KJV - Opening Statement

[_jskains]

Does anyone actually know an easy link to the original King James Version opening statement from the translators where they stated that the book was not a product of any revelation, rather just a scholarly effort to make an English version of the text?

Thanks,
JMS

[Guest]

The KJV translators maintained that prior translational efforts were salutary to the cause of Christianity. They were, for their part, seeking to make the best document they could from the best hewbrew and Greek MSS available to them. Or, as the introduction has it, to make "a good [English translation] better."



There is no mention of the translation's being considered divine in and of itself, though the translators suggest that they prayed to and trusted God to guide their efforts. Also mentioned are numerous revisions made by the committee prior to publication.

You can view scans of the 1611 KJV here.

[_KimberlyAnn]

JSkains, why do you ask for that information? I'm curious.

CKSalmon kindly answered your request, so I was hoping you would reply with the reason for your inquiry.

KA

[_John Larsen]

I think any suggestion in 1600 that the Bible was not divinely inspired would have been seen as heresy.

John

[_JAK]

Does anyone actually know an easy link to the original King James Version opening statement from the translators where they stated that the book was not a product of any revelation, rather just a scholarly effort to make an English version of the text?

Thanks,
JMS

You might find these of interest.

A Brief History of the King James Bible

Errors In King James 1611 Translation

JAK

[_JAK]

I think any suggestion in 1600 that the Bible was not divinely inspired would have been seen as heresy.

John

They might have been at the time but only within the narrow confines of official Christendom.

The translation was after the fact of many other translations. The idea was to put the Bible in the common man's English. That was largely a mistake by the prevailing church at the time.

It gave access to the Bible. And with the invention of the printing press, that Bible could be read by anyone who had that ability.

Many of the evolving Protestant religions were propelled by the fact that more and more people were actually reading the scripts. As a result and with all the internal contradictions in the KJV, we now have the historically fractured religion of Christianity.

JAK