Coverdale Bible
The first complete printed English Bible, compiled by