The King James Bible
Translators Preface 1611 AD
THE PRAISE
OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
But now what
piety without truth? what truth (what saving truth) without the word of God?
What word of God (whereof we may be sure) without the Scripture? The Scriptures
we are commanded to search. John 5:39. Isa 8:20. They are commended that
searched and studied them. Acts 17:11 and 8:28,29. They are reproved that were
unskillful in them, or slow to believe them. Matt 22:29. Luke 24:25. They can
make us wise unto salvation. 2 Tim 3:15. If we be ignorant, they will instruct
us; if out of the way, they will bring us home; if out of order, they will
reform us; if in heaviness, comfort us; if dull, quicken us; if cold, inflame
us. Tolle, lege; Tolle, lege, Take up and read, take up and read the Scriptures
[S. August. confess. lib 8 cap 12], (for unto them was the direction) it was
said unto S. Augustine by a supernatural voice. "Whatsoever is in the
Scriptures, believe me," saith the same S. Augustine, "is high and divine; there
is verily truth, and a doctrine most fit for the refreshing of men's minds, and
truly so tempered, that everyone may draw from thence that which is sufficient
for him, if he come to draw with a devout and pious mind, as true Religion
requireth." [S. August. de utilitcredendi cap. 6] Thus S. Augustine. and S.
Jerome: "Ama scripturas, et amabit te sapientia etc." [S. Jerome. ad Demetriad]
Love the Scriptures, and wisdom will love thee. And S. Cyril against Julian;
"Even boys that are bred up in the Scriptures, become most religious, etc." [S.
Cyril. 7 contra Iulianum] But what mention we three or four uses of the
Scripture, whereas whatsoever is to be believed or practiced, or hoped for, is
contained in them? or three or four sentences of the Fathers, since whosoever is
worthy the name of a Father, from Christ's time downward, hath likewise written
not only of the riches, but also of the perfection of the Scripture? "I adore
the fulness of the Scripture," saith Tertullian against Hermogenes. [Tertul.
advers. Hermo.] And again, to Apelles an heretic of the like stamp, he saith;
"I do not admit that which thou bringest in (or concludest) of thine own (head
or store, de tuo) without Scripture." [Tertul. de carne Christi.] So Saint
Justin Martyr before him; "We must know by all means," saith he, "that it is not
lawful (or possible) to learn (anything) of God or of right piety, save only out
of the Prophets, who teach us by divine inspiration." So Saint Basil after
Tertullian, "It is a manifest falling way from the Faith, and a fault of
presumption, either to reject any of those things that are written, or to bring
in (upon the head of them) any of those things that are not written. We omit to
cite to the same effect, S. Cyril B. of Jerusalem in his 4::Cataches., Saint
Jerome against Helvidius, Saint Augustine in his 3::book against the letters of
Petilian, and in very many other places of his works. Also we forebear to
descend to later Fathers, because we will not weary the reader. The Scriptures
then being acknowledged to be so full and so perfect, how can we excuse
ourselves of negligence, if we do not study them, of curiosity, if we be not
content with them? Men talk much of [an olive bow wrapped about with wood,
whereupon did hang figs, and bread, honey in a pot, and oil], how many sweet and
goodly things it had hanging on it; of the Philosopher's stone, that it turned
copper into gold; of Cornucopia, that it had all things necessary for food in
it, of Panaces the herb, that it was good for diseases, of Catholicon the drug,
that it is instead of all purges; of Vulcan's armor, that it was an armor of
proof against all thrusts, and all blows, etc. Well, that which they falsely or
vainly attributed to these things for bodily god, we may justly and with full
measure ascribe unto the Scripture, for spiritual. It is not only an armor, but
also a whole armory of weapons, both offensive and defensive; whereby we may
save ourselves and put the enemy to flight. It is not an herb, but a tree, or
rather a whole paradise of trees of life, which bring forth fruit every month,
and the fruit thereof is for meat, and the leaves for medicine. It is not a pot
of Manna, or a cruse of oil, which were for memory only, or for a meal's meat or
two, but as it were a shower of heavenly bread sufficient for a whole host, be
it never so great; and as it were a whole cellar full of oil vessels; whereby
all our necessities may be provided for, and our debts discharged. In a word,
it is a Panary of wholesome food, against fenowed traditions; a Physician's shop
(Saint Basil called it) [S. Basil in Psal. primum.] of preservatives against
poisoned heresies; a Pandect of profitable laws, against rebellious spirits; a
treasury of most costly jewels, against beggarly rudiments; finally a fountain
of most pure water springing up unto everlasting life. And what marvel? The
original thereof being from heaven, not from earth; the author being God, not
man; the inditer, the holy spirit, not the wit of the Apostles or Prophets; the
Penmen such as were sanctified from the womb, and endued with a principal
portion of God's spirit; the matter, verity, piety, purity, uprightness; the
form, God's word, God's testimony, God's oracles, the word of truth, the word of
salvation, etc.; the effects, light of understanding, stableness of persuasion,
repentance from dead works, newness of life, holiness, peace, joy in the holy
Ghost; lastly, the end and reward of the study thereof, fellowship with the
Saints, participation of the heavenly nature, fruition of an inheritance
immortal, undefiled, and that never shall fade away: Happy is the man that
delighted in the Scripture, and thrice happy that meditateth in it day and
night.
