOD” TO “GOD IS YOUR THRONE”

The phrase “Your throne, O God” is replaced with the phrase “God is your throne” to distort the fact that the writer of Hebrews is calling Jesus God by quoting Psalm 45:6 and applying it directly to the Son of God.

Hebrew 1:8

ADDING “SON” TO “BLOOD OF HIS OWN”

The English word “son” in “blood of his own [son]” is added in brackets without any support in the Greek text. This demonstrates the length that the Watchtower goes to deny that Jesus is the God who shed His own blood for us.

Acts 20:28

CHANGING “KNOW” TO “TAKING IN KNOWLEDGE”

The Greek word ginoskosin meaning “to know, intimately” is mistranslated as “taking in knowledge of” to support the Watchtower doctrine that accurate knowledge is necessary for eternal life. Changing this translation from “know You” (as all other Bible translations have it) to “taking in knowledge of You” shifts the focus from a personal relationship with God to a mere intellectual study of God to gain eternal life.

John 17:3

CHANGING “WAS” TO “MEANT”

The Greek phrase, he petra de en ho Kristos meaning “and the rock was Christ” is mistranslated as “and that rock mass meant the Christ.” Again, this shifts the focus from Jesus being the Jehovah God, Rock of Israel (Isaiah 30:29).

1 Corinthians 10:4

ADDING “OTHER” TO “ALL THINGS” AND “EVERY NAME”

In the 1984 edition of the New World Translation, the English word “other” is added in brackets to indicate that the word does not occur in the Greek text. The translators of the New World Translation added the word “other” in “gave him the name that is above every [other] name” to support the Watchtower teaching that the name “Jehovah” is superior to the name “Jesus.” However, all editions of the New World Translation prior to 1981 and current editions after 2006 have “other” added without brackets making it seem as if this word is in the original Greek text. Even on page 27 of the February 1, 1992 Watchtower magazine, we again see Philippians 2:9 being quoted without the brackets being used around the word “other.” This again demonstrates the deep-rooted bias of the Watchtower Society against Jesus possessing a name equal and superior to name “Jehovah.”

Philippians 2:9

Translation bias against the eternal nature of Jesus Christ as Creator God is clearly seen in the New World Translation’s insertion of the word “other” in reference to Jesus’ work in creation. By adding the word “other” to “all things” so that it reads “by means of him all [other] things were made to exist,” the Watchtower is able to justify its claim that Jehovah God created Jesus first and then used Jesus as His creative agent for the rest of creation. However, Scripture proclaims that Jesus is the Creator of “all things,” for He has always existed as the uncreated, “everlasting father” — possessor of eternity (Isaiah 9:6). We again see translation bias against the Deity of Jesus Christ recurring in Watchtower literature on pages 20 and 21 of the February 1, 1992 issue of The Watchtower where the Watchtower’s insertion of “other” in Colossians 1:16 is again quoted without the brackets.

Colossians 1:16, 17, 20

CHANGING “DEITY” TO “DIVINE QUALITY”

The Greek word theotetos meaning “Godship, Deity, Godhead” is mistranslated as “divine quality” to detract from the full Deity of God being attributed to Christ in this passage.

Colossians 2:9

CHANGING “GOD AND SAVIOR” TO “GOD AND OF THE SAVIOR OF US”

The Greek phrase theou kai soteros emon meaning “God and Savior of us” or “our God and Savior” is mistranslated as “god and of [the] Savior of us.” This word “the,” being inserted in brackets with no basis in the Greek text is yet another attempt of NWT translators to separate Christ from being God.

Titus 2:13

CHANGING “SPIRIT” TO “SPIRITUAL LIFE”

The Greek words pneumaton and pneumas meaning “spirits” is mistranslated as “spiritual life” and “spiritual lives” to fit with the Watchtower doctrine that denies the existence of the human “spirit” that lives on past death.