While reading in Ezra chapter 4 recently, I took note of the words pertaining to a letter that was written – that it was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue, and that a copy of the letter was sent and read. It was not lost on me that only when it comes to God’s word, do people (especially scholars and text critics) question the accuracy of an interpretation, or the exactness of the copy, compared to “the original.” They seem to accept accuracy and exactness (or aren’t worried about it) when it comes from men. But when it comes from God, the serpent’s voice inevitably echoes from garden, “Yea, hath God said…?” followed by the offering of other words instead.
Regarding God’s word, the truth – according to the words of scripture – is that the true original is for ever settled in heaven (Psalm 119:89), and what was “originally” penned here on earth was written in certain tongues (such as Hebrew and Greek), and interpreted in those tongues from that of the true original in heaven; and copies of them were sent and read. God furthermore promised to speak even more tongues than just Hebrew and Greek (1 Corinthians 14:21), and demonstrated the keeping of that promise (Acts 2:4). God, who knows all tongues (and knew them before they even came into being here on earth), always knew the English tongue that would develop; and at the perfect time here on earth, he brought forth for us his perfect English scriptures (the KJB) that were already completed from the foundation of the world. This is not unlike Jesus, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8), being brought forth to be slain in the flesh for us at the perfect time in history.
For more on interpretation, see the study notes entitled Understanding Interpretation.
God bless.