The verb endings -EST & -ETH There are 36,000 changes between the King James Bible and modern English versions in the new Testament alone. Some of these small changes make a huge difference in meaning. It is time to consider the impact of these differences.

1. Small Changes 5
Those strange verb endings
Replace -est and -eth with -s?

2. Clear Connections
The King James Bible
uses clear
connections for verb
endings -est and -eth

3. There are very sound and valid
reasons that the King James
version uses these specialised
verb forms.

4. The strange suffixes of the Early
Modern English
These verbs indicate they were
personally assigned to their
corresponding nouns and pronouns:

5. Here is a simple rule of
grammar found in the
King James Bible:

6. Verb Endings
If the verb ends in “EST or ST” then
this verb is always linked to the
second person pronoun
(never the first nor the third ONLY
the second person)

7. If the verb ends in “ETH or TH” then
this verb is always linked to the third
person pronoun or a noun
(never the first nor the second ONLY
the third person or thing)

8. This is a rule without exception
in the King James Bible
- est second person
- eth third person

9. Personal Pronouns
Here is another rule that is without
exception in the King James Bible:

10. Did You Know This?
If a second person pronoun begins
with a “T” it is always identifying
one person.
If a second person pronoun begins
with a “Y” it always identifies more
than one person.

11. Removing Confusion
By the simple use of these four rules
verbs and pronouns are tied
together without confusion.

12. Clearer and Cleaner Than
Modern English
This is much clearer and cleaner
than modern English.

13. Contextual Understanding
Why not keep it simple
You do not have to rely upon a sense of context
to be able to tie nouns and these verbs
together no matter how long or complex a
sentence may be.

14. YOU
Modern term “YOU” IS DEFINITELY
AMBIGUOUS
• – it could be one person, more than one
person, the person doing the action or the
person receiving the action.
• The grammar does not make the situation
clear.

15. Learn This off by Heart
4 simple rules for pronouns and verb endings
T – always one
Y – always more than one
EST (ST) – always second person
ETH (TH) – always third person

16. The 1611 translators
At the time of the translators of the
King James Bible they were happy to
use these particular different verb
endings.

17. Epistle Dedicatory of the Translators
• A look at the Epistle Dedicatory shows
this practice
• (apparently the translators were still using
accurate verb endings in their general
speech):

18. Look at This Example
“…but directeth and disposeth men
unto that eternal happiness which is
above in heaven.”

19. Here is the actual paragraph
But among all our joys, there was no one that
more filled our hearts, than the blessed
continuance of the preaching of God’s sacred
Word among us; which is that inestimable
treasure, which excelleth all the riches of the
earth; because the fruit thereof extendeth
itself, not only to the time spent in this
transitory world, but directeth and disposeth
men unto that eternal happiness which is
above in heaven.

20. Notice the Verb Endings
• The verbs directeth and disposeth are not
being used to flatter the king; if they
were they would read directest and
disposest (second person).
• The -eth is a third person indicator
revealing that these verbs are assigned, in
this case, to “God’s sacred Word.”

21. Don’t Make the Mistake of
Modern Versions
It is wholly incorrect to replace
these definitive verb endings with the
suffix -s, as some well-intentioned
KJV “help” Bibles like to do.

22. Well intentioned or not
Changes such as these diminish
the strength and accuracy of
the words by severing the
connections between the noun
and its corresponding verb.

23. The Element of More Than One
In contemporary
versions, the ambiguous
-(s) also adds an
element of plurality.

24. Here Is a Good Example of This
For example, how many
innocent men should be
murdered before the
sentence of death is executed
upon the murderer?

25. The KJV is clear: “Whoso
sheddeth man’s blood, by man
shall his blood be shed” (Genesis
9:6).

26. The KJ V – murder one person
Murder one person and receive the
sentence of the loss of your life.
One innocent man’s life is so valuable
that the greatest price must be paid
to respect the loss.

27. Use the Modern – S verb ending
But, by changing sheddeth to shed(s),
an element of doubt is introduced.
how many people have to be
murdered?

28. It Would Read like This
“Whoso sheds man’s blood, by
man shall his blood be shed” –
this suggests that more than one
person has to be murdered by
the murderer before the
sentence is passed.

29. Example
NIV Genesis 9:6 "Whoever
sheds the blood of man, by
man shall his blood be
shed; for in the image of
God has God made man.

30. The Element of Confusion
Does this mean that
only repeat offenders
(sheds being plural) are
punishable by death?

31. This is not clearer. This is confusing.
In our modern Appeals Court there
could be a case for “Lurking Doubt”
in the uncertainty of the situation.
If you could prove that only one
murder was committed then the
sentence could be overturned.

32. I think that it is interesting today that we have
become so sanitised that we are really only
shocked when someone has committed
multiple murders.
This is not surprising seeing modern philosophy
views us as mere animals rather than created
in the image of God

33. Even the popular television crime
shows seem to major on the idea of a
“serial killer” – why the term killer
why not the term “serial murderer?”

34. What Do You Want?
Surely we want the
word of God to be
precise with conformity
that we can trust.

35. Small Changes
These may only be small changes in the printed
material but they surely make huge differences
in understanding and revelation.
Don’t let these small changes, that modern
publishers of the Bible slip in, rob you of the
richness and steadfastness of God’s pure and
preserved word promised to be kept for all
generations

36. Psalms 12:6-7
The words of the LORD are pure
words: as silver tried in a furnace
of earth, purified seven times. 7
Thou shalt keep them, O
LORD, thou shalt preserve them
from this generation for ever.

37. His word is a lamp to our path
Psalms 119:105 Thy
word is a lamp unto
my feet, and a light
unto my path.

38. Trust His Word
Let God be true and every man a liar
• Romans 3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true,
but every man a liar; as it is written, That
thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and
mightest overcome when thou art judged.

39. In the meantime let us read his word
Let us who are of the day walk
in the light of the scriptures

40. Ready for His Coming
• Let us be ready for his coming because he will
surely come when he is not expected
• Let’s keep rejoicing in the joy of “sins
forgiven” and the power of an everlasting life
Let us uphold the name of Jesus