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Wide as the Waters: The Story of the English Bible and the Revolution it Inspired
Tells the story of the English Bible, with details of how King James assembled a team of experts, including John Wycliffe and William Tyndale, to translate the text into English, and examines the political, social, cultural, and spiritual ramifications of the King James Bible. Reprint.
392 pages, Paperback
First published April 11, 2001
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About the author
Benson Bobrick
25 books30 followersBenson Bobrick earned his doctorate from Columbia University and is the author of several critically acclaimed works. In 2002, he received the Literature Award of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. He and his wife, Hilary, live in Vermont.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
January 11, 2022
I almost wonder why this story needed to be told: it's been told over and over. I'm not sure I heard many big things that were new to me (though many small things were). But I've never read this story quite like this: the cohesive story of just the English Bible. Well done. Enjoyable. Good pace. Repeatedly insightful. Recommended.
November 3, 2021
A comprehensive and comprehensible account of the translation of the Bible--both the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament--into English.
The first four chapters are devoted to the life and times of the principal translators: John Wycliffe (ca. 1328-1384); William Tyndale (ca. 1495-burnt at the stake 1536); Miles Coverdale (1489-1569); and the large company of scholars who translated and edited the King James Version, completed 1611. Chapter Five discusses the impact of the English Bible and argues:
The first four chapters are devoted to the life and times of the principal translators: John Wycliffe (ca. 1328-1384); William Tyndale (ca. 1495-burnt at the stake 1536); Miles Coverdale (1489-1569); and the large company of scholars who translated and edited the King James Version, completed 1611. Chapter Five discusses the impact of the English Bible and argues:
Before the advent of the vernacular Bible, which was made available to the general public by printing, most people did not know what the Bible actually said. Thereafter, they could read it for themselves and decide, for themselves, what it meant. Their free discussions about the authority of the Church and state fostered concepts of constitutional government in England, which in turn were the indispensable prerequisites for the American colonial revolt. Without the vernacular Bible--and the English Bible in particular, through its impact on the reformation of English politics--there could not have been democracy as we know it, or even what today we call the "Free World."(p.269)Needless to say, kings, aristocrats, and the established Church had difficulty with the notion that people could decide what the Bible said for themselves. Even the secular philosopher John Locke (1632-1704) scoffed at those who supposed that:
whatever groundless Opinion comes to settle itself strongly upon their Fancies, is an Illumination from the Spirit of God, and presently of divine Authority... [or that] whatsoever odd Action they find in themselves a strong Inclination to do, that Impulse is concluded to be a Call or Direction from Heaven, and must be obeyed.(p. 288)We are still dealing with the consequences of the mistaken idea that scripture is infallible, that "anyone with any position could find a supporting text--even 'the devil,' as Shakespeare's Antonio remarks in the Merchant of Venice, could 'cite Scripture for his purpose,' if he wished." (p.288)
January 14, 2011
At its most basic, this book is a flawed popular history of the translation of the Bible into English in the early modern period. This is apparent foremost from the often-simplistic nature of the accounts that Bobrick presents—including treating historical sources at face value, rather than presenting the complexities of writers’ perspectives—an aspect that proves problematic for the book as a whole.
Furthermore, behind this history is Bobrick’s own agenda to present the Protestant translators of the Bible—including Wycliffe, whom he fashions as a type of proto-Protestant-Reformer—as “heroes”; Bobrick himself, in fact, uses this word for these figures early in the book (24). While this view is not surprising or new in studies of the Bible in English (especially the early modern period), it stands out with no subtlety, and distracts from the rest of the book to the point of subverting it. Bobrick’s presentist view of Protestantism as the ultimate high point of his story—and its inevitability from early on—is quite apparent, and a major feature of his story. For example, early on in this book, Bobrick treats the confrontations between Augustine and the Irish church over liturgical calendars as “a type and epitome of later tensions between the English church and Rome” (23)—just one claim among many so layered in problems that they serve to undercut everything else within this book.
Essentially, this is a bias-charged, simplistic, and uncritical account of what has been written elsewhere (see, for example, David Daniell’s The Bible in English: Its History and Influence, although it is not free of its own issues), exemplifying the problems of “historical” accounts surrounding the story (both the long-view and early modern accounts) of the translation of the Bible into English. There are certainly other books that tell this story with more accuracy, less bias, and in a more appropriate fashion than Bobrick musters.
