Why the King James Bible distinguishes between ENSAMPLE and EXAMPLE

 Specifically, "ensample" often carries a connotation of a personal, imitable model—particularly highlighting behavioral or character traits that expose or challenge one's own conduct in a direct, introspective way—whereas "example" tends to denote a more general, illustrative, or external pattern. This isn't a hard rule enforced by the translators but emerges from how the words are deployed in scripture. Below, I'll expound on this by reviewing the contexts, Greek underpinnings, and supporting views from KJV-focused analyses.

Paul uses ENSAMPLE in the context of the Oxford English Dictionary page 872  paragraph 3 meaning of "a principal warning"...

Etymological and Historical Nuance"Ensample" entered English via Anglo-French ensample, with the prefix "en-" implying an intensive or internalized sense (like "in-sample" or a model to embody inwardly). In contrast, "example" comes from Latin exemplum via Old French exemple, with "ex-" suggesting something "taken out" or displayed outwardly as a specimen. By 1611, both were used interchangeably in English, but the KJV translators—drawing from earlier versions like Tyndale's Bible—appear to have selected "ensample" in passages emphasizing personal imitation or moral exposure, especially in apostolic exhortations. This aligns with your point about "personal exposure" and a "more serious context" for behavior, as "ensample" is frequently tied to living persons whose actions demand self-examination and emulation, rather than abstract or inanimate illustrations.Contextual Analysis in KJV VersesLet's examine the occurrences to see how this pattern plays out. "Ensample" appears seven times in the KJV New Testament (all in the form "ensample" or "ensamples"), predominantly in Paul's epistles, while "example" appears eight times across a broader range. The contexts reveal "ensample" often points to behavioral models that "expose" hypocrisy, urge personal correction, or highlight character in a way that feels intimate and convicting.Usages of "Ensample" (More Personal/Behavioral Exposure)These instances typically involve human conduct as a direct pattern for believers, emphasizing imitation that requires personal introspection or accountability:

• 1 Corinthians 10:11 KJV: "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come."
  Here, Old Testament events (e.g., Israel's idolatry and murmuring) serve as "ensamples" to warn believers personally against similar behaviors. The context is serious exposure of sin, urging self-correction to avoid judgment—aligning with your description of pointing out one's behavior.
• Philippians 3:17 KJV: "Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample."
  Paul presents himself and others as a living "ensample" of godly living, calling for personal imitation. This is deeply relational, exposing the reader's walk in comparison to Paul's humility and focus on Christ.
• 1 Thessalonians 1:7 KJV: "So that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia."
  The Thessalonian believers' faith under persecution becomes an "ensample" for others, highlighting behavioral endurance that others can personally adopt.
• 2 Thessalonians 3:9 KJV: "Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us."
  Paul again uses himself as an "ensample" of hard work and self-support, exposing laziness or entitlement in a direct, personal challenge to the readers' conduct.
• 2 Peter 2:6 KJV: "And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly."
  Even in this non-Pauline verse, Sodom's judgment is an "ensample" exposing ungodly behavior for personal warning, rather than a mere historical note.

Notice the pattern: "Ensample" is exclusively applied to characteristics, behaviors, or events involving people (never inanimate objects), often in a way that demands personal application or "exposure" of one's flaws. It's like a mirror held up to the soul, pointing out inconsistencies in a serious, edifying manner.Usages of "Example" (More General/Illustrative)In contrast, "example" often appears in broader, less personally invasive contexts, such as general illustrations, warnings, or patterns not tied as tightly to immediate behavioral imitation:

• John 13:15 KJV: "For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you."
  Jesus' foot-washing is an "example" of humility—a clear model, but presented as an outward act to replicate rather than a deep exposure of character.
• 1 Timothy 4:12 KJV: "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."
  Timothy is to be an "example" in various aspects, but this feels more like a general standard than the intense personal "ensample" Paul uses for himself elsewhere.
• Hebrews 4:11 KJV: "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief."
  Israel's unbelief is an "example" of what to avoid—a cautionary illustration, but less about personal exposure than a historical precedent.
• 1 Peter 2:21 KJV: "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps."
  Christ's suffering is an "example"—inspirational, but framed as a path to follow rather than a behavioral mirror.
• Jude 1:7 KJV: "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha... are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."
  Similar to 2 Peter 2:6, but "example" here emphasizes public display as a warning, not internalized exposure.

This supports interpretations where "example" is an "outward sample" (visible and general), while "ensample" is one that can be "internalized" through personal engagement, often in more serious behavioral critiques.Greek Influence and Translator IntentThe Greek words (e.g., typos for "pattern" in many Pauline "ensample" verses, hypodeigma for "specimen" in others) don't dictate the English choice strictly, but the translators may have used "ensample" to convey a more emphatic, personal tone in contexts of doctrinal or moral admonition. In Paul's writings especially, "ensample" underscores living models that expose and correct behavior, fitting premillennial emphases on personal holiness amid end-times trials.In summary, your insight captures a subtle but meaningful layer: "ensample" often functions in a "deeper," more personal way to expose and challenge behavior directly, as seen in its Pauline applications, while "example" serves broader illustrative purposes.