« | Song of Solomon 2 | » |
1 I am the rose of the fielde, and lillie of the valleys,
2 As the lillie among the thornes: so is my loue among the daughters.
3 Like as the apple tree among the trees of the wood: so is my beloued among the sonnes.
4 My delight is to sit vnder his shadowe, for his fruite is sweete vnto my throte.
5 He bringeth me into his wine seller, his banner spread ouer me, whiche is his loue.
6 Set about me cuppes of wine, comfort me with apples, for I am sicke of loue.
7 His left hande lyeth vnder my head, and his right hande shall imbrace me.
8 I charge you (O ye daughters of Hierusalem) by the roes and hindes of the fiede, that ye wake not vp my loue, nor touche her, tyll she be content her selfe.
9 Me thinke I heare the voyce of my beloued: lo, there commeth he hopping vpon the mountaines, and leaping ouer the litle hilles.
10 My beloued is lyke a roe or a young hart: beholde he standeth behinde our wall, he looketh in at the windowe, and peepeth thorowe the grace.
11 My beloued aunswered and sayd vnto me: O stande vp my loue, my beautifull, and go to thyne owne: for lo the winter is nowe past, the rayne is away and gone.
12 The flowres are come vp in the field, the tyme of the byrdes singing is come, and the voyce of the turtle doue is hearde in our lande.
13 The figge tree bryngeth foorth her figges, and the vines beare blossomes and haue a good smell.
14 O stande vp then and come my loue my beautifull, [and come I say] O my doue, out of the caues of the rockes, out of the holes of the wall, O let me see thy countenaunce and heare thy voyce: for sweete is thy voyce, and fayre is thy face.
15 Get vs the foxes, yea the litle foxes that hurt the vines: for our vines beare blossomes.
16 My loue is mine, & I am his, whiche feedeth among the lillies vntill the day breake, and till the shadowes be gone:
17 Come agayne O my beloued, and be lyke as a roe or a young hart vpon the wyde mountaines.
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.