Directional Adverbs in our King James Bible

Understanding Hence, Whence, Thence, Hither, Thither, Whither.

Pastor R. Hammond

Directional adverbs generally modify (describe) a verb by showing where or in what direction action happens—either in space or in time.

Our King James Bible uses a set of directional (or locational) adverbs that are uncommon in modern English. However, these words appear more than 500 times in our Bible. Learning the meaning of these words is essential for a clear understanding of Scripture.

These adverbs —hence, whence, thence, hither, thither, and whither—are not simply poetic; they carry precise meanings that faithfully convey the sense of the underlying Greek and Hebrew words.

These terms should be studied and learned so that we may read our Bible with a more precise understanding.   

First note that, some of these adverbs ask direction or location, while others give direction or location.

• The adverbs beginning with "wh"  (whence, whither) ask direction or location. Think, where?

• The adverbs beginning with "th" (thence, thither) give direction or location. Think, there!

• And the adverbs beginning with "h" (hence, hither) also give direction or location. Think here. 

See this simple chart:

Now that we have the basic idea, let's dig a bit deeper.

• Each of these adverbs describes either movement away from or toward a place, position or point in time:

  • If the beginning of the adverb (wh-, th-, h-) is followed by an “e” (as in thence), the word addresses an exit from (or movement away from) a place, position or point in time;

  • However, if the beginning of the adverb is followed by an “i” (as in thither), the word addresses movement into (or toward) a place, position or point in time.

• Remember:

  • “e” is for exit / movement away from;

  • “i” is for into / movement toward.

Let’s take a closer look:

1. We’ve already seen that the two adverbs beginning with "wh" ask "where?"  Now see the difference between the two forms: "whence" and "whither."  

• Whence = from where? (See the "e" in whence. Think "e" is for exit, i.e. from where did you exit / come?)

• Whither = into where?   (See the "i" in whither. Think "i" in for into where?)

See an example: In Genesis 16:8, we read, "And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence (from where exited?) camest thou? and whither (into where?) wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. 

2. We’ve also seen that the two directional adverbs beginning with "th" provide direction or location. They mean “there.” Now see the difference between the two forms: "thence" and "thither."   

• Thence = from there (departure in location or time). See the "e" in "thence." Think "e" is for exit / came from there.

• Thither = into there.  See the "i" on thither.  Think "i"  is for into there.

An example:  1 Samuel 22:1 reads, "David therefore departed thence (exited / came from there), and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither (into there) to him. 

3. Finally, we’ve also seen that the two adverbs beginning with "h" also provide direction or location. They mean “here.”  Now see the difference between the two forms: "hence" and "hither."   

• Hence = exit from here (departure in location or time).  See the "e" in "hence." Think "e" is for exit from.

• Hither = into here   (See the "i" on hither.  Think "i"  is for into here).

See an example:  Genesis 42:15 reads, "Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence (exit from here), except your youngest brother come hither (into here)." 

See this expanded summary chart:

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Also see:

• Understanding King James Pronouns (e.g. thee, thy, thou, you, ye)

• Understand King James Verbs Endings (e.g. -eth, -est, -edst)

• Why we use the King James Bible

Why we still use the King James Bible at Long Hill Baptist Church.

Pastor Robert Hammond

At Long Hill Baptist Church, we praise God for equipping us with His words! We're aware that the debate around Bible versions has, at times, been less than gracious.  Our desire is to graciously communicate the rationale for a our decision to make exclusive use of the King James Bible (which is also known as the Authorized Version). We recognize at least four key reasons for using the King James Bible:

The Kings James Bible is an accurate translation of the correct version of the Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament.

It uses the Hebrew and Greek texts that have been received by God’s people throughout history.  These underlying texts are commonly known as the Textus Receptus – which simply means “received text.” Most of the other modern Bible translations used a different underlying Greek New Testament.  They made this decision because, during the 19th century, additional Greek manuscripts were discovered. 

The problem with those newly discovered manuscripts is that they were not consistent with each other!  Despite the inconsistencies, those newly-discovered manuscripts were judged to be “older and therefore better” than the words of God that have been traditionally received by God’s people.  Consequently, the newly-discovered manuscripts were used by academicians to produce a new version of the Greek New Testament (the so-called Critical Text). 

The Critical Text is the Greek that underlies nearly all of the modern translations, including the English Standard Version (ESV), New Internal Version (NIV), New American Standard Version (NASB), New Living Translation (NLT), The Message, New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), the New Living Translation (NLT) and others.

This Greek that underlies the modern translations is missing hundreds of words — and entire verses. For that reason, Bibles like the English Standard Version (ESV) are missing verses, including: Matthew 17:21, Matthew 18:11, Matthew 23:14, Mark 7:16, Mark 9:44, Luke 17:36, John 5:4, Acts 8:37 and more.

