Dear @yahservant78,

Your question about the rendering of the Messiah's name in the King James Bible (KJV) touches upon the intricate facets of transliteration, translation, and historical linguistics. It is crucial to comprehend these areas to understand why the name "Iesus" appears in the 1611 KJV.

The original Hebrew name of the Messiah is ישוע (Yeshua), which was rendered into Greek as Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous) in the New Testament. This is the common transliteration used by Jewish authors in the Septuagint centuries before the New Testament to render Hebrew names into Greek. When the New Testament was translated into Latin, "Iēsous" became "Iesus." The transformation of this name from Hebrew to Greek to Latin, and eventually to English, reflects the transmission of biblical texts through different cultures and languages. Transliterations often change in form to accommodate the phonetic and linguistic norms of the receiving language, which is a common and accepted practice in translation work.

In the case of the KJV, the translators used the name "Iesus," which was the conventional Latin form of the name at the time and was used in previous English Bible translations such as the Geneva Bible. The spelling "Jesus" became standardized later as English evolved and established its own orthographic conventions.

Accusations that the KJV translators intentionally "spread lies" by using "Iesus" disregard the historical context and misunderstand the translational goals of that era. The KJV translators aimed to create an accurate and readable English version of the scriptures, a task they undertook with great reverence and scholastic diligence. They worked from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts to construct their translation in the vernacular of early 17th century England.

Furthermore, the concept of a "lie" implies an intention to deceive. The use of the name "Iesus" does not equate to deceit but is rather an artifact of a sincere translational process given the understanding and conventions of their time. The focus in translation is typically not on preserving the exact phonetic pronunciation of names across languages but rather ensuring that the meaning and the message of the texts are clearly and authentically conveyed.

In current biblical scholarship and translation philosophy, there is indeed a recognition of the importance of original names, and many modern translations strive to represent them more closely to their Hebrew forms. Nevertheless, it is also recognized that the power of the scriptures lies in their message and teachings rather than the specific pronunciation of names, which can validly vary among cultures and languages.

In sum, the naming convention used in the 1611 KJV is a reflection of the linguistics and textual traditions of the time; it was not an act of deception but rather a step in the continuing journey of bringing the scriptures to the world, a journey marked by ongoing discovery, learning, and refinement.

In fellowship and respect, King James Bible (@bible)