A Brief History of English Bible Translations [Paperback]

Laurence M. Vance (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1993

A brief history that is as complete as it is concise, this book traces the origin and development of English Bible translations from before the invention of printing to the present day. A brief synopsis of all modern translations is provided as well as an extended treatment of all essential and significant versions found throughout history. An exhaustive appendix is included listing each translation by year and author. A survey of the formation and establishment of the printed editions of the Hebrew and Greek texts is also included since they are the primary foundation upon which all translations are based. The book contains five chapters, along with a preface, introduction, epilogue, appendix, and bibliography.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A commendably accurate job of presenting the facts, and avoids common errors often found in contempory discussions of the subject. -- Target (January 1994)

The appendix is a great service to Bible collectors. -- Bible Collectors' World (October-December, 1994)

The book is exactly what the title suggests. I believe this book to be a very important work. -- The Baptist Evangel

This short book will prove helpful to those who need a synopsis of English Bible translations. -- Pulpit Helps (November 1993)

Whatever your view on biblical translations, ... this little book will give you information you ought to have. --The Baptist Preacher (November/December, 1994)

From the Publisher

Is the Bible the word of God? In previous decades, this question concerned the conservative declaration that the Bible was the verbally inspired, authoritative word of God. This affirmation was in opposition to the liberal position that the Bible only contained the word of God and the neo-orthodox view that the Bible merely becomes the word of God. Although this debate still rages in some circles, it is not the occupation of this book.

With the ongoing proliferation of English translations of the Bible, the question at hand takes on an entirely new meaning. The doctrine of the inspiration and authority of the Bible being presupposed, the query now becomes: Which Bible is the word of God? The alarming propensity at which each new translation finds acceptance among one group or another has even given rise to "specialty" versions which have been adapted to the assorted theological persuasions, lifestyles, and presuppositions of the reader. Aside from the obvious proclivity toward the corruption and misappropriation of the word of God, this practice further renders it necessary to not only inquire, but to ascertain which Bible or Bibles constitute the word of God.

The history of English translations of the Bible is a long and often controversial one. In the beginning, the objection was not to the character and constitution of the translation or the motive and methods of the translators, but to the actual fact of the existence of an unauthorized, vernacular translation of the Bible in English. In contrast, the predicament at the present time is not one of availability and acceptance, but of abundance and saturation.

By the time translations first appeared in the English language, the Bible had already been widely copied and circulated for hundreds of years in many different forms. Copies of portions of the Old Testament, which was originally written in Hebrew, were usually in the form of a scroll that would be unwound for reading. These scrolls were initially made from leather, and later from papyrus and vellum or parchment. The invention of the book-like codex provided another element to copy the Scriptures on. There are extant manuscripts in Hebrew both of the scroll and codex. The oldest known manuscript of the entire Hebrew Old Testament is the Leningrad Codex from about the year 1000.

Since it came later in time, the New Testament, which was originally written in Greek, is to be found copied extensively in codices. Most of these were constructed from papyrus. The extant manuscripts of the Greek New Testament, from which a text is established, consist of several types. Majuscules or uncials were written in block capital letters while minuscules or cursives approximate smaller cursive script. The Papyri are papyrus fragments that may contain entire books or only a few verses. In addition to these types of manuscripts, which number more than 3000, there are three other witnesses to the text of the New Testament. Lectionaries are books that contain selected passages of Scripture designed to be used in public church services throughout the year. Patristic citations are scriptural quotations included in the commentaries, sermons, and other writings of the Church Fathers. The final witness to the text of the New Testament is ancient versions, which are nothing more than translations of the Bible from Greek into languages including Coptic, Armenian, Georgian, Ethiopic, Gothic, Latin, Syriac, and Slavonic.

With the necessary materials available for the construction of the Hebrew and Greek texts, and the canon of Scripture being already decided, the actual formation and establishment of the biblical texts and their subsequent translation into the English Bible was ready to begin. It is here that we commence our historical examination, with only brief attention given to the period before.

There are several notable works that undertake to provide an exhaustive history of English Bible translations. The trouble is that their size and magnitude, together with their unavailability and expense, render them arduous to obtain. They are also usually somewhat antiquated and hence fail to adequately treat relatively modern translations. On the other end of the spectrum, there are readily obtainable publications that merely provide an analysis of a select few English versions. In between, we have treatments of the English Bible that are part of larger works on Bible manuscripts, Bible history, or ancient versions. These works are by their very nature inadequate for the pursuit of an exhaustive account of English Bible translations. Other works of singular purpose are likewise incomplete because of an emphasis on major translations or certain time periods. Exclusive issues of papers or articles are of negligible value due to their limited circulation. Not that all! of this material is not useful. It is the fact that all this material is required to reach a conclusion that this work has been undertaken.

The intention of this book is to trace the origin and development of English Bible translations from before the invention of printing to the present day. It is the history and composition and not the motive and accuracy of these English Bible translations that is the primary concern. Conclusions drawn from this history are treated in an epilogue. A brief synopsis of all modern translations is provided as well as an extended treatment of all essential and significant versions found throughout history: the disparity in the material regarding each translation being directly related to the importance and availability of information on each respective version. An appendix containing a comprehensive tabulation of all English translations of the Bible, both extant and extinct, supplements the work.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 127 pages
• Publisher: Vance Publications (July 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0962889814
• ISBN-13: 978-0962889813
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,025,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laurence M. Vance is an author, a publisher, a lecturer, a freelance writer, the editor of the Classic Reprints series, and the director of the Francis Wayland Institute. He holds degrees in history, theology, accounting, and economics. The author of nineteen books, he has contributed over three hundred articles and book reviews to both secular and religious periodicals.

Vance's writings have appeared in a diverse group of publications including the Ancient Baptist Journal, Bible Editions & Versions, Campaign for Liberty, LewRockwell.com, the Independent Review, the Free Market, Liberty, Chronicles, the Journal of Libertarian Studies, the Journal of the Grace Evangelical Society, the Review of Biblical Literature, Freedom Daily, and the New American. His writing interests include economics, taxation, politics, government spending and corruption, theology, English Bible history, Greek grammar, and the folly of war. He is a regular columnist and blogger for LewRockwell.com.

Vance is a member of the Society of Biblical Literature, the Grace Evangelical Society, and the International Society of Bible Collectors, and is an adjunct scholar of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very brief coverage of too many translations!, March 20, 2002

By 

Mark E. Miller (Kalamazoo, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Brief History of English Bible Translations (Paperback)

This short (114 pp) book provides a very brief overview of 166 (I counted them) translations of the Bible or New Testament, starting with Wycliffe and ending in 1991. As you can see, this limits the coverage of most versions to a short paragraph. Many of the versions covered are quite obscure, and not to be found outside of the rare books collections of major libraries. So if you want to know about Samuel Palmer's translation of the New Testament in 1765, get this book. Otherwise, if you want a more in-depth treatment of versions you are likely to find at the bookstore, along with a good short introduction to issues like text criticism and priciples of translation, I suggest "Essential Guide to Bible Versions", by Philip W. Comfort. Vance's book is not much help in actually choosing a Bible.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great little book for a big topic, September 3, 2008

By 

Michael A. Jones (godwin, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Brief History of English Bible Translations (Paperback)

This short concise book is a quick survey of all the English versions of the Bible. If you want a quick overview of all the English bibles without any opinion then this is a quick read you'll like to include in your library. It is very easy to read and can be finished in a sitting or two depending on your reading proficiency.