KJV

Directional Adverbs in our King James Bible

Understanding Hence, Whence, Thence, Hither, Thither, Whither.

Pastor R. Hammond

Directional adverbs generally modify (describe) a verb by showing where or in what direction action happens—either in space or in time.

Our King James Bible uses a set of directional (or locational) adverbs that are uncommon in modern English. However, these words appear more than 500 times in our Bible. Learning the meaning of these words is essential for a clear understanding of Scripture.

These adverbs —hence, whence, thence, hither, thither, and whither—are not simply poetic; they carry precise meanings that faithfully convey the sense of the underlying Greek and Hebrew words.

These terms should be studied and learned so that we may read our Bible with a more precise understanding.   

First note that, some of these adverbs ask direction or location, while others give direction or location.

  • The adverbs beginning with "wh"  (whence, whither) ask direction or location. Think, where?

  • The adverbs beginning with "th" (thence, thither) give direction or location. Think, there!

  • And the adverbs beginning with "h" (hence, hither) also give direction or location. Think here. 

See this simple chart:

Now that we have the basic idea, let's dig a bit deeper.

  • Each of these adverbs describes either movement away from or toward a place, position or point in time:

    • If the beginning of the adverb (wh-, th-, h-) is followed by an “e” (as in thence), the word addresses an exit from (or movement away from) a place, position or point in time;

    • However, if the beginning of the adverb is followed by an “i” (as in thither), the word addresses movement into (or toward) a place, position or point in time.

  • Remember:

    • “e” is for exit / movement away from;

    • “i” is for into / movement toward.

Let’s take a closer look:

1. We’ve already seen that the two adverbs beginning with "wh" ask "where?"  Now see the difference between the two forms: "whence" and "whither."  

  • Whence = from where? (See the "e" in whence. Think "e" is for exit, i.e. from where did you exit / come?)

  • Whither = into where?   (See the "i" in whither. Think "i" in for into where?)

See an example: In Genesis 16:8, we read, "And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence (from where exited?) camest thou? and whither (into where?) wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. 

2. We’ve also seen that the two directional adverbs beginning with "th" provide direction or location. They mean “there.” Now see the difference between the two forms: "thence" and "thither."   

  • Thence = from there (departure in location or time). See the "e" in "thence." Think "e" is for exit / came from there.

  • Thither = into there.  See the "i" on thither.  Think "i"  is for into there.

An example:  1 Samuel 22:1 reads, "David therefore departed thence (exited / came from there), and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither (into there) to him. 

3. Finally, we’ve also seen that the two adverbs beginning with "h" also provide direction or location. They mean “here.”  Now see the difference between the two forms: "hence" and "hither."   

  • Hence = exit from here (departure in location or time).  See the "e" in "hence." Think "e" is for exit from.

  • Hither = into here   (See the "i" on hither.  Think "i"  is for into here).

See an example:  Genesis 42:15 reads, "Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence (exit from here), except your youngest brother come hither (into here)." 

See this expanded summary chart:

Also see:

Understanding Bible Words: Jehovah, LORD and GOD

Pastor Robert Hammond

Recently, a church member asked, “What's the difference between (1) Jehovah and Yahweh and (2) "LORD" and "Lord." Below is my response.

Here's the short answer:

  • We respectfully reject "Yahweh" as an incorrect expression of God's personal name, which is correctly expressed as "Jehovah" (see more below)

  • Generally, when you see LORD or GOD (in all CAPS), it's translating God's personal name, Jehovah (A few rare exceptions are noted, e.g. Ps. 30:8, Ps. 90:17)

Here's a bit more detail:

Yahweh vs. Jehovah. We understand that Yahweh is an erroneous expression of Jehovah. It is our position that Yahweh is an expression of the Lord's personal name that is based on the arguably false assertion that the Hebrew vowels are not part of the inspired text of the Old Testament. If that theory were correct, Yahweh would be an acceptable expression of God's personal name. However, we hold that the vowels are indeed part of the inspired text ... and that they demand that the Hebrew name be expressed as Jehovah. [For more information on this topic and the Hebrew vowel pointing, see this article by Dr. Tom Strouse.]

LORD vs. Lord, and GOD, too.

In our King James Bible, God's personal name, Jehovah, is usually translated "LORD" (ALL CAPS). This is due to a long-standing tradition that was retained by our translators (and is possibly attributable to the Jewish tradition of expressing reverence for God by not pronouncing his personal name).

