King James Version

English

Etymology

Named for James I of England (James VI of Scotland), who authorized the production of a new English translation of the Bible.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌkɪŋ ˈdʒeɪmz ˌvɜː.ʃən/, /ˌkɪŋ ˈdʒeɪmz ˌvɜː.ʒən/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌkɪŋ ˈdʒeɪmz ˌvɝː.ʒən/, /ˌkɪŋ ˈdʒeɪmz ˌvɝː.ʃən/

Proper noun

the King James Version

1. (biblical, Christianity) An English translation, published in 1611, of the Bible from the original Hebrew (Old Testament) and Greek (New Testament) commissioned for the Church of England, which is the version most quoted and influential in English literature and English Protestant religious culture.
   • a. 1964, Henry Miller, “The Books in My Life”, in Henry Miller on Writing, page 125:

     [...], and of course the Bible, the men who wrote it and especially the men who made the King James version, for it was the language of the Bible rather than its "message" which I got first and which I will never shake off.

   • a. 1998, Jeffrey M. Perl, Common Knowledge, quoted in front material, Homer, Robert Fagles (translator), The Iliad, page i

     "Fagles' Homer, Sophocles, and especially Aeschylus may one day stand relation to their originals as the King James Version to Greek and Hebrew Scripture."

   • 1999, James D. Doss, The Shaman's Game, page 119:

     The Catholic priest would have been surprised that the old shaman had memorized the King James version of this song.

   • 2004, R. Garcia y Robertson, Lady Robyn, page 320:

     She thought for a moment, trying to remember; then she told him, "twenty-third Psalm, King James version," as best she recalled.

   • 2005, Michael Kun, You Poor Monster, page 19:

     It pained him to tell the story, yet tell it he did, over and over, in the unabridged, King James version.

   • 2005, Catherine Landis, Harvest, page 54:

     A Bible, King James Version. (This he stuck in his bag, because anybody who knows anything about English literature knows you can't ger away from the Bible.)

Synonyms

• King James Bible (US)
• Authorized Version (British)

Derived terms

• KJV

Translations

1611 English translation of the Bible

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 欽定版聖經／钦定版圣经 (jam¹ ding⁶ baan² sing³ ging¹) (Authorized Version), 英王欽定本／英王钦定本 (jing¹ wong⁴ jam¹ ding⁶ bun²), 詹姆士王聖經／詹姆士王圣经 (zim¹ mou⁵ si⁶ wong⁴ sing³ ging¹), 詹姆士王譯本／詹姆士王译本 (zim¹ mou⁵ si⁶ wong⁴ jik⁶ bun²), 英王詹姆士譯本／英王詹姆士译本 (jing¹ wong⁴ zim¹ mou⁶ si⁶ jik⁶ bun²)

  Mandarin: 欽定版聖經／钦定版圣经 (Qīndìngbǎn Shèngjīng) (Authorized Version), 英王欽定本／英王钦定本 (Yīngwáng Qīndìngběn), 詹姆士王聖經／詹姆士王圣经 (Zhānmǔshì Wáng Shèngjīng), 詹姆士王譯本／詹姆士王译本 (Zhānmǔshì Wáng Yìběn), 英王詹姆士譯本／英王詹姆士译本 (Yīngwáng Zhānmǔshì Yìběn)

• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: Kuningas Jaakon Raamattu
• French: Bible du roi Jacques f
• Galician: versión do rei Xaime
• German: King-James-Bibel f, King-James-Version f (proscribed: King James Version f)
• Hindi: please add this translation if you can
• Italian: Bibbia di re Giacomo f
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: 흠정역 성서(欽定譯聖書) (heumjeong'yeok seongseo) (Authorized Version), 킹 제임스 성서(聖書) (King Jeimseu seongseo)
• Persian: please add this translation if you can
• Portuguese: versão do rei James f
• Russian: Библия короля Якова (Biblija korolja Jakova)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Ukrainian: please add this translation if you can

Further reading

• “King James Version”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• “King James Version”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “King James Version”, in Collins English Dictionary.