King James Version

The King James Version (KJV), also called the King James Bible (KJB) or the Authorized Version, is an important translation of the Christian Bible into Early Modern English. It was made for the Church of England and was finished in 1611 under the support of King James VI and I. The Bible contains 80 books, which include the 39 books of the Old Testament, 14 books of the Apocrypha, and the 27 books of the New Testament.

This version of the Bible is famous for its beautiful style of writing. It has been used for over 400 years and has greatly influenced English literature and Christian thinking. Many common phrases in English come from the KJV. Even though some words in the original 1611 version are hard for modern readers to understand, later versions have made it easier to read while keeping the clear way of speaking found in the original.

The KJV was the third English translation approved by the Church of England. Earlier versions included the Great Bible from 1535 and the Bishops' Bible from 1568. King James wanted a new translation to match the beliefs of the Church of England and to avoid notes that might encourage ideas against the king. Over time, the KJV became the main Bible used in English-speaking churches and schools. Today, it is still one of the most loved and remembered translations among English-speaking Christians.

Name

The first edition of this important Bible translation was called "THE HOLY BIBLE, Conteyning the Old Teſtament, AND THE NEW: Newly Tranſlated out of the Originall tongues: & with former Tranſlations diligently compared and reuiſed, by his Majesties ſpeciall Comandement." It was meant to be read in churches. Over time, people started calling it different names. Some called it "King James's Bible," while others used the name "Authorized Version." Today, in Britain, it is usually called the "Authorised Version," and in the United States, it is often called the King James Version. These names have been used for over 200 years to describe this important translation.

History

Earlier English translations

There were many translations of parts of the Bible into Middle English in the 14th century, with the first complete English Bibles likely made by followers of John Wycliffe. These translations were banned in 1409 because of their links to a group called the Lollards. Wycliffe’s Bibles existed before the printing press but spread widely in manuscript form.

In 1525, William Tyndale translated the New Testament into Early Modern English, making it the first printed Bible in English. Over the next ten years, Tyndale updated his work and began translating the Old Testament. Despite some controversial choices and Tyndale’s execution for his beliefs, his clear writing style influenced all later English Bible translations.

Tyndale’s work was adapted by Myles Coverdale and others to create the Great Bible in 1539, the first authorized version by the Church of England under King Henry VIII. When Mary I took the throne in 1553, she returned the Church of England to Catholic practices, and many reformers fled to Geneva. There, they created the Geneva Bible in 1560, revising Tyndale’s work. When Elizabeth I became queen in 1558, church leaders found issues with both the Great Bible and the Geneva Bible. In 1568, the Church of England responded with the Bishops’ Bible, a revision of the Great Bible.

Considerations for a new version

After becoming king, James I held the Hampton Court Conference in 1604. This meeting led to plans for a new English Bible translation to fix problems in earlier versions. The Puritans had concerns about certain phrases in the Bishops’ and Great Bibles. For example, they questioned the translation of certain words and phrases, like how “susoichei” was translated in Galatians 4:25.

The king gave specific instructions to the translators. They were to use formal equivalence and limit Puritan influence. The Bishop of London added that they should not include marginal notes, which had caused issues in the Geneva Bible. King James was upset by some notes in the Geneva Bible that seemed to support disobeying rulers or criticizing royalty.

The translators were also instructed to follow the Church of England’s traditions. Certain Greek and Hebrew words had to be translated in specific ways to keep traditional church meanings. For example, the word “church” should not be changed to “congregation.”

The source materials for the translation included the Textus Receptus for the New Testament, the Masoretic text for the Old Testament, and the Septuagint or Vulgate for the Apocrypha.

Translation committees

The translation work was done by 47 scholars, all members of the Church of England, except for one. They were split into six committees, two each at the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and Westminster. The scholars included both those with Puritan views and high churchmen. They worked on different parts of the Bible separately and then compared their work to ensure consistency.

The scholars were not paid directly for their work. Instead, bishops were asked to support them by giving them well-paying church positions when they became available. Many were also supported by colleges at Oxford and Cambridge or promoted to higher church roles through royal support.

