« | Psalm 62 | » |
1 [To the chiefe musition vpon Iudethun, a psalme of Dauid.] My soule truly only stayeth vpon the Lorde: for of him commeth my saluation.
2 He onlye is my rocke and my sauing helpe: he is my refuge, so that I can not be remoued greatly.
3 Howe long wyll ye imagine mischiefe against euery man? ye shalbe slayne all the sort of you: [ye shalbe] as a tottering wall, [and like] a broken hedge.
4 They deuise only howe to thrust [him] from his promotion: they delight in a lye, they blesse with their mouth, and curse with their heart. Selah.
5 [Neuerthelesse] O my soule, stay thou only vpon the Lorde: for my confidence is in him.
6 He only is my rocke and my sauing helpe: he is my refuge, so that I can not be remoued.
7 In the Lorde is my health and my glory: my trust is in the Lorde the fortresse of my force.
8 O ye people, put your trust in hym alway: powre out your heartes before him, for the Lorde is our hope. Selah.
9 As for the chyldren of men, they be onlye but vanitie, the chyldren of lordes be but a lye: vpon the wayghtes they [be] altogether [lighter] then vanitie in selfe.
10 O trust not in wrong [dealing] and spoyling: geue not your selues vnto vanitie, if riches encrease, set not your heart [vpon them.]
11 The Lord spake it once, [but] I haue hearde it twise, that power and mercy belongeth to thee O Lorde God:
12 (62:11) for thou rewardest euery man according to his worke.
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.