XVI. The Translators to the Reader

The Epistle Dedicatory to James I is placed in most editions of the Authorized Version, but the much longer The Translators to the Reader is rarely included. This is unfortunate, for it gives unparalleled insights into the nature and work of the Translators. Through their spokesman or spokesmen, we have here what they themselves said about this great translating work.  It is this that makes the Preface the most important historical document we have concerning the translation of the Authorized Version.

According to Scrivener: 

The reputed author of this noble Preface…is Dr. Miles Smith of the first Oxford Company who would naturally be one of the six final revisers and became Bishop of Gloucester in 1612  (Authorized Version, p. 39).

The Translators to the Reader reveals a love for Christ and zeal for the Scriptures that places it on a level far above what we see in today’s translation prefaces.  Anyone who takes the time to read and compare it with that of the NASV, NIV or NKJV will see that we have something here that is completely different.

The Preface is not necessarily easy reading, and may seem tedious in places.  It is long, and for most too long, a point that is made near its conclusion:

Many other things we might give thee a warning of gentle Reader, if we had not exceeded the measure of a preface already (XVIII:1). 

Much of it deals with the opposition that the Translators were facing and expecting to face, coupled with the need for translations of the Scriptures generally, and for this translation in particular.  Many early writers and church fathers are quoted.  There is therefore a great deal of material, which while important for presenting the arguments at that time, may in fact distract the reader from coming to grips with those things that are most important for us today.  In this presentation, we have what I think are the key statements, and which should give considerable help to those who stand for the King James Bible today.

The Preface is available online. The best presentation is the one formatted by A.V. Bible Tracts and Books.

In addition to other helps, they have divided the Preface’s 18 titled sections into 272 numbered sub-sections.  This makes the document much easier to reference and was an aid in identifying the most important statements.  Below are 56 taken from among the 18 headings.

I  The best things have been calumniated   1-11.

II  Anacharsis with others   1-14.

III The highest personages have been calumniated   1-12.

IV His Majesty’s constancy, notwithstanding calumniation, for the survey of the English translations   1-6.

V The Praise of the Holy Scriptures   1-27 (19, 22-27).

• 19 The Scriptures then being acknowledged to be so full and so perfect, how can we excuse ourselves of negligence, if we do not study them? of curiosity, if we be not content with them?
• 22 It is not only an armour, but also a whole armoury of weapons, both offensive and defensive; whereby we may save ourselves and put the enemy to flight.
• 23 It is not an herb, but a tree, or rather a whole paradise of trees of life, which bring forth fruit every month, and the fruit thereof is for meat, and the leaves for medicine.
• 24 It is not a pot of Manna, or a cruse of oil, which were for memory only, or for a meal's meat or two, but as it were a shower of heavenly bread sufficient for a whole host, be it never so great; and as it were a whole cellar full of oil vessels; whereby all our necessities may be provided for and our debts discharged.
• 25 In a word, it is a panary [bread pantry] of wholesome food, against fenowed [mouldy] traditions; a physician's shop (Saint Basil calleth it) of preservatives against poisoned heresies; a pandect [a complete body] of profitable laws against rebellious sprits; a treasury of most costly jewels against beggarly rudiments; finally, a fountain of most pure water springing up unto everlasting life.
• 26 And what marvel? the original thereof being from heaven, not from earth; the author being God, not man; the inditer, the Holy Spirit, not the wit of the Apostles or Prophets; the penmen, such as were sanctified from the womb, and endued with a principal portion of God's Spirit; the matter, verity, piety, purity, uprightness; the form, God's word, God's testimony, God's oracles, the word of truth, the word of salvation, etc.; the effects, light of understanding, stableness of persuasion, repentance from dead works, newness of life, holiness, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost; lastly, the end and reward of the study thereof, fellowship with the Saints, participation of the heavenly nature, fruition of an inheritance immortal, undefiled, and that never shall fade away.
• 27 Happy is the man that delighteth in the Scripture, and thrice happy that meditateth in it day and night.

VI  Translation Necessary   1-9 (1,8,9).

