The Douay-Rheims Version (DRV) of the Bible is an English translation of the Latin Vulgate Bible. The New Testament was published in 1582 in Rheims, France, while the Old Testament was published in 1609-1610 in Douay, France. The DRV was the first complete Roman Catholic Bible in English and was translated from the Latin Vulgate rather than the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek languages.
Some key facts about the Douay-Rheims Version:
- It was translated by English Catholic scholars who were living in exile during the Protestant Reformation.
- The goal was to provide an English Bible for English-speaking Catholics at a time when the only available Bibles were Protestant translations.
- It is a translation of St. Jerome’s Latin Vulgate which is the official Bible of the Catholic Church.
- The DRV contains explanatory notes and references defending Catholic teaching.
- It uses formal English wording and archaic language due to its origins in the late 16th/early 17th centuries.
- The Challoner Revision (DR) updated the language of the DRV in 1749-1752.
- The DRV/DR remained the standard Bible for English-speaking Catholics until the 20th century.
- It had a significant influence on the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible.
The Douay-Rheims Version went through a couple stages of development:
Background
With the Protestant Reformation in the early 1500s came new Bible translations into common languages like German, French and English. These new translations were based on the original biblical languages rather than the Latin Vulgate. The Catholic Church condemned these new vernacular translations as heretical and dangerous. The Council of Trent in 1546 declared the Latin Vulgate as the sole authentic and authoritative Bible translation for the Catholic Church.
English Catholics who remained loyal to Rome and fled Protestant England needed an approved English Bible of their own. Two English colleges were established specifically for training priests – the English College at Douay, France in 1568 and the English College at Rheims, France in 1578. It was the scholars at these two colleges who undertook the translation of the new English Catholic Bible.
Douay-Rheims New Testament (1582)
The New Testament was translated from the Vulgate into English by Gregory Martin and published in 1582 in Rheims, France while the college was located there temporarily. Despite Church condemnation of vernacular translations, the Douay-Rheims New Testament was still controversial within Catholicism for rendering the Vulgate into English. But it also proved popular in Catholic England and was secretly distributed there.
Key facts about the Douay-Rheims New Testament:
- Translated from the Vulgate by Gregory Martin
- Published in 1582 in Rheims, France
- Included annotations and apologetics to defend Catholic doctrine
- Dedicated to students deprived of Catholic education in England
- Used formal, Latinate English
- Influence of Vulgate Latin evident in translation
Douay-Rheims Old Testament (1609-1610)
The Old Testament translation was done by a number of scholars and completed by 1610. It was published first in two parts (Volume 1 in 1609 and Volume 2 in 1610) and then together as a complete Bible in 1635. The Old Testament relied heavily on the earlier translations of William Tyndale and Myles Coverdale but was modified to match Catholic doctrine.
Key facts about the Douay-Rheims Old Testament:
- Translated by several scholars led by Richard Challoner
- Published in two parts in Douay, France in 1609 and 1610
- Heavily influenced by Tyndale and Coverdale Protestant translations
- Modifications made to rebut Protestantism
- Notes defend Catholic doctrines like the Deuterocanon
- Formal, Latinate English matching the New Testament
The complete Douay-Rheims Bible was published in 1635. It was the first full English Catholic translation, decades before the King James Version (1611) would become the dominant Protestant Bible. The presence of the English Catholic Bible did raise concerns within the Church despite having Rome’s approval.
Challoner Revision (1749-1752)
By the mid-18th century, the language of the Douay-Rheims Bible was severely outdated. Catholic bishop Richard Challoner updated the Douay text while still trying to maintain as much of the original translation as possible. This revised Douay-Rheims Bible was completed by 1752 but remained controversial in terms of updating such an important Catholic work.
Key facts about the Challoner Revision:
- Updated by Bishop Richard Challoner 1749-1752
- Modernized spelling, grammar, vocabulary of Douay text
- Minimal changes to content to preserve original translation
- Reduced anti-Protestant rhetoric in notes
- Approved by the Holy See to become the standard English Catholic Bible
For over two centuries, the Douay-Rheims Bible as revised by Challoner in the mid-18th century would serve as the authorized English translation for the Catholic Church. It was not until the mid-20th century that Catholic scholars would produce new English translations from the original languages rather than just updating the Vulgate-based Douay-Rheims. Nevertheless, the Douay-Rheims still holds an important place in Bible translation history.
Translation from the Vulgate
One of the defining features of the Douay-Rheims Bible is that it was translated from the Latin Vulgate rather than the original Hebrew and Greek. The Vulgate served as the definitive Scripture for the Catholic Church for over a thousand years. It was seen as a faithful translation done by St. Jerome in the late 4th century under divine inspiration. Other vernacular translations from the Reformation period were condemned for deviating from the Vulgate text.
Some key implications of the Vulgate translation base:
- Matches Catholic doctrine derived from the Vulgate
- Does not benefit from manuscripts discovered after the Vulgate
- Perpetuates errors made by Jerome in the Vulgate
- Text has Latin tone and influence unfamiliar to English readers
- Lacks stylistic development alongside English literature
The Vulgate remained the official Latin Bible of the Catholic Church until 1979 when the Nova Vulgata was published. Even today, the Clementine Vulgate enjoys the status of an approved translation within Catholicism.
Influence of Earlier English Translations
Although the Douay-Rheims was a new Catholic translation, it was still influenced by earlier Protestant translations into English. This was especially true of the Old Testament, completed several decades after the New Testament. The DRV translators borrowed heavily from the work of William Tyndale and Myles Coverdale.
