The 1560 Geneva Bible was the first English Bible to use numbered verses, it’s known for its single column format, and for being much smaller than previous English Bibles. This Bible features a new contemporary translation of the Old Testament and New Testament from the original source texts. This edition of the 1560 Bible is smaller in size than previous versions allowing it to be a more convenient carry around version.
The Geneva Bible was the most widely circulated English-language bible in the sixteenth century. It was published in 1560 and was used by both Protestants and Catholics. The Geneva Bible is known for its extensive marginal notes, which offer commentary on everything from the history of the scriptures to contemporary politics.
The Geneva Bible was printed by Robert Estienne (also known as Stephanus) in Paris. He hired a number of editors to work on different sections of the text, including William Whittingham (who worked on Job), Thomas Sampson (who worked on Psalms and Proverbs), and Miles Coverdale (who worked on Ezra). Coverdale’s edition of the bible, which included his own translation of the New Testament, was published in 1535 under Queen Mary Tudor’s reign; it was illegal until after her death in 1558 when Elizabeth I took power. The first edition of this comprehensive Bible was published in 1560; it became popular with Protestants who wanted a more literal interpretation than had been provided by previous translations such as Tyndale or King James versions.”
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1560 Geneva Bible Pdf
The Geneva Bible is an English translation of the Bible.
The Geneva Bible is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into English, preceded by Miles Coverdale’s translation (1535) and succeeded by the Bishops’ Bible (1568). It was the primary Bible of 16th-century English Protestantism and was used by William Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, John Knox, John Donne, and John Bunyan.
The Geneva Bible was used by many English Dissenters, and it was still respected by Oliver Cromwell’s soldiers at the time of the English Civil War. By the nineteenth century however it had become uncommon; people preferred to use editions of it revised for modernity in language. In America its use was always much more restricted than that of other versions such as the KJV. For example George Washington ordered an officer on his staff to buy copies for all his men stationed upstate New York in 1776.
It is still valued for its marginal notes which are often pithy studies on individual words or topics rather than just explanations of difficult phrases or passages as found in some other Bibles of this era
It’s the oldest complete English Bible.
First, it’s important to know there have been plenty of English Bibles. The first complete English Bible was the Tyndale Bible, published in 1526. After that, came the Coverdale Bible in 1535, which was the first complete printed English Bible. The Matthew’s Bible (1537) was a complete English Bible both printed and translated in England — so it’s important to know this isn’t the oldest complete English Bible.
It was completed over a century before the King James Version was published.
The Geneva Bible was completed in 1560. King Henry VIII had commissioned the first English translation of the Bible in 1525, but it was only a partial translation (the New Testament). As a result, an English version that was complete in all parts of the Bible did not exist until this point. It was also the first to use numbered verses and verse divisions. The King James Version appeared 51 years later and would become more prominent, but the Geneva Bible had already laid some important groundwork for its future success.
It departs significantly from older translations in its use of vernacular language and also in its expansive and literal renderings of stories.
The Geneva Bible is notable for a number of reasons. It was the first Bible in English to use chapters and verse numbers based on the work of Stephan Langton (c. 1150–1228) and others. This division into smaller sections was easier for readers, especially those who were illiterate or who struggled with reading. The Geneva Bible was also the first English translation to use a vernacular language (the language spoken by ordinary people), rather than Latin, which made it more comprehensible to the common people.
Another notable feature of this Bible is that it uses expansive and literal translations from the original texts of both stories we know well today and those that are less familiar.
The Geneva Bible also departs from older translations in its use of vernacular language: ‘thou’ is replaced with ‘you,’ for example, and there are many other changes too small to notice but which nevertheless make this translation more accessible, moving away from earlier versions which used Latin words that had become obsolete by this period in time.
It reflects an upstart late-medieval religious tradition rather than a monastic tradition, which is reflected in its lack of religious glosses and tabulae.
The Geneva Bible is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into English, preceding the King James translation by 51 years. It was the primary Bible of 16th-century English Protestantism and was used by William Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, John Knox, John Donne, and John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress (1678), among many others.
It was first published in 1560 in a folio format with numerous woodcut illustrations.
