Robert Alter answering the question, “With so many new [Bible] translations available, is the King James Version still important and relevant today?”
Translations that cast the Bible in up-to-the-minute American English are definitely cutting into the constituency of the King James Version because they are easier to read and seem more “accessible.” My own sense is that such translations lack any literary grace and distort the feeling and the meaning of the Bible. Though we are distanced from the 1611 version now because of its archaic language, its beauty is undiminished, and I think it will always have readers as a great literary achievement that altered the course of the English language.
Interesting comments from a man who himself translates Scripture. Read the full (short) interview, “Robert Alter shares insight about the King James Bible.”
Robert Alter shares insight about the King James Bible – Cultural Compass
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