Isaiah 9:3 (textual question)

Question: Glenn asks, “In the King James translation, verse 3 [of Isaiah 9] includes the word “not.” ‘Thou has multiplied the nation, and not increased the joy; they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.’ In my New King James Version and other more modern translations, the word “not” is omitted. What is the correct translation according to the original Hebrew?”

Answer: Good question. While I am confident in the absolute accuracy of the original manuscripts of the Scriptures, that is no guarantee that every copy made is free from mistakes. But having said that, we have enough manuscript evidence and other tools that can help us arrive at what God’s Word originally said with precision.

In the case you mention, with the word “not” in there, the verse actually seems to contradict itself, since it goes on to say “they rejoice”! It contradicts the context too–that the people have “seen a great light” (cause for rejoicing). The passage concerns the coming of the Messiah, and particularly His future glorious reign (Isaiah 9:6-7).

The correct rendering, I believe, omits the word “not.” It is a small difference in the Hebrew text, one easily missed by a copier. “Not” = lo’ but the Hebrew lo = to him (i.e. “You multiply the nation, You increase to him joy.”) Another possibility seems to be that the Hebrew word haggil’o was wrongly divided into two words by some copier, with the last syllable, lo, being treated as a separate word. Even a tiny space left by a copier could result in that difference.

Both because of the context, and because of the possible technical transmission problems, it seems best to omit the word “not.” Concerning the Messiah’s millennial kingdom, the Lord later speaks of multiplied joys, “Be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying” (Isa. 65:18-19).