Very few books have had a profound impact on humanity and hold an enduring, influential place in people’s minds and behaviors, such as the King James Bible. It was published in 1611 under the patronage of King James VI and I. It shaped not only religious life for centuries but also the very contours of English literature and everyday language, poetry, prose, and literature of all kinds. Yet, it contains flaws—many of them. 

The King James Bible was translated by a group of about 47 scholars, divided into six committees at Oxford, Cambridge, and Westminster. Each committee was responsible for translating a specific portion of the Bible. While the King James Bible was a massive new project in itself, it built on the earlier work of translators like William Tyndale, who was the first to translate the Bible into English from the original Hebrew and Greek.

William Tyndale (born in 1494) was an English scholar and translator who produced one of the first printed English translations of the Bible. He was martyred in 1536 for translating the Bible into English, since it was illegal at the time. Nevertheless, his work became the foundation for many subsequent English Bibles, including the King James Bible. Like the KJB, Tyndale’s translations and writings significantly influenced the English language and theology.

His murder was tragic and ironic. Ironic because the clergy forbade translating the Bible because of their fear that the population would stop listening to what the clergy told them the Bible taught and instead would look into the translation they were given and interpret it based on their preconceived notions and according to what they wanted to see in God’s text, which would be contrary to Church teaching. It is ironic because this is precisely what the tone-deaf clergy and scholars of all religions did with their translations.

One of the KJB’s most significant qualities is its style. Its commitment to rhythm, clarity, and poetic structure continues to resonate in liturgy, hymnody, and public speech. Many people remember phrases like “the powers that be,” “a thorn in the flesh,” and “the valley of the shadow of........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)