THE KING JAMES VERSION
(KJV)
How It Became Popular
Many celebrations were
held in England this Year to commemorate the 400th anniversary of King James version of the Bible, otherwise
known as the Authorized Version . These
included special TV and Radio documentaries, as well as conferences, lectures ,
seminars.
Prince Charles took a
lead in celebrating the national treasure that bears the name of King James Version, published in May
1611, attain a unique place in the
hearts of English-speaking people.
Translation Gains Momentum
By the middle of the 16th century, a longing for knowledge of the teachings of the
Bible had begun to sweep across Europe. Nearly two centuries earlier, about 1380, John
Wycliffe had whetted the
appetite of the Bible from Latin. In the following two centuries, his
followers, the Lollards, circulated handwritten Bible texts countrywide.
Bible scholar William Tyndale’s New
Testament was another milestone.
It was translated from the original Greek into English by 1525.
Shortly afterward , in 1535, Miles Coverdale produced his
complete English Bible. A year before that, Henry VIII broke relations with
Rome and also made a strategic move. To strengthen his position as head of the
Church of England , Henry VIII authorized a translation of the Bible into
English. It is was known as a large
volume in heavy Gothic type.
Puritans and other
Protestant exiles from all over Europe settle in Geneva, Switzerland. In 1560 the Geneva Bible in
easy-to-read type, was produced, with chapters divided into verses. It Europe
and quickly became popular. Eventually,
in the 1576, Geneva
Bible was also printed in England. Maps and marginal notes helped clarify its
text. But some of its reader was irritated by its notes because these spoke against
the papacy.
Meeting a Challenge
Because the Great Bible
failed to gain general acceptance and the Geneva Bible contained contentious
footnotes, a revised Bible was decided
upon. The Great Bible was chosen as its basis. The task was entrusted to Church
of England bishops, and in 1568 the
Bishops’ Bible was published. This was a large volume, replete with many
engravings. But Calvinists, who repudiated religious titles, took exception to the word “bishop.” So the
Bishops’ Bible was not generally
accepted in England.
King James I, after ascending the English
throne in 1603,* endorsed the making of a fresh Bible translation. He Stipulated
that it should commend itself to all by omitting any offensive notes or
comments. {* James
was born in 1566 and was crowned in 1567 as James VI of Scotland. When he was
crowned King James I of England in 1603, he
became the ruler of both countries. In 1604 He took the title “King of Great
Britain”}
King James promoted
the project. Eventually, 47 scholars in six separate groups across the country
prepared sections of both Tyndale and
Coverdale, these Bible scholars basically revised the Bishops’’ Geneva Bible
and the Romans Catholic Rheims New Testament of 1582.
James himself was a
respected Bible scholar, and the translation‘s dedication to “the most high and
mighty prince, James” acknowledge his initiative. As head of the Church of
England, James was seen to be exerting his authority to
bring the nation together.
A Literacy Masterpiece
The Clergy were pleased
to receive from the hand of their king a Bible “appointed to be read in Churches.” However, the question remained, how would the
nation received this new Bible translation?
The translators, in their
original extended preface, revealed their apprehensions as to whether this new
translation would be accepted. However, King
James Version fared well, even though it took some 30 years for it to
supplant the Geneva Bible in the affections of the people.
“By that time,” says The
Bible and the Anglo-Saxon People,
“it was the Authorized Version, though its only authorization had been its own
excellence.” The Cambridge History of Bible concludes:
“It text acquired sanctity properly ascribable only to the
unmediated voice of God; to multitudes of English-speaking Christians it has
seemed little less than blasphemy to tamper with the words of the King James Version.”
To the Ends of the Earth
To early settlers from
England who landed in North America brought with them the Geneva Bible. Later,
however, the King James Version
gained greater acceptance in America. As the British Empire expanded throughout
the world, Protestant missionaries spread its use. Since many who translated the
Bible into local languages were unfamiliar with Biblical History of Greek, the
King James Version in English became the basis for these local translations.
Today according to the
British Library, “The King James, or
Authorized, version of the Bible remains the most widely published text in the
English language.” Some estimates put
the number of copies of put the number of copies of the King James Version produced in print worldwide at over one billion!
Time for Change
Over the centuries, many
have believed that the King James Version
is “true” Bible. In 1870, work on a full revision
of it started in England. Later a minor American revision of the resulting English
Revised version was published as the American Standard Version*.
{See the accompanying box “The American Standard Version”}
In a more recent revision , in 1982, the preface to revised Authorized
Version says that effort was made “to maintain that lyrical quality which is so
highly regarded in the Authorized Version” of 1611.
Although the Bible remains
the World’s best seller – and the King James Version is the most popular one – Professor
Richard G. Moulton observed: “We have done almost everything that is possible with these Hebrew and
Greek writings …. We have translated them and revised the translation …… There
is yet one thing left to with the Bible: simply to read it.”
Without question the King James Version is a literary
masterpiece, appreciated and valued for its unparalleled beauty of expression.
But what about the importance message? The Bible’s inspired writing reveal the
lasting remedy for the problem of our critical times.
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