Jesus or Joshua
~ Hebrews 4:8 in the Authorized Version ~
“For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.”
Most modern versions, including the NKJV, NASV, NIV, AMP, ESV, NLT, MESS, ASV, RV, RSV, NRSV, BBE, CEV, EMTV, GNB, GW, ISV, LITV, WNT, YLT, HCSV, Murdock, & Wesley use the name Joshua while Wycliffe, Geneva, Bishops, Douay-Rheims, Darby, and Webster agree with the Authorized Version in transliterating the name as Jesus. The argument here is that the KJV has used the wrong name because the context indicates that Joshua of the Old Testament is in view here.
The KJV has transliterated the name here as it does with names throughout the New Testament. Some examples would include: Elias, Eliseus, Esaias, Sem, and Noe which are spelled Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Shem, and Noah in the Old Testament (respectively). If one were to look at the Hebrew and Greek texts these words match their Hebrew and Greek spellings (they are transliterated). As for the case in view, here is the reading from the Textus Receptus:
Scrivener 1894: ει γαρ αυτους ιησους κατεπαυσεν ουκ αν περι αλλης ελαλει μετα ταυτα ημερας
Stephanus 1550: ει γαρ αυτους ιησους κατεπαυσεν ουκ αν περι αλλης ελαλει μετα ταυτα ημερας
The Greek here is Iesous which is always rendered as Jesus in our Authorized Version. This is not a mistranslation but a transliteration of the Greek. Therefore, if one is to accuse the KJV of being in the wrong here, then the Greek must be discounted as well.
This page was last updated: 2/3/2017
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