The Colon:

Divergence of Grammar KJV vs. Modern

Colons (:), those stacked periods, those over / under shotgun barrels, are used primarily in modern English to introduce details, or a list. A colon defines the present time: 9:14. Note that 14 minutes (post colon) adds details to the 9 o’clock hour. We use the colon daily when referencing biblical passages. For example: John 3:16 – this oft quoted passage is from John chapter 3; more specifically it’s from verse 16 of Chapter 3. (The colon indicates and highlights the following detail.)

Another modern use of the colon, which was not used in the Authorized English Version (KJV), is the colon that gives details of a list. Modern example: The award was given only to the three tallest boys in the room: Stumpy, Bob, and Shorty. The specifics of the list are introduced by a colon; but this is not the case in the KJV.

Prior usage of the colon (KJV timeframe)

There are many opinions on the grammar usage of this time (1600-1800), and, for that matter,

any time; but let’s look at some basics of the colon employed in the KJV:

What it is not

1.) It is not used to show detail or a list.

2.) It is not used to highlight details – Ps. 40:7 – this clause (after I come) will eventually be removed, not magnified, when restated in Hebrews 10.

What it is

3.) It is used to indicate a pause, greater than a comma.

4.) It is often used to link the main clause with the result or consequence clause. (A fresh look at Gal. 2:20 with this in mind is a blessing!) Used often in Proverbs too.

5.) A KJV colon may indicate a pause (see #3), and a related consequence (#4); it may also indicate that something is there, but unlike modern usage, details are not given. When I went to Bible School, I was told the colon in Dan. 9:26 represents the Church Age (end of 69 weeks but before the 70th). I was skeptical of that particular explanation; but, I am less skeptical now! The colon may indicate that something, although not defined, is actually there.

Also note Isaiah 9:6 - “...a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder...” A son has been given, but the government has not yet been put on his shoulders; the colon indicates something, an undefined pause, is there (the church age).

Of course, English grammar has changed a bit over 400 years; there is some divergence as the language mixes and mingles. However, instead of chasing the latest fad, and pursuing the capricious modern styles, or wholly dismissing the old as archaic, I suggest it best to stay on the proven and firm bedrock. Learn, and then let, the Bible, the Authorized Version, be the standard for English grammar, and for life doctrine.

It’s good to ask questions; it’s good to study to understand Early Modern English (particularly the Bible): you’ll be grounded in absolute and proven truth.