Great Bible facts for kids

The Great Bible of 1539 was the first official English Bible. King Henry VIII of England allowed it to be read aloud in Church of England services. Myles Coverdale created this Bible. He worked for Thomas Cromwell, who was a top advisor to King Henry VIII.

In 1538, Cromwell ordered churches to get "one book of the Bible of the largest volume in English." This Bible was to be placed where people could easily read it. The Great Bible used much of the earlier Tyndale Bible. However, it removed parts that church leaders did not like.

The Tyndale Bible was not finished. So, Coverdale translated the rest of the Old Testament and other books. He used Latin and German translations. He did not use the original Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic texts for these parts.

It was called the Great Bible because of its large size. It also had other names. It was known as the King's Bible because King Henry VIII approved it. It was also called the Cromwell Bible, as Thomas Cromwell oversaw its printing. Sometimes it was called Whitchurch's Bible after its first English printer. It was also known as the Chained Bible. This was because it was often chained in churches to stop people from taking it.

Creating the Great Bible

The Tyndale New Testament came out in 1525. His English version of the first five books of the Old Testament followed in 1530. But both Bibles had words and notes that the King and church leaders did not like.

King Henry VIII banned Tyndale's books in 1530. The King then promised an official English Bible. This Bible would be made by smart and religious scholars. In 1534, Thomas Cranmer tried to start this project. He asked ten bishops to work together on an English New Testament. But most bishops were slow or did not do their part.

The King grew impatient with the slow progress. He believed that a lack of religious knowledge among people caused problems. Since the bishops were not finishing their work, Cromwell got approval for the Matthew Bible in 1537. This Bible was published under the fake name "Thomas Matthew." The real editor was John Rogers. Cromwell helped pay for its printing. The Matthew Bible included William Tyndale's New Testament. It also had the parts of the Old Testament that Tyndale had translated.

Both Coverdale's Bible and the Matthew Bible were allowed by Henry VIII. But neither was fully accepted by the Church. By 1538, it became a rule for all churches to have an English Bible. This was part of Thomas Cromwell’s orders.

Coverdale based the Great Bible on Tyndale's work. He removed the parts that bishops found wrong. He translated the rest of the Old Testament using mostly Latin and German versions. Because Coverdale did not translate from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts, it led to the later Bishops' Bible.

The Great Bible's New Testament added many phrases from the Latin Vulgate. These phrases were not in the Greek text that Tyndale used. This was done to make the Great Bible more acceptable to traditional church leaders. Many of them thought the Vulgate was the only true Bible.

The psalms in the Book of Common Prayer (from 1662) still use text from the Great Bible. They do not use the King James Bible version. In 1568, the Bishops' Bible replaced the Great Bible as the official version for the Anglican Church. The last of over 30 editions of the Great Bible came out in 1569.

How the Great Bible Was Printed

Myles Coverdale and Richard Grafton went to Paris to print the Bible. They worked with a French printer named François Regnault. They had help from Bonner, who was then the British Ambassador in Paris. There was always a fear of the Inquisition, a religious court.

Coverdale sent many finished pages through Bonner to Cromwell. Just as this was done, Inquisition officers arrived. Coverdale and Grafton escaped. Many printed pages were sold as waste paper. But Cromwell's agents bought them back. They were then sent to London. Cromwell bought the printing equipment from Regnault. He also hired his workers.

The first edition had 2,500 copies. Printing started in Paris in 1539. About 60% of the printing was done in Paris. French authorities seized some printed pages. They claimed it was heresy because relations between England and France were difficult. The remaining 40% of the Bible was finished in London in April 1539.

Two very fancy editions were printed for special presentation. One was for King Henry VIII. The other was for Thomas Cromwell. These were printed on parchment, not paper. The woodcut pictures in these Bibles were painted by hand. They looked like beautiful old illuminated manuscripts. King Henry VIII's copy is now in the British Library in London. Thomas Cromwell's copy is at St John’s College in Cambridge, England.

The Great Bible had six more updates between 1540 and 1541. The second edition in 1540 included a preface by Thomas Cranmer. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury. He encouraged people to read the Bible. Cranmer’s preface was also put in the later Bishops' Bible.

Seven editions of the Great Bible were published quickly:

• 1539, April – Printed in Paris and London by Richard Grafton & Edward Whitchurch.
• 1540, April – Printed in London by Richard Grafton & Edward Whitchurch. It included Archbishop Thomas Cranmer's preface. The Apocryphal Books were placed among the Old Testament books.
• 1540, July – Printed in London by Richard Grafton & Edward Whitchurch. It included Archbishop Cranmer's preface, but Cromwell's shield was removed from the title page.
• 1540, November — Printed in London by Richard Grafton & Edward Whitchurch. It had the title page of 1541 and Archbishop Cranmer's preface.
• 1541, May – Printed in London by Edward Whitchurch. It included Archbishop Cranmer's preface.
• 1541, November – Printed in London by Edward Whitchurch. It included Archbishop Cranmer's preface.
• 1541, December – Printed in London by Edward Whitchurch. It included Archbishop Cranmer's preface.

More than 9,000 copies of the Great Bible were printed by 1541.

• 1549, ________ – Printed in London by Edward Whitchurch.

In 1568, the Bishops’ Bible replaced the Great Bible. The last of over 30 editions of the Great Bible appeared in 1569.

Language of the Great Bible

The language of the Great Bible shows the start of Early Modern English. This is the English spoken before the time of Queen Elizabeth I. The text was read regularly in churches. This helped to make the English language more standard across England. Some parts of this first official English Bible are different from the more common 1611 King James Bible.

Illustrations in the Great Bible

The woodcut pictures in the early Great Bible editions show a simple style. They do not use the advanced drawing techniques of the Renaissance. Even though this Bible was made during the Renaissance, its art looks more like older medieval woodcuts. These woodcut designs also appear in a French Bible from 1545. The French artist may have been influenced by an Italian artist named Giovanni Andrea Valvassori. He made a picture Bible in 1511. The pictures in the Great Bible have a simple charm. They lack the advanced depth that became common in Renaissance art.

What Happened Next

Later in King Henry VIII's rule, there were some changes. In 1542, church leaders tried to make the English Bible more like the Latin version. But Cranmer stopped this. The next year, Parliament limited who could read the English Bible. This meant nine out of ten people could not read it. Three years later, only the Great Bible was allowed. Many earlier English Bibles were likely destroyed around this time. Even some who had supported the Great Bible wanted to distance themselves from it. King Henry VIII died on January 28, 1547.

See also

• Matthew Bible
• Geneva Bible
• Bishops' Bible