Book Review: The New King James Bible: New Testament, by David H. Chilton

This is without a doubt the most reliable modem English translation in existence, in respect of both text and translation procedure. It is, in fact, not a new translation at all, but a faithful revision of the King James Version, replacing outdated words and expressions with their modern counterparts. Most of the original wording is unaffected, so that the style of the KJV is retained. As the translators of 1611 said, their purpose was not "to make a new translation .... but to make a good one better." The 119 scholars who worked on the NKJB have succeeded in that task.

There are some problems. For one thing, the old version distinguished between singular (thee, thou) and plural (you, ye) forms of address, and changes between these forms can have significance (see Luke 22:31-32). This distinction is easily lost in modern translations, although there are ways of expressing it, and translators should make the attempt. On the other hand, other subtle nuances of Greek and Hebrew are camouflaged by even the best translations (such as differences in gender; e.g., Eph. 5:5), and this fact alone should not discourage us from accepting the NKJB. I have noticed, however, that the KJV rendering is preferable at some points (e.g., Matt. 24:30; cf. Marcellus Kik, Eschatology of Victory, p. 137). And it is certainly superior in that it italicizes words not found in the original text. To omit this procedure is unfair to the reader.

More importantly, work must still be done in providing a New Testament fully based on the Majority Text (both KJV and NKJB are mildly defective on this score). Thomas Nelson will soon publish a critical edition of the Greek New Testament Majority Text, and it is hoped that an accurate NKJB-type translation will result.

Finally, there are those who will reject any modem translation, regardless of its reliability — and for a good reason: the cultural and literary significance of the KJV. This is a point not to be slighted, for the KJV is a valuable link with our heritage. Children should be trained to read the KJV with ease, and if it is mastered,they will have few problems with Shakespeare or Milton. We need an avenue to our past, and this the 1611 version amply supplies. In no case should we simply discard it; in this respect, no modem version can ever take its place.

But if you do desire for yourself or your students a trustworthy, modern-English edition of the KJV, this is it.

Taken from the ICE newsletter: The Biblical Educator (Vol. II, No. 1)

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