A Concise History of the English Bible
A Concise History of the English Bible has been prepared to provide ministers, teachers, speakers, writers and others with a reliable, compact statement of the essential elements in the great story of the English Bible.
It was first prepared under the title A Ready Reference History of the English Bible, on the occasion of the commemoration of four hundred years of the Printed English Bible (1935), by Miss Margaret T. Hills, M.A., librarian of the American Bible Society. First revised by Miss Hills in 1962 on the occasion of the appearance of the New English Bible, the present revision was prepared by Dr. Erroll F. Rhodes, Assistant Director, Bible Study Helps Department of the American Bible Society, and Dr. Liana Lupas, Curator, American Bible Society Library.
The English Bible before the Invention of Printing
700-1000
Psalterium Davidis Latino-Saxonicum vetus . A Johanne Spelmanno … editum.
London: R. Badger, 1640.
Old English paraphrases including versions of the Book of Psalms and the Gospels. Printed editions of these texts were published starting in 1571.
ca. 1384
The Wycliffe Version
Manuscript of the New Testament copied ca. 1440.
Beginning of the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
Earliest English translation of the complete Bible. Prepared by John Wycliffe (ca. 1320-1384) and his followers, including William Middleworth, John Trevisa, and John Purvey. This Bible was based on the Latin Vulgate. It circulated in manuscript throughout the fifteenth century and was first printed in 1850.
The First Printed English Bibles1526-1530
The Tyndale Version
The Pentateuch. Antwerp: Johannes Hoochstraten, 1530.
Exodus 28.
First printed editions of the English New Testament (1526) and Pentateuch (1530). The translation was prepared by William Tyndale (ca. 1494-1536) based on the original Greek and Hebrew texts. Revisions of the New Testament by Tyndale himself appeared in 1534 and 1535; the revised Pentateuch was published in 1534. Before his execution for heresy, Tyndale had completed the translation of the historical books of the Old Testament, from Joshua to 2 Chronicles. These were included in Matthew's Bible of 1537 and were used by the translators of the King James Version in 1611.
1535
The Coverdale Bible
Biblia. The Bible: that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe.
Cologne? Marburg?: E. Cervicornus and J. Soter?, 1535.
First printed edition of the English Bible. Translated by Miles Coverdale (1488-1568), this version was based on the Latin Vulgate and several sixteenth century German and Latin versions. The Psalm Book was included in the Great Bible of 1539 and through it in the Book of Common Prayer.
1537
Matthew's Bible
The Byble which is all the holy Scripture … truly and purely translated into Englysh by Thomas Matthew
…Antwerp: R. Grafton and E. Whitechurch, 1537.
First edition of "Matthew's Bible." Thomas Matthew, credited as translator on the title page of this Bible, is probably a pseudonym for John Rogers (ca. 1500-1555), who was Tyndale's associate and an early victim of the Marian persecution. About two thirds of Matthew's Bible represents Tyndale's translation. The New Testament and the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) are taken from the revised editions of 1534-1535. The books from Joshua to 2 Chronicles are based on Tyndale's manuscripts now lost. The remaining part of the Old Testament, from Ezra to Malachi, and the Apocrypha are based on Coverdale's translation.
1539
Taverner's Bible
The thirde parte of the Byble, contaynynge these bokes …
Secondary title page of the revised edition of Taverner's Bible. London: John Day, 1551.
Richard Taverner (ca. 1505-1575) prepared a new edition of Matthew's Bible. Most of the changes made by Taverner remain at the lexical level: spokesman for advocate, parable for similitude, etc.
1539
The Great Bible
The Byble in Englishe … truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes
London: R. Grafton and E. Whitechurch, 1539.
First edition of the "Great Bible," a revision of Matthew's Bible prepared by Miles Coverdale. The Old Testament shows the influence of Münster's Latin Old Testament and Erasmus' Latin New Testament. Thomas Cromwell, who had financed the printing of the book, had requested a "Bible of the largest and greatest volume." The second edition of this text, issued in 1540, includes a prologue by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) and is sometimes called "Cranmer's Bible." Copies of the Great Bible were displayed in all the churches of England. It was not reprinted after 1569.
1557-1560
The Geneva Version
The Bible and Holy Scriptures conteyned in the Olde and Newe Testament.
