AION as WORLD (for those that can read)
AION as WORLD (for those that can read)
AION as WORLD
Even the modern versions like the NASB, NIV, ESV, NKJV and Holman ALL at times translate this same Greek word as WORLD. The NIV does this four times - Luke 16:8 "the children of this world"; Romans 12:2 "Be not conformed to this world"; 1 Timothy 6:17 "Charge them that are rich in this world..."; and 2 Timothy 4:10 "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world."
The NASB translates this same Greek word as "world" 7 times, including twice as "worlds" in Hebrews 11:3 "Through faith we understand that the WORLDS were framed by the word of God." and "whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the WORLDS" - Hebrews 1:2. The NASB likewise has "the care of this world" Matthew 13:22 and Mark 4:19; and "the god of this world" 2 Corinthians 4:4, as well as agreeing with the NIV in 1 and 2 Timothy. The Holman and the NKJV also translate this word as "world" in several verses in the New Testament.
The ESV likewise has translated the Greek word "aion" as "world" in Matthew 13:22 "the cares of this WORLD"; Mark 4:19; Luke 16:8 - "the sons of THIS WORLD"; John 9:32 "since THE WORLD BEGAN"; Romans 12:2 "conformed to THIS WORLD"; 2 Corinthians 4:4 "the god of THIS WORLD"; 2 Timothy 4:10 "in love with this present WORLD" and in Hebrews 1:2 "through whom he created THE WORLD."
The NKJV has translated the Greek word 'aioon' as 'world' some 10 times. Matthew 13:22 (Mark 4:19) 'the cares of this world"; Luke 1:70 "since the world began"; Luke 16:8 "the sons of this world"; John 9:32 "since the world began"; Acts 3:21 "since the world began"; Romans 12:2 "be not conformed to this world"; 2 Timothy 4:10 "having loved this present world"; and in both Hebrews 1:2 and 11:3 "through whom also He made the worlds"; and "the worlds were framed by the word of God."
The word ‘aionas’ in Hebrews 1:2; 11:3:
King James Bible - “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the WORLDS (aionas) -- Heb. 1:2 .. . Through faith we understand that the WORLDS (aionas) were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” -- Heb. 11:3
Tyndale 1534 - he made the WORLDE . . . the WORLDE was ordeyned by the worde of God
Great Bible 1540 - he made the WORLDE . . . the WORLDE was ordeyned by the worde of God
Geneva Bible 1587 - he made the WORLDES . . . the WORLDE was ordeined by the worde of God
Bishop's Bible 1568 - he made the WORLDS . . . the WORLDS were ordeined by the word of God
RV 1885, ASV 1901 - he made the WORLDS . . . the WORLDS have been framed by the word of God
RSV 1946-1971 - he created the WORLD . . . the WORLD was created by the word of God
God's First Truth 1999 - by whom also he made the WORLD….Through faith we understand that the WORLD was ordained by the word of God
King James Bible, NKJV 1982, New Life Version 1969, Amplified Bible 1987, New Revised Standard Version 1989, The Word of Yah 1993, Interlinear Greek New Testament 1997 (Larry Pierce), Worldwide English N.T. 1998, Sacred Scriptures Family of Yah 2001, Tomson New Testament 2002, The Evidence Bible 2003, New Century Version 2005, Bond Slave Version 2009, BRG Bible 2012, Lexham English Bible 2012, Interlinear Hebrew-Greek Scriptures 2012 (Mebust) - by whom also he made the WORLDS . . . the WORLDS were framed by the word of God
Lamsa’s translation of the Syriac Peshitta 1933 - “he made the WORLDS. . . WORLDS were framed by the word of God”
Lawrie Translation 1998 - by means of whom also he made the WORLDS…By faith we understand the WORLDS to have been framed by the word of God, so that the things seen exist from things not appearing.
NET 2006 (Dan Wallace) - By faith we understand that the WORLDS were set in order at God’s command
Context Group Version 2007 - By trust we understand that the WORLDS have been framed by the word of God
Hebraic Transliteration Scripture 2010 - Through emunah we understand that the WORLDS were framed by the Dvar Elohim
Holy Scriptures VW Edition 2010 - through Whom also He made the WORLDS
Biblos Interlinear Bible 2011 - through whom he made the WORLDS....
Common English Bible 2011 - God made his Son the heir of everything and created the WORLD through him.
ESV 2011 - through whom also he created the WORLD.
Names of God Bible 2011 - Faith convinces us that God created the WORLD through his word.
The Work of God’s Children Illustrated Bible 2011 - by whom He made the WORLD…By faith we understand that the WORLD was framed by the word of God that from invisible things visible things might be made.
Conservative Bible 2011 - By whom he made the WORLDS
The Voice 2012 - But in these last days, it has come to us through His Son, the One who has been given dominion over all things and through whom all WORLDS were made.
World English Bible 2012 - through whom also he made the WORLDS.
Modern English Version 2014 - and through whom He made the WORLD.
German Bible - er auch die Welt gemacht hat (he also the WORLD has made) – Heb. 1:2 ...die Welt durch Gottes Wort fertig ist (the WORLD through God's word is ready) – Heb 11:3
Even though some Bible critics emphatically tell you the word aion does not mean "world" but "age", all the modern versions disagree and so do many Greek Lexicons.
Bauer, Arndt, and Gingrich in their Greek-English Lexicon on page 27 list one of the definitions of the word aion as: "THE WORLD as a spatial concept".
Kittel's huge Lexicon in 10 volumns says on page 203: "The sense of "time or course of the world" can easily pass over into that of "THE WORLD ITSELF", so that aion approximates closely to kosmos...to the description of the end of the world (aion) there corresponds the description of its beginning as foundation of the world (kosmos). The equation of aion and kosmos, also found in the Hellenistic mysteries, is to be explained in the NT by Jewish linguistic usage...the spatial significance is just as definite as the temporal."
Trench's Synonyms of the New Testament quotes several authors who agree that the word aion properly means "THE WORLD". Trench himself says: "Aion came to mean all that exists in THE WORLD under conditions of time." He then quotes C.L.W. Grimm who defines aion as: "THE WORLD inasmuch as it is active in time."
Trench also quotes Windischmann who says: "Aion dare never be taken to denote only time, but rather as embracing everything caught up in time, THE WORLD and its glory, people and their natural doings and strivings, in contrast to yonder eternal kingdom of the Messiah."
Trench, though giving conflicting thoughts (as is often the case) ends his article on the meaning of aion with these words: "ETYMOLOGICALLY OUR ENGLISH WORD "WORLD" MORE NEARLY REPRESENTS AION THAN DOES THE GREEK KOSMOS."
