Genesis 49:6 Translation Variance Between KJV and Modern Versions
Genesis 49:6 Translation Variance Between KJV and Modern Versions
Genesis 49:6 is part of Jacob's blessing to his sons, where he pronounces judgment on Simeon and Levi. The verse reads, "O my soul, come not into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united" (KJV). Modern translations, such as the ESV, render it as "O my soul, come not into their council; O my glory, be not joined to their company" [1].
The difference in translation between the KJV and modern versions stems from the interpretation of the Hebrew words "סודם" (sodam), "כבדִי" (kebodi), and the context in which they are used. The KJV translates "סודם" as "secret" and "כבדִי" as "mine honour", while modern translations opt for "council" and "my glory", respectively [1].
The literary context of Genesis 49:6 is Jacob's final blessing to his twelve sons, where he evaluates their characters and prophesies their future. The surrounding verses describe the violent nature of Simeon and Levi, referencing their actions in Shechem (Genesis 34:25-31). Jacob's statement is a condemnation of their violent behavior.
The historical setting is crucial for understanding the verse. The events described occurred in the patriarchal period, around 1800-1500 BCE, in the region of Canaan [3].
The key terms in Genesis 49:6 are "סודם" (sodam) and "כבדִי" (kebodi). "סודם" can be translated as "council" or "secret", depending on the context. "כבדִי" refers to Jacob's "glory" or "honour", signifying his inner being or soul [1].
The major exegetical decision revolves around understanding the nature of Jacob's condemnation. Calvin interprets Jacob's statement as a strong denunciation of Simeon and Levi's violent actions, emphasizing the moral outrage against their cruelty [5].
The range of interpretations for Genesis 49:6 varies among commentators. While Calvin focuses on the moral condemnation, other traditions may emphasize the prophetic nature of Jacob's words. The Eastern Orthodox tradition, as represented by John Chrysostom, often focuses on the moral and spiritual lessons derived from the text [2].
The translation variance between the KJV and modern versions reflects the ongoing discussion among scholars about the precise meaning of the Hebrew text. Modern translations tend to favor a more literal rendering of the Hebrew, while the KJV sometimes adopts a more interpretive approach.
In tradition, Genesis 49 has been used to understand the character and future of the tribes of Israel. The passage has been significant in both Jewish and Christian interpretations, often being referenced in discussions about the nature of divine judgment and blessing [4].
Sources
- STEPBible ESV Translation Tags “[ESV Tags] Genesis 49:6: word 03 -> H05315; word 04 -> H00935; word 05 -> H00408; word 08 -> H05475; word 11 -> H03519; word 13 -> H00408; word 14 -> H03161; word 17 -> H06951; word 18 -> H03588; word 21 -> H00639; word 23 -> H02026; word 24 -> H00376; word 28 -> H07522; word 30 -> H06131; word 31 -> H07794”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians–Colossians–Thessalonians: 45:3 45:10-11 45:11 46:4 47:20 48:1 48:1 48:10 48:10 49:15 49:16 49:17 49:17 49:17 50:3 50:13 51:1 51:4 51:10 51:10 51:16-17 51:17 52:8 53:5 53:5-6 58:10 62:3 62:3 62:10 62:12 63:1 64:5 68:5 68:6 68:18 68:18 69:1 69:17 69:20 69:20 73:6 73:7 73:27 73:27 74:13-14 74:17 78:30 80:12 80:12-13 81:7 81:10 84:2 84:6 86:10 88 90:2 91:2 91:5-6 94:12 98:3 103 144:5 145:9 Proverbs 3:3 3:3 3:11 3:34 4:27 5:3 5:3-4 6:34-35 10:9 12:28 14:12 14:31 15:17 18:3 18:19 20:6 20:6 24:11 25:28 26:11 26:12 26:12 26:27 28:1 28:1 30:8 31:6 Ecclesiastes 1:2”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 1 (Gen 1-23), section 28.1: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:1-6 1:1-31 1:2 1:28 1:29-30 2:1 2:1-25 2:15 2:19 3:1 3:1-24 3:7 3:16 4:1 4:1-26 4:7 5:1 5:1-32 6:1 6:1-22 6:11-16 7:1-24 7:11 8:1-22 9:1 9:1 9:1-29 9:2 9:24 10 10:1 10:1 10:1-32 10:21 11:1 11:1 11:1-32 11:28 12:1 12:1 12:1 12:1-20 12:4 12:4 12:6 13:1 13:1-20 14:1-24 15:1-21 15:7 16:1-16 16:2 16:8 17:1 17:1 17:1 17:1 17:1-27 18:1 18:1 18:1-33 18:19 19:1-38 20:1 20:1 20:1-18 21:1-34 21:15 22:1-24 22:18 23:1-20 24:31 25:1 25:13-16 35:7 48:1 Exodus 6:3 12:40 Leviticus 7:18 17:4 18:25 Numbers 6:2”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 98: Index of Scripture References Genesis 1:5 2:3 2:3 2:3 2:23 2:24 2:24 4:19 8:10 8:12 9:6 12:3 14:22 15:1-21 17:7 17:12 21:23 22:2 24:1-67 24:3 26:31 27:4 27:12 27:34-38 29:18 29:27 29:28 30:1 34:12 47:31 49:2-4 49:10 49:17 Exodus 1:19 1:20 3:13 3:14 6:8 6:12 16:23 16:26 20:1-26 20:2 21:9 21:12 21:14 21:17 22:10 22:19 23:7 24:8 26:3 26:5 26:6 26:17 31:13 31:14 31:16 31:17 34:28 Leviticus 4:17 7:18 10:11 14:6 17:1-16 17:4 18:1-30 18:6 18:8 18:16 18:18 18:18 18:18 19:12 20:23 23:1-44 24:17 25:39-41 26:1 26:41 Numbers 5:19 6:3-5 19:11 19:11-13”
- CCEL (Reformed) “Calvin, Commentary on Genesis, Vol. 2 (Gen 24-50), section 29.1: Index of Scripture Commentary Genesis 24 24:1 24:2 24:3 24:4 24:5 24:6 24:7 24:10 24:12 24:15 24:21 24:22 24:26 24:28 24:33 24:50 24:52 24:54 24:57 24:59 24:63 24:64 24:67 25 25:1 25:6 25:7 25:8 25:9 25:12 25:18 25:19 25:21 25:22 25:23 25:24 25:27 25:28 25:29 25:30 25:33 25:34 26 26:1 26:2 26:5 26:7 26:8 26:10 26:11 26:12 26:14 26:16 26:18 26:23 26:24 26:25 26:26 26:27 26:28 26:29 26:31 26:32 26:34 27 27:1 27:2 27:4 27:5 27:11 27:13 27:14 27:19 27:21 27:26 27:27 27:29 27:30 27:33 27:34 27:36 27:37 27:38 27:39 27:40 27:41 27:42 27”