Boldly Go. Again.

So last night, I was watching Star Trek--the original series--the episode was The Trouble With Tribbles. And I was loving it, of course. I saw the new (or new-to-me advertisement) that was using the catch phrase "Boldly Go. Again." I thought it was snazzy; I must admit that I liked it. A lot. A couple of hours later, I was reading in my Tyndale New Testament. Reading Hebrews. And I came across this little phrase:

"Seeing then that we have a great high priest which is entered into heaven (I mean Jesus the son of God) let us hold our profession. For we have not an high priest, which cannot have compassion on our infirmities: but was in all points tempted, like as we are: but yet without sin. Let us therefore go boldly unto the seat of grace, that we may receive mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

This is the first paragraph of Hebrews 5. In the Tyndale New Testament. I was struck of course with the "go boldly" phrase of it. And that having caught my attention, I began to dwell on the verse as a whole. I mean who doesn't like thinking about the fact that we can go to Christ, go boldly not wimpering, for grace to sustain us, heal us, comfort us?

That would have been the end of it. But. Today, I was trying to find that verse in other translations. And I wasn't having any luck of it. Again and again, I wasn't finding it in any other translation. I had my doubts for a second or two, I admit. What was going on? Why was this verse so slippery to trace? If it was in the Bible, why wasn't it in all the Bibles?

Well. I tracked down the problem. Tyndale put that verse in chapter 5. And other translations didn't. They had it in chapter four. (Hebrews 4:16 to be exact.)

Here it is in the New Living Translation:

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Not all translations use 'boldly.' In fact, most of them choose confidence instead. But I must admit my partiality. I like boldly better. To me, it represents enthusiasm and passion. And confidence just doesn't represent that same fervor in my humble opinion. Yes, I think they probably mean the same thing. But still.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible