King james did not write the bible, but because he was the king of england at the time the bible was translated into english 16041611 it was his name that was published onto the only english bible. The king james bible was, and is for all practical purposes, a government publication. Commissioned by king james i, it is also known as the king james version. The queen james gay bible katherine infantine first. It was done in the seventeenth century long after the bible was written.
In 1604, king james i of england authorized a new translation of the bible into english to be started. In fact, the bible is a diverse collection of writings from about 40 main contributors30 in the old testament and 10 in the new testament. In 1604, at the hampton court conference, james authorized theologians to start a new translation for all englishspeaking parishes. T he accusation that king james i, who authorized the king james bible, was a homosexual has often been made, but we need to be cautious about accepting it. James warmed to a new translation because he despised the then popular geneva bible. The bible is the word of god written for his people, spanning 66 books in the old and new testaments combined. As a result he is the most often quoted royal monarch of all time. To answer your question who wrote the king james bible, ultimately god is the writer of the bible and the one who preserves it for people like you and me until this present day. King james had many enemies the roman catholics attempted to assassinate king james in 1605 in what is known as the gunpowder plot. It is likely the most famous translation of the bible and was the standard english bible for nearly three centuries. Many people think that because king james was a homosexual, that somehow discredits his version of the bible kjv. The recently released queen james bible, according to its publishers, is a new version that is translated in a way that makes homophobic interpretations impossible.
The geneva bible was last printed in 1644, but the notes continued to be published with the king james text. In fact, lifeway conducted a survey some years ago. Authorized king james version kjv of the bible the preserved and living word of god. The preface of the kjv dedicates the work to the most high and mighty prince james, by the grace of. King james iv of scotland who became king james 1 of england in 1603, authorised a number of scholars to come up with a new translation of the bible. Thus, in 1603, king james called 54 of historys most learned men together to accomplish this great task. King james sponsored the kjv translation of the bible he did not write the bible himself. These are indeed strange statements from someone given to homosexuality.
Up to and including 1,000 verses may be quoted in printed form as long as the verses quoted amount to less than 50% of a complete book of the bible and make up less than 50% of the total work in which. He wrote love letters to his wife and obviously enjoyed her most intimate company. Insisting that shakespeare actually wrote the king james bible in 1611 is like 400 years from now, insisting that alan bennet wrote the message bible, or stephen king wrote the niv, enid blyton wrote the good news bible, jk rowling the icb and that the esv is the work of melvin bragg or stephen fry maybe both. A historical work and important read for scholars of religion, this book allows readers to study the beliefs and ideas and king james. However, the story behind the creation of this bible translation is little known and reveals an amazing interplay of faith and politics, church and state. How the king james bible came to be 10th june 1953. They were divided into six groups, each group given a portion. You can browse the kjv bible verses by using the chapters listed below, or use our bible search feature at the top of this page. There are many false narratives or myths regarding the history of the king james bible. The book of james is the ultimate description of the relationship between faith and works. The origins of the king james bible smart news smithsonian. King james sought out 54 of the best biblical scholars of the day to translate the bible. In this article, ryan reeves explores three notable.
Three myths about the king james bible the gospel coalition. King james version, an english translation of the bible published in 1611 under king. Who was the king james that the king james version of the. Who wrote the new king james version of the bible answers. For believers, it is a part of the new testament canon and from this derives its importance. The king james version was accomplished by teams of scholars and churchmen working by committee at oxford, cambridge, and westminster. King james version kjv, also called authorized version or king james bible, english translation of the bible published in 1611 under the auspices of king james i of england. Dec 06, 2018 the next answers to the question of who wrote the bible come from the books of joshua, judges, samuel, and kings, generally believed to have been written during the babylonian captivity in the middle of the sixth century b. King james wrote more books than any royal monarch of any nation. Mar 21, 2012 the new king james version of the bible was translated from the same type of old manuscripts that formed the original king james version. A long way from jesus the second reason some used to mock the use of the kjv bible is its publication date. Daniel wallaces essay titled why i do not think the king james bible is the best translation available today. Published in 1611, the king james bible spread quickly throughout europe.
Homosexuality was first mentioned in the bible in 1946, in the revised standard version. The council of trent in 1546 met to consider doctrines and published a list of books, which were to be considered canonical, that is, to be included in. It was known originally as the authorized version av of the. There were no tell all books published after the fact. Traditionally believed to have been written by joshua and samuel themselves, theyre now often lumped in with deuteronomy due to their similar style and language. The real king james was a respected scholar and an influential author. So if some folks tell you that king james sat down and translated the bible into english himself, let them know youve got some swamp land in florida to sell them. King james wrote a dissertation titled daemonologie that was first sold in 1597, several years prior to the first publication of the king james authorized version of the bible. The next year king james bible, with no possessive, appears as a name in a scottish source. It matters what the 47 scholars who did the translating from hebrew and greek into the king james version asserted about their work. Now available for the first time in 394 years, this is the bible the pilgrims carried when they landed on plymouth rock in 1620. There is absolutely no legitimate historical evidence to indicate that he was. It was in 1611 that the socalled king james version kjv of the bible was made available. Traditionally believed to have been written by joshua and samuel themselves, theyre now often lumped in with deuteronomy due to their.
