Product Description

The publication in 1526 of a modestly-priced pocket edition of the New Testament in English was arguably the most important single event in the history of the English Reformation. This volume is a complete reprint of William Tyndale's pioneering translation of the New Testament from Greek into English. Produced at the same size as the original edition, it presents Tyndale's words in the original spelling. It has been transcribed and edited by Dr W.R. Cooper, and has an introduction by David Daniell, author of a biography of Tyndale and Chairman of the Tyndale Society. William Tyndale's influence has been as wide as Shakespeare's . Between 1525 and 1535 he gave us our English Bible, translating the whole of the New Testament and half of the Old Testament. His pocket-sized Bibles were smuggled into England, ruthlessly sought out by the Church, confiscated and destroyed. Tyndale himself was condemned as a heretic, strangled and burned outside Brussels in 1536.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #61698 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 576 pages

Review
You can't keep a Good Book down..... --The Book Collector

Customer Reviews

Review of the first all modern English Bible
I purchased this Bible from the British Library as they published it for the 2000 millennium. It was a careful rewrite of the 1526 edition with corrected spellings taken from the 1536 edition. One problem for the modern reader is that there are no verses only chapter headings. It is therefore difficult to match verse by verse with other translations. The spelling is original but well worth reading. One helpful tip; Tyndale was a Gloucestershire man so try reading aloud in a Gloucestershire accent and it really does come alive!
W.R.Cooper who was given the task of reviewing the three remaining original manuscripts has done a remarkable job. On occasions Tyndale reads better than other translations. Take for instance the difficult word propitiation in Romans 3:25. Tyndale calls it 'seat of mercy.' In fact his translation was so good that the King James translators took large parts of Tyndale and transported it direct into their pages. I have compared every text of the Book of Romans against the New King James Version and Tyndale. There are whole sections of text where little if any changes are noticed. He uses words like 'favour' for 'grace' 'valour' for 'forbearance'.

Just to give one comparison with the New King James Version, we read in Romans 3:31

"Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law." NKJV

"Do we then destroye the lawe throw fayth? God forbid. We rather mayntayne the lawe.." (Tyndale original spelling.)

"Do we then destroy the law through faith? God forbid. We rather maintain the law." (Tyndale modern version by review writer.)

Notice the different use of words in this verse as an example where there are changes. Tyndale uses 'destroy' instead of 'void'. 'God forbid' instead of 'Certainly not 'maintain' instead of 'establish'. We also need to bear in mind changes in the meaning of words since 1526.

To sum up. The Christian reader will find much to learn from Tyndale's beautiful translation. On occasion he is to be preferred to other translations. Reading this translation has brought much enjoyment and enrichment when reading the Word of God. I recommend it highly.

Read aloud
Great bible version to read aloud. Try it in a mock Scottish accent, it works a treat! Compares well with modern translations (e.g. ESV, NIV, TNIV) and makes a refreshing alternative. Thank God for Tyndale.

Excellent Resource
This book provides the Tyndale edition in original spelling, which is an excellent resource. We are greatly indebted to the British Library and to the editors for making it available. By having the original spelling, we are able to get a true feel for the English of the period.