What I Appreciate about the KJV

This year marks the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible. In honor of that anniversary, I am using the KJV as my Bible of choice in this year's read through the Bible (M'Cheyne's).

There are some strong opinions out there on the KJV, opinions I met frequently a couple of years ago when I worked in the book department of a major regional Christian supply store. Some customers thought that if it was good for the Apostle Paul to use it should be good enough for us. When I was pastoring, I've had visitors come in, sit down, and then walk out when they discovered that we didn't use the KJV. I've had a prospective family not enroll in a school I served because it didn't use the KJV. I've read of such people in National Geographic. I didn't know they actually existed. Others I met thought the KJV should have gone the way of the Carter administration (good riddance) and that they can't believe someone would still cut down trees to print the thing.

I was pleased to see that Leland Ryken writes of his appreciation for the KJV over at Reformation21. Reading through got me thinking of why I appreciate reading it from time to time. Here are just a few.

First, it's the only Bible translation that I am aware of that is not copyrighted and owned by a publishing company. Zondervan has the NIV. Holman has the NASB. Thomas Nelson has the NKJV. Crossway now has the ESV. And so it goes. If you write a book in which you quote scripture, you have to include a blurb on the inside cover that you were given permission to do so. Imagine - getting permission to quote the Bible. It reminds me of one of Doug Wilson's books in which the inside cover stated, "Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages are taken from the New King James Version of the Bible, shameless copyrighted by Thomas Nelson," or something like that.

There's just something about someone owning the Bible that doesn't settle well.

Another thing I appreciate about the KJV is the use of the pronouns "you" and "thee/thy/thine/thou." I used to think that this was just the weird way people talked, but it really is about distinguishing between the second person singular (thee, thou, thy, thine) and the second person plural (you, ye, your). An example in which this is helpful in reading the text is in Luke 22:31-32, "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." When it's all just "you", one doesn't know it Jesus is speaking about Peter or about all of them. Not a problem with the KJV.

One final benefit of the KJV in my estimation is that reading it makes me slow down and linger in the text. Personally, when the English is too common, I tend to run over it too quickly and not pay attention to what is going on in the text. I admit that this is not the fault of any translation; it's a personal problem. However, when I read the KJV, the language requires that I take my time, and that helps me notice things in the text that I might have walked over before.

So, happy 400th anniversary to the the KJV. I appreciateth thee more and more.