• 1 But how shall men meditate in that, which they cannot understand? How shall they understand that which is kept close in an unknown tongue? as it is written, Except I know the power of the voice, I shall be to him that speaketh, a Barbarian, and he that speaketh, shall be a Barbarian to me.
• 8 Translation it is that openeth the window, to let in the light; that breaketh the shell, that we may eat the kernel; that putteth aside the curtain, that we may look into the most holy place; that removeth the cover of the well, that we may come by the water, even as Jacob rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well, by which means the flocks of Laban were watered.
• 9 Indeed, without translation into the vulgar tongue, the unlearned are but like children at Jacob's well (which was deep) without a bucket or something to draw with: or as that person mentioned by Isaiah, to whom when a sealed book was delivered, with this motion, Read this, I pray thee, he was fain [compelled] to make this answer, I cannot, for it is sealed.

VII Translation of the Old Testament out of the Hebrew into Greek  1-27.

VIII  Translation out of Hebrew and Greek into Latin   1-4.

IX  The translating of the Scripture into the vulgar tongues   1-21.

X  The unwillingness of our chief adversaries, that the Scriptures should be divulged in the mother tongue, etc.   1-7.

XI  The speeches and reasons, both of our brethren and of our adversaries, against this work   1-11.     

XII  A Satisfaction To Our Brethren   1-19 (6,7,10,11,12,15,16).

• 6 Yet for all that, as nothing is begun and perfected at the same time, and the later thoughts are thought to be the wiser: so, if we building upon their foundation that went before us, and being holpen by their labours, do endeavour to make that better which they left so good, no man, we are sure, hath cause to mislike us; they, we persuade ourselves, if they were alive, would thank us.
• 7 The vintage of Abiezer, that strake the stroke: yet the gleaning of grapes of Ephraim was not to be despised. See Judges 8, verse 2.
• 10 How many books of profane learning have been gone over again and again, by the same translators, by others? Of one and the same book of Aristotle's Ethics, there are extant not so few as six or seven several translations.
• 11 Now, if this cost may be bestowed upon the gourd, which affordeth us a little shade, and which to-day flourisheth but to-morrow is cut down, what may we bestow, nay, what ought we not to bestow, upon the vine, the fruit whereof maketh glad the conscience of man, and the stem whereof abideth for ever?
• 12 And this is the Word of God, which we translate.
• 15 Therefore let no man's eye be evil, because his Majesty's is good; neither let any be grieved that we have a Prince that seeketh the increase of the spiritual wealth of Israel, (let Sanballats and Tobiahs do so, which therefore do bear their just reproof but let us rather bless God from the ground of our heart, for working this religious care in him to have the translations of the Bible maturely considered of and examined.
• 16 For by this means it cometh to pass, that whatsoever is sound already (and all is sound for substance, in one or other of our editions, and the worst of ours far better than their authentic vulgar) the same will shine as gold more brightly, being rubbed and polished; also, if anything be halting, or superfluous, or not so agreeable to the original, the same may be corrected, and the truth set in place.

XIII  An answer to the imputations of our adversaries   1-17 (1,2).

• 1 Now to the latter we answer, that we do not deny, nay, we affirm and avow, that the very meanest translation of the Bible in English, set forth by men of our profession, (for we have seen none of theirs of the whole Bible as yet) containeth the Word of God, nay, is the Word of God.
• 2 As the King's Speech which he uttered in Parliament, being translated into French, Dutch, Italian, and Latin, is still the King's Speech, though it be not interpreted by every translator with the like grace, nor peradventure so fitly for phrase, nor so expressly for sense, everywhere.

XIV  A Third Cavil   1-24 (12,14,20,21).

• 12 But the difference that appeareth between our translations, and our often correcting of them, is the thing that we are specially charged with; let us see therefore whether they themselves be without fault this way, (if it be to be counted a fault, to correct) and whether they be fit men to throw stones at us: O tandem maior parcas insane minori; they that are less sound themselves ought not to object infirmities to others.
• 14 But what will they say to this, that Pope Leo the Tenth allowed Erasmus's translation of the New Testament, so much different from the vulgar, by his apostolic letter and bull? that the same Leo exhorted Pagnine to translate the whole Bible, and bare whatsoever charges was necessary for the work?
• 20 Nay, further, did not the same Sixtus ordain by an inviolable decree, and that with the counsel and consent of his cardinals, that the Latin edition of the Old and New Testament, which the Council of Trent would have to be authentic, is the same without controversy which he then set forth, being diligently corrected and printed in the printing-house of Vatican? Thus Sixtus in his preface before his Bible.
• 21 And yet Clement the Eighth his immediate successor, publisheth another edition of the Bible, containing in it infinite differences from that of Sixtus, (and many of them weighty and material) and yet this must be authentic by all means.

