1568 ADCode: BISEarly Modern English
The Bishops' Bible
The official Elizabethan Church of England revision of the Great Bible, commissioned to displace the anti-monarchical Geneva Bible.
Historical Sources & Antecedents
What Texts and Translations Did This Version Use?
The foundational manuscripts, earlier translations, and polyglots consulted during compilation.
Subsequent Lineage & Revisions
Who In The Future Used This Translation?
Modern revisions, authorized successors, and descendants shaped by this text.
Curatorial Commentary
Historical Context & Textual Significance
Archbishop Matthew Parker organized a committee of Anglican bishops to produce an authoritative church Bible to rival the vastly more popular Geneva Bible, whose marginal notes condemned monarchs who ruled tyrannically. While visually majestic and physically grand for lectern display, its scholarly unevenness prevented it from winning the affections of the English public. However, Rule 1 of King James I's translation charter mandated: "The ordinary Bible read in the Church, commonly called the Bishops Bible, to be followed, and as little altered as the Truth of the original will permit."
Textual Legacy & Impact:
Served as the official statutory base text for the 1611 King James translation committee.
Where Can You View Original Surviving Copies Today?
Known physical copies preserved in world archives and library vaults.
British Library, London
Oxford University Library