Archaic Words in the NIV

By Dr. Laurence M. Vance

The following list of archaic words in the New International Version (NIV) is taken from the 589-page, intensive and detailed work entitled, "Archaic Words and the Authorized Version," by Dr. Laurence M. Vance. This book can be purchased by visiting the Web site of Vance Publications, P.O. Box 11781, Pensacola, FL 32524, USA. Please direct any questions or comments for the author to Vance Publications. Vance Publications also speicalizes in finding out-of-print books. Dr. Laurence M. Vance's e-mail address is: vancepub@juno.com Placed on the Internet by permission of the author.


As we have seen throughout the main body of this work, archaic words are not limited to the AV. Not only do modern versions often retain the supposedly archaic words found in the AV, but many times a more formidable word is used to correct a perfectly understandable word or phrase in the AV. This appendix gives those places in the NIV where a simple word or phrase in the AV is replaced by a more difficult word, the base or root form of a word is unnecessarily extended, and those instances where an archaic or somewhat arduous word in the AV is replaced by an equally archaic or even more onerous word. In two respects, however, this list is not intended to be exhaustive. Not listed are those cases where a word or phrase in the AV is replaced by two or more words in the NIV; however, singular words in the NIV that update a small phrase in the AV are included. And secondly, due to the tremendous size of the Bible itself, an exhaustive list would not be suitable for inclusion as an appendix.

