for Christian Scientists and the spiritually minded
1769 KJV – 2019 KJV
PRESENTED IN PARALLEL
for maximum understanding,
spiritual growth,
and healing
Books of the Bible
2019 KING JAMES VERSION INTRODUCTION
(Revised January 1, 2021)
The King James Version (KJV) of the Bible used in Christian Science (CS) church services is the 1769 edition, not the original 1611 version commissioned by King James I of England. Shortly after 1611, revisions to the language of the 1611 KJV began to appear in print, as the KJV was updated for public understanding.
Our 1769 KJV is the result of one hundred fifty-eight years of alteration. But through all the alterations, the tone, grace, and poetry beloved in the original 1611 edition were preserved as far as possible in the 1769 KJV, along with the “King James” title.
The 2019 KJV stands in this tradition, honoring and preserving the beauty and spirituality of the 1769 edition but updating in the interest of understanding, which is the most important requirement for reaching the hearts and minds of readers, especially Sunday School students. The editors worked under the impression that they were to limit the number of improvements they made to the 1769 KJV which were incorporated in the 2019 KJV.
The 2019 version builds on the inspiration of the 1769 KJV of the Bible. The 2019 KJV updates the vocabulary, punctuation, and spelling of words in the 1769 KJV, adds quotation marks, and capitalizes pronominal references to God the Father-Mother, consistent with Mary Baker Eddy’s system of capitalization. In accord with the spiritual interpretation of the Lord’s prayer by Mary Baker Eddy, God is referred to as Father-Mother whenever adding Mother seems appropriate. When it is not certain whether a pronoun refers to God, the pronoun was not capitalized. The word “soul” is dealt with in accord with the statement in S&H that a person is not a mortal being with a soul, but is rather the immortal idea of Soul.
Ezekiel says in his vision of heaven in Ezekiel Chapter 1:1 of the 1769 KJV, “I saw visions of God.” In verse 26, he continues, “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness of the appearance of a man upon it.” Note that the Deity had “the appearance of a man.” There are well over 200 times in the Old Testament (O.T) when human body parts are attributed to this Superbeing. Among the body parts attributed are: arm, back, bosom, bowels, ear, eye, eyelid, face, feet, finger, hair, hand, head, heart, lips, mouth, nose, thigh, and tongue.
In fact, virtually all human body parts are attributed to this Superbeing. The Israelites believed that Yahweh was a powerful, immortal, eternal, material Superbeing in the heavens, who had the appearance of a man with body parts. Scientists who are interested in the anthropomorphisms in the 1769 KJV can read the essay on this subject on this website.
When Christian Scientists spiritually interpret the Bible, as recommended by Mary Baker Eddy, instead of just reading the verses literally, they set aside the belief system of the Israelites and focus on the spiritual significance of each verse to them. Thus Scientists find many inspired, inspiring verses in the O.T.
The O.T. has many names for the Deity. The most exalted name, which occurs mostly in Genesis Chapter 1, is “God.” The most customary name for Deity in the O.T. of the 1769 KJV is “Yahweh,” or “LORD” in small capitals, which the Christian Science Publishing Society has mis-translated as “Lord,” which causes confusion because “Lord” is also the name for Christ Jesus.
Although the 1769 KJV refers to “Yahweh” as “LORD,” which means that the 2019 KJV could also use the term “LORD,” most Scientists would more readily identify with the term, “Yahweh.” Therefore, the 2019 KJV uses the term “Yahweh,” to stand for the customary O.T. term for the Deity.
An aspect of the weekly CS Bible lesson that is confusing is the variety of possible meanings of the word, “Lord.” In the wonderful weekly CS Bible lessons, “Lord” can mean: (1) “Yahweh,” the materialistic concept of the Supreme Ruler of the earth found in the O.T. (“Yahweh” was a primitive, limited, material sense of a Deity with body parts); (2) Christ Jesus; or (3) Jesus’ concept of God, which is both our Father and love itself, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, which is entirely spiritual. To help remove this confusion, for (1) the materialistic concept of Deity in the O.T., the 2019 KJV uses the term: “Yahweh.” For (2), Christ Jesus, the 2019 KJV uses simply “Lord,” and for (3) Jesus’ concept of a loving, all-powerful Father as the Deity, the 2019 KJV uses simply “God.” The exalted concept of Deity as only blessing humanity, which some O.T. writers held occasionally, is also referred to in the 2019 KJV as “God.” In the 2019 KJV, whenever the Deity makes what is an inspiring statement, the Deity is called “God.” Whenever the Deity in a quote from the O.T. makes what is an uninspiring statement, the Deity is called “Yahweh.”
The left-hand column of the 2019 KJV presents the 1769 KJV. A decision had to be made. Should the left-hand column contain the word “LORD,” which is unfamiliar but correct, because “LORD” is in the Christian Science Publishing Society (CSPS) approved Oxford 1769 KJV well over a thousand times, and is in other 1769 KJV’s well over a thousand times, being the standard rendition in English of the word “Yahweh” in Hebrew? Or should the left-hand column contain the phrase “the Lord,” which is very familiar to all Christian Scientists, being in the CS Bible lesson each week, but is an inaccurate substitute for “the LORD”? With all due respect to the CSPS, which gives the CS movement a wonderful Bible lesson each week, the decision was to go with the standard, widely approved “LORD” in the left-hand column.