Furthermore, behind this history is Bobrick’s own agenda to present the Protestant translators of the Bible—including Wycliffe, whom he fashions as a type of proto-Protestant-Reformer—as “heroes”; Bobrick himself, in fact, uses this word for these figures early in the book (24). While this view is not surprising or new in studies of the Bible in English (especially the early modern period), it stands out with no subtlety, and distracts from the rest of the book to the point of subverting it. Bobrick’s presentist view of Protestantism as the ultimate high point of his story—and its inevitability from early on—is quite apparent, and a major feature of his story. For example, early on in this book, Bobrick treats the confrontations between Augustine and the Irish church over liturgical calendars as “a type and epitome of later tensions between the English church and Rome” (23)—just one claim among many so layered in problems that they serve to undercut everything else within this book.
Essentially, this is a bias-charged, simplistic, and uncritical account of what has been written elsewhere (see, for example, David Daniell’s The Bible in English: Its History and Influence, although it is not free of its own issues), exemplifying the problems of “historical” accounts surrounding the story (both the long-view and early modern accounts) of the translation of the Bible into English. There are certainly other books that tell this story with more accuracy, less bias, and in a more appropriate fashion than Bobrick musters.
July 15, 2012
I chose to read this, because I recommended God's Secretaries (which is more or less on the same subject) to a friend, and discovered in making the recommendation that this book was better reviewed by Library Journal. I read God's Secretaries in 2006 and I intended to just skim this after getting it from the library, for comparison. Bobrick's very readable style hooked me from the first pages. There are lots of books on the topic; I'd recommend starting with this.
It covers more ground than God's Secretaries, as it focuses on the whole history of translating the Bible into English (and touches on all translation into the vernacular, including the Septuagint and Luther's German Bible). So Bobrick covers Wycliffe, Tyndale, and the rest, relating it all to the history of the times, from the rebellions against Richard II to Milton's Areopagitica and more. This is compulsively readable history, drawn from secondary sources, much like Robert K. Massie. So readable that it makes me want to read more by Bobrick, who's written on everything from the American Revolution to Sibera. (Bobrick's editor at S&S was Bob Bender, well known for his serious nonfiction at S&S for thirty years now.)
Oddly this is the third history I've read recently that touches on the Council of Constance (1414), which until now I hadn't really considered a turning point of history. Also, the take on those oversize Tudor personalities, Wolsey, More, Cranmer, Cromwell, and Boleyn, is very different than Hilary Mantell's, despite her Booker Prize!
One point that will stay with me is that, although we think of the King James version as being written in "Shakespearean" English, the Bible which Shakespeare grew up hearing and knowing was the Geneva Bible, an earlier translation beloved by many. In fact it took a while for the KJV to replace it in English homes and hearts.
Bobrick ends his story by showing how the translation of scripture into the common language inspired freedom and self-expression, influencing the English and American revolutions and more. This is claiming a lot; however I found it much more convincing than the large claims made by Stephen Greenblatt's The Swerve, which won the Pulitzer and National Book Award this year. After all, almost every English speaker for many generations had some knowledge of the King James bible, compared to the relatively few readers of On the Nature of Things by Lucretius, which is Greenblatt's subject.
It covers more ground than God's Secretaries, as it focuses on the whole history of translating the Bible into English (and touches on all translation into the vernacular, including the Septuagint and Luther's German Bible). So Bobrick covers Wycliffe, Tyndale, and the rest, relating it all to the history of the times, from the rebellions against Richard II to Milton's Areopagitica and more. This is compulsively readable history, drawn from secondary sources, much like Robert K. Massie. So readable that it makes me want to read more by Bobrick, who's written on everything from the American Revolution to Sibera. (Bobrick's editor at S&S was Bob Bender, well known for his serious nonfiction at S&S for thirty years now.)
Oddly this is the third history I've read recently that touches on the Council of Constance (1414), which until now I hadn't really considered a turning point of history. Also, the take on those oversize Tudor personalities, Wolsey, More, Cranmer, Cromwell, and Boleyn, is very different than Hilary Mantell's, despite her Booker Prize!
One point that will stay with me is that, although we think of the King James version as being written in "Shakespearean" English, the Bible which Shakespeare grew up hearing and knowing was the Geneva Bible, an earlier translation beloved by many. In fact it took a while for the KJV to replace it in English homes and hearts.
