The Science of Translation

The KJV was based on poor, late manuscripts, while more contemporary translations like the NIV are based upon earlier, more reliable manuscripts.

1 Samuel 8:16

KJV "your goodliest young men and your asses"

NIV "the best of your cattle and donkeys"

The NIV is taken from the Septuagint, which was translated about 250 BC. Whereas, the KJV follows a medieval Hebrew text that actually miscopies one word. The difference between "young men" and "cattle" in Hebrew is literally one letter, which was miscopied by a scribe long after the Septuagint.

Mark 1:2

KJV "As it is written in the prophets..."

NIV "It is written in Isaiah the prophet..."

The text of the NIV is found in all of the earliest documents and is the only text known by the Church Fathers.

1 Coritnhians 11:29

KJV "he that eateth and drinketh unworthily"

NIV "anyone who eats and drinks"

The word "unworthily" is not found in any of the early manuscripts.

The KJV is the most widely used translation in the world. It has coined phrases that will be forever embedded in our language. However, for the N.T., the only Greek text available to the 1611 translators was based on late manuscripts, which had accumulated the mistakes of over a thousand years of copying. Few of these mistakes make any difference to us doctrinally, but they do often make a difference in the meaning of certain specific texts.

This is why, for study, you should nuse almost any modern translation rather than the KJV.

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