Reynolds moved his majesty that there might be a new translation of the bible because those which were allowed in the reign of king henry viii and king edward vi were corrupt and not answerable to the truth of the original. Who was the king james that the king james version of the bible is named after. King james bible version search and read scripture online. There were translators led by the executive editor. Many people contributed to the writing of the bible. The 1769 edition is most commonly cited as the king james version kjv. Subsequent versions of the bible were likewise eclipsed, for the authorized version was the bible until the advent of the revised version and ensuing modern translations. Bible the story of the king james version 16112011 oxford, gordon campbell, oxford university press 2010. Actually, since he fathered eight children, he couldnt have been much of a homosexual. King james i of england, who authorized the translation of the now famous king james bible, was considered by many to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, monarchs that england has ever seen. Within three short books james wrote a philosophical dissertation in the form of a socratic dialogue for the purpose of making arguments and comparisons between magic.
They had disagreements, to be sure, but they labored on, year after year. Oct 16, 2015 the earliest known draft of the king james bible has been unearthed at the university of cambridge, writes jennifer schuessler for the new york times, and its being lauded as a critical find. At a time when only the churches of england possessed the bible in english, king james desire was that the common people should have the bible in their native tongue. Apr 28, 2010 even today, many consider the king james bible the ultimate translation in english and will allow none other for use in church or personal devotions. People have often wondered if william shakespeare had any involvement in the most important writing project of his time, the translation and prepartation of the king james bible. First, king james i of england was a devout believer in the divine right of kings, a philosophy ingrained in him by his mother, mary stuart. Who wrote the king james version of the bible answers.
Jerome 5th century translated the bible into latin, called the vulgate, which has become the official roman catholic bible. The enormously influential king james bible took its cue from this tradition. King james bible the history the king james bible, published in 1611, was englands authorized version of the bible translated from the original hebrew and greek languages into english at the request of king james i of england. Prior to ruling england, james was king james vi of scotland. A poem written by king james to his homosexual love interest pictured above, esme stuart. The king james bible is clear in reflecting the bibles strong statements condemning homosexuality. Jesus christ is the only way to god home for hundreds of articles. In fact, in the kjv, youll find the title translated as it was found in some manuscripts. It is important to note that the founding documents leading to the making of the king james bible were written during the 1,260 years. He only uses men to speak it and write it down, and he also uses men to preserve it. Was shakespeare one of the translators of the king james bible.
They were divided into six groups, each group given a. The king james version kjv, also known as the king james bible kjb or simply the authorized version av, is an english translation of the christian bible for the church of england, was commissioned in 1603 and completed as well as published in 1611 under the sponsorship of james vi and i. The bible is a library of ancient documents that have been written and collected over the course of thousands of years by multiple authors. King james i 1566 1625 james vi and i 19 june 1566 27 march 1625 was king of scots as james vi, and king of england and king of ireland as james i. The first issue of the first edition of the authorised version of the english bible, printed in london in 1611 by robert barker. For such a diverse group, they worked together in harmony during a generally contentious time.
The council of trent in 1546 met to consider doctrines and published a list of books, which were to be considered canonical, that is, to be included in the bible. We actually have quite a few articles relating to the kjv in our bible issues section. Several versions of the king james bible kjv were produced in 1611,1629, 1638, 1762, and 1769. In 1597, king james vi of scotland and i of england, who commissioned the king james bible, wrote demonology, setting out his beliefs on satan and witches. This post is taken from appendix 1 of rebooting the bible. It is called the king james because that monarch commissioned its translation and proclaimed it to be the official bible of the british empire. The bible is the holy scripture of the christian religion, purporting to tell the history of the earth from its earliest creation to the spread of christianity in the first century a.
The king james version of the bible is also called the authorized version, because the translation was authorized by king james i of england. The earliest known draft of the king james bible has been unearthed at the university of cambridge, writes jennifer schuessler for the new york times, and its being lauded as a critical find. There were several reasons for the king james bible being a government publication. It is a document of an uncertain age, written sometime between 55 and 100 c. The story behind the king james bible christianity. In the united states, the 1611 translation actually editions. Then king darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth. A number of the most wellknown phrases in the english language originated not in novels, plays, or poems but in a seminal translation of the bible, the king james version kjv, which was published in 1611 at the. Nelson initiates the creation of a new bible translationthe new king james version. A 1616 printed king james bible translated by james i on display at the folger shakespeare library in washington, d. The war over the bible was a major part of the unrest. The king james version translation of the bible, which was sponsored by king james, does not in any way weaken the biblical statements about homosexuality.
