« | Psalm 63 | » |
1 [A psalme of Dauid when he was in the wyldernesse of Iuda.] O Lorde thou art my Lorde: early in the morning I do seeke thee. (63:2) My soule thirsteth for thee: my fleshe also longeth after thee in a baren and drye lande [where] no water is.
2 (63:3) [To see thee] euen so [as] I haue seene thee in the sanctuary: that I might beholde thy power and glory.
3 (63:4) For thy louing kindnes is better then life [itselfe]: my lippes shall prayse thee.
4 (63:5) As long as I liue I wyll blesse thee on this maner: and in thy name I wyll lyft vp my handes.
5 (63:6) My soule is satisfied euen as it were with mary and fatnes: and my mouth prayseth thee with ioyfull lippes.
6 (63:7) Haue I not remembred thee in my bed: and thought vpon thee when I was waking?
7 (63:8) Because thou hast ben my helper: therfore vnder the shadowe of thy wynges do I reioyce.
8 (63:9) My soule cleaueth fast vnto thee: thy right hande hath vpholden me.
9 (63:10) And they [that] seeke my soule to oppresse [it]: shall go vnder the earth.
10 (63:11) Euery one of them shalbe killed with the edge of a sworde: and they shalbe a portion for Foxes.
11 (63:12) But the king shal reioyce in the Lord, al they shal glory that sweare by him: for the mouth of all them that speake a lye, shalbe stopped.
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.