The King James Bible: A Short History from Tyndale to Today Illustrated Edition

This book and it's companion, "A Textual History of the King James Bible," are must reads for anyone doing serious inquiry into the beginnings, history and revisions of the KJB.

I chose this rating because this is a book that has endured for centuries. It has been a resource for me while studying for my Bible Class

Very interesting​ history of the King James Bible translation and subsequent edition.

In 1604 King James offered to commission a new translation of the Bible. A committee of approximately fifty persons was set up comprising academics, ecclesiastics and people experienced in editing texts. The official brief was to follow, as faithfully as possible, the Bishop's Bible which was at that time the one that was read in the church.There is only one surviving account of the committee's work and that is in the form of notes taken of the proceedings by John Bois who was a committee member. This account together, with extensive research of what other scattered evidence there is, comprises the opening section of David Norton's book.This `short history' focuses almost entirely on how the text evolved, from the original Tyndale edition, via the product of King James's committee (published in 1611) to present-day versions published by the Oxford and Cambridge presses. Thus, over a period of four centuries the translation process is detailed almost step-by-step. It is an impressive achievement.

Got the book right away and it was exactly as we hoped it would be.Great read and very informative.

There is an amazing amount of information packed into this 200 page book. David Norton is one of the leading, perhaps the leading, scholar of the King James Bible today. He has spent years meticulously studying and comparing various editions, the process of formation, and the influence of the KJB. All those years of effort are evident in this book and the reader is the beneficiary.Chapter 1 deals with the predecessors of the KJB, beginning with Tyndale. Norton thinks of these predecessors as 'drafts' for the KJB, which I found an instructive way of looking at the history.Chapters 2 - 5 deal with the KJB itself, beginning with the call for the translation at the Hampton Court Conference, the formation of 'companies' or committees to translate various parts of the Bible, and its eventual publication. There is fascinating material about the personalities of various translators and what comes through is the astonishing erudition of the group as a whole. Norton also analyzes the notes that still survive from a small number of these translators and what they tell us about how the groups worked. It is a glimpse into the actual process that led to the KJB.Chapters 6 & 7 deal with the contemporary situation, and some printing history as well. Norton knows more about the various editions of the KJB than perhaps anyone, having studied this meticulously in his task of editing the Cambridge Paragraph Bible. So this is a well documented section.Chapter 7 is a discussion of the 'Reputation and Future' of the KJB. The Chapter begins with a detailed history of the KJB's reception over the centuries, how it became the central work and the Bible for the English speaking world. Then we move into the Post WW II era, and new translations began to appear, criticism of the KJB began to mount. Gradually this evolved into the situation we have today with many competing translations of the Bible all vying for attention from the Bible reading public. Here in this Chapter we finally hear from Norton some of his personal feelings about the KJB. On page 199 he writes, ". . . I think its (the KJB's) scholarship -- that is, its knowledge of and fidelity to the original texts -- is underestimated. Setting aside the quality of the texts it translated, especially the Greek Received Text, it is remarkably sensitive in its awareness of how English may represent the originals. It is a triumph of judicious -- rather than slavish -- literal translation."On the same page, Norton also states, ". . . the language is not as difficult as it often appears. So much based in the Anglo-Saxon roots of English, it has more in cmmon with modern English than many English classics, including Shakespeare." Norton here is suggesting that those who think of the KJB as obscure or 'archaic' are exaggerating and that, for the most part, the KJB is easily readable by people today.Although Norton does not say so explicitly, I think Norton is optimistic about the future of the KJB. As Norton says on page 200, the KJB is a Bible that "rewards engagement" and it is this quality of feeling rewarded when reading it that, I feel, continues to draw people to its pages.This is a scholarly work; meticulous and academic in the best sense of that word. All in all this is a reference work that those interested in the KJB can refer to for many years to come.

If everyone tries to develope Tyndale actions would there be less disharmony?

a bit of a long and laboruious read. . . . . . . . . . . . .