Q. Even though the New International Version Bible (NIV) may be easier to follow in some instances, is it safe to say that the King James Version Bible (KJV) is the more accurately translated? Or is there really any difference at all? (Submitted by: D. M.) A. The King James Bible, written in 1611 A.D., is also known as the Authorized or Common version of the Bible. Many biblical quotations you will read are from the KJV. Some mature Christians have used the King James Bible for so long and are so familiar with it that they just hate to change. Many of the best Bible concordances and other Bible helps are based on the King James Version such as Strong's Concordance, Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, The Englishman's Hebrew Concordance of Old Testament and The Englishman's Greek Concordance of New Testament. Unfortunately, the language has changed so much since 1611 that the old Bible simply does not mean what it used to mean. The New International Version, originally published in 1979, is becoming the closest thing to a standard Bible among evangelical people in America. Although some scholars feel that the NIV takes a balanced approach to the Bible, it is nevertheless a dynamic equivalence translation which means its words depend much on what the translators THOUGHT the author meant. This type of Bible translation can create some theological problems, especially in the translator's interpretation of Paul. I do not trust the NIV in all instances because of certain prejudices on the part of the translators. Anytime I use it, I compare it with the KJV and several other translations to assure accuracy. It is, as you note, much easier to read in many cases and even helps clarify the Old English language of the KJV. It is my experience that one can use almost any translation of the Bible and, if enough attention is paid, find the truth. The Bible is multiple-redundant, i.e., reiterating its most basic principles over many books with different authors, so that one may find the discrepancies in translation by comparing other texts. I use the KJV as my primary Bible study text and read the NIV for its fluency and use of current language. |
