What is the Real Name
of the King James Bible?
This question has many correct answers.
The 1611 first edition of the King James Bible has a very long title: The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New. Newly Translated out of the Originall tongues: & with the former Translations diligently compared and revised, by his Maiesties Speciall Comandement. Many editions of the King James Bible reproduce most or all of this title.
The title is so long, however, that most people, including scholars and theologians, refer to the 1611 Bible by a shorter name. In England, it is commonly called the Authorized Version (AV), because for many years it was the primary Bible of the Church of England. Technically, though, there is no record that King James formally authorized it as the church’s official Bible. The title page simply states it was “appointed to be read in churches.”
Both in England and in other countries, the Bible is also called the King James Version (KJV) or the King James Bible. King James I approved the translation project that produced this Bible, and the original edition includes a three-page dedication to the king. Many modern editions do not include the dedication, making it less obvious why the Bible has this name.
It is correct to refer to the King James Bible as the Authorized Version, the AV, the King James Bible, the KJB, the King James Version, or the KJV—or to use its original title, in full or in part. This website uses the name “King James Bible.”
Learn why James approved a new Bible: Timeline: The Road to Hampton Court
Bible. English. Authorized. London, 1611. Bodleian Library, University of Oxford.
