Transcript Document

How the Bible Came to Us
The Authorized Version of 1611
&
Successors
Text Types for Different English
Versions
Autographs
Western
Latin – 150 AD
West Med
Caesarean
Alexandrian
Syriac – c. 150 AD
Syria
Coptic – 200 AD
Egypt
Byzantine
Douai (1610)
KJV (1611)
NKJV
ERV (1881)
ASV (1901)
RSV
NASB
NIV
ESV
Introductory Remarks
• The Bishop’s Bible was an improvement
over the Great Bible, and the Geneva
Bible was superior to both...but none of
these was universally embraced by the
Church of England.
• It was the Authorized Version of 1611
(aka the King James version) that
helped significantly bridge the gap
between the different translations.
The Authorized Version of 1611
• Historical Context
– a time of great strides in English scholarship, with
a high standard of excellence.
– King James I had ascended to the throne in 1603.
• He convened a council at Hampton Court in 1604 to
discuss the differing views of he rival parties in the
Church of England.
• Out of that council came a motion for a new translation of
the whole Bible.
• King James thought the Geneva Bible, widely used in
private reading, undermined the divine right of kings and
was thus favorable towards a new translation.
– The new translation would be produced by
university scholars, reviewed by the bishops of the
church, and ratified by the king.
The Authorized Version of 1611
• Text
– OT: Compultensian and Antwerp Polyglots
– NT: Textus Receptus
• Translation Techniques
– Revision of the Bishop’s Bible of 1602, but also consulting
other original language mss; word for word translation.
• Characteristics
– Archaic English
– Marginal notes; most were literal renderings of the Hebrew
or Greek texts
– Apocrypha included, and in subsequent editions until 1826
– Yahweh translated as “Lord” instead of “Jehovah”
– Supplied words set in italics
– To supply the needed 20,000 copies, two printers were used.
Distinct differences arose in the two editions; some 300
variations arose in subsequent editions.
The Authorized Version of 1611
• Reception
– The Authorized Version was recognized as the standard
edition of the Bible rather quickly.
– Yet the Geneva Bible continued to compete with it for fifty
years.
– The pilgrims chose to bring the Geneva Bible to the New
World.
– It is interesting that the KJV was subjected to attacks similar
to that which KJV only advocates make on other translations
today.
• Attempts to Improve the Translation
– Today’s KJV differs considerably from the original, primarily
through language updating.
– Significant revisions were made in 1629 and 1638; another
was to begin in 1653, but died out. Others were made in
1724 and 1762.
– A freer translation was made by Edward Harwood in 1768.
– By the early 1800s people had become increasingly
dissatisfied with the Authorized Version.
The English Revised Version
(NT, 1881; Entire Bible, 1885)
•
History
– Initiated by Dr. Samuel Wilberforce, bishop of Winchester, in 1870.
– The committee included both English and American scholars, but this
caused conflict when the latter wanted to remove more of the more archaic
language.
•
Revisers’ Policies
– In general, the policy was to render the text more accurately from the Greek
(including the work of Westcott & Hort) and correct errors from the
Authorized Version.
•
Translation
– Though the work was faithfully carried out, much of the language remained
archaic.
– It was the first major translation to make use of modern text critical
principles, frequently citing alternative readings in the margins.
– Apocrypha was included.
•
Reception
– Three million copies of the NT sold the first year it was available in England
and America. The entire Bible did not sell as well, primarily because its OT
text was literally rendered from the MT and not very readable.
•
Evaluation
– Based on a superior text, but not fluid in its English rendering in style or
vocabulary. It never replaced the AV.
The American Standard Version
(1901)
•
History
– The American committee of the Revised Version had agreed not to publish
another edition for a fourteen year period.
– In 1901 Thomas Nelson published their edition, which included many
language revisions that were rejected by the British committee.
•
Translation
– This version used “Jehovah” instead of “Lord” or “God” as in the Revised
Version.