At Long Hill Baptist Church, we reject the notion that God could have hid his true words from his people until the 19th Century.

To do so would have made it impossible for God’s people to live according to His words – as required by Matthew 4:4.  In Matthew 4:4, Jesus taught that we are responsible to live according to his words:

“…It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

Furthermore, the clear Biblical teaching that God promised to preserve His words obliges us to reject the idea that His true words would need to be restored by man through an academic process.  In Matthew 24:35, Jesus said that his words would never pass away.

"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35) 

In the Old Testament, the Book of Psalms teaches:

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  7Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.” (Psalm 12:6-7)

We recognize that some of the modern Bible versions used an undesirable approach to Bible translation.

The so-called dynamic equivalence (or paraphrase) technique was used to produce many of the modern Bible translations, including the New International Version (NIV) and the New Living Translation (NLT).  This approach to translation attempts to preserve the basic ideas of each scriptural passage – without attempting to make a word-for-word translation.  While this approach produces translations that are generally easy to understand, it necessarily denies readers access to “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matt 4:4).   Thankfully, our King James Bible uses a more rigorous technique – formal equivalence.  This approach attempts to preserve the meaning of each individual word and phrase – and therefore results in a translation that is closer to the original Greek and Hebrew.

The King James Bible reflects a level of grammatical precision that can’t easily be achieved with contemporary English.

In John 3:7, Jesus told a man named Nicodemus, “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.”  The pronoun “ye” is the second-person plural form of “you.”  Jesus used the plural form to make it clear that all men must be “born again” by repenting and placing their faith in him alone.  He desired for people to understand that it wasn’t just Nicodemus that needed to be born again.  However, most modern translations read, “You must be born again.”  By choosing to use more contemporary English, modern translations cloud the true meaning of the words that Christ spoke.

For more information:

• Plain Reasons For Keeping to the Authorized Version

• What Today's Christian Needs To Know About The Greek New Testament

• Which Bible Version - Does It Really Matter?

• Mind Your T’s & Y’s: Understanding the King James Pronouns

• Understanding KJV Words that End in -est or -eth

Where Did the Bible Come From?

Eight Reasons to Believe that the Bible Came From God.

1.     The Bible writers Professed that their words came from God.

The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah testified that he wrote words given to him by God:  “Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.” (Jeremiah 1:9)

In Mark 12:36, Mark records Jesus’s assertion that Psalm 110 was inspired by God:  “For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

In the New Testament, Paul writes, “ All scripture is given by inspiration of God …” (2 Timothy 3:16). And Peter writes, “For the prophecy came not in old time (the Old Testament period) by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:21).

2.     The Personal experience of Christians testifies that the Bible is supernatural;

The experience of converts in the New Testament.  For example, the apostle Paul was converted to biblical Christianity while traveling for the purpose of persecuting Christians.  Having been converted to Christianity, he became perhaps the most fervent preacher of the Bible recorded in the New Testament – despite the severe persecution that he suffered throughout his evangelistic efforts.  

The personal experience of Christians today.  Countless individuals around the world today report that their lives have been transformed by the Bible. This is consistent with the biblical claim that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The experience of Christians is also consistent with the biblical assertion that “…the word of God is quick (alive), and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

3. The Preservation of the Bible despite concerted attempts to eliminate it throughout history.  The preservation of God’s word is consistent with the biblical promise that God would preserve his words.

In Psalm 12:6-7, we read, “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”

In Matthew 5:18, Jesus states, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” And in Matthew 24:35, Jesus adds, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” 

4.     The Perfect internal consistency of the Bible testifies to its supernatural origin. 

Despite the fact that 40 different men wrote over 1,600 years – some of whom had no access to each other’s writing – the Bible is perfectly consistent with regard to doctrine, themes, places and dates.

5. The fulfillment of Bible Prophesy testifies to the supernatural original of the Bible. The Bible contain more than 1,800 detailed prophesies.  All of those prophesies have either already been fulfilled or relate to future events.

For example, the Old Testament prophet Daniel prophesied the major world powers, including the Medo-Persian Empire (539-331 BC), the Greek empire (331-146 BC) and the Roman empire (146 BC – AD 410).  Daniel wrote during the Babylonian Empire (605-539 BC), i.e. roughly 200 years prior to the Greek Empire and 400 years before the Roman Empire.

Also note that the Bible accurately predicted both the parentage of Christ (Gen. 3:15; Isa 7:14; Isa 11:1) and his place of his birth (Micah 5:2 vs. Matt 2:1).  And Daniel predicted the timing of the crucifixion of Christ.

Further, in Luke 9:22, Jesus prophesied both his death and resurrection: “…The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.”

