We’ve already seen how the King James Bible translators used superior texts in their translation of the Bible. Now let’s look at the King James Bible translators themselves. What kind of men were they?
Let’s first look at the spiritual qualifications of the translators by looking at the introductory remarks to the King James Bible called the Translators to the Reader. Worth the read.
The spiritual qualifications of the King James Bible translators.
The need for reading the Scriptures. The translators believed people needed to read the Bible.
“The Scriptures we are commanded to search. John 5:39. Isa 8:20. They are commended that searched and studied them. Acts 8:28-29, 17:11. They are reproved that were unskillful in them, or slow to believe them. Matt 22:29. Luke 24:25. They can make us wise unto salvation. 2 Tim 3:15. If we be ignorant, they will instruct us; if out of the way, they will bring us home; if out of order, they will reform us; if in heaviness, comfort us; if dull, quicken us; if cold, inflame us.”
The translators saw the need for proper translation of the Bible.
“Translation it is that openeth the window, to let in the light; that breaketh the shell, that we may eat the kernel; that putteth aside the curtain, that we may look into the most Holy place; that removeth the cover of the well, that we may come by the water, even as Jacob rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well, by which means the flocks of Laban were watered [Gen 29:10].
Indeed, without translation into the vulgar (common) tongue, the unlearned are but like children at Jacob’s well (which is deep) [John 4:11] without a bucket or something to draw with; or as that person mentioned by Isaiah, to whom when a sealed book was delivered, with this motion, ‘Read this, I pray thee,’ he was fain to make this answer, ‘I cannot, for it is sealed.’ [Isa 29:11]”
The translators understood the urgency and importance of the Scriptures, in the closing of Translators to the Reader they write:
“Many other things we might give thee warning of (gentle Reader) if we had not exceeded the measure of a Preface already. It remaineth, that we commend thee to God, and to the Spirit of his grace, which is able to build further than we can ask or think. He removeth the scales from our eyes, the vail from our hearts, opening our wits that we may understand his word, enlarging our hearts, yea correcting our affections, that we may love it to the end.”
“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; [Heb 10:31] but a blessed thing it is, and will bring us to everlasting blessedness in the end, when God speaketh unto us, to hearken; when he setteth his word before us, to read it; when he stretcheth out his hand and calleth, to answer, Here am I, here we are to do thy will, O God. The Lord work a care and conscience in us to know him and serve him, that we may be acknowledged of him at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the holy Ghost, be all praise and thanksgiving. Amen.”
Certainly, we can agree that these men that translated the King James Bible had deep spiritual insight and piety. And by piety, I mean a deep and sincere devotion or reverence to God and His Word.
The intellectual qualifications of the King James Bible translators.
King James directed that the “best-learned in both universities” – England had only two, Oxford and Cambridge – should begin woke on a new translation of the Bible which would be “reviewed by the bishops and chief learned of the church.” (McGrath, 2001) King James appointed 47 men to translate the Bible, by the time it was completed, upwards of 57 men contributed to the translation of the King James Bible. Some died before the finished the translation
Lancelot Andrewes
Once a year he would spend a month with his parents and, during this vacation, he would find a master from whom he would learn a language of which he had no previous knowledge. In this way, after a few years, he acquired most of the modern languages of Europe.
He gave himself chiefly to the Oriental tongues. This would include the languages Syria, Persia, Israel, etc.
John Richardson
In his days, it was custom, to hold public disputes, to display one’s skill in the “weapons of logic”. Oh! One more thing! The dispute would take place in Latin. Richardson was one the best at this, even disputing in the presence of King James himself.
William Bedwell
William Bedwell was an accomplished Oriental scholar. His fame for Arabic learning was so great that scholars sought him out for assistance. For many years he was engaged in compiling an Arabic lexicon in three volumes. He published in quarto an edition of the Epistles of St. John in Arabic, with a Latin version. He began writing a Persian dictionary, which is still preserved in the Bodleian Library at Oxford.
Miles Smith
Miles Smith had studied all the writings of the Latin and Greek church fathers; He was well acquainted with the Rabbinical glosses and comments. He was an expert in the Chaldee (which is related to the Hebrew), the Syriac and the Arabic, that they were almost as familiar as his native tongue. Hebrew was at his very command. He was chosen by the other translators to write the Preface to the King James Bible, The Translators to the Reader.
Henry Savile
Henry Savile for his Greek and mathematical learning. He became tutor in Greek and Mathematics to Queen Elizabeth. He translated the histories of Cornelius Tacitus and published the same with notes. Tacitus was a Latin historian, and Savile translated his work into English. He is chiefly known, however, for being the first to edit the complete work of Chrysostom, the most famous of the Greek Fathers.
Richard Kilbye
Multiple degrees, professor of Hebrew at Oxford. Author of a work on Exodus prepared from Hebrew commentors.
John Bois
At the age of five years, he had read the Bible – in Hebrew! t six years old he not only wrote Hebrew legibly but in a fair and elegant character. He soon distinguished himself by his great skill in Greek, writing letters in that language to the Master and Senior Fellows at his college. His instructor would read with him twelve Greek authors, in verse and prose, the hardest that could be found both for dialect and phrase. For ten years, he was Greek lecturer in his college
The King James translators knew their cognate languages well.
When modern “translators” come to a word that are struggling to translate, they will add a footnote somewhere. or an index at the bottom of the page, and they’ll say the meaning of this Hebrew word is uncertain; and will provide some other rendition of it. When the King James Bible translators came to a word in Hebrew they were struggling to translate, they looked at the sister languages to clarify the meaning.
Conclusion
That was just 7 of the eventually 57 men that would take part in the translation of the King James Bible. These men were both spiritually and intellectually gifted, they were picked by King James because they were the best. Most had multiple degrees. Most were pastors, teachers and/or lecturers. Most were familiar with not one, or two, but several languages. They could read, write, and speak the language … fluently, even arguing in it. They understood the great task at hand and were willing and able to complete it. Many of the church leaders today are nothing more than entertainers, their messages and writing are shallow, motivating our emotions, instead of our hearts and minds. Those who were selected to translate the King James Bible were extremely qualified in both spiritual and academic areas – and I would be surprised to find anyone nowadays as qualified as any of the men I just shared.
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