|
HIGHLIGHTS ALONG THE PATH THAT BROUGHT THE PROTESTANT BIBLE INTO
ENGLISH
|
| VERSION |
DETAIL
|
YEAR |
| Hebrew Manuscripts |
39 books
|
1500-400 B.C. |
| Septuagint (Greek Translation) |
53 books with apocrypha
|
200 B. C. |
| New Testament written in common Greek. [Click here to
read the part Athanasius had in formulating the canon we accept today.] |
27 books
|
40-100 A. D. |
| Vulgate (in common Latin, by Jerome). By 900
it has become the accepted Western version. [Click here for Jerome's story] |
80 books with apocrypha
|
390 A. D. |
|
Translation in whole into at least nine languages and in part into
about 500 languages by 400 A. D.
|
|
Latin had become the only Bible language the Western church smiled
on by 600 A. D.
|
| Bede translates John's gospel into Early English, taking
it from the Vulgate. The work is completely lost. [Click here for Bede's story] |
1 Book
|
735 A. D. |
| King Alfred translated 50 Psalms into Early English
from the Vulgate. [Click here for Alfred's story] |
1 partial book
|
890 A. D. |
| Wycliffe and Hereford's translation into Middle English
is based on the Vulgate. Fragments of various versions remain. [Click
here for Wycliffe's story] |
80 books with apocrypha
|
1384 A. D. |
| Purvey revises Wycliffe's version |
80 books with apocrypha
|
about 1390 A. D. |
|
Gutenberg's Press is invented about 1455 A. D. and the Bible is
soon printed.
|
| Erasmus' Greek/Latin New Testaments corrects some errors
of the Vulgate. [Click here for Erasmus'
story] |
27 books
|
1516 A. D. |
| Luther's German New Testament becomes the model for
Protestant versions including Tyndale's. [Click here to read more
about Luther.] |
27 books
|
1522 A. D. |
| Tyndale's English New Testament; this first printed
English version was opposed by the Roman church and by King Henry
VIII. [Click here for Tyndale's story.] |
27 books
|
1525 A. D. |
| Coverdale Bible. The first complete English Bible
is published by Miles
Coverdale, based on the Vulgate and on Tyndale. His wording is
still used in the Anglican prayer book. |
80 books with apocrypha
|
1535 A. D. |
| The Matthews Bible, largely the work of Tyndale,
issued by John Rogers under a pseudonym with commentary is the second
complete English version and the first English commentary. [Click
here for Rogers'
story] |
80 Books with apocrypha
|
1537 A. D. |
| Great Bible. This was a large church Bible, the
first authorized version and the only lawful English version for many
years. It was edited by Coverdale at Cranmer's request and eliminated
controversial notes. [Click here for Cranmer's preface;
For Cranmer's story, click here] |
80 books with apocrypha
|
1539 A. D. |
| Geneva Bible. An English version printed in Geneva
with many marginal notes of a sectarian and Calvinist nature. It was
the most popular version before the King James Version. Coverdale
probably also had a hand in this translation, as he was in Geneva
at the time it was produced. The King of England hated it because
of its notes. [Click here to read the preface] |
80 books with apocrypha
|
1560 A. D. |
| Bishop's Bible. Under the direction of Archbishop
Parker, this English version attempted to replace the Geneva Bible which had become too popular to suit the authorities, but it borrowed
heavily from it. [Click here to read Parker's preface] |
80 books with apocrypha
|
1568 A. D. |
| Douay-Rheims. The first Catholic version of the New Testament,
it closely followed the Latin Vulgate in word structure and retained
many difficult Latin terms. Later revisions made it more readable. |
New Testament. (The Old Testament and apocrypha were issued in 1609). |
1582 A. D. |
| King James ("Authorized") Version. In 1604 King James agreed with the dissenters that a new translation
was needed. The result was the most famous English language translation
of all. However, it was controversial at first and not accepted by
everyone. [Click here for more on this story] |
80 books with apocrypha
|
1611 A. D. |
| Revised Version. Imagine a revision of the Bible
of such interest to the masses that the entire New Testament had to
be printed in Chicago newspapers! |
66 books (apocrypha dropped)
|
1881-1885 A. D. |
he Bible was a long time appearing in English, meeting much opposition
and some abortive attempts along the way. This table shows some of the
milestones in the effort. Christian Heritage Library has provided
us with prefaces or prologues from three of the early versions. Click
the provided links to view these samples. 