Translated according to the Ebrue and Greke, and conferred with the best translations in diuers languages
Geneva: Rouland Hall, 1560
First editions of the Geneva Bible version: New Testament (1557) and the complete Bible (1560). It was prepared by a group of English exiles living in Geneva, including William Whittingham (ca. 1524-1579), who was the only translator of the 1557 New Testament, Anthony Gilby, Thomas Sampson, and others. The Geneva Bible attained immediate popularity, particularly among the Puritans and was the earliest English Bible in roman type. It was also the first to include verse divisions. Known as the "Breeches Bible" because of its wording of Genesis 3:7. At least 160 editions of the Geneva Bible were printed between 1560 and 1640.
In copies printed after 1578 one often finds a New Testament revised by Laurence Tomson (1539-1608), who was secretary to Sir Francis Walsingham. The first edition of the Tomson New Testament was published in 1576.
1568
The Bishops' Bible
The holie Bible, conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe.
London: R. Jugge, 1568.
First publication of the "Bishops' Bible," a revision of the Great Bible prepared by Matthew Parker (1504-1575), Archbishop of Canterbury, and a group of bishops and scholars, including W. Alley, W. Barlow, T. Bentham, and many others. Though not formally dedicated to Queen Elizabeth, the Bishops' Bible includes a portrait of the queen on its title page. The clergy generally used this version. However it did not replace the Geneva version as a home Bible and was not reprinted after 1602. The translators of the King James Version were instructed to follow the Bishops' Bible whenever possible. Like the Great Bible, the Bishops' has very few marginal notes. Of particular interest is the note to Psalm 45:9, which refers to Ophir as the "Iland … founde by Christopher Columbo."
1582-1610
The Rheims-Douai Version
The New Testament of Iesus Christ, translated faithfully into English,
out of the authentical Latin…diligently conferred with the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages …
Rheims: John Fogny, 1582.
The first Catholic translation of the Bible into English, prepared by members of the English College in Douai. The project was sponsored and directed by the founder of the college, William Allen (1532-1594), but Gregory Martin (ca. 1540-1582) was responsible for most of the actual translation. The New Testament was first published in 1582 in Rheims, while the Old Testament was issued in Douai almost thirty years later, in 1609-1610. The translation was based on the Latin Vulgate. It was issued with many notes, the work of Richard Bristow (1538-1581) in the New Testament and of Thomas Worthington (1549-1627). In revised forms, the Rheims-Douai version remained the standard Roman Catholic English Bible until the twentieth century.
1611
The King James Version
The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New:
Newly Translated out of the Originall tongues: & with the former Translations diligently compared and reuised
London: Robert Barker, 1611.
The King James or Authorized Version, prepared at the proposal of James I by six companies of scholars, numbering about fifty, under the direction of Launcelot Andrewes (1555-1626), John Harding (died 1610), and Edward Lively (ca. 1545-1605). The preface, titled The Translators to the Reader, was the work of Miles Smith (died 1624), who also saw the Bible through the press. The translators used the best available editions of the Hebrew and Greek texts, and consulted the principal French, Spanish, German and Italian versions. Other Bibles also consulted include: the Bishops' Bible, the Rheims New Testament, Tyndale's and Matthew's versions, the Great Bible, and the Geneva Bible. Fourteen editions of the King James Bible were published before the end of 1614. After that, several were issued every year. However, it took forty years, for the King James Version to surpass the popularity of the Geneva Bible. By the middle of the seventeenth century, it became the standard Bible for many English Protestants. In a slightly modernized form, this Bible of 1611 became the most widely used version of the English language.
1749-1752
The Challoner Revision
The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ …
Newly revised, and corrected according to the Clementin Edition of the Scriptures …
[Dublin?], 1749.
Revised text of the Rheims-Douai Bible prepared by Bishop Richard Challoner (1691-1781). The 1749 New Testament has only about 120 changes. The 1750 Bible contains Challoner's only revision of the Old Testament. A more thorough revision of the New Testament, including about 2,000 alterations was published in 1752. Challoner's definitive edition was issued in 1763-1764 and remained the standard Catholic English Bible until the publication of the Confraternity version in 1941.
1768
The Harwood New Testament
A Liberal Translation of the New Testament...
