William Tyndale
Description
Tyndale's translation is one of the earliest English translations of the New Testament. It is especially noteworthy that it was produced in a time whe
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n the Bible was not allowed to be translated into vernacular languages. Nevertheless, Tyndale's work succeeded and is still available for study until the present time.
Scholars have regarded the 1534 edition as Tyndale’s definitive version of the New Testament. Though in 1535 he did issue another edition, the 1534 edition remains his crowning work.
The sources for this edition of Tyndale’s New Testament are the following:
1. “The English Hexapla Exhibiting the Six Important English Translations of the New Testament Scriptures, Wiclif, Tyndale, Cranmer, Genevan, Anglorhemish, Authorized or King James Version published in 1841.”
2. “The Newe Testament dylygently corrected and compared with the Greke by William Tindale and finessed in the yere of oure Lorde God. A.M.D. & XXXIIII. in the moneth of Nouember.” Reprint edition.
The original spelling has been retained. One will notice in the text the many variations of spelling upon a particular word. This was very common in the early days of printing. At that time there was no uniform standard for the spelling of many words. The versification of this edition is mapped as closely as possible to the A.V. Since the early Bibles in English did not contain verse references, the English Hexapla was followed and corrected where there were any discrepancies. The versification of English Bibles did not occur until the introduction of the Geneva Bible, which was published in 1560.
The 1534 Tyndale Bible reflected in this text was Tyndale’s revised work upon his translation that was published in 1525. He had promised in that edition that he would accomplish a revision at a later date. By the pressures of pirated reprints of his 1525 edition and, in particular, George Joye’s work of revision without Tyndale’s consent, he was moved to revise his 1525 edition and give to the world this edition that came from the press in 1534. The scholars have regarded the 1534 edition as Tyndale’s definitive version of the New Testament, though in 1535, he did issue another edition. The 1534 edition remains his crowning work.
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