A list of notable errors and weaknesses in interpretation or translation in the King James Version (KJV) that demonstrate it is not a perfect or infallible English Bible. These are drawn from textual, linguistic, theological, and historical perspectives, and reflect improvements made in later translations based on better manuscripts, clearer understanding of Hebrew and Greek, and updated English usage.
๐ Errors and Weaknesses
in the KJV Translation
๐ Old Testament Issues
1. Unicorns
(e.g., Numbers 23:22; Deut. 33:17; Job 39:9–10)
o
KJV: "Unicorn"
o
Better rendering: "Wild ox" (Hebrew
re'em)
o
❌ Mistaken translation due to
reliance on the Latin Vulgate ("unicornis").
2. Genesis
3:15 – "It shall bruise thy head"
o
KJV: “it” (referring to the seed)
o
Better rendering: “he” (masculine pronoun
referring to the Messiah)
o
❌ Weakens messianic prophecy of
Christ defeating Satan.
3. Psalm
8:5 – "Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels"
o
KJV: “angels” (mal’akim)
o
Better rendering: “God” or “heavenly beings”
(Hebrew: Elohim)
o
❌ The Hebrew word here is Elohim,
not "angels" (mal’akim), and theologically significant in
Christology (cf. Heb. 2:7 quoting LXX).
4. Isaiah
14:12 – "Lucifer"
o
KJV: “Lucifer”
o
Better rendering: “morning star” or “shining
one” (Hebrew: helel ben-shachar)
o
❌ “Lucifer” is a Latin-based
translation; not a proper name in the Hebrew; likely refers to the king of
Babylon.
5. Ezekiel
20:25 – “I gave them also statutes that were not good”
o
KJV: Suggests God gave evil laws
o
Better rendering: God allowed them to
follow evil statutes (context of judgment)
o
❌ Misleading implication about
God's character without clarifying judgment context.
๐ New Testament Issues
6. Acts
12:4 – "Easter"
o
KJV: “Easter”
o
Better rendering: “Passover” (Greek: Pascha)
o
❌ The Greek word pascha
always means "Passover"; "Easter" is an anachronistic
insertion based on Church tradition.
7. Hebrews
10:23 – "Profession of our faith"
o
KJV: “faith” (Greek: elpis)
o
Correct translation: “hope”
o
❌ Mistakes the Greek word,
changing the theological nuance.
8. 1
John 5:7 – Comma Johanneum
o
KJV: Includes “the Father, the Word, and the
Holy Ghost: and these three are one”
o
❌ This phrase is not found in any
early Greek manuscripts and was added in late Latin tradition. Almost all
modern scholars agree it is a textual interpolation.
9. Revelation
22:19 – "Book of life"
o
KJV: “book of life”
o
Better rendering: “tree of life” (Greek: xulon
not biblion)
o
❌ Based on a later textual
variant; early manuscripts have "tree of life."
10.
Titus 2:13 – Weak rendering of the
Granville Sharp rule
o
KJV: “the great God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ”
o
Better rendering: “our great God and Savior
Jesus Christ”
o
❌ The KJV obscures the deity of
Christ in this verse due to misunderstanding of Greek grammar.
๐ฃ️ Outdated or Misleading
English
11.
"Let" (e.g., 2 Thess. 2:7 – “he
who now letteth will let”)
o
❌ In 1611 English, “let” meant
"hinder." In modern English, it means "allow," leading to
confusion.
12.
"Conversation" (e.g., Phil.
1:27; 1 Pet. 3:1–2)
o
❌ Meant “conduct” or “behavior”
in 17th-century English, but today is understood as "talking."
13.
"Prevent" (e.g., 1 Thess. 4:15
– “we which are alive... shall not prevent them...”)
o
❌ Meant “precede” in 1611; today
means “stop” or “hinder.”
14.
Romans 5:8 – “commendeth”
o
❌ Archaic; more clearly rendered
today as “demonstrates” or “shows.”
15.
Genesis 6:4 – “There were giants in the
earth”
o
❌ “Giants” (Hebrew: Nephilim)
is a misleading rendering; better translated as “fallen ones” or left
transliterated.
๐งพ Conclusion: Why This
Matters
- The
KJV was a remarkable translation for its time, based on limited
manuscripts and early modern English.
- It
contains several inaccuracies due to:
- Use
of the Textus Receptus, which lacked access to earlier Greek manuscripts,
- Translation
based on the Latin Vulgate in places,
- Archaic
English words that no longer mean what they once did,
- Incomplete
understanding of biblical Hebrew and Greek grammar.
The KJV is faithful and historic, but not perfect. It
should be honored — but not idolized.
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