Accusation: Throughout the centuries, Jewish scribes rewrote the prophecies concerning the coming Messiah for their Hebrew Bibles to remove any implications of the Messiah being Jesus and Christian. That is why the dead sea scrolls [sic] find was so important back in 1947. They found a complete copy of the Isaiah scroll, which has the most prophecies concerning the Messiah. Where the Jewish scribes have changed line 16 of Psalms 22, where it says “they have pierced by hands and my feet”.
Response: So, now it is the Jews who are changing scripture? That is so laughable as to be hysterically funny. Yes, please go and read the Isaiah scroll and the Psalm scroll in the museum in Jerusalem. You will see exactly the same text as what we have in our current versions of the Tanach. Isaiah 53 talks about the servant – who is Israel.
Psalm 22 was not changed at all. Christians have tried unsuccessfully to try and prove Jesus was predicted in that Psalm. It has been a complete failure because those who try and use this alleged prophecy obviously do not know Hebrew.
This Psalm is about David. He describes his own pain and anguish and longing during those times when he was a fugitive from his enemies. He’s grieving because he thinks God is not listening to him. David asks God why He is far from my (David’s) salvation. Jesus never expected to be saves, so why would this verse refer to Jesus? Prophetically, the entire verse is regarding Israel’s plight during the long exile and his plea for a speedy deliverance.
The Christian scriptures use a non-existent Hebrew word. Missionaries have made up a new Hebrew word that has never existed. They say that “kori” means “pierce” which leads them to mistranslate the passage. The word “ka’ari” means “like a lion” or “as a lion”. The same word is used and correctly translated in the Christian scriptures in the following verses.
Look, a people rises like a lioness, And lifts itself up like a lion [ka’ari]; It shall not lie down until it devours the prey, And drinks the blood of the slain. (Numbers 23:24)
I have considered until morning – Like a lion [ka’ari], So He breaks all my bones; From day until night You make an end of me. (Isaiah 38:13)
The conspiracy of her prophets in her midst is like a roaring lion [ka’ari] tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things; they have made many widows in her midst. (Ezekiel 22:25)
What does the footnote from the Latin Vulgate translation say about Psalm 22:16?
“Dead Sea Scolls and some manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Septuagint and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text me, / like a lion”