Cutting Humans with Tree Saws
1 Chronicles 20:3 (NASB)
3 He brought out the people who were in it, and cut them with saws and with sharp instruments and with axes. And thus David did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
The NASB is the most accurate word for word translation in the English language but in fact they missed the meaning of this scripture above. They literally translated the scripture from the original Hebrew and said that David cut the captured Ammonites with saws and sharp instruments and with axes.
This is what happens when the scriptures are translated in literal word for word manner without any spiritual perception that a Fivefold Ministry Bible Teacher possesses!
The scripture above is speaking of consigning the captured Ammonites to forced labor using saws and axes and cutting tools rather than using such implements to cut these humans to pieces.
2 Samuel 12:31 (NASB)
31 He also brought out the people who were in it, and set them under saws, sharp iron instruments, and iron axes, and made them pass through the brick kiln. And thus he did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
The same history of the Ammonite conquest is also recorded in the book of 2 Samuel and again the NASB literally translated this verse as putting the people under saws and sharp iron instruments and iron axes. This gives the impression that the captives were placed under the cutting edges of these tools as they were being chopped to pieces. This verse of scripture also says that the captives were passing through the brick-kiln as if they were being cremated in a brick kiln. But it is obvious that the captives were consigned to manual labor which involved cutting firewood for fuel for a brick kiln where bricks were fired. This means that these captives were consigned to forced labor of cutting wood and making fire-hardened bricks!
2 Samuel 12:31 (NIV)
31 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking. He did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.
The NIV is more accurate in this verse because it plainly states that the people were consigned to forced labor with cutting tools and in brick making. Here the NIV was better by not seeking a technical translation of word for word accuracy because this would throw the meaning into the ditch like the NASB example.
Why would David cut captured enemies with wood-cutting implements like saws? That just does not make any sense because the flesh of humans would get stuck in the teeth of the saw! If you want to cut humans, you would use a tool made for the job and put them to death with a sword rather than tree cutting tools!
Also David was a man of God and he would not be sadistic to torture humans with bizarre methods like this! This simply does not make any sense at all! But this NASB translation was an accurate word for word translation from the original Hebrew. But there must be some additional spiritual perception used and some common sense to know that David would not be cutting people with wood tools when a sword would work much better for putting them to death. In time of war the objective is to neutralize the threat in the most efficient manner, not to prescribe a grotesque form of dismembering humans with wood tools. Expressing hatred with torture like this is out of character for men of God like David.
Bible Translation Mistakes
Alteration to Invent Deaconesses
Archaic Expressions
Assuming Female Prophetess
Command Speak Native Language
Cutting Humans with Tree Saws
Distinguish “Worldly” Rich Men
Division of Continents
Endorsing Laymen Intruders
Iron Bed for a Giant
Keeping a Fiancée a Perpetual Virgin
No Produce from Uncultivated Field
No Pitiful Sized Handbaskets
Preaching to Righteous in Center of Earth
Received Instead of Dispersed
Satanic Entities
Speaking to Natives in Foreign Language
Wrong Use of the Word Bribe
Zeros and Pigs
7K-Bible Translation Notes
Leaders Fled While Enemy was Far Off