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The King James Version. A Study of Translations. “If the King James Version was good enough for the apostle Paul, it is good enough for me.”. “My King James Version corrects your Greek text.”. There is no perfect English Translation available. KJV - Strengths. Beauty and Poetry
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The King James Version A Study of Translations
“If the King James Version was good enough for the apostle Paul, it is good enough for me.”
KJV - Strengths • Beauty and Poetry • Elizabethan / Shakespearean style of language
KJV - Strengths • Accuracy • KJV – Dynamic Equivalence • Attempts to convey the thought expressed in a source text • Does not give the most literal translation, but allows translators to work with speech patterns of the current time
KJV - Weaknesses • Paraphrase • The use of paraphrase is a simple fact of translation • However the abuse of paraphrase must be avoided
KJV - Weaknesses • Paraphrase • “Let the king live” • “God save the king” • 1 Samuel 10:24
1 Samuel 10:24 “And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.”
2 Samuel 16:16 “And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, God save the king, God save the king.”
KJV - Weaknesses • Paraphrase • “Then Abraham gave up the ghost …” • Genesis 25:8 • A liberal paraphrase of a verb which simply means “to breathe out; die, expire”
KJV - Inaccuracies • Psalm 8:5 “thou hast made him a little lower than the angels …” • “elohim” which means “God, gods” • Correctly translated in Psalm 138:1 “I will praise thee with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.”
KJV - Inaccuracies • Genesis 12:19 “Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.”
KJV - Inaccuracies • Genesis 12:19 “Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: …” • Hebrew text actually reads “I took her” • Change the tense – change the meaning
KJV - Inaccuracies • 2 Corinthians 2:17 “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” • “kapeleuo” – “huckster, peddler; to make a trade of: - peddling
KJV - Inaccuracies • James 3:2 “For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” • “For we all stumble in many ways”
KJV - Inaccuracies • “agape” is used over 300 times in the New Testament • KJV renders it “love” in most cases • However, renders it “charity” in 26 different locations
Archaeology & the KJV • Almost 400 years since 1611 • Many important discoveries made • More information available now than they had available to them
Archaeology & the KJV • Joshua 11:13 “But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them…” • Hebrew speaks of cities “standing on their mounds” • ASV, NASB-U & NKJV translate it correctly
Archaeology & the KJV • 1 Kings 10:28 “And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.”
Archaeology & the KJV • 1 Kings 10:28 • Hebrew - “Kue” is translated “linen yarn” • “Kue” was actually a location in Cilicia where Solomon purchased his horses
Archaeology & the KJV • 1 Kings 10:28 “Also Solomon's import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king's merchants procured them from Kue for a price.” [NASB-U]
Archaeology & the KJV • 1 Kings 16:33 “And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.”
Archaeology & the KJV • 1 Kings 16:33 “And Ahab made a grove;…” • What’s wrong with that? • Original word “Asherah”, a Phoenician goddess common in Canaan • Truthfully, he made an idol
Archaeology & the KJV • In 17th century England, it was normal to light a “candle” and place it on a “candlestick” • In 1st century Palestine, oil lamps were used and placed on lampstands
Archaeology & the KJV • Matthew 5:15 “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.”
Archaeology & the KJV • Matthew 5:15 “nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.” [NASB-U]
Lack of Uniformity in KJV • Unnecessary confusion is created in a translation when a name or place is spelled in more than one way
Lack of Uniformity in KJV • Note just a few examples: • Sheth – Seth • Agar – Hagar • Jeremiah – Jeremias – Jeremie • Jonah – Jona – Jonas • Isaiah – Esaias – Esay • Hosea – Osee
Lack of Uniformity in KJV • Most versions simplify the matter by adopting one form of a name or place and using it consistently throughout. • Admittedly, some Greek and Hebrew words can have different shades of meaning and should be reflected in the translation.
Lack of Uniformity in KJV • Variety for the sake of variety can lead to confusion • “dabhar” – rendered by 84 different English words in the KJV • “katargeo” appears 27 times in the NT and in the KJV is rendered by 17 different English words.
Lack of Uniformity in KJV • “logizomai” is translated by three different words in one chapter • Romans 4:3, 9, 22-23
Romans 4:3 “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.”
Romans 4:9 “Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.”
Romans 4:22-23 “And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;”
Lack of Uniformity in KJV • “logizomai” is translated by three different words in one chapter • Romans 4:3, 9, 22-23 • ASV – “reckoned” in all four instances • NASB-U – “credited” in all four • NKJV – “accounted” for three, but keeps “imputed” for the last
“Understandest thou what thou readest?” • “How shall men meditate on that which they do not understand” • Goal was to give the word of God to the people in a form that could be readily understood by the common man
“Understandest thou what thou readest?” • Genesis 25:29 “And Jacob sod pottage” • He cooked pottage or made a stew • Psalm 5:6 “Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing” • falsehood
“Understandest thou what thou readest?” • Luke 17:9 “Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.” • I think not
“Understandest thou what thou readest?” • 2 Corinthians 6:12 “Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels.” • “straitened” – “restrained” • “bowels” – “affections”
“Understandest thou what thou readest?” • “ouches of gold” – Exodus 28:11 • Filligree settings
“Understandest thou what thou readest?” • “ouches of gold” – Exodus 28:11 • “wimples, crisping pins and glasses” – Isaiah 3:22-23 • Cloaks, money-purses, and hand mirrors
“Understandest thou what thou readest?” • “ouches of gold” – Exodus 28:11 • “wimples, crisping pins and glasses” – Isaiah 3:22-23 • “tabering upon their breasts” – Nahum 2:7 • beating