« | Psalm 80 | » |
1 [To the chiefe musition, vpon Sosannim Eduth, a psalme of Asaph.] Heare O thou shephearde of Israel, thou that leadest Ioseph lyke a sheepe: and thou that sittest vpon the Cherubims, shew thy gratious presence.
2 Before Ephraim, Beniamin, and Manasses: stirre vp thy strength, and come for to saue vs.
3 Turne vs agayne O Lorde: shewe the light of thy countenaunce, and we shalbe saued.
4 O God, Lorde of hoastes: howe long wylt thou be angry at the prayer of thy people?
5 Thou feedest them with the bread of teares: and geuest them plenteously teares to drinke.
6 Thou hast made vs a strife vnto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh vs to scorne.
7 Turne vs agayne thou Lorde of hoastes: shewe the light of thy countenaunce, and we shalbe saued.
8 Thou dydst translate a vine out of Egypt: thou didst cast out the Heathen, and planted it.
9 Thou madst roome before it: thou causedst it to take roote, and it hath filled the lande.
10 The hilles were couered with her shadowe: and goodly high Cedar trees with her bowes.
11 She stretched out her braunches vnto the sea: and her bowes vnto the riuer.
12 Why hast thou then broken downe her hedge: that all they whiche go by plucke of her grapes?
13 The wylde bore out of the wood rooteth it vp: and the wylde beast of the fielde deuoureth it.
14 Turne thee agayne thou God of hoastes I pray thee: loke downe from heauen, beholde and visite this vine
15 (80:14) and vineyarde that thy ryght hande hath planted, and the young braunche which thou hast fortified for thy selfe.
16 (80:15) It is brent with fire and cut downe: they shall perishe at the rebuke of thy countenaunce.
17 (80:16) Let thy hande be vpon the man of thy right hande: and vpon the sonne of man whom thou hast fortified for thyne owne selfe.
18 (80:17) And so we wyll not go backe from thee: thou shalt reuiue vs, and we wyll call vpon thy name.
19 (80:18) Turne vs agayne O God, Lorde of hoastes: shewe the light of thy countenaunce, and we shalbe saued.
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.