KJVO claims disproven by the AV 1611/KJV itself

The AV 1611's translators themselves indicated they had NOT made "the" English translation as David J stated above. Here's an excerpt from their preface"to the reader". I have used modern spelling and divided the one paragraph into several paragraphs so as to make its content easier for some readers and lurkers to understand:


“Some peradventure(perhaps) would have no variety of senses to be set in the margin, lest the authority of the Scriptures for deciding of controversies by that show of uncertainty, should somewhat be shaken. But we hold their judgment not to be so sound in this point. …

It hath pleased God in his divine providence, here and there to scatter words and sentences of that difficulty and doubtfulness. …

Variety of translations is profitable for the finding out of the sense of the Scriptures: so diversity of signification and sense in the margin, where the text is not so clear, must needs do good, yea, is necessary, as we are persuaded.


…We have not tied ourselves to a uniformity of phrasing, or to an identity of words, as some peradventure would wish that we had done.


…Why should we be in bondage to them [words or syllables] if we may be free, use one precisely when we may use another no less fit, as commodiously? …We have … avoided the scrupulosity of the Puritans.”

The AV translators were much more straightforward in their thinking than are most of today's advocates of their work. They freely admit that many Greek or Hebrew words or phrases have more than one meaning in English and that they had done their best to render them according to the context...but still did NOT insist that only THEIR choices were absolutely correct. Unlike today's KJVOs, they respected the works of other translators.

Again, I accuse some KJVOs of "selective agreement" with those translators, using as their criterion as to whether to believe them or not, their writings which agree with the KJVO myth, which came long after the last of those translators had died.

Yes, the AV 1611's translators themselves nolly the argument that the KJV is GOD'S EXACT WORDS, and that any changes from the KJV wording is changing what God said. I believe that the best $30 or so investment that any serious English-using Bible student can make is in a replica AV 1611 such as the Hendrickson Publishing Co's edition.

 

We have one thread about the LXX, but I thought this would be more appropriate in THIS thread since it's yet another KJVO thingie disproven by the AV 1611 itself.

Many a KJVO says the LXX is a modern invention. Not according to the AV translators!! Here's what they had to say in their preface:

• 7:1 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; [See S.August.lib.12. contra Faust.c.32.] 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.

• 7:2 But when the fullness 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 Ptolomy Philadelph, King of Egypt, to procure the translating of the Book of God out of Hebrew into Greek.

• 7:3 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.

• 7:4 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.

• 7:5 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.

• 7:6 For the same causes also it was well understood in many places of Europe, yea, and of Africa too.

• 7:7 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.

• 7:8 It is certain, that that translation was not so sound and so perfect, but that it needed in many places correction; and who had been so sufficient for this work as the Apostles or apostolic men?

• 7:9 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 by 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 translation to serve their own turn, and therefore bearing witness to themselves, their witness not to be regarded.

• 7:10 This may be supposed to be some cause, why the translation of the Seventy was allowed to pass for current.

• 7:11 Notwithstanding, though it was commended generally, yet it did not fully content the learned, no, not of the Jews.

• 7:12 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.

• 7:13 These with the Seventy made up the Hexapla, and were worthily and to great purpose compiled together by Origen.

• 7:14 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 gathereth) [Epiphan. de mensur, et ponderibus.] but also was used by the Greek fathers for the ground and foundation of their commentaries. [See S.August. 2°. de doctrin, Christian. c. 15° Novell, diatax, 146.]

• 7:15 Yea, Epiphanius above-named doth attribute so much unto it, that he holdeth the authors thereof not only for interpreters, but also for prophets in some respect: and Justinian the Emperor, enjoining the Jews his subjects to use specially the translation of the Seventy, rendereth this reason thereof, because they were, as it were, enlightened with prophetical grace. [profhtikhV wsper caritoV perilamyashV autouV.]

Once again, we see the KJVOs disagree with those very translators they support only to the point that their work matches the much-later myth made about their work!

Hey, Ed Edwards...Are you adding these double standared to your collection?