Misleading translation of the crime against parents
== "father-strikers", not "murderers of fathers" ==
Paul is referring here to the Biblical death penalty for someone who strikes their father or mother: Exod. 21:15. In general, he is citing a list of examples taken from the case laws of the Old Testament (e.g. from Exod. 21; Lev. 18, 20, 24). See the discussion in George W. Knight's commentary on the pastoral epistles (NIGTC), page 85; also Simpson, Pastoral Epistles, p.31).
Many modern translations obscure this reference. This verse is mistranslated in the NIV, NLT, NASB, KJV, HCSB, ISV, NET Bible, ASV, Douay-Rheims, WEB, and YLT. It is translated correctly in the ESV, the Darby Translation, and the Weymouth New Testament.
Of note, the 4th century translation of the scriptures into Gothic managed to get this right: http://www.wulfila.be/gothic/browse/text/?book=14&chapter=1
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