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#98 - Is the KJV really uncorrectable "perfection"?

by Robert Nguyen Cramer

This BibleTexts website administrator has very much enjoyed questions and insights that have been emailed to him ever since this site was launched in September of 1996. On this page I share with BibleTexts browsers a few of the questions, insights, and responses, so that we all can further learn from and with each other.

 

Question/insight #98:

I ran across your page while searching for Biblical commentaries ... I did not go any further after reading that you "have corrected the KJV wording, etc." ... Sorry, but you cannot correct perfection ... "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children." Hosea 4:6 KJV. Hoping and praying that you will find the truth of God's Word.

Response #98 from BibleTexts.com:

Thanks for your email. You may be unaware of the fact that you yourself are using a corrected, updated edition of the King James Version. You quoted Hosea 4:6 as follows:

The 1611 edition of Hosea (KJV 1611: "Hofea") shows that verse as follows:

The above text represents the exact spelling used in the original 1611 edition of the KJV, and your text differs from the spelling of the above text. The original KJV also included the Apocrypha (I. Esdras through II. Maccabees), which was placed between Malachi and Matthew. Does your edition of the KJV include the Apocrypha, as did the authentic KJV? (Of course the pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts, did not even use the KJV, because they had gone to America to flee religious persecution by King James, and they preferred and used the Geneva Bible.)

It also should be noted that at the time that Hosea wrote, there was no KJV, not even a New Testament, and the Old Testament was only in Hebrew. I expect most members of your congregation might have difficulty reading or understandingly listening to the original Hebrew text of which Hosea was part.

As described in my webpage article, "The King James Version and its dependence on the Textus Receptus," at http://www.bibletexts.com/kjv-tr.htm:

In the "Conclusion" section of the above-mentioned webpage article is found the following:

 

Copyright 1996-2002 Robert Nguyen Cramer