What Is the King James Version of the Bible? History and Influence of the KJV

The King James Version of the Bible, or KJV, originally released in 1611, is one of the bestselling and most popular Bible translations of all time. Though the KJV is not, of course, the original Bible (which was not written in English) — nor was it the first English translation — its influence on the language, literature, government, law, culture, and morality of the English-speaking world is immense and unrivaled by any other work or author (sorry, Mr. Shakespeare).

But how did it come to be? Why is it named after King James (and who was King James)? What are some of the ways it influenced our culture? And what is its legacy today?

This post will answer all these questions about the KJV, from its origins in the English Reformation to its complex, enduring legacy and the effect it has had not only on other Bible translations but on our language and culture as a whole.

Origins of the KJV

The King James Bible had its origins in the English Reformation and the related demand for vernacular Bibles among Protestants.

Beginnings of the Reformation

The Reformation began in the early 16th century, as calls for reform within the Catholic Church gained momentum. When German priest Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses in 1517, it set off a long-building tinderbox and began the Protestant Reformation.

Among Martin Luther’s (and, later, John Calvin’s) reforms was the insistence on sola scriptura: the idea that scripture along was sufficient for understanding Christian faith, and everyone should be able to read it in their own language.

Before the Reformation, all church services were held in Latin by Catholic priests — and most common folk had no idea what they were saying. Now, everyone wanted the Word. And with the advent of the printing press around the same time, they could get it.

The Reformation in England

Unlike the theological disagreements of Germany and France, England’s own reformation was marked by King Henry VIII’s break from the Roman Catholic Church in 1534. His desire to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon without papal approval led to the establishment of the Church of England. This move allowed for greater religious autonomy and set the stage for future English Bible translations.

Just as on the European continent, the formation of the Church of England sparked increasing demand for English translations of the Bible. People wanted to read and understand the scriptures in their native tongue. This led to the production of various English translations.

The First English Bibles

The first English Bible actually arrived more than 200 years before the KJV, but it didn’t catch on because, well, it was declared heretical by the church authorities. Once the Reformation had kicked off, though, it became much easier to take such efforts on. But because the Reformation very quickly devolved into many different competing sects, even then it wasn’t without risks.

Here are the first English Bibles, which the King James Version drew on for inspiration:

• Wycliffe’s Bible: The first complete translation of the entire Bible into English was by John Wycliffe and his followers in the late 1300s. It was based on the Vulgate (since the original Hebrew and Greek texts remained unavailable in the West). Because it had to be hand-copied and distributed, it didn’t reach a wide audience, but it was still enough to earn Wycliffe a condemnation for heresy 30 years after his death.

• Tyndale’s New Testament: William Tyndale’s translation of the New Testament, published in 1526, was the first English version to be distributed using the new printing press. Tyndale’s work was groundbreaking for its use of the original Greek texts and for his commitment to making the Bible understandable for commoners, or those who spoke “the ploughman’s terms.” Unfortunately, it also led to his martyrdom in 1536.

• The Geneva Bible: Published in 1560 by English refugees in Geneva, Switzerland, this was the first English Bible to include both verse numbers and extensive commentary. Its readability and comprehensive annotations made it the Bible of choice for English-speaking Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries — including the Mayflower pilgrims in America.

Who Was King James?

King James I of England ascended to the throne in 1603, ruling over the entirety of the British Isles. At the time he took the throne, the kingdom was bitterly divided between the ruling Church of England, the Catholic loyalists on one side, and Puritans trying to remove all trace of Catholicism on the other.

Amid this tension, the new King James sought to establish a translation of the Bible that would be free from contentious theological notes and could appeal to all English speakers. In 1604, he convened the Hampton Court Conference to address issues within the Church of England. It was here that the idea for a new Bible translation was proposed.

Translating the KJV

The process of translating the King James Bible from its original language took over 50 scholars seven years to complete. Beginning soon after King James’ request, it was finally completed and published in 1611.

