On Display: King James Bible First Editions

March 8, 2024

The first two editions of the Authorized King James Bible are distinguished between the “He” and “She” versions. Of the estimated 351 errors in the first edition, the most famous discrepancy between the two versions lies in Ruth 3:15. The very first 1611 edition says that after Ruth received six measures of Barley, “he went into the cit[y],” while the next edition, also published in 1611, reads “she went…” Therefore, the former edition is known as the “He Bible,” while the latter is called the “She Bible.”

The Keen Bible Collection at Styberg library holds a rare 1612 quarto version of the Authorized “He” bible and a 1611 version of the Great “She” Bible. Both texts are on display for comparison of the Ruth 3:15 discrepancy at the Styberg Library from March through June 2024.

For more information about the He/She problem in these early editions, visit the Rare Bible Display page on our website: King James Bible First Editions – Rare Bibles – Library Guides at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.