The Bible: Authorized King James Version with Apocrypha (Oxford World's Classics) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

This edition of the King James Bible is quite a value, both in price and in content. First, it is an inexpensive paperback, allowing those of limited means to enjoy the Bible in the classic language of the King James Version. Second, it includes the complete canon of the King James Bible as translated in 1611. Virtually all modern editions of the KJV fail to include the Apocrypha. This edition remedies that defect, rendering this edition suitable for use by Protestants, Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and eastern Orthodox Christians, as well as others who may want access to all the literature which Christians of various stripes consider to be scripture. This Bible also contains a brief appendix including helpful information on Bible history and on the various books which make up the Bible. A great Bible at a great price!

This reviewer got this surprisingly low priced edition of the King James Bible (KJV) because of historical interest and to win a friendly wager. A young lady who is Protestant and this reviewer discussed the KJV, and we agreed that based on the Epistle Dedacatory,dedicated to King James I of England (1603-1625), that the KJV was an anti-Catholic Bible. However, she disagreed that the original KJV had the Aprocrypha Books which are in all Catholic bibles but not in most Protestant bibles. So, the friendly wager was made, and this reviewer won this friendly wager.

The editors' Introduction is of historical interest. There are good comments on the different arrangement of the Hebrew Bible (for Christians the Old Testament) and the Christian Old Testament. In the earliest editions of the Christian Bible,the Apocrypha Books (Judith, Tobit or Tobias, Baruch, Ecclesiasticus,not to be confused with Ecclesiastes, Wisdom, and I Maccabees and II Maccabees)were part of the Christian Bible for over a thousand years. Readers should note that for political and religious reasons, this rearrangement was made by 400 AD.

Another point the editors made in the introduction was that the KJV and other editions of the Bible were based on what might be called layers of translations. Much of the Hebrew Bible was originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic. The editors speculate that Hebrew, the oldest known biblical language, may have been introduced to the Ancient Hebrews from other Mesopotamian peoples. The first known translation of the Hebrew Bible or most of it was made between c. 287-247 BC whereby the Hebrew was translated into Greek. This translation was known as the Septuagint and exposed the Hebrew Bible to larger readership. Many of the Ancient scholars in Western Civilization knew Greek but not Hebrew.

As mentioned above, St. Jerome (346-420 AD) translated the Latin Vulgate Bible which, again, was the Christian Bible in Western Europe. The editors noted that as early as St. Jerome, the Christian Bible had already undergone layers of translations. The Catholic Church authorities, contrary to popular opinion, did not discourage translations of the Bible into vernacular languages as long as they were based on the Vulgate Bible. For example St. Bede (680-735)was working on an Anglo-Saxon translation when he died. In other words the Bible had undergone layers of translations in the early history of Christianity.

By the time of the Reformation (c. 1517-1650), there were several Protestant translations most of which had anti-Cathoic overtones. Some of these omitted the Aprocrypha, but the earliest KJV did not. The translators worked under severe restrictions impose by James I which can be found on pages xxvi-xxvii of the introduction. For example, James I stated that he wanted to word ecclesia to be translated as church(Church of England) and not congregation as the Puritans, whom James I did not like, would have it.

The introduction also shows the serious divisions among the Protestants themselves. Many of the "reformers" hated each other and their followers as much if not more than the Catholics. For example, the German Protesants who met with their Catholic counterparts at Diet of Speyer in 1529 had to be silenced due to their loud internal disputes. When the Catholic authorities called the Council(s) of Trent (1545-1663), their Protestant guests had to again be silenced. This was not so much due to Protestant disputes with Catholicism but due more so to their rancorous internal disputes. Such divisions can be seen in the Epistle Dedicatory and James I's comments on other Protestant bibles. For example the editors cite James I's remarks that the Geneva Bible, a Protestant Bible, was the worst Bible he had ever seen.

The original translators' notes are worth reading. These men had to be as accurate as they could with translating the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek while adhering to James I's guidelines which were very restrictive. The notes not only present the difficulties faced by the translators, but they are are of historical interest.

Readers should also note that some of the early KJVs had embarrassing errors. One edition of the KJV was known as the Murderers' Bible because typesetters omitted the word "not" in the Sixth Commandment about not killing (the Seventh Commandment for Catholics). Another edition was known as the Wicked Bible because typesetters forgot the word "not" in the Seventh Commandment (Eighth Commandment in the Catholic Bible) about not committing adultry. One early edition of the KJV was know as the Vinegar Bible because Christ's parable about going into the vineyard was set in type as vinegar. Yet, the KJV survived these careless errors as well as other which can be found on pages 141-143 in Father Graham's book titled WHERE WE GOT THE BIBLE.

Readers may ask why this reviewer gave this Bible a high rating. The KJV is an expression of great English Literature. The translators knew that the English language was undergoing rapid changes in the 17th. century, and they used what some call Archic English to give the KJV a permanent place in biblical literature. The verses are cadenced, and the use of the Archaic English is a pleasure to read. Younger readers may think this reviewer is old fashioned, and they may be right. However, this reviewer likes the reading of the KJV.

This reviewer also wants to correct a historical error re English translations of the Bible. Some men have argued that the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible, an English Catholic translation, was written in response and as a reaction to the KJV. Such an assumption does not stand historical scrutiny. The Catholic Douay Rheims Bible was finished in 1609, and the KJV was finished two years later.

This reviewer highly recommends the Oxford Classics edition of the KJV. This book has interesting historical notes and a solid bibliography to attract interested readers. As a couple of reviewers stated the Oxford Classics edition of the KJV is very reasonably priced, and even though this edition is paperback, it is well bound and made to last. Readers would do well to get this book.

It's nice having because it contains the complete King James Version of the bible as it was originally translated and published. It is one of only two published editions of the complete KJV that I have been able to find. Very few people seem to realize that the KJV included the books of the Apocrypha.

I wish that they made this available in a hardcover without the Michelangelo on the cover though.