« | Psalm 92 | » |
1 [A Psalme, the song for the sabbath day.] It is a good thyng to confesse vnto God: and to syng psalmes vnto thy name O thou most hyghest.
2 To set foorth in wordes thy louyng kyndnesse early in the mornyng: and thy trueth in the nyght season.
3 Upon an instrument of ten strynges, and vpon the Lute: vpon the Harpe with a solemne sounde.
4 For thou God hast made me glad thorowe thy workes: I do reioyce in the workes of thy handes.
5 O God howe glorious are thy workes? thy thoughtes are very depe.
6 An vnwise man doth not consider this: and a foole doth not vnderstande it.
7 Wheras the vngodly do bud vp greene as the grasse, and wheras all workers of iniquitie do florishe: that they [notwithstandyng] shalbe destroyed for euer and euer.
8 But thou O God: art the most highest for euermore.
9 For lo, thine enemies O God, lo thine enemies shall perishe: & all the workers of wickednesse shalbe destroyed.
10 But my horne shalbe exalted lyke the horne of an vnicorne: for I am annoynted with excellent oyle.
11 And myne eye shall see those that lye in wayte for me: myne eare shall heare the malitious persons that rise vp agaynst me.
12 The ryghteous shall florishe lyke a paulme tree: and shall spread abroade like a Cedar in Libanus.
13 Such as be planted in the house of God: shall florishe in the courtes of our Lorde.
14 They shall styll bryng foorth fruite in their age: they shalbe fat and florishyng.
15 For to set foorth in wordes that God is vpright: he is my rocke, and no iniquitie is in hym.
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.