They say that because king james was a homosexual, he probably tampered with the scriptures in order to help protect himself and his homosexuality. I am also trying to find out the difference between the old king james version and the new king james version. It is clear the nkjv made thomas nelson publishers a lot of money. Dec 17, 2012 t he accusation that king james i, who authorized the king james bible, was a homosexual has often been made, but we need to be cautious about accepting it. Who was the king james of the king james version of the bible. This video looks at some of the popular misunderstandings about the king james bible, without raising debate over the kjvonly. The same critics who decry examinations of the lives of westcott and hort as ad hominem attacks gleefully slander king james and by association deride the bible translation that now bears his name.
King jamesvi of scotlandi of england, by antonia fraser, new york 1975 the 1599 geneva bible. Because of the wealth of resources devoted to the project, it was the most faithful and scholarly translation to date. Jun 19, 2017 the king james bible, one of the most printed books ever, transformed the english language, coining everyday phrases like the root of all evil. It is the best selling book of all time with over 50 billion copies sold and distributed. It changed thousands of words, ruined valuable verses, and when not agreeing with the king james bible, it has instead copied the perverted niv, nasv or rsv. Church history was shakespeare one of the translators of the king james bible. The four gospels in the king james bible matthew, mark, luke, and john tell the story of jesus life and death and what came. The translation had a marked influence on english literary style and was generally accepted as the standard english bible from the mid17th to the early 20th century.
So ingrained in the mosaic law and its system of works were the jewish christians to whom james wrote that he spent considerable time explaining the difficult truth that no one is justified by the works of the law galatians 2. Vi were corrupt and not answerable to the truth of the original. Why should i read the king james and not the helpful new king james. A handwritten draft of the worlds most famous bible has been discovered in england. Gods perfect word here is a 9 part video series on the history of the bible and why the only true version of the bible is the king james. The next answers to the question of who wrote the bible come from the books of joshua, judges, samuel, and kings, generally believed to have been written during the babylonian captivity in the middle of the sixth century b.
Learn more about the commissioning of the king james bible took place in. Was the kjv or authorized bible ever changed in history since 1611. It was finished in 1611, just 85 years after the first translation of the new testament into english appeared tyndale, 1526. Why we use the king james version of the bible by richard flanders. The text of the new king james version nkjv may be quoted or reprinted without prior written permission, but must meet certain qualifications. One individualrichard bancroft, the archbishop of canterburywas notable for having the role of overseer of the project, something akin to a modern editor of a.
He was the son of joseph, a construction worker who originally lived in nazareth in galilee. King jamesvi of scotlandi of england, by antonia fraser, new york 1975. He is always named next after jesus in lists of jesus brothers, so he was presumably considered to be. James routinely listed homosexuality with witchcraft and murder just as the bible does. According to wycliffe global alliance, at least one portion of scripture has been translated for 3,350 of the 7,099 existing languages. This preservation is promised in variety of places in the bible. The king james version kjv wasnt the first to be printed in english henry viii had authorised the great bible in 1539 and the bishops. Here is what they say on the bible s amazon purchase page.
Today, the king james version of the bible reigns over all other translations and is still is the most popular bible sold. Why you shouldnt care what daniel wallace thinks about the king james bible. Fortyseven scholars were convened, worked for seven years, and produced the king james authorized version of the bible in 1611. Yes, im talking about the king james version kjv bible. This is another question that people often assume is a result of king james being allegedly homosexual. Why the king james bible of 1611 remains the most popular. The task of translation was undertaken by 47 scholars, although 54 were originally approved. Apr 16, 2019 published in 1611, the king james bible spread quickly throughout europe.
Which brings us into the time period of the translation of the holy scriptures to what we know today as the king james version bible. In 1604, king james, himself a religious scholar who had retranslated some of the psalms, sought to unite these factions and his people. He ruled in scotland as james vi from 24 july 1567, when he was only one year old, succeeding his mother mary, queen of scots. I am trying to research and find out who wrote the new king james version of thr bible. A number of the most wellknown phrases in the english language originated not in novels, plays, or poems but in a seminal translation of the bible, the king james version kjv, which was published in 1611 at the behest of king james i of england.
812 1171 1006 1500 1273 71 365 482 213 868 88 1213 907 938 1006 196 556 260 487 1472 1087 98 58 576 1293 475 1136 339 1212 1185 1380 1189 605