Book Reviews -- By: Anonymous

Journal: Journal of Dispensational Theology
Volume: JODT 20:59 (Spring 2016)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous


Book Reviews

King James and His Bible and Its Translators, 2nd ed. by Laurence M. Vance. Orlando, FL: Vance Publications, 2016. 384 pp., paper, $19.95.

It can easily be seen from King James and His Bible and Its Translators that Laurence Vance has a passion for history. This book is not a pro-King James book as the reader might think initially; it is simply an intricate and concise history of the King James translation. This is the second edition of this book which was originally published in 2006. Vance added twelve chapters, which had previously been used in other publications on the subject, to this updated version. The purpose of this work is “not a rephrasing or a retelling of what can readily be found in a standard work on English Bible history. In fact, some of them are designed to correct the errors and misconceptions that are unfortunately too prevalent in the material written – by friend and foe alike – about the Authorized Version” (pp. vii-viii).

Throughout this scholarly work, Vance gives a history of how the King James Bible came to be, starting with who King James was and why there was a need for a new English translation. He shows that the basis for the King James translation was the Bishop’s Bible from 1602. He continues to identify some of the people that influenced the King James translation, such as William Tyndale. He quoted from The King James Bible after 400 Years: Literary, Linguistic, and Cultural Influences (2010) stating that Tyndale’s “role in the genesis of the Authorized Version is impossible to overestimate” (p. 40). William Tyndale was just one of many who had a significant influence upon the King James translation. While some of these men, such as Giles Lawrence, may not have even lived to see the beginning of the Authorized Version, his knowledge and understanding of the Greek language brought a significant contribution to both the Bishop’s Bible and the Authorized Version.

In light of the commonly heard phrase “King James Only,” readers will appreciate Vance’s essay entitled “A Standard Bible.” In this chapter, Vance shows that the thinking of “King James Only” churches is not new. He even stated, “All of these attempts at producing a standard Bible were unnecessary for the simple reason that we already had one – the King James 1611 Authorized Version (p. 205).” Throughout this chapter, he shows that the King James or Authorized Version was “the Bible” starting all the way back in the seventeenth century. While today there are many

“Standard” Bibles (NASB, HCSB, ESV, etc.), the idea of a “Standard” translation began with the King James translation of 1611.

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