The Bible is the holy book of Christianity. It consists of the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament contains scriptures that were originally written in Hebrew, with some passages in Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Koine Greek.
The Bible has been translated into hundreds of languages over the centuries. The earliest complete translation of the Bible into English was completed by John Wycliffe and his followers in the 14th century. This translation is known as Wycliffe’s Bible. However, it was translated from the Latin Vulgate rather than the original Hebrew and Greek texts. The first major printed English Bible was William Tyndale’s New Testament translation, which was completed in 1525. Tyndale went on to translate much of the Old Testament before his execution in 1536. His translations formed the basis of the Great Bible, the first authorized English Bible, published in 1539.
In the 16th century, the Reformation spurred new interest in translating the Bible into vernacular languages. Myles Coverdale completed and published the first complete printed translation of the Bible into English in 1535. The Geneva Bible, published in 1560, became the most popular English Bible of the Elizabethan Era. The Bishops’ Bible of 1568 was an attempt by the Church of England to counter the growing popularity of the Geneva Bible. However, both were eventually superseded by the King James Version, also known as the Authorized Version, which was published in 1611 under the sponsorship of King James I of England. The King James Version became the standard Bible for English speaking Protestants for the next three centuries.
By the 18th and 19th centuries, some revisions and updates to the King James Version began to be published to modernize the language and correct errors. The Revised Version was released in 1885, the American Standard Version in 1901, and the Revised Standard Version in 1952. The latter part of the 20th century saw an explosion of English Bible translations, with choices such as the New English Bible (1961), the New International Version (1978), and the English Standard Version (2001) gaining widespread popularity.
Today, the Bible continues to be the most translated book in the world. Modern translators aim to find the best balance between conveying the meaning of the original languages in clear, understandable English and preserving some of the memorable phrasing of historic versions. Popular contemporary English versions include the Common English Bible (2011), the New Living Translation (2015), and the Christian Standard Bible (2017). The enduring popularity of the Bible in English reflects both a desire to make scripture accessible to ordinary people and the majesty of the Bible’s language and message.
Key Milestones in the History of the Bible in English
Here are some of the key milestones in the centuries-long history of translating and publishing the Bible in English:
- 680 AD – The Venerable Bede finishes a translation of the Gospel of John into Old English
- 1382 – John Wycliffe finishes the first complete translation of the Bible into English. His followers later publish revised editions of this translation.
- 1525 – William Tyndale’s partial translation of the New Testament from Greek into English is published. It is the first printed English New Testament.
- 1535 – Myles Coverdale publishes the first complete printed English Bible.
- 1539 – The Great Bible, the first authorized English Bible, is published under the sponsorship of Thomas Cromwell.
- 1560 – The Geneva Bible, with extensive commentary, is published in Geneva. It becomes the most widely used English Bible of the Elizabethan era.
- 1611 – The King James Version, also called the Authorized Version, is published. It becomes the standard English Bible for over 250 years.
- 1881-1885 – The Revised Version, the first major revision of the King James Bible, is published.
- 1901 – The American Standard Version is published in the United States with an American readership in mind.
- 1946-1952 – The Revised Standard Version is published as an update of the American Standard Version.
- 1989 – The New Revised Standard Version is published as a revision of the Revised Standard Version.
- 2001 – The English Standard Version is published seeking to be a word-for-word translation in modern English.
John Wycliffe and the First Complete English Bible
John Wycliffe (c. 1320s – 1384) was an English theologian and professor at the University of Oxford who called for church reform and questioned some Catholic doctrines. He advocated for translating the Bible into English so that ordinary people could read and interpret scripture for themselves.
Wycliffe and his followers translated the Vulgate, the commonly used Latin translation of the Bible, into English. This translation is now known as Wycliffe’s Bible. The New Testament was completed by 1388, while the Old Testament was finished by Wycliffe’s followers after his death around 1395. Copies of Wycliffe’s Bible had to be made by hand since the printing press had not yet been invented.
