Jude 7 ("eternal fire")

Jason Hare parousia_occ at yahoo.com
Mon Mar 20 17:26:37 EST 2000


In the NIV, the portion about Sodom and Gomorrah says: 

«In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave 
themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion.  They serve as an 
example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.»

The Greek has:

«hWS SODOMA KAI GOMORRA KAI hAI PERI AUTAS POLEIS TON hOMOION TROPON 
TOUTOIS EKPORNEUSASAI KAI APELQOUSAI OPISW SARKOS hETERAS, PROKEINTAI 
DEIGMA PUROS AIWNIOU DIKHN hUPECOUSAI.»

Do you think it was a purposeful mistranslation for them to translate it 
like this?  They make it sound as though the Greek does not mean that Sodom 
and Gomorrah suffered "eternal fire."  But the Greek has "these" in the 
masculine plural (referring to false teachers) and "undergoing judgment of 
eternal fire" in the feminine plural (referring to hAI POLEIS, "the 
cities").  In other words, this verse says that Sodom and Gomorrah and the 
surrounding cities underwent the judgment of eternal fire and serve as an 
example.  Would you agree that the NIV is messed?

One other thing: PROKEINTAI KEIGMA PUROS AIWNIOU DIKHN hUPECOUSAI.  "They 
serve an example of eternal fire, by undergoing a punishment" or "They 
serve an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire."  I think the 
second is more correct.  What do you?

Please carbon copy responses to me, as I do not get online as much 
recently.  I don't have time right now.  Thanks.

Jason Hare
Ozark Christian College
parousia_occ at yahoo.com



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