The Fringe on the Borders of a Garment

When translators create a new version, they use various types of documents to bring the message from one language to another whose readers they are targeting. In the process, they must make decisions as to the best wording that their potential readers will be able to comprehend. This can cause a shade of difference in meaning from version to version. Errors are inevitable, despite the sincerity of the translators. Denominational bias may occur, either intentionally or unintentionally. The following analysis of a portion of Numbers 15: 38 is an example of what can occur. In some cases, the variation of words and their meanings may appear to be minimal.

The King James Version is used here as the basic version. Four words from this version (underlined in the rendering below) head each list. Following them are the words used by forty-one other versions. A summary of the number of times each word is used is given.

1. AAT – An American Translation (Beck)
2. AB – Amplified Bible
3. ASV – American Standard Version
4. DHB – Darby Holy Bible
5. EBR – The Emphasized Bible
6. EVD – English Version for the Deaf
7. GW – God’s Word
8. HBME – The Holy Bible in Modern English
9. HBRV – Holy Bible, Revised Version
10. HSH – Holy Scriptures (Harkavy)
11. IB – Interlinear Bible
12. IV – Inspired Version
13. JBK – Jerusalem Bible (Koren)
14. KJV – King James Version
15. KTC – Knox Translation
16. LB – Living Bible
17. LBP – Lamsa Bible
18. LXX – The Septuagint
19. MNT – Moffatt New Translation
20. NAB – New American Bible
21. NAS – New American Standard Version
22. NBV – New Berkeley Version
23. NCV – New Century Version
24. NEB – New English Bible
25. NIV – New International Version
26. NJB – New Jerusalem Bible
27. NJPS – New JPS Version
28. NKJ – New King James Version
29. NLT – New Living Translation
30. NLV – New Life Version
31. NRS – New Revised Standard Version
32. NTJ – A New Translation (Jewish)
33. NWT – New World Translation
34. REB – Revised English Bible
35. RSV – Revised Standard Version
36. SGAT – An American Translation (Smith-Goodspeed)
37. SISR – The Scriptures (ISR)
38. SNB – Restoration of Original Sacred Name Bible
39. SSBE – The Sacred Scriptures, Bethel Edition
40. TEV – Today’s English Version
41. TJB – The Jerusalem Bible (Catholic)
42. YLR – Young’s Literal Translation, Revised Edition

Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: … .

1. AAT:   tassel – corner – string – violet
2. AB:   tassel – corner – cord – blue
3. ASV:   fringe – border – cord – blue
4. DHB:   tassel – corners – lace – blue
5. EBR:   fringe – corner – cord – blue
6. EVD:   tassels – corners – thread – blue
7. GW:   tassel – corners – threads – violet
8. HBME:   fringes – borders – cords – purple
9. HBRV:   fringe – border – cord – blue
10. HSH:   fringe – border – thread – blue
11. IB:   fringe – corner – thread – blue
12. IV:   fringe – borders – ribband – blue
13. JBK:   fringe – corner – thread – blue
14. KJV:   fringe – border – ribband – blue
15. KTC:   tassels – corners – cords – blue
16. LB:   tassels – hems – cord – blue
17. LBP:   fringes – borders – ribbon – blue
18. LXX:   fringes – borders – lace – blue
19. MNT:   tassels – corners – thread – violet
20. NAB:   tassel – corner – cord – violet
21. NAS:   tassels – corners – cord – blue
22. NBV:   tassels – hems – thread – blue
23. NCV:   tassels – corners – thread – blue
24. NEB:   tassel – corners – thread – violet
25. NIV:   tassels – corners – cord – blue
26. NJB:   tassel – hem – thread – violet
27. NJPS:   fringe – corner – cord – blue
28. NKJ:   tassels – corners – thread – blue
29. NLT:   tassels – corner – cord – blue
30. NLV:   tassel – corner – rope – blue
31. NRS:   fringe – corner – cord – blue
32. NTJ:   fringe – corner – thread – blue
33. NWT:   fringed – skirt – string – blue
34. REB:   tassel – corners – thread – violet
35. RSV:   tassel – corner – cord – blue
36. SGAT:   tassel – corner – string – violet
37. SISR:   tzitzit – corners – cord – blue
38. SNB:   fringe – corner – cord – blue
39. SSBE:   fringe – corner – cord – blue
40. TEV:   tassels – corners – cord – blue
41. TJB:   tassel – hem – cord – violet
42. YLR:   fringe – skirt – ribbon – blue

Following is a list of the translations of the four words in the King James Version. The number of versions using the various words is stated. There is no distinction given between singular and plural words.

1. Fringe
   1. tassel – 23
   2. fringe – 18
   3. tzitzit – 1
2. Border
   1. corner – 28
   2. border – 8
   3. hem – 3
   4. skirt – 3
3. Ribband
   1. cord – 19
   2. thread – 13
   3. string – 3
   4. lace – 2
   5. ribband – 2
   6. ribbon – 2
   7. rope – 1
4. Blue
   1. blue – 32
   2. violet – 9
   3. purple – 1