Bobrick ends his story by showing how the translation of scripture into the common language inspired freedom and self-expression, influencing the English and American revolutions and more. This is claiming a lot; however I found it much more convincing than the large claims made by Stephen Greenblatt's The Swerve, which won the Pulitzer and National Book Award this year. After all, almost every English speaker for many generations had some knowledge of the King James bible, compared to the relatively few readers of On the Nature of Things by Lucretius, which is Greenblatt's subject.
March 7, 2014
Because of its misled defenders in the "King James Only" movement, the Authorized Version of the English Bible is often dismissed by mainstream evangelicals for being archaic, based on unreliable manuscripts or (an even lower blow) corrupted by the sexually deviant monarch who oversaw its translation. Benson Bobricks' Wide as the Waters is a good corrective to the legends surrounding the King James Bible. Yes, the vernacular of the KJV can be idiosyncratic. Yes, its translators did not have access to the much older manuscripts that we have today. Yes, King James' lifestyle would be appalling to the fundamentalists who defend the translation that bears his name. But that is only part of the story. The team of academics and churchmen the king appointed to translate the Bible were by in large a devout group of men with more knowledge of linguistics and the classics than many of today's seminary professors. With a few exceptions, they strove for accuracy and objectivity, with the manuscripts they had access to, and subsequent English Bible versions struggle to replicate the poetry and majesty of the KJV. As Bobrick skillfully argues, the KJV was not only a literary masterpiece, but its influence reshaped the monarchy that funded its publication. The values of basic human dignity and the distrust of human kingship that the KJV made widely available to common folk brought increasing democratization to the British Empire and sowed seeds for the American Revolution—seeds that sprouted 150 years after its publication.
November 6, 2016
I lingered over the beginning of the book, but after I got into the flow of the historical narrative, it went pretty quickly. Anyone who is interested in history and language may enjoy this.
I had a rudimentary knowledge of Henry VIII and William Tyndale, but this book expanded greatly on my knowledge of them and their context. Also, there were so many other key players of whom I knew virtually nothing other than their names (or at least, had forgotten since high school).
I think the thing that impressed itself on me the most is the changeability of people... literally less than a year passed between Tyndale's execution as a heretic and the formal approval by the king of Tyndale's Bible translation. This is CRAZY! When entities are convinced they're right (unless they change their minds, and then they're also right) and the only fixed compass point is the will of the powerful at any given moment, sanctioned, as they tell themselves, by God, no wonder justice is easily miscarried.
There are lots of comparisons between translations, and on a lighter note, I will end with Tyndale's rendering of Genesis 3:4: "Then said the serpent unto the woman, 'Tush, ye shall not die.'"
How very British
I had a rudimentary knowledge of Henry VIII and William Tyndale, but this book expanded greatly on my knowledge of them and their context. Also, there were so many other key players of whom I knew virtually nothing other than their names (or at least, had forgotten since high school).
I think the thing that impressed itself on me the most is the changeability of people... literally less than a year passed between Tyndale's execution as a heretic and the formal approval by the king of Tyndale's Bible translation. This is CRAZY! When entities are convinced they're right (unless they change their minds, and then they're also right) and the only fixed compass point is the will of the powerful at any given moment, sanctioned, as they tell themselves, by God, no wonder justice is easily miscarried.
There are lots of comparisons between translations, and on a lighter note, I will end with Tyndale's rendering of Genesis 3:4: "Then said the serpent unto the woman, 'Tush, ye shall not die.'"
How very British
August 12, 2009
This was an absolutely amazing book! It tells of the efforts to bring forth an English Bible and the effects of such. It is fascinating on many levels…historical, religious, political. I was amazed at how threatened the Catholic church was and the lengths they went to to prevent its publication...the sheer number of people tortured and burned to death is astounding. I was interested to see how Henry VIII played into the story. Lastly, it was fascinating to read about how the King James Version finally came about. So glad I read this...
May 3, 2013
Beautifully written passages that I like to reread just for the sheer pleasure of enjoying them all over again.
