Kent Hovind doesn’t review questions before taking them. He doesn’t sit down and study a topic prior to airing a Question and Answer video. As a result, it is often the case that somebody will ask a question, and Kent will give an odd-to-ridiculous response that does little more than itch his ear.
In a recent broadcast, one writer asked about “the difference between ‘examples’ and ‘ensamples’ in 1 Corinthians 10:6 and 10:11.”
Both verses read as follows:
1611 King James Bible (Spelling modernized)
6 Now these things were † our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for || ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
† Gr. our figures. || Or, Types.
I don’t believe I have ever heard the word ensample. My mind was immediately taken to the prefix, en. This struck me as being different than ex; after all, enter and exit are two different words, assuming fixed directionality (See Coming or Going, Noah?).
Kent apparently felt the same way, but was even more certain in his response:
“Excellent question. My theory is that one is external, and one is internal. Some things you see, and you say ‘whoa, that is a good example.’ Other things are internal—you think about it, like ‘wow.’ I think there is a distinction there, and the King James preserves the two words.”
I too think there is a distinction there, in English. But English is irrelevant. Was there a distinction when Paul wrote the letter? That is the question we ought to be asking ourselves.
Hovind’s last statement stood out to me; “…the King James preserves the two words.” When a King James Onlyist speaks of preservation, my ears perk up. If there is indeed a preserved distinction, we ought to see evidence of this in other translations as well. Unless, of course, they’re all just corrupt ☺.
Let’s take a brief walk through a few renderings of these passages, starting with the Latin Vulgate, and ending with the English Standard Version:
Latin Vulgate (~400 AD)
6 Haec autem in figura (figure) facta sunt nostri ut non simus concupiscentes malorum sicut et illi concupierunt. 11 Haec autem omnia in figura (figure) contingebant illis scripta sunt autem ad correptionem nostram in quos fines saeculorum devenerunt.
This first reading is of particular interest to me, because the term figure was cited in the margins of the Authorized Version for verse 6. Note, however, that both verses use the same term: figura.
Wycliffe Bible (1382)
6 But these things were done in figure of us, that we be not coveters of evil things, as [and] they coveted. 11 And all these things fell to them in figure; but they be written to our amending, into whom the ends of the worlds be come [soothly they be written to our correction, or amending, into whom the ends of the world have come].
Note again the use of figure; and in both passages.
Tyndale New Testament (1526)
6 These are ensamples to vs that we shuld not lust after evyll thinges as they lusted. 11 All these thinges happened vnto them for ensamples and were written to put vs in remembraunce whom the endes of the worlde are come apon.
Now we arrive at William Tyndale’s work. Tyndale uses the term ensamples not in one passage, but in both passages. While he uses a different word than Wycliffe, he leverages the pattern of using it twice.
Textus Receptus (1516)
6 ταῦτα δὲ τύποι (typoi, typos) ἡμῶν ἐγενήθησαν εἰς τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἡμᾶς ἐπιθυμητὰς κακῶν καθὼς κἀκεῖνοι ἐπεθύμησαν 11 ταῦτα δὲ πάντα τύποι (typoi, typos) συνέβαινον ἐκείνοις ἐγράφη δὲ πρὸς νουθεσίαν ἡμῶν εἰς οὓς τὰ τέλη τῶν αἰώνων κατήντησεν
Above is the TR; the foundation from which the New Testament of the King James Bible was constructed. Granted, it’s Greek, and King James Onlyists despise Greek more often than not. But this is the KJV Greek, so perhaps they’ll give it a pass.
Note how the term typoi/typos is used in both verse 6 and verse 11. At this point, we can argue confidently that the King James Bible, rendering two different English words, is not a very good example of preservation in the formal equivalency sense.
Geneva Bible (1599)
6 Now these are ensamples to us, to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. 11 Now all these things came unto them for ensamples, and were written to admonish us unto whom the ends of the world are come.
Note: The above text from the Geneva was taken from an old scan (scans below). I tried to reflect it accurately, but the quality was very poor. While I own a Geneva, it is a modern product, and may have slightly-revised content.
The Geneva Bible follows Tyndale, and uses ensamples in both verses. Some Geneva bibles today may contain a margin note for verse 6 staying “Some read figures,” calling back to Wycliffe and the Latin Vulgate.
So at this point we have the Latin using a single term, twice. We have Wycliffe using a single term, twice. We have Tyndale using a single term, twice. And lastly, we have the Textus Receptus using a single term, twice. A pattern is established.
1611 King James Bible (Spelling modernized)
6 Now these things were † our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for || ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
† Gr. our figures. || Or, Types.
Now we get to the 1611 AV. It breaks from the pack, and uses two terms: examples, and ensamples. Though it broke the pattern, the translators referenced the Latin term figure in verse 6, and the Greek term typos in verse 11.
As I read this version, I wonder if the translators were tying our to examples, and them to ensamples. Pure speculation. What we do know is that the Greek from which the KJV NT was derived doesn’t use two words, and most (if not all?) of the preceding English translations also used one word.
Lets keep pressing forward in History.
King James Bible (1769 on BibleGateway, and BibleStudyTools)
6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.
Here we arrive at today’s King James Bible. Note how today’s KJV has rejoined the pack, using a single term in both verses. If indeed the presence of ensample and example are signs of preservation (as Kent stated), then we have a clear example where the modern King James Bible removed a preserved distinction.
Update 4/19/2016: Some King James Bible’s today still contain “ensamples,” while others contain “examples”. Unfortunately, it has been difficult determining when the wording changed, and who was responsible for the change.
Lets wrap up our journey through history with the English Standard Version:
English Standard Version (2001)
6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
We see yet again, one word, used in both passages. The King James Bible has been brought back into the fold with other translations (including modern ones).
Herein lies the problem: Kent Hovind, and King James Onlyists like him, assume nearly every distinction between the King James Bible and other modern versions is some type of substantive preservation from the very Hand of God. As he stated himself, “…the King James preserves the two words.”
What Kent failed to realize is that his KJV likely does not contain both terms. So if indeed the presence of both is preservation, the absence of one must be corruption.
Is your King James Bible corrupted, by Hovind’s reasoning?
Geneva and King James Bible scans, as promised.
Countering KJV Onlyism 