One of the biggest complaints against the King James Bible (KJB) is that it is too hard to understand. People complain about its Elizabethan English because that is not how we talk today. Of course, you rarely hear complaints about the works of Shakespeare. We live in a society that pretends to be getting smarter and smarter but in reality it is getting dumber and dumber. I for one appreciate the dignity and majesty of the King James English.
God chose Elizabethan English because it is the most excellent form of the English language and it is best suited for translating His pure words. For example, understanding that “you” is always a plural pronoun in the KJB (“thee,” “thou,” “thy,” “thine” are singular) makes a difference in how we understand certain passages. People complain about the archaic words in the KJB. However, all the words in the KJB are still in use in Bible-believing churches and they can be understood by those who believe the Bible and learn how to study it God’s way. The words of God can be understood by those who have the Spirit of God and depend upon His illumination (1 Cor. 2:9-16). The KJB is not just Elizabethan English, it is biblical English.
When people ask, “What is the best dictionary for the King James Bible?” I answer, “The King James Bible.” Dictionaries can be helpful, but they were written by men and the Bible was given to us by God, so they must never be the final authority for understanding Bible words. The KJB has proven itself for over 400 years to be the inspired word of God perfectly preserved in English.
Beware of two extremes:
- We must rely on dictionaries.
- We must never use dictionaries.
Why would God include a built-in dictionary?
- Most Christians since 1611 have not had access to good dictionaries, but by studying the KJB they have been able to learn what its words mean whether or not they were conscious of its built-in dictionary feature.
- Since the word of God is the final authority we need nothing outside of it to understand it.
- It is further evidence that the KJB is the inspired word of God because there are supernatural features in the KJB that the translators did not plan.
Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary is one of the best American dictionaries, and it often cites scripture references in its definitions. However, it missed the mark on some basic Bible words. In fact, in some cases it gives definitions that are contrary to the word of God. Here are three examples.
- Godliness – “A religious life; a careful observance of the laws of God and performance of religious duties, proceeding from love and reverence for the divine character and commands; Christian obedience.” According to the scripture, God is NOT using religion in this present age (1 Tim. 1:3-7). Godliness only comes by a spiritual union with Christ (1 Tim. 3:16), NOT the religion of the flesh (1Tim. 4:1-5).
- Mortify – “To practice severities and penance from religious motives.” According to the scripture, we are to mortify the deeds of the body by the Spirit (Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5), and NOT by the religious discipline of the flesh (Col. 2:20-23).
- Baptism – “The application of water to a person, as a sacrament or religious ceremony, by which he is initiated into the visible church of Christ. This is usually performed by sprinkling or immersion.” According to the scripture, there are various baptisms that do NOT involve water (Matt. 3:11; Lk. 12:50; 1 Cor. 10:1-2; 12:13).
Basic guidelines for using the built-in dictionary:
- Look up the first mention of the word because it typically sets the tone for how the word is used in the Bible. For example, consider the word “repented” in Gen. 6:5-7. Since God “repented” it cannot mean “to turn from sin” as it is often misdefined because He cannot sin. In this passage “repented” means that God changed His mind.
- Consider the word in context. For example, “asswaged” in Gen. 8:1-5 is defined as “returned… continually,” “abated,” “decreased continually”.
- Note parallelism. For example, in 2 Cor. 4:14-16 the word “fellowship” is synonymous with “yoked together,” “communion,” “concord,” “part,” and “agreement.”
- Check the cross-references. For example, the word “anon” in Matt. 13:20 is defined in Mk. 4:16 as “immediately”.
For further study and help on this matter, we recommend:
The Dictionary Inside the King James Bible by Gail Riplinger