November 17, 2020
This was the best book I've read so far this year, and I've read quite a few good history books during this Covid19 lockdown. This author did his research thoroughly, thought it through, and wrote masterfully. Chapter 4, titled simply 'King', was so captivating, that after reading it, and thinking about it... then I reread it again. And his closing chapter, connecting the dots to later revolutions, political thinking & systems, really opened my eyes to a fair number of things I had been curious about, and in some cases, already suspected. I'm going to be recommending this book to lots of my friends.
October 18, 2024
Benson Bobrick has written a phenomenal political, religious, sociological, and literary history of what is arguably the most influential book in the English language, the Bible. His is not a book of religious philosophy, belief, or, if one prefers, superstition; it is, rather, an objective history of the evolution of popular thought and of varying governmental support of and opposition to translating the Bible into the English language. Inasmuch as secular government and ecclesiastical hierarchies were inseparably intertwined through the period that figures most prominently in this book, the 16th century, Bobrick's work addresses both the Crown and the Church and their varying support and oppression of the translating, the printing, the importing, and the selling of the Bible. Oppression? Yes, I believe common agreement could be found that the arrest of translators for treason and their execution by burning at the stake pretty well fit with the definition of oppression.
Perhaps one may find the reason I was initially attracted to Bobrick's book twenty years ago (I just finished re-reading it) to be of some interest. Way back in Antediluvian Epoch (end of the 1960s into the beginning of the 70s), I casually mentioned biblical translation to the secretary in the office where I worked, only to be told in no uncertain terms that the Bible is the literal word of God and has always existed in English (20th century English at that). Arguing with someone who had obviously fallen under the sway of some sort of fanatical evangelistic preacher would, of course, have been fruitless, but the encounter did instill in me a desire to learn more about the actual history of the development of the book. Some years earlier, one of my literature professors had observed that the Bible really does deserve some familiarity inasmuch as it has influenced English-language literature more and is most often cited and alluded to by all sorts of writers than any other book in existence. With both of these memories urging me on, I was delighted to encounter Bobrick's work not long after it was published in 2001. In my re-reading in late 2024, I found it every bit as fascinating as I did the first time through.
Bobrick's history begins even before the advent of Gutenberg's printing press with St. Jerome's translation of the Hebrew and Greek stories and testaments into the Latin Vulgate. From there, we're introduced to the 14th century Wycliffe translation from the Vulgate. Then we're on to Tyndale's translation from the Greek and the Hebrew. After that, we encounter Coverdale's Bible as the first complete Bible printed in English, the Great Bible, the Geneva Bible, and naturally the Authorized Version (popularly known as the King James Version), along with a few others along the way. All differed in their translations from Hebrew, Greek, or Latin, which, or course, was itself a translation. On our route through history, we learn of royal favor and royal condemnation, assassination, revolt, smuggling, imprisonment and death in the Tower, beheading, and the laying of the political philosophy that not only featured in the 18th century American Revolution but that still underpins democratic governments in the 21st century.
Do not conclude that Wide as the Waters must be dull and pedantic because it is a history book. In Bobrick's hands, this history is alive, and his book is a page-turner for anyone who is at all curious as to the evolution of today's English-language Judeo-Christian Bible. The reader need not be “religious” to learn from this book and, more importantly perhaps, to enjoy it. He or she need only appreciate the often-violent history of 16th century England, which had a surprisingly significant and far-reaching influence on the history and present-day governance of the United States. I give Wide as the Waters my highest commendation as being fully worth the hours out of the reader's finite lifetime that are spent in its reading.
Perhaps one may find the reason I was initially attracted to Bobrick's book twenty years ago (I just finished re-reading it) to be of some interest. Way back in Antediluvian Epoch (end of the 1960s into the beginning of the 70s), I casually mentioned biblical translation to the secretary in the office where I worked, only to be told in no uncertain terms that the Bible is the literal word of God and has always existed in English (20th century English at that). Arguing with someone who had obviously fallen under the sway of some sort of fanatical evangelistic preacher would, of course, have been fruitless, but the encounter did instill in me a desire to learn more about the actual history of the development of the book. Some years earlier, one of my literature professors had observed that the Bible really does deserve some familiarity inasmuch as it has influenced English-language literature more and is most often cited and alluded to by all sorts of writers than any other book in existence. With both of these memories urging me on, I was delighted to encounter Bobrick's work not long after it was published in 2001. In my re-reading in late 2024, I found it every bit as fascinating as I did the first time through.
