Bible Study With A
Difference
Copyright 1999 / Leslie A Turvey
Bible studies generally involve researching
chapters and verses, comparing text, and memorization. But here's a bible study, from the
King James Version, that's different.
What does the word 'bible' mean? [It's simply the English form of the
Greek word 'book.']
The adjective 'holy' means 'sanctified' or 'consecrated.' What else does it
mean? ['Holy' is derived from the Icelandic 'heila' and its variations, meaning 'health.']
How many chapters are in the King James Version? [The KJV has 39 books in the
old testament, and 27 in the new, for a total of 66. There are 1,189 chapters: 929 in the
old testament, and 260 in the new. The bible contains 38,232 verses composed of 874,746
words, which are composed of 3,566,480 letters (No, I didn't count them).]
What was the first book ever printed? [Although the Guttenberg Bible was the
first book printed with moveable type, the Latin Vulgate, translated about 400 A.D., was
eventually the first book printed.]
Do we have the original King James Version? [The Bishop's Bible and the
Geneva Bible were the two bibles extant when James VI of Scotland became the king of
England in 1603. The Puritan leader, John Reynolds, proposed a translation be made to
replace them. Fifty-four "learned men" began their work in 1606, and published
the first King James version in 1611.
This bible went through several revisions, the most comprehensive of
which was published in 1769 by Dr. Benjamin Blayney. In 1870 the Church of England
authorized another revision in which more than 30,000 changes were made in the new
testament alone.
The New King James Version, published in 1983, is the fifth major
revision of the version authorized by King James I of England in 1611.]
Who divided the King James Version into verses? [In 1250 A.D. Cardinal Hugo
de Sancto Caro divided the scriptures into chapters. In 1550 Robert Stevens divided the
chapters into verses. According to one story his work was done while making a journey from
Lyons to Paris on horseback.
Dr. Louis Klopsch published the first red letter edition of the bible in
1901.]
What is the shortest chapter in the bible? [Psalm 117 is not only the
shortest chapter, but is also the middle chapter of the bible. It is
composed of two verses with a total of 32 words.
The longest chapter, Psalm 119, has 176 verses, and is divided into 22
sections of eight verses each.]
What is the only chapter of the bible that does not end with a period?
[Acts 21 ends with a comma, as the subject matter is continued in chapter 22. Acts 21 is
also peculiar in that it is not broken into paragraphs.]
The shortest verse in the bible is John 11:35, "Jesus wept." What
is the shortest in the old testament? [1 Chronicles 1:25 has 3 words, "Eber, Peleg,
Reu."
The longest verse in the bible, with 90 words and 426 letters, is Esther
8:9. Revelation 20:4 is the longest verse in the new testament.]
Which verse of the bible contains all the letters of the alphabet? [None,
actually. But Ezra 7:21 comes close. The only letter missing is 'j.']
What name appears in the first and last verses of the new testament?
[Jesus Christ]
What verse is inscribed on the Liberty Bell? [It's a portion of Leviticus
25:10: "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants
thereof."]
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