– Marginal notes were reduced by 80%; the Apocrypha was eliminated.
•
Reception
– This version was much more widely accepted than its British counterpart in
England.
– Almost immediately it was adopted by the Presbyterian Church to replace
the KJV.
– Objections included the consistent use of “baptize” for the Greek word
bapti,zw (from a Methodist) and the use of “he” and “it” to refer to the Holy
Spirit.
•
Evaluation
– A great improvement over earlier translations because of the availability of
Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Alexandrinus.
– Still retained some archaic wording.
The Revised Standard Version
(NT, 1946; Entire Bible, 1952)
•
History
– In 1928 the copyright of the American Standard Bible was acquired by the
International Council of Religious Education.
– Because of the Great Depression, money to undertake a major revision was
not available until 1937.
– The desire was to embody the most recent scholarship in good English
diction.
•
Revisers’ Policies
– Most significant change was modernized language (eliminating “speaketh”
and “seeth”) while retaining good, literary English.
– “Lord” used instead of “Jehovah.”
– Poetic passages (40% of OT text) were formatted to highlight their
structure.
– Many emendations of the Hebrew text.
•
Reception
– In general it enjoyed a positive reception in both Britain and the US.
– It received criticism because its copyright owner, the National Council of
Churches, was considered a theologically liberal organization.
•
Evaluation
– Has become one of the most popular versions in America, Canada, and
England.
New American Standard Bible
(1971)
• History
– Published by the Lockman Foundation in La Habra, CA.
– Aim was to preserve the disappearing American Standard
Version of 1901 while also incorporating more recent
advances in TC.
• Some have argued that the NASB differs significantly from the
ASV.
– The NASB has sold at least sixteen million copies and in
1977 ranked second in sales to The Living Bible.
• Revisers’ Policies
– Goal was to be as faithful to the original languages as
possible while retaining a readable style according to current
English usage.
• Reception
– Well received among conservative evangelicals.
• Evaluation
– “In general this translation is superior to many of its
predecessors in its usage of ancient manuscripts and
improvements in English vocabulary...” (Wegner, p. 326).
King James II Version
(1971)
• History
– Produced by Jay Green, who asserted that the
more recent translations were slanted and
dangerous because they were based on different
texts than the AV of 1611.
• Revisers’ Policies
– Green claimed to give a literal, word for word
translation, leaving none of God’s words out.
• Translation
– Basically a KJV with archaic and obsolete words
revised. Some significant changes in places.
• Evaluation
– Has been said this version would not have gained
an audience without its own distribution agency.
– Not an improvement over the original KJV.
The New King James Version
(NT, 1979; Entire Bible, 1982)
• History
– Sam Moore, president of Thomas Nelson publishers, believed the
vast majority of Americans preferred the KJV and thus proposed a
new revision of it.
– Aim was to further modernize its language without compromising its
text or translation principles.
• Revisers’ Policies
– More than 130 evangelical scholars worked on this translation.
– Sought to update vocabulary while not compromising literary
beauty...not an easy task for a long time favorite edition of the
Bible.
• Translation
– Apocrypha eliminated.
– Yahweh translated as “Lord” instead of “Jehovah.”
– Includes 880 marginal notes with variant readings.
• Evaluation
– A great deal of vocabulary has been updated, yet it still retains
some Elizabethan style.
– Doubtful that it will ever replace the original KJV.
New Revised Standard Version
(1989)
• History
– Already a popular translation, a new edition for the RSV was
proposed in 1974, primarily because of new mss availability.
– Translation committee included representatives from
Protestant, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Jewish
faiths.
– National Council of Churches is the official sponsor of this
translation.
• Revisers’ Policies
– This translation sought to continue the line of the Tyndale
translation.
– By and large a literal translation of the text.
• Evaluation
– A good balance between literal translation and clear, modern
English.
– Good for both public and private reading.
Next Time:
The King James Only Controversy