Modern Translations.—During the middle ages, when the laity were considered by the priesthood unfit to be intrusted with the B. as a whole, various poetical versions— such as the gospel history, by Otfried von Weissenburg, and the version of Job and of the Psalms by Notker-Labeo (980 A.D.)—served a very important object, and stimulated the desire for more biblical information. As early as 1170, Petrus Waldus caused the New Testament to be translated into Provencal dialect by Etienne d'Anse. This iinpor taut work was followed by the translations made under Louis the Pious (1227) and Charles the Wise (1380), the B. histories (Bible ystorieus) by Guyars of Moulins (1286), the Spanish version under Alfonso V. in the 13th c., the English by Wickliffe, and the Bohemian version of John Huss. After the invention of printing—especially after the latter part of the 15th c.—the harbingers of a new ecclesiastical era appeared in numer ous republications of the translated B.—the Bohemian (Prague, 1448); the Italian, by the Benedictine Nic. Malherbi (1471); the French, by Des Moulins (1477-1546); the Dutch (Delf, 1477); the Spanish (1478-1515); but, above all, in the 17 German translations before Luther, of which 5 were printed before 1477, and the remainder in the low Ger man dialect during 1477-1518.
Luther's translation of the B. is universally esteemed by the best German scholars as a masterpiece of genial interpretation. It displays qualities far superior to those ordinarily expected in a translation—deep insight, true sympathy with the tone of the Hebrew Scriptures, and a perfect command of clear, popular language; indeed, every one who can thoroughly appreciate the merits of this great work, will be ready to excuse the boldness of the assertion, that " it is rather a re-writing than a mere translation of the B.," a transfusion of the original spirit into a new language, rather than a mere version of the latter. The New Testament was finished by Luther at 'Wartburg, and appeared in Sept., 1522. In the following year, the five books of Moses appeared; and, in 1534, the remaining part of the Old Testament canon was completed along with the Apocrypha. With wonderful rapidity this translation was circulated throughout Germany. In the course of forty years, one bookseller, Hans Luft of Wittenberg, sold 100,000 copies; an astonishing number, when we consider the price of books in the 16th century. It was reprinted 38 times in Germany' before and meanwhile the New Testament had been separately printed in 72 editions. Numerous other translations in Dutch, Swedish, etc., were based upon the work of Luther.
English Translations.—Wycliffe (q.v.) executed a noble version from the Vulgate, but it was long before our country began to print even pots ions. Long after Germany and other countries had issued vernacular versions of the B., that land continued to sit in darkness. The earliest attempt was a translation of the serer penitential psalms in 1305. No doubt, a very considerable number of MSS. circulated among the people: but still we may well ask: " What were these among so many?" Such a question the noble mar tyr, William Tyndale (q.v.), seems to have put to himself, and bravely he answered it. vowing that "if God would spare his life, ere many years he would cause the boy who driveth the plough to know more of the Scriptures than did all the priests." To accom plish his purpose, ho passed over to the continent. Before 1526, he had completed an English translation of the New Testament, which appeared both in quarto and duodeci mo. In the beginning of 1520, the volumes were secretly conveyed into England, where they were bought up and burned, which, however, only stimulated Tyndale to greater exertions. Of the admirable character of his translation, we have a sufficient testimony in this fact, that in our present version a very large portion of the New Testament is taken almost rerbatim from Tyndale's Testament. Tyndale next proceeded to prepare a version of the Old Testament out of the'original Hebrew, and in 1530, he published the Pentateuch, and in the following year, the book of Jonah. The first English version of the whole B. was that published by Miles Coverdale, a friend of Tyndale. It is dated 1535, and dedicated to Henry VIII., but where minted, is unknown, It is much inferior to Tyndale's. The next English B. issued was called Matthew's B.,frta the circumstance that the editor assumed the name of Thomas Matthew, but was simply Tyndale's version revised by his friend John Rogers, who also translated those books in the Old Testament which the martyr had not been able to overtake. It was finished in 1537, and Crannies obtained for it the patronage of Henry, though that monarch had persecuted Tyndale some years before. Matthew's B. soon superseded Coverdale's. In April, 1539, appeared
