Bible Dictionary
HIS
His is a possessive pronoun used in older English translations for people, animals, or things. Modern translations often use “its” when the reference is neuter or inanimate.
Definition
His is an older English possessive pronoun. In the King James Version it is sometimes used for a neuter or inanimate thing, or for a lower animal, where modern English generally uses “its.”
Biblical Usage
The form occurs in expressions such as “after his kind,” “pluck away his crop,” “of his own accord,” and “his own body.” The Revised Version often replaces it with “its” in such contexts.
Historical Background
The difference reflects older English usage rather than a distinction in the biblical subject itself.
Historical Bible Dictionaries
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."</p>