What Greek Texts did the KJV Scholars use to Translate into English?
The Textus Receptus – Latin for “Received Texts” in Latin ‘Textus’ is cloth or fabric constructed by interlacing threads i.e. a framework, structure, or the method of interlacing, which then evolved into the English word “text” Google AI
1. The Textus Receptus (Latin for “Received Texts”) is the name for the Greek Documents used in compiling a series of printed Greek New Testament editions beginning with Desiderius Erasmus’s 1516 A.D. work, Novum Instrumentum omne, which became the basis for most Reformation-era NT Bible translations, including the 1611 A.D. King James Version. Google AI
2. Theodore Beza (Theodor Beza) was a key figure in the development of the Textus Receptus (Received Text), the Greek New Testament foundation for the King James Version. His editions in the late 16th century, particularly his 5th edition (1598), served as a primary source for the translators of the Authorized Version (AV aka King James 1611 Version). Google AI
3. The Stephanus 1550 Greek Manuscript refers to the pivotal 1550 Greek New Testament edition by Robert Estienne (Stephanus), known as the “Royal Edition,” which became a primary source text (Textus Receptus) for the King James Version (KJV) translation of the Bible, significantly influencing its English wording and establishing a widely accepted textual basis for Reformation-era translations. While the 1551 Stephanus introduced verse numbers, the 1550 edition provided a crucial comparative Greek text, forming the bedrock for what would become the KJV’s New Testament. Google AI
The Stephanus 1550 A.D. Greek Manuscript is essentially the NT Greek Version of the English Bible the King James 1611 A.D. Version (KJV).
Note: Do We Need a KJV Update? The supposed update the NKJV released in 1982 is problematic (incorperating the suspicious “majority/critical” Greek texts) and has never been a viable update to the original (Textus Receptus – Greek Texts) of the 1611 King James Version.
By David Anson Brown
Ward on Words | Do We Need a KJV Update? A Candid and Cordial Conversation
