Italics in the Bible

“Is it wrong to read the italicized words in the Bible? What is the purpose of them? Were they not in the original text?”

It is not wrong to read the italicized words in the Bible. They have been provided by translators for two main purposes: readability and clarity. The work of translation (regardless of which languages are being looked at) can often produce a “choppy” end result. Our English Bibles are reliable, but we must remind ourselves that none of the words found therein (italicized or not) were “in the original text” – the Bible was not written in English.

Many times, a word has additional meaning that is only implied. Careful translators of God’s Word acknowledge there is always the hazard of inserting the wrong extra words and obscuring truth. And so, the authors of some translations have marked the inserted words with italics. Footnotes are also sometimes used to provide notes on difficult translations.

Other times, a word in one language does not have a direct equivalent in the target language. When translators can't get a word-for-word translation, they will occasionally have to stick in extra words to make it read correctly. Without them, the text could be confusing or implying the wrong thing in the target language.

Usually it doesn't make much difference, but there are a few places where the inserted word can either promote or hinder deeper understanding. Let me provide a couple of examples.

In John 18:4-6 the New King James Version has an italicized “he” in verse 6. The “he” in “I am He” is supplied to the text. It’s not incorrect per se (following their answer, “ego eimi” with the indicative mood points to the meaning of He/Him/Jesus), and yet the italicized word’s presence could make the reader miss the power of the Lord’s statement here. If you realize that Jesus literally said, “I AM” (using the name of God and mightily wielding all the power of God), then the reaction in verse 6 makes much more sense.

In 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 the New King James Version has an italicized word in verse 1. The word “swiftly” is supplied to the text. However, in this example the italicized word is actually implied by the original word which God chose. The Greek word here (a form of “trecho”) has a meaning which is greater than our English word “run”. It means to run with haste and exertion. The prayer of the church should not be for God’s Word to merely run/spread, but rather that men and women of God would exert themselves, spending their strength and devoting themselves entirely to the work of the gospel.

We shouldn’t dismiss the italicized words, but we acknowledge the need for careful examination in all things.