6.     The archeological evidence for Bible People testifies to the truth of the Bible.

At least 53 people who are named in the Old Testament have been found referenced in archeological discoveries – including kings of Israel & Judah, Moab, Assyria, Babylonia and Persia.

The Hittites. At one time, skeptics used the Bible’s 25 references to an unknown Hittite people as proof that the Bible was a myth. However, beginning in the late 19th century, archeologists began uncovering evidence of a Hittite people. 

7.     The archeological evidence for Bible Places testifies to the truth of the Bible.

In addition to Jericho, biblical places such as Haran, Hazor, Dan, Megiddo, Shechem, Samaria, Shiloh, Gezer, Gibeah, Beth Shemesh, Beth Shean, Beersheba, Lachish, and many other urban sites have been discovered and excavated.

In 2015, archeologists discovered ruins of a place in modern Jordan that fits the description of the city of Sodom.  They found ruins a city that was known for its acceptance of homosexuality. They found evidence of a prosperous city that grew large and then suddenly ceased to be inhabited (for more than 700 years).  They discovered a layer of ash together with markings that are consistent with burning. In addition, pottery shards display signs of exposure to extremely high temperatures.  (Source: Archaeologist Believes to Have Discovered Location of Biblical Sodom, But One Thing Remains a Mystery (2015), https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/51870/sodom-found-archaeological-evidence-proof-biblical-account-health-and-science/, accessed October 7, 2018)

8.     The universal tradition of Bible Passages testifies to the supernatural original of the Bible.

For example, many cultures around the world have a tradition of a global flood that appears to reflect the Genesis flood account. Archeologists have discovered evidence that the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, and Greeks all had a tradition of a catastrophic flood. Further, there is evidence that early Chinese people also had knowledge of specific details of the biblical flood account. The evidence includes the fact that the traditional Chinese symbol for boat consists of three elements: (1) the symbol for a vessel, (2) the symbol for the number eight and (3) the symbol for people. This is consistent with the Genesis account of eight people being saved from a flood in an ark — a vessel with eight people!

Learn to Read the King James Bible: How & Why

Pastor Bob Hammond

At Long Hill Baptist Church, we use the King James Bible for all teaching and preaching.   While some modern versions can be easier to read, we observe that the King James Bible is the only version that provides an accurate translation of all of God's words.  

A variety of excellent tools are available to help believers learn to read and understand our King James Bible.  One such tool is a booklet titled, "Understanding the King James Bible: Why Use the King James Bible and How to Understand it" by Dave Olson. (52 pages, including a 10-page dictionary of unfamiliar words).  

• Shows why the King James Bible should be used instead of modern versions;

• Provides some common reasons for not understanding what you read in the Bible;

• Gives some tips on how to understand the English used in the King James Bible. 

 Order from Help4U Publications.

Also see these free online articles:

• Why Do We Use the King James Bible? 

• Mind Your T's & Y's:  Understanding King James Pronouns  

• Understanding King James Bible Words That End in -eth or -eth

A Challenge to Read the Bible

Pastor Robert Hammond, Long Hill Baptist Church

2 Timothy 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."

I'm writing to challenge members and friends of Long Hill Baptist Church to join me in reading through the entire King James Bible this year.  If you start now, you may complete the entire Bible this year by reading just three and one-half chapters daily!  A variety of reading plans are available.  One plan involves reading portions of the Old Testament and New Testament each day (click to see plan).   The simplest plan is to begin at Genesis 1:1 and read straight through to Revelation.  The important thing is to get started to ask the LORD to help you remain faithful.  And, if you miss a day, just get back on track the next day!

The idea of reading through the Old Testament can seem daunting.  Often, that's because we fail to see how the entire Old Testament relates to Christ. Recall that, in Luke 24:44, Jesus taught that the Old Testament was about him.  In Luke Luke 24:44,  Jesus says "... all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me."  This verse provides the lens through which we may understand the entire Old Testament.  In order to apply this "lens," simply keep asking, "How does this passage picture Christ?"  For example, in Genesis, consider how Noah's Ark pictures Christ. In Exodus, consider how the design of the tabernacle and the bloody sacrifices picture Christ. In Leviticus, consider how the various elements of the Levitical law picture Christ.  When you understand that every detail of Leviticus points to Christ, those details become far less tedious!

Also consider some good tools:

1.  I strongly encourage you to get a good reference book that introduces and outlines each book of the Bible.  One such book is Geisler's A Popular Survey of the Old Testament.  This book is easy-to-read and inexpensive.  Importantly, it focuses on how each book relates to Christ.  Order from Amazon.

2.  Get a good Bible dictionary such as the Concise King James Bible Dictionary from Way of Life Literature ($4.95) Order here

3.  Take care to learn some very basic principals for interpreting the Bible.  See an introduction here.

4.  For deeper study, consider purchasing Bible software such as Swordsearcher ($59.95)  Learn more.

5.  One completely free tool is an "accountability partner."  Ask someone to partner with you to keep you accountable to your Bible reading schedule. 

