Isaiah 9:3

What’s In Your Bible Isaiah 9:3 Not or not Not

Most of the modern versions depart from the standard Hebrew Masoretic text even though “not” is clearly in the text.

The Hebrew reads “You multiply the nation, you do NOT make great the joy.” The marginal reading has לוֹ (lo, “to him”). It is written לֹא, [spelled ‘lammed aleph,’ meaning ‘not’] Many modern versions have followed the marginal reading instead of the textual reading of the Hebrew text.

Reformation Bibles include “not”:

Wycliffe

Coverdale

Matthew's Bible

the Great Bible

Geneva Bible

Bishops' Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

King James

Hebrew Interlinear Old Testament

Jewish Virtual Library The Tanakh

Foreign language Bibles

Latin Vulgate

Luther's German Bible

The Spanish Versión Antigua Las Sagradas Escrituras

Spanish Cipriano de Valera of 1602

Spanish Reina Valera

Reina Valera Gómez Bible

Dutch Staten Vertaling

Russian Synodal Version

Romanian Fidela Bible

The Modern Hebrew Bible

A modern textual critic admits that “Not” is the reading of the Hebrew text, but it doesn't make sense to him, and so he prefers the marginal reading instead.

Dr. Donald Waite Th.D., Ph.D., in his book Defending the King James Bible says "The editors of these new versions...often decide the issue on the basis of pure guesswork!

Paul E. Kretzmann's Popular Commentary - "and NOT increased the joy, or, "to whom Thou didst not magnify the joy," the reference once more being to the time of great sorrow and distress under heathen conditions"

Matthew Poole's Commentary - "And NOT increased the joy; or, yet NOT increased their joy; which might very truly and fitly be said of the Jewish nation upon this occasion, partly because they did not rejoice in the conversion of the Gentiles, as they should have done, but murmured, and grieved, and stumbled at it.

These men do not dispute the Hebrew reading of "Not", and support that it's legitimate.

Thanks to Will Kinney for his depthless research!

Dr. Steven A. HIte