The Queen James Bible – What is it?
The Queen James Bible was published in 2012. Publishers started with the 1769 edition of the King James Bible and removed or changed all negative references to homosexuality. Sometimes the Queen James Bible is referred to as the Gay Bible.Of course, changing any Scriptures to line up with, or make the Scriptures agree with, our own beliefs or desires, is to steal the authority of the Word of God for ourselves. We cannot edit God's Word to our liking and expect what is left to be the true Word of God.
The editors of the Queen James Bible, who remain anonymous, have said they don't believe there was any reference to homosexuality in Scriptures until the 1946 Revised Standard Version which introduced "anti-LGBT Bible interpretations" into eight verses.
The scholars who made such remonstrations are unknown, though their thinking has caught on in popular culture, within a growing number of denominations, and in the LGBTQ community.
Those eight verses are listed below with comments. You will see the King James, Queen James, and English Standard Version translations so you can compare.
Genesis 19:5
"And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them" (KJV).
"And they called out unto Lot, and said unto him, 'Where are the men which came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may rape and humiliate them'" (QJV, emphasis added).
"And they called to Lot, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, that we may know them'" (ESV).
The word "know" in the KJV and ESV is to have sexual intercourse. There is no Hebrew word here meaning humiliate. Clearly the men in the crowd were intending to rape the visitors. The addition of "humiliate" is meant to imply that male-on-male rape is not a sexual act, but an act of power and domination.
Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13
"Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination" (Leviticus 18:22, KJV).
"If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them" (Leviticus 20:13, KJV).
"Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind in the temple of Molech; it is an abomination" (Leviticus 18:22, QJV, emphasis added).
"If a man also lie with mankind in the temple of Molech, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them" (Leviticus 20:13, QJV, emphasis added).
"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination" (Leviticus 18:22, ESV).
"If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them" (Leviticus 20:13, ESV).
The Queen James Bible editors say the Hebrew word translated "abomination" meant something unclean or taboo; it was "scandalous." They also say that not all abominable offenses merited capital punishment. Leviticus 20:13 clearly says that men lying with men is an "abomination" and warrants death. The Queen James Version editors say that if it warranted death, it wouldn't be called an abomination. Thus the Queen James Bible editors assert there was an error in translation at some point. They propose that Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 have to do with the pagan practices of the worship of Molech.
Romans 1:26–27:
"For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet" (KJV).
"Their women did change their natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, left of the natural use of the woman, burned in ritual lust, one toward another; Men with men working that which is pagan and unseemly. For this cause God gave the idolators up unto vile affections, receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet" (QJV, emphasis added).
"For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error" (ESV).
Again, the Queen James Bible editors put male homosexual acts listed as sin as such acts only in context of pagan worship. They leave much of the language that describes women engaging in unnatural acts untouched. They do not believe verse 26 is talking about lesbian sex and, while acknowledging they do not know to what it does refer, suggest it may have to do with pagan dancing.
We find it telling that the following verses seem to describe those who do not acknowledge God's Word (Romans 1:28–32).
1 Corinthians 6:9:
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind" (KJV).
"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor morally weak, nor promiscuous" (QJV, emphasis added).
"Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God" (ESV, including verse 10).
The Greek word for "soft" is translated as "effeminate," or a "soft, womanly man." The Queen James Bible editors say that the word "effeminate" is not used the same way it is today; rather, they say it refers to being "morally weak."
The Greek word arsenokoites, translated in the KJV as "abusers of themselves with mankind" and in the ESV as "homosexuality," refers to sodomites—men engaging in same-gender sexual activity. The Queen James Bible editors change it to "promiscuous."
1 Timothy 1:10:
"For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine" (KJV).
"For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine" (QJV, emphasis added).
"The sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine" (ESV).
Here, the QJV simply deletes "with mankind" to serve their social, moral, and political purposes.
Jude 1:7:
"Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire" (KJV).
"Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after nonhuman flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire" (QJV, emphasis added).
"Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire" (ESV).
The "strange flesh" in the KJV is rendered "nonhuman flesh" in the QJV, an argument that the flesh was strange because it was angelic. But the men of Sodom didn't know Lot's guests were angels. They wanted to have sex with what they perceived were other men.
There simply isn't any scholarly or linguistic basis for the changes the unnamed editors of the Queen James Bible introduce. Their motivation seems to be solely to change Scripture to justify the behavior of the LGBTQ community.
Jesus warned against changing God's Word: "For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:18–19).
Is homosexuality a sin?
Are homosexual feelings sinful? Is homosexual / same-sex attraction a sin?
Should gender-inclusive language be used in Bible translations?
Who was the King James of the King James Version of the Bible?
What Bible translation should I use?
Truth about the Bible
