KJV vs ASV: what's different between the King James Version and the American Standard Version
KJV vs ASV compared: history (1611 vs 1901), 15 verses side by side, why some verses are missing in the ASV, and which to read. Counts from the full text.
In this article
The KJV (1611) and the ASV (1901) sound alike because the ASV is a revision in the King James tradition: both use "thee," "thou" and "-eth." The main differences are that the ASV updates many old words ("charity" becomes "love"), uses "Jehovah" for God's name, and follows a Greek text based on older manuscripts, so some KJV verses, like Acts 8:37, are not in its main text.
Clear, sourced explanations of the differences are hard to find, so we compared the two texts ourselves, using the full KJV and ASV that come with our app's Bible reader.
Below you'll find a short history of each translation, 15 verses side by side, the 16 KJV verses the ASV leaves out of its main text, and some honest guidance on which one to read and when to use both.
KJV vs ASV at a glance
| King James Version (KJV) | American Standard Version (ASV) | |
|---|---|---|
| Published | 1611 (most editions today follow a 1769 revision) | 1901 |
| Origin | Commissioned under King James I of England | American edition of the English Revised Version (NT 1881, OT 1885) |
| Style | Early modern English, formal, close to the original wording | Same style, with many archaic words updated |
| Pronouns | thee, thou, ye | thee, thou, ye (kept) |
| God's name (YHWH) | Usually "LORD" in small capitals | "Jehovah" |
| New Testament Greek text | Textus Receptus (printed Greek editions of the 1500s) | A critical text drawing on older manuscripts |
| Words in our count | 790,892 | 784,704 |
| Verses | 31,102 | same numbering, 16 NT verses left blank in the main text |
| Copyright | Public domain in the US | Public domain |
| Influence | The most influential English Bible in history | Basis for later translations such as the RSV and NASB |
Word and verse counts are from the KJV and ASV texts in Bible Academy's reader, counted with a simple script. Different editions and counting methods give slightly different totals.
Want to read both in full? Bible Academy's Bible reader has the KJV and the ASV, offline, with highlights and notes, so you can switch between them on any verse.
A short history of the KJV
The King James Version grew out of a conference of church leaders at Hampton Court in 1604, under King James I of England. Teams of scholars worked from the Hebrew Old Testament and from printed Greek editions of the New Testament, and also drew heavily on earlier English Bibles such as Tyndale's. The result was published in 1611.
The text most people read today is not the exact 1611 printing. Spelling and punctuation were standardized in later editions, especially the Oxford edition of 1769. That's why your KJV says "Jesus" and not the 1611 spelling "Iesus."
For more than three centuries, the KJV was simply "the Bible" for most English-speaking Protestants. Its phrases are woven into English itself. If you're reading it for the first time, our guide on how to read the KJV Bible explains the old words.
A short history of the ASV
By the 1800s, two things had changed. English had moved on, and scholars had access to Greek manuscripts much older than the ones behind the KJV, including major codices from the 300s. In 1870, the Church of England began a careful revision of the KJV. British and American scholars worked on it together. The New Testament of this English Revised Version appeared in 1881 and the Old Testament in 1885.
The American scholars preferred some different choices, especially using "Jehovah" for God's name and updating more old words. Their edition was published in 1901 as the American Standard Version. It became known for its literal accuracy, and it later served as the starting point for the Revised Standard Version and the New American Standard Bible.
15 verses side by side
Here are 15 verses where the difference is easy to see. KJV text is from the King James Version as printed in our app; ASV text is from the 1901 American Standard Version.
