The Latin Vulgate Influence on the King James Version
I was recently reminded of how much the Latin Vulgate influenced the King James Version. The topic of the sermon was giving to the poor, and after reading the Greek of 1 Corinthians 13:3, I realized the equivalent of "to feed the poor" was missing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
(1 Corinthians 13:3, KJV)
I grew up reading the KJV and NKJV, and I never realized those words weren't in the original Greek. KJV-only proponents often claim that modern translations are evil because they add words to scripture. However, they need to realize that about 99% of the time, the underlying Greek manuscripts of the Textus Receptus and Wesctot and Hort are the same (except for inconsequential spelling, punctuation, and word order differences). This verse is a classic example. The Westcott and Hort and the Greek from the Stephanus Textus Receptus (from which the KJV was translated) contain all the same words. Therefore, the KJV and modern translations should have the same translation.
κἂν ψωμίσω πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου, κἂν παραδῶ τὸ σῶμά μου, ἵνα καυχήσωμαι, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι.
(1 Corinthians 13:3, Westcott and Hort)
καὶ ἐὰν ψωμίσω πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντά μου καὶ ἐὰν παραδῶ τὸ σῶμά μου ἵνα καυθήσωμαι ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω οὐδὲν ὠφελοῦμαι
(1 Corinthians 13:3, Stephanus Textus Receptus, 1550)
So why the added words? In this verse, the Latin Vulgate has "et si distribuero in cibos pauperum omnes facultates meas," which is reflected in Wycliffe's English translation of the Latin.
And if I part all my goods into the meats of poor men, and if I betake my body, so that I burn, and if I have not charity, it profiteth to me nothing.
(1 Corinthians 13:3, Wycliffe)
Today, most versions are translated from the languages the Bible was originally written in (Hebrew and Greek). For this reason, modern translations such as the NET Bible translates this verse as follows:
If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit.
(1 Corinthians 13:3, NET)
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