Join Britannica's Publishing Partner Program and our professional network to earn worldwide exposure for your work! James Moffatt (born July 4, 1870 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Scotland—died June 27, 1944 in New York, New York, United States), Scottish biblical scholar and translator who created one of the most well-known contemporary translations of the Bible. He is best known for his translation of the New Testament into English. Moffatt studied at the Free Church College in Edinburgh before going on to take a degree in theology at the University of Aberdeen. He then spent several years as a pastor in Canada before returning to Britain as director of studies at Tyndale House Institute of Education in Sheffield. In 1925, Moffatt was appointed professor of New Testament language and literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his death in 1944. His wife, Alice, also worked at Cambridge, where she served as head of department from 1932 to 1945. They had three children: Elizabeth, John, and Margaret. Moffatt is regarded as one of the founders of modern biblical scholarship. He is particularly noted for his translation of the New Testament into English, which has been published in eight editions since its release in 1933. This version is now commonly used by many Christians around the world because it simplifies the grammar while still maintaining accuracy in rendering the original Greek text. Moffatt died at the age of 70 after suffering from cancer for several months.