Difference Between Hebrew Bible and KJV

The Bible is known for the creation of three religions in the world, namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Christianity and Judaism are further sub-divided into various sects of people believing in different traditions and beliefs.

Because of this, various type of variations can be seen in the Bible as well, like the Hebrew Bible, Christian Bible, King James Bible etc.

Key Takeaways

1. The Hebrew Bible contains only the Old Testament and is written in Hebrew, while KJV includes both the Old and New Testaments and is written in English.
2. Hebrew Bible is the oldest religious scripture for Jews and is written in a poetic style, while KJV is a popular English translation used by Christians.
3. The Hebrew Bible has 24 books, and the KJV has 66 books, including books written by apostles and prophets after Jesus’ death.

Hebrew Bible vs KJV

The difference between Hebrew Bible and KJV is that Hebrew Bible is the oldest form of the Bible written in the Hebrew language, which consists of 24 books and is known by the name of Tanakh or Old Testament.

KJV is the Bible which is the English translation of the Hebrew Bible followed by the Protestant Church or the Church of England. It contains 66 books in total.

Hebrew Bible is the collection of sacred books which was compiled for the Jewish people. Hebrew Bible is the pioneer for both Christian and Protestant Bible.

A lot of chapters of the Hebrew Bible are included in both Christian and Protestant Bible. It contains the three sections Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim.

KJV, or King James Version, is also known as the King James Bible, published in the year 1611 under James VI of England.

It consists of 39 books from the Old Testament, 14 books of Apocrypha and 27 books of the New Testament. Due to its majestic style, KJV has become one of the important books in representing the culture of England.

Comparison Table

Parameter of Comparison	Hebrew Bible	KJV
Name	Hebrew Bible is referred to as Tanakh by Jewish people.	KJV is the King James Version authorised by the Church of England for Protestants.
Language	It was originally written in the Hebrew language.	It is translated into English from Hebrew, Greek and other languages.
Period	It was written between 1200 to 100 BCE and was followed from 2nd Century CE.	It came into existence in the year 1611, although commissioned in 1604 by King James.
Sections	Hebrew Bible has three sections: Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim, which constitutes Tanakh.	KJV has two sections: Old and New Testament with the addition of Apocrypha.
Chapters	It contains 24 chapters which include narratives, instructions, anecdotes of famous prophets and poetry and chronicles.	It has divided chapters into two parts: Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles (1 Samuel and 2 Samuel).

What is Hebrew Bible?

Hebrew Bible or Hebrew Scriptures tells us about the story of Jewish people whom God has chosen and are known by the name Isralieties in the Bible. It starts with the creation of the World by God and how human beings came into existence.

Then it tells us about the history and genealogy of the people of Israel from conquest with Egyptians to settlement in the promised land of Israel from Abraham to Jacob to Moses and his generations.

Hebrew Bible believes in only one principle for the existence of the universe, i.e. through the creation of God. Hebrew Bible is said to give birth to the three religions, namely Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Believed to be written originally in Hebrew in 1200-100 BCE, it contains three sections and 24 cannon or books.

Also known as Tanakh, the letter of every name is taken to form the word, i.e. Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim – Tanakh. Torah consists of rules and instructions, and books include Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

Nevi’im consists of the anecdotes of former prophets like Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings etc. and the Book of Twelve. Ketuvim consists of devotional poetry, theology and drama such as Song of Songs, Psalms, Proverbs, Ruth, Job Ecclesiastes etc.

To separate Hebrew Bible from the Christian Bible, Christians refer to it as Old Testament. Further, the Hebrew text was divided into two parts or made into separate books to distinguish it from Christian and Protestant text.

What is KJV?

King James Version is the English version or translation of the Christian Bible commissioned by the Church of England under the sponsorship of James I of Scotland and James VI of England.

It is considered one of the most important books in England as it helped in shaping the language of English speaking world.

For many years no exact name was given to the KJV. It was called “the English Translation made at the beginning of the Reign of King James”.

It was in the year 1797 that it was called by the name King James Bible by Charles Butler. Earlier, John Wycliffe and William Tyndale brought out the translations, but it was not an authorised version.

Due to the problems of translations, King James decided to come up with his version. It was accepted widely from mid 17th century till the 20th century.

But in the early 20th century, it was not received well and then it was translated and revised and came up with another version. Although for Psalms and Gospels, KJV remains the popular source till now.

Main Differences Between Hebrew Bible and KJV

1. Hebrew Bible is referred to as Tanakh by Jewish people. But Christians refer to it as Old Testament. Whereas KJV is the King James Version authorised by the Church of England for Protestantism by James VI of England.
2. Hebrew Bible was originally written in the Hebrew language except for some parts in Aramaic. KJV is translated into English from Hebrew, Greek and other languages.
3. Hebrew Bible was written between 1200 to 100 BCE and was followed from 2nd Century CE. KJV came into existence in the year 1611, although commissioned in 1604 by King James.
4. Hebrew Bible has three sections: Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim, which constitutes its name Tanakh. KJV has two sections: Old and New Testament with the addition of Apocrypha.
5. Hebrew Bible contains 24 chapters which include narratives, instructions, anecdotes of famous prophets and poetry and chronicles.KJV has divided chapters into two parts like in Samuel, Kings and Chronicles into (1 Samuel and 2 Samuel, 1 King, 2 Kings etc.)

References

1. https://sunstonemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/026-41-43.pdf
2. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=SdqdAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=Hebrew+Bible+and+KJV&ots=TqI3_X0sre&sig=6v6194DpLQt-9f1cgDepsyk6eOc