the Making of English Bible

Bol Partner

The King James Bible, the most famous English-language Bible, was the culmination of centuries of work by various translators, most notably John Wycliffe in the fifteenth century and William Tyndale in the sixteenth. In this enthralling account of the tumultuous politics surrounding the translation of the Bible into vernacular languages, Benson Bobrick, a professor from Columbia University, shows how the achievement of Tyndale and other translators had a permanent influence on the English-speaking world.;As the historian Macaulay wrote of the King James version: 'If everything else in our language should perish, it alone would suffice to show the extent of its beauty and power.' But the King James scholars relied on Wycliffe and particularly Tyndale, polishing their translations and giving us phrases that are still part of the English language: - 'eat, drink and be merry', 'the powers that be', 'the salt of the earth', 'let there be light', 'and the truth shall make you free', 'the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak', 'the root of all evil'.,'fight the good fight', 'a thorn in the flesh', 'labour of love', 'the fat of the land', 'the sweat of the brow', 'to cast pearls before swine' 'am I my brother's keeper?' among them.

Bol

A renowned Bible scholar examines how the Hebrew text has been interpreted—and misinterpreted—from the Renaissance to modern times. In this wide-ranging and authoritative study, Gerald Hammond sheds light on how the Bible has evolved over centuries of English-language translation. His extensive analysis begins in the sixteenth century with William Tyndale's pioneering work. This early text is contrasted with the seventeenth century authorized version, showing how each in their own ways attempted to bring the meaning and nuance of the Hebrew scripture to English readers. Between these towering Renaissance works, Hammond examines the two Bibles translated by Miles Coverdale; the Geneva Bible; the Bishops' Bible; and the Catholic Bible. He also offers incisive criticism of the New English Bible, demonstrating that—in the pursuit of accessibility above all—the newer translations seem to have given up on what should be essential: faithful adherence to the source.

Amazon

Pages: 212, Hardcover, Legare Street Press