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Tyndale’s
Old and New Testaments were the first English translation of the scriptures
taken directly from the original Hebrew and Greek languages. They remain,
as the Times of London put it, "the basis of all English language Bibles
until the recent fiascos. It's phrases and cadences, both homely and pungent,
are so woven into the language as to be rarely recognised as the work of
an individual author [i.e., Wm. Tyndale]." Tyndale’s 1526 New Testament
was the first ever printed in English. In the 1530’s he also translated
the first fourteen books of the Old Testament. He thus became the first
man to translate anything from Hebrew into English -- as Hebrew was virtually
unknown in England at that time. |
The
sages assembled by King James to prepare the Authorized Version of 1611
(KJV), so often praised for their "group inspiration," took over Tyndale’s
work almost in its entirety. Over eighty-five percent of the Authorized
Version's New Testament and the first half of the Old Testament are taken
directly from Tyndale’s -- albeit unacknowledged. The same is true of the
Geneva Bible used by the Pilgrims and Puritans. Where the Authorized Version
wavered from its Tyndale roots, it frequently offered no improve- ment.
Tyndale carefully chose words which would clearly express the meaning of
the original Biblical languages. On occasion the King James translators
chose words more acceptable to the church hierarchy. For instance,
where Tyndale uses: "congregation", "elders" and "love" -- the KJV reverts
to the latin: "church", "bishops" and charity". |
.. |
| Compare the Bible's definition
of "Faith" as
found in Hebrews 11:1.
Tyndale relies on the original Greek whilst the King James (like the Rheims)
reverts to the Latin. Which translation best points to the promises
of God and the return of Christ? |
|
Tyndale 1534
|
King James 1611
|
Rheims (Catholic) 1582
|
| FAYTH is a sure confidence off thynges which
are hoped for, and a certayntie off thynges which are not sene. |
NOW faith is the substance of things hoped
for, the euidence of things not seen. |
AND faith is, the substance of things to be
hoped for, the argument of things not appearing. |
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