400 Years of the King James Bible

In 1611, after a seven-year process, the King James Version of the Bible was printed for the first time.  Yesterday, BBC Radio 4 celebrated the historic event by airing selected readings by various actors, which I downloaded as podcasts.  I'm always thrilled to hear my obscure British actors read to me (I have dozens of audiobooks for this exact reason, although I've only listened to a few of them), but I'm particularly excited by the three-part documentary on the KJV's creation and legacy.

Way back in 9th grade (let's not think about the fact that it's been ten years...), I wrote my very first research paper.  My English teacher gave us a long list of possible topics, and, in the name of fairness, drew our names out of a hat.  Mine ended up being last, so all of the topics I wanted had already been chosen.  Since my choices were limited, I mindlessly grabbed one of the few remaining ones: the creation of the King James Bible.  I don't remember what grade I received, but I do remember having a hard time filling out the required three pages; my paper was probably only two and a half.  Of course, I had no idea that in ten years time I would be able to effortlessly write a three-page paper the night before it was due, but at the time it was just so hard.

Somehow that feeling of semi-failure stuck with me, and when it came time to choose the topic of my senior thesis - my last research paper at Montevallo - I revisited the topic.  This time, I managed to churn out twenty pages (although once my professor had finished editing it, the final version was closer to seventeen), and I was thoroughly proud of it.  It was a fascinating subject to research, and I think my interest showed in my final product.  When History Day arrived and my senior seminar class gave our presentations, several people told me that mine was one of the best.

Because I know the historical context and significance of the translation, it really upset me when I heard that people complained to BBC Radio for airing the readings.  It is possible to celebrate the creation of the King James Version without promoting Christianity over all other religions.  It was a remarkable feat that was unprecedented for its time, and there are reasons that it has survived when most other translations have been forgotten.

Prior to the King James Bible, most translations were the product of one man's work, or at most, with the help of a few colleagues.  Even with approximately fifty scholars, though, the King James Version took seven years to finish, largely because these men were devoted to accurately translating every single word.  They were the best English scholars of their time, with many holding Greek and Hebrew positions at Oxford and Cambridge, and they reviewed everybody's work before the final version was approved.  Their method of peer review was unprecedented for vernacular translations of the Bible, and the subsequent high quality of their translation cannot be a coincidence.

The beauty of the language is another effect of their detailed work, and it is possibly the only reason why the King James Version has lasted for four hundred years.  It was not immediately popular in 1611, but the Geneva Bible and the Bishops' Bible that it was designed to replace have been virtually forgotten, as have most translations that came after it.  Other popular translations have appeared in the past century (New International, New American Standard, etc.), but only time will tell if any of them can successfully displace the King James Version.  In my experience, people bought them because they wanted a Bible without all the thee's and thou's, yet they consistently use the King James Version to quote verses, whether subconsciously or not. 

I'm by no means a language scholar, so I don't pretend to know if the King James Version is the best English translation of the Bible.  They were humans, like we all are, and surely made their own share of mistakes.  However, its influence on English - and therefore American - culture can be found in language and literature, as well as religion.  I personally am glad that BBC Radio highlighted the translation's 400th anniversary and tried to educate the public about its historical context, who knows - maybe its popularity will last another four hundred years.