King James Bible History

King James Bible History:

England, in the year 1604, King James commanded a new version of the Bible to be written. Fifty four of the most knowledgeable, and skillful men in the translation of languages, were gathered together for this undertaking.

Before the task began, seven of the men either declined the work, or died. This left the number who remained at 47. These men were pre-eminently distinguished for their faith in God, and for His written word. They were especially skilled in the reading and translation of the original languages of the Old and New Testaments.

The work was divided into six classes.

1. Ten men met at Westminster University to translate from the Pentateuch, or first five books of the Old Testament, to the end of the second book of Kings.

2. Eight men were assembled at Cambridge University, and were to finish the rest of the Historical books, and the Hagiographa, (this is the third part of the Jewish Scriptures.)

3. Seven men went to Oxford University and were to undertake the four greater prophets, with the book of Lamentations, and the twelve miner prophets.

4. Another group gathered at Oxford, to do the four Gospels, Acts, and the Apocalypse (book of Revelation).

5. The epistles of Paul, together with the remaining canonical epistles, were allotted to seven men at Westminster.

6. The last group went to Cambridge University to translate the Apocryphal books, including the prayers of Manasseh.

Fifteen regulations or rules were established by the King Himself, as a guide, or standard, for the work before it started, and these, were to be strictly adhered to. A reporter by the name of Selden followed, and wrote of the events as they took place.

According to the regulations, each book passed the scrutiny of all translators successively. Each individual translated every book that had been allotted to his division. Secondly, the reading to be adopted was to be agreed upon by the whole of his section. At these meetings, each translator was to read his own translation, to the full company.

The book, when finished, was sent to a company of twelve men, two from each company. At these meetings, Selden wrote, “One would read the translation, the rest holding in their hands some Bible, either of the man’s own language, be it French, Spanish, Italian, etc. If they found any fault, they spoke; if not, he read on.” Marginal notes were used only to explain the Hebrew and Greek words, and to give attention to parallel passages. Words not found in the original, but necessary to complete the sense of verse, were put in italics, as (these words are in italics).

The company of translators was empowered to call to their assistance any scholar whose studies enabled them to be of service, if or when a crisis arose. The translation started in 1607, and was finished three years later.

After three years, the whole Bible, thus translated and revised, was sent to London. There a committee of six, two from each University were sent. They reviewed and polished the whole work. Finally it was reviewed, by Dr. Smith, who was the Bishop of Gloucester. He and Dr. Belson, Bishop of Winchester, wrote the Preface. This translation of the Bible was first published in folio in 1611. A folio is a book of the largest size, formed by once doubling a sheet of paper.

When one reads the rules established, one could understand the great care that had been taken to insure the integrity for the word of God, it always being held in the highest regard.

In the early sixteen hundreds, men were not hampered by T.V. Radio, cell phones, sporting events, or any other modern day distractions, or entertainment. Their time was consumed with study. Let’s take a look at two of these men.

1. Lancelot Andrews. This man spoke fluently 15 modern languages, plus Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, and Arabic, and spent more than five hours a day in prayer.

2. John Boys. This man spent 16 hours per day studying Greek.

3. The other 45 men had similar skills, making them all fully qualified for the task at hand. These men were not paid for their work, neither did they receive any rewards.

The English of the K.J.V. was not the English spoken at this time in the 17 th, century. It is not a type of English that has ever been spoken anywhere, or at any time in history. King James Bible English, owes its merit to the faithful translation of the original works (manuscripts.) Its’ style captured the style of the original Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament.

What’s it mean to translate? To interpret: To render what is written from one language into another language; to express the sense of one language in the words of another.

Many say that the English of the King James Bible is difficult to read and understand; therefore, we need to rewrite and then print Bibles into modern English. Why is it that these same critics do not have the same compulsion with regard to changing the writings of Shakespeare, and others, in order to make them more understandable? Like anything else, if you desire to become skilled at anything, you need to apply yourself in study and application. Knowledge coupled with understanding is the reward for dedicated study.

