Mac OS X Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine

bash-3.2$ java -ver
Unrecognized option: -ver
Error: Could not create the Java Virtual Machine.
Error: A fatal exception has occurred. The program will exit.
bash-3.2$

If you are trying to check the Java version on Mac OS X (Lion, Mavericks or Yosemite) and you get the above error message then it may be so that you are specifying the command wrong, let's try java -help

bash-3.2$ java -help

Usage: java [-options] class [args...]
           (to execute a class)
   or  java [-options] -jar jarfile [args...]
           (to execute a jar file)
where options include:
    -d32	  use a 32-bit data model if available
    -d64	  use a 64-bit data model if available
    -server	  to select the "server" VM
                  The default VM is a server,
                  because you are running on a server-class machine.


    -cp 
    -classpath 
                  A : separated list of directories, JAR archives,
                  and ZIP archives to search for class files.
    -D=
                  set a system property
    -verbose:[class|gc|jni]
                  enable verbose output
    -version      print product version and exit
    -version:
                  require the specified version to run
    -showversion  print product version and continue
    -jre-restrict-search | -no-jre-restrict-search
                  include/exclude user private JREs in the version search
    -? -help      print this help message
    -X            print help on non-standard options
    -ea[:...|:]
    -enableassertions[:...|:]
                  enable assertions with specified granularity
    -da[:...|:]
    -disableassertions[:...|:]
                  disable assertions with specified granularity
    -esa | -enablesystemassertions
                  enable system assertions
    -dsa | -disablesystemassertions
                  disable system assertions
    -agentlib:[=]
                  load native agent library , e.g. -agentlib:hprof
                  see also, -agentlib:jdwp=help and -agentlib:hprof=help
    -agentpath:[=]
                  load native agent library by full pathname
    -javaagent:[=]
                  load Java programming language agent, see java.lang.instrument
    -splash:
                  show splash screen with specified image

so the correct argument to check java version is -version

bash-3.2$ java -version

java version "1.8.0_25"
Java(TM) SE Runtime Environment (build 1.8.0_25-b17)
Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 25.25-b02, mixed mode)

bash-3.2$