London, 1768.
"A liberal translation of the New Testament" prepared by Edward Harwood (1729-1794), a classical scholar also known for his 1776 edition of the Greek New Testament.
1808
The Thomson Version
The Holy Bible … translated from the Greek.
Philadelphia: Jane Aitken, 1808.
Page from Thomson's autograph manuscript, including Psalm 23.
First American translation of the Bible and first English translation of the Septuagint. Prepared by Charles Thomson (1729-1824), based on the Greek text. Does not include the Deuterocanonical books.
1851
The Murdock New Testament
Title page of the first edition.
A literal translation of the New Testament from the Syriac Peshitta version, prepared by James Murdock (1776-1856).
1853
The Leeser Version
Title page of the Old Testament. Philadelphia, 1853.
A literal translation of the Hebrew Old Testament prepared by Rabbi Isaac Leeser (1806-1868). The Pentateuch was first issued in 1845-1846.
1876
The Julia Smith Bible
The Holy Bible … Translated Literally from the Original Tongues …
Hartford: American Publishing Company, 1876. Preface.
The first complete Bible translation by a woman. It was the work of Julia Evelina Smith (1793-1886), an outspoken worker for women's suffrage in the United States. It is a literal translation "endeavoring to put the same English word for the same Hebrew or Greek word, everywhere."
1881-1885
The English Revised Version
Title page of the first edition that incorporates in the text the readings of the American Committee.
The English Revised Version, a revision of the King James text prepared at the direction of the Convocation of Canterbury. Two committees were appointed. The Old Testament committee, supervised by Edward H. Browne (1811-1891) had 37 members. The New Testament committee, chaired by Charles J. Ellicott (1819-1905), had 28 members. An American committee recommended certain readings that were first contained in the appendices. In 1898, these readings were first incorporated in the text. This was the only significant revision of the King James Bible since it was first issued in 1611.
1898-1901
The Twentieth Century New Testament
Title page of part I, including the Gospels and Acts.
The Twentieth Century New Testament, a translation "in modern English" initiated by Mary Ann Kingsland Higgs and prepared by a group of "about twenty persons." The final form appeared in 1904 with short introductions for each book, and the books arranged in a chronological rather than the traditional canonical order.
1901
The American Standard Version
Title page of the first edition.
The American Standard Version, prepared by the American Revision Committee, a group who had continued their work after the publication of the English Revised Version in 1885. They had gone further in removing antiquated words and had also substituted "Jehovah" for a Hebrew word generally translated as "Lord" or "God" in the King James Version. It was widely accepted as a standard study text.
1903
The Weymouth New Testament
Title page of the first edition published in 1903.
The "Modern Speech New Testament," prepared by Richard Francis Weymouth (1822-1902) as "an idiomatic translation into everyday English." Based on Weymouth's edition of the Greek text published in 1886.
1913-1924
The Moffat New Testament
Title page of the first edition published in 1913.
A "new translation" of the complete Bible prepared by James Moffat (1870-1944). Moffat attempted "to represent the gains of recent research and at the same time to be readable." He had already published a translation of the New Testament in 1901, but the 1913 edition was a different version.
1917
The Jewish Publication Society Old Testament
Title page of the first edition.
The Old Testament translated by a committee from the Jewish Publication Society of America. The committee was headed by Morris Jastrow (1861-1922), Solomon Schechter (1847-1915), and Max L. Margolis (1886-1932). This version "aims to combine the spirit of Jewish tradition with the results of biblical scholarship, ancient, medieval, and modern."
1923-1927
An American Translation
Title page of the first edition of the Old Testament published in 1927.
"An American Translation," published by the Chicago University Press. The New Testament was translated by Edgar J. Goodspeed (1871-1962), the Old Testament by a committee under the leadership of J.M. Powis Smith (1866-1932). The Deuterocanonical books, translated by Goodspeed, were first published in 1938. Goodspeed aimed to use "the simple, straightforward English of everyday expression."
1924
The Montgomery New Testament
Title page of the first edition published in 1924.
The "Centenary Translation of the New Testament," published to honor the American Baptist Publication Society. Translated into modern English by Helen Barrett Montgomery (1861-1934), a Baptist minister.
1940-1957
The Lamsa Version
Title page of the first edition of the New Testament.
