Some Thoughts on the “archaic” Language of the King James Bible.
“Should we dump the King James Bible because of archaic language?”
Short video (2 1/2 minutes) by Jack McElroy and David Daniels
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piDpysQw5MM
Hi all. What I find to be interesting and I think is a very significant "coincidence" is that the KJB critics, the Bible agnostics and the unbelievers in an inerrant Bible often complain about the "archaic" language of the King James Bible and they tell us "We don't talk that way today. We need a bible in modern English we can all understand."
IF a Christian REALLY believes the Bible is the infallible words of God, then the "old fashioned language" is not an issue at all. Sure, the King James Bible has some words that are older or have different meanings than we may be familiar with.
But people are learning new vocabulary or new meanings to English words all the time in any field of study, be it sports, biology, the sciences, mathematics, medicine or just about anything imaginable. If you are interested in something, you learn the meaning of the words that are found in this field of interest. Even when you start using the computer we have to learn some new words or different meanings to words we already knew - Words like "mouse", IPad, "Kindle", Office, Word, "paste".
When we ask the King James Bible critics and those who complain about "that old fashioned, archaic language" to show us what they think IS the inerrant words of God, they usually end up referring us back to "the" Greek and "the" Hebrew (although they don't tell us WHICH "the" Greek and "the" Hebrew they refer to.)
Well, both "the" Greek and "the" Hebrew that were used to translate the Bible into other languages are themselves "archaic" forms of the language.
The people who speak modern Hebrew and modern Greek do NOT speak the way biblical Greek and Hebrew are written.
The spelling is different. The vocabulary is different. The way they are spoken is different. But they CAN understand the biblical Greek and Hebrew - the Greek with a bit more practice and training. Modern Greek is really quite a bit different than biblical Greek.
But think about this. It is the same with the English text of the King James Bible.
It is slightly "archaic" with all those "thee, thou, thy, and ye"s in there, but this is actually far more accurate than the generic "you" of today's modern English.
See "Why all those "thee"s and "ye"s are more accurate."
Yet English speaking people can understand the language of the King James Bible and know what it says.
The Hebrew speaking Jews and the Greek speaking Greeks of today can understand the older and more archaic forms of their own languages, and no Bible believing Hebrew or Bible believing Greek would even THINK of "updating" or abandoning their Hebrew O.T. or their Greek N.T.
Do you see the pattern here? God sees the end from the beginning and he knew that his true words would be preserved in a slightly "archaic" form in the last days.
This is actually a good thing. When we read the King James Bible, it is written like no other book. We know just from the sound of it, that it has been around for a long time. It contains timeless truths. Eternal truths.
And the fact that it does not read like today's newspaper is a good thing. It has the sound of authority and you have to stop and think about what it is saying. The words begin to sink down into your mind and heart.
Linguistic scholar A.T. Robertson made the following important observation about the King James Bible: "No one today speaks the English of the Authorized Version, or ever did for that matter, for though, like Shakespeare, it is the pure Anglo-Saxon, yet unlike Shakespeare IT REPRODUCES TO A REMARKABLE EXTENT THE SPIRIT AND LANGUAGE OF THE BIBLE" (A Grammar of the Greek New Testament, p. 56).
The KJB is far easier to memorize and quote from than the modern speech versions are, precisely because it IS different and it has a musical cadence to it. The King James Bible was written to be read out loud. They did it this way on purpose.
And when the preacher or Bible teacher stops quoting God's words and begins to give us his own words and thoughts, we can immediately tell the difference between the two, just because of the way it is sounds and it spoken.
I believe these are GOOD things and God's own deliberate pattern.
Think about it.
"He that hath ears to hear, let him hear." Luke 8:8
For more on this, See Archaic and Inerrant" beats "Modernized and Wrong" Any Day of the Week.
What about that archaic word WOT and WOTTETH?
The old English word “WOT” is found 10 times in the King James Bible. Six times in the Old Testament (Genesis 21:26; 44:15; Exodus 32:1, 23; Numbers 22:6; Joshua 2;5) and 4 times in the New Testament (Acts 3:17; 7:40; Romans 11:2, Philippians 1:22).
“And Abimelech said, I WOT not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.” Genesis 21:26
“And now, brethren, I WOT that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.” Acts 3:17
The verb “wotteth” is found one time and is used in Genesis 39:8 - “Behold, my master WOTTETH not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand.”