We note some exceptions to the above rule, e.g. Ex 6:3 "... but by my name JEHOVAH". There, the actual name is used because the verse is referring to God's actual name!

Also note that, sometimes, Jehovah is translated as "GOD" (ALL CAPS). This is usually used in order to avoid an English translation that would be expressed as "Lord LORD." See more below.

In the Bible, we also see "Lord" (Title case, not ALL CAPS). "Lord" translates an underlying word meaning master (a title that conveys respect to one who has authority).

In Judges 16:28, we see "LORD", "Lord" and "GOD" -- and now you understand all of them!

Jg 16:28 And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes.

Now that you understand the use of these words, take some encouragement from this short article.

Why we still use the King James Bible at Long Hill Baptist Church.

Pastor Robert Hammond

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At Long Hill Baptist Church, we praise God for equipping us with His words! We're aware that the debate around Bible versions has, at times, been less than gracious.  Our desire is to graciously communicate the rationale for a our decision to make exclusive use of the King James Bible (which is also known as the Authorized Version). We recognize at least four key reasons for using the King James Bible:

The Kings James Bible is an accurate translation of the correct version of the Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament.

It uses the Hebrew and Greek texts that have been received by God’s people throughout history.  These underlying texts are commonly known as the Textus Receptus – which simply means “received text.” Most of the other modern Bible translations used a different underlying Greek New Testament.  They made this decision because, during the 19th century, additional Greek manuscripts were discovered. 

The problem with those newly discovered manuscripts is that they were not consistent with each other!  Despite the inconsistencies, those newly-discovered manuscripts were judged to be “older and therefore better” than the words of God that have been traditionally received by God’s people.  Consequently, the newly-discovered manuscripts were used by academicians to produce a new version of the Greek New Testament (the so-called Critical Text). 

The Critical Text is the Greek that underlies nearly all of the modern translations, including the English Standard Version (ESV), New Internal Version (NIV), New American Standard Version (NASB), New Living Translation (NLT), The Message, New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), the New Living Translation (NLT) and others.

This Greek that underlies the modern translations is missing hundreds of words — and entire verses. For that reason, Bibles like the English Standard Version (ESV) are missing verses, including: Matthew 17:21, Matthew 18:11, Matthew 23:14, Mark 7:16, Mark 9:44, Luke 17:36, John 5:4, Acts 8:37 and more.

At Long Hill Baptist Church, we reject the notion that God could have hid his true words from his people until the 19th Century.

To do so would have made it impossible for God’s people to live according to His words – as required by Matthew 4:4.  In Matthew 4:4, Jesus taught that we are responsible to live according to his words:

“…It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

Furthermore, the clear Biblical teaching that God promised to preserve His words obliges us to reject the idea that His true words would need to be restored by man through an academic process.  In Matthew 24:35, Jesus said that his words would never pass away.

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35) 

In the Old Testament, the Book of Psalms teaches:

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

We recognize that some of the modern Bible versions used an undesirable approach to Bible translation.

The so-called dynamic equivalence (or paraphrase) technique was used to produce many of the modern Bible translations, including the New International Version (NIV) and the New Living Translation (NLT).  This approach to translation attempts to preserve the basic ideas of each scriptural passage – without attempting to make a word-for-word translation.  While this approach produces translations that are generally easy to understand, it necessarily denies readers access to “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4).   Thankfully, our King James Bible uses a more rigorous technique – formal equivalence.  This approach attempts to preserve the meaning of each individual word and phrase – and therefore results in a translation that is closer to the original Greek and Hebrew.

The King James Bible reflects a level of grammatical precision that can’t easily be achieved with contemporary English.

In John 3:7, Jesus told a man named Nicodemus, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”  The pronoun “ye” is the second-person plural form of “you.”  Jesus used the plural form to make it clear that all men must be “born again” by repenting and placing their faith in him alone.  He desired for people to understand that it wasn’t just Nicodemus that needed to be born again.  However, most modern translations read, “You must be born again.”  By choosing to use more contemporary English, modern translations cloud the true meaning of the words that Christ spoke.

For more information:


Mind Your T’s & Y’s: Understanding King James Pronouns

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Pastor Hammond

Living according to “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4) requires that we make an effort to learn to understand every word of scripture.  Yet, any honest pastor will admit that the Elizabethan-era English of our King James Bible can be challenging. One of the first challenges that we face is the so-called Elizabethan pronouns, i.e. thou, thee, thy, thine, ye, and you.