BIBLE VERSE
NIV AV
Ezra 9:5
abasement heaviness
Is 24:23
abashed confounded
Ezek 40:18
abutted over against
2 Chr 15:14
acclamation voice
Is 13:8
aghast amazed
Ezek 40:13
alcove little chamber
2 Chr 13:22
annotations story
Num 31:50
armlets chains
Acts 2:6
bewilderment confounded
Ps 58:7
blunted cut in pieces
Job 8:2
blustering strong
Ps 93:4
breakers waves
Ex 35:22
brooches bracelets
Is 57:4
brood children
Dan 10:6
burnished polished
Rev 4:3
carnelian sardine
I Sam 13:5
charioteers horsemen
Rev 18:12
citron thyine
I Ki 7:6
colonnade porch
Ex 13:3
commemorate remember
Song 2:12
cooing voice
I Ki 4:22
cors measures
Gen 18:8
curds butter
Zec 6:6
dappled gristled
Gal 5:19
debauchery lasciviousness
2 Sam 21:5
decimated destroyed
Gen 40:6
dejected sad
Is 44:20
deluded deceived
Matt 18:28
denarii pence
Matt 20:2
denarius penny
Lev 21:12
desecrate profane
Jer 30:16
despoil give for a prey
John 18:3
detachment band
Ezek 13:22
disheartened sad
Ps 7:14
disillusionment falsehood
I Pet 4:4
dissipation riot
Ezra 2:69
drachmas drams
Hab 1:15
dragnet drag
Lk 20:23
duplicity craftiness
Pro 28:12
elation glory
Ecc 12:11
embedded fastened
Ps 73:21
embitter grieved
Rom 2:20
embodiment form
Mk 14:31
emphatically vehemently
2 Chr 30:22
encouragingly comfortably
Pro 23:10
encrouch enter
Ps 69:2
engulf overflow
2 Chr 17:14
enrollment numbers
Ps 45:11
enthralled greatly desire
Lk 9:34
enveloped overshadowed
Eph 6:4
exasperate provoke
Ezek 25:7
exterminate perish
Is 14:8
exult rejoice
1 Ki 16:21
factions parts
Is 8:21
famished hungry
1 Sam 28:24
fattened fat
Jude 16
faultfinders complainers
Song 4:5
fawns roes
Micah 2:2
fellowman man
Ex 5:1
festival feast
I Sam 25:8
festive good
Deut 27:6
fieldstones whole stones
Acts 28:11
figurehead sign
Ex 28:20
filigree enclosings
Ezek 26:5
fishnets nets
Is 30:17
flagstaff beacon
Ezek 34:21
flank side
Ps 89:47
fleeting short
Acts 22:23
flinging threw
Acts 5:40
flogged beaten
Gen 7:11
floodgates windows
Is 16:2
fluttering wandering
Is 59:13
fomenting speaking
Josh 2:23
forded passed over
Jude 25
forevermore for ever
Ps 104:26
frolic play
Is 27:9
fruitage fruit
Jer 46:20
gadfly destruction
Is 24:8
gaiety mirth
1 Sam 18:8
galled displeased
Gen 19:1
gateway gate
Gen 41:3
gaunt leanfleshed
Job 16:8
gauntness leanness
Lev 11:30
gecko ferret
Ex 2:12
glancing looked
Hab 3:11
glint light
Job 41:32
glistcning shine
Ps 30:1
gloat rejoice
Job 10:21
gloom darkness
Ezek 39:19
glutted full
Is 51:17
goblet cup
Gen 14:1
goiim nations
James 3:12
grapevine vine
Rev 20:14
Hades hell
Is 28:24
harrowing break the clods
Ps 44:19
haunt place
Gen 2:10
headwaters heads
Lev 11:19
hoopoe lapwing
Ezek 17:17
horde army
Deut 14:5
ibex pygarg
2 Tim 2:20
ignoble dishonour
Ezra 6:11
impaled hanged
I Cor 15:50
imperishable incorruption
Hab 1:6
impetuous hasty
Amos 6:5
improvise invent
1 Chr 21:1
incited provoked
Pro 9:7
incurs getteth
Heb 7:16
indestructible endless
Mk 10:41
indignant displeased
1 Cor 12:22
indispensable necessary
Is 44:11
infamy ashamed
2 Chr 12:3
innumerable without number
Jer 48:30
insolence wrath
Rom 1:30
insolent despiteful
2 Ki 2:23
jeered mocked
2 Chr 34:11
joists couplings
Deut 18:3
jowls cheeks
1 Sam 10:16
kingship kingdom
Acts 27:30
lifeboat boat
Matt 2:1
magi wise men
Jer 49:25
mainstay chief
Job 12:6
marauders robbers
Job 32:14
marshaled directed
1 Sam 13:20
mattocks courter
Job 13:12
maxiums remembrances
Ps 81:2
melodious pleasant
Ezra 6:2
memorandum record
Lk 19:16
mina pound
Acts 18:14
misdemeanor wrong
Rom 16:18
naive simple
Est 2:10
nationality people
Is 40:23
naught nothing
Gen 12:9
Negev south
Gen 6:4
Nephilim giants
2 Sam 19:7
nightfall night
2 Sam 4:5
noonday noon
Dan 11:43
Nubians Ethiopians
Job 22:24
nuggets gold
Lam 4:5
nurtured brought
Ezek 27:26
oarsmen rowers
Ps 88:12
oblivion forgetfulness
Eph 5:4
obscenity filthiness
Ex 29:14
offal dung
2 Ki 17:32
officiate sacrificed
Mk 6:1
opportune convenient
Job 28:2
ore stone
Ps 49:16
overawed afraid
Is 16:6
overweening very
Deut 22:8
parapet battlement
Lk 23:9
piled questioned
Deut 32:11
pinions wings
Est 1:6
porphyry red
Is 20:3
portent wonder
1 Ki 6:3
portico porch
2 Ki 20:7
poultice lump
Matt 27:27
Praetorium common hall
Dan 3:3
prefects governors
Acts 13:8
proconsul deputy
Deut 21:20
profligate glutton
Ezek 16:26
promiscuity whoredoms
Jude 12
qualm fear
Num 11:4
rabble mixed multitude
Hab 2: 11
ramparts tower
Gen 49:14
rawboned strong
Ex 8:14
reeked stank
1 Sam 13:21
repointing sharpen
Pro 14:33
reposes resteth
Gal 2:9
reputed seemed
I Chr 16:32
resound roar
Ps 76:4
resplendent glorious
Neh 9:25
reveled delighted themselves
Is 22:13
revelry gladness
Jer 2:30
revening destroying
Jer 2:6
rifts pits
Song 1:13
sachet bundle
Est 3:12
satraps lieutenants
Ps 68:13
sheathed covered
Ecc 9:14
siegeworks bulwarks
Ps 116:6
simplehearted simple
2 Sam 6:5
sistrums cornets
Mk 4:37
squall storm of wind
Rev 14:20
stadia furlongs
Song 2:9
stag hart
Deut 4:45
stipulations testimonies
1 Sam 7:9
suckling sucking
I Ki 21:5
sullen sad
I Tim 3:11
temperate sober
Ps 55:8
tempest storm
Hos 4:13
terebinth elms
2 Ki 7:10
tethered tied
Lk 3:16
thong latchet
Is 55:13
thornbush thorn
Ps 81:7
thundercloud thunder
2 Tim 1:7
timidity fear
Is 1:31
tinder tow
Rev 12:15
torrent flood
Ecc 4:6
tranquillity quietness
Phil 4:7
transcends passeth
Ezek 17:10
transplanted planted
Song 7:5
tresses galleries
1 Sam 14:19
tumult noise
Gen 49:4
turbulent unstable
Pro 28:16
tyrannical oppressor
Is 54:14
tyranny oppression
2 Ki 19:6
underlings servants
2 Ki 24:1
vassal servant
Job 15:25
vaunts strengtheneth
Job 20:23
vent cast
Song 1:16
verdant green
Ezra 3:10
vestments apparel
Ps 112:10
vexed grieved
Num 34:5
wadi river
1 Sam 15:2
waylaid laid wait for
Hosea 14:4
waywardness backsliding
Joel
weakling weak
Job 5:13
wily froward
Is 29:6
windstorm storm
Gen 32:25
wrenched out of joint
Matt 21:41
wretches wicked men
Is 11:6
yearling fatling

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