It was the first English Bible to use verse numbers based on the work of Stephanus. It also had extensive marginal notes which were used as a commentary on the scripture text (similar to how modern study Bibles have notes explaining words or passages). Over 150 editions were issued; the last edition was printed in 1644. The Geneva Bible went through over 140 printings; more than any other version of the Bible before 1700 – with almost two million copies published at a price within reach of nearly all working class families.[3]
This bible was well ahead of its time
If you’ve fallen down a rabbit hole, as I often do, and started researching early editions of the Bible, you may have come across the Geneva Bible. A significant number of historical firsts make this particular translation particularly interesting. For example, not only was the 1560 Geneva translation the first English translation to be mass-produced as a result of new printing techniques developed in Europe at that time, but it was also among the first English translations to utilize verse numbers. Perhaps most significantly for history buffs and American genealogists alike is that it was also the first edition of an English Bible to be brought to America.
Why Was The Geneva Bible Banned
Imagine if the President of the United States outlawed your version of the Bible because he considered it to be a threat to his rule.
Imagine that he authorized a new Government “approved” version for you to read instead.
That’s exactly what happened in the tumultuous year of 1611.
King James despised the revolutionary and “seditious” Geneva Bible.
He thought the Geneva Bible’s study notes on key political texts threatened his authority, so he outlawed it and ordered a new translation of the Bible – the King James (Authorized Version).
While the King James Version is an excellent translation, it was edited and authorized by the Government.
The Geneva Bible was not.
It was truly a Bible by the people and for the people.
The Geneva Bible is unique among all other Bibles.
It was the first Bible to use chapters and numbered verses and became the most popular version of its time because of the extensive study notes.
These notes were included to explain and interpret the Scriptures for the common people and laid the foundation for a Republican form of government.
For nearly half a century these notes helped the people of England, Scotland, and Ireland understand the Bible and true God-ordained liberty.
When the Pilgrims arrived in America in 1620, they brought the 1599 Geneva Bible.
You can see why this remarkable version with its profound study notes played a key role in the formation of the American Republic.
Today, the 1599 Geneva Bible has been all but forgotten.
But how did all this happen???
The Geneva Bible is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into English, preceding the King James Version by 51 years.!
It was the primary Bible of 16th-century English Protestantism and was used by William Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, John Knox, John Donne, and John Bunyan, author of The Pilgrim’s Progress (1678).
It was one of the Bibles taken to America on the Mayflower (Pilgrim Hall Museum has collected several Bibles of Mayflower passengers).
The Geneva Bible was used by many English Dissenters, and it was still respected by Oliver Cromwell’s soldiers at the time of the English Civil War, in the booklet “Cromwell’s Soldiers’ Pocket Bible”.
This version of the Bible is significant because, for the very first time, a mechanically printed, mass-produced Bible was made available directly to the general public which came with a variety of scriptural study guides and aids (collectively called an apparatus), which included verse citations that allow the reader to cross-reference one verse with numerous relevant verses in the rest of the Bible, introductions to each book of the Bible that acted to summarize all of the material that each book would cover, maps, tables, woodcut illustrations and indices.
Because the language of the Geneva Bible was more forceful and vigorous, most readers strongly preferred this version to the Great Bible.
Oldest Bibles Of All Time
All of you know what the Bible is, and most of you have seen one up close and personal. Perhaps you have read the full Bible, or you might even know some of the passages by heart. What you might not realize, however, is that the Bible isn’t quite what you think it is. The Book was written by many different people over hundreds of years. It has also been translated from the original books many times over.
To prove how fascinating the history of the Bible is, we have searched far and wide to find out more about the oldest Bible ever found. Before we get to that, however, we invite you to check out some of the oldest along the way:
10. The Bishop’s Bible
Publish Date: 1568
Language: English
Printer/Writer/Translator: Church of English Bishops
Discovery or Publish Location: England
The Bishops’ Bible is an interesting choice to start with. Immediately before the reign of Elizabeth I of England, her half-sister, Queen Mary, known as “Bloody Mary,” banned the Bible from England. When Elizabeth I took the throne, she immediately reinstated it, and asked the Archbishop of Canterbury, Matthew Parker, to come up with a new version of the Book. The result of this is known as The Bishop’s Bible.
The Bishop’s Bible was translated by fewer than 10 bishops, and was based on three earlier versions of the Bible: one in Greek, one in Latin, and one in Hebrew. Unfortunately, the language is quite archaic, there are several blunders, and though it’s possible to find, it’s rarely re-printed, today.
9. The Geneva Bible
Publish Date: 1560
Language: English
Printer/Writer/Translator: William Tyndale and Myles Coverdale
Discovery or Publish Location: Geneva, Switzerland
The Geneva Bible was created in 1560 in Geneva, Switzerland. However, it was an English Bible. During the reign of Queen Mary, many English theologians fled to other parts of Europe to continue their religious studies. It was due to this migration that the Geneva Bible came to be.
