Matthew 15:6 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 honour not his father or his mother, Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
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.
he shall not honor his father. And ye have made void the word of God because of your tradition.
1901 · Public domain · The American revision of the English Revised Version. Deliberately literal, and the base text behind several later translations.
and he shall in no wise honour his father or his mother; and ye have made void the commandment of God on account of your traditional teaching.
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 he may not honour his father or his mother, and ye did set aside the command of God because of your tradition.
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.
he shall not honor his father or mother.’ You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition.
2000s · Public domain · A modern-English update of the ASV. Reads close to contemporary speech while staying in the literal tradition. Includes the Apocrypha.
he is in no way bound to honor his father.’ In this way you have nullified the words of God for the sake of your traditions.
in progress · Public domain (CC0) · A modern open-licensed translation, still being completed. Some Old Testament books are not yet available.
he is in no way bound to honour his father.” In this way you have nullified the words of God for the sake of your traditions.
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.
There is no need for him to give honour to his father. And you have made the word of God without effect because of your teaching.
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.
he shall not honor his father or mother.’ You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition.
Word-for-word swaps
- honour→he
- Thus→mother
The verses either side
King James text. A comparison is easier to judge when you can see the sentence the verse sits inside.