The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible is an English translation commissioned by King James I of England in 1604 and published in 1611 by the Church of England. As the most widely-used and influential English Bible translation for over 400 years, the King James Version is one of the most monumental achievements in the history of Christianity. But who exactly was King James, the monarch whose name would become practically synonymous with the definitive English Bible for centuries to come?
King James was born James Charles Stuart on June 19, 1566 in Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. He was the only son of Mary, Queen of Scots and her second husband Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley. Mary was forced to abdicate the Scottish throne in 1567, when James was only 1 year old, due to her imprisonment by her cousin Elizabeth I of England. James ascended to the Scottish throne in 1567 upon his mother’s abdication, but due to his young age, Scotland was governed by regents until he reached adulthood. He became King James VI of Scotland in 1583 at the age of 17.
James succeeded Queen Elizabeth I of England and Ireland upon her death in 1603, inheriting the thrones of England and Ireland in a dynastic succession which united the crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland in his person. By taking the title King James I of England and Ireland, he thus became the first monarch to rule all three kingdoms. His accession to the English throne at age 37 united the thrones of the Three Kingdoms for the first time in personal union.
King James was a highly educated man who wrote extensively on political theory and theological topics. He sponsored the translation of the Bible into English to address the flaws he saw in the earlier translations and to promote peace between the warring Protestant and Catholic factions in England. James was motivated both by his scholarly interests in theology and the Bible, as well as political motivations to bring unity to the Church of England, which was deeply divided between Puritan and more traditional factions.
Here are some key facts about King James I of England:
- His reign lasted from 1603 to 1625, spanning 22 years until his death.
- He succeeded Elizabeth I, the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. His accession united the crowns of England, Ireland and Scotland.
- He ruled over the kingdoms of Ireland and Scotland as James VI before inheriting the English and Irish thrones in 1603.
- He was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots and her second husband Lord Darnley.
- His mother was forced to abdicate the Scottish throne when James was only 1 year old.
- He ascended the Scottish throne in 1567 at the age of 13 months but ruled under regents until taking power in 1583.
- He married Anne of Denmark in 1589 and had seven children who survived infancy, including his successor Charles I.
- He survived the Gunpowder Plot assassination attempt by Guy Fawkes in 1605.
- He ruled during the Jacobean era, taking its name from the Latin version of his name.
- He sponsored an authorized English translation of the Bible, published in 1611, known as the King James Version.
- He continued Elizabeth I’s policies of establishing peace with Spain and avoiding religious wars in Europe.
- He was a patron of the arts and promoted the English Renaissance.
- He was the first British sovereign to claim the divine right of kings – that a monarch’s authority came from God alone.
King James I was born into turbulent times in Scotland. He never knew his father, Henry Stuart, who was likely murdered when James was still an infant. James’s mother Mary was an unpopular, Catholic queen who was forced to abdicate the Scottish throne in 1567 and imprisoned for two decades before eventually being executed for her alleged role in a plot to assassinate Elizabeth I of England in 1587. As a child ruler in Scotland, the young King James VI faced threats from English forces and from Scottish nobles trying to exploit the power vacuum.
Despite an unstable childhood and constant threats on his reign, James survived to rule Scotland for nearly sixty years. He succeeded the childless Elizabeth I when he was 37 years old, inheriting the English throne as her closest living Protestant relative. Though James came to the English throne with a rather overdeveloped sense of royal entitlement, he proved an able ruler who continued many of Elizabeth’s policies. He improved England’s finances, kept relative peace and stability, and sponsored an authorized English translation of the Bible which bears his name – the King James Version.
James had an eventful personal life and a complex personality. He survived assassination attempts, kidnapping plots, and struggles for power with Parliament. He also confronted deep-seated religious divisions in England. James was a Protestant, though his mother had been Catholic, and he faced the delicate task of leading the Anglican Church as demands from Puritans and Catholics intensified. While James promoted religious uniformity wherever possible, the King James Bible would go on to have lasting and profound significance for English-speaking Protestants across the world.