XV The purpose of the Translators, with their number, furniture, care, etc. 1-21 (1-3, 7-21).

• 1 But it is high time to leave them, and to shew in brief what we proposed to ourselves, and what course we held, in this our perusal and survey of the Bible.
• 2 Truly, good Christian reader, we never thought from the beginning that we should need to make a new translation, nor yet to make of a bad one a good one, (for then the imputation of Sixtus had been true in some sort, that our people had been fed with gall of dragons instead of wine, with whey instead of milk:) but to make a good one better, or out of many good ones, one principal good one, not justly to be excepted against; that hath been our endeavour, that our mark.
• 3 To that purpose there were many chosen that were greater in other men's eyes than in their own, and that sought the truth rather than their own praise.
• 7 And in what sort did these assemble? In the trust of their own knowledge, or of their sharpness of wit, or deepness of judgement, as it were in an arm of flesh? At no hand.
• 8 They trusted in him that hath the key of David, opening, and no man shutting; they prayed to the Lord, the Father of our Lord, to the effect that S.Augustine did: O let thy Scriptures be my pure delight, let me not be deceived in them, neither let me deceive by them.
• 9 In this confidence and with this devotion, did they assemble together; not too many, lest one should trouble another; and yet many, lest many things haply might escape them.
• 10 If you ask what they had before them, truly it was the Hebrew text of the Old Testament, the Greek of the New.
• 11 These are the two golden pipes, or rather conduits, where through the olive branches empty themselves into the gold.
• 12 Saint Augustine calleth them precedent, or original, tongues; Saint Hierome, fountains.
• 13 The same Saint Hierome affirmeth, and Gratian hath not spared to put it into his decree, That as the credit of the old books (he meaneth of the Old Testament) is to be tried by the Hebrew volumes, so of the New by the Greek tongue, he meaneth by the original Greek.
• 14 If truth be to be tried by these tongues, then whence should a translation be made, but out of them?
• 15 These tongues, therefore, (the Scriptures, we say, in those tongues,) we set before us to translate, being the tongues wherein God was pleased to speak to his Church by his Prophets and Apostles.
• 16 Neither did we run over the work with that posting haste that the Septuagint did; if that be true which is reported of them that they finished it in 72 days; neither were we barred or hindered from going over it again, having once done it, like S.Hierome, if that be true which himself reporteth, that he could no sooner write anything, but presently it was caught from him, and published, and he could not have leave to mend it:
• 17 neither, to be short, were we the first that fell in hand with translating the Scripture into English, and consequently destitute of former helps, as it is written of Origen, that he was the first, in a manner, that put his hand to write commentaries upon the Scriptures, and therefore no marvel if he overshot himself many times.
• 18 None of these things: the work hath not been huddled up in 72 days, but hath cost the workmen, as light as it seemeth, the pains of twice seven times seventy-two days, and more: matters of such weight and consequence are to be speeded with maturity; for in a business of moment a man feareth not the blame of convenient slackness.
• 19 Neither did we think much to consult the translators or commentators, Chaldee, Hebrew, Syrian, Greek, or Latin, no, nor the Spanish, French, Italian, or Dutch;
• 20 neither did we disdain to revise that which we had done, and to bring back to the anvil that which we had hammered:
• 21 but having and using as great helps as were needful, and fearing no reproach for slowness, nor coveting praise for expedition, we have at the length, through the good hand of the Lord upon us, brought the work to that pass that you see.

XVI   Reasons moving us to set diversity of senses in the margin, where there is great probability for each   1-14 (1,2,5,6,7).

• 1 Some peradventure 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.
• 2 But we hold their judgement not to be so sound in this point.
• 5 it hath pleased God in His divine providence here and there to scatter words and sentences of that difficulty and doubtfulness, not in doctrinal points that concern salvation, (for in such it hath been vouched that the Scriptures are plain) but in matters of less moment, that fearfulness would better beseem us than confidence, and if we will resolve, to revolve upon modesty with S.Augustine, (though not in this same case altogether, yet upon the same ground) Melius est dubitare de occultis, quàm litigare de incertis: it is better to make doubt of those things which are secret, than to strive about those things that are uncertain.
• 6 There be many words in the Scriptures which be never found there but once, (having neither brother nor neighbour, as the Hebrews speak) so that we cannot be holpen by conference of places.
• 7 Again, there be many rare names of certain birds, beasts, and precious stones, etc., concerning which the Hebrews themselves are so divided among themselves for judgement…..

