1982 ADCode: NKJVModern English
New King James Version
Modernized the 1611 KJV’s archaic vocabulary and grammar while faithfully preserving its traditional Textus Receptus Greek textual foundation.
Historical Sources & Antecedents
What Texts and Translations Did This Version Use?
The foundational manuscripts, earlier translations, and polyglots consulted during compilation.
Subsequent Lineage & Revisions
Who In The Future Used This Translation?
Modern revisions, authorized successors, and descendants shaped by this text.
No subsequent descendant translations recorded in our current museum catalog.
Curatorial Commentary
Historical Context & Textual Significance
Commissioned by Thomas Nelson Publishers in 1975, over 130 biblical scholars, church leaders, and lay Christians collaborated under Arthur Farstad. The NKJV updated archaic Jacobean English (replacing "thee", "thou", and verb endings like "-eth") while preserving the lyricism, rhythm, and theological precision of the 1611 King James. Uniquely, it retained the Textus Receptus as its primary text while providing exhaustive margin notes documenting Alexandrian Critical Text and Majority Text variants.
Textual Legacy & Impact:
Preserved the traditional Byzantine/Textus Receptus textual lineage for millions of 20th- and 21st-century English readers.
Where Can You View Original Surviving Copies Today?
Known physical copies preserved in world archives and library vaults.
Thomas Nelson / HarperCollins Christian Publishing Archives, Nashville