The Chapter In The Bible That Appears Twice
This qualifies in the camp of – you learn something new every day. I learned yesterday that there are two chapters in the Bible that are nearly identical. Not sure if this is common knowledge, but it was news to me. It’s Psalm 14 and 53. Here they are in the NIV version:
Psalm 14
1 The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 The LORD looks down from heaven
on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 All have turned aside,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
4 Will evildoers never learn—
those who devour my people as men eat bread
and who do not call on the LORD?
5 There they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the LORD is their refuge.
7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
Psalm 53
1 The fool says in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven
on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
3 Everyone has turned away,
they have together become corrupt;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.
4 Will the evildoers never learn—
those who devour my people as men eat bread
and who do not call on God?
5 There they were, overwhelmed with dread,
where there was nothing to dread.
God scattered the bones of those who attacked you;
you put them to shame, for God despised them.
6 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
Thinking About Thinking 
read this -> http://www.amazon.com/Wrote-Bible-Richard-Elliott-Friedman/dp/0060630353/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265298522&sr=8-1
it explains the 4 sources that were combined into the old testament, duplicate stories and all.
Umm, fail.
Whether or not you accept the JEDP theory, it has nothing to do with why this Psalm appears twice.
Well, the word “Yahweh” (translated as “the LORD”) in Chapter 14 replaces the “Elohim” (translated as “God”) in Chapter 53, so the JPED theory that the Jewish religion was being revised (albeit inefficiently) does explain why the verses differ only by a few words. If you ignore the Elohim/Yahweh swapouts, the two chapters only differ by about a dozen words in the Hebrew.
This could also just be from people deciding to make so many different versions of the bible.
As a programmer, naturally the first thing to do was diff them: http://jcromartie.tumblr.com/post/370748932/diff-psalm14-txt-psalm53-txt
Of course this is a translated version — I would expect there to be fewer if any differences in the originals
I think a lot of the problems that the creators of the JEDP system didn’t consider were the problems that the translators created, not the original author(s) of the Bible. For instance, the Jews refuse to even speak YHWH’s name because they feel it would be sacriligeous. Which is completely unbiblical. So the translators of the KJV replaced YHWH with the LORD (all caps so you know it once said YHWH). There are other problems that the original translators created beside this. People believe the apostles changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday (which is completely false) because of a faulty translation in Romans 20:7. You have to understand about the Feasts, and also the italizied words in the KJV, to understand the translation correctly, and why it’s faulty. But, a whole doctrine is created on this faulty translation. Christians believe the verse says “And on the first day of the week…”, when actually it should say “And on the first of the weeks…” My KJV Bible has the word “day” in italics, which means the word wasn’t originally there. The translators added it, and they shouldn’t have. Obviously, the translators weren’t familiar with the Feasts. It’s talking about counting the first sabbath of the feast. (They had to count to 49 Sabbaths, then the next sabbath, the 50th, another Feast would begin). You would never understand this if you weren’t familiar with italizied words in the KJV, and also the Lord’s Feasts.
There are many parts of the Bible that are very similar. 1&2 Kings closely mirrors 1&2 Chronicles, for example.
the bible sucks
[…] I learned something cool today, Psalm’s 14 and 53 are almost identical (in NIV […]
God inspired the writers to put it in there twice for emphasis, and also to see how long it would take for any of us to catch it.
🙂
2 Kings19 and Isaiah 37 are (almost) identical too.
If I was endlessly copying bibles BY HAND all day I’d probably screw up which one was #14 and which one was #53 sometime.
[…] The Chapter In The Bible That Appears Twice This qualifies in the camp of – you learn something new every day. I learned yesterday that there are two […] […]
It sounds everyone here as forgotten that the bible was not written in English. It was translated to English – By Men, and their own interpretations.
It’s not surprising to me in the least that a section appears twice in two different places or that it was translated slightly differently in each place.
Just a little thank you comment for the time you put into making this article, not bad at all
psalm 18 2 samuel 22
[…] The Chapter In The Bible That Appears Twice February 2010 16 comments […]
here’s an Idea maybe the bible is actually a bunch of ideals of a few ppl from many years ago. Developed to make ppl more orderly and controllable. Maybe when they compiled all these texts they made a few mistakes. And maybe that happened because A God had nothing to do with any of it.
You have no Idea brother.. in what you are saying… though the bible was written by 40 different authors in diverse places in different times and situations… but then if you read it… it does not contradict with each other.. because it was written by people that was being moved by the spirit of God… “2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. ” may you know God through His words He writes for you.. God Bless
CJ – No contradictions ???? Really ? Uh, check out the different accounts of Judas’ death in Acts and Matthew – not to mention who was Joseph’s (Jesus’ stepfather) father … there are over a hundred – back to Judas, the bible can’t even agree on who bought the field of blood (Potter’s field)
~ Ex-Christian Steve
I would sincerely respect and consider your opinion if like most true scholars who debate their views but have actually read the bible. So my question to you is, how can a person who considers themselves to be intelligent, debate and offer opinions and/or insight but have not foundation or haven’t even studied the very thing they are commenting on? Does this seem intelligent?
