Hebrews 1 | » |
1 God which in time past, at sundrie tymes, and in diuers maners, spake vnto the fathers in the prophetes:
2 Hath in these last dayes, spoken vnto vs in the sonne, whom he hath appoynted heyre of all thynges, by whom also he made the worldes.
3 Who beyng the bryghtnesse of the glorie, and the very image of his substaunce, vpholdyng all thynges with the worde of his power, hauing by him selfe pourged our sinnes, hath syt on the ryght hande of the maiestie on hye:
4 Beyng so much more excellent then the Angels, as he hath by inheritaunce obtayned a more excellent name then they.
5 For vnto which of the Angels sayde he at any tyme: Thou art my sonne, this day haue I begotten thee?
6 And agayne, I wyll be to hym a father, and he shalbe to me a sonne? And agayne, when he bryngeth in the first begotten sonne into the worlde, he saith: And let all the Angels of God worship hym.
7 And vnto the Angels he sayth: He maketh his Angels spirites, and his ministers a flambe of fyre.
8 But vnto the sonne [he sayth] Thy seate O God, [shalbe] for euer and euer: The scepter of thy kyngdome [is] a scepter of ryghteousnesse.
9 Thou hast loued ryghteousnesse, and hated iniquitie: Therfore God, euen thy God, hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse, aboue thy felowes.
10 And thou Lorde, in the begynnyng hast layde the foundation of the earth: And the heauens are the workes of thy handes:
11 They shall perishe, but thou endurest, and they shall waxe olde as doth a garment:
12 And as a vesture shalt thou folde the vp, and they shalbe chaunged: but thou art the same, & thy yeres shall not fayle.
13 But vnto which of ye Angels sayde he at any tyme: Sitte on my right hande, tyll I make thyne enemies thy foote stoole?
14 Are they not all ministring spirites, sent foorth into ministerie for their sakes which shalbe heyres of saluation?
The Bishop’s Bible (BB)
The Bishop’s Bible (BB) is a significant English translation of the Bible that was first published in 1568 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It was commissioned by the Church of England as a revision of the Great Bible and as a response to the Geneva Bible, which was popular among the Puritans but contained marginal notes that were considered politically and theologically contentious by the Anglican establishment. The primary goal of the Bishop’ s Bible was to create a translation that would be more acceptable to the ecclesiastical authorities and suitable for use in Anglican churches.
One of the distinguishing features of the Bishop’s Bible is its effort to maintain a high level of accuracy and scholarly integrity while also ensuring that the language used was dignified and appropriate for public reading. The translation was undertaken by a team of bishops and other scholars, hence its name. The translators aimed to preserve the poetic and literary qualities of the original texts, drawing on previous translations such as the Tyndale Bible, the Coverdale Bible, and the Great Bible, while also incorporating their scholarly insights and linguistic refinements.
The Bishop’s Bible was notable for its large, folio format, which was designed to be read from the pulpit. It included extensive marginal notes, though these were more restrained and less controversial than those found in the Geneva Bible. The translation also featured elaborate illustrations and maps, as well as a comprehensive introduction and various prefaces that provided context and guidance for readers. Despite its grandeur and scholarly merit, the Bishop’s Bible did not achieve the widespread popularity of the Geneva Bible among the general populace.
Although the Bishop’s Bible played an essential role in the religious and cultural life of Elizabethan England, it was eventually overshadowed by the King James Version (KJV), which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611. The KJV drew heavily on the Bishop’ s Bible, as well as other earlier translations, but ultimately surpassed it in both scholarly rigor and literary quality. Nonetheless, the Bishop’s Bible remains an important milestone in the history of English Bible translations, reflecting the theological and political currents of its time and contributing to the development of subsequent translations.