Mostly translated by William Tyndale, with help from Myles Coverdale, the Bible is one of the most significant in Christian history. It was the primary translation for many years, and it was even brought to America by the Pilgrims on the Mayflower. The Geneva Bible was also the first mechanically printed Bible to be mass produced, and was widely available to the general public. You can still find the Geneva Bible today.
8. The Great Bible
Publish Date: 1539
Language: Modern English
Printer/Writer/Translator: Myles Coverdale
Discovery or Publish Location: England
The Great Bible was commissioned by King Henry VIII of England. Every parish in the country was required by the King to buy a copy of this Bible from the Crown. There were six full editions of the Great Bible, and there were more than 9,000 copies made.
At the time, this was the only version of the Bible that was permitted to be read in English churches. Most of the Great Bible was based on the Tyndale Bible, which wasn’t so much a Bible at all. It was simply a collection Biblical texts written by William Tyndale. It was also the first Bible to have a colored title page.
7. The Coverdale Bible
Publish Date: 1535
Language: Modern English
Printer/Writer/Translator: Compiled by Myles Coverdale
Discovery or Publish Location: Zurich, Switzerland or Antwerp, Belgium
The Coverdale Bible was the first Bible to be a full Modern English translation of the full Bible, and it contained both the Old and the New Testaments. There were several editions of the Coverdale Bible, at least 20, and the final edition was published in 1553.
One of the most interesting things about the Coverdale Bible was the man who did most of the work in creating it. His name was Myles Coverdale, and he made a career out of Bible printing. In addition to this Bible, he also worked on other Bibles, including the Geneva Bible and the Great Bible.
6. The Leningrad Codex
Publish Date: 1008 AD
Language: Hebrew
Printer/Writer/Translator: Samuel ben Jacob, and Others
Discovery or Publish Location: Cairo, Egypt
The Leningrad Codex is known for being the oldest complete Hebrew translation of the Bible. In addition to its historical and religious significance, the Leningrad Codex is one of the best examples of Jewish medieval art in existence. This manuscript also proves that the Old Testament of the Bible has barely changed in thousands of years.
One of the unusual things about the Leningrad Codex is that some of the books are out of order when compared to the traditional Bible. It is also remarkably in great shape, considering it is more than 1,000 years old. Today, the Leningrad Codex is at the National Library of Russia.
5. The Aleppo Codex
Publish Date: 930 AD
Language: Hebrew
Printer/Writer/Translator: Masoretes
Discovery or Publish Location: Tiberias, Israel
The Aleppo Codex is a full manuscript of the Bible. It was held and protected for more than 1,000 years in a number of Jewish communities in Egypt, Jerusalem, and Syria, which is where it gets its name. It was held in Syria until 1958, when it was smuggled out of the country and given to Izhak Ben-Zvi,the President of Israel.
In total, this manuscript is 294 pages, though there are many missing pages due to damage from a riot in 1947. Since, there have been a number of attempts to find the missing pages, though ultimately, no one knows what has happened to them. Today, the Aleppo Codex is housed at the Shrine of the Book at the Israel Museum.
4. Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus
Publish Date: 460 AD
Language: Greek
Printer/Writer/Translator: Unknown Scribes
Discovery or Publish Location: Unknown, but Possibly Egypt
The Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus is another ancient Bible. Originally, it is believed that it was complete, but today, most of the Old Testament is missing, and only about 2/3 of the New Testament exists. Researchers believe that this text was written by two scribes, but their identities are not known.
Experts who have studied the Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus believe that those who wrote it were based on other manuscripts. The scribe switched from one manuscript to another as he wrote. Today, you can see the Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus in Paris. It is housed at the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
3. Codex Alexandrinus
Publish Date: 400 to 440 AD
Language: Greek
Printer/Writer/Translator: Unknown Scribes
Discovery or Publish Location: Alexandria , Egypt – Gifted to King Charles I of England in 1627
The Codex Alexandrinus is certainly one of the oldest Bibles in history. It is a total of 773 pages, and a full reproduction of the Bible is available on the website of the British Library. The pages are made of vellum, and it is hand-written. Because of the delicate nature of the Codex Alexandrinus, it is rarely touched.
According to some scholars, the Codex Alexandrinus could be one of the best in the world. It is regarded to be one of the most complete version of the New Testament. This is the New Testament version that most of our New Testaments are based on today.