TRANSLATION
NECESSARY
But how
shall men meditate in that, which they cannot understand? How shall they
understand that which is kept close in an unknown tongue? as it is written,
"Except I know the power of the voice, I shall be to him that speaketh, a
Barbarian, and he that speaketh, shall be a Barbarian to me." [1 Cor 14] The
Apostle excepteth no tongue; not Hebrew the ancientest, not Greek the most
copious, not Latin the finest. Nature taught a natural man to confess, that all
of us in those tongues which we do not understand, are plainly deaf; we may turn
the deaf ear unto them. The Scythian counted the Athenian, whom he did not
understand, barbarous; [Clem. Alex. 1 Strom.] so the Roman did the Syrian, and
the Jew (even S. Jerome himself called the Hebrew tongue barbarous, belike
because it was strange to so many) [S. Jerome. Damaso.] so the Emperor of
Constantinople [Michael, Theophili fil.] calleth the Latin tongue, barbarous,
though Pope Nicolas do storm at it: [2::Tom. Concil. ex edit. Petri Crab] so the
Jews long before Christ called all other nations, Lognazim, which is little
better than barbarous. Therefore as one complaineth, that always in the Senate
of Rome, there was one or other that called for an interpreter: [Cicero 5::de
finibus.] so lest the Church be driven to the like exigent, it is necessary to
have translations in a readiness. Translation it is that openeth the window, to
let in the light; that breaketh the shell, that we may eat the kernel; that
putteth aside the curtain, that we may look into the most Holy place; that
removeth the cover of the well, that we may come by the water, even as Jacob
rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well, by which means the flocks of
Laban were watered [Gen 29:10]. Indeed without translation into the vulgar
tongue, the unlearned are but like children at Jacob's well (which is deep)
[John 4:11] without a bucket or something to draw with; or as that person
mentioned by Isaiah, to whom when a sealed book was delivered, with this motion,
"Read this, I pray thee," he was fain to make this answer, "I cannot, for it is
sealed." [Isa 29:11]
THE
TRANSLATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT OUT OF THE HEBREW INTO GREEK
While God
would be known only in Jacob, and have his Name great in Israel, and in none
other place, while the dew lay on Gideon's fleece only, and all the earth
besides was dry; then for one and the same people, which spake all of them the
language of Canaan, that is, Hebrew, one and the same original in Hebrew was
sufficient. [S. August. lib 12 contra Faust c32] But, when the fulness of time
drew near, that the Sun of righteousness, the Son of God should come into the
world, whom God ordained to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood, not
of the Jew only, but also of the Greek, yea, of all them that were scattered
abroad; then lo, it pleased the Lord to stir up the spirit of a Greek Prince
(Greek for descent and language) even of Ptolemy Philadelph King of Egypt, to
procure the translating of the Book of God out of Hebrew into Greek. This is
the translation of the Seventy Interpreters, commonly so called, which prepared
the way for our Saviour among the Gentiles by written preaching, as Saint John
Baptist did among the Jews by vocal. For the Grecians being desirous of
learning, were not wont to suffer books of worth to lie moulding in Kings'
libraries, but had many of their servants, ready scribes, to copy them out, and
so they were dispersed and made common. Again, the Greek tongue was well known
and made familiar to most inhabitants in Asia, by reason of the conquest that
there the Grecians had made, as also by the Colonies, which thither they had
sent. For the same causes also it was well understood in many places of Europe,
yea, and of Africa too. Therefore the word of God being set forth in Greek,
becometh hereby like a candle set upon a candlestick, which giveth light to all
that are in the house, or like a proclamation sounded forth in the market place,
which most men presently take knowledge of; and therefore that language was
fittest to contain the Scriptures, both for the first Preachers of the Gospel to
appeal unto for witness, and for the learners also of those times to make search
and trial by. It is certain, that that Translation was not so sound and so
perfect, but it needed in many places correction; and who had been so sufficient
for this work as the Apostles or Apostolic men? Yet it seemed good to the holy
Ghost and to them, to take that which they found, (the same being for the
greatest part true and sufficient) rather than making a new, in that new world
and green age of the Church, to expose themselves to many exceptions and
cavillations, as though they made a Translations to serve their own turn, and
therefore bearing a witness to themselves, their witness not to be regarded.
This may be supposed to be some cause, why the Translation of the Seventy was
allowed to pass for current. Notwithstanding, though it was commended
generally, yet it did not fully content the learned, no not of the Jews. For
not long after Christ, Aquila fell in hand with a new Translation, and after him
Theodotion, and after him Symmachus; yea, there was a fifth and a sixth edition,
the Authors whereof were not known. [Epiphan. de mensur. et ponderibus.] These
with the Seventy made up the Hexapla and were worthily and to great purpose
compiled together by Origen. Howbeit the Edition of the Seventy went away with
the credit, and therefore not only was placed in the midst by Origen (for the
worth and excellency thereof above the rest, as Epiphanius gathered) but also
was used by the Greek fathers for the ground and foundation of their
Commentaries. Yea, Epiphanius above named doeth attribute so much unto it, that
he holdeth the Authors thereof not only for Interpreters, but also for Prophets
in some respect [S. August. 2::de dectrin. Christian c. 15]; and Justinian the
Emperor enjoining the Jews his subjects to use especially the Translation of the
Seventy, rendreth this reason thereof, because they were as it were enlightened
with prophetical grace. Yet for all that, as the Egyptians are said of the
Prophet to be men and not God, and their horses flesh and not spirit [Isa 31:3];
so it is evident, (and Saint Jerome affirmeth as much) [S. Jerome. de optimo
genere interpret.] that the Seventy were Interpreters, they were not Prophets;
they did many things well, as learned men; but yet as men they stumbled and
fell, one while through oversight, another while through ignorance, yea,
sometimes they may be noted to add to the Original, and sometimes to take from
it; which made the Apostles to leave them many times, when they left the Hebrew,
and to deliver the sense thereof according to the truth of the word, as the
spirit gave them utterance. This may suffice touching the Greek Translations of
the Old Testament.
Part 3
