Development of the English Bible – The King James Version

Archbishop Richard Bancroft

It was to an emotionally charged hall that King James I of England banged a gavel that would change the course of the Church of England and set on course what has been one of the longest runs of printed Bible.  James succeeded Elizabeth I, the last of the Tudors as King of All Britain, Scotland and Ireland in 1603. His rule was fraught with difficulties, and the religious side had its turmoil as well.  Just two years into his reign, a plot was discovered to kill the King and Parliament and was thwarted. However, James in retaliation sanctioned harsh measures for controlling “non-conforming” English Catholics. In May 1606, Parliament passed the Popish Recusants Act which could require any citizen to take an Oath of Allegiance denying the Pope's authority over the king. James was conciliatory towards Catholics who took the Oath of Allegiance and tolerated crypto-Catholicism even at court, but took harsh measures to insurrectionists.  Puritans on the other hand, demanded, among other things, the abolition of confirmation, wedding rings, and the term "priest", and that the wearing of cap and surplice become optional.  James was at first strict in enforcing conformity, inducing a sense of persecution among many Puritans. In January of 1604, James convened a conference with representatives of the Church of England and the Puritans at Hampton Court Palace.  One of the outcomes of this meeting was James's commissioning of a translation of the Christian Bible into the English vernacular to resolve issues with different translations then being used that was said to be causing discord. It was to this atmosphere that the task of translation was undertaken by 47 scholars, although 54 were originally approved.  All were members of the Church of England and all except Sir Henry Savile were clergy. The scholars worked in six committees, two based in each of the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and Westminster. The committees included scholars with Puritan sympathies, as well as High Churchmen. Yes, it was a translation endeavor; however, James wanted to have a translation that would help him to control that church and the people because of the turmoil.  Thus, the KJV was produced "at his majesty's special command" - for his goals and purposes. To this end, there were fifteen general rules advanced by the King and his Archbishop Richard Bancroft for the guidance of the translators:

1. The ordinary Bible read in the Church, commonly called the Bishops Bible, to be followed, and as little altered as the Truth of the original will permit. (As the first rule indicates, the King James Version is not a fresh word for word translation from original languages, but a revision made of the Bishop’s Bible, using the Greek and Hebrew (and other translations) as guides. Note the list of English translations to be consulted in the fourteenth rule. In point of fact, all the translations mentioned (and the Bishop’s Bible itself) are derived from William Tyndale’s translation of 1526.  Most of the wording of the King James Bible, and of the New Testament in particular, is due to Tyndale. As will be seen in Rule #3, the Bishop’s Bible precluded “a tendency to use the hierarchical terminology of the Anglican Church”)
2. The names of the Prophets, and the Holy Writers, with the other Names of the Text, to be retained, as nigh as may be, accordingly as they were vulgarly used.
3. The Old Ecclesiastical Words to be kept ( viz. the Word Church not to be translated Congregation, etc.  The reason behind this was for the support for ecclesiastical hierarchies to be written into the KJV bible (through the unbiblical concepts 'ranks' and 'ordination' were "written in", without any basis for that in the Hebrew or Greek text).  As “Divine Head” of the Church of England,  James wanted the control of “church” and subjects to be controlled by a hierarchical system and therefore subject to the laws of England and could not have a translation that allowed people to believe that any authority belonged to the common people.  As such, ”Church” was used in place of Congregation or Assembly, “Pastor” was used in place of Shepherd, the transliteration “Baptize” is used in place of Immerse , Hell is used indiscriminately in places where the original languages used “Grave”, “Realm of the Dead” etc. King James I in effect directed “that the translation adopt language supportive of episcopacy” (Historical Dictionary, p. 174). )
4. When a Word hath divers Significations, that to be kept which hath been most commonly used by the most of the Ancient Fathers, being agreeable to the Propriety of the Place, and the Analogy of the Faith.
5. The Division of the Chapters to be altered, either not at all, or as little as may be, if Necessity so require.
6. No Marginal Notes at all to be affixed, but only for the explanation of the Hebrew or Greek Words, which cannot without some circumlocution, so briefly and fitly be expressed in the Text.  (The King James translators avoided including interpretive marginal notes, but did include marginal notes with alternative translations of Greek words that have a range of possible meanings, but only so far as to not pose any contradiction to rule #3.)
7. Such Quotations of Places to be marginally set down as shall serve for the fit Reference of one Scripture to another.
8. Every particular Man of each Company, to take the same Chapter or Chapters, and having translated or amended them severally by himself, where he thinketh good, all to meet together, confer what they have done, and agree for their Parts what shall stand. 
9. As any one Company hath dispatched any one Book in this Manner they shall send it to the rest, to be considered of seriously and judiciously, for His Majesty is very careful in this Point.  (James saw himself as a "heavenly king" with a "divine right" to rule and as such was "not answerable to any man." This belief was first established in England with Henry VIII. In the dedication to King James in the 1611, Thomas Bilson referred to him as “the Most High and Mighty Prince.“   Thus, if upon review the King decided that something was to be changed or altered, then there was to be no question with regard to the change to be made and was to be implemented forthwith.)
10. If any Company, upon the Review of the Book so sent, doubt or differ upon any Place, to send them Word thereof; note the Place, and withal send the Reasons, to which if they consent not, the Difference to be compounded at the general Meeting, which is to be of the chief Persons of each Company, at the end of the Work.
11. When any Place of special Obscurity is doubted of, Letters to be directed by Authority, to send to any Learned Man in the Land, for his Judgment of such a Place.
12. Letters to be sent from every Bishop to the rest of his Clergy, admonishing them of this Translation in hand; and to move and charge as many skillful in the Tongues; and having taken pains in that kind, to send his particular Observations to the Company, either at Westminster, Cambridge, or Oxford.
13. The Directors in each Company are to be the Deans of Westminster, and Chester for that Place; and the King's Professors in the Hebrew or Greek in either University.
14. These translations to be used when they agree better with the Text than the Bishops Bible: Tyndale's, Matthew's, Coverdale's, Whitchurch's, Geneva.
15. Besides the said Directors before mentioned, three or four of the most Ancient and Grave Divines, in either of the Universities, not employed in Translating, to be assigned by the vice-Chancellor, upon Conference with the rest of the Heads, to be Overseers of the Translations as well Hebrew as Greek, for the better observation of the 4th Rule above specified.

The work of the KJV began in 1607 and was finally published in 1611 by the King’s Printer Robert Barker.  For the next 270 years, it had no peer in acceptance among theologians or commoners. In its day, it could be used by Anglicans and Puritans alike. However, it must be noted that while it seems to have been a collaborative effort, this seems to have been a front for the King to attempt to influence peace through an effort of diplomacy to a group that he would then try to force conformity.  Henry Clark noted: “Orders were sent across the country that all the clergy must formally accept the established order of things, from the Royal Supremacy down to the latest item in the Canons of 1604: every precaution was taken to prevent anything in the nature of procrastination or evasion” (History, I, p. 248). Inaccuracies and prejudices would be pointed out to several of those who served on the committees. The Puritan (predominantly Calvinist) movement co-existed with the conforming Church of England in what was generally an accepted form of episcopal Protestant religion. However, the tensions grew and became one of the largest migrations to the New World (America).

It is the most widely read Bible in existence. While not totally accurate to the original Hebrew and Greek, and with written bias, it was the closest of its day. 

Jim