Plain Reasons for the AV: Written in More Appropriate English

3. The Authorised Version is in more appropriate English.

The Holy Bible is the Word of a Holy God, and a translation should be in language appropriate to the Divine Author. The Bible was written by holy men of God who “spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1.21), so a translation should use language and style appropriate to the inspired writers. The Bible speaks of many important and solemn matters such as eternal life, everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, sin and salvation, lost sinners and their Divine Saviour, the Eternal Son of the Eternal God. A translation should therefore be in language and style appropriate to the subject matter.

As the Bible is the Word of God, it should be read both in public and in private, and it should be remembered. A translation therefore needs to be in a form of English suitable for public and private reading – and easy to learn by heart. The rhythm of the Authorised Version, its reverent and dignified style, and the very high proportion of simple short words of Anglo-Saxon origin, which have continued to provide the “basic” vocabulary of our language in everyday use, all combine to make this version the most suitable in all these respects. “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19.10); “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5.12). These great statements are given to us in simple words all of one syllable, and much of the Authorised Version is in this simple, “timeless” English that a child can read, learn and understand.

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Trinitarian Bible Society, “Plain Reasons for Keeping to the Authorised Version”