I personally believe that the Spirit of the Lord was with the men who translated the K.J.V. God’s word was now in the hands of the people. With great thanks, joy, and gladness, we should receive this work.

The following concerns the question, who was commanded to keep and maintain God’s word?

Romans 3:2, speaks of the Jews, and said, “unto them (the Jews) were committed the oracles of God.” The word, “oracles” means, something uttered, or divine communication.

This can also be seen in Deuteronomy 4:5-8. I will highlight a few verses. Moses is speaking to his people, “Behold I have taught you = (the Jew’s) statues and judgments, even as the LORD your God commanded me,—Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations,—–And what nation is there so great, = (none) that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?” Again this was from God to the Jewish people.

Principally because of the Divine communication of God’s will to Moses, the prophets, and the people, God’s love and plan for man’s salvation has been revealed to the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles. God’s will for us has been expressed in the Scriptures fully.

The word, “Bible,” is a Greek word that means, Book. The O.T. consists of 39 books, and the New Testament consisting of 27 books. The whole of Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelation, was written over a period of approximately 1,400 years. From Moses to the end of the first century, the whole of Scripture had been inspired by the Holy Spirit, to those who penned, or wrote the text.

The text has come down to us in a remarkable state of preservation. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, written as far back as the second and third centuries B.C. bear witness to this fact. This collection of books is recognized and used by the Christian church as the inspired record of God’s revelation concerning Himself, and His will for us.

Guide lines have been laid down, and defined for us. Scripture speaks of great men, spirit creatures, enemies of God, friends of God, political and religious history, and of future prophesy. After the last book was penned, prophesy was closed. There will be no more announcements coming from God. Those who add or subtract from Scriptures will answer to God, and the cost will be steep.

The idea or terms, Old and New Testament, have been used since the end of the second century. Most of the Old Testament is written in Hebrew, this being the language spoken by the Israelites in Canaan, before the Babylonian Captivity. A few parts of the Old Testament had been written in Aramaic. There are no vowels, (A,E,I,O,U) in the Hebrew alphabet, only consonants. Vowel signs or points were invented by the Jewish Masoretic scholars in the sixth century.

Although the Bible has been preserved in its’ original meaning, customs, and traditions, the Hebrew language has undergone many changes. The language has gone from the golden age (Adam to Jacob) through silver (Jews in Egypt) through bronze (Babylonian and Medio-Persian captivity) through iron (Greek and Roman conquest,) and like our modern English today, it is a far cry from the original.

So who were these Masoretic scholars? These were the Jews of a school at Tiberias which was on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. This school had been established in the sixth century. The Masorites are called the authors of the points and accents in the Hebrew text, these serving as vowels. Two men stand out, Ben Asher, and Ben Naphatali. Each published a copy of the whole Hebrew text, as correct, as they could make it.

What is the Masora? It is a term, signifying a work on the Old Testament done by the several Rabbi scholars. The work regards merely the letter of the Hebrew text in which they have first fixed the true reading by vowels and accents. Secondly, they numbered not only the chapters and sections, but the verses, words, and letters of the text.

The Masora is called by the Jews, the “Hedge or fence of the Law,” because the Jew’s careful enumeration of the verses, words, and letters. This is a means of preserving it, and from being corrupted or altered. They have also marked whatever irregularities occur in any of the letters of the text, such as the different size of the letters, their various positions, inversions, etc. They have been faithful in finding out the reasons for these mysteries and irregularities in the Hebrew text. They are also thought to be the authors of the marginal corrections of the text.

Romans 3:2, “unto them (the Jews) were committed the oracles of God.” We can have full confidence in the Masoretic text of the King James Bible.