It simply means TO KNOW. It comes from the English verb “TO WIT”, which in turn means “to know”.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary - wot - present tense first and third person of WIT.
Oxford Dictionary - wot - archaic to know.
Webster’s 1828 Dictionary - WOT, verb intransitive To know; to be aware.
Not only does the King James Bible use this older word WOT meaning “to know” but so too do the following Bible translations. I won’t list all the times they use it; just an example or two.
Wycliffe bible 1390 - “for we WOT not, what hath befallen to this Moses” (Exodus 32;23), Coverdale 1535 - “Abner sayde: As truly as thy soule lyueth O kynge, I WOTE not.” (1 Samuel 17:55), The Great Bible 1540, Matthew’s Bible 1549, the Bishops’ Bible 1568 - “where is Habel thy brother? Which sayde I wote not: Am I my brothers keper?” (Genesis 4:9), the Geneva Bible 1599 - “But he denied before them all, saying, I WOT not what thou sayest.” (Matthew 26:70) and others, The Revised Version 1885 - “And now, brethren, I WOT that in ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers”, The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907, The Clarke N.T. 1913 - “WOT ye not what the scripture saith of Elijah?
What About the archaic word "carriages" as used in Acts 21:15 and 1 Samuel 17:22?
Acts 21:15 “we took up our CARRIAGES”
“And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.” Acts 21:15
What are “carriages”?
Daniel Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
5. That which is carried; burden; as baggage, vessels, furniture, etc.
“And David left his CARRIAGE in the hands of the keeper of the CARRIAGE.” 1 Samuel 17:22.
Webster’s Dictionary 1913
Carriage - Noun. 1. That which is carried; burden; baggage.
“David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage.” 1 Samuel 17:22
“After those days we took up our carriages and went up to Jerusalem.” Acts 21:15
Easton Bible Dictionary - carriage
The phrase in Acts 21:15 “We took up our carriages” it means “We packed up our baggage.”
It is admittedly an archaic usage of the word that means “baggage, or burdens to be carried”.
It is not a wrong translation. You just have to learn the older meaning of this word and then you understand it.
And you don't "need to carry a dictionary around with you when you use the King James Bible" either, as some bible agnostics mock. Just as you don't need to carry around a dictionary when you talk about art, or cooking, or mechanics or physics, or carpentry. If you are not familiar with a certain word, you look it up once, learn the meaning of the term and go forward.
Not only does the King James Bible use the word “carriage” to mean “that which is carried, a burden to be borne, goods, or baggage” but so to do Wesley’s New Testament 1755, The Bill Bible 1671, and The Bond Slave Version 2012.
The Hebrew Transliteration Scriptures 2010 -
“And David left his CARRIAGE in the hand of the keeper of the CARRIAGE, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren.” 1 Samuel 17:22.
https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/Shemuel-Alef/1st-Shemuel17.htm
The “archaic” English word “to ear” meaning “to plow, or cultivate”
What About The Word "Holpen"? “thou, LORD HAST HOLPEN me, and comforted me.” Psalms 86:17 “HE HATH HOLPEN his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy.” Luke 1:54 Definition of “holpen” Merriam Webster Dictionary - chiefly dialectal past participle of HELP American Heritage Dictionary, Collins English Dictionary, Webster’s New World College Dictionary 4th edition - Archaic - A past participle of help. The verb form “hast holpen” occurs 5 times in the King James Bible. We see it used in Psalms 83:8 “they have HOLPEN the children of Lot." And in Daniel 11:34 - “Now when they shall fall, they shall be HOLPEN with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.” Not only does the King James Bible use this “archaic” word that means “helped” but so too do the following Bible translations - The English Revised Version 1881 (5 times) - “He HATH HOLPEN Israel his servant, That he might remember mercy.”, Wycliffe 1395, Tyndale 1525 “And a woman havynge an issue of bloud twelve yeres (which had spent all her substance amonge phisicios nether coulde be HOLPEN of eny) (Luke 8:43), the Bishops’ bible 1568 - “they shalbe HOLPEN with a litle helpe”, the Geneva Bible 1587 (8 times) - “The harvest is past, the Summer is ended, and we are not HOLPEN. (Jeremiah 8:20), Whiston’s N.T. 1745, The Revised N.T. 1862, The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907 - “They have HOLPEN the children of Lot” (Ps.83:8), “Because, Thou, Lord, hast HOLPEN me” (Ps.8617) etc. https://archive.org/details/ancienthebrewlit03yyyauoft/page/468 The Clarke New Testament 1913 - “He hath HOLPEN his servant Israel” (Luke 1:54) https://archive.org/details/newtestamentauth00clarrich/page/128 The Hebrew Transliteration Bible 2010 - “When ADONAI (יהוה) shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is HOLPEN shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.” https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/YeshaYahu/Yeshayahu31.htm
Isaiah 31:3 - “Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is HOLPEN shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.”
