Matthew 3 : Skeptics' misunderstanding of the word "generation"
Matthew 3 of the skeptic's annotated bible shows that the skeptics are imposing their moral standard ( I don't know how and where a skeptic moral standard came from and how it can be imposed on others) ,on Jesus and John the Baptist .
Skeptic's Annotated Bible
(3:7b) "He said to them, O generation of vipers."
While insulting the Pharisees and Sadducees, John the Baptist calls an entire generation a "generation of vipers."
(Jesus also liked to use this term. See 12:34)
The King James Bible's translation is rendering it as , "the generation of vipers". The other versions translate this verse as follows
New International Version (©1984)
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
New Living Translation (©2007)
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. "You brood of snakes!" he exclaimed. "Who warned you to flee God's coming wrath?
English Standard Version (©2001)
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
International Standard Version (©2008)
But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and the Sadducees who came to be baptized, he said to them, “Offspring of vipers, who has instructed you to flee from the wrath that is coming?”
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be baptized, he said to them, "You poisonous snakes! Who showed you how to flee from God's coming anger?
You brood of Vipers is synonymous with , you children of vipers .
The skeptic misunderstands the meaning of the word "generation" as to mean all the people living during a particular period of time. But the word generation here means children. Neither Jesus nor John are insulting the whole generation . They are accusing the pharasees and saducees by calling them children of vipers.
Lightfoot explains what the word generation means
[Generation of vipers.] I. Serpents,, chapter 23:33. Not so much "the seed of Abraham," which ye boast of, as "the seed of the serpent," "O, the Antichrist, the Opposer, 2 Thessalonians 2:4. A nation and offspring diametrically opposite, and an enemy to that seed of the woman, and which was to bruise his heel."
As opposed to what the Pharisees and Saducees thought about themselves (Children of Abraham) , John and later Jesus call them ,Children of vipers i.e Children of the devil .
The skeptic has clearly misunderstood the word "generation".
Skeptic's Annotated Bible
(3:7b) "He said to them, O generation of vipers."
While insulting the Pharisees and Sadducees, John the Baptist calls an entire generation a "generation of vipers."
(Jesus also liked to use this term. See 12:34)
The King James Bible's translation is rendering it as , "the generation of vipers". The other versions translate this verse as follows
New International Version (©1984)
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
New Living Translation (©2007)
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. "You brood of snakes!" he exclaimed. "Who warned you to flee God's coming wrath?
English Standard Version (©2001)
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
International Standard Version (©2008)
But when John saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them, "You children of serpents! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Aramaic Bible in Plain English (©2010)
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and the Sadducees who came to be baptized, he said to them, “Offspring of vipers, who has instructed you to flee from the wrath that is coming?”
GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to be baptized, he said to them, "You poisonous snakes! Who showed you how to flee from God's coming anger?
You brood of Vipers is synonymous with , you children of vipers .
The skeptic misunderstands the meaning of the word "generation" as to mean all the people living during a particular period of time. But the word generation here means children. Neither Jesus nor John are insulting the whole generation . They are accusing the pharasees and saducees by calling them children of vipers.
Lightfoot explains what the word generation means
[Generation of vipers.] I. Serpents,, chapter 23:33. Not so much "the seed of Abraham," which ye boast of, as "the seed of the serpent," "O, the Antichrist, the Opposer, 2 Thessalonians 2:4. A nation and offspring diametrically opposite, and an enemy to that seed of the woman, and which was to bruise his heel."
As opposed to what the Pharisees and Saducees thought about themselves (Children of Abraham) , John and later Jesus call them ,Children of vipers i.e Children of the devil .
The skeptic has clearly misunderstood the word "generation".
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