Bishops' Bible

Overview

The Bishops' Bible is an English Bible published in 1568 by the Church of England (the Anglican Church). Its translation was directed by Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury. It takes its name from the fact that many of its translators were bishops. The term does not appear in the biblical text itself; it belongs to the history of English Bible translations and is mentioned chiefly as the base text of the King James Bible.

Background

In the sixteenth century the Church of England used the Great Bible, issued in 1539, as its official Bible. In 1560, however, Protestant exiles in Geneva published the Geneva Bible, which came to be widely read. The Geneva Bible was accurate in its translation, convenient to read because of its small format, and rich in marginal notes (commentary printed alongside the text). These notes strongly reflected the Reformed theology associated with John Calvin, and the leadership of the established church is reported to have found them troubling. The Bishops' Bible, produced as a revision of the Great Bible, was an attempt to provide an officially authorized church Bible to replace the Geneva Bible.

Characteristics

• It was produced in a large format for reading aloud in church and included illustrations, maps, and similar features.
• It contained fewer marginal notes than the Geneva Bible and avoided material likely to provoke controversy.
• Because the books were divided among several translators, the quality of the translation is generally judged to be uneven from book to book.
• A revised edition appeared in 1572. The Convocation of 1571 is reported to have required bishops and cathedrals to obtain copies of this Bible.

Relationship to the Geneva Bible

Although the Bishops' Bible was the church's authorized Bible, the Geneva Bible remained more widely used for household and personal reading. One commonly cited reason is that the Bishops' Bible was large and expensive, which made it difficult for individuals to acquire. The Geneva Bible was especially popular among the Puritans.

Influence on the King James Bible

James I approved a new translation following the Hampton Court Conference of 1604. He is reported to have disliked some of the marginal notes in the Geneva Bible. The first of the rules given to the translators was to follow the Bishops' Bible and to alter it as little as the sense of the original would permit. Formally, therefore, the King James Bible of 1611 is a revision of the Bishops' Bible. In practice, however, it is generally regarded as having drawn heavily on the wording of William Tyndale's translation and of the Geneva Bible. After the King James Bible appeared, the Bishops' Bible gradually fell out of use.

Interpretation and Debate

Assessments of the Bishops' Bible vary according to emphasis. The Anglican tradition places it within a line of officially authorized church Bibles running from the Great Bible through the Bishops' Bible to the King James Bible. Those who view the history of English Bible translation from a Reformed and Puritan perspective give greater weight to the influence of the Geneva Bible. The Bishops' Bible is also mentioned in the Bible translation debate. In discussions of the claim that the King James Bible alone is the correct translation, it is cited as evidence that the King James Bible was itself a revision of an earlier translation.

In the Korean Church

The Bishops' Bible has never been translated into Korean or used in Korean churches. It is mentioned mainly in writings and lectures introducing the history of the English Bible or the King James Bible.