| Reference | KJV (1611) | ASV (1901) | What changed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis 1:1 | "God created the heaven and the earth" | "God created the heavens and the earth" | Plural "heavens" |
| Genesis 1:2 | "the earth was without form and void" | "the earth was waste and void" | Word choice |
| Psalm 23:1 | "The LORD is my shepherd" | "Jehovah is my shepherd" | God's name |
| Psalm 16:10 | "thou wilt not leave my soul in hell" | "thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol" | Hebrew word kept |
| John 3:3 | "Except a man be born again" | "Except one be born anew" | "again" or "anew" (the Greek can mean both, or "from above") |
| John 3:16 | "have everlasting life" | "have eternal life" | Synonym |
| 1 Corinthians 13:4 | "Charity suffereth long" | "Love suffereth long" | Archaic word updated |
| Philippians 4:6 | "Be careful for nothing" | "In nothing be anxious" | Archaic meaning clarified |
| Hebrews 4:12 | "the word of God is quick, and powerful" | "the word of God is living, and active" | "quick" means living |
| 2 Timothy 2:15 | "Study to shew thyself approved unto God" | "Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God" | "Study" meant "be diligent" |
| Acts 12:4 | "intending after Easter" | "intending after the Passover" | The Greek word is pascha (Passover) |
| Matthew 6:13 | "deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." | "deliver us from the evil one." | Manuscript difference |
| Luke 2:14 | "on earth peace, good will toward men" | "on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased" | Manuscript difference |
| Romans 8:1 | "in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit" | "in Christ Jesus." | Manuscript difference |
| 1 Timothy 3:16 | "God was manifest in the flesh" | "He who was manifested in the flesh" | Manuscript difference |
Notice the pattern. The first eleven are translation choices: same underlying text, different English. The last four are text differences: the translators were working from different Greek manuscripts, so the underlying wording itself differs.
Why are some verses missing in the ASV?
This is the question that sends most people searching. If you open the ASV at Acts 8:37, you'll find the verse number but no verse in the main text. Here's the KJV wording:
And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
The verse is part of the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. In the KJV, the official confesses his faith before baptism. The ASV's main text goes straight from verse 36 to verse 38.
Here are all 16 KJV verses that are blank in the ASV main text, by our comparison:
| Book | Verses |
|---|---|
| Matthew | 17:21, 18:11, 23:14 |
| Mark | 7:16, 9:44, 9:46, 11:26, 15:28 |
| Luke | 17:36, 23:17 |
| John | 5:4 |
| Acts | 8:37, 15:34, 24:7, 28:29 |
| Romans | 16:24 |
The ASV wasn't deleting Scripture on purpose. Its translators believed these lines were added by copyists over the centuries, because the oldest Greek manuscripts available to them didn't contain them. The KJV translators worked from Greek editions printed in the 1500s, based mostly on later manuscripts that do contain them. Printed ASV editions mention many of these readings in their margin notes.
John 5:4 is a good example to read for yourself. It explains why people waited at the pool of Bethesda:
For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.
You can read the whole scene in the paralytic at Bethesda. Some longer passages, such as Mark 16:9-20 and John 7:53 to 8:11, are present in both translations in our texts.
1 John 5:7
One more famous difference, in a letter about love and assurance (see our summary of 1 John). In the KJV, 1 John 5:7 reads:
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
In the ASV, the words about "the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost" in heaven are not there, and the verse reads: "And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth." This phrase in the KJV is known as the Johannine Comma, and it's absent from almost all early Greek manuscripts. That doesn't change the doctrine of the Trinity, which Christians on both sides affirm from many other passages, such as Matthew 28:19.
Two views, stated fairly
Christians disagree about which Greek text is best, and the disagreement is sincere:
- The critical-text view (behind the ASV and most modern translations) holds that the oldest manuscripts are usually closest to what the authors wrote, so later additions should be left out or footnoted.
- The Textus Receptus view (held by many KJV readers) holds that the text used and preserved by the church over centuries is the reliable one, and that a few very old manuscripts shouldn't overrule the majority.
You don't have to settle this to read either Bible with confidence. None of these differences removes a core Christian teaching. They are worth knowing, though, especially if you compare translations.
Other differences you'll notice
Beyond specific verses, a few patterns run through the whole Bible. These counts are from the texts in our app:
| Word | KJV | ASV | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jehovah | 7 (including names like Jehovah-jireh) | about 6,890 | The ASV uses Jehovah for God's personal name |
| Holy Ghost | 90 | 0 | The ASV says "Holy Spirit" |
| charity | 28 | 0 | The ASV says "love" |
| hell | 54 | 13 | The ASV often keeps "Sheol" (65) and "Hades" (10) |
| devil or devils | 116 | 34 | The ASV uses "demon" or "demons" (78) where the Greek word differs from "the devil" |
The "devils" change is a good example of the ASV being more precise. The New Testament uses one Greek word for "the devil" (Satan) and a different word for evil spirits. The KJV translates both as "devil." The ASV keeps them apart.
