Five present Cambridge KJV editions

Many refer to the KJV as though there was only one KJV edition or as though all KJV editions were the same. Many also refer to a Cambridge KJV edition as though there was only one. Some will distinguish between what is called a typical Cambridge KJV edition and a typical Oxford KJV edition based on three differences or variations [2 Chronicles 33:19, Jer. 34:16, and Nahum 3:16].

Many may be surprised to learn that Cambridge University Press presently has in print at least five varying editions of the KJV. The five editions are the Cambridge Standard Text Edition [also called the Emerald edition], the Concord edition, the Pitt Minion edition, the 2011 Transetto Text Edition, and the 2011 Cambridge edition edited by David Norton.

If the 2005 edition of the New Cambridge Paragraph Bible edited by David Norton is still available or in print, it would make six since there are a few differences between Norton's 2011 edition and the earlier 2005 one. If the 1873 Cambridge edition of Scrivener that is now in print by a different publisher was counted, it would also make another one.

The Cambridge Concord edition is very similar to its Pitt Minion edition, but there are at least three differences in text between them. A small "Pitt Minion Reduced" edition that I am presently checking that was printed around 2011 still has "Hammath" at 1 Chronicles 2:55 in agreement with earlier Pitt Minion editions but differing from the Concord edition's rendering "Hemath." The Hebrew word at 1 Chronicles 2:55 is the same as that used at Joshua 19:35 and is slightly different from the one rendered "Hemath." The 2005 and 2011 Cambridge edtions have "Hamath" at 1 Chronicles 2:55. This 2011 Pitt Minion Reduced Edition has "Hamath" at 1 Chronicles 13:5 in agreement with the 2005 and 2011 Cambridge editions of Norton, but differing from the Concord edition's "Hemath." At Amos 6:14, this 2011 Pitt Minion Reduced Edition has "Hamath" in agreement with the 2005 and 2011 Cambridge editions of Norton, the Cambridge Standard Text Edition, but differing from the Concord edition's "Hemath."

While most Bibles have the binding at the side, the new Cambridge Transetto Text Edition that seems to have been first printed in 2011 has the binding at the top and the pages are flipped up. I have only checked a few renderings in this edition [less than 50], but I have already found four differences in its text from the Concord and Pitt Minion editions. At Genesis 6:5, the Transetto Text edition has "God" in agreement with the 1611 edition but this was corrected in the 1629 Cambridge to "GOD." At Psalm 2:4, the Transetto Text edition has "the LORD" [Jehovah] in agreement with the 1611 edition, the 1769 Oxford, the 2005 and 2011 Cambridge editions of Norton, and many other KJV editions, but differing from the Concord and Pitt Minion's rendering "the Lord" [Adonai]. At Ezra 2:26, the Transetto Text edition has "Gaba" in agreement with the 1611 and most other KJV editions, but the Pitt Minion has "Geba." At Malachi 1:14, the Transetto Text edition has "unto the LORD" and "saith the Lord of hosts," which differs from many other KJV editions that have "unto the Lord" and "saith the LORD of hosts."

The Cambridge Standard Text Edition has a good number of differences from the Cambridge Concord and Pitt Minion editions. It may be supposed to be the edition that Cambridge took over from the King's printer in London. It has a number of spelling updates or differences. Some examples include "assuaged" (Gen. 8:1, "plucked" (Gen. 8:11), "mortar" (Gen. 11:3), "aught" (Gen. 39:5), "plaster" (Lev. 14:42), "rearward" (Josh. 6:9), etc.

The 2011 Cambridge edition edited by David Norton would have 4,000 differences, not counting the fact that it does not use italics. Around one thousand of them is where Norton when back and followed 1611 edition renderings. This edition makes consistent the use of "thy" or "my" as possessive adjectives in front of nouns instead of "thine" and "mine", which is another 1,000 differences. This edition has attempts to make consistent the use of "a" and "an", which invovles around 300 differences. This edition updated the spelling of many words to standard English spelling of today such as "spoke" for "spake," "show" for "shew," etc. which is over 1,700 differences.

One example difference between Norton's 2011 Cambridge edition and Norton's 2005 Cambridge edition is the 2011's use of "awoke" instead of "awaked" (Jud. 16:14. Ps. 3:5, Ps. 78:65]. The 2011 Cambridge has "Lord" at Acts 2:34 while the 2005 Cambridge has "LORD." The 2005 Cambridge had a misprint "fellow-disciple" at John 11:16 instead of "fellow-disciples." There are a few differences between their use of "thy" and "thine".