« | Psalm 45 | » |
1 [To the chiefe musition (on the instrument) Sosannim (to be song of the) children of Corach. A song of loue, geuyng wise instructions.] My heart is endityng of a good matter: I wyll dedicate my workes vnto the king, my tongue is as the penne of a redy writer.
2 Thou art fayrer then the children of men, full of grace are thy lippes: because the Lorde hath blessed thee for euer.
3 Girde thee with thy sworde vpon thy thygh O thou most mightie: [that is] with thy glorie and thy maiestie.
4 Prosper thou with thy maiestie, ryde on the worde of trueth and of affliction for ryghteousnesse sake: and thy ryght hande shall teache thee terrible thynges.
5 Thyne arrowes are sharpe: a people the kynges enemies shall submit in heart them selues vnto thee.
6 Thy throne O Lorde endureth for euer and euer: the scepter of ryghteousnesse is the scepter of thy kyngdome.
7 Thou hast loued iustice and hated vngodlynesse: wherfore the Lorde euen thy Lorde hath annoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse more then thy felowes.
8 All thy garmentes smell of Myrre, Aloes, and Cassia, out of the iuorie palaces: wherby they haue made thee glad.
9 Kynges daughters are amongst thy honourable women: vpon thy ryght hande standeth the queene in a vesture of golde of Ophir.
10 Hearken O daughter and consider, encline thine eare: forget also thine owne people and thy fathers house.
11 So shall the kyng haue pleasure in thy beautie: for he is thy Lorde, and worship thou hym.
12 And the daughter of Tyre shall come with a present: the riche among the people shall make their earnest prayer before thee.
13 The kynges daughter is all glorious within: her clothyng is of wrought golde.
14 She shalbe brought vnto the kyng in rayment of needle worke: the virgins that folowe her and her company shalbe brought vnto thee.
15 With ioy and gladnesse shall they be brought: [and] shal enter into the kinges palace.
16 In steade of thy fathers, thou shalt haue children: whom thou mayst make princes in all landes.
17 I wyll remember thy name from one generation vnto another: therfore shall the people prayse thee worlde without ende.
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.