2. Codex Sinaiticus (The Sinai Bible)
Publish Date: 330 – 360 AD
Language: Greek
Printer/Writer/Translator: Unknown Scribes
Discovery or Publish Location: Saint Catherine’s Monastery in the Sinai Peninsula
The Codex Sinaiticus was widely considered to be the oldest Bible in existence until the actual oldest Bible was scientifically dated. The manuscript was discovered in the 19th century, though it was incomplete. Other parts of the same manuscript were found in both the 20th and 21st centuries. Today, the majority of these parts are on display at the British Library, which is in London.
When you look at the Codex Sinaiticus as a whole, there are large parts of the Old Testament that are missing. However, it is widely accepted that originally, the full Old Testament was part of the codex. Approximately half of the Old Testament remains, and the full New Testament is part of the display.
1. Codex Vaticanus (The Latin Bible)
Publish Date: 300-305 AD
Language: Greek
Printer/Writer/Translator: Unknown Scribes
Discovery or Publish Location: Unknown, but possibly Rome, Alexandria, or Caesarea
The Codex Vaticanus has been kept at the Vatican Library since around the 15th century, and it is the oldest known Bible in existence. The verses are printed on sheets of vellum, and it is believed that it was translated by at least three scribes.
Most scholars believe that the Codex Vaticanus is the most accurate Bible in existence, as it was written only a couple of hundred years after the death of Jesus. It is also considered to be one of the best translations of a Greek Bible. Though this isn’t a complete translation of the Bible, it is remarkably intact and mostly complete. It’s missing most of Genesis, Hebrews, and Revelations.
Books Of The Geneva Bible
Genesis 1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738394041424344454647484950
Exodus 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940
Leviticus 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627
Numbers 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536
Deuteronomy 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
Joshua 123456789101112131415161718192021222324
Judges 123456789101112131415161718192021
Ruth 1234
1 Samuel 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
2 Samuel 123456789101112131415161718192021222324
1 Kings 12345678910111213141516171819202122
2 Kings 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
1 Chronicles 1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829
2 Chronicles 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536
Ezra 12345678910
Nehemiah 12345678910111213
Esther 12345678910
Job 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
Psalm 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140141142143144145146147148149150
Proverbs 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031
Ecclesiastes 123456789101112
Song of Solomon 12345678
Isaiah 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566
Jeremiah 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152
Lamentations 12345
Ezekiel 123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142434445464748
Daniel 123456789101112
Hosea 1234567891011121314
Joel 123
Amos 123456789
Obadiah 1
Jonah 1234
Micah 1234567
Nahum 123
Habakkuk 123
Zephaniah 123
Haggai 12
Zechariah 1234567891011121314
Malachi 1234
Matthew 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728
Mark 12345678910111213141516
Luke 123456789101112131415161718192021222324
John 123456789101112131415161718192021
Acts 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728
Romans 12345678910111213141516
1 Corinthians 12345678910111213141516
2 Corinthians 12345678910111213
Galatians 123456
Ephesians 123456
Philippians 1234
Colossians 1234
1 Thessalonians 12345
2 Thessalonians 123
1 Timothy 123456
2 Timothy 1234
Titus 123
Philemon 1
Hebrews 12345678910111213
James 12345
1 Peter 12345
2 Peter 123
1 John 12345
2 John 1
3 John 1
Jude 1
Revelation 12345678910111213141516171819202122
How Accurate Is The 1599 Geneva Bible
Why does Grammar of Grace use the Geneva Bible for its Bible translation? It’s really obscure! Well… actually, the Geneva Bible used not to be obscure. It’s true that most of today’s Christians haven’t heard of it, but it turned the world upside down in its day. Even secular historians count it as one of the most important documents in English history, because everybody was reading it.
The choice of Bible translation for Grammar of Grace received a lot of consideration. But in the end, the answer was never really was in doubt; again and again, the Geneva Bible was the clear winner.
Why? Well, there were two main reasons—accuracy and language. Today I’ll share a bit about the Geneva Bible’s accuracy, and tomorrow we’ll discuss language.
The most important thing to consider when selecting one’s Bible translation is, of course, how accurately it expresses the original texts of the scriptures. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, and the New Testament in Greek; and God has providentially preserved those texts for us, throughout the ages. We call this the doctrine of the Preservation of the Text.
It is God’s will that we then translate the scriptures into our common tongues—in our case, English! But the translations are not supernaturally inspired, neither are they supernaturally preserved. So, especially in a day in which, according to the American Bible Society, there are 900 versions of the Bible in English (complete or incomplete), it is necessary that we evaluate our translations for accuracy.
