Church History · 1982

The New King James Version

In 1982 Thomas Nelson published the New King James Version, a careful update of the 1611 King James Bible. It dropped thee and thou but kept the same Greek text behind the King James New Testament, the Textus Receptus.

Read it in the Bible: Isaiah 40:8 Matthew 24:35 Psalm 119:89 Daniel 11:32

The New King James Version, or NKJV, is a modern update of the King James Bible, published in full by Thomas Nelson in 1982. About 130 scholars, pastors and church leaders worked on it over seven years. It replaced old words like thee, thou and thy with modern English, but it kept the King James style and the same Greek text behind the King James New Testament, called the Textus Receptus. For people who love the King James but trip over its 400 year old English, the NKJV is a bridge.

Why Was the NKJV Made?

By the 1970s, many new Bibles like the RSV, NASB and NIV were based on a different Greek text, put together from the oldest manuscripts found in the 1800s and 1900s. Some Christians felt that these new Bibles had drifted too far from the King James, both in wording and in which verses they included.

Sam Moore, the president of Thomas Nelson Publishers, wanted a Bible that kept the King James tradition but spoke clearly to modern readers. Work began in 1975. Arthur Farstad served as executive editor. The New Testament was published in 1979, the Psalms in 1980 and the full Bible in 1982. A minor revision followed in 1984.

What Is the Textus Receptus?

Textus Receptus is Latin for received text. It is the name for the printed Greek New Testament editions that came from Erasmus in 1516 and were refined by later editors like Stephanus and Beza. The King James translators used it in 1611.

Most modern Bibles use a critical text instead. It is built by comparing thousands of manuscripts, giving extra weight to the oldest ones, like Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus. In a handful of places, the two texts differ, such as the end of Mark 16, the story of the woman caught in adultery in John 8 and 1 John 5:7.

Here is what makes the NKJV special. It follows the Textus Receptus in the main text, but its footnotes show where the critical text and the Majority Text read differently. Farstad said they did not label any one text as best, so readers could judge for themselves. That is a very Berean move.

The Owner's Manual takes a similar honest approach. Verses that are missing from the oldest copies stay in the text inside square brackets, so you see the verse and you also know the oldest manuscripts lack it.

How Is the NKJV Different From the KJV?

No more thee and thou. Old forms like thou art and he saith became you are and he says.
Updated words. Words whose meaning changed were replaced. For example, the King James uses conversation where it means way of life, and prevent where it means go before.
Capital letters for God. Pronouns that refer to God, like He and His, are capitalized.
Same sound. Where possible, the NKJV kept the King James rhythm, so many famous verses sound familiar.

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

What Is the 21st Century King James Version?

In 1994 a small publisher called Deuel Enterprises, of Gary, South Dakota, released the 21st Century King James Version, or KJ21. It goes even lighter than the NKJV. It keeps thee and thou and the old grammar. It only swaps out words that no one understands anymore, using Webster's dictionary as a guide. For example, astonied becomes stunned, and cockatrice becomes adder.

So if the King James is a classic car, the KJ21 is the same car with new tires, and the NKJV is the same model rebuilt with a modern engine. All three still get you to the same place.

Is the NKJV a Good Translation?

Many pastors, especially in Baptist, Pentecostal and nondenominational churches, use the NKJV in the pulpit because it is accurate, familiar and easy to read out loud. People who prefer the critical text say a modern Bible should follow the oldest manuscripts in the main text, not just the footnotes. On the other side, some King James Only believers say no update should replace the 1611 text at all.

Most Bible scholars agree that the differences between these Greek texts are small and that no major Christian teaching depends on any disputed verse. The NKJV is widely seen as a solid, faithful translation.

Why Does the NKJV Matter for You?

The NKJV shows that you do not have to choose between beauty and clarity. It keeps the music of the King James while letting you understand the words. The Owner's Manual does something similar. It starts from the Berean Standard Bible and brings back some classic King James wording where it is faithful and still clear, like the people who know their God will be strong and do exploits in Daniel 11:32.

Whatever version you pick up, the promise does not change. Jesus said His words will never pass away.

Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. Matthew 24:35

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Questions People Ask

When did the NKJV come out?

Thomas Nelson published the NKJV New Testament in 1979, the Psalms in 1980 and the complete Bible in 1982. A minor revision followed in 1984.

Is the NKJV the same as the KJV?

No. The NKJV updates the King James Version's old English, removing thee and thou and replacing words whose meanings changed. It keeps the same Greek text behind the New Testament, the Textus Receptus, and much of the King James style.

What Greek text does the NKJV use?

The NKJV New Testament follows the Textus Receptus, the same Greek text the King James used. Its footnotes show where the critical text and the Majority Text read differently, so readers can compare.

What is the KJ21?

The 21st Century King James Version, published in 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, is a very light update of the King James. It keeps thee and thou and the old grammar but replaces words that are no longer understood.

Sources

← The New International Version The Message and the New Living Translation →

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