the Great B., usually called Cranmer's, because he wrote a preface to it. It was a large volume for use in churches. The text was Tyndale's revised. In the same year, Rich ard Taverner, a learned but eccentric layman belonging to the Inner Temple, published an edition, the text of which is based on that of Matthew's Bible. In 1557 appeared the famous Genera B. so called because the translation was executed there by several Eng lish divines, who fled from the persecutions of the bloodyMary. Among these be mentioned Gilby and Whittingham. This edition—the first printed in Roman letter and divided into verses-was accompanied by notes, which showed a strong leaning to time views of Calvin and Beza. It was, in consequence, long the favorite version of the English Puritans and the &etch Presbyterians. It is, however, best known as the Breeches B., on account of the rendering of Genesis iii. 7: "Then the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig-tree leaves together, and made themselves breeches:" In 1568, the Bishops' B. was published at London. The text of this was compared with the original by eight bishops, and seven other scholars of reputation, wise 'appended flair initials to their respective tasks; the whole being under the superintendence of Matthew Parker, archbishop of Canterbury. In:1582.appeared at Itheitns, in France, an English'version of the New Testament, pre pared by several Roman Catholic exiles; and in 1609-40, a similar version of the Old Testament at Douay. Both were taken from the Vulgate, and form the standard Eng lish Scriptures of the Roman Catholics, being genehdly known as the Bouay We now come to the version which has been in common nse for nearly 250 years, generally called King James's Bible. At.- the 'tampion court conference in Jan., 1604. Dr. Rainolds, an eminent Puritan, suggested a new translation as •great national want: and this, though opposed by thebishop of London, was sanctioned by the king. Arrange ments were at onee made for carrying out the project. In July, the king wrote a letter, intimating the appointment of 54 scholars for the preparation of the version. and instruct ing the bishops' that whenever "a liting of twenty pounds" became vacant. they shommid inform his majesty of the circumstance, in order that he might recommend one of the translators to the patron. This' was all that Jatnes did on behalf of the translation which hears fns name. The expenses seem to have been borne by Barker, the printer and pat entee, who paid the sum of .1;3500. Of the 54 scholars who had been nominated to the work, only 47 undertook it. These were divided into six conipanies: two of which were Vs :meet at Westminster, two at Cambridge, and two at Oxford'. The company at Westminster translated the Pentateuch and the historical books td the end of 2d Kings; the first at Cambridge, from the beginning of Chronicles to the end of Canticles; and the first at Oxford undertook ths remaining honks of the Old Testament canon. The sec ond company at Westminster translated the apostolic epistles: the second at Cambridge. the Apocrypha; and the second at Oxford, the gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Apocalypse. According to Seidel]. "they then met together, and one read the transla tion, the rest holding in their hands some B. either of the learned tongues, or French, Spanish, Italian, etc. if they found any fault, they spoke; if not, he read on." When st portion was finished by one of the company, sent to all the others itrsuccession for their deliberative examination; and whenever a difference of opinion was elicited, reference was made to a committee. The final revision, of the whole was conduct 1 • el Ill London by two delegates from each of the six companies. These twelve scholars, in the discharge of their critical functions, met daily in the old hall of the stationers' company for time months. The work of translation and revision occupied from 1607 to 1610. The superiority of the authorized version soon proved itself; for though there were several rivals in the field, and no steps were taken to secure for it it preference, it quickly gained the foremost place, and in the course of forty years front its publication, all others had quietly succumbed to it; it became, and has ever since remained the English Bible. Its ascendency, and its exclusive use among all classes in Great Britain, and in her vast colonies, can only be traced to its excellence. A new English version, how ever, has been in course of preparation for son,e years.