Die Organisation erklärt, die ursprüngliche Übersetzung habe auf dem hebräischen masoretischen Text und dem griechischen Text von Westcott und Hort aus dem Jahr 1881 beruht, und in der Revision von 2013 seien „some changes were based on the weight of manuscript evidence rather than on the strict adherence to a single master Greek text“ — einige Änderungen hätten eher auf dem Gewicht der Handschriftenbelege beruht als auf dem strikten Festhalten an einem einzigen griechischen Grundtext.
Claim ID claim-bible-2013-text-basisConcerns 15. Dezember 2015Ausdrückliche Aussage
Die Organisation erklärt, die ursprüngliche Übersetzung habe auf dem hebräischen masoretischen Text und dem griechischen Text von Westcott und Hort aus dem Jahr 1881 beruht, und in der Revision von 2013 seien „some changes were based on the weight of manuscript evidence rather than on the strict adherence to a single master Greek text“ — einige Änderungen hätten eher auf dem Gewicht der Handschriftenbelege beruht als auf dem strikten Festhalten an einem einzigen griechischen Grundtext. Source: The Watchtower (study edition), 15. Dezember 2015Source: The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures (1985 edition), 1. Januar 1985
15. Dezember 2015 · pp.14-17 · pars. 2, 16, 17 · Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania
“Over the years, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures has been revised a number of times, but the 2013 revision was by far the most extensive. For example, there are now about 10 percent fewer English words in the translation.”
The article explains the revision term by term: “impaled” to “executed on a stake”, “lose conduct” to “brazen conduct”, “long-suffering” to “patience”, “loving-kindness” to “loyal love”, “seed” to “offspring” at Genesis 3:15, “kidneys” to “innermost thoughts” at Revelation 2:23, and “sons of Israel” to “Israelites”. On the text it says: “The original New World Translation was based on the Hebrew Masoretic text and the respected Greek text by Westcott and Hort,” and that the committee added words at 2 Samuel 13:21 from the Septuagint and Dead Sea Scrolls, restored God’s name five times in First Samuel, and changed the order of ideas at Matthew 21:29-31, so that “some changes were based on the weight of manuscript evidence rather than on the strict adherence to a single master Greek text”.
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for The Watchtower (study edition), The 2013 Revision of the New World Translation
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Opened on the Watchtower Online Library on 19 September 2026 and read in full; wording and page markers confirmed from the document.
1. Januar 1985 · pp.7-8 · pars. 2, 5 · Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.
“No translation of these sacred writings into another language, except by the original writers, is inspired. . . . No uninspired translator or committee of translators can claim any direct command from the Most High God to engage in translating the divine Word into another language.”
The foreword, signed “New World Bible Translation Committee, January 1, 1985, New York, N.Y.”, opens by saying that human copying introduced error, that “no two copies are exactly alike”, and that “from this fact arises the need for a fresh translation from time to time”. It states that earlier English versions “have fallen victim to the power of religious traditions in varying degrees” and that “The endeavor of the New World Bible Translation Committee has been to avoid this snare of religious traditionalism.” It adds: “Our primary desire has been to seek not the approval of men but that of God” and “those who provide a translation for the spiritual instruction of others come under a special responsibility as teachers before the Divine Judge.”
Hinweis zu Herkunft und Überprüfung for The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures (1985 edition), Foreword
Hinweis zur Vertrauensangabe.Foreword opened on the Watchtower Online Library on 19 September 2026 and read in full; wording, signature, date and page markers confirmed from the document. The two quoted sentences are on pages 7 and 8, which is the range recorded; the signature block quoted in the context note sits at the end of the foreword on page 12.
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