Coverdale Bible facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coverdale Bible |
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| The Holy Scripture (Myles Coverdale).djvu | |
| Full name: |
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| Abbreviation: | TCB |
| Complete Bible published: | 1535 |
| Copyright status: | Public domain due to age. |
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Genesis 1:1-3
In the beginning God created heaven and earth: and the earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the water. And God said: Let there be light, and there was light. |
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For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. |
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The Coverdale Bible was the first complete Bible translated into Modern English. Myles Coverdale created this important Bible. It was first published in 1535. This was a big step because it was the first time the entire Bible was printed in English. Before this, some parts were translated, but not the whole book.
Later versions of the Coverdale Bible were printed in England in 1537. These were the first complete Bibles printed in England itself. The 1537 edition even got a special approval from the king. This made it the first officially approved English Bible translation. Parts of the Coverdale Bible, like the Psalter (the book of Psalms), were used in other important Bibles and prayer books for many years.
The Story Behind the Coverdale Bible
The first Coverdale Bible was printed in 1535. For a long time, people weren't sure exactly where it was printed. But in 1997, it was discovered that the printer was Merten de Keyser in Antwerp, a city in modern-day Belgium.
Two people helped pay for the printing of this Bible. One was Jacobus van Meteren from Antwerp. The other was his nephew, Leonard Ortels. Leonard's son, Abraham Ortelius, later became a famous mapmaker.
Myles Coverdale also helped with another important Bible called the Great Bible in 1539. Even so, the Coverdale Bible continued to be printed. More than 20 different versions of the whole Bible or its New Testament were published. The very last one came out in 1553.
How the Translation Was Made
Myles Coverdale based his translation of the New Testament on the work of William Tyndale. Tyndale was another important Bible translator. For the Old Testament, Coverdale used Tyndale's published translation of the first five books, called the Pentateuch. He also used Tyndale's translation of the book of Jonah.
Coverdale did not use any of Tyndale's other Old Testament notes. Instead, Coverdale translated the rest of the Old Testament himself. He also translated the Apocrypha, which are books sometimes included in Bibles.
Coverdale knew some Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. But he wasn't an expert in these languages. So, he mostly worked from German Bibles. These included Martin Luther's Bible and a Swiss-German version. He also used Latin sources, like the Vulgate, which was a very old Latin Bible.
Other Important Bibles to Explore
- Tyndale Bible
- Matthew Bible
- Taverner's Bible
- Great Bible