And here is where I have to give you bad news… I’ve tried to find a way around saying this, but there’s nothing for it; if you love the Lord, you need to know this. Not everyone who makes a Bible translation loves the Lord. Some men do not love the Lord, and engage in the work of Bible translation not to lead men to the Lord, but to the contrary, with an eye toward changing God’s Word for their own purposes.
Such a man was King James. Yes, the King James of the King James Bible.
During the Protestant Reformation, Christians were being killed all over Europe, wherever the Gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone had spread. Christians were burned alive; entire villages were slaughtered; men, women, and children were tortured and killed for faith in Christ.
In God’s providence, those faithful ones who escaped persecution in their home countries found safe haven in Geneva, Switzerland, under the protection of John Calvin. There were gathered Christians from Scotland, England, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Spain. They formed little congregations there, each worshiping in their own tongues and studying the scriptures under Calvin’s insightful teaching. John Knox, one of the leaders of the English-speaking congregation there described that period as “the most perfect school of Christ since the days of the apostles.” Calvin encouraged these refugees to prepare to return to their homelands as missionaries. They undertook the task of translating the scriptures into their own tongues—a crime worthy of torture and death in their home countries; and indeed many of them, returning home with translated Bibles, would suffer those penalties. These men and women were willing to give all for the glorious Gospel of Christ.
Prior to this time, John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, and a few men after them had labored to produce an English translation of the Bible. At last, at Geneva, everything was in place for the accurate completion of that blessed work; it would be called the Geneva Bible. This Bible, and the translations into the other languages represented in Geneva, were the first to label the scriptures with chapter and verse numbers, to aid in Bible study. They had notes in the margins, explaining difficult bits of translation or hard passages. The title page reads, “The Bible and Holy Scriptures Conteyned in the Olde and New Testament. Translated According to the Ebrue and Greke, and conferred With the best translations in divers languages. With Moste Profitable Annotations upon all the hard places, and other things of great importance as may appeare in the Epistle to the reader.” I love that—“Moste Profitable Annotations upon all the hard places!”
The Geneva Bible was, obviously, banned. But the more the king or queen tried to banish the English scriptures, the more they spread. For example, in God’s providence, there was a famine in Britain, so hidden in barrels of grain, Geneva Bibles made their way across the English Channel. It cost a year’s wages to purchase a Geneva Bible. Can you imagine saving up $80,000 to buy anything that isn’t a house—indeed, just to buy a single Bible? But the men of that time were overjoyed that—at a cost that was within their reach—they could purchase their very own copy of God’s Word. Oh, for shame that in our day we count the Bible such a cheap thing that it lies unopened upon many a bookshelf!
When James became king, he was every bit as much of a Christian-In-Name-Only as his mother, Mary Queen of Scots, had been. To be clear, when the Pilgrims fled to America, they were fleeing King James! He hated Geneva Bibles, especially the margin notes, which taught (among other things) that if one’s ruler was in utter rebellion to God, it was one’s duty to obey God rather than man. Remember, this was the time when some kings and queens were openly declaring that every “heretic” (that is to say, Christian) must be exterminated; these were not mere intellectual discussions but very real issues that men who were, say, mayors or soldiers, had to consider.
Eventually King James realized there was no winning the battle to rid his country of the Bibles. So he settled upon a solution: He would sponsor an Authorized Version of the Bible, which would be freely permitted in churches and homes in England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Thus Geneva Bibles would be replaced by his Authorized version of the Bible.
The committee chosen to create the new translation almost entirely plagiarized the Geneva Bible, but they got rid of the hateful margin notes and made a few changes to bring the English Bible more into agreement with the Roman Catholic Bible. For example, in 1 Corinthians 13, the Greek scriptures teach that, love is patient; love is kind; etc. But the Romish church translated that passage as charity is patient; charity is kind—and this was an important scripture that they used to support their doctrine of the necessity of good works for salvation. On the whole, though, the KJV committee largely left the text alone, so if you’re familiar the KJV, the Geneva Bible will also seem very familiar.
So why does the Geneva Bible pass the accuracy test? The men who translated the Geneva were willing to—and several actually did—give their lives for the sake of delivering the Word of God accurately to English speakers. They were devoted to doing this well. And they did.
I’ve used it for years, and I have found it to agree with the original Greek and Hebrew scriptures better than any translation I’ve ever used before (and I’ve long been discerning about my translation choices!). I believe it is the best English translation we have.
That’s not to say it’s perfect; no translation ever can perfectly convey the full sense of one language into another. But it’s quite good.
That’s also not to say that all other translations are bad. I spent many a profitable year growing in Christ using my NASB, for example.