i think the KJV is great, especially the Skeptics Annotated Bible (SAB).
The King James Version is Perfect
by blabbermouth 81 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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gaiagirl
KJV would be a lot better if it were translated directly from original Hebrew and Greek documents. Unfortunately, by the 17th century, those had been lost for many hundreds of years. All the KJV translators had to use were translations (NOT original writings) which themselves had been made hundreds of years after the originals. In other words, KJV is not a direct translation, but at best, a third generation translation (a translation of a translation of a translation). Each time the text is translated from one language to another, the possiblility of error is magnified. The other problem with the KJV is that, even if the translation into 17th century English had been perfect, English word meanings have changed in the nearly 400 years since then. Words no longer mean the same thing as 400 years ago, so accurate reflection of the writers intended meaning has been lost, kind of like a metal mirror slowly corroding and oxidizing over time. One humorous story which illustrates the problems of translation involved a company which produced an electronic handheld translator, for use by tourists traveling to various countries. A customer was being instructed in the use of this device at the store where they were sold, and the salesman said "Type in any expression you want, and the machine can translate it to any language you want". The customer typed in "Out of sight, out of mind" in the keypad, and pressed the button for Chinese language translation. A string of Chinese characters appeared on the screen. Since neither the customer nor the salesman could read Chinese, the customer pressed the button to translate the Chinese characters back into English. The machine dutifully translated the characters...."Invisible Idiot".
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Deputy Dog
gaiagirl
All the KJV translators had to use were translations (NOT original writings) which themselves had been made hundreds of years after the originals. In other words, KJV is not a direct translation, but at best, a third generation translation (a translation of a translation of a translation).
Spoken like a true Mormon. I'm not King James only, but, at least get your facts strait. We don't have the original copies and yes Erasmus consulted the Latin vulgate for some key passages. But, what the KJV translators had, were copies of copies of the original writings in the original languages. Not "a translation of a translation of a translation". The KJV translators used Greek and Hebrew Texts.
D Dog
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mtbatoon
A cultures language and philosophy develop side by side. Many Muslims learn Arabic to gain a better understand of the Koran for example. As English is a mix of Germanic languages developed for trade I think it's most likely the worst language to use as it's words and meanings are forever changing.
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funkyderek
I think blabbermouth is trolling or joking, but there are many fundamentalist Christians who believe that the only inspired English translation is the KJV; not the new KJV either, just the original. Jack Chick (http://www.chick.com) and his wacky cartoon-loving followers are among them.
Presumably they believe that in Song of Solomon 2:12, it is the voice of the turtle that is heard, not the turtle-dove!
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AlmostAtheist
Jack Chick is solid entertainment! I'd much rather settle in with a Chick comic than a Watchtower.
Dave
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upside/down
I like what one fundie said to me once...
"I like the KJV Bible best, because that's the one Jesus used."
Good grief!
u/d (of the which one did they use before 1611? class)
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funkyderek
Here is the fascinating history of the KJV according to Jack Chick:
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stevenyc
I find 1Kings 18:27 to be the marker of a good translation
Steve.
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jeanniebeanz
I'm sure that King James would be glad to hear that you approve.
I appreciate the almost poetic beauty of the KJV, but the age of the dialect makes understanding some verses quite impossible. I use different versions of the bible and compare scriptures if in doubt as to the meaning of a verse. Strong?s Encyclopedia is also a good resource.
Jean
