Categories
- Antiques & Collectibles 13
- Architecture 36
- Art 47
- Bibles 22
- Biography & Autobiography 811
- Body, Mind & Spirit 110
- Business & Economics 26
- Computers 4
- Cooking 94
- Crafts & Hobbies 3
- Drama 346
- Education 45
- Family & Relationships 50
- Fiction 11812
- Games 19
- Gardening 17
- Health & Fitness 34
- History 1377
- House & Home 1
- Humor 147
- Juvenile Fiction 1873
- Juvenile Nonfiction 202
- Language Arts & Disciplines 88
- Law 16
- Literary Collections 686
- Literary Criticism 179
- Mathematics 13
- Medical 41
- Music 39
- Nature 179
- Non-Classifiable 1768
- Performing Arts 7
- Periodicals 1453
- Philosophy 62
- Photography 2
- Poetry 896
- Political Science 203
- Psychology 42
- Reference 154
- Religion 488
- Science 126
- Self-Help 61
- Social Science 80
- Sports & Recreation 34
- Study Aids 3
- Technology & Engineering 59
- Transportation 23
- Travel 463
- True Crime 29
Notes and Queries, Number 63, January 11, 1851
by: Various
Categories:
Description:
Excerpt
NOTES.
THE BREECHES, OR GENEVA BIBLE.
Of this, the most popular edition of the Scriptures in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, we meet continually with erroneous opinions of its rarity, and also of its value, which the following brief statement may tend in a degree to correct.
The translation was undertaken by certain reformers who fled to Geneva during the reign of Queen Mary; and is attributed to W. Whittingham, Anthony Gilby, Miles Coverdale, Thomas Sampson, Christopher Goodman, Thomas Cole, John Knox, John Bodleigh, and John Pullain; but Mr. Anderson, in his History of the English Bible, says that the translators were Whittingham, Gilby, and Sampson: and from the facts stated, he is, no doubt, correct.
It is called the "Breeches Bible" from the rendering of Genesis, iii. 7.:
"Then the eyes of them bothe were opened, and they knewe that they were naked, and they sewed fig tree leaves together, and made themselves breeches."
The first edition of the Geneva Bible was printed at Geneva in 1562, folio, preceded by a dedication to Queen Elizabeth, and an address "To our beloved in the lord the brethren of England, Scotland, Ireland," &c.; dated from Geneva, 10th April, 1561. This edition contains two remarkable errors: Matt. v. 9. "Blessed are the place makers." Luke xxi. "Chris condemneth the poor widow." This is the first Bible divided into verses.
Second edit. 4to., printed at Geneva, 1569. To this edition is added "Certeine Tables, A Calendar, and Fairs in Fraunce and elsewhere."
The first edition printed in London is a small folio. Imprinted by Christopher Barker, 1576.
The first edition of the Scriptures printed in Scotland is the Geneva version, folio, began 1576, by Thomas Bassandyne; and finished in 1579 by Alexander Arbuthnot.
Other editions, 1577, London, sm. fol.; 1578, sm. fol.; 4to., 1579; two editions 4to., 1580, 1581; sm. fol.; 1582; 4to., 1583; lar. fol., 1583; 4to., 1585; 4to., 1586; 8vo., 1586; 4to., 1587; 4to., 1588; 4to., 1589; 8vo., Cambridge, 1591, supposed to be first printed at the university; fol., 1592; 4to., 1594; 4to., 1595; fol., 1595; 4to., 1597; sm. fol., 1597; 4to., 1598; 4to., 1599. Of this last date, said to be "Imprinted at London by the deputies of Chr. Barker," but probably printed at Dort, and other places in Holland, there were at least seven editions; and, before 1611, there were at least twenty other editions.
Between the years 1562 and 1611, there were printed at least 130 editions of the Geneva Bible, in folio, 4to., and 8vo.; each edition probably consisted of 1000 copies.
Persons who know but little of the numbers which are extant of this volume, have asked 100l., 30l., and other like sums, for a copy; whereas, as many shillings is about the value of the later editions.
The notes by the Reformers from the margin of the Geneva version, have been reprinted with what is usually called King James' version, the one now in use, in the editions printed at Amsterdam, at the beginning of the seventeenth century.