It is fair to ask if these “old fashioned” pronouns really matter – especially given that most modern Bible versions have replaced them with simpler, more familiar words.  For example, modern translations typically replace “ye” with “you.”  While that change may seem reasonable, readers must understand that dropping the use of the Elizabethan pronouns necessarily obscures the meaning of the Greek and Hebrew words that underlie our English translation.  In fact, when translators change “ye” to “you,” they are necessarily changing God’s words!

Let’s take a closer look at the issue.   Recall that the New Testament is translated from Greek.  Biblical Greek differentiates between singular pronouns that refer to one person (thou, thee, thine) and plural pronouns that refer to multiple people (you, ye). Biblical Greek also differentiates between pronouns that serve as subjects and objects in a sentence.  Unfortunately, modern English no longer maintains a system of pronouns that bear the same level of precision.  Fortunately, however, the Elizabethan English of our King James Bible utilizes a system of pronouns that perfectly reflects the precision of the original Greek. 

You may be wondering if this level of grammatical precision is actually important.  Consider the King James translation of John 3:7.  There, Jesus said, "Marvel not that I said unto thee (singular, object form), ye (plural, subject form) must be born again."  The use of these precise pronouns in our  King James translation makes it clear that, while Jesus was speaking to one man (Nicodemus), his message was that all people must be born again.  However, the New International Version (NIV) obscures the fact that all must be born again; It translates  John 3:7 as “You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again.”  Because the NIV says "You must be born again," a modern reader would not likely understand that Jesus was actually telling Nicodemus that all people must be born again. 

Similar distinctions are made in the Biblical Hebrew underlying our King James Old Testament. Consider Exodus 4:15:  "And thou (2nd person singular, subject form) shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy (2nd-person singular,  possessive form) mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you (plural, object form) what ye (plural, subject form) shall do" (KJV).

One commentator notes that, in the above verse, we see the pronouns "thou," "thy," "you," and "ye," all fulfilling a specific grammatical function.  Modern translations are more likely to read:  "You shall speak to him ...and I will be with your mouth,... and will teach you what you shall do."  In choosing to simplify the translation, they obscure the precision and clarity of the underlying Hebrew words.  However, our King James Bible makes it clear that the LORD told Moses that he (Moses) was to speak to Aaron, and that He (the LORD) would then teach both of them (not just Moses) what they were to do.

Ok, so how can I remember the meaning of each pronoun?

Here’s a simple rule:  In our King James bible, pronouns that begin with “T” are always singular (i.e. they refer to one person); Pronouns that begin with “Y” are always plural (i.e. they refer to multiple people).   Someone observed that a helpful way to remember this rule is that “t” resembles one "stick" whereas “y” pictures two (or more) sticks stacked together.  

Going a step further:  Biblical Greek also uses different forms of pronouns to identify subjects and objects in a sentence.  Recall that, in a sentence, a subject is the person who is performing an action.  The object is a person or thing that is receiving action.  Consider this sentence:   “Mary is feeding the baby.”   “Mary” is the subject, i.e. the one performing the action.   “Baby” is the object, i.e. the one upon whom the action is being performed.  

Praise God for our Authorized King James Bible – an accurate translation of God’s preserved words.

A Helpful Chart of King James Bible Pronouns: 

  1. “T” pronouns are singular (and always 2nd person)

    1. Thou = subject form

    2. Thee = object form

    3. “Thy” & “Thine” show possession

  2. “Y” pronouns are plural (and always 2nd-person)

    1. Ye = Subject form (performs action)

    2. You = object form (received action) Remember: If someone offers you an I-O-U, you expect to receive something. (IOU ~ YOU)

    3. “Your(s)” shows possession

Remember:  "T" pronouns are always singular. "Y" pronouns are always plural.

Want to learn more?  

Learn to Read the King James Bible: How & Why

Pastor Bob Hammond

At Long Hill Baptist Church, we use the King James Bible for all teaching and preaching.   While some modern versions can be easier to read, we observe that the King James Bible is the only version that provides an accurate translation of all of God's words.  

A variety of excellent tools are available to help believers learn to read and understand our King James Bible.  One such tool is a booklet titled, "Understanding the King James Bible: Why Use the King James Bible and How to Understand it" by Dave Olson. (52 pages, including a 10-page dictionary of unfamiliar words).  

