Customer Reviews

The Holy Bible: Douay-Rheims Version

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This is the complete Douay-Rheims Bible, Challoner revision, both the Old and New Testament according to the Catholic canon. Until the 1940's this was THE Catholic Bible in English, rivaling the King James Bible in stature, if not influence. It was completed in 1609, and revised in 1750. I own this very edition (ISBN 1-930278-24-1), and it is excellent: hardcover, clearly printed on sturdy paper in an easy to read, if somewhat old-fashioned, font. It is a careful translation of the Clementine Vulgate, and makes a splendid companion to that version for the novice latinist.

The Douay Rheims is the Catholic analog to the Protestant King James Version, but it was published before the KJV, the New Testament being published in 1582, and the complete Bible in 1609. This current available edition is actually a revision done by Bishop Challoner in 1752.

Although featuring archaic language like the KJV, the Douay Rheims is very readable for anyone reading at a high school level. It is graceful and literary. I find the Douay Rheims a little easier to read than the standard King James, but there is an update of the KJV called the Third Millennium Bible that is also easy to read.

The Douay Rheims was very influential on the KJV translators; in turn Challoner referred to the KJV as well as the Hebrew and Greek texts, while doing his translation primarily from the Latin Vulgate. So Protestant and Orthodox readers will be familiar with much of the traditional phrasing of the Douay Rheims.

I appreciate traditional Catholic renderings in the Douay Rheims such as the use of the word "Virgin" in Isaiah 7:14 and the phrase "Hail, full of Grace," in Luke 1:28.

The Douay Rheims has been criticized for some Latinisms that exist in the text, such as the "laver of regeneration" in Titus 3:5, and "do penance," rather than "repent" in Acts 2:38, and the use of the word "priest(s)" in passages translating the word "presbyter." But I actually like these Latinisms, and although Presbyter is more fairly and accurately translated elder or transliterated as presbyter, I think the use of priest is legitimate, since the English word priest comes from a Greek word which is simply a shortened form of presbyter.

The footnotes reflect sound Catholic teaching, unfortunately unlike the current approved NAB.

As a Byzantine Catholic, I appreciate the way Psalm 50 (51) is translated at verse seven: "For behold I was conceived in iniquities; and in sins did my mother conceive me." The plural "iniquities" and "sins" corresponds to the Septuagint as well as the Vulgate, and is the preferred translation of this verse by Byzantine Catholics and Orthodox.

I appreciate very much that Loreto keeps the Douay Rheims in print. The volume is bound well and very durable, I carry it around in my back pack all of the time.

There are three really good complete bibles with the duetero-canon/apocrypha for orthodox Christians, Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant:

The Douay Rheims Bible

RSV 2nd Catholic edition Bible

The Third Millennium Bible

I own all three, which are all on Amazon.com and recommend them highly.

Loreto's version of the authoritative Douay-Rheims Bible is both well designed and affordable. Compared to Baronius Press version it is less ornate and more down-to-earth (black and white maps as opposed to colored maps, only one encyclical letter as opposed to several, plain edges as opposed to gilt edges). The paper used is strong though not clumsy, very suitable for the size. In other words, it contains all the essentials while costs less. Though in terms of typesetting the Baronius version may be more crisp and clean and more modern. A very durable edition and definitely worth what it costs.

The contents of this Bible (and nearly every other in-print "Douay Rheims Bible") bear very little resemblance to the edition of the Bible published at Douay and Rheims between 1582 and 1610. That earlier Bible is truly unique and would be interesting to own; its Latinate interpretation of the Vulgate produces such remarkable English as (Ephes. 3:6), "The Gentils to be coheires and concorporat and comparticipant of his promis in Christ JESUS by the Gospel: whereof I am made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God, which is given me according to the operation of his power."

But, again, that 16th/17th century Bible is NOT what is for sale here or in most other editions ("The Original and True Douay Rheims Bible" seems to be an exception). Rather, this is the mid-18th century revision of the Douay-Rheims Bible by Richard Challoner. The same passage quoted above has been changed to, "That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body: and copartners of his promise in Christ Jesus, by the gospel, of which I am made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God, which is given to me according to the operation of his power." How did Challoner turn version A into version B? Very simple: by copying the King James Version so far as is consistent with the meaning of the Vulgate, as opposed to the Hebrew and Greek texts upon which the KJV is based. Of course, there are worse things to do than to copy the beautiful and monumental 1611 Bible! But some of the other reviews here imply that you're substantially getting a pre-1611 English Bible--not so.

I guess the Challoner revision has its uses; it is commonly the English Bible used for citations in Medieval studies, because Challoner's revision is careful NOT to follow the KJV when this would mean abandoning the meaning of the Vulgate. So, the Latinless reader who needs access to the Vulgate version usually depends on Challoner (the original Douay-Rheims New Testament is available online at gallica.bnf.fr/document?O=N053352).

The Challoner revision is significant as an official Catholic version in wide use for 200 years; but romantic enthusiasm should not claim any earlier charm or authority, since Challoner's has largely effaced, rewritten, and replaced the original Douay-Rheims. This is a composite text, in very many passages identical to and copied from the KJV, produced between 1749 and 1752.

Lovely prose, in keeping with when first transcribed. Good quality heavy Bible. Only issue is the font is a little 'busy' at times, but otherwise a good purchase

The Holy Bible: Douay-Rheims Version

My comments are not on the Douay Rheims Bible itself but the one published by Loreto Publications. I recently purchased a copy as I had given away my Baronius edition. Loreto's was a little cheaper and the reviews were good. It is a nice bible and has a more comprehensive Table of References than Baronius, and the same illustrations. The maps are black and white and therefore hard to read because of the black print on a dark grey background. It lies flat when open but the inner margin is a little too close to the centre and I have to press it down to read the inner column. For such a chunky bible it is quite light.

But the print, for me, is the only serious drawback. It is nice and dark but the words and letters and are too tightly packed and jammed together and after less than a minute I'm struggling with eye strain and on the verge of a headache because of it. I'm 63 years old and need glasses to read anything so a younger person may have no trouble. I quite like the bible itself and could live with the minor faults I mentioned, but I can't cope with the tight print. So I've had go back to the Baronius edition which has been freshly type-set and is much easier to read and a beautifully presented bible. The typos in this bible were largely corrected in the 2005 edition.

I was so happy when I discovered that I could purchase a Douay-Rheims Bible. What I find not so good is that the print is not very good because type-setting is much better as the Baronius Press and St. Benedict' Press in association with TAN has in their Bibles. The maps and illustrations are black and white. There is only one Papal encyclical, unlike the Baronius Press Bible, which has three of them. The timeline of history is different in the Loreto edition because it doesn't begin at the year 1 as the two former Bibles contain. The maps are not in color and a bit diffcult to read, but they are good maps. The notes of Bishop Richard Challoner are completely faithful to the Church. This Bible, is the Bible.