Why does the King James Bible have words in italics? No: 933 - Worldwide Church of God - 1952

Worldwide Church of God

Have you ever noticed the italics in the King James Version of the Bible and wondered what purpose they served? Why are the words "the son" italicized in so many verses of the genealogy in the third chapter of Luke? Italicized words were first used in 1560 when an edition of a Bible, known as the Geneva Bible, appeared. This Bible had been prepared by the Reformers in Geneva and was translated directly from the original Hebrew and Greek. In this Bible there were words which had to be added in English to make the meaning plain, although they were not necessary in the original Hebrew and Greek idioms. No language can be translated word for word. - Information Supplied By: Herbert W Armstrong Library