"WRITTEN FOR OUR INSTRUCTION"

OLD TESTAMENT OR HEBREW SCRIPTURES?

The expression "old testament" is found at  2 Corinthians 3:14 in the King James Version.  In that rendering "testament" represents the Greek word di-a-the'ke.  However,  many modern translators, such as the New International Version, render di-a-the'ke as  "covenant" rather than "testament." Why?

lexicographer Edward Robinson stated:  "Since the ancient covenant is contained in the Mosaic books, [di-a-the'ke] is put for the book of the covenant, the Mosaic writings, i.e. the law."   At 2 Corinthians 3:14, the apostle Paul was referring to the Mosaic Law, which is only a part of the pre-Christian Scriptures. 

What, then, is a more fitting term for the first 39 books of the Holy Bible?   Rather than implying that this part of the Bible was outdated or old, Jesus Christ and his followers referred to these texts as "the Scriptures" and "the holy Scriptures."  (Matthew 21:42; Romans 1:2)  Therefore, in harmony with these inspired utterances, Jehovah's Witnesses refer to the Old Testament as the Hebrew Scriptures because that portion of the Bible was originally written mainly in Hebrew.  Similarly, they refer to the so9-called New Testament as the Greek Scriptures, for the Greek language was used by men who were inspired by God to write that part of the Bible.

Next time: Advice for Daily Living

Watchtower, 2007