Why does the Bible have words in parenthesis or italics?
- October Brian
- Sep 26, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 3, 2024
The parentheses in the KJV are simply to aid the reader to make sense of the English text. In the KJV words added by the translators (again to make sense in English) are printed in italics or parenthesis. This can be seen in Matthew 1:6 where ‘that had been the wife’ does not appear in the Greek but is used to make sense in English.
And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
The stated goal of the KJV Bible was intended to guarantee that the new version would reflect the structure of the Church of England and its beliefs about an ordained clergy. A Protestant Church.
There are 223 verses with parentheses in the KJV, 269 in the ESV, 189 in the LITV, 240 in Darby’s Translation, and 240 in the NASB.
The Amplified Version adds explanatory expansion to the text within parentheses to separate the additions from the translated text.
Some modern versions (for example the ESV) also use parentheses to indicate that the words do not appear in the manuscripts preferred by the translators. Others use footnotes.
In conclusion: parentheses used by the translators are intended to aid the reader. In most cases the passage can still be easily understood with the parentheses removed.
(statements from https://www.thisisyourbible.com/questions/show/2828 )
Keep in mind the KJV Bible was written during the Protestant Reformation requested by the Protestant King of England in 1611 King James who was the Son of Mary Queen of Scots who was a Catholic Queen executed when her son was an infant.
The Protestant Reformation (1517-1648) refers to the widespread religious, cultural, and social upheaval of 16th-century Europe that broke the hold of the medieval Catholic Church, allowing for the development of personal interpretations of the Christian message and leading to the development of modern nation-states. (wikipedia)
One individual—Richard Bancroft, the Catholic archbishop of Canterbury—was notable for having the role of overseer of the project, something akin to a modern editor of a collection of short stories. The actual translating (writing) of the KJV was done by a committee of 47 scholars and clergymen over the course of many years. (wikipedia)
[1604 – King James I convened the Hampton Court Conference to discuss the future of the Catholic Church. It was at this meeting a new English version was proposed in response to the perceived problems of earlier translations as detected by the Puritan faction of the Church of England.
At the time the king said that he:
"Could never yet see a Bible well translated in English; but I think that, of all, that of Geneva is the worst. I wish some special pains were taken for an uniform translation, which should be done by the best learned men in both Universities, then reviewed by the Bishops, presented to the Privy Council, lastly ratified by the Royal authority, to be read in the whole Church, and none other."
As a result a resolution was made:
"That a translation be made of the whole Bible, as consonant as can be to the original Hebrew and Greek; and this to be set out and printed, without any marginal notes, and only to be used in all churches of England in time of divine service."
King James gave the translators instructions intended to guarantee that the new version would reflect the structure of the Church of England and its beliefs about an ordained clergy. The translation was undertaken by 47 scholars, all of whom were members of the Church of England. In common with most other translations of the period, the New Testament was translated from the Textus Receptus (Received Text) series of the Greek texts. The Old Testament was translated from the Masoretic Hebrew text, while the Apocrypha were translated from the Greek Septuagint (LXX).
1608 – The main translation was completed and was submitted for editing. From January 1609, a General Committee of Review met at Stationers' Hall, London to review the completed marked texts from each of the six committees. The General Committee included John Bois, Andrew Downes and John Harmar, and others known only by their initials, including "AL" (who may be Arthur Lake), and were paid for their attendance by the Stationers' Company. John Bois prepared a note of their deliberations (in Latin) - which has partly survived in two later transcripts. Also surviving is a bound-together set of marked-up corrections to one of the forty Bishops' Bibles - covering the Old Testament and Gospels, and also a manuscript translation of the text of the Epistles, excepting those verses where no change was being recommended to the readings in the Bishops' Bible.
Archbishop Richard Bancroft
Archbishop Richard Bancroft was the chief overseer of the authorized version of the Bible. Bancroft insisted on having a final say, making fourteen changes, of which one was the term "bishopricke" at Acts 1:20. He died at Lambeth Palace on 2 November 1610.
1611 – The King James Bible was published, the complete title page reading:
"THE HOLY BIBLE, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: Newly Translated out of the Originall tongues: & with the former Translations diligently compared and revised, by his Majesties Special Commandment. Appointed to be read in Churches. Imprinted at London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majestie. ANNO DOM. 1611."
The King James Bible was printed with small italicized Roman type to represent those words not in the original languages.]
A set of parentheses is used whenever the translators identified a thought within a thought. Wherever parentheses are employed in your bible, it is possible to read the surrounding verse or verses without the words in parentheses and have it still make sense.
The most controversial passage in pareantheses are as follows:
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
These words added have lead some of us to believe the Lord did not sleep the 3 days he was in the grave as many other scriptures confirms, and some say it insinuates that the Lord traveled to "Hell" to minister to the lost which this is the verse many use to back up their belief of these things.
We have already learned in prior articles that Hell is not what we've been told it is, that is the 2nd death of total destruction, the final judgement after the 1000 year reign.
Reading through it again our generations have been mistranslating what the original writers meant. Just like in Genises the first verse says In the beginning the Lord created the Heaven and the earth. Then goes one to explain it in detail how it was done.
Reading this passage again I see that it says that Christ ascended, which would have been after his resurrection which he told to Mary not to touch him because he has yet to ascend to his Father, then he came back to earth to bestow gifts upon his faithful followers.
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.
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