The Translation Process

King James assembled a team of scholars — each an expert in Hebrew, Greek, or Latin — drawn from the Church of England and other Protestant denominations, in an effort to include a broad representation of theological perspectives.

The scholars were divided into six “companies,” each assigned a specific portion of the Bible. Two companies worked on the Old Testament, two on the New Testament, and two on the Apocrypha. Each company meticulously translated their assigned texts, cross-referencing previous translations and original manuscripts to ensure accuracy.

Then, after initial translations were completed, the companies gathered to review each other’s work. This collaborative (though not always cooperative) process included discussions, revisions, and consensus-building to finally produce a cohesive and satisfactory translation.

Influences and Sources

The translation of the KJV was influenced by previous English translations, including Tyndale’s New Testament (1526), the Coverdale Bible (1535), and the Geneva Bible (1560). The KJV scholars consulted each of these earlier translations to inform their word choices based as much as possible on both historical accuracy and denominational consensus.

The scholars also had access to original manuscripts in Hebrew and Greek, including the Masoretic Text for the Old Testament and the Textus Receptus for the New Testament, in addition to the Latin Vulgate translation. This allowed them to ensure fidelity to the original languages, avoiding some of the Vulgate’s idiosyncrasies, while also honoring its respected tradition.

Translation Philosophy

The KJV translators employed a method now known as formal equivalence, aiming to match the original languages’ words and syntax as closely as possible.

At the same time, the translators were aware of the importance of creating a text that could be used effectively in formal worship — hence its famously “majestic” style. They deliberately chose to employ some words and phrases that were already falling out of fashion, such as using informal pronouns (thou/thy) in addition to the formal you/your, in order to create a more traditional, poetic feel for listeners in church.

At the same time, they wanted to ensure common attendees could understand it; that, after all, was ultimately the point of a vernacular translation in the first place.

Cultural Impact and Legacy of the KJV

It’s hard to overstate the effect that the King James Bible has had on English — and therefore American, Australian, and worldwide — culture. Besides inspiring countless works of literature, defining how we think of religious language, and inspiring religious and secular reformers and politicians for centuries, it also introduced dozens of terms and phrases that have become so commonplace we’ve forgotten their origin.

So it may surprise you to learn that its popularity was slow to arrive.

Initial Reception of the KJV

Upon the king’s approval in 1611 and subsequent mass printing, the KJV was authorized for use in public worship in the Church of England. (That’s where it gets its other name as the “Authorized Version.”)

But it took at least 20 years to be adopted by the church in Scotland, and longer still for Puritans, who were naturally skeptical of the not-always-kind English government’s involvement. These groups mostly continued to use the Geneva Bible.

By the end of the century, though, the wide availability of the KJV and regular liturgical use of the KJV had enabled it to settle itself into the hearts, minds, and daily lives of the English populace. (It also didn’t hurt that the English crown had resumed persecution of the Puritans, making the Geneva Bible politically suspicious.) Even Catholics had begun to adopt it (outside of the Latin Mass).

Influence on English Language and Literature

Once it had caught on, the KJV became almost the exclusive English Bible for the entire English-speaking world — from the British Isles to America and Canada to Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. And it remained so until the Revised Version (and American Standard Version) kicked off an explosive new era of Bible translation at the turn of the 20^th century.

The dialect, phrases, and idioms of the King James Bible have infused and defined our speech to the extent that it’s impossible to separate the KJV from the evolution of the English language. Dozens of terms and phrases that we still use daily, often with no idea of their origin, are derived from the KJV.

And authors, artists, filmmakers, and songwriters continue to draw heavily from it more than 400 years after its debut — from John Milton and Herman Melville to Led Zeppelin and Darren Aronofsky.