Bobrick's history begins even before the advent of Gutenberg's printing press with St. Jerome's translation of the Hebrew and Greek stories and testaments into the Latin Vulgate. From there, we're introduced to the 14th century Wycliffe translation from the Vulgate. Then we're on to Tyndale's translation from the Greek and the Hebrew. After that, we encounter Coverdale's Bible as the first complete Bible printed in English, the Great Bible, the Geneva Bible, and naturally the Authorized Version (popularly known as the King James Version), along with a few others along the way. All differed in their translations from Hebrew, Greek, or Latin, which, or course, was itself a translation. On our route through history, we learn of royal favor and royal condemnation, assassination, revolt, smuggling, imprisonment and death in the Tower, beheading, and the laying of the political philosophy that not only featured in the 18th century American Revolution but that still underpins democratic governments in the 21st century.
Do not conclude that Wide as the Waters must be dull and pedantic because it is a history book. In Bobrick's hands, this history is alive, and his book is a page-turner for anyone who is at all curious as to the evolution of today's English-language Judeo-Christian Bible. The reader need not be “religious” to learn from this book and, more importantly perhaps, to enjoy it. He or she need only appreciate the often-violent history of 16th century England, which had a surprisingly significant and far-reaching influence on the history and present-day governance of the United States. I give Wide as the Waters my highest commendation as being fully worth the hours out of the reader's finite lifetime that are spent in its reading.
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August 14, 2019I haven't read the entirety of this book but I cannot take anymore of this poor standard of scholarship. Much like documentaries and simplistic accounts of popular history, this book reduces down a lot of the complexities of the theology surrounding the English Reformation and makes sweeping generalisations on difficult concerns of the period.
I was particularly annoyed by the horrendous amount of incorrect statements Bobrick makes, such as stating Catherine Howard's age (which is unknown) and saying Margaret Tudor was Henry VII's sister (she was his daughter). These inaccuracies only became more noticable when I got into the section on James VI/I and the seventeenth century. As I specialise in seventeenth century religious history in England I couldn't face reading any more of these easily checkable mistakes.
There was also, as far as I could make out, no argument in this book and none was likely to arrive, leaving me to question what was the point in writing it.
There is very little primary source referencing, and most of the time the primary sources (which are EASILY accessible) are taken from secondary sources. As a result high swathes of evidence worth considering was left out entirely.
Furthermore, for a book of this length it is heavily under referenced. I have never seen a worse referencing style - the notes are not presented in any referencing system I've ever come across, neither was there any consistency to what was referenced. I had to spend a great deal of time flicking to the back to see if there was a reference for comments Bobrick made and often found there was none.
I am utterly horrified by the poor standard presented by this monograph and I cannot give it an academic review as a result.
I was particularly annoyed by the horrendous amount of incorrect statements Bobrick makes, such as stating Catherine Howard's age (which is unknown) and saying Margaret Tudor was Henry VII's sister (she was his daughter). These inaccuracies only became more noticable when I got into the section on James VI/I and the seventeenth century. As I specialise in seventeenth century religious history in England I couldn't face reading any more of these easily checkable mistakes.
There was also, as far as I could make out, no argument in this book and none was likely to arrive, leaving me to question what was the point in writing it.
There is very little primary source referencing, and most of the time the primary sources (which are EASILY accessible) are taken from secondary sources. As a result high swathes of evidence worth considering was left out entirely.
Furthermore, for a book of this length it is heavily under referenced. I have never seen a worse referencing style - the notes are not presented in any referencing system I've ever come across, neither was there any consistency to what was referenced. I had to spend a great deal of time flicking to the back to see if there was a reference for comments Bobrick made and often found there was none.
I am utterly horrified by the poor standard presented by this monograph and I cannot give it an academic review as a result.
July 15, 2018
A concise history of the founding pinnacle of the Protestant Reformation (the translation of scripture into vernacular) in England.
I rate with full stars because this is the type of engaging, and well researched history books that I enjoy - it is written in a simple style (that is: the author wasn't working too hard to entertain), and allowed the content of the history to carry the narrative; he was also able to keep the narrative flowing cogently throughout, which can be difficult with this type of a work.
This book delivered exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up, and it was intelligently and thoughtfully written. The author kept my wrapt attention throughout as he was able to lay out the history in a terrific blend of engaging continuous narrative, and historical facts and events.