Thankfully, the only tool that's required to begin is a King James Bible!   Again, the important thing is to get started and to ask the LORD to help you remain faithful.

How Can I Understand the Bible?

Pastor Hammond 

Christians frequently report difficulty understanding the word of God.  To be fair, the Bible is sometimes difficult to understand.  Even Peter observed that Paul's writings are sometimes "hard to be understood."  (2 Peter 3:16).  So, how can we grow our understanding?  

Consider these points:

First, be certain that you genuinely know the author!  Unless you have repented and placed your faith in Christ alone for salvation, you cannot progress in your understanding of God's words.  In 1 Corinthians 2:14, Paul wrote,  "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."  The Bible plainly states that is possible to know if you have eternal life.  In 1 John 5:13, John wrote, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."  If you're uncertain about your salvation, learn more here.

Second, recognize that believers don't have to lean on their own faculties alone to understand God's words.  Recall that in John 14:26, Jesus said, "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you."  If you know Christ as your savior, you've been indwelt by the Holy Spirit -- the same Spirit who inspired the words that we seek to understand!   He is the one who aids our understanding.    Pray and ask the LORD to guide your understanding of His words.

Third, understand that the Lord does not intend for us to read Scripture as we read other materials.    Rather, He intends for us to wrestle with His words and to meditate upon them.  In Psalm 119:148, the psalmist wrote, "Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in thy word." We're called to give time to the words of God.   

Fourth, recognize the importance of your local church in building your understanding of God's words.  The LORD calls Christians to be baptized into a local church where we can be taught by those who have been gifted by the Holy Spirit to teach.  What a privilege it is to be under the teaching of one who is gifted by the LORD to aide our understanding of His words.  Never forget that Bible teaches that your local church is the "pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Tim. 3:15).  If you want to understand God's words, you'll need to spend time in God's place of study.

Fifth, recognize the critical importance of a proper approach to personal Bible study.  Believers should rely on careful, Spirit-led study of God’s words to guide their understanding.  Commentaries, study Bibles and other tools are often helpful.  However, the bulk of our study time should be spent with the actual Bible text.  Personal study will be greatly aided by an understanding of several basic principals.  We rely on the so-called Grammatical-Historical Method to interpreting Scripture.  Essentially, this method seeks guide us to an accurate understanding of what scripture actually says – rather than interpretations that aren’t directly supported by the grammar and historical context of the text.  We seek to uncover the original intent of the inspired Biblical writers.  Take time to learn some basic principals of Bible interpretation (hermeneutics).

Please read this short article that provides an overview of several principals for interpreting God's words.  Read now. 

And don't forget:  If you want to understand the words of God, you must spend time in the words of God!

God Promises to Keep His Words So that We May Keep His Words

Pastor Bob Hammond

Recently, our church has spent several months studying through the longest chapter of Scripture -- Psalm 119.  This great passage teaches about the nature of Gods words and their correct place in our lives. 

Importantly, the Psalms help us to understand two great truths regarding the Bible:  (1) It truly is the word of God and (2) God has preserved his words so that we may obey them today. These ideas are brought together in a single verse of Psalm 119:

“Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever.”  (Psalm 119:152)

Here, the psalmist is fondly recalling that he has long-known that God has both inspired the Bible and preserved it “for ever.”  In his simple statement “thou has founded them,” the Psalmist credits God for supplying the words of Scripture.  And, Indeed, the New Testament also credits the LORD with providing all the words of the Bible:

“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Pet 1:21)   

But what good would it be if the LORD had supernaturally provided the Bible without also supernaturally preserving his words for all generations?  Fortunately, we may also observe in Psalm 119:152 that God has founded his words “for ever.”  The LORD reiterates this promise in another Psalm:

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.”  (Psalm 12:6-7)

It is because the LORD promises to keep (preserve) the words of the Bible, that the psalmist is able to proclaim “I shall keep thy testimonies” (Ps. 119:146).  And for the same reason, today, we too may know and obey all of God's words.  Praise God!

Sadly, the idea that God promises to preserve his words is lacking from the teaching of many otherwise sound churches. Consequently, instead of accepting the traditional "Received" Greek and Hebrew texts that underly our King James Bible,  they have allowed scholars to define which words are likely part of the original Bible text.   And those same scholars have encouraged the production of modern Bible translations that lack many of the words that God's people have traditionally received as Scripture -- including entire verses of Scripture! (e.g. 1 John 5:7-8).  At Long Hill Baptist Church, we desire to hold firmly to all of God’s words.  That's why we hold to the King James Bible as God's preserved words for English-speaking people.

Praise God that He keeps his words so that we may keep his words!

Keywords:  preservation, preserved