King James did not write the Bible or even the King James Version (KJV) himself; he authorized and sponsored an English translation that was produced by a large team of scholars in the early 1600s.

Quick Scoop: Who actually “wrote” the King James Bible?

  • The original Bible texts were written over many centuries by Jewish and early Christian authors in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek (for example, Moses, prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah, New Testament writers like Paul, John, Luke, etc.).
  • In 1604, King James I of England ordered a new English translation to settle disputes between different Bible versions used in the Church of England.
  • Around 47 scholars and churchmen—organized into committees at Oxford, Cambridge, and Westminster—did the actual translation work from Hebrew and Greek into English.
  • Richard Bancroft, the archbishop of Canterbury, oversaw the project like a chief editor, enforcing rules and final decisions.
  • The finished King James Version was published in 1611 and named after King James because he authorized it, not because he translated or wrote it.

In short: King James was the royal sponsor and approver, not the author. The KJV is a scholarly translation project, not a personal book he wrote.

Mini timeline for context

  1. Ancient times: Original biblical books written (Hebrew/Aramaic Old Testament, Greek New Testament).
  1. 1500s: Earlier English Bibles appear, like Tyndale’s and the Geneva Bible.
  1. 1604: King James calls for a new, unified English translation.
  1. 1604–1611: Teams of scholars translate and review the text.
  1. 1611: The King James Bible is published and gradually becomes the dominant English Bible for centuries.

Why people get confused

  • The name “King James Bible” makes it sound like he wrote it, the way an author’s name appears on a cover.
  • In reality, it’s closer to a “government-commissioned” translation—his authority gave it official status in the Church of England.
  • Legends and internet myths sometimes even claim Shakespeare or other famous writers secretly wrote it, but there’s no solid historical evidence for that.

Forum-style takeaway

If you’re asking “King James who wrote the Bible?” the clean answer is:

  • The Bible itself was written by many ancient authors.
  • The King James Version was translated by a committee of about 47 scholars in 1604–1611, under the royal authorization of King James I—he didn’t personally write or translate it.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.