While no single book can ever fully capture the broadness of such a complex topic, I would recommend this book as a one-stop shop for an overview of the history of the English bible, and the effect that it began to have in the world.
I rate with full stars because this is the type of engaging, and well researched history books that I enjoy - it is written in a simple style (that is: the author wasn't working too hard to entertain), and allowed the content of the history to carry the narrative; he was also able to keep the narrative flowing cogently throughout, which can be difficult with this type of a work.
This book delivered exactly what I was looking for when I picked it up, and it was intelligently and thoughtfully written. The author kept my wrapt attention throughout as he was able to lay out the history in a terrific blend of engaging continuous narrative, and historical facts and events.
While no single book can ever fully capture the broadness of such a complex topic, I would recommend this book as a one-stop shop for an overview of the history of the English bible, and the effect that it began to have in the world.
May 1, 2008
Benson Bobrick reviews the lives and contributions of various translators of the Bible, with the focus on the 50 scholars who produced the King James Bible. This unusual collection of classical scholars helped to put the English Bible in the hands of "the plowboy in the field," especially one in 1820 in upstate New York.
January 24, 2008
Extremely interesting. Hard to get through though. The author does a good job of tying time periods and countries together to give you a good picture about how the Bible came into our hands. It was revolutionary!
March 16, 2010
I found this book to be truly fascinating. It was extremely detailed in places, making it slow reading, but the subject matter was fascinating to me and the author's conclusions struck a chord. A lot of people died for the right to read the Bible in English.
September 8, 2015
This book was like custom made Carolyn crack. Biographies of Bible translations, history of the protestant reformation, and British/American political theory -- all in one excellently written volume!!
September 16, 2007
Never underestimate the power of reading or a book. England became what it was in large part because of the evolution of a reading culture "of conscience" around the Bible.
March 21, 2011
Meet Wycliffe, Tyndale, and the many friends that sacrificed much to place a Bible into the hand of a common, regular English speaking person. Highly recommended.
December 27, 2024
I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC (I highly recommend) and found this book just shortly before that, so a spark was lit! 'Wide as the Waters' (never did find out why that name) is a superb account with just a few drawbacks. Bobrick gives considerable attention to various historical events and influences mainly in England of course and less on the actual production and decisions made for each Bible version that I might have preferred. It was important to describe the context under which the entire process took place, especially in light of his later chapter on the long term political and social influence of the vernacular (native language) bibles.
After somewhat cursory coverage of the Septuagint (Greek) and the Vulgate Bible (Latin) by St. Jerome he moves fairly quickly to the effort to create Bibles in the native or vernacular languages, focusing of course on the English pathway which turned out to be the most important in many ways. Chapter 1 'Morning Star', features the life and work of John Wycliffe (b. 1328) who was a pioneer of English Bible translation (first Wycliffe Bible in 1382) and an early exponent of many ideas what came to be called the Reformation. Then comes Chapter 2 'Martyr' which focuses on the life (and death) of William Tyndale (b. c 1494) who produced some key early English translations in the age of the printing press, with a New Testament in 1525 and the Pentateuch in 1530. He was followed shortly after by the first complete English Bible by Miles Coverdale in 1537. It is remarkable how much of Tyndale and Coverdale remained into the King James and often some of the most memorable Bible lines which are cited in the text (see Psalm 23 for a good one). Chapter 3 'Protestant, Catholic, Bishop, Queen' describes the massive changes of the Reformation in England wrought under Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary Tudor, and Elizabeth I and how these events affected ongoing efforts to produce new translations. Several important ones were produced in this period, Mathews Bible, the Geneva Bible and the Bishops Bible. All this leading to Chapter 4, 'King' and the accession of James I (son of Mary Queen of Scots) who ensured the triumph of Protestantism in England and commissioned the great Bible that carries his name. There is an interesting discussion of the six teams or 'companies' that were formed to carry out the work of translation and it was indeed an impressive roster of devout and very learned linguists and church historians. The achievement remains considerable, both religious and linguistic. In terms of the religious content Bobrick contends that the translators proved faithful to the Hebrew, to the Greek, even (in a sense) to the Vulgate, with the English Bible owing much to the Latin of St. Jerome. The linguistic achievement was profound as well, with only about 8,000 words of vocabulary, nine-tenths of which were Anglo-Saxon words but with considerable Latin 'imparting stateliness and sonority'. It did this while remaining close to the Hebrew original of the OT with some of the most memorable phrasing--'Holy of Holies', 'Rock of Ages', 'Son of Man', etc. Bobrick quotes the famous English historian Thomas Macaulay on the impact of the KJV; "If everything else in our language should perish, it alone would suffice to show the extent of its beauty and power."
