Printing and Modern Bibles — Bible Translations

The King James Version

AD 1611

Committees of English scholars produced an authorized revision whose language shaped worship and literature for centuries.

Full Account

Commissioned by James I in 1604, the translators worked in six companies at Westminster, Oxford, and Cambridge. They revised the Bishops Bible while consulting Tyndale, Coverdale, the Great Bible, the Geneva Bible, Hebrew and Greek editions, and ancient translations. Later printings standardized spelling and corrected errors; the commonly used form largely reflects eighteenth-century revisions.

Historical Significance

The King James Version became the dominant English Protestant Bible for generations and remains one of the most influential works in English.

People, Places and Sources

Key people: James I; Lancelot Andrewes; Miles Smith; translation companies
Key places: Westminster; Oxford; Cambridge; London
Languages: English, Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic
Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:16-17