Matthew 15:27 in 8 translations
8 distinct wordings, grouped by what each translation is trying to do. Differences from the King James text are marked below.
Early modern English
Seventeenth-century wording and sentence shape. Familiar, rhythmic, and the version most quotations you have heard are taken from.
And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
1611 / 1769 · Public domain · The Authorised Version, revised to the 1769 Blayney text. Includes the Apocrypha as printed in 1611.
Literal, word-for-word
Follows Hebrew and Greek word order and grammar closely, even where the English becomes stiff. Useful for seeing what the underlying sentence is doing.
But she said, Yea, Lord: for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters` table.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
But she said, Yea, Lord; for even the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the table of their masters.
1890 · Public domain · John Nelson Darby's translation, made for close study rather than public reading. Often exposes grammatical detail other versions smooth over.
And she said, `Yes, sir, for even the little dogs do eat of the crumbs that are falling from their lords' table;'
1898 · Public domain · The most extreme word-for-word rendering here, keeping Hebrew and Greek tense and word order at the cost of natural English.
Modern English
Contemporary vocabulary and punctuation, aiming for the sentence a present-day reader would write while staying close to the source.
But she said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
“Yes, Master,” she said, “for even dogs do feed on the scraps that fall from their owners’ table.”
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
‘Yes, Master,’ she said, ‘for even dogs do feed on the scraps that fall from their owners’ table.’
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · The Commonwealth spelling edition of the Open English Bible. Identical wording to the US edition apart from spelling.
Simplified English
Built from a deliberately small vocabulary so the sense stays reachable for new readers and non-native speakers. Trades nuance for clarity.
But she said, Yes, Lord: but even the dogs take the bits from under their masters' table.
1949 · Public domain · Written with roughly a thousand basic English words plus a small Bible vocabulary. The plainest reading available here.
What changes between the King James and modern wording
The modern rendering is printed below with every word that differs from the King James text marked, so the actual divergence is visible rather than left for you to spot.
But she said, “Yes, Lord: but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
Word-for-word swaps
- And→But
- Truth→Yes
- yet→but
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.