A key theme of Bobrick's book is how the vernacular Bibles in general and the English versions more specifically fed the both the Enlightenment and the evolution of modern democratic polity with its pillars of free and open inquiry. It is a convincing and well presented thesis, albeit somewhat compressed and could almost have been a separate book. It strikes me as astounding that eerily similar battles continue to be fought over who can say or write what across the globe with the West (and UK often leading) often paving the way in suppression of free inquiry.
There are five useful appendices--1) Chronology, 2) Evolution of the English Bible, 3) Comparative Translations, 4) The King James Translators by Company and Assignment, and 5) Richard Bancroft's 'Rules to Be Observed in the Translation of the KJV'. The footnotes are not a strong point of this book as others have pointed out, but the Bibliography is as complete as any but the most serious student might need (who would not be reading this anyway).
Finally, I am planning a One Year Bible reading in 2025 and this little book has helped me decide on a translation, yes the KJV (or perhaps New KJV). As Bobrick points out, the 1611 masterpiece is one of the most influential works in English literature and language (as well as its religious import, obviously) and it would be a shame to miss that for perhaps a slightly clearer translation of Greek or Latin.
After somewhat cursory coverage of the Septuagint (Greek) and the Vulgate Bible (Latin) by St. Jerome he moves fairly quickly to the effort to create Bibles in the native or vernacular languages, focusing of course on the English pathway which turned out to be the most important in many ways. Chapter 1 'Morning Star', features the life and work of John Wycliffe (b. 1328) who was a pioneer of English Bible translation (first Wycliffe Bible in 1382) and an early exponent of many ideas what came to be called the Reformation. Then comes Chapter 2 'Martyr' which focuses on the life (and death) of William Tyndale (b. c 1494) who produced some key early English translations in the age of the printing press, with a New Testament in 1525 and the Pentateuch in 1530. He was followed shortly after by the first complete English Bible by Miles Coverdale in 1537. It is remarkable how much of Tyndale and Coverdale remained into the King James and often some of the most memorable Bible lines which are cited in the text (see Psalm 23 for a good one). Chapter 3 'Protestant, Catholic, Bishop, Queen' describes the massive changes of the Reformation in England wrought under Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary Tudor, and Elizabeth I and how these events affected ongoing efforts to produce new translations. Several important ones were produced in this period, Mathews Bible, the Geneva Bible and the Bishops Bible. All this leading to Chapter 4, 'King' and the accession of James I (son of Mary Queen of Scots) who ensured the triumph of Protestantism in England and commissioned the great Bible that carries his name. There is an interesting discussion of the six teams or 'companies' that were formed to carry out the work of translation and it was indeed an impressive roster of devout and very learned linguists and church historians. The achievement remains considerable, both religious and linguistic. In terms of the religious content Bobrick contends that the translators proved faithful to the Hebrew, to the Greek, even (in a sense) to the Vulgate, with the English Bible owing much to the Latin of St. Jerome. The linguistic achievement was profound as well, with only about 8,000 words of vocabulary, nine-tenths of which were Anglo-Saxon words but with considerable Latin 'imparting stateliness and sonority'. It did this while remaining close to the Hebrew original of the OT with some of the most memorable phrasing--'Holy of Holies', 'Rock of Ages', 'Son of Man', etc. Bobrick quotes the famous English historian Thomas Macaulay on the impact of the KJV; "If everything else in our language should perish, it alone would suffice to show the extent of its beauty and power."
A key theme of Bobrick's book is how the vernacular Bibles in general and the English versions more specifically fed the both the Enlightenment and the evolution of modern democratic polity with its pillars of free and open inquiry. It is a convincing and well presented thesis, albeit somewhat compressed and could almost have been a separate book. It strikes me as astounding that eerily similar battles continue to be fought over who can say or write what across the globe with the West (and UK often leading) often paving the way in suppression of free inquiry.
