Here's another case where translators have added words to the text which aren't in the original languages. Again, like the word OBEY (last week's Word for the Week), it profoundly affects our perception of God and the tone of our relationship with him.

Probably the best known SHOULD example comes from the King James Version in the ten commandments, which are known as the "SHALT NOT's". We all know them from in Deuteronomy 5. This is part of the list from verses 17-19 from the KJV:

"Thou SHALT not kill.
Neither SHALT thou commit adultery.
Neither SHALT thou steal."

The New International Version like most other versions updates the SHALT to SHALL, another form of SHOULD:

"You SHALL not murder.
You SHALL not commit adultery.
You SHALL not steal."

My perception is that words like SHALT NOT or SHALL NOT are scolding. Very parental in tone, an adult correcting the child. I can almost hear "bad boy" or "bad girl", can you?

Ancient Roots Translinear Bible (ARTB) is surprisingly different than most texts, short and sweet:

"Never murder.
Never do-adultery.
Never steal."

So what's the truth? In the ancient Hebrew, verses 17, 18, and 19 each contain only two words! The first word in each of them is a form of NOT. If a translation uses NOT, it cannot simply say "NOT murder". So the word YOU and SHALT/SHALL were added to the English text. ARTB employs the word NEVER, because it doesn't require additional words to complete the sentence. ARTB has attempted to minimize the use of extra words, and if extra words are used they are always italicized. Check out your text. It's probably not italicized.

The word SHOULD and all of its forms like SHALT and SHALL simply do not occur anywhere in the Old Testament.  Any occurances have been added by translators.

A side note on the verse 18. Note that ARTB uses a hyphenated word DO-ADULTERY. That is because the original Hebrew is a verb. Since there is no equivalent verb in English, the verb form of ADULTERY is created with the addition of the hyphenated DO in front of it. This allows the reader to know that there is only ONE word in the Hebrew text, not two separate ones. Both the KJV and the NIV utilize the term COMMIT ADULTERY, which makes it appear that there are two different words in the ancient text. You cannot determine that there is only one word without looking up the original Hebrew or looking in a concordance.

So-the ten commandments don't come with other "baggage". They are short, clear and to the point without being judgmental. Isn't that a joy?

Part II on MUST next week . . .