[Note: Assuming an AV of 1338 pages, the marginal notes in the first AV edition would average about 5 per page in the Old Testament and just under 2.5 per page in the New Testament.  According to Scrivener: of the 767 in the NT, 552 were an alternative translation, 112 a more literal rendering of the Greek than was judged suitable for the text, 35 are explanatory, and 37 relate to various readings almost all of which were derived from Beza’s text or notes.  Of the 6637 in the OT, 4111 express a more literal rendering of the original (77 of which were from the Aramaic), 2156 were alternative renderings, 240 relate mainly to Hebrew names, and the remaining 67 refer to various readings of the original. (Authorized Version, pp. 41,56).

The marginal notes were in effect a brief commentary showing the breadth of the Original and what it was capable of expressing. In these instances, the translators, who trusted in Him that hath the key of David, made their decision as to the precise wording of the English text, and the passage of time has demonstrated that this was the correct decision. JM].

XVII  Reasons inducing us not to stand curiously upon an identity of phrasing  1-14 (1-3, 12-14).

• 1 Another thing we think good to admonish thee of, gentle reader, that we have not tied ourselves to an uniformity of phrasing, or to an identity of words, as some peradventure would wish that we had done, because they observe that some learned men somewhere have been as exact as they could that way.
• 2 Truly, that we might not vary from the sense of that which we had translated before, if the word signified the same thing in both places (for there be some words that be not of the same sense everywhere) we were especially careful, and made a conscience, according to our duty.
• 3 But that we should express the same notion in the same particular word; as, for example, if we translate the Hebrew or Greek word once by purpose, never to call it intent; if one where journeying, never travelling; if one where think, never suppose; if one where pain, never ache; if one where joy, never gladness, etc.;
• 12 Lastly, we have on the one side avoided the scrupulosity of the Puritans, who leave the old Ecclesiastical words, and betake them to other, as when they put washing for Baptism, and Congregation instead of Church:
• 13 as also on the other side we have shunned the obscurity of the Papists, in their Azimes, Tunike, Rational, Holocausts, Præpuce, Pasche, and a number of such like, whereof their late translation is full, and that of purpose to darken the sense, that since they must needs translate the Bible, yet by the language thereof it may be kept from being understood.
• 14 But we desire that the Scripture may speak like itself, as in the language of Canaan, that it may be understood even of the very vulgar.

XVIII  Conclusion   1-14 (1-14).

• 1 Many other things we might give thee warning of, gentle reader, if we had not exceeded the measure of a Preface already.
• 2 It remaineth that we commend thee to God, and to the Spirit of His grace, which is able to build further than we can ask or think.
• 3 He removeth the scales from our eyes, the vail from our hearts, opening our wits that we may understand His Word, enlarging our hearts, yea, correcting our affections, that we may love it above gold and silver, yea, that we may love it to the end.
• 4 Ye are brought unto fountains of living water which ye digged not; do not cast earth into them, with the Philistines, neither prefer broken pits before them, with the wicked Jews.
• 5 Others have laboured, and you may enter into their labours.
• 6 O receive not so great things in vain; O despise not so great salvation!
• 7 Be not like swine to tread under foot so precious things, neither yet like dogs to tear and abuse holy things.
• 8 Say not to our Saviour with the Gergesites, Depart out of our coasts; neither yet with Esau sell your birthright for a mess of pottage.
• 9 If light be come into the world, love not darkness more than light; if food, if clothing, be offered, go not naked, starve not yourselves.
• 10 Remember the advice of Nazianzene, It is a grievous thing (or dangerous) to neglect a great fair, and to seek to make markets afterwards:
• 11 also the encouragement of S.Chrysostome, It is altogether impossible, that he that is sober (and watchful) should at any time be neglected.
• 12 Lastly, the admonition and menacing of S.Augustine, They that despise God's will inviting them, shall feel God's will taking vengeance of them.
• 13 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; but a blessed thing it is, and will bring us to everlasting blessedness in the end, when God speaketh unto us, to hearken; when He setteth His Word before us, to read it; when He stretcheth out His hand and calleth, to answer, Here am I; here we are to do thy will, O God.
• 14 The Lord work a care and conscience in us to know Him and serve Him, that we may be acknowledged of Him at the appearing of our Lord JESUS CHRIST, to whom with the Holy Ghost, be all praise and thanksgiving. Amen.

This kind of testimony is unique in the history of Bible translation.