You will never learn the answer to your questions if you rely on the KJV rather than the original manuscripts.
The number is
seventy in some manuscripts of the
Alexandrian (such as
Codex Sinaiticus) and
Caesarean text traditions but
seventy-two in most other Alexandrian and
Western texts.
the Greek word “hebdomekonta” (coded 1440 in
Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible) is translated “seventy.” However, immediately following this word is the Greek word “duo” in brackets (
duo) translated “two.”
Footnotes of several translations indicate that the Greek manuscripts are divided between 70 and 72 as the number sent out and there is no way to be sure of which one is the original.
So when you compare with the following English translations what you are seeing is that the committee of Greek Scholars who are expert in all the manuscripts in extant believe that the evidence leans toward those manuscripts that use the 72
It is not a matter of which one is wrong and which one is right. It is a matter of which manuscripts have 70 and which have 72.
If you are an expert of the manuscripts you can make a decision as to why you will ignore manuscripts that have 72 and go with the ones that have 70 but you won't say that your decision is because the ones that have 72 are lying.
If you don't know Greek and cannot read the manuscripts then you are going to rely on the expertise of those translators who decided which manuscripts had more authority. For instance an older manuscript with 72 might outweigh a newer one with 70.
I am not sure after listening to all the reasons why some say the manuscripts with 72 are to be relied on over the ones that say 70 and I don't have enough knowledge in the Greek or on the history of the manuscripts in question to make my own decision on that.
Does that mean that I MUST decide? No. I can leave it as unknown. It does not really matter to me. I mean if you want to imagine a possible symbolic meaning you might want to go with 72 since there were 72 nations listed in Genesis and it could mean symbolicaly sent to all the nations, but that would not be very wise since they did not go to other nations. It really can be left unknown for me. If I ever get bored enough maybe I will do a complete study on everything that has been written by textual critics on which manuscripts have 70 and which have 72 and which ones carry the day.
At any rate you certainly cannot decide the answer because you WANT the KJV to be the right one, You have to know which manuscripts have 70 and which have 72 and consider that if some of the manuscripts discovered since the KJV that were older than what the KJV had say 72 that might have caused the KJV scholars to side with 72 as well.
New International Version
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
New Living Translation
The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places he planned to visit.
English Standard Version
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go.
Berean Study Bible
After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of Him to every town and place He was about to visit.
Berean Literal Bible
Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy-two others and sent them in two
by two before His face, into every city and place where He Himself was about to go.
New American Standard Bible
Now after this the Lord appointed seventy-two others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come.
Christian Standard Bible
After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others, and he sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself was about to go.
Contemporary English Version
Later the Lord chose 72 other followers and sent them out two by two to every town and village where he was about to go.
Douay-Rheims Bible
AND after these things the Lord appointed also other seventy-two: and he sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself was to come.
Good News Translation
After this the Lord chose another seventy-two men and sent them out two by two, to go ahead of him to every town and place where he himself was about to go.
NET Bible
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him two by two into every town and place where he himself was about to go.
New Heart English Bible
Now after these things, the Lord also appointed seventy-two others, and sent them two by two ahead of him into every city and place, where he was about to come.