# Bible question: What do the italics mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 2, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-what-do-the-italics-mean/172515 "2003-05-02T00:00:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-what-do-the-italics-mean/172515/1 "2003-05-02T00:00:19Z")
In every copy I’ve ever seen of the King James Version of the Bible (and ONLY in the KJV), some of the words are italicized. As to which words are italicized and which are not, I can see no pattern as to part of speech, semantic import, or anything else. Why are some of the words italicized? ---
**Author:** ![gypsymoth3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85e7bf/32.png) [@gypsymoth3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gypsymoth3)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-what-do-the-italics-mean/172515/2 "2003-05-02T01:20:05Z")
i think it means the english people didn’t know what certain words meant or didn’t have a good translation of a word since greek especially has words we don’t have an exact equivalent for. or i think it could be just to clarify the grammar. for example, you know how spanish translated word-for-word doesn’t sound right? like “chalupa grande” would translate “taco big” instead of “big taco”. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-what-do-the-italics-mean/172515/3 "2003-05-02T01:21:33Z")
From the Bible Dictionary in my KJV: > [@](#): > > **Italics.** In the KJV italics identify words that are necessary in English to round out and complete the sense of a phrase, but were not present in the Hebrew or Greek text of the manuscript used. Such additions were necessary because in some instances the manuscript was inadequate, and the translators felt obliged to clarify it in the translation. In other instances italics were necessary in cases where the grammatical construction of English called for the use of words that were not needed to make the same thought in Hebrew or Greek. Italics thus represent the willingness of the translators to identify these areas. It appears that generally, though not always, their judgment was justified in their choice of italicized words. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-what-do-the-italics-mean/172515/4 "2003-05-02T01:26:22Z")
Those are “bridge” words. The KJV committee were hyper-scrupulous about being accused of adding or subtracting from the so-called Received Texts – remember, competing scholars would know how to read the originals – so when they had to deviate from literal ad-verbatim translation and put in a modifier, verb or connecting clause so the translated verse would make sense either grammatically or theologically, they marked it so. They were very particular in this, vs. other vernacular translators. KJV fans being particular about form and presentation, the “Authorized Version” has kept them marked thus ever since. Hardcore KJV fans insist the Holy Spirit guided the committee so the filler words are the exact ones that God absolutely wants to be there. Myself I think _context_ was the primary source for getting them right. Which is just fine with me. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2003, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bible-question-what-do-the-italics-mean/172515/5 "2003-05-02T01:45:16Z")
An earlier thread on this subject in which yours truly refers to an even earlier one–by an admin, no less! [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=163484](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=163484)