Articles on some “archaic” words.
Thou and Ye
Why those "thee"s and "ye"s are more accurate.
Conversation
1 Peter 3:1 "Likewise ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands: that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the CONVERSATION of the wives: While they behold your chaste CONVERSATION coupled with fear."
Philippians 3:20 "For our CONVERSATION is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ."
to Suffer
“Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:14
to Let
“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now LETTETH will LET, until he be taken out of the way.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7
Pitiful
James 5:11 - "the Lord is very PITIFUL, and of tender mercy."
to Prevent
1 Thessalonians 4:15 KJB - “For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not PREVENT them which are asleep.”
Example vs. Ensample - Is there a real difference?
See also "Neesings, Habergeon and Leasing"
What About The English Word BEWRAY, as in “…for thy speech BEWRAYETH thee.” Matthew 26:73?
What about that archaic word “listeth”?
Sith versus Since. Or how about these two? Any discernible difference in meaning? "But SINCE ye say, The burden of the Lord". Jeremiah 23:38 "SITH thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee." Ezekiel 35:6. (this is the only time the English word "sith" occurs in the King James Bible. Dictionary meaning of “Sith” Online Etymology Dictionary - sith sith (adv., conj., prep.) "since" (obsolete), Middle English, reduced from Old English siððan "then, thereupon; continuously, during which; seeing that," from *sið þon "subsequent to that," from sið "after," from Proto-Germanic *sith- "later, after" (source also of Old Saxon sith "after that, since, later) Merriam Webster Dictionary Sith - archaic variant of SINCE. American Heritage Dictionary conj. Archaic = Since. [Middle English sithe, from Old English siththa, variant of siththan; see SINCE.] Collins English Dictionary - adverb, conjunction, preposition, an archaic word for since. “Therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: SITH thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.” Ezekiel 35:6. Not only does the King James Bible use the word “SITH”, but so too do the following Bible translations - The English Revised Version 1885 - “therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: SITH thou hast not hated blood, therefore blood shall pursue thee. “ https://studybible.info/ERV/Ezekiel%2035:6 The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907 - “SITH thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.” https://archive.org/details/ancienthebrewlit03yyyauoft/page/266 The Hebraic Transliteration Scriptures 2010 “I live, saith Adonay (אדני) YHWH (יהוה), I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee: SITH thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.” https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/Yechezkel/Yechezkel-35.htm And this online Hebrew Interlinear Old Testament. https://studybible.info/IHOT/Ezekiel%2035:6 Wycliffe 1395 - “and sithen thou hatidist blood, blood schal pursue thee.” REREWARD or REARWARD History and Etymology for rereward Middle English rerewarde, from Anglo-French, from rere, arere behind + warde, gard guard ‘it would occupy its position in the advance, not in the rearward of the times’ Collins English Dictionary A position in the rear, especially the rear division of a military formation. (as a noun: the part of an army positioned behind the main body of troops): from Anglo-French rerewarde, variant of reregarde; 1 Samuel 29:2 - And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the REREWARD with Achish. Isaiah 58:8 - Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy REARWARD.” The Ancient Hebrew Bible 1907 Isaiah 52:12 - “For the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel your REARWARD.” Online Hebrew Interlinear - “the LORD shall be thy rearward.” https://studybible.info/IHOT/Isaiah%2058:8 The Hebrew Transliteration Scripture 2010 Closet Definitions of Closet Webster’s New World College Dictionary 2018 1. a small room or cupboard for clothes, household supplies, linens, etc. 2. A SMALL, PRIVATE ROOM FOR READING, MEDITATION, ETC. 3. a monarch's private chamber as for prayer or conference Merriam Webster Dictionary 1. - an apartment or SMALL ROOM FOR PRIVACY 2. - a monarch's or official's private chamber 3. - a cabinet or recess for especially china, household utensils, or clothing 4. A PLACE OF RETREAT OR PRIVACY American Heritage Dictionary Closet 1. A cabinet or enclosed recess for linens, household supplies, or clothing. 2. A SMALL PRIVATE CHAMBER, AS FOR STUDY OR PRAYER. 3. A water closet; a toilet. ESV, ISC, RSV, NRSV, NKJV, CEV - room The Message - find a quiet, secluded place.
