In a passage from the Psalms the reviser shews far reater originality and the influence of the Genevan evision is considerably less1: Chap. iii. Internal History. GREAT BIBLE 1550. I The heavens declare the glory Ps. xix. of God and the firmament sheweth His handiwork. One day telleth another and one night certifieth another. There is neither speech nor language, but their voices are heard among them: their sound is gone out (gone May 1541) into all lands, and their words into the ends of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, which cometh forth as a bridegroom out of his chamber and rejoiceth as a giant to run his course. It goeth forth from the utmost part of the heaven, and runneth about unto the end of it again, and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. 5 The law of the Lord is an undefiled law, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth wisdom unto the simple. 7 The statutes of the Lord are right and rejoice the heart, the commandment of the Lord is pure and giveth light unto the eyes. 8 The fear of the Lord is clean and endureth for ever, the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 9 More to be desired are they than gold, yea than much fine gold sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 10 Moreover by them is thy servant taught and in keeping of them there is great reward. 1 In some editions of the Bishops' the Psalter of the Great Bible and Bible the Psalter of the Great Bible the revised Psalter are printed side alone is printed (e.g. 1602): in others by side. Chap. iii. II Who can tell how oft he offendeth: O cleanse thou me from (my) secret faults. 12 Keep thy servant also from presumptuous sins, lest they get the dominion over me: so shall I be undefiled and innocent from the great offence. 13 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be (always) acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. 2 A day occasioneth talk thereof unto a day, and a night teacheth knowledge unto a night. (Day unto day uttereth the same, and night unto night teacheth knowledge G.) similarly P. M. (1) 3 There is...gone out: no language, no words, no voice of theirs is heard; yet their sound goeth (non est [illis] sermo, non verba, neque auditur vox eorum, in omnem tamen... J.) (2) 4 hath he he hath (3) 5 It...forth; his going forth is egressus ejus M. his going out is G. (4) the: om. (5) runneth about: his circuit revolutio ejus P. M. his compass G. (6) and...again: utmost part thereof ad extrema eorum M. J. (7) the h. thereof: his heat (8) 6 the Lord: God (so throughout), not P. M. J. G. C. (9) - an undefiled law: perfect G. (10) 8 clean (P. J. G.): sincere sincerus M. (11) - true (J.): truth P. M. G. (12) 8 and...altogether: they be just in all points (justificata 9 more...they: They are more to be desired... (14) 10 is...taught: thy servant is well advertised. (per- Chap. iii. spicue admonetur J.) (16) great (G): a great (17) II tell...offendeth: know his own errors (errores quis intelligit M. err. quis animadvertat J.) (18) (my) secret faults: those that I am not privy of (19) 12 sins: [sins] (20) lest...dominion: let them not reign G. (ne domi- shall...undefiled: I shall be perfect perfectus ero P. (22) innocent...great: void from all heinous (innocens a 13 (always): om. so G. (24) Lord: God (25) Of these changes one-fifth appears to be original (1, 5, 13, 20, 25): seven more are linguistic (3, 8, 9, 14, 15, 17, 19): three are coincidences with Pagninus (6, 12, 22): five with Leo Juda (2, 7, 16, 18, 23): four with the Genevan version (4, 10, 21, 24): and one with Münster (11). There is but little to recommend the original renderings of the Bishops' Bible in the Old Testament. As a general rule they appear to be arbitrary and at variance with the exact sense of the Hebrew text'. The revision of the New Testament however will repay careful study. Internal History. Notes. Among the revisers was Lawrence, 'a man in those Lawrence's 'times of great fame for his knowledge in the Greek",' of whose labours Strype has preserved a singularly in 1 It is possible that I have been of the Bishops' text with the other unfortunate in the parts which I have versions. examined; for what I saw did not 2 Strype's Parker, II. 223. encourage me to compare very much Chap iii. teresting memorial in a series of notes of errors in the 'translation of the N. T.". Some of these are worthy of quotation. Matt. xxi. 33. 'There was a certain man, an house'holder, which made a vineyard. cotis èpútevo ev àμñeNova (that is) which planted a vineyard. The word 'made is too general...I allow not such generalities in translation when our tongue hath as apt words as 'the Greek, ib. he putteth for &pužev, that is, he digged. The first error is amended in the Genevan Bible; the 'second is noted in the margin.' Matt. xxv. 20. I gained with them five talents more, ἄλλα πέντε τάλαντα ἐκέρδησα ἐπ' αὐτῇ signifieth over and besides them...' Matt. xxviii. 14. 'We will save you harmless. · ἀμερίμνους, that is careless: ἀβλαβής or ἀζήμιος is harm'less: apepiμvovs, careless. I may be harmless in body 'and goods and yet not careless. This is not considered in the Genevan Bible.' Luke i. 3, 4. 'I determined also as soon as I had 'searched out diligently all things from the beginning that then I would write unto thee...that thou...hast 'been informed.' This Lawrence translates: It seemed good to me having perfect understanding [as they that 'follow foot by foot] of all things from the beginning to 'write to thee in order...that thou...hast been taught 'by mouth.' Mark xv. 3. ‘These words αὐτὸς δὲ οὐδὲν ἀπεκρίνατο 'he omitted both here and in the Geneva translation. 'Yet the Greek printed by Stephens hath it.' Mark xiii. 16. Let him that is in the field not turn 'back again unto the things which he left behind him. For all these words there be no more in the Greek 1 Id. App. LXXXV. Lawrence notices twenty-nine passages. * but ὁ εἰς τὸν ἄγρον ἂν μὴ ἐπιστρεψάτω εἰς τὰ ἐπίσω, that 'is, he that is in the field let him not turn back. eis Tà 'oniow signifieth no more but back: John vi. 66...This 'superfluity is in the Genevan translation.' Chap. iii. It is not known how far Lawrence's labours extended, but an examination of a difficult passage of an Epistle will prove that the reviser who corrected it was not deficient in originality and vigorous scholarship': GREAT BIBLE, 1550. 7 Unto every one of us is given Eph. iv. grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore he saith, When he went up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. 9 That he ascended, what meaneth it, but that he also II And the very same made some Apostles, some Pro- ers, 12 to the edifying of the Saints, to the work and minis- 14 that we henceforth should be no more children waver- 15 But let us follow the truth in love and in all things grow in him which is the head, even Christ, 16 in whom if all the body be coupled and knit together throughout every joint wherewith one ministereth to another, according to the operation as every part 1 The text is taken as before from the Great Bible of 1550. |