Printing

The first printed version of the Authorized Version was published in 1611 by Robert Barker, the King’s Printer. It was sold loose-leaf for ten shillings or bound for twelve. Barker had a royal license to print Bibles but ran into debt and had to share his privilege with two other printers, Bonham Norton and John Bill. This led to financial disputes and legal battles for decades. In 1629, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge got their own licenses to print Bibles, and Cambridge released revised editions in 1629 and 1638.

Two versions of the Bible were printed in 1611, known as the “He” and “She” Bibles, based on a small difference in one verse.

The original printing used blackletter typeface, which made the Bible look formal and official. Later, smaller editions with roman-type text were also made.

Authorised Version

The Authorised Version was created to replace the Bishops’ Bible as the official Bible for the Church of England. Although there is no record of a formal order, it became the standard Bible used in churches. It was first used in the Book of Common Prayer in 1662.

In Scotland, the Geneva Bible was commonly used until a Scottish edition of the Authorised Version was printed in 1633. Over time, the Authorised Version became widely accepted, though some people still preferred the Geneva Bible. By the mid-17th century, it was often called “The Bible without notes” to distinguish it from the Geneva Bible, which had notes in the margins.

Early printings of the Authorised Version had many small errors, but later editions tried to fix these. By the 18th century, it had become the dominant English Bible translation. In the American colonies, unauthorized printings of the King James Bible began in 1752 to meet demand.

Standard text of 1769

By the mid-18th century, the many different printed versions of the Authorised Version, along with many printing errors, caused problems. Oxford and Cambridge Universities worked to create a standard version. Cambridge produced an edition in 1760, followed by Oxford in 1769. The Oxford edition became the standard and is the basis for most modern printings.

These editors made thousands of small changes to spelling, punctuation, and wording to make the text more consistent. They also added or changed words that were not in the original languages to make the meaning clearer. These changes created differences between the 1611 version and the modern text.

Standardization in the 19th century

In the 19th century, most versions of the Authorised Version were based on the 1769 Oxford text. Some editions kept the original 1611 spelling and layout, while others updated the language. One notable edition was the 1873 Cambridge Paragraph Bible, which tried to identify the original source texts used by the translators and make necessary changes.

20th century editions based on the 1769 edition

In the 20th century, Cambridge University Press made a few more changes to the text. American publishers often used the 1769 text but updated the spelling to American English. In 2005, Cambridge University Press released a new edition that aimed to bring the spelling and punctuation closer to modern standards while staying as close as possible to the original wording.

Revised versions

Since the late 1700s, the King James Version has stayed almost the same. Because printing became easier and cheaper, many copies could be made and sold widely. It became the main Bible used in churches and by people who speak English.

In the 1800s, some scholars thought the King James Version could be improved. They felt that new studies of old languages showed that some words in the Bible could be translated better. They also thought that the same Greek words should be translated the same way in different parts of the Bible. Because new old manuscripts were found, they believed the basis for the New Testament could be improved.

Because of these ideas, leaders in 1870 decided to create a new version of the Bible, keeping the old text unless experts said a change was needed. This new version, called the Revised Version, came out in 1881 for the New Testament, 1885 for the Old Testament, and 1894 for the Apocrypha. Even though many people bought it, it was not very popular, and it was only in 1899 that church leaders allowed it to be read in services.

Main articles: synoptic gospels, Convocation of Canterbury, Revised Version

Literary attributes

The King James Version translators followed their rules closely. They did not add notes explaining the Bible text, but in about 8,500 places they offered a different way to say something in English. These notes often showed a more direct translation from the original languages, marked with labels like "Heb" for Hebrew or "Gr" for Greek. They also sometimes showed different ways the original text could be read.

The translators also showed words they added to make the reading flow better in a special type. For the name of God, they mostly used "the LORD," but in a few places, they used "IEHOVAH."

For the Old Testament, they mainly used a Hebrew text from the 1520s but sometimes followed the Greek or Latin versions when Christian tradition was involved. For the New Testament, they used Greek texts from the late 1500s and often followed earlier English translations. The Apocrypha, a set of books not always included in the Bible, was translated from Greek texts with help from Latin versions.