Meaning of Numbers 5
Murdoch's Bible NIV 2011 - what do you think of his editors going with the abortion translation on Numbers 5: 21- 25? Neither the Kretzmann commentary or Pastor Beck translated it that way. It most certainly does open the door to have the right to an abortion if there was adultery. There is so much more wrong with that translation that has been pointed out to pastors not just laymen, yet we are using it. Why?
Numbers 5:21-25 does not in any way sanction abortion. The verses speak of a practice the Israelites could have used in the case of suspected unfaithfulness in marriage. The practice put the determination of guilt or innocence in the hands of the Lord. If the verdict was “guilty,” then there were physical consequences for the woman. Translators have rendered the Hebrew for those consequences in different ways. In the case of the NIV, the content of the footnotes of Numbers 5:22-23 (NIV84) became the text for Numbers 5:22-23 in NIV2011. The meaning appears to be that the consequences of unfaithfulness affected the part of the body involved in both adultery and fertility.
In no way does that section of the Bible authorize or permit abortion. The verses speak of a practice for Old Testament Israel that addressed suspected unfaithfulness. If there were adverse physical consequences for the woman, it was the result of God rendering a “guilty” verdict in the matter.
When it comes to the use of Bible translations, that is a congregational matter. The recent discussions in our church body regarding translations have been in the context of publishing materials.