RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Bible Versions
thorized Version.
orthography introduced in Challoner's various editions (see Challoner, Richard), still remains such. American editions were published in New York in 1854 and 1861. Consult Henry Cotton, Rhemes and Doway (Oxford, 1855); F. E. C. Gigot (Roman Catholic), General Introduction to the Study of the Scriptures (New York, 1900), pp. 345 sqq.]
Puritan dissatisfaction with existing versions, or perhaps with the existence of another version than the one used and approved by themselves, was urged by John Reynolds (q.v.), head of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, at the Hampton Court Conference (q.v.) in Jan., 1604. The idea of a new Bible translation, to be made ostensibly at his instance and under his direction, was congenial to James I. By the summer of 1604 the preliminaries were completed. A commission of six " companies," each of nine scholars (two 6. The Au- companies each in Westminster, Oxford, and Cambridge; actually fortyseven members took part; for names of the translators, the division of the work, and much other information about the Authorized Version in convenient form, cf. Mombert's Hand Book, chap, xiii; Schaff's Companion, chap, vii), was appointed by James and very strict rules were laid down for the work. After years of labor (although some say that the work really began only in 1607 and lasted but two years and a half), during which some passages were wrought over fourteen or even seventeen times, the version appeared in 1611 in two folio editions, set up and printed at the same time so as to have a large number of copies very quickly; in the same year a duodecimo edition came out, of which only one copy (in the Lenox Library, New York City) is said to be known, and in 1613 what is called the second folio edition. The translation was then called " The Authorized Version " (although it does not appear ever to have been " authorized ") or " King James's Version," and the title read " Appointed to be read in Churches." The translation was good, clear, dignified, idiomatic, and suited to the people. Of course, like everything new, it was at first and for a long time sharply attacked, but little by little it made its way, and in 1661 the Epistles and Gospels in the English prayer-book were changed to this translation. F. H. A. Scrivener published a critical edition of this version: The Cambridge Paragraph Bible of the Authorized English Version, etc. (Cambridge, 1873) , in which he compared many of the reprints, as well as the revisions of Dr. Paris in 1762, Dr. Blayney in 1769, and of the American Bible Society in 1867; unfortunately Scrivener does not give the exact text of 1611 or of 1613.
On Feb. 10, 1870, on motion of Samuel Wilberforce (q.v.), bishop of Winchester, the Convocation of Canterbury determined upon a revision of the Authorized Version (cf. Mombert, Hand Book, chap, xiv; Schaff, Companion, chap. _, viii). About thirty-seven scholars
Revised were asked to take up the Old Tes- Version. tament, and about twenty-nine the New Testament, although the number really working at any time was less. At least five religious bodies besides the Church of
England shared in the work. In like manner two groups of scholars from nine different religious bodies took up the work in America and the results of the deliberations were exchanged across the sea. The Greek text of the New Testament (cf. The Greek Testament with the Readings Adopted by the Revisers of the Authorized Version, Oxford, 1881) was thoroughly worked over and the translation made on the basis of the result compared with the translation of 1611, and in every detail filed and polished. The revised New Testament was published in England May 17, 1881, and in America, May 20, 1881; the Old Testament appeared May 19, 1885. Three million copies of the New Testament were sold within a year. The reception, especially in England, was at first, as was to be expected, not very friendly. A very few indeed were dissatisfied because too few alterations had been made. The great mass struggled against the change of old familiar words and found support in one scholar or another. Some conservative scholars condemned the English dress while they approved the changes made in the original text, and others took offense at the new readings in the original text, because they considered the common readings sacred. America had a peculiar reason for complaint, seeing that many an expression which American scholars had preferred was to be found only in the appendix, and they were bound not to issue a new edition within fourteen years. That time was up in 1896, and the American edition, a model of exact work, appeared in New York in 1901. As the years pass the revision gains friends, and gains them more rapidly than did the revision of 1611. Caspar Rene Gregory.
The following is a list (incomplete) of translations of the Bible or parts of it into English or attempts at revision of the Authorized Version by individuals previous to the revision of 1881-85 (see also Bibles, Annotated, and Bible Summaries, II). Daniel Mace, a Presbyterian clergyman, N. T. (2 vols., London, 1729; Gk. text with a scholarly but eccentric transl.); Anthony Purver, a Quaker, A New and Literal Transl. of All the Books of the O. and N. T. (2 vols., London, 1764; has notes); Edward Harwood, A Liberal Transl. of the N. T. (2 vols., London, 8. Minor 1768; described as an attempt to translate Versions, the sacred writings with the ' " freedom, spirit, and elegance " of other translations from the Greek; has notes and includes the First Epistle of Clement); Henry Southwell, entire Bible (London, 1782; the A. V. with notes, " wherein the mistranslations are corrected "); George Campbell, professor in Aberdeen, The Four Gospels (2 vols., London, 1789; has dissertations and notes); Gilbert Wakefield, a Unitarian, N. T. (3 vols., London, 1791); James Macknight, All the Apostolical Epistles (4 vols., Edinburgh, 179S; has commentary, notes, and life of Paul); William Newcome, archbishop of Armagh, N. T. (2 vols., Dublin, 1796; from Griesbach's text; a Unitarian version based on Newcome's work was issued by Thomas Belsham in 2 vols., London, 1808; Newcome also published " attempts " at improved versions of the Minor Prophets, 1785, and Ezekiel, 1788; his manuscript materials for a revised O. T. are in Lambeth Palace); Nathaniel Scarlett, successively a Methodist, Universalist, and Baptist, N. T. (London, 1798; with notes); David Macrae, A Revised Transl. and Interpretation of the Sacred Scriptures, after the Eastern manner, from concurrent authorities of the critics, interpreters, and commentators' copies and version*, showing that the inspired writings contain the seeds of the valuable sciences, etc. (2 parts, London, 1798-99); Charles Thomson, entire Bible, the O. T. from the Septuagint ; (4 vols., Philadelphia, 1808); John Bellamy, O. 1. tnrougu
Bible Versions