Except for a few words and sentences, the New Testament was written in Greek, this being the language of the people in the time of our Lord Jesus. The Greek of the N.T. is identical with the Greek spoken in the Mediterranean world in the first century. The New Testament of the K.J.V. is marked strikingly by the Jewish character and colorful language that existed in the days of our Lord. It holds to the idioms, that is the peculiar language of a group of people, or nation. Other dialects of Greek were, Aeolic, Boeotic, Doric, Ionic, and especially the dialect of Attic.

The New Testament of the King James, is called the Received text, or Textus Receptus. All the first century Apostolic Christian Churches, the Christian Churches in Israel, and the Christian Syrian Church, all used the Received text. Even some of the early heretics used this text. With this history, it would be appropriate for the King James translators to use this text.

Most of the second to fourth century Christian churches used the Textus Receptus. They being all the church’s of Scotland and Ireland, the Waldensians, and the Greek Orthodox Church, also the fifteenth to nineteenth century Churches used this text. All the Churches of the Reformation, Erasmus Greek New Testament, The Complutensian Polyglot, Martin Luther’s German Bible, Tyndale’s Bible, the French version of Oliveton, the Coverdale Bible, the Matthews Bible, the Taverner’s Bible, the Great Bible, the Stephanus Greek New Testament, the Geneva Bible, The Bishop’s Bible, The Spanish version, the Beza Greek N.T. the Czech Version, The Italian Version, K.J.V. The Elziver Brothers’ Greek N.T., and the list goes on.

This Received text was not used randomly, or in a few areas of the known world, but totally and wholly, through-out the educated religious world, of every civilized nation and in every language.

Attic was dialect of the Greek language, used in the city of Attica Greece. It became the literary language of the entire Greek speaking world. This dialect was known for it’s elegance and pervades every book of the N.T. Paul used this poetic dialect when he quoted verses from some Greek poets, as in,

1. Acts 17:28, “For in Him (Jesus) we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your = (the Greeks) own poets have said, for we are also His offspring.”

2. 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Be not deceived: evil communications (evil company) corrupt good manners (habits.)”

3. Titus 1:12, “One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, the Cre-tians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies = (lazy gluttons.)”

Because the writers of the N.T. were Jews, they were acquainted with the Hebrew Idioms, and also with the sense of the words of that language. When they used a Greek word as correspondent to a Hebrew word of like meaning, they employed it as the Hebrew word was used, either in a common or appropriated sense, or as the circumstance required. The K.J.B. maintains this sense.

Following, are some Hebraisms found in the Greek New Testament, of the King James Bible.

A. To be called, to arise, and, to be found, are the same as, “to be.” Examples are,

1. Matthew 5:9, “They shall be called the children of God” or it could read, “They are to be the children of God.”

2. Matthew 5:19, “He shall be called the least in the kingdom of Heaven,” or, “He is to be the least in the kingdom of Heaven.”

3. 1 John 3:1, “That we should be called the sons of God.” or, “We are to be the sons of God.”

The word, “arise.” signifies no other than, actual being, or existing, according to Hebrew idiom.

A. Luke 24:38, “Why do thoughts arise in your hearts?” or, “why are they there?”

B. Matthew 24:24, “There shall arise false Christ’s,” or, “there shall actually be at that time such persons according to prediction.”

C. 2 Samuel 11:20, “If the king’s wrath arise,” or, “the kings will be truly angry.”

D. Esther 4:14, “Enlargement and deliverance shall arise to the Jews, or, “Enlargement and deliverance will actually exist.”

The word, “found,” is equivalent to, “was,” and in imitation of this, to “be found,” is used for “to be.”

A. Hebrews 11:5, “Enoch was not found,” or, which is the same as, “Enoch was not.” This is seen from comparing this verse with,

Genesis 5:24, “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not.”

B. Ephesians 2:22, “Neither was guile found in his mouth,” this is taken from,

Isaiah 53:9, “Neither was there any deceit (or guile) in his mouth.”

