A recent Facebook inquisitor claimed that the King James Bible does not accurately translate Hebrews 10:13, and that the NASB is to be preferred.[i]
- AKJV: from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
- NASB: waiting from that time onward until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet.[ii]
Let us consider the matter.
“Literal” translation.
One obvious difference is “footstool” versus “footstool for his feet.” The argument is that the NASB has an equivalent English word for the Greek words, and that the KJV does not. Let’s look at it in a Greek-English interlinear fashion to demonstrate that. [Note that this is a translational issue; the Critical Text and Textus Receptus are the same in this place.]
Greek-English Interlinear:
When you see it placed like this, we can also see that even the NASB does not “literally” have an equivalent of every word that is in the Greek. Translation just does not consistently work that way! The Greek has 12 words. The KJV translates these 12 with 10 English words. The NASB translates these 12 with 15 English words! It is not a matter of adding to or taking away from the word – it is a matter of translating the sense of one language into the sense of another language. Does the KJV maintain, contain, and retain the meaning of the Greek? Yes, it does! I would say that the NASB does as well, but creates a redundancy in the English language – “a footstool for His feet.”
Footstool definition.
Footstool, noun.
1. (Literally) A stool to rest the feet upon while sitting; a low stool for supporting the feet; anything serving that same use.
2. (Figuratively) A person or thing that is trodden upon or made subservient., dependent, or tool.
Other translation comparisons.
- AKJV: from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
- YLT: as to the rest, expecting till He may place his enemies [as] his footstool,
- CSB: He is now waiting until his enemies are made his footstool.
- NIV: and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool.
- RSV: then to wait until his enemies should be made a stool for his feet.
- ESV: waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.
Several translations opt for “footstool for his feet,” “stool for his feet,” or something like that. However, even Robert Young in his literal translation of was satisfied with simply “footstool” as a literal rendering of ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ.
The NASB is at least consistent in comparison to other modern translations, translating the verse quoted, Psalm 110:1, also with “a footstool for Your feet.”[iii] Several translations that have the idea of “footstool for feet” in Hebrews 10:23 only has “footstool” in Psalm 110:1 (e.g., ESV, NET, RSV). They are inconsistent with this in other places as well.[iv]
Final thoughts.
“His footstool” means in English means the same thing ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ means in Greek. It is unnecessary to say “of his feet” since that is contained in the very meaning of the English word footstool. The KJV rendering of “footstool” is better than the NASB’s rendering – it is accurate, conveys the meaning into the receptor language, and is not redundant.[v] It better suits the idiomatic or figurative contextual use as well. Anyone who thinks that to be accurate there must always be one word in the receptor language to match every one word in the original language, should never use any translation.
[iii] Hebrew הֲדֹם לְרַגְלֶיךָ (hăḏōm reḡel) .
[iv] For example the ESV has “footstool for your feet” in Hebrews 10:13 and 1:13, yet translated as just plain "footstool" in Matthew 5:35 (ὑποπόδιόν ἐστιν τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ), Luke 20:43 (ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου), Acts 2:35 (ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου) and Acts 7:49 (ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν μου).
[v] “Footstool for His feet” is not “wrong,” just “unnecessary.”
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