Are There Missing Bible Verses in the NIV Translation?
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One of the most popular translations used today is the New International Version (NIV). According to the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, it is the top-selling translation in the United States. One concern some people have regarding the NIV is the question of what appears to be missing verses. This perception happens especially when you compare the NIV to older translations like the King James Version (KJV). Despite its popularity, this comparison causes some to believe the NIV is an unreliable translation of scripture. So, are there missing verses in the NIV translation? If so, does this disqualify this translation from being reliable for your Bible reading and study? Let’s put on our detective hat and sort this out.
To do this properly, we must establish a proper foundation. Contrary to some strongly held opinions, the KJV is not the original Bible. By that, I mean the writers of scripture did not write in the King James English of 1611. While it is one of the earliest translations of the Bible and an excellent translation, the KJV was not written in Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic. It is a translation from those languages, just like the NIV. This means both the NIV and KJV used historical manuscripts as the foundation for their translation.
What Are the Missing Verses in the NIV translation?
Let’s begin our discovery by answering the question, are there missing verses in the NIV translation and if so what are they? If you simply compare the NIV to the KJV, the answer is yes. However, that is not how you determine whether there are missing verses. The NIV did not use the KJV as its basis for translation. It is not a modernized version of the KJV or any other older translation. The NIV is a translation derived from Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic manuscripts. Because it was translated in the 20th century, beginning in 1965, it uses modern English. Translating the NIV took thirteen years and included over one hundred Bible scholars. In doing their work, great care was taken to ensure accuracy with the original Biblical texts.
Within the NIV, you will discover there are at least 16 “missing” verses when you compare the NIV to the KJV. If you want to look for yourself, here are those 16 “missing” verses.
- Mathew 23:14, Matthew 17:21, Matthew 18:11
- Mark 7:16, Mark 9:44, Mark 9:46, Mark 11:26, Mark 15:28
- Luke 17:36
- John 5:4
- Acts 8:37, Acts 15:34, Acts 24:7, Acts 28:29
- Romans 16:24
How Do Translators Decide What Verses Appear in the NIV Translation?
On the surface, the missing verses from the NIV would appear to be a scandal. Did they intentionally leave out these verses in the NIV translation? Is there some conspiracy going on where people are trying to change the meaning of scripture? Thankfully, the answer is no. When you dig beneath the surface, you will recognize there really isn’t any controversy at all. To understand this, you must consider how the NIV translation came to be and why there are missing verses—primarily when compared to the KJV.
Every legitimate Bible translation relies on manuscripts for their translation. The NIV is no different. A manuscript is a handwritten copy of the Biblical texts. There are almost 6,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. These manuscripts are all dated. Some are older, written closer to when the original author wrote the Biblical text. The differences you find, or “the missing verses,” are simply the result of using different manuscripts.
So, there is nothing nefarious going on with the NIV.
For example, the KJV used the Textus Receptus as the basis for its translation. This was one of the best resources available to the KJV translators in the early 1600s, which is when this work was done. When the work on the NIV began, they did not use the Textus Receptus. Other manuscripts were discovered long after the KJV was translated. These manuscripts were dated before the Textus Receptus. Most scholars have deemed these later discovered manuscripts more reliable, and they were used as the basis for the NIV translation. This in no way discredits the work of the KJV translators. It just helps to explain why one verse may appear in one translation and not another. Considering that there are 31,102 verses in the Bible, the fact only a few verses create discrepancies shows the opposite of what we expect. It shows how remarkably consistent and agreeable these translations really are.
As a further note, the translators of the NIV did not just leave verses out. They usually noted the differences with a footnote highlighting the comparison to other manuscripts. Again, this leads to further credibility and shows no intention of misleading the readers. You will also see these “missing” verses cause no doctrinal differences.
Here is an example, Acts 8:36-37. Verse 37 is absent in the NIV, but a notation is added.
As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37] [c]
Here is the notation:
c. Acts 8:37 Some manuscripts include here, “Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The eunuch answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’”
Were the Verses Missing from Translations Before the NIV Translation?
Many people assume the KJV was the first Bible translation, but it was not. The Septuagint, an Old Testament translation of Hebrew into Greek, was completed around 130 BC. The earliest translation of the gospels was around AD 170 with the Syriac translation.
While translation is a painstakingly time-consuming process, the translation’s result always depends on the manuscript used. If there are “missing” verses, which are very few, then you must always go back to the manuscript that the translation was based on. With the amount of manuscripts and the relatively few discrepancies, this further speaks to the reliability of scripture. People using different manuscripts can agree on over 99% of the biblical text without contradicting doctrinal positions. That means we have a Bible that you can trust.
Should Christians Worry about these Missing Verses in the NIV Translation?
Perhaps the best news is that Christians don’t need to worry about these missing verses in the NIV translation.
First, because the translation was based on reliable manuscripts, which can give us confidence in the NIV.
Second, where there are differences, they are noted, so nothing is hidden. They are not attempting to change the text or mislead readers. They highlight the differences and let you know they exist.
Finally, there are no “missing” verses that change the doctrines that are fundamental to all Christian faith. You can trust the NIV just like you can trust the KJV and many other modern translations.
The conclusion is the scriptures you have are reliable, remarkably consistent, and useful for reading and study. The words of Timothy hold true for the KJV, the NIV, and just about all the modern translations.
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)
Photo Credit: Unsplash/Ben White