Mary Baker Eddy encouraged spiritual interpretation of the Bible, believing that spiritual interpretation of the Bible was far more important than literal interpretation. Readers are encouraged to feel free to spiritually interpret the 2019 KJV in order to increase the spiritual significance of what they are reading. Each reader is welcome to make the final decision regarding whether a statement is inspiring to them, or not.
Following the lead of most recent translations, the 2019 KJV is dedicated to the use of inclusive language, with the intention to avoid usage so common in previous centuries which appears to exclude women by the constant use of the word “man” where more modern writers would use “person” or “one.” The dominant role held by men in previous centuries influenced their writing; today it is important to correct that imbalance. Thus, in Matthew 22:46, for example, after Jesus has asked an unanswerable question, the 1769 KJV states, “And no man was able to answer him a word, nor did any man dare from that day forth to ask him any more questions.” By contrast the 2019 KJV states, “And no one was able to answer him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day forth to ask him any more questions.”
The 2019 KJV contains the anthropomorphisms of Deity found in the 1769 KJV, but places them in italics, followed by an alternative non-anthropomorphic phrase in brackets, such as Psalm 143:5 “I muse on the works of Your hands [on Your works].” Thus, Scientists reading the 2019 KJV can choose how they wish to read a verse which anthropomorphizes the Deity. Scientists who don’t want to take a chance on materializing or humanizing their concept of God, Spirit, can read the non-anthropomorphic version of the verse.
Some Scientists may believe that they are able to read “the hand of Yahweh” or the “arm of Yahweh” as pure metaphor, but there is such a strong belief throughout the O.T. that “Yahweh” is a powerful, eternal, material Superbeing in the heavens, a Superbeing with human body parts, that it is difficult for Scientists to think of the arm or hand of Yahweh without humanizing or materializing their concept of Spirit and, consequently, reducing their receptivity to the healing power of Spirit.
The 2019 KJV demonstrates that it would be possible to publish a KJV with limited updating which retains the majesty, power, and above all spirituality of the beloved 1769 KJV. To produce a modified KJV retaining these characteristics has been the goal of those who have labored to bring forth the 2019 KJV.
This Bible is not intended as a replacement for the 1769 KJV. Rather it is being presented to demonstrate the feasibility of producing an updated alternative to the 1769 KJV.
The version in the right column is designed for those who wish to gain maximum inspiration from their reading of the Bible while focusing on spiritual growth and healing. The left column is for those who believe that they will gain maximum inspiration from their reading of the Bible if they read the 1769 version of a verse.
Readers are welcome to download the 2019 King James Version without charge from the 2019kingjamesversion.org website.
Materializing Anthropomorphisms in the 1769 KJV (Revised January 1, 2021)
All of the following anthropomorphisms are linked to Deity in the 1769 KJV Edition. A verse giving an example of each usage follows:
apple of his eye Deu 32:10
appeared Genesis 12:7
appearance of a man Ezekiel 1:26
arm Exodus 6:6
awaked Psalms 78:65
back Jeremiah 18:17
back parts Exodus 33:23
bosom Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with
His arm and carry them in His bosom
breath Job 33:4
come down Exodus 19:11
countenance Numbers 6:26
ear 2 Kings 19:16
ears Numbers 11:18
eye 2 Samuel 22:25
eyelid Psalms 11:4
eyes Genesis 6:8
eyesight Psalms 18:24
face Ezekiel 20:35
feet Exodus 24:10
finger Deuteronomy 9:10
foot Second Isaiah 41:22 God raised up the righteous man from the east (Cyrus the Great),
called him to His foot,
garment Daniel 7:9
hair Daniel 7:9
hand Exodus 7:17
hand, right Habakkuk 2: 16
hands Isaiah 49:16 Behold, I have engraved you upon the palms of My hands;
head Daniel 7:9; Isaiah 59:17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet
of salvation upon his head;
heart Genesis 8:21
lips Isaiah 30:27
march Habakkuk 3:12
mouth Joshua 9:14
nose Isaiah 65:5
nostrils Exodus 15:8
palms Isaiah 49:16 Behold, I have engraved you upon the palms of My hands;
rode 2 Samuel 22:11
similitude Numbers 12:8
sit Daniel 7:9
sitteth Psalms 2:4
smelled Genesis 8:21
soles of feet Ezekiel 43:7
stand Psalms 109:31
stood Zechariah 1:11
thigh Psalms 45:3
throne Daniel 7:9
tongue Habakkuk 1:13
tread upon Micah 1:3
visit Genesis 50:24
walk Habakkuk 3:15
walked 2 Samuel 7:7
wheels Daniel 7:9
wings Psalms 36:7
winked Acts 17:30
Because I think that anthropomorphic views of Deity, envisioning Deity as an eternal, material, human-like Superbeing with human body parts up in the heavens, materializes our thinking and thus interferes with our getting needed healings, I have tried to give all anthropomorphic references to Deity in the 2019 KJV an alternative more spiritual expression in brackets.
BOOKS OF THE BIBLE
BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
GenesisExodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
EZRA and NEHEMIAH
Introduction to the Bible books of Ezra and Nehemiah
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
REVELATION
Objective introduction to the book of Revelation in the 2019 KJV
Revelation