Common Terms and Phrases from the KJV

Here is a small sampling of terms and phrases first used in the KJV, and the chapter and verse where they are found:

• The root of the matter (Job 19:28)
• By the skin of one’s teeth (Job 19:20)
• A labor of love (Hebrews 6:10)
• The writing on the wall (Daniel 5:5-31)
• A thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7)
• The powers that be (Romans 13:1)
• The blind leading the blind (Matthew 15:14)
• A wolf in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15)
• Scapegoat (Leviticus 16:10)
• To go the extra mile (Matthew 5:41)
• The salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13)
• The good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)
• A drop in the bucket (Isaiah 40:15)
• Let there be light (Genesis 1:3)

Influence on Later Bible Translations

Eventually it became necessary to take the next step in Bible translation. By the late 1800s, language had changed considerably, and there had been many new discoveries improving our knowledge of the original Hebrew and Greek texts.

As the archaic language of the KJV fell increasingly out of fashion and the Bible became more challenging for everyday readers to understand, a movement grew to create new translations in modern vernacular — just as it had during the Reformation. In addition, improved scholarship of the languages and histories of the Old and New Testament eras helped reveal some questionable translations, such as all the mentions of “unicorns” (Num. 23:22, Is. 34:7) and “giants” (Gen. 6:4).

Even so, translators found it impossible to fully step outside of King James’ shadow — especially for passages like the Lord’s Prayer and Psalm 23 that had been so thoroughly committed to memory.

Beginning with the Revised Version, American Standard Version, and especially Revised Standard Version (1952), Bible translators creating new versions have had to balance fidelity to that cultural memory with accuracy to the original text. As time has gone on and we are increasingly aware of the inaccuracies and limitations of the KJV, they have been able to gradually expand beyond its paradigm — but it remains the bedrock of English Bibles.

What Is the New King James Version (NKJV)?

The New King James Version (NKJV) endeavors to bridge the preferences of modern readers who appreciate the King James Bible’s traditional, majestic style but desire a more readable, contemporary language.

Translation Philosophy and Process

The NKJV was commissioned in 1975 by Thomas Nelson Publishers, finalized in 1979, and published in 1982. A 130-person team of Greek, Hebrew, and English scholars, editors, church leaders, and Christian laity sought to preserve the accuracy and poetry of the King James Version, but in a language that the everyday person could understand.

They worked from the same texts that the original KJV translators had used, while also comparing them with more recent findings in order to stay true to both the KJV translation and the original texts themselves.

One of the primary goals of the NKJV was to update the archaic language of the King James Bible. Words like “thee,” “thou,” and “hast” were replaced with modern equivalents like “you” and “have.” This change makes the NKJV more accessible to contemporary readers without sacrificing the poetic quality of the text.

Comparison with the KJV

The King James Bible is renowned for its majestic language, but its Elizabethan English can be challenging for modern readers. The NKJV retains the poetic essence of the KJV while updating the language for better readability. This balance makes the NKJV an excellent choice for those who appreciate the traditional feel but find the KJV’s language cumbersome.

Here are a few comparisons to give you an idea of the way the NKJV updates the original translation while also staying true to its form:

Isaiah 34:7

Matthew 5:13

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

You can compare more passages (or read the entire Bible) side-by-side by searching multiple versions on Bible Gateway.

Conclusion: Whither Goest Thou, KJV?

It’s no exaggeration to say that the King James Bible is the defining text of our culture. Though it wasn’t the first English translation of the Bible, it was by far the most widespread, enjoying almost universal application for centuries across the English-speaking world. It provided the foundation for many of our cultural institutions and profoundly influenced our language, literature, ethics, legal systems, and more.

Today the KJV no longer holds such exclusive command. There are many excellent Bible translations on the market, each with their own strengths, styles, and potential pitfalls. The beautiful, poetic language of the KJV is also what can make it challenging and open to misunderstanding from modern readers. Today, many readers prefer a more accessible translation such as the NIV, NRSV, ESV — or the KJV’s direct successor, the NKJV.

Still, there’s no substitute for the towering majesty and cultural importance of the KJV, and there likely never will be.