Recently I have read several article celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible Reading an article this morning in the Courier Journal reminded me of how grateful I am for the KJV. In Begat, David Crystal sets out to prove that the King James Bible has contributed more to the English language than any other literary source. Indeed many a rich metaphor originates in the KJV.
Examples include:
Let there be light,
A fly in the ointment,
New wine in old bottles,
How are the mighty fallen,
The salt of the earth.
my brother’s keeper,
two by two,
out of the mouth of babes,
heal thyself,
nothing new under the sun
Not just expressions come from the bible but an ethical grounding as well. It is interesting to read the sharing of values in America where early arrivals in America learned their English from the Bible, which was replaced by learning English from the Sears Catalog, then to the TV and now the Internet. An evolution in common values. A reflection on America as we examine what we share.
Nonetheless, the greatest contribution to me of the KJV is its history and testimony of the pre-existent, creator, life ministry and resurrection of Jesus Christ
