« | Psalm 56 | » |
1 [To the chiefe musition as concerning the dumbe doue in a farre countrey, the golden psalme of Dauid, when the Philistines toke him in Geth.] Be mercifull vnto me O Lorde: for man goeth about to deuour me, he dayly fyghtyng, oppresseth me.
2 Myne enemies are dayly in hande to swalowe me vp: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most highest.
3 [Neuerthelesse] at all times as I am afraide: I put my whole trust in thee.
4 In the Lord I wyll prayse his word: in the Lorde I haue put my trust, and I wyll not feare what flesh can do vnto me.
5 My wordes dayly put me to sorow: all that they do imagine, is to do me euill.
6 They flocke together, they kepe them selues close: they marke my steppes, that they may lye in wayte for my soule.
7 Shall they escape for their wickednes? O Lorde in thy displeasure cast downe headlong this people.
8 Thou hast numbred my flittinges, thou hast put my teares in thy bottell: [are] not these thinges [noted] in thy booke?
9 Whensoeuer I call vpon thee, then shall myne enemies be put to flight: this I know, for the Lorde is on my side.
10 In the Lord I wyll prayse the word: In God I wyll prayse the worde.
11 In the Lorde I put my trust: I wyll not be afraide what man can do vnto me.
12 O Lorde, thy vowes be vpon me: vnto thee wyll I geue thankes & praise.
13 For thou hast deliuered my soule from death, and my feete from falling: that I may walke before the Lorde in the light of the liuing.
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.