Ways the Douay-Rheims was impacted by previous translations:
- Coverdale Psalms in Great Bible used for Douay-Rheims Psalter
- Many phrases and expressions copied from Tyndale
- Coverdale’s prologues and chapter summaries included
- Revisions of Proper Names to match Protestant Bibles
- Passages with anti-Catholic tone modified
- Retained beauty and flowing language of Tyndale/Coverdale
The King James Version just a few decades later would also rely heavily on Tyndale’s work. So in a sense, the DRV helped transmit the excellent Protestant translations into Catholic Bibles as well.
Language and Readability
The Douay-Rheims Bible has often been criticized for its stilted, Latinate English. Some of the phrasing can be difficult for modern readers to follow. There are several reasons for the often obscure language of the DRV:
- Translate from Latin Vulgate text with Latin tone and syntax
- Influence of Latin on translator’s thought and expression
- Focus on formal, literal translation over natural expression
- Lack of English literary development parallel to Bible
- Archaic language in places even in original texts
Parts of the Douay-Rheims like the Psalms and Prophets still offer beautiful language that has stood the test of time. But other sections with obscure metaphors, archaic terms and convoluted sentences can cause comprehension issues today. The Challoner revision in the 18th century updated much of the language. But the underlying Latin influence remains part of the identity of the Douay-Rheims Bible.
Notes and Annotations
The inclusion of extensive notes and annotations was typical of Bible translations of the Reformation era. Translators used these notes to defend their particular doctrinal views and rebut opponents. The Douay-Rheims continues this pattern with apologetic notes supporting Catholic teachings.
Types of annotations in the Douay-Rheims Version:
- Defend inclusion of Deuterocanonical books
- Explain Catholic beliefs like Purgatory, veneration of saints
- Argue against Protestant theology and doctrine
- Summarize interpretations of difficult passages
- Give alternate translation possibilities
- Indicate reliance on early Church fathers
The controversial anti-Protestant notes were reduced in the Challoner revision as Catholic-Protestant polemics became less heated over time. But the explanatory and interpretive notes continue to feature in DRV Bibles as a way to teach Catholic theology.
Influence on the King James Version
The King James Version of 1611, masterpiece of English biblical literature, owes an indirect debt to the Douay-Rheims Bible that preceded it. The KJV relied heavily on the Bishop’s Bible, which in turn had utilized parts of the Douay New Testament translated three decades earlier.
Ways the Douay-Rheims influenced the King James Version:
- Bishop’s Bible reproduced parts of DR New Testament
- KJV reliance on Bishop’s Bible brought in these traces
- DRrenderings occasionally adopted over Bishop’s Bible readings
- Some Psalter choices via Great Bible (used DR Psalms)
- Familiarized KJV translators with Catholic Bible scholarship
There are a number of words, phrases and verses in the KJV that can be traced back to the pioneering work of the Douay-Rheims translators. The KJV certainly improved upon the DRV’s English. But the latter pioneered the translation of the full Bible into English decades before the King James edition.
DRV Usage and Reception
Despite initial misgivings, the Douay-Rheims Bible soon became the standard English translation for Catholics around the world in the centuries following its publication.
Highlights of the Douay-Rheims’ usage and reception:
- Quickly gained popularity among recusant Catholic community
- Perceived as dangerous threat by Church of England
- Smuggled and secretly distributed in Protestant England
- Popular with English Catholic nobles and gentry
- Used by English Catholic exiles and monasteries
- Spread around British Empire colonies
- Remained predominant English Catholic Bible for 270 years
For centuries, the Douay-Rheims Bible enjoyed a popularity among Catholics comparable to the King James Version for Protestants. It was the Bible of Shakespeare and the English Catholic minority enduring persecution. When it was finally superseded by mid-20th century translations, it had become part of the fabric of Catholic English.
Modern Catholic Versions
By the 19th and 20th centuries, the language of the Douay-Rheims was increasingly out of date and difficult for modern Catholics. There were periodic minor updates but the version essentially remained frozen for over two hundred years. Catholic scholars began to translate the Bible anew from the original languages rather than just revise the Vulgate text.
Key modern Catholic translations include:
- Westminster Bible (1935) – From Vulgate, challenged DRV dominance
- Knox Bible (1949) – Dynamic equivalence translation
- Confraternity Bible (1950s) – New Testament and parts of Old from original languages
- Jerusalem Bible (1966) – French Catholic scholarly translation
- New American Bible (1970) – Official Catholic Bible for America
- New Jerusalem Bible (1985) – update to the Jerusalem Bible
Most recently, the English Standard Version has gained popularity with more conservative Catholics. But the Douay-Rheims still remains the favored Bible of Traditionalist Catholics committed to the Latin Vulgate texts.
Enduring Value
The Douay-Rheims Bible may no longer be the central English translation for Catholics today, but it still retains spiritual value for believers. Here are some reasons why the DRV continues to be an important Bible version:
- Appreciation for Vulgate texts – Provides access for non-Latin readers
- Literary qualities – Regal language, sublime Psalms
- Historical significance – Part of Catholic English heritage
- Doctrinal continuity – Matching Catholic theology from Vulgate
- Devotional reading – Meditative, reverent tone
Modern Catholic choices like the New American Bible may be easier to read and based on better texts. But the Douay-Rheims still edifies through its beautiful language and continuity with centuries of Catholic biblical tradition.
The Douay-Rheims Bible served the English-speaking Catholic world for over two and a half centuries. It memorializes the sacrifices made by Catholic scholars to translate the Scriptures into the vernacular despite persecution. This pioneering work influenced Bible translation for generations. Though it is no longer the official Catholic Bible, the Douay-Rheims still has much to offer readers today seeking a traditionally Catholic rendering of Scripture.