Church History · 1611

The King James Bible

King James I ordered a new English Bible at the Hampton Court Conference in 1604, and 47 scholars finished it in 1611. Built largely on Tyndale, it included the Apocrypha, and most copies today follow Benjamin Blayney's 1769 edition.

Read it in the Bible: Psalm 12:6-7 Isaiah 40:8 2 Timothy 3:16-17 1 Peter 1:23-25

The King James Bible was published in 1611 after about seven years of work by 47 scholars, at the order of King James I of England. It was meant to be one Bible that both Puritans and bishops in the Church of England could accept. The first edition had 80 books, including the Apocrypha, and no study notes. Much of its wording came from William Tyndale. For more than 300 years it was the Bible of the English speaking world, and it is still one of the most read books on earth.

Why Did King James Want a New Bible?

When James became king of England in 1603, the country had two main Bibles. Churches used the official Bishops' Bible. Families mostly read the Geneva Bible, which was more accurate and much more popular, but it had notes James did not like. He thought some of them taught people to resist kings.

In January 1604 James held a meeting at Hampton Court Palace between the bishops and Puritan leaders. A Puritan scholar named John Reynolds proposed a new translation. The bishops were not excited, but James loved the idea. It would unite the church and replace the Geneva notes in one move.

Who Translated the King James Bible?

About 54 scholars were approved, and 47 did most of the work. They were split into six companies, two each at Westminster, Oxford and Cambridge. Each company took a section of the Bible. Their drafts were then checked by the other companies and a final review committee. The translators included some of the best Hebrew and Greek scholars in England, like Lancelot Andrewes, famous for his deep prayer life, and John Bois, who could read the Hebrew Bible by age six.

Richard Bancroft, then Bishop of London and soon Archbishop of Canterbury, gave them a set of rules. They were to start from the Bishops' Bible and change it only where the Hebrew or Greek required it. They were to keep traditional church words, like church instead of congregation. And there would be no notes in the margins, except to explain Hebrew or Greek words or show cross references. They were also told to consult Tyndale, Coverdale, Matthew's Bible, the Great Bible and the Geneva Bible.

How Much of the King James Bible Came From Tyndale?

A lot. One study found that about 83 percent of the King James New Testament matches Tyndale's wording, and much of his Old Testament work also survived. Tyndale had been strangled and burned in 1536 for translating the Bible. Seventy five years later, his words became the most famous Bible in the English language. The translators themselves said in their preface that they never meant to make a new translation from scratch, but to make a good one better.

Did the King James Bible Include the Apocrypha?

Yes. The 1611 edition had 39 Old Testament books, 14 books of the Apocrypha placed between the Testaments and 27 New Testament books, for 80 in all. Like Luther and the Geneva Bible, it kept the Apocrypha in a separate section instead of mixing those books in. Over time printers left the Apocrypha out to save money, and by the 1800s most Protestant editions had dropped it. You can read about that change in the article on the Apocrypha leaving Bibles.

What Happened to the Geneva Bible?

The King James Bible did not win overnight. Many families kept reading the Geneva Bible for decades. The Pilgrims took the Geneva Bible to America in 1620, not the King James. Few genuine Geneva Bibles were printed in England after 1616, and in 1637 Archbishop William Laud banned printing and importing it. The last Geneva edition came out in Amsterdam in 1644. After that the King James Bible became the Bible of England.

Is the King James Bible I Own the 1611 Version?

Probably not exactly. The first printings had many small errors. One famous 1631 printing left out a single word in the Ten Commandments and told readers to commit adultery. It became known as the Wicked Bible, and the printers were heavily fined.

Cambridge University put out corrected editions in 1629 and 1638. Over the next century more corrections were made. In 1769 Benjamin Blayney of Oxford produced an edition that updated spelling and punctuation and fixed many printing errors. Most King James Bibles sold today follow the 1769 Blayney text. The words are nearly the same, but the spelling is quite different. The 1611 edition printed words like sonne, shee and Iesus.

Why Do Some Christians Use Only the King James Bible?

Some Christians believe the King James Bible is the most faithful English translation, partly because it is based on the Textus Receptus and the traditional Hebrew text. Some go further and hold that it is the only reliable English Bible. Others love the King James but also use modern translations based on older manuscripts found since 1611, like the Berean Standard Bible used in The Owner's Manual. Both groups share a deep respect for the Word of God. You can read the King James Version on this site and compare it for yourself.

The words of Yahweh are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace, like gold purified sevenfold. Psalm 12:6

Why It Matters for You Today

The King James Bible shaped the English language more than any other book except perhaps Shakespeare. Phrases like a labor of love, the skin of my teeth and the powers that be come from it or were made famous by it. But its real power was never its beautiful words. It was the God who speaks through them.

The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever. Isaiah 40:8

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Questions People Ask

When was the King James Bible written?

King James I approved the project at the Hampton Court Conference in January 1604. The translators worked for about seven years, and the King James Bible was first published in 1611 by the royal printer Robert Barker.

How many people translated the King James Bible?

Forty seven scholars did the main work, organized into six companies at Westminster, Oxford and Cambridge. About 54 were originally approved for the project.

Did the 1611 King James Bible have the Apocrypha?

Yes. The original 1611 King James Bible had 80 books, including 14 books of the Apocrypha placed between the Old and New Testaments. Later printings usually left them out.

Which edition of the King James Bible is used today?

Most King James Bibles printed today follow the 1769 Oxford edition by Benjamin Blayney, which standardized the spelling and punctuation and corrected printing errors from earlier editions.

Sources

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