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Originally Posted by Alterboy
...King James...wrote it in Middle English...
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Two things wrong here: 1) King James DID NOT write the King James Bible. He commissioned (i.e. paid for) the committees that did, and 2) the King James Bible IS NOT in Middle English.
An explanation I wrote for someone else under the same delusion as you:
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The King James Bible (1611 version) IS NOT in Middle English.
From Wickedpedia: "Middle English describes dialects of English in the history of the English language between the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the three centuries between the late 12th and the late 15th century....The language of England as used after 1470 and up to 1650 is known as Early Modern English."
To illustrate the differences, let's look at a passage from the Bible, first from Wycliffe's 1384 (Middle English), then the KJV1611 (Early Modern English), and finally in Modern English using the Standard King James Version (Pure Cambridge):
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Luke 8:1-3 "1 And it was don aftirward, and Jhesu made iorney by citees and castelis, prechinge and euangelysinge şe rewme of God,
2 and twelue wiş him; and summe wymmen şat weren heelid of wickide spiritis and syknessis, Marie, şat is clepid Mawdeleyn, of whom seuene deuelis wenten
3 out, and Jone, şe wyf of Chuse, procuratour of Eroude, and Susanne, and manye oşere, whiche mynystriden to him of her riches."
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Luke 8:1-3 "1 And it came to passe afterward, şt he went throughout euery citie and village preaching, and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdome of God: and the twelue were with him,
2 And certaine women which had bene healed of euill spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene out of whom went seuen deuils,
3 And Ioanna the wife of Chuza, Herods steward, and Susanna, and many others which ministred vnto him of their substance."
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Luke 8:1-3 "1 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,
2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance."
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As you can see the difference between the 1611 and modern versions amount to a few spelling changes, whereas the actual Middle English of the Wycliffe Bible is incomprehensible gobbledygook to most readers nowadays.
Hope this was informative.
references: Wycliffe 1384: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_English
KJV 1611: http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/...apter=8&verse=
KJV Standard (Pure Cambridge): http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/...apter=8&verse=
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