There are five useful appendices--1) Chronology, 2) Evolution of the English Bible, 3) Comparative Translations, 4) The King James Translators by Company and Assignment, and 5) Richard Bancroft's 'Rules to Be Observed in the Translation of the KJV'. The footnotes are not a strong point of this book as others have pointed out, but the Bibliography is as complete as any but the most serious student might need (who would not be reading this anyway).
Finally, I am planning a One Year Bible reading in 2025 and this little book has helped me decide on a translation, yes the KJV (or perhaps New KJV). As Bobrick points out, the 1611 masterpiece is one of the most influential works in English literature and language (as well as its religious import, obviously) and it would be a shame to miss that for perhaps a slightly clearer translation of Greek or Latin.
March 17, 2023
This is a well-written and enjoyable history of the people and politics involved in the "creation" of the English Bible. This time of changing religious, political, and scientific thought has rippled its influences into our modern English world.
Though the history is sometimes represented simplistically, the overall narrative is a joy to follow and filled with interesting tidbits and tales. As big and complex as the real-life events are, the author does an excellent job of dealing with all the most pertinent pieces and putting them together in one cohesive and enjoyable story.
Though the history is sometimes represented simplistically, the overall narrative is a joy to follow and filled with interesting tidbits and tales. As big and complex as the real-life events are, the author does an excellent job of dealing with all the most pertinent pieces and putting them together in one cohesive and enjoyable story.
January 7, 2020
Felt more like I was reading a history of the English monarchy and how that affected the religious tides in the country than a history of the English translation of the Bible. Found it a little dry and weighty with monarchs and dates. But all in all it was definitely well researched, with the information laid out clearly. Gave a very clear picture of how England survived boughts of religious persecution over many centuries.
August 12, 2017
This is a good start, but to get the info on the Bible's history you must read hundreds of pages of political and religious history.
I realize that they are all interconnected, but there is way too much political detail and not enough Bible detail. Not enough detail is given on Erasmus or his Greek translation.
And Westcott and Hort are not mentioned at all !! How's that for BIble history?
I realize that they are all interconnected, but there is way too much political detail and not enough Bible detail. Not enough detail is given on Erasmus or his Greek translation.
And Westcott and Hort are not mentioned at all !! How's that for BIble history?
July 22, 2019
I found this book so interesting, given its focus on the translation of the Bible in English as the Church of England surfaces and becomes a force in the formation of Europe. However, I just find it sometimes confusing and out of focus, as it tends toward going through the nitty-gritty of the history of the crown rather than the Scriptures.
June 13, 2022
Amazing book that tells about the beauty, precision, and care that the English Bible translations underwent, with the goal of putting God's Holy Writ into the hands of the ploughman.
The creation of a people literate in God's Word led the way to self-government that began to spring forth in England, eventually taking root in America.
The creation of a people literate in God's Word led the way to self-government that began to spring forth in England, eventually taking root in America.
March 22, 2025
Excellent summary of the history of the English Bible and it's impact on English culture and ultimately American politics. It was pitched to me as a book primarily about Wycliffe and Tyndale, and though they were the bulk of the book, I was wanting more on the two of them. But still an excellent book.
August 29, 2018
Very well written. Great history information although the author is wrong about there being mistakes, errors, or possible improvements to the King James Bible. His history of the revolution was not as interesting to me, but still good.
October 16, 2018
History, Ideas, & Aftermaths
Bobrick walks the reader through a tumultuous sweep of time when the power of words (and the Word) changed the lives of men and the future of nations. Well worth the reading if you are interested in church history or that of western civilization.
Bobrick walks the reader through a tumultuous sweep of time when the power of words (and the Word) changed the lives of men and the future of nations. Well worth the reading if you are interested in church history or that of western civilization.
November 23, 2019
Rewarding overview of the English Reformation. Not as precise as Fatal Discord, but especially worthwhile for the overview of politics and the tracing of the many phrases that came into English via the various English Bibles.
December 23, 2022
This was a rather interesting way to approach the history of the English Bible. It was as much a history of the times around the English Bible as the Bible itself. This helps contextualize events around these translations and the role they played on the events in England.
March 20, 2023
God bless the men who worked tirelessly and sacrificed so much to bring us the word of God in our own tongue, who took pains to make what is high and glorious sound high and glorious, and whose diligence brought untold blessings including the rise of self-governance and the literacy of the people.
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