The Bible "from ancient Eastern manuscripts," a translation based on the Syriac Peshitta version, prepared by George M. Lamsa (born 1893). Despite its title, the translation was based on the 1841 edition published at Urumia.
1941-1949
The Basic English Version
Title page of the first edition.
The "Bible in Basic English," translated by a committee under the direction of Samuel H. Hooke (1874-1968). It uses a basic vocabulary of 850 words, devised by Charles K. Ogden (1889-1957), supplemented by 50 special Bible words.
1941-1970
The New American Bible
Title page of the complete Bible published in 1970.
The New American Bible, a Catholic translation taking advantage of modern scholarship. The project started with a New Testament meant to be a revision of the Rheims-Challoner text, issued in 1941 as the "Confraternity Version." The Papal Encyclical Divino Afflante Spiritu published in 1943 stated that translations could be based on the original texts and not be restricted to the Latin Vulgate. Consequently, a new translation of the whole Bible was begun from the Hebrew and Greek texts under the chairmanship of Louis F. Hartman (1901-1970). The Bible was published in 1970. A revised text of the New Testament was included in the 1987 edition, while a revised Psalm Book was published in the 1992 Bible.
1944-1950
The Knox Version
Title page of the first edition of the New Testament.
A new translation of the Latin Vulgate commissioned by the Roman Catholic Bishops of England and prepared by Ronald A. Knox (1888-1957).
1945-1959
The Berkeley Version
Title page of the complete Bible.
The Berkeley Version, a translation in modern English prepared by Gerrit Verkuyl (1872-1967), who served as the editor-in-chief for the Old Testament and was the translator of the New Testament. A revised edition was issued in 1969 as "The Modern Language Bible."
1946-1952
The Revised Standard Version
Title page of the complete Bible.
The Revised Standard Version (RSV), a revision of the American Standard Version prepared by a committee headed by Luther A. Weigle (1880-1976). Based on a new understanding of the history of the original texts following the discovery of Greek papyrus manuscripts and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Intended for use in public and private worship, not merely for reading and instruction, the RSV uses a more current form of English. The New Testament was published in 1946, and the complete Bible in 1952. The Deuterocanonical books were first published in 1957. In 1973, an interconfessional edition was issued, expanded to include 3 and 4 Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh of the Orthodox Scripture Deuterocanon.
1950-1960
The New World Translation
Title page of the complete Biblel in the revised edition published in 1984..
The New World Translation prepared by a committee of the Jehovah's Witnesses. This version replaces "Lord" with "Jehovah" (in the New as well as the Old Testament), and "cross" with "torture stake." The Bible was completed in 1960. Revised editions were published in 1970 and 1984. Translations of the complete Bible modeled on the English version have been published in more than twenty other languages.
1958
The Phillips New Testament
Title page of the first edition.
A free translation of the New Testament in colloquial English prepared by John Bertram Phillips (born 1906). Portions of the translation were published starting in 1947. A revised edition was issued in 1972.
1961-1970
The New English Bible
Title page of the first complete Bible.
The New English Bible, a new translation prepared by a committee of English scholars chaired successively by J.W. Hunkin (1887-1950), A.T.P. Williams (died 1968) and Donald Coggan (1909-2000). The work began in 1948 and was carried by a committee with representation from all major British Protestant churches. Observers from the Roman Catholic Church joined later. This translation recognizes the great manuscript discoveries of the twentieth century. It avoids both archaisms and "transient modernisms." The 1970 Bible was published both with and without the Deuterocanon.
1962-1982
The Jewish Publication Society New Version
Title page of the complete Old Testament.
A new translation of the Old Testament prepared by a committee of the Jewish Publication Society under the direction of Harry M. Orlinsky (born 1908), Harold L. Ginsberg (born 1903), and Ephraim A. Speiser (1902-1965). A partially revised edition was issued in 1985.
1963-1971
The New American Standard Version
Title page of the complete Bible published in 1971.
The New American Standard Version, a revision of the 1901 text prepared by a committee appointed by the Lockman Foundation. A slightly revised edition was issued in 1995.
1966
The Jerusalem Bible
Title page of the first edition, published in 1966.
