The use of KJV and KJV English

[martinlb]

I've thougth about this and wondered about it for years, on and off. I guess now that I'm part of a Christian forum I'll put it out here and hope for some discussion - and perhaps some understanding on my part.

I've seen lots and lots of use of King James English and here's a beginning to where my thougths and questions are:

I do acknowledge this is a subjective thing and therefore something I need to remain open-minded about...

It feels to me as though using KJ English, including quotes from the KJV bible, is an inefficient way of communicating, of getting ideas across. The irony, for me, in speaking in KJ English is that the KJV bible was written to give people access to the bible in the language of their day. KJ English is now arcane. The people who speak KJ English are folks associated with a religious community or background, and they themselves use KJ English selectively.

By saying "folks associated with a religious community or background", I'm referring mainly to Christians, but I also know other communities use KJ English as well. By saying "selectively", I mean no one I've ever heard speaking KJ English does so while conducting a transaction at the store, etc.

Here's my concern. And I've had discussions with some people who've confirmed it's true for them. KJ English at least sometimes gets used as an attempt to put things in a more "spiritual" way. This, to me, implies that the speaker feels a need for more power and influence than he or she can generate with the content of his or her message.

Another concern is that since KJ English is NOT the language commonly spoken today, it might be used to imply something special is being said. Again, this would seem to be an attempt to make up for actual content.

And last, I'm concerned that use of KJ English isolates us and serves to ostracise those who are not part of our community of faith.

I KNOW it's been around for longer than any of our lifetimes. And I know it's become comfortable and familiar. But... If its use is based on, and results in, what I suspect may be happening, I believe we should avoid it.

Thoughts?

 

[dayhiker]

Martin, all good and valid points.

I grew up reading KJV so I can read almost all of it and understand. But when I'm honest there are still verses that make no sense to me. I like reading it for its sound, but I've changed the "ye"s to you for decades now when I read it.

I'm with the churches that are using newer translations. I use more than one however. So that's what I'd recommend. Read for a month in one tranlation, then a different translation the next month ... vary it up!

 

[hedrick]

I will occasionally refer to a passage using KJ simply because that's the form in which I remember the passage. For significant quotes, and for my own study I use the NSRV. There is sufficient familiarity with the KJ in the community that I'd expect casual references to it to be fairly common.

There are, of course, some Christians who regard the KJ as more accurate than recent translations.

One of the problems with using multiple translations is that it makes it harder for someone to memorize passages. I've never used the KJ seriously. I grew up with the RSV, but have used RSV, RSV 2nd edition, NEB, TEV, JB, NRSV, and REB at various times. I probably used RSV for the longest, and know a number of passages in that edition. But the translations I actually use (NRSV and TEV mostly) I don't have memorized very much.

Old language persists for surprisingly long. When I was young my parents would occasionally use KJ-era pronouns when talking to me. I'm guessing that's because they were from W Va (although an urban part of it -- my grandfather was a university professor), and Appalachia preserved older forms beyond the rest of the country. I'd guess that TV and radio have pretty much wiped those out by now, though I could be wrong.

 

[revrobor]

I agree with you Martin. Those who use it learned verses from that Translation and simply refuse to put them in today's language which, frankly, make it easier to understand. As far a the KJV being a more accurate translation than today's versions the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered in 1947 and gives today's translators a more accurate version of some Scriptures than the KJV translators had.