Webster’s 1913 Dictionary rereward = the rear guard; the rear guard of an army.
Also spelled as “rearward”. (Isaiah 52:12 and 58:8)
Oxford English Dictionary
rearward - The part or position at the back of something.
rearward - noun
Word origin of 'rearward'
The word “rereward” or its spelling variant “rearward” is found 6 times in the King James Bible.
Numbers 10:25 - And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set forward, which was the REREWARD. of all the camps throughout their hosts: and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.
Joshua 6:9 - And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the REREWARD came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
Joshua 6:13 - And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the REREWARD came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
Isaiah 52:12 - For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your REARWARD.
Not only does the King James Bible use this word but so too do the following Bible translations.
The Webster Bible 1833, The Lesser O.T. 1835 - “the glory of the Lord shall be thy REREWARD.”, the English Revised Version 1885, Darby 1890 (1 Samuel 29:2), the ASV 1909 (6 times), the KJV 21st Century 1994, Updated Bible Version 2003 - “the glory of Yahweh shall be your REARWARD.”, A Conservative Version 2010 - “The glory of the LORD shall be thy REARWARD.”, Hebrew Names Version 2014 - “the glory of the LORD shall by your REARWARD.”
https://archive.org/details/ancienthebrewlit03yyyauoft/page/316
The JPS (Jewish Publication Society O.T. 1917 - “the glory of the LORD shall be thy REARWARD.”
The Jewish Virtual Library Complete Tanach 1994
Joshua 6:9 And the armed men went before the priests that blew with the trumpets, and the REREWARD came after the ark, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
Isaiah 58:8 - “and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy REREWARD.”
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yeshayahu-isaiah-chapter-58
Isaiah 58:8 - “Then shall your light break forth as the morning, and your health shall spring forth speedily: and your tzeddek shall go before you; the kavod of ADONAI (יהוה) shall be your REREWARD.”
https://www.messianic-torah-truth-seeker.org/Scriptures/Tenakh/YeshaYahu/Yeshayahu58.htm
Matthew 6:6 KJB - “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy CLOSET, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”
I watched a Bible Version video the other day that some guy posted at one of the forums and this particular Bible critic, who himself does not believe that any Bible in any language he can show us is the complete and inerrant words of God, was criticizing the word “closet” as found in the King James Bible. He said it doesn’t mean the same thing today as it did in 1611. Of course this man is thinking only of a clothes closet.
But as I have often found to be the case, it is not that the King James Bible is wrong, but that our “resident scholar” doesn’t really know his own English language very well.
A comparison of Bible versions.
The King James Bible is actually the first English Bible to use the word “closet” in Matthew 6:6.
Previous English versions like Tyndale, Coverdale, the Great Bible, Matthew’s bible, the Bishops’ bible and the Geneva Bible all read “enter into thy CHAMBER”, and so too do Darby 1890 and Young’s 1898.
Wycliffe 1395 - bedchamber
Revised Version 1881, ASV 1901 - inner chamber
NASB, NET 2006 - inner room
Holman CSB, Evangelical Heritage Version 2019 - private room
Closet
Reading like the King James Bible with CLOSET tree the Mace N.T.1729, Whiston’s New Testament 1745, Worsley Version 1770, Haweis N.T. 1795, The Thomson Bible 1808, the Living Oracles 1835, Webster’s bible 1833, the Noyes Translation 1869, Godbey N.T. 1902, Rotherham’s Emphasized bible 1902, the Worrell N.T. 1904, The Third Millennium bible 1998 and the Modern English Version 2014.
Here is a handy online site that lists the meanings of the words found in the King James Bible that some people may not be familiar with.
King James Bible Wordlist & Definitions
http://www.preservedwords.com/wordlist.htm
Further Reading.
Here is a pretty good study by Dr. Paul Heaton called "Are the Words of the KJB Archaic and/or Obsolete?, where he discusses many of the words that the Bible critics object to.
https://www.biblebelievers.com/Heaton1.html
God bless.
Here is a handy online site that lists the meanings of the words found in the King James Bible that some people may not be familiar with.
King James Bible Wordlist & Definitions
http://www.preservedwords.com/wordlist.htm