Wycliffe’s Bible helped make the Bible accessible to lay people for the first time. Earlier partial Old English translations were intended for priests and monks. The church establishment condemned Wycliffe’s translation and declared translations of Scripture into English illegal. Many copies of his manuscript Bible were burned during this time. Despite this, dozens of copies of Wycliffe’s Bible still exist today in various institutions.
William Tyndale and the First Printed English New Testament
William Tyndale (c. 1494-1536) was an English scholar and Reformer who translated the New Testament and part of the Old Testament into Early Modern English. Tyndale had studied at Oxford and Cambridge but could not get church support for his project of translating scripture into English. He traveled to continental Europe and completed an English translation of the New Testament in 1525. This translation drew on Erasmus’s 1522 critical Greek edition of the New Testament as well as Luther’s 1522 German translation.
Tyndale’s New Testament was the first printed English translation from the original Greek texts rather than the Vulgate. The first full printed edition was published in 1526 in Worms, Germany. Copies were smuggled into England, where possession of Tyndale’s translation was banned and ownership carried the risk of death. His simple, direct language had a lasting influence on subsequent English Bible translations. Tyndale went on to translate the Pentateuch and the Book of Jonah before being tried for heresy and executed in 1536.
Myles Coverdale and the First Complete English Bible
Myles Coverdale (1488-1569) was an English priest and scholar who in 1535 published the first complete printed translation of the Bible in English. For the Old Testament, Coverdale relied heavily on Tyndale’s work as well as Latin and German translations. The New Testament is primarily Tyndale’s translation. Sections lacking in Tyndale’s work were translated from the Latin Vulgate and Luther’s Bible. J.P. Berkowitz notes that Coverdale’s Bible was “a secondary translation of the BibleCompile Version made primarily from German and Latin versions, not manuscripts in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.”
Coverdale’s Bible received official approval from King Henry VIII, unlike Tyndale’s earlier translation. In 1537, it was followed by the Matthew Bible, a more literal revision of Tyndale and Coverdale’s work. Despite flaws in his translation, Coverdale helped make the Bible widely available in English and introduced chapter divisions still used today.
The Geneva Bible and Its Extensive Commentary
The Geneva Bible was an English translation published in Geneva in 1560 by Protestant scholars who had fled persecution in England during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary I. Earlier English translations met opposition from official Christianity, so the Geneva Bible included extensive commentary on each page to explain the Protestant translation and interpretation of scripture.
The Geneva Bible was the first English Bible translation to use verse numbers. It became the most popular Bible of Elizabethan England. Well over 100 editions were issued, and it remained the preferred home Bible of English Protestants for over 75 years. England’s bishops opposed the Geneva Bible due to its Calvinist leanings and association with Puritanism. They favored the Bishops’ Bible, but the Geneva Bible’s superior scholarship and formatting won wider acceptance.
The King James Version and Its Lasting Impact
In 1604, King James I of England authorized a new translation of the Bible into English to replace earlier translations like the Bishop’s Bible. The King James Version (KJV), completed in 1611, became the standard Bible for English speaking Protestants for the next 250 years. Teams of scholars translated from the original Hebrew and Greek texts for accuracy. It underwent minor revisions over the years.
The King James Version combined majestic Elizabethan English with accessibility for lay audiences. Its literary masterpiece status and historic role fixed it deeply in American Protestant culture. Modern translations aim to retain some of the best qualities of the King James Version while updating language and correcting errors based on older manuscripts found since the 17th century.
Continual Revisions: RV, ASV, RSV
By the late 19th century, some revisions to the King James Version were deemed necessary to modernize grammar and vocabulary and incorporate new manuscript discoveries. In 1885, the Revised Version became the first major revision of the KJV in over 250 years. American scholars then adapted it into the American Standard Version (ASV) in 1901 to use more familiar American English.
In the 1920s, work began on further revising the ASV. The Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the Bible was intended to make scripture more accessible through updated language while remaining faithful to the manuscripts. It drew controversy for departing from the King James Version’s Christological interpretations at certain points. The RSV New Testament was published in 1946, followed by the complete Bible in 1952.
