The Six Translation Companies

Unlike most Bible translations, which are the work of a single scholar or a small editorial team, the King James Bible was produced by six independent companies of translators working in parallel at three of England's most prestigious institutions: Westminster, Cambridge, and Oxford. This organizational structure was not accidental. It was designed to eliminate the weaknesses of individual translation — personal bias, blind spots, theological hobbyhorses — while preserving the strengths of expert scholarship. Each company contained men of different temperaments, theological leanings, and areas of expertise. The Anglicans checked the Puritans; the Hebraists checked the Greek scholars; the linguists checked the theologians. The result was a translation that belonged to no faction and served every reader. As Miles Smith wrote in the Preface: "We did not disdain to revise that which we had done, and to bring back to the anvil that which we had hammered."

The first Westminster company was led by Lancelot Andrewes, Dean of Westminster and one of the most brilliant scholars in England. Andrewes was master of 15 languages and was renowned for his personal holiness — he spent five hours each morning in prayer before beginning his scholarly work. This company was responsible for the historical books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings. These books form the narrative backbone of the Old Testament — creation, the patriarchs, the Exodus, the conquest of Canaan, and the rise and fall of Israel's monarchy. Other notable members included: • John Overall — Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge, expert in patristic theology • Hadrian Saravia — Born in Flanders, a polyglot scholar who had helped produce a Dutch Bible translation • Robert Tighe — Archdeacon of Middlesex, known for his expertise in Hebrew • William Bedwell — The father of Arabic studies in England, whose knowledge of Semitic languages informed the translation of difficult Hebrew passages The literary quality of the KJV's opening books — "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" — owes much to this company's mastery of both Hebrew and English prose.

First Cambridge Company: 1 Chronicles to Song of Solomon Led initially by Edward Lively, Regius Professor of Hebrew at Cambridge, who sadly died in 1605 before much of the work was completed. The company continued under the direction of Roger Andrewes (brother of Lancelot) and Andrew Bing. This company handled the wisdom literature — Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon — and the historical books of Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. Their work gave us some of the most beloved passages in the English language: "The LORD is my shepherd" (Psalm 23), "To every thing there is a season" (Ecclesiastes 3), and "Many waters cannot quench love" (Song of Solomon 8:7). First Oxford Company: Isaiah to Malachi Led by John Harding, Regius Professor of Hebrew at Oxford. This company translated the Prophets — Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve Minor Prophets. These books contain the great Messianic prophecies and some of the most majestic poetry in the Bible. Notable members included John Rainolds, the Puritan scholar who had proposed the translation at Hampton Court, and Miles Smith, who would later write the Preface. Second Oxford Company: Gospels, Acts, and Revelation Led by Thomas Ravis, Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. This company translated the most-read books of the New Testament. Their work gave English the Sermon on the Mount, the parables, the crucifixion narrative, and the visions of Revelation. Members included Sir Henry Savile, one of the most erudite men in Europe, who had edited the complete works of John Chrysostom in Greek.

Second Westminster Company: Romans to Jude Led by William Barlow, Dean of Chester. This company translated the Pauline Epistles and the General Epistles — the doctrinal heart of the New Testament. Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, Hebrews, James — these books contain the foundational theology of the Christian faith. Notable members included John Spencer, a leading Greek scholar, and several men with deep expertise in patristic literature who could evaluate how the early church understood these texts. Second Cambridge Company: The Apocrypha Led by John Duport, this company translated the Apocryphal books that were included between the Old and New Testaments in the original 1611 edition. Though these books were not regarded as inspired Scripture, the translators gave them serious scholarly attention. The Apocrypha was eventually dropped from most KJV printings, but the company's work demonstrated the same care and linguistic skill as the canonical translations. This company included John Bois, one of the most remarkable scholars involved in the project. Bois had read the Hebrew Bible at age five, wrote Hebrew letters at six, and was a master of Greek. He kept detailed notes on the translation committee's deliberations — notes that survive and provide an invaluable window into the translators' methods and debates.

The genius of the six-company structure was not just the initial translation — it was the multi-layered review process that followed. Step 1: Individual work. Each translator in a company worked through the assigned text on his own, producing an independent translation. Step 2: Company review. The company met to compare individual translations, debating each reading and reaching consensus on the best rendering. Step 3: Cross-company review. When a company completed its section, the finished text was sent to all five other companies for independent scrutiny. Any company could raise objections, suggest alternative readings, or flag errors. Step 4: The General Committee. A final committee of 12 senior scholars — two from each company — met at Stationers' Hall in London in 1610 to review the entire Bible. This committee spent approximately nine months going through the complete text, resolving remaining disputes and ensuring consistency of style and terminology. Step 5: Final review. Miles Smith and Thomas Bilson gave the text its final review. Smith wrote the Preface ("The Translators to the Reader"), and Bilson added the chapter summaries. By the time the KJV was published in 1611, every verse had been translated individually by multiple scholars, debated in company, reviewed by five other companies, and examined by a general committee. No English Bible has ever undergone such thorough vetting.

The six companies included men of strikingly different backgrounds and convictions. There were Anglicans and Puritans, high churchmen and low churchmen, scholars who favored formal ceremony and scholars who preferred simple worship. What united them was a shared reverence for the Word of God and a shared commitment to accuracy. This diversity was a strength. A Bible translated by Puritans alone would have reflected Puritan theology. A Bible translated by bishops alone would have reflected Anglican priorities. But a Bible translated by both — and reviewed by both — belonged to neither party and served all. The translators understood this. In their Preface, they wrote: "We are so far off from condemning any of their labours that travailed before us in this kind, either in this land or beyond sea... that we acknowledge them to have been raised up of God for the building and furnishing of his Church." The six companies, working independently and reviewing each other's work, produced a translation that transcended faction, personality, and era. Four centuries later, the King James Bible remains the common inheritance of all English-speaking Christians — a testament to the wisdom of the process that produced it.