By now, visitors to our site should grasp a central truth: Every man, woman, and child past, present, and future—is addicted to control to some degree. This addiction shapes how we think, relate, and seek security. To truly understand freedom from it, you must first recognize the addiction itself—both in yourself and in others. Only then can you begin to glimpse the nature of God, who exists beyond all resources, social status and the physical.
The editors and translators of the Bible were not immune to this addiction. Like all people, they brought their own biases, power structures, and cultural influences to the text. That is why each individual must ultimately discern truth for themselves—through personal study, prayer, reflection, and the guidance of the Spirit—rather than blindly accepting any human institution’s version as infallible. I hope the situations I talk about help to enlighten every visitor to our site, unfortunately what I discuss also reveals my own addiction to control, which I hope you’re able to filter out.
History
The 1611 King James Version was not the work of a single editor or small cabal, but a massive collaborative effort. King James I appointed approximately 54 scholars (with about 47 actively involved), all members of the Church of England. They worked in six separate translation committees (two each at Westminster, Oxford, and Cambridge), each responsible for specific sections of the Bible.
Key oversight and final editing roles included:
Archbishop Richard Bancroft (Archbishop of Canterbury): The chief organizer and overseer of the entire project. He set the strict translation rules and served as the primary final arbiter.
In 1609–1610, a smaller review group (roughly 12 delegates, two from each committee) met at Stationers’ Hall in London for final editing, review, and polishing. Prominent participants in this phase were:
John Bois: A brilliant linguist who kept detailed notes of the discussions.
Andrew Downes: Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge, deeply involved in the review.
John Harmar (or Harmer): A noted Greek scholar who contributed to the committee.
Miles Smith and Bishop Thomas Bilson: The two primary final editors. They reviewed the complete draft, made final adjustments, and prepared the prefatory material (including the famous preface to the reader). Miles Smith is especially credited with much of the polished final wording.