The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-04
Except a man be born again" "A living sac
rince:' Tho deep things Of God"
Ill.


II1.
The printing Of the Hebrew Bible Mt Brescl
in 1883. and OF tho Greek Testament at Base
in 1916, led William Tyndale to conceive tn
idea OF translatinR the Holy Writ, not fron
the Latin. as Wyclif had done but from tn
original tongues. "If God spare my life," h
told Roman Catholic divine In 1920, "er
many years will cause boy that driveth TIL
plough to know more OF the Scripture thar
you do" Six years later Tyndale had com
ploted at Worms the printing OF the EnGlisl
New Testament which he had begun at Co
loRne. He had before him the Crock Tesla
mont Of Erasmus, the Nulgate, aud Luther
New Testament 1t is not true that his YER
| sion is mere transcript Of Luther
or OF the VulRate. OF the Latin and the
German he made only the legitimate use ex'
pected from n scholar. HIS work may fairly be
termed an Independent translation made d.
rcctly from the Greek. After finishing the New
Testament he applied himself to the study oil
Hebrew, and acquired a proficiency In that
tongue, which, for tho time. was remarkably
thorough, The apparatus at his disposal was
tho Hebrew Bible tBrescia 1494) Bomberg's
Bible u51S) and the RApbinloal Biblo, pub
lished somewhat later besides the Greek OF
the septuagint. A minute comparison OF a
Luther and Tyndals proves that the latter had
an independent knowledge OF The Hebrew orig
inal as we'll rs Of tho reproduction In the
Septuagiut Greek. Tyndale diod at the stake
in ylvorde in 1886. one Of tho earliest OF Eng
lish Protestant martyrs,
Another English martyr. John Rogers, who
was burned at Smithfed In 1855. during the
Marian persecution. was the editor and to q
considerable extent OF tho so-csllod Matthew'S
bible. published In 1887. The name OF Thomas
Mathews, tho ostensiblo translator, was M
parently q synonyme. The translation is partly
o reprint OF Tyndals's version and partly OF
Coverdale's ito be considered presently. but
tho part from Joshun to II. Chronicles is new.
Moreover. tho hand OF Rogers. who was an
accomplished scholar. Is discernible through
out.
The English version which bears the name
Of Miles Covsrdale was not an original but an
eclectic performance. The Pentateuch and
Jonah tprobsp also Job and the whole Of tho
New Testament were borrowed from Tyndnle
and revised by tho help Of Luther. Pagninus.
and the Zurich version. Coverdals was also
the editor OF the so-called Great Bible"
tCranmer'sL which has given to the Book Of
Common Prayer its Psalter. moro adapted to
lturRicai uses than the authorized version.
The latter follows moro closely the Hebrew,
but Coverdale's Psalter was so much smoother
to siuR and wps frauRht with such incompar-
able tenderness and sweetness that its hold
upon the English public could not be shaken.
Nv.
The Genevan Bible was. for the most part.
produced during the reign Of Bloody Mary
by English exies at Geneva but it was
not finished and published until 1860. after
ha 1T hath al, hoI
the advantage OF Beza's revision. and in other
their critical apparatus was the
very best OF their age. Their transla-
ton was In point Of scholarship. superior 10
any that had preceded 1t, and ranks only Sec
ond to the authorized version Of 1911. or the
ienevan Bible more than 1870 editions were
published. and 1t continued to be printed as
ate as 1644.
Tho Themes Testament and Douay Bible |
we're executed by English Catholic refugees
Turing tho reign Of Elizabeth. The New Tes-
ament was published in 1882: the Old Testa-
nent not until 1609-l0 although it had been |
many years before. 1t is said to have |
,een on II copy Of the Rhemish Testament that |
Nary Stuart took an oath OF Innocence on the |
'reping before her execution In Fotheringay |
castle. This version IL not made from tho |
original tongues. but from tho Vulgate. Never |
neleBS, Ming james trhnblhtOrS occasionally |
borrowed from 1t.
The strongly Calvinistic bias Of the Genevan |
ersion caused dissatisfaction among many OF |
he Anglican clergy. and In 1868 what was to
10 known rs the Bishops Bible was projected
y Matthew Parker Archbishop OF Canterbury
he Great Bible " was not only the basis OF /
he Bishops, SO far as the Old Testament was
oncerned, but to q great extent it was repro
uced unchanged. Most OF the changes are
ct the product OF independent scholarship.
Ut derived from other versions, and they are
OF always by any means improvements.
n the Now Testament. on the other hand.
10 changes made from the Great Bible
70 thought by DR.. Westcott to denote very
lose and thoughtful reference to the original
'xt This implies that It was easier In the
me OF Elizabeth to find good Greek scholars
ian good Hebrew scholars in England. It
as. we should add. the Bishops' Bible which
as the basis Of the authorized version made
the time OF James l.. but DIR. Westcott
'und. as the result Of his collation. Of q chap
n OF Isaiah In the two TRANSACTIONS. that
wen -eiRhths OF the changes made In the
ishops Bible were due TO the Genevan YER
on. There are marked traces. also. Of q
ven other translatlons In the work published
1911. It's style is mainly due 20 wyclif Tyn-
llo. aud CoverdAle. and It's scholarship 20 the
enovGn esiles. N. ". II.