While James’s policies maintained stability through times of great turmoil in Europe, trouble would brew in the decades after his death. Challenges with Parliament would escalate under his successor Charles I and culminate in the English Civil War. Yet the KJV Bible that James sponsored would outlast dynasties, social upheavals, and changing fashions of thought and language. Through the tumultuous 17th century, the King James Version would provide continuity and spiritual guidance for English Protestants and become central to Christianity in English-speaking lands.
In the centuries since its publication, the King James Bible has been enormously influential on language, literature, culture and religion, particularly among English-speaking Protestants. Its linguistically meticulous Early Modern English text and poetic language has had far-reaching impacts on English literature and the development of the English language. Major religious movements like Evangelicalism, Fundamentalism, and Mormonism relied on the King James Bible. Its translations of Old Testament messianic prophecies about Jesus have shaped Christian views of prophecies and their fulfillment. The popular idioms and expressions it introduced into the English language are still in common use today.
In honor of the King who commissioned this momentous work, the King James Version serves as the most widely-recognized English Bible translation, though dozens of additional translations have appeared since 1611. Its linguistic staying power testifies to the success of its translators’ goal to produce an authoritative English Bible that would be accessible to common people and withstand the test of time. The King James Bible satisfied King James I’s aims of affirming royal authority, unifying the Church of England, and providing a Bible accessible to the common reader – albeit with some undoubtedly political motives as well.
King James did not actively participate in the translation process, but he established guidelines for the translators and oversaw the project. The actual translation was done by a team of about 50 scholars, churchmen, and linguists. A Preface titled “The Translators to the Reader” is included in most printings of the KJV and describes some of the translators’ principles and objectives. It notes their aim was not to create an entirely new translation, nor to make a bad translation good, but to revise and update the best existing English translations in fidelity to the original language texts.
The royal name attached to the King James Version was deemed fitting given that the project was commissioned by the king, who set the policies the translators were to follow. Its appellation honors King James I’s role as the visionary who recognized the need for an updated and more accessible English Bible translation. The translators expressed their wish that the new Bible would “under his patronage (because yet living) give life unto it” [The Translators to the Reader]. Although King James did not actively work on the translation, he made the KJV possible by assigning and financing the undertaking – hence the right to have his name on it.
King James likely had mixed motivations for sponsoring an English Bible translation. On one hand, he was genuinely interested in and learned about theology and he hoped an authoritative Bible in the vernacular would support religious unity and understanding among the common people. However, he also had political aims to increase his own power, curb Puritan influence, and bring conformity of worship practices under the Church of England and the crown. Regardless of James’s motivations, the final translated text itself seems to have minimal political bias and can be considered largely faithful to the earliest Hebrew and Greek source texts.
The KJV was not actually the first Bible translation to bear the “Authorized Version” designation in England. Nearly a century prior, Henry VIII authorized the Great Bible of 1539 to be placed in every English church as the sole authorized version. The KJV’s title as Authorized Version stems from a reference in the 1611 translator’s preface which states the new Bible was “appointed to be read in churches” – thus “Authorized” by royal order, though not bearing that actual label on its cover page.
The influence of the King James Bible over the centuries since its publication cannot be understated. It was the Bible of seminal English writers like Shakespeare and Milton. Many phrases from the KJV have become common English idioms, such as “rise and shine” and “no rest for the wicked.” It also influenced thinkers and movements ranging from Deism to Transcendentalism. Words coined by the KJV include “behemoth,” “scapegoat,” and “atonement.” Its linguistic and poetic beauty shaped English literature and development of the language.
The King James Bible also had deep and lasting effects on religion. It was integral to the spread of Protestantism, especially in North America where evangelistic awakenings and missionary efforts relied heavily on this translation. Today, most Protestant Bible scholars and church leaders still esteem the King James Version’s faithfulness to the original texts and its eloquence. Some churches continue using the KJV as their official Bible today, over four centuries after its publication, embracing its historical and linguistic importance.
King James I led England through a critical transitional period in history, marked by religious contention, expanding scholarship and education, and the seeds of empire. His sponsorship of the eponymous Bible translation must be considered one of his greatest legacies as a ruler. The King James Version codified and disseminated Scripture in compelling English prose that resonated for centuries. For its timeless language and lasting impact, the King James Bible stands as one of the most significant works of English literature and a testament to the influence of England’s King James I.