C. Luke 17:18, “There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.” or, there was not one.

D. Acts 5:39, “Lest haply ye be found to fight against God.” or, “was against God.”

E. 1.Corinthians 4:2, “That a man be found faithful,” or, “was faithful.”

The term, “name,” is frequently used as synonymous with the person.

A. John 1:12, “even to them that believe on his name.” So to believe on the name, is to believe on Jesus.

B. John 3:18, “He that believeth on him = (Jesus) is not condemned.”

C. John 20:31, “Ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

Keeping in mind the name is used as synonymous with persons, see:

A. Acts 1:15, “the number of names together were about on hundred and twenty.” or, “there were, 120 people.”

B. Revelation 3:4, “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments.” Or, “There are a few people who have not defiled their faith.”

The word, “soul,” is put for a person. “The Kingdom of God” is used to denote a, “glorious kingdom.” The “patience
of hope” means, “patient expectation.” “The glory of his power” means, “glorious power.” Circumcision and uncircumcision, meaning circumcised (Jews) and uncircumcised (Gentiles) persons. You will find that the King James Bible holds to the idioms of the Hebrew language in both the Old and New Testament.

It has been said of the King James Version,

A. It is the best translation in the world, and renders the sense of the original best. It is the best standard of the true English language.

B. The adherence to the Hebrew idiom has enriched and adorned the English language.

C. The style of this version is incomparably superior to any thing which can be expected from the phony and perverted taste of our own age.

D. It is simple, it is harmonious, energetic, and time has rendered it sacred.

E. It is accurate, loyal, and adherers to the strictest attention to the letter of the text. Every sentence, every word, every syllable, every letter and point, seem to have been weighed with the greatest exactitude.

F. The translators like the mighty men of former times, have departed and shared the common fate of mortality; but they have not, like those heroes of long ago, gone without their fame, though little is known of their individual work, loyalty, and of their love for God and His word.

The King James Bible has survived the convulsion of both the Church and State. It has been universally respected by the enemies of both. The merits of this Book seem to be independent of all circumstances. It has distanced itself from all the petty strife, and contention for superiority. This book can be compared with any translation in the world, without fear of inferiority. It has withstood the most rigorous examinations, it challenges investigation, and in spite of numerous attempts to supersede it, this version has remained unrivalled in the affections of the true Christian body.

The K.J.V. consists solely of the Masoretic Text, for the Old Testament, and the Received Text, for the New Testament. This has stayed consistent in the translation.

The N.I.V., Revised Version, N.A.S.V. New Contemporary Version, and most other modern Bibles are taken from the Codices Vaticanus, or B text, and the Codex Sinaiticus, or A text. These A. and B. text, are New Testament documents, and are not consistent even with each other. The A and B text are both dated to the fourth century, and do not agree with the majority of thousands of documents that agree with the King James, N.T. Also the Dead Sea Scrolls agree totally and completely with the text of the King James Old Testament Masoretic text.

The Dead Sea Scrolls are considered to be the oldest authority, confirming the reliability of the translation of the King James, Old Testament. Keep in mind the King James was first published in 1611. The Dead Sea Scrolls having been found in 1947. These scrolls have been dated back to the second and third century B.C.

Because the A and B documents are two of the oldest dated manuscripts known, some scholars believe them to be the best. Older is not always better.

Why were they is such good condition? These two Manuscripts owe their preservation to a lack of use. They were found on a forgotten shelf in the Vatican Library. Had they been read from regularly, they would have been worn out, recopied, and then destroyed. These two documents are the foundation documents for modern day Bibles. A. and B. agree with only a minority of other manuscripts found to this day.

Also, A. and B. disagree with each other in thousands of places. When this happens, A. is used alone, as a single authority. Also the fourth century was the time of Arian. Arian taught that Jesus was created by the Father, and subordinate to the Father. A.B. may be of Arian origin? Written in that period when Arianism flourished.

Phillip LaSpino www.seekfirstwisdom.com