The most significant book in the English language is the Bible. The Bible has had a profound influence on all of Western civilization. The Bible has shaped our language, literature, government, law, education, science and medicine. Catholic Bible and King James Bible are two versions of the Bible which have a number of differences. In this article, we will be talking about the difference between Catholic Bible and the King James Bible.
Summary Table
| The Catholic Bible | The King James Bible |
| Also called The Holy Bible. | A translation and revision of the Bible. |
| Contains 73 books. | Contains 66 books. |
Definitions
The Catholic Bible is called the Holy Bible, or the Word of God. The first version of the Catholic Bible was created in 382 at the Council of Rome. During that council, they developed a list of books of scripture that were determined to be canonical (sacred). The Catholic Church later formally affirmed the canon of scripture at the Synod of Hippo, in 393, and subsequent other councils.
It contains all of the books that belong to the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament contains the books of the Hebrew Bible and some additional books, and it includes an ancient translation called the Septuagint. The New Testament contains twenty-seven books, which are divided into four categories: Gospels, Acts, Letters, and Revelation.
The four Gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. They tell about Jesus Christ’s life on earth from his birth to his death on Good Friday. Acts tells about Jesus’ disciples after he died on Good Friday. It tells how they carried out his teachings after he ascended into heaven and how they spread Christianity throughout the world. The letters were written by Paul (Romans), Peter (1 Peter), James (James), John (1 John), Jude (Jude) and others. They were written to Christians who were struggling with their faith in Jesus Christ during a time when Christianity was being persecuted by people who did not believe in God or Jesus Christ. Finally, there is Revelation which is about the end times when Jesus will come back to earth to judge all of us according to our deeds.
The King James Version of the Bible was written in 1611. It is a masterpiece that has become one of the greatest literary works in history. Its majesty and poetic beauty have influenced not only Christian civilization but all of Western civilization. For this reason, it is referred to as “the classic of all classics.”
The King James Version of the Bible is also known as the Authorized Version, the AV, or AV1611. The King James Version is known as the “Authorized Version” because it was not the first English version of the Bible.
The first English version of the Bible was the Wyclif Version, which was completed in 1380. The translation of this version was done from the Vulgate. During the Reformation, other versions of the Bible became available, including Tyndale’s Bible (1525), Coverdale’s Bible (1535), Matthew’s Bible (1537), the Geneva Bible (1557-60), and many others.
During the 1500s, James I came to power after the death of Queen Elizabeth I. The religious situation at the time was chaotic and contentious between Catholics, Protestants, and Puritans. The Protestants and Puritans used a different version of the Bible called the Geneva Bible. King James I decided to have one English version of the Bible for everyone, and this became the Authorized King James Version.
It is a translation of the original languages (Hebrew and Greek) into English. The word “translation” means to “carry over.” In other words, to take something from one language and carry it over into another language. When someone translates something from one language into another, they must try to keep as much of the original form as possible. This requires great skill and knowledge of both languages.
The King James Version is not only a translation but it is also a revision of earlier English translations that had been made by other people. It was translated by 54 scholars who worked on it for seven years.
The AV is called the Authorized Version because it was authorized by King James I of England. It was not the first English translation, but it is the one that has become most popular. The King James Version was authorized by King James I because he wanted it to be used in all churches in England.
The Catholic Bible vs The King James Bible
There are several differences between the Catholic Bible and the King James Bible. Those are:
- The Number of Books
The Catholic Bible contains 73 books while the King James Bible contains 66 books. The reason for this difference is that the Catholic Bible includes seven books called the Deuterocanonical Books or the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha is not included in the King James Bible.
- The Number of Letters
The Catholic Bible contains 7 more letters than the King James Bible. These letters are 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, Jude, James, and Revelation.
- The Number of Verses
The Catholic Bible contains 7,216 verses while the King James Bible contains 7,188 verses. The reason for this difference is that the Catholic Bible includes a few verses from books that are not included in the King James Bible.
- Genesis 6:9
In the King James Version of Genesis 6:9, it says that Noah was 600 years old when he entered the ark. However, in the Douay-Rheims version of Genesis 6:9, it says that Noah was 500 years old when he entered the ark. The reason for this difference is that in Greek there are three different ways to express numbers. The King James Version uses one of these three ways to express numbers and so it gives us 600 years instead of 500 years. However, the Douay-Rheims version uses another way to express numbers and so it gives us 500 years instead of 600 years. Therefore, both versions can be correct because they are expressing a number differently from each other. The Greek word for “six hundred” is hexekonta which means “six hundred” while the Greek word for “five hundred” is pentekonta which means “five hundred.”
- Matthew 6:13
In the King James Version of Matthew 6:13, it says that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. However, in the Douay-Rheims version of Matthew 6:13, it says that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to salvation. The reason for this difference is that the Greek word for “perish” means “to be lost” while the Greek word for “salvation” means “to be saved.” Both versions can also be correct because they are expressing a concept differently from each other.
- The Use of the Term “Jehovah”:
The King James Version of the Bible uses the term “Jehovah” four times. This term is a Latinized form of the Hebrew word “Yahweh.” The Douay-Rheims version of the Bible uses the term “Yahweh” four times and so it is translated as “LORD” instead of “Jehovah.”
7. The Apocrypha
The Catholic Bible contains the Apocrypha, books written during the intertestamental period. The books in the Apocrypha include the following:
- Tobit
- Judith
- 1 & 2 Maccabees
- Wisdom of Solomon
- Sirach
- Baruch
The Jews read these books; however, they did not consider these to be sacred (canonical) books. The Apocrypha became a part of the Catholic Bible during the Council of Trent (1545-1563). Shortly after this time, the first English Catholic New Testament was published.
Not many people realize that all King James Bibles published before 1666 included the Apocrypha. However, these books were not considered canonical. The King James Bible dropped the Apocrypha in 1825 when the British Bible Society’s “Apocrypha Controversy” ended.