The ASV also changes "Lord" to "Jehovah" in thousands of Old Testament verses, which is its most noticeable feature. Many readers find "Jehovah" helpful because it shows where the Hebrew has God's name, which is especially noticeable in the book of Psalms. Others find it jarring, and most later translations returned to "LORD." Either way, the meaning is the same.
Which is easier to read?
Neither is modern English. The ASV is slightly easier because it updates words like "charity," "careful," "quick" and "let." But it keeps "thee," "thou," "-eth" and the long sentences, and some readers find its very literal wording stiffer than the KJV's rhythm.
A fair summary:
| If you want | Choose |
|---|---|
| The classic text used in many churches, hymns and memory verses | KJV |
| Literary beauty and rhythm read aloud | KJV |
| Clearer meaning of old words while keeping the traditional style | ASV |
| To see where God's name appears in the Old Testament | ASV |
| To compare manuscript differences | Read both |
Many readers do exactly that: read the KJV as their main Bible and check a confusing verse in the ASV. If you're not tied to either, our guide on how to understand the Bible has more ways to work through hard passages.
How to compare the KJV and ASV yourself
- Read a chapter in the KJV first. Mark any verse that confuses you.
- Read the same chapter in the ASV. Most archaic-word problems disappear.
- Note text differences separately. If a verse is missing or much shorter, that's a manuscript question, not a translation question.
- Look at the context. A footnote-level difference rarely changes the passage's meaning, and the surrounding verses usually make that clear.
- Test yourself. A short quiz on the book you just compared, like this one on John, shows you still know the story, whichever wording you read. The full Gospel of John quiz goes further.
Quick quiz: John
What is the first miracle of Jesus recorded by John?
After the water turned into wine at the wedding, John notes: “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee.” John 2:9–11
Which Pharisee comes to Jesus by night and learns that one must be born again?
“There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night”; Jesus tells him he must be born again. John 3:1–3
How does John the Baptist point out Jesus as he sees him coming to him?
Seeing Jesus coming to him, John says: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29
There are many more questions like these in Bible Academy, each with its explanation and verse. Start free, no card needed.
If you'd like to do this every day, Bible Academy's reading plan takes you through the whole Bible at 1 to 5 chapters a day, with both translations a tap apart and a short quiz after each reading. For more KJV tools, see our roundup of the best KJV Bible apps.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main difference between the KJV and the ASV?
The KJV (1611) and ASV (1901) share the same traditional style, with "thee" and "thou," but the ASV updates many archaic words, uses "Jehovah" for God's name instead of "LORD," and follows older Greek manuscripts. Because of that, 16 KJV New Testament verses, including Acts 8:37 and John 5:4, are not in the ASV's main text.
Is the ASV more accurate than the KJV?
The ASV was designed to be very literal and to reflect the older manuscripts known in the late 1800s, so many scholars see it as more precise in places, such as separating "demons" from "the devil." Readers who prefer the Textus Receptus see the KJV's underlying text as more reliable. Both are careful, formal translations, and neither changes a core Christian doctrine.
Why does the ASV say Jehovah?
The ASV translators chose to print God's personal Hebrew name, often written YHWH, as "Jehovah" instead of using "LORD" in small capitals as the KJV does. By our count, "Jehovah" appears nearly 6,900 times in the ASV, compared with 7 times in the KJV (counting compound names like Jehovah-jireh). Most later English translations returned to "LORD."
Why is Acts 8:37 missing from the ASV?
The ASV follows Greek manuscripts that its translators considered older and more reliable, and Acts 8:37 doesn't appear in them. The KJV follows Greek editions printed in the 1500s that include it. The verse number stays in the ASV for reference, and printed editions mention the reading in a margin note. Fifteen other KJV verses are handled the same way.
Is the American Standard Version still used today?
Yes, though less widely than modern translations. The ASV is in the public domain, so it's freely available in many Bible apps and websites. It's valued for its literal accuracy and as the foundation of later translations like the RSV and NASB. Many readers use it alongside the KJV to clarify archaic words.