September 19th, 2025
by Keith Birdsong
by Keith Birdsong
For me, the King James Version is precious. It was the bottle that fed me milk when I was young in the faith, and it has been the meat that has nourished me through my life.
In this post, I'd like to explain some things about the King James Version as we consider the complex work of translation. It's important to know the mindset behind the translators and, fortunately for us, we don't have to wonder about that when it comes to the KJV. The translators of the King James Version wrote a note to the readers revealing what they believed about their work!
Allow me to condense it for you, and may it shed some light on the dense subject of Bible translation.
But first...
In this post, I'd like to explain some things about the King James Version as we consider the complex work of translation. It's important to know the mindset behind the translators and, fortunately for us, we don't have to wonder about that when it comes to the KJV. The translators of the King James Version wrote a note to the readers revealing what they believed about their work!
Allow me to condense it for you, and may it shed some light on the dense subject of Bible translation.
But first...
A Quick Word of History
The King James Version was born in a time of religious division. Catholics leaned on the Latin Vulgate. Protestants in Geneva used the Geneva Bible. The Church of England authorized the Bishops’ Bible. Everyone seemed to be reading from something different.
King James saw an opportunity to bring peace. So in 1604, he authorized a new English translation. By 1611, forty-seven Anglican Church scholars had completed the project we now call the King James Bible.
But the most overlooked part of that story is the preface the translators themselves wrote, called “The Translators to the Reader.” It is one of the most important pieces of church history we have. Sadly, most modern printings of the King James omit it. (Does your copy of the KJV have it?)
What did the translators actually say? What did they believe about their own work? Their words are worth hearing.
I'll give a few quotes and some thoughts in this post. At some point you might consider giving it a full read-through. You can find an online copy of it here.
King James saw an opportunity to bring peace. So in 1604, he authorized a new English translation. By 1611, forty-seven Anglican Church scholars had completed the project we now call the King James Bible.
But the most overlooked part of that story is the preface the translators themselves wrote, called “The Translators to the Reader.” It is one of the most important pieces of church history we have. Sadly, most modern printings of the King James omit it. (Does your copy of the KJV have it?)
What did the translators actually say? What did they believe about their own work? Their words are worth hearing.
I'll give a few quotes and some thoughts in this post. At some point you might consider giving it a full read-through. You can find an online copy of it here.
What the KJV Translators Said
1. They expected resistance.
They knew that giving people a new translation would not go smoothly:
They knew that giving people a new translation would not go smoothly:
“Zeal to promote the common good…is welcomed with suspicion instead of love…it is sure to be misconstrued, and in danger to be condemned.”
They were right. Every time in history that God’s Word has been translated and distributed, it has faced opposition. But they pressed on, believing it was worth it to put the Bible into the hands of ordinary people.
2. They believed every Christian should study the Bible.
They didn’t want anyone to treat the Bible casually:
2. They believed every Christian should study the Bible.
They didn’t want anyone to treat the Bible casually:
“The Scriptures then being acknowledged to be so full and so perfect, how can we excuse ourselves of negligence, if we do not study them?”
It wasn’t enough, in their minds, to say we believe the Bible. We must give ourselves to knowing it.
3. They believed the Bible must always be translated so people can understand it.
The translators insisted that if the Bible could not be understood in the common tongue, a new translation was needed:
3. They believed the Bible must always be translated so people can understand it.
The translators insisted that if the Bible could not be understood in the common tongue, a new translation was needed:
“But how shall men meditate in that which they cannot understand?”
For them, it wasn’t enough that the Bible existed in English. It had to exist in a living English—the English of the everyday person.
4. They did not believe their translation was inspired.
They drew a clear line between themselves and the prophets and apostles:
4. They did not believe their translation was inspired.
They drew a clear line between themselves and the prophets and apostles:
“…the [translators] were interpreters, they were not prophets.”
In other words, they never claimed God was giving them new revelation. They knew they were doing faithful but ordinary work—passing down what God had already spoken.
5. They saw translation as an ongoing work.
They honored the translators who came before them, and expected others to come after them:
5. They saw translation as an ongoing work.
They honored the translators who came before them, and expected others to come after them:
“Therefore blessed be they (the English translators who went before them), and most honoured be their name, that…helpeth forward to the saving of souls. They, we persuade ourselves, if they were alive, would thank us.”
For them, translation was not about protecting one version forever—it was about carrying the baton faithfully and handing it off to the next generation.
6. They wanted the Bible in the language of the common man.
They made no attempt to make the Bible sound lofty or overly academic. They wanted it plain and understandable:
6. They wanted the Bible in the language of the common man.
They made no attempt to make the Bible sound lofty or overly academic. They wanted it plain and understandable:
“But we desire that the Scripture may speak like itself, as in the language of Canaan, that it may be understood even of the very vulgar.”
In their day, “vulgar” didn’t mean crude—it meant ordinary. They wanted every plow boy, every housewife, every child to read God’s Word for themselves.
Why This Still Matters
The King James Bible is a beautiful and historic treasure. But the greatest way we can honor it is by listening to its translators. They did not believe their work was perfect, inspired, or final. They believed it was one faithful link in a long chain of God’s Word being carried forward.
And so today, when we pick up a Bible in modern English—whether KJV, ESV, NIV, or CSB—we are reaping the fruit of their labor. They wanted us to have the Bible in our own tongue.
And God, in His kindness, has made sure we do.
And so today, when we pick up a Bible in modern English—whether KJV, ESV, NIV, or CSB—we are reaping the fruit of their labor. They wanted us to have the Bible in our own tongue.
And God, in His kindness, has made sure we do.
- Pastor Keith
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