  • Shows why the King James Bible should be used instead of modern versions;

  • Provides some common reasons for not understanding what you read in the Bible;

  • Gives some tips on how to understand the English used in the King James Bible. 

 Order from Help4U Publications.

Also see these free online articles:

Our Strength for Every Season

Pastor Hammond

Who couldn't use a bit more strength to help get us through life's challenges?   Notice how, in Isaiah 12:2 and 24:4, the prophet uses the name "LORD JEHOVAH"  in association with finding strength in the LORD:  "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation." (Isaiah 12:2); "Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength" (Isaiah 26:4) .

In both of these verses, the "LORD" preceding JEHOVAH is Jah in Hebrew, i.e. a shortened form of "JEHOVAH." So, the Hebrew reads "Jah Jehovah."  Jehovah is God's personal name.  This name is generally understood to mean "the existing one" or "the self-existing one."  The name emphasize that God was not created; rather He is the self-existing Creator.  He exists simply because He is; we exist because He created us. 

In Biblical Hebrew, a word may be strengthened or emphasized by using similar forms of the same word in close proximity.  For example, in Genesis 2:17,  we read, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."    In the Hebrew, "surely die" is literally "dying thou shalt die" (muth tamuth).   The LORD used two forms of the verb "to die" in order to emphasize and strengthen the idea that Adam and Eve would experience a spiritual death as the result of their sin.   Similarly,  in Isaiah, we may observe that God uses two forms of His name,  Jah Jehovah,  in order to strongly emphasizes the idea that He is the self-existing one.  

It's interesting to note that the only verses in Scripture that use Jah Jehovah (Isaiah 12:2; 24:4) deal with our ability to trust the LORD because He is our source of strength.  Jah Jehovah seems to be used there to emphasize that because the LORD is the only "self-existing one" (emphasized twice), he is the only true source of our strength.   We may trust in the LORD and find strength in Him because He is  the only one who is the source of His own existence.  

Of course, we see the LORD as the source of our strength in other parts of the Old Testament, too.  In Psalm 43:2,  the psalmist states, "For thou art the God of my strength..."  He then applies that truth by asking, "... why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" We may rejoice in the strengthening of the LORD!

We also find the promise of strengthening in the Lord in the New Testament.  In Phillippians 4:13, Paul writes, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."  

Our Lord is the only true source of our strength.   Let's call upon the LORD for the strength we need each day!

God Promises to Keep His Words So that We May Keep His Words

Pastor Bob Hammond

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Recently, our church has spent several months studying through the longest chapter of Scripture -- Psalm 119.  This great passage teaches about the nature of Gods words and their correct place in our lives. 

Importantly, the Psalms help us to understand two great truths regarding the Bible:  (1) It truly is the word of God and (2) God has preserved his words so that we may obey them today. These ideas are brought together in a single verse of Psalm 119:

“Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.”  (Psalm 119:152)

Here, the psalmist is fondly recalling that he has long-known that God has both inspired the Bible and preserved it “for ever.”  In his simple statement “thou has founded them,” the Psalmist credits God for supplying the words of Scripture.  And, Indeed, the New Testament also credits the LORD with providing all the words of the Bible:

“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Pet 1:21)   

But what good would it be if the LORD had supernaturally provided the Bible without also supernaturally preserving his words for all generations?  Fortunately, we may also observe in Psalm 119:152 that God has founded his words “for ever.”  The LORD reiterates this promise in another Psalm:

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

It is because the LORD promises to keep (preserve) the words of the Bible, that the psalmist is able to proclaim “I shall keep thy testimonies” (Ps. 119:146).  And for the same reason, today, we too may know and obey all of God's words.  Praise God!

Sadly, the idea that God promises to preserve his words is lacking from the teaching of many otherwise sound churches. Consequently, instead of accepting the traditional "Received" Greek and Hebrew texts that underly our King James Bible,  they have allowed scholars to define which words are likely part of the original Bible text.   And those same scholars have encouraged the production of modern Bible translations that lack many of the words that God's people have traditionally received as Scripture -- including entire verses of Scripture! (e.g. 1 John 5:7-8).  At Long Hill Baptist Church, we desire to hold firmly to all of God’s words.  That's why we hold to the King James Bible as God's preserved words for English-speaking people.

Praise God that He keeps his words so that we may keep his words!

Keywords:  preservation, preserved