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English Translations of the Bible

Bárbara Santos Grazina

FLUL, Fall semester 2022/2023

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History and Theory of Translation

Lecturer: Prof. Zsófia Gombár

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John Wycliffe

  • 1328-1384
  • Theologian, professor and reformer

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Vernacular Translations: Prohibited?

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Vernacular Translations Before Wycliff

In 1408, the Synod of Oxford passed a law that prevented any unauthorized translation of the Bible into English and forbade the reading of such unauthorized translations.

  • For the sake of avoiding misinterpretations and thus maintaining unity.

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  • 7th century: Caedmon, monk, translated great portions of the Bible into common language in paraphrase
  • 8th century: Translations of Venerable Bede, monk and of the Bishop of Sherborne, of Guthlac and Egbert (Bishop) into Saxon
  • 9th – 10th century: King Alfred’s translation of the Psalms. Also the translations of Aelfric. (free translations), popular renderings of Holy Scripture like the Book of Durham, and the Rushworth Gloss and others that have survived the wreck of ages.”
  • “several specimens still known, such as the paraphrase of Orm (about 1150) and the Salus Animae (1050), the translations of William Shoreham and Richard Rolle, hermit of Hampole (died 1349).”
  • ‘The whole Bible long before Wycliff’s day was by virtuous and well-learned men translated into the English tongue, and by good and godly people with devotion and soberness well and reverently read’ (More, T. A Dialogue Concerning Heresies, chapter XIV).

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William Tyndale

  • 1490-1536
  • Humanist, biblical translator and reformer
  • Influenced by Martin Luther
  • Translated the New Testament from the original Greek and Hebrew

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William Tyndale’s translation

His changes:

  • ‘Repentance’ instead of ‘penance’
  • ‘Church congregation’ instead of ‘senior’ (priest)
  • ‘Knowledge’ instead of ‘confession’
  • ‘Favor’ instead of ‘grace’
  • ‘Troubled heart’ instead of ‘contrite heart’

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Tyndale’s production was, at first, very controversial. King Henry VIII condemned Tyndale’s translation and demanded his execution.

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King James

  • Born 1566, reigned from 1603 to 1625
  • Successor of Queen Elizabeth I
  • Wanted to produce an English Bible because of the poor and tendentious copies circulating in England

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King James Bible or Authorized Version

  • Used Old English personal pronouns (thee, thy, ye, you)
  • 15 rules: no notes on margins and use of common language
  • 48 experts
    • Subcommittees
    • Revising committee
    • Bishops
    • Archbishop of Canterbury
    • King James 🡪 approval
  • Had to sound right
  • Numerous printing mistakes
  • English of the King James Bible influenced the development of English into its modern era

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Douay-Rheims Bible

  • Translated by exiled Catholics
  • Published in 1610, before the King James translation
  • Translated to safeguard catholic tradition
  • From Latin vulgate (authoritative holder of the Catholic Church’s tradition) 🡪 allows for coherence in scriptural references
  • Its language had later to be updated because of the KJB’s influence

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Bibliography

  • “Compulsory Reading” from the course’s website (History and Theory of translation 2022)
  • G. Graham, H., Where We Got the Bible: Our Debt to the Catholic Church, chpt. II
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmhHMoBvEE0&t=211s

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