WHO WROTE THE KING JAMES VERSION OF THE BIBLE?

 

“I thought Jesus read the King James Version.” That was one of the more hilarious responses I got to my last blog on “Which Bible Did Jesus Read”. The humorous response reminded me of a cautious response I got as a young man. “Remember now,” said my senior colleague, “the King James Version was authorized by God, that is why it is referred to as the Authorized Version.” Like me, I am sure you have had your list of reactions to the use of the King James Version of the Bible.

It is in light of those varied reactions we need to take a serious look at the history of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. In examining the literature, I found Bruce Metzger to be most helpful. More specifically, his volume, The Bible in Translation – Ancient and English Versions.

It is important to establish that when the KJV was printed in 1611, it was not the first English Bible to be printed. As a matter of fact, there was serious religious contention in England, because of the variety of English translations. In order to reconcile differences among the various groups, the king called for a conference to be held in January 1604.

Religious leaders were to consult together on the subject of religious toleration. After much inconclusive debate, the leader of the Puritan Party raised the subject of the imperfections of the existing English Bibles. He went on to propose that a new, or at least a revised translation of the Bible be made.

Although the conference itself arrived at no conclusion on the Bible or any other subject, King James I of England intervened. Because of his personal interest in biblical study and translation, he endorsed the idea of a new translation, stating that none of the existing English versions was well written. The king supported the project so vigorously that by July 1604, a translation committee of some fifty men had been in place.

The rules of procedure specified that the existing Bishops’ Bible was to be followed and “as little as the truth altered as the truth of the original will permit”. Beginning some time in 1609, and continuing daily for nine months, reviewers met to examine the first draft of the Bible as it came from panels in the universities and at Westminster. The team of reviewers was strong. It included professors of Hebrew and Greek from major British universities, along with many of the leading scholars of the day.

The work begun in 1607 and had taken less than three years of strenuous toil to prepare for the printing press. Beyond the royal authority under which it was made and the statement on the title page “Appointed to be read in churches,” the Bible had never been officially authorized by the church or the legislature. However, unlike other English Bibles, the King James Version received such public affirmation, it was “authorized” in the national mind. The final product was certainly the best English Bible that had thus far been produced.

The style of English used was widely recognized as superb. The purpose of the publication was clear – “to deliver God’s book unto God’s people in a tongue which they could understand”. Although usually called a translation, some believe the KJV is in fact a revision of the Bishops’ Bible. Actually, the intent of the revisers was not to make “a new translation, nor yet to make a bad one a good one, but to make a good one better”.

The KJV of 1611 was an adequate translation of the Greek and Hebrew texts, as they were then known to scholars, and the common people eventually came to find that its language appealed to them with greater charm and dignity than that of the other Bible versions with which they were familiar.

A few of the primary challenges of the translators were inherited. There was no standard edition of the Hebrew Masoretic text of the Old Testament used. In the New Testament, translators used the Greek text of Erasmus. Many scholars would agree that that source was popular, but was used because nothing better was available. For this reason, the KJV has undergone many revisions and updates, allowing us to access a reasonable translation today. For a more in depth and balanced study of the KJV, I wholeheartedly recommend James White’s volume, The King James Only Controversy – Can You Trust the Modern Translations?

Knowing the impact of the Scriptures, I must pray that today’s blog would encourage dialogue, stimulate further study and strengthen faith. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:11 KJV).