When originally printed, the King James Version had its
printing errors, but was noted by the King’s efforts to unite his Monarchy as
an appeal to bring Puritans, Protestants, and Catholics together. James’ mother
was Catholic, but his education decidedly Calvanistic. Prior to becoming King,
he was for 37 years “head” of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. After
becoming King, James was notorious for interfering in matters of church and
state. While “guided” by Greek and Hebrew Texts, the King James Version, it was
not as touted by many translated directly from the original languages. Neither
did the translation use the common English of the day in its printing, but
rather a conglomeration of previous versions (Tyndale, Coverdale, Great Bible
and Geneva Bible) and the language that they used. When its first printing in 1609 contained so
many errors that its printer Richard Barker was fined 300 Pounds Sterling and a
reprint was demanded. During this time,
Barker’s cousin Bonham Norton was supposed to have sabotaged its printing. Not many know, that there were actually two
1611 Versions of the King James Bible, one known as the “He” Version and the
other as the “She” Version for their different readings on Ruth 3:15 (“And
he/she went into the city”) and Mt.26:36 (“Then commeth Judas/Jesus unto a
place called Gethsemane”). Midst all
the controversy the Bible was “approved to be read in Churches,” but never
received official license of the King. Its claim for official authority was an
attempt to fulfill the Constitutions of 1408 (The previous Bishop’s Bible
contained in the title page “Authorized and appointed to be read in Churches) that
forbade the reading of any unauthorized version. It became known as the “Authorized Version”
so it could be read, but there is no evidence that it ever received any
official pronouncement or acceptance by the King himself. Regardless, it was published under this
auspice and unlike any of its predecessors, has continued to be printed since.
It was not until 1881 that another “version” of the Bible
would be printed, the English Revised Version, which opened the door for the 20th
Century Versions. However in 1769 the KJV underwent a Revision to bring it into
more “modern” English of the day. Coupled with efforts from the Cambridge
Paragraph Bible, the Revised Standard Version was born. Yet, it was simply that, a revision of the
KJV making editorial changes. In 1885 the English Revised Version became the
first to actually revise the text itself. In 1901, the American Standard Version was
released when the 14 year agreement between the American and British teams translating
the English Revised Version expired, and the Revised Version, Standard American
Edition (AKA The ASV Bible) was published by Thomas Nelson & Sons that
same year. It was copyrighted in North America to ensure the purity of the ASV
text, not necessarily for accuracy but in substituting American vocabulary for
British Elizabethan. In 1928, the
International Council of Religious Education (the body that later merged with
the Federal Council of Churches to form the National Council of Churches)
acquired the copyright from Nelson and renewed it the following year.
Essentially, it was the text of the English Revised Version, but credit must be
given to its committee and publishers for correcting the errors facilitated by
the KJV translation rules that “that the translation adopt language supportive
of episcopacy” (Historical Dictionary, p. 174).
The transliteration “Baptize” was more correctly changed to “Immerse”
and the indiscriminate use of “Hell” was changed to its more correct use within
the context of statements made. Most notable was the presence of Brooke Foss
Westcott and Fenton John Anthony Hort on
the committee of translation, whose work on the New Testament in the original
Greek was predominate and used over the traditional Textus Receptus (Latin:
"received text") is the name subsequently given to the succession of
printed Greek texts of the New Testament which constituted the translation base
for the original German Luther Bible. The push for greater accuracy had begun.
We have seen a plethora of Bible’s since. The question is….which is the best and most
accurate? Here are some considerations and tips for you:
- Most popular – doesn’t mean most accurate. Be careful of paraphrase Bibles (i.e. The Message, The Living Bible, Good News Bible) Extracting the meanings of things can be even more difficult or they can give a meaning that can be misleading. They can be used, but used with caution and great care to appeal to more accurate versions should be read side by side with them.
- Modern – doesn’t mean correct! Even newer versions such as the Common English Version or New International Version must be read with care. They are simpler to read or the English reader, but again must be read side by side with one that is more accurate to text to gain the idea of the original writers.
- Get a STUDY BIBLE! – If you are serious about wanting to learn the scripture, then this is a MUST! A Study Bible has footnotes, Center Notes and Marginal Notes that can be helpful, and a good “translation” can give you different readings in the margins. If you are going to spend money on a Bible, then get a GOOD one that will help you learn and expand your knowledge and understanding.
- TRANSLATION? – Be careful. There are few “Translations” of the Bible – most are revisions or paraphrases. If accuracy is important (which it is for the serious Bible learner) then stick with more renowned and proven Bibles such as the King James Version, American Standard Version, New American Standard Version. Each have their quirks, but are more accurate than other lesser known Bibles. To say one is “best” is subjective. There is no one single translation of the Bible that stands head and shoulders above the rest. If I were to personally recommend a Bible translation of the more modern issues, the English Standard Version (ESV) would be it. The ESV Study Bible with its contained margins and footnotes, can easily reference the original work in Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew. The New King James (NKJ) Study Bible is also good. Ultimately though, it is up to you to choose the one you are most comfortable with and can understand the best. Just be prepared to do the one thing God expects you to do regardless "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth." (2 Tm.2:15 ESV)
Jim
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