The Historical Present Tense of KJV

The use of the Present Tense for past time is found in many verses in the original language of the Bible. Greek writers used it as a story-telling device to emphasize certain and important past actions. The Historical Present Tense gives the effect of making past narratives more vivid.

Consider this verse:

Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? (John 1:38 KJV]

Notice how the KJV translators from the Greek text distinguished the past tense "said" and the present tense "saith" or "says." This style is intentional and not a mistake or a lack of a verb form counterpart during their time.

My Personal Thoughts

Because Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, so He is also saying, right now, in our present-day situation, "I say to you, 'What are you looking for?'"

Because God exists in all tenses, Past, Present and Future, all at the same time, all the time, then He is not bound and limited by human time.

I like how the Message puts it:

And regarding your speculation on whether the dead are raised or not, don’t you read your Bibles? The grammar is clear: God says, ‘I am—not was—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.’ The living God defines himself not as the God of dead men, but of the living.” (Mat 22:32 MSG)

Helpful resource: kjvtoday

Read the Bible every day. Read the whole Bible every year. Change versions for fresh insight. "This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do." (Joshua 1:8 BSB)

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