Lesson 4: Early English Bible Translations
This lesson provides a basic overview of various early Bible translations into the English language. While we may consider neither of these translations to be perfect, we should appreciate the multiple Bibles translations that existed prior to the King James translation.
A Backdrop to the English Bible
Historians trace the beginnings of the English language to the Celts, who arrived in Britain around 500 BC. About one thousand years later, the Angles, Saxons and Jutes made significant contributions to what we call Old English today. From the Norman Conquest (1066 AD) to the end of the Hundred Years War (1450 AD), three languages were in use. Academic and religious leaders spoke Latin, government officials and wealthy people spoke French, while the majority of people spoke Middle English.Throughout this time, believers suffered from limited access to the Bible. Bibles were scarce because there were no printing presses to publish them, and those hand-copied editions that existed were large and cumbersome. Even so, people were generally illiterate and unable to read Latin, which was the language of current Bible translations, most notably the Vulgate. What’s more, Catholic churches prevented people from having personal access to the Bible. In fact, when men began to produce English translations, the Catholic Church endeavored to kill them and destroy their work.
Introduction to Early English Translations
Despite these challenges, men eventually produced English translations of the Bible. Thanks to the providence of God, their work laid the foundation for a long history of English Bible translations that we continue to enjoy today.
John Wycliffe
John Wycliffe produced the first English translation (1382), but it was based upon the Latin Vulgate rather than Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. The Catholic Church rejected his work and declared him a heretic.
William Tyndale
William Tyndale produced an English New Testament (1526) and Old Testament (1530) based upon the 3rd edition of Erasmus’ Greek New Testament and a recent edition of the Hebrew Bible. He revised his New Testament twice (1535 and 1536). This was the first English translation based upon Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. As a result, the Catholic Church declared him a heretic and killed him.
Miles Coverdale
Miles Coverdale produced the first printed English Bible, based largely upon Tyndale’s work (1534) followed by another revised edition (1537). Since he did not have Tyndale’s translation from Joshua through Chronicles available, he translated those books from the Latin Bible instead.
The Matthew’s Bible
John Rogers produced a similar Bible using the pen name “Thomas Matthew” (1537). It was based upon the work of Tyndale and Coverdale.
The Taverner Bible
Richard Taverner produced a revision of the Matthew’s Bible, giving special attention to being more accurate to the finer nuances of the Greek text (1539).
The Great Bible
Thomas Cromwell sponsored a revision of the Matthew’s Bible (1560). It became very popular, going through seven editions and serving as the primary English Bible for nearly thirty years.
The Geneva Bible
The complete edition of this Bible was published by William Whittingham, a relative of John Calvin (1560). John Knox and Miles Coverdale also participated. This became the Bible of the Reformers, Puritans and Pilgrims. It underwent more than 140 editions and introduced several noteworthy features including: (1) clear Roman type, (2) italics for words supplied by the translators, (3) extensive marginal notes, (4) maps, tables and illustrations, (5) a handy size, and (6) verse divisions and numbers. People preferred this translation over the Great Bible due to its superior quality and special features and also preferred it over the KJV. It remained in print until 1644.
The Bishop’s Bible
The state church of England (the Anglican Church) commissioned this translation to counteract the popularity of the Geneva Bible (1568). It was the first English translation to take a “translation by committee” approach instead of relying on the work of one primary translator. It underwent 19 editions and was eventually replaced by the KJV.
The Douai Rheims Bible
The Roman Catholic Church repudiated both the Geneva Bible and the Bishop’s Bible. They produced this translation to counteract them both (1609-10). As you might expect, it featured many anti-Protestant marginal notes. Even so, the King James translators borrowed several expressions from this translation in their translation.
Learning from the Early English Translations
Though the King James Bible has enjoyed a special and longstanding place in the history of Christianity in the English-speaking world, these early translations teach us some important lessons. They cause us to appreciate our modern access to multiple good translations today, because not all believers have always enjoyed such access. They also remind us that multiple good translations are a blessing, not a problem. Minor differences existed between these Bibles, in word choice and even in whether to include certain portions of verses. Nevertheless, such imperfections did not prevent God from building his church, and similar imperfections in Bibles today will not prevent him either.
