All Muslims have been trained to use the following verse to “prove” that the Bible is corrupt.
Jeremiah 8:8
How can you say, ‘We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us’? But behold, the lying pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.
Are Muslims right?
First of all, IF the Bible is corrupt how can we trust a verse from the SAME corrupt book that alleges it is corrupt?
Does it make sense?
It is like a liar telling you, “Hey, I am a liar. Believe me.” Is the liar lying or is he speaking the truth? How can you ever accept anything the liar says?
Now let’s look at the verse.
Who are scribes?
In Israel, scribes are the official interpreters of the Old Testament. Their duties included TEACHING and INTERPRETATION.
The scribes were not writers or authors of scripture.
The scriptures had already been written. The scriptures was already in existence for hundreds of years!
The scribes were not writing any new scriptures! It was already written!
What the scribes were writing were their false interpretations (tafseer) of the scriptures and they were teaching those falsehood to the people.
This is what is being condemning in Jeremiah 8:8, where the pen of the scribes writing their false interpretations and thus the scribes were teaching lies. They were not re-writing or changing any scriptures!
Here is more proof that scribes are teachers.
“And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was TEACHING them as one who had authority, and not as
their SCRIBES”. Matt 7:28-29
Jesus was teaching scriptures unlike the scribes. And note that He was teaching from what was already written and he was interpreting them accurately.
No wonder Jesus condemned the scribes.
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in. (Matthew 23:13)
What was He condemning them for? For corrupting the already written Scriptures?
No. He was condemning them because despite being religious leaders, they were TEACHING the people wrong things and leading them away from the kingdom of heaven!
In Jeremiah’s time too, there were deceptive and evil scribes who were doing that.
And that, ladies and gentlemen is what Jeremiah 8:8 is all about.
As you can see, it is the Muslim “scribes” today who are misinterpreting and teaching falsehood to every Muslim.
By the way, here is another verse that Muslims should learn.
Nehemiah 8:8
“They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.”
Nehemiah lived AFTER Jeremiah.
If during the time of Jeremiah, the Book of the Law was changed or corrupted, how can it still be intact at the time of Nehemiah and being read clearly and being understood clearly?
What about during the time of Jesus? Did Jesus lament that the Book of the Law had been changed or corrupted?
Matthew 5:18
“For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law…”
Boulder dash. A scribe does more than simply teach written scriptures. Their position implies the writing of scripts, thus the name “scribes”. Scribes didn’t participate much in teaching the law (which is why that particular verse that you cherry picked of Jesus teaching as a child says they had no authority). The law was taught by Rabbis and Priests those given authority by the Priests to do so, like an apprentice. Scribes were responsible for transcribing texts. That is, when a particular scroll was used so often that it began to fall apart after years of wear and tare the scribes would copy it over into new parchment (paper, leather, slabs, etc. Anything that could be written on to preserve the contents of the scripture being transcribed). When Jeremiah 8:8 says the scribes of his time began to corrupt the scriptures, that’s exactly what it means. There is actually a latter verse that explains why the entire Bible is corrupted. It’s Zechariah 5:1-4. Basically, it’s a prophecy of a flying scroll. What it is really saying is that when this scroll from Heaven (The Bible) arrives in it’s current form it will be a curse that covers the entire world. It will divide those who steal on one side (Synagogue of Satan Edomite Jews who steal the legacy of Judah with the “Old Testament”), and those who blaspheme (Christians who blaspheme when they equate the Prophet Jesus with God in the “New Testament”). Better break those cursed and study the Qu’ran instead. Salam.
Isa,
You got one thing right; that scribes would copy and re-copy scriptures meticulously.
Unfortunately you got everything else in your comment hopelessly wrong.
1. In Israel, a scribe’s main business: was to study scriptures, transcribe, write commentaries and offer interpretation of scriptures.
Let me reiterate, they were the TEACHERS of the Law in ancient Israel. They were not authors of the Bible!
2. You claimed I cherry-picked a verse about Jesus teaching as a child?
“And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was TEACHING them as one who had authority, and not as
their SCRIBES”. Matt 7:28-29
This did not happen when Jesus was a child! If this is your argument, I question your credibility and knowledge.
Jesus condemned the scribes for their HYPOCRISY (See Matthew 23), not because they were altering scriptures.
In other words, they knew the Law, and they taught it to others, but they did not obey it. Hypocrisy.
They went beyond teaching and interpretation of Scripture, and added many man-made traditions. This was why Jesus condemned the scribes.
3. Your gross misinterpretation of Zechariah 5:1-4 is laughable.
Where does it even say anything about corruption?
The scroll represented the judgements of God, the 10 commandments.
The curse will befall those who transgress God’s commandments.
The 2 sins mentioned, from each side of the tablets of the 10 commandments, represent Israel’s sins.
To steal is to injure your neighbor; and to perjure is to dishonor God.
Basically, they completely failed to love God and to love the neighbor. Sound familiar?
Hence, the judgment of God will fall as a curse them and their house.
At least, look up Bible commentaries if you are unable to understand a passage
instead of making up your own satanic interpretation or listening to charlatan muslim teachers.
https://news.ku.edu/2020/07/09/how-dead-sea-scrolls-authors-rewrote-bible-literally
I think this says it all.
One more thing there is nobody who knows who write the New Testament, ut definitely wasnt Mark Matthew Luke or John.
I have read your article and instead of answering the question you talk about something unrelated.
I have read the bible . If you want we can continue this conversation in arabic or french or aramaic ??? Of course if you are a true believer when preaching the gospel you shall talk all the tongues of man . Would you like to continue?
Mark 16:20
Bilal Khan,
You are mistaken. The gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
It is only recently that liberal scholars and Muslims began casting doubts about the authorship of the gospel records.
Jeremiah 8:8 has nothing to do with corruption of the Biblical text. Read my article again.
Also read Quran 15:91. Do you think this verse means that the Quran is in shreds, dismembered and broken into fragments?
Sure, we can continue the conversation. What’s wrong with English? You cant speak English?
I’m so glad that all of you have done your homework on this subject and crossed referenced other authors of that time period and re-crossed referenced various religious text/or “scribed” ancient text…not! So I want join this collosal of “he knows/she knows or I’m right you’re wrong” room….and the only deity that knows the is God himself who came in the flesh but apparently few recognized that!
There is no god but Allah!
And [beware the Day] when Allāh will say, “O Jesus, Son of Mary, did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as deities besides Allāh?'” He will say, “Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen.
Alhasan,
This verse you quoted proves that Allah is a fraud.
There is no such teaching or doctrinbe in the Bible that claims Jesus and his mother are Gods together with Allah.
No Christian has ever said or believed this. Yet this is what Allah understands about the beliefs of Christians?
You can read more my article below where I quoted his verse 5:116 and other verses.
Why Did Allah Get It So Wrong?