People are so ignorant these days there is only left to wait for the day they will recognize there wickedness and scream in desperate need for help but there will be none. This time has got so close.
is this is correct
Checking the Septuagint on this issue is quite informative. Now due to other internal peculiarities, the Septuagint numbers these as Psalms 13 and 52. In Greek they appear exactly the same as each other, seeming like merely two Greek copies of the same translation of the Hebrew Psalm 53, though the Hebrew of 53 may instead derive from the Greek of 13/52, perhaps composed in the wealthy Alexandrian Jewish community after the destruction of the Second Temple (and probably also after the Bar Kochba Rebellion). The Hebrew of 53 does not appear to be found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, though 14 is represented there, while the Psalms are moreover the most represented of all the scriptures found in that desert stash. While removing the name Yahweh from 14 (in parallel to the bent of the Septuagint on the issue of “the name” in general), one must note that the reference to the poor has also been excised. Furthermore, one can hear negative references to the Zealots as being those who feared the wrong things (social justice issues) rather than fearing the loss of ritual religion based in the Temple: In the Hebrew version (Psalm 53) they “encamped” (among the people and took the Temple), perhaps spinning off the “encamped among the people” of John 1:14 (usually paraphrased by English translations as “dwelt among the people”); while they were “men-pleasers” in the Greek version, perhaps spinning on the literary device of “take the truth with pleasure.” The author of the doctored Psalm 53 (LXX 13/52), perhaps succeeded in inserting one last Sadducee fantasy into the inviolable ancient corpus, indirectly blaming social justice concerns for the captivity, as though the Imperial cult might have tolerated a non-syncretic anionic Temple worship, of the scale of Yahweh’s House in Jerusalem, to stand in defiance of false gods for any appreciable time longer. The Zealots made the Romans pay with any hopes for a lasting expansion to the east. Certainly not David, the author of Psalm 53 (LXX 13/52) had no ears for Isaiah 1:11-21.
P.S.: Targum to Psalms gives an interesting spin, but internal evidence appears to indicate this Targum, along with Targum Job, dates circa 400 AD, therefore it does not refute the hypothesis that Hebrew Psalm 53 entered the cannon during the same period the Mishnah was compiled: 135-210 AD.
மத்தேயு 10:30 உங்கள் தலையிலுள்ள மயிரெல்லாம் எண்ணப்பட்டிருக்கிறது.
லூக்கா 12:7 உங்கள் தலையிலுள்ள மயிரெல்லாம் எண்ணப்பட்டிருக்கிறது, ஆகையால் பயப்படாதிருங்கள், அநேகம் அடைக்கலான் குருவிகளைப்பார்க்கிலும் நீங்கள் விசேஷித்தவர்களாயிருக்கிறீர்கள்.
oh how true that unfortunately we witness this every day not even straying far from our homefront……it is in and among our very own blood relations …..and we question the peace of neighborhoods ….communities …….and countries…….people make choices …..there is no choice in life and death where there is no foul play …..we come and we leave here…..I pity the evil doers who come face to face with their maker ……there is no choice then …..no more chances …..we have but one precious life …..it is best to use it wisely keeping in God’s good graces ………Amen
Second Samuel 22 and Psalm 18 are, also, the same.
AMP:One witness shall not prevail against a man for any crime or any wrong in connection with any sin he commits; only on the testimony of two or three witnesses shall a charge be established. Deut19:15.
AMP:This is the third time that I am coming to you. By the testimony of two or three witnesses must any charge and every accusing statement be sustained and confirmed. 2Cor13:1.
AMP:This is the third time that I am coming to you. By the testimony of two or three witnesses must any charge and every accusing statement be sustained and confirmed. 2Cor13:1 & Deut19:15.
These should get you started…
Ezra 2 & Neh 7
Ezekiel 18,33 & 36
2 Kings 25 & Jer 52
2 Kings 23 & 2 Chr 34
2 Kings 19 & Isaiah 36
1 Kings 10 & 2 Chr 9
1 Kings 8 & 2 Chr 6
2 Sam 10 & 1 Chr 19
2 Sam 8 & 1 Chr 17:3-15 & 1 Chr 22″8-10
Ps 18 & 2 Sam 22
Job 33:14 For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.
Deuteronomy 17:6 At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.
Deuteronomy 19:15 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
Matthew 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Matthew 26:60 But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,
2 Corinthians 13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.
1 Timothy 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.
Hebrews 10:28 He that despised Moses’ law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
DEAR SIRS: THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER SET OF CHAPTERS IN THE BIBLE THAT
ARE JUST ALIKE; IF I MAY THEY ARE 2 KING 19 …AND ISAIAH 37.
GENE FELKNER
I’ve been studying checking out Bible changes mostly in the King James version but in all the translations this might be one of them look on YouTube Bible changes