An Explosion of Modern English Translations
The second half of the 20th century saw an explosion of English Bible translations. Improved scholarship and understanding of ancient manuscripts enabled more faithful translations. Some significant modern English translations include:
- New English Bible (1961-1970) – a fresh translation from the original languages. Aimed for a national audience in Britain.
- New American Standard Bible (1971, updated 1995) – a conservative revision of the ASV using updated language.
- New International Version (1978, updated 2011) – a widely-used translation with evangelical theology.
- New Revised Standard Version (1989) – a revision of the RSV using gender-inclusive language.
- English Standard Version (2001) – a revision of the RSV seeking word-for-word accuracy and literary excellence.
- Common English Bible (2011) – aims to make the Bible engaging by using natural, everyday English.
This proliferation of English translations reflects differing philosophies and audiences. Some prioritize word-for-word literalness, while others aim for dynamic equivalence conveying the intended meaning. Reading multiple versions gives English readers a rich understanding of scripture.
Principles and Challenges of Bible Translation
Bible translation involves faithfully communicating the word of God across languages and cultures. Good translation requires understanding the original meaning of the source text and finding equivalent terms and grammar in the receptor language. Keeping the style dignified yet clear is also important.
There are challenges to conveying concepts accurately between ancient and modern languages. For example, Greek has several words for love, with nuances English does not possess. Translating Hebrew poetry and parallelism also requires skill. Teams of scholars work to overcome these challenges and produce the most faithful translation possible.
Another challenge is that no translation is without interpretation. Choices must be made to capture nuances of meaning, so theological leanings influence Bible versions to some degree. Using multiple translations helps readers get a balanced understanding of the text.
Good Bible translations also seek to avoid archaic or obscure language in favor of clarity, since the purpose is to convey God’s word. At the same time, dignified language helps mark the holy nature of scripture. Finding the right balance keeps Bible translation rooted in solid scholarship yet continuously fresh and accessible.
The Bible in Global Languages
While English dominates much Bible translation work today, the Bible has been translated far beyond one language. By 2020, at least one book of the Bible had been translated into over 700 languages, with complete Bibles in 700+ languages. The New Testament is available in over 2000 languages encompassing billions of people.
This translation work allows people around the world to access scripture in their heart languages. Organizations like Wycliffe Bible Translators have been instrumental in translating the Bible into hundreds of languages where no translation previously existed. They aim to start Bible translation projects for every language that needs one by 2025.
Technological advances aid Bible translation and distribution today. Digital text makes translations more accessible worldwide. Tools like translationStudio even let indigenous church translators draft translations on computers in their own language. Bible translation has come a long way from painstakingly copying manuscripts by hand to leveraging technology to spread God’s word globally.
The Bible in Multimedia Formats
In addition to printed Bibles, scripture is increasingly being distributed in audio, video, and digital formats. Audio Bibles make scripture accessible for those who cannot read. The Bible is now available online in most languages through websites, apps, social media, and ebooks. Commentary, study guides, daily reading plans, and other helps supplement scripture.
Films, videos, and podcasts dramatize Bible stories. Children enjoy storybook Bibles. Graphic novel and comic book formats engage visual learners. Technology enables God’s word to come alive through multimedia expressions that make scripture understandable and applied in daily life.
At the same time, print Bibles remain popular and widely used. Having a tangible copy facilitates deeper study, notetaking, and portability. Print also suffers less risk of technological obsolescence. Offering scripture in diverse media and technology formats expands engagement with God’s word in the digital era.
Conclusion
For nearly two millennia, dedicated translators and scholars have labored to make the Bible accessible to people around the world. The Bible has been translated into more languages than any other book because its timeless message carries hope, guidance, and truth for all peoples. While no translation is perfect, continuing refinement expands understanding of scripture across cultures.
The Bible in English has gone through an extraordinary journey – from forbidden translation in its early days to popularizing scripture reading among lay people to a diversity of versions illuminating nuances from the original texts. The living word of God continues progressing forward to bring truth and redemption into more lives and cultures worldwide.