The Jerusalem Bible, prepared by a committee of Catholic scholars under the direction of Alexander Jones (born 1906). It was modeled on the French Jerusalem version of 1956, but was faithful to the Greek and Hebrew texts. It was published with introductions and notes translated from the French 1961 edition, though revised and brought up to date in some places.
The Good News Translation
Title page of the New Testament published in 1966.
Title page of the Bible published in 1976.
The Good News Bible (formerly Today's English Version and now the Good News Translation), prepared by the American Bible Society to meet the needs of new readers, and designed also for educated persons unfamiliar with the archaisms of traditional church versions. A committee under the direction of Robert G. Bratcher (born 1920) prepared a dynamic equivalent translation. The first portion of this translation was published in 1964, the New Testament was issued in 1966 and revised in 1971, the complete Bible was released in 1976 and the Deuterocanonical books in 1979. A revised edition of the Bible was published in 1992. The United Bible Societies and many national Bible Societies were also among the publishers of the Good News Bible.
1967-1971
The Living Bible
Title page of the Bible published in 1971.
The Living Bible, a paraphrase prepared by Kenneth A. Taylor (born 1917) assisted by a committee. The publication of this text began in 1964 with "Living Letters" (Romans-Jude).
1973-1978
The New International Version
Title page of the Bible published in 1978.
The New International Version, sponsored by the New York Bible Society (now the International Bible Society) and prepared by a committee of more than a hundred scholars representing a wide variety of Protestant denominations. Largely traditional and conservative, the translation aims at clarity and literary quality and is designed for public and private reading, teaching, preaching, and memorizing. A tentative edition of John was published in 1969, followed by the New Testament in 1973 and the complete Bible in 1978. It is one of the most popular translations of the Bible in the United States.
1979-1982
The New King James Version
Title page of the Bible published in 1982.
The New King James Version, a conservative adaptation of the King James Bible to modern English usage. Prepared by a committee of more than "one hundred scholars representing the majority of English-speaking nations."
1985
The New Jerusalem Bible
Title page of the Bible published in 1985.
The New Jerusalem Bible, a complete revision of the 1966 edition, prepared by a panel of experts under the supervision of Henry Wansbrough (born 1934). The introduction and notes were largely rewritten and the text was revised to ensure a higher degree of independence from the French version.
1989
The Revised English Bible
Title page of the first edition.
The Revised English Bible, a "radical revision" of the 1970 New English Bible, prepared by the Joint Committee of Churches in the United Kingdom, under the chairmanship of Donald Coggan. The revision is based on the most recent editions of the Hebrew and Greek texts: the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and 26th edition of the Nestle-Aland text. The archaic pronoun "thou" was abandoned as was the traditional male-oriented vocabulary. Like the previous edition, the 1989 revision was published both with and without the Deuterocanon.
1990
The New Revised Standard Version
Title page of the interconfessional edition published in 1991.
The New Revised Standard Version, prepared by a Committee of the National Council of Churches under the direction of Bruce M. Metzger (born 1914). The revision aimed to eliminate the archaisms still used in the Revised Standard Version, to attain greater accuracy, clarity and/or euphony, and to use gender-inclusive language when possible. The Bible was published both with and without the Deuterocanon.
1991-1995
Cover of the Gospel of Luke published by the American Bible Society in 1988.
Title page of the complete Bible published in 1995.
The Contemporary English Version, the second English translation sponsored by the American Bible Society. The work began in 1985 and was entrusted to Barclay M. Newman (born 1931) and a committee of scholars including Robert Hodgson, Donald A. Johns, and Steven W. Berneking. Originally designed for children, like the Good News Translation, it uses the principle of dynamic or functional equivalence. Special attention is given to oral readability and aural comprehension. The New Testament was published in 1991 on the 175th anniversary of the founding of the American Bible Society, and the Bible followed in 1995. An interconfessional edition including the Deuterocanon was released in 2000.
1996
The New Living Bible
Title page of the Bible published in 1996.
The New Living Translation, prepared by a committee of ninety scholars coordinated by Mark R. Norton, Philip W. Comfort, Ronald A. Beers, and Mark D. Taylor. Based on carefully comparing the text of the 1971 Living Bible with the original Greek and Hebrew texts.
This resource is provided by www.bibleresourcecenter.org an online ministry of the American Bible Society.
