Cool post, but the Geneva Bible changed the world. That was the one William Bradford was strangled and burned by the Catholic Church for translating. It was also the one that the Pilgrims brought to the New World. King James saw the writing on the wall so to speak. The Gospel could no longer be hid.
I recognize that there is a place for the newer translations. But the phrases that have become part of the American culture and lexicon are from the KJV.
I do not believe that a modern American can consider themselves literate unless they have read the KJV, regardless of their religion or lack thereof.
Commisioned Translators eh? Don’t you mean imprisoned Jews? Because that is what happened. Strange how history rewrites itself.
I like the KJV. I find its archaic English more dignified, somehow. Even though it was supposed to be for the ‘vulgar’ in its time.
the only problem is that Early Modern English like Shakespeare or the KJV is increasingly different from the English spoken today — and exceptionally different from modern American.
The AV certainly was a monumental work and over the years as the translators said it has been revisited and many errors corrected, hence later additions and new translations.
The message from the translators in the front of many editions makes interesting reading.
“Peace on Earth, Good will to men” has now been so obliterated in the new translations that it is unmemorable. I prefer King James still.
***
Bump.