Featured Popularity of the King James Version (KJV) ...

Which really goes back to William Tyndale in 1526, 1534. The man who gave us the English Bible, and most of his went straight into the KJV.

 

Various authorities differ about how much of the 1534 Tyndale version went into the KJV New Testament. But it was indeed a majority. Tyndale had translated some of the Old Testament. But as I recall, most of it was lost.

By the way, Tyndale relied on Luther's German translation --including the introductions to the New Testament books.

 

Tyndale's translation of the Pentateuch was printed in 1530. Tyndale had also translated the book of Jonah [perhaps in 1531], and a copy of his translation is found in the British Library. Its translation is not followed in the 1537 Matthew's Bible so John Roger evidently did not have a copy of Tyndale's translation of that brief book.

Tyndale is considered the translator of the books of Joshua to 2 Chronicles in the 1537 Matthew's Bible. Tyndale's translation of those books had not been printed and were likely in manuscript form. In the rest of the OT books after 2 Chronicles, the 1537 Matthew's Bible used the translation in the 1535 Coverdale's Bible.

 

I think it will continue to decline in use, but will never vanish. I grew up using KJV. I am educated in classical English. (Never know it by reading what I write) I still at times find myself struggling with KJV. I have to stop and think hard about what is being said.

 

Pardon my seeming lack of concern for accuracy, but no modern Bible compares to the KJV in terms of beauty. For this cause, as well as for accuracy's sake, we should stick with the KJV.

 

That could be considered a very subjective opinion, not an objective, verifiable criterion.

Beauty may sometimes be in the eyes of the beholder instead of in the object being seen.

 

Can you quote some examples of this perceived beauty? I honestly don't see it.

 

I suspect that the KJV wasn't considered beautiful until the mid-18th century.

 

It is usually really William Tyndale's original translations.
From this website
Tyndale Society Home Page

Tyndale's English translation of the New Testament was taken almost word for word into the much praised Authorised Version (King James Bible) of 1611, which also reproduces a great deal of his Old Testament. From there his words passed into our common understanding.

People across the world honour him as a great Englishman. His solitary courage, and his skill with languages - including, supremely, his own - enriched English history and then reached out to affect all English-speaking nations.

His influence has been as wide as Shakespeare's. His phrases are so well-known that they are often thought to be proverbial - 'let there be light', 'we live and move and have our being', 'fight the good fight', 'the signs of the times', 'the powers that be', 'a law unto themselves', and hundreds more. The familiar words telling the great Bible stories are usually Tyndale's.

 

In an ironic twist, the KJV revisers, if they could see all these English translations that we have today, would not recommend the KJV.

 

That would be a bad decision on their part if so. What makes the KJV useful even today is it's excellent New Testament Text. Most modern versions use a, usually, less accurate Greek Text. Sometimes their better, but for every 2 readings the New Versions fix, they introduce more than 2 new errors in Text. 2 steps forward, 6 steps backwards.

 

It would be a very reasonable thing.

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