'Two of the classes sat at Westminster, two at Oxford, and two at
Cambridge. The instructions which they received from the king were, that
they should adhere to the Bishops' Bible, which was then ordinarily
read in the Churches, making as few deviations from it as possible.
They were, however, to use the other versions, and to consult the
translations which had been made into other modern languages; and they
were to keep in the old ecclesiastical words, such as Church, etc. When
a word had divers significations, "that should be kept which had been
most commonly used by the ancient Fathers, being agreeable to the
propriety of the place and the analogy of faith." No marginal notes were
to be used, except for the further explication of some Greek or Hebrew
word. References to parallel passages might be given. They were to call
in the assistance of any learned man who was known to have made this
subject his study.
'They were employed upon the work for three years, namely from 1607 to
1610; proceeding with that deliberation and care which so weighty an
undertaking required. The names of the divines engaged in it, and the
portions known which were committed to each class, are reserved. If we
say that there are few names among them which have acquired a lasting
celebrity, we are only saying of them what is the usual fete of divines.
The name of Bishop Andrews is first in place and the first in celebrity.
It is believed that Bancroft, then Archbishop of Canterbury, though not
one of the professed translators, had much to do in the superintendence
of the work. It came forth from the press of Robert Barker in 1611.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account