Myles Coverdale was an English ecclesiastical reformer and scholar, and a follower of William Tyndale who had translated the New Testament into English. Tyndale’s translation was revolutionary, but it was met with opposition from the Roman Catholic Church, and he was executed in 1536.
Coverdale continued Tyndale’s work, and translated the remaining books of the Old Testament and the Apocrypha. Since he was not fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, he primarily based his translations on German Bibles. After combining his new translations with Tyndale’s translation of the New Testament, Coverdale began printing a complete version of the Bible in English.
The printing of the Coverdale Bible was made possible due to the support of English merchants and reformist sympathizers abroad. Translating or printing the Bible in England was still illegal, so Coverdale produced it on the continent where the Protestant reformation presented a safer environment. Nevertheless the Bible was dedicated to Henry VIII, and this likely contributed to the king’s decision to authorize the Great Bible of 1539, the first English Bible to be officially sanctioned for use in churches.
The Coverdale Bible made the scriptures accessible to English speakers, marking a significant moment in the Reformation and the spread of Protestantism. It also influenced subsequent translations, including the Geneva Bible and the King James Bible of 1611, helping to shape the religious and cultural landscape of the English-speaking world.
On the 4th of October 1535, Miles Coverdale finished printing the first complete English
translation of the Bible. Welcome to HistoryPod. Miles Coverdale was an English ecclesiastical
reformer and scholar, and a follower of William Tyndale who'd translated the New Testament into
English. Tyndale's translation was revolutionary, but it was met with opposition from the Roman
Catholic Church, and he was executed in 1536. Coverdale, however, continued Tyndale's work
and translated the remaining books of the Old Testament and the Apocrypha.
Since he was not fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek, he primarily based his translations
on German Bibles. After combining his new versions with Tyndale's translation of the
New Testament, Coverdale began printing a complete version of the Bible in English.
The printing of the Coverdale Bible was made possible due to the support of English merchants
and reformist sympathisers abroad. Translating or printing the Bible in England was still illegal,
so Coverdale produced it on the continent where the Protestant Reformation presented
a safer environment. Nevertheless, the Bible was dedicated to King Henry VIII,
and this likely contributed to the King's decision to authorise the Great Bible of 1539,
which was the first English Bible to be officially sanctioned for use in churches.
The Coverdale Bible made the scriptures accessible to English speakers,
marking a significant moment in the Reformation and the spread of Protestantism. It also influenced
subsequent translations including the Geneva Bible and the King James Bible of 1611,
both of which helped to shape the religious and cultural landscape of the English-speaking world.
