Posted by Wayne on January 15, 2025, 6:39 am
Why is the 1611 King James Bible (KJV), a masterpiece of English literature, so hard to read?
The difficulty in reading the King James is primarily due to the inherent static nature of its text. While the Bible text has remained the same, the English language it was built upon has continued to gradually change over the years.
The change in English over 400+ years has led to a plethora of archaic KJV words. These words are either no longer used, obsolete, or possess a modern meaning that differs from when they were written.
* Obsolete Words *
Some of the most numerous archaic KJV words include betwixt, doth, hast, hath, hither, froward, nay, shalt, thee, thence, thine, thither, thou, thy, whence, whither, whoso, wilt, ye and yea. These words together occur an amazing 25,000+ times in the KJV!
"And they said, We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee: and we said, Let there be now an oath betwixt us, even betwixt us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee." (Genesis 26:28, KJV).
* Changed Meaning *
The word "charity," in 1611, meant "love." Today, however, it is used in relation to either individuals or an organization aiding others in their time of need.
"Charity [love] suffereth long and is kind; charity [love] envieth not; charity [love] vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up . . ." (1Corinthians 13:4, KJV).
One often overlooked difference in meaning is found with the word "coast." The KJV, the majority of the time, uses the word in reference to a border or area that was next to something that was NOT a body of water. We use the word today, however, to refer to land that is next to or near a large body of water like a sea.
"When Jesus came into the coasts [border] of Caesarea Philippi (located inland north of the Sea of Galilee), he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" (Matthew 16:13, KJV).
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