Seraphims, Seraphs or Seraphims?

Objection:  “Those of you that are kjvo, do you dismiss errors like the usage of seraphims? The proper plural is seraphim.”  Brian Whalen

The King James Bible is not at all in error.  It should be obvious that the King James Bible is an ENGLISH translation, and to clearly show that the word “seraphims” is plural (there were more than one of them) we form the English plural by adding an “s” to the word.

The word “seraphims” occurs only twice in the King James Bible; both in Isaiah chapter 6 verses 2 and 3.  Here we read: “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.   Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly...6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar”

Not only does the King James Bible have “seraphimS”, showing that there were more than one of them, but so also do the following Bible translations: Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible (Cranmer) 1540, the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, 1599, the Douay-Rheims, the 1950 Douay, the KJV 21st Century version 1994, and the 1998 Third Millenium Bible.

The NIV likewise has a plural form “seraphs”  as well as The Message, Young’s ‘literal’, the 1985 New Jerusalem Bible, the NRSV 1989, Green’s 2000 ‘literal’ translation, the NET version, and  the 1998 New International Reader’s Version.

Some foreign language Bibles also have a plural form.  Among these are the Spanish Reina Valera 1960, 1995, the NIV (Nueva Versión Internacional) “uno de los serafines”, the French Martin 1744, Louis Segond 1910, the French Ostervald 1996, the 1999 La Bible du Semeur,  “l'un des séraphins”, the Italian Diodati 1649, the Riveduta 1927, the 1991 New Italian Diodati “uno dei serafini”, the Portuguese Almeida and the 2000 O Livro “um dos serafins”.

Cherubims, Cherubs or Cherubim?

We find the same thing applies when the Bible talks about the Cerubims. These heavenly beings are talked about a lot more in Scripture.  They are mentioned some 59 times in the King James Bible and are found in such places as Genesis 3:24 - “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life. “

And in Exodus 25:18-19 - “And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.

And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. “

Notice that the “cherubimS” is plural and the “cherub” is singular.

Not only does the King James Bible have “cherubimS” but so also do the following Bible translations: the Great Bible (Cranmer) 1540,  the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1599, the Douay-Rheims, the Douay 1950, the 1994 KJV 21st Century version, the 1998 Third Millenium Bible.

Others have the plural form “cherubs”.  These include Coverdale 1535, the Brenton Translation 1851, Green’s 2000 ‘literal’ translation, Young’s and the World English Bible.

Wallace’s NET version says: “angelic sentries” in Genesis 3:24

Likewise many foreign language Bibles have a plural form like the KJB including:  The Spanish Sagradas Escrituras 1569, the Reina Valera 1909, 1960, 1995, the 1997 Spanish La Biblia de las Américas, the Spanish NIV  “al oriente del huerto del Edén  puso querubines”, the French Martin 1744,  Louis Segond 1910,  the French Ostervald 1996,  the 1999 La Bible du Semeur, “les chérubins”, the Italian Diodati 1649, the Riveduta 1927, the New Diodati 1991 “di Eden i cherubini”, the Portuguese Almeida and the 2000 O Livro “os querubins”

Would the Bible critics also tell us that such versions as the NASB, NIV, NKJV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, Holman Standard etc. are all in error because they all translate the Hebrew word Elohim as both God and gods?

Will Kinney

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