Today, we have a Bible translation question from a listener named Brian, Hello, Pastor

John, I am grateful to God for your ministry and for this podcast.

And I'm grateful for your commitment to accurate Bible translations.

Speaking of translations, I have noticed that the ESV's Old Testament has 103 mentions

of a tone or a tone meant, but the ESV's New Testament doesn't contain any mention

of a tone or a tone meant.

Is that because the Hebrew word kefar means to cover and Christ's death and resurrection

actually erases or forgives our sins rather than merely covering our sins?

Pastor John, what am I missing here?

Well, this is fascinating.

I at first thought, oh my goodness, I don't know what to say about this.

And the more I got into it, the more interesting it became.

So it's a little bit heavy sledding, but hang on, I think you'll find it interesting.

The English word atonement originally meant at one meant, spelled the same, at hyphen

one meant, and referred to any reconciliation of a strange parties.

It wasn't originally just a theological or biblical word.

For example, when Thomas Moore said in 1535, I got this from the Oxford English Dictionary,

adding more regard to their old variants than their new at one meant or atonement.

That is unity, reconciliation, oneness.

But as time passed, the English word atonement became almost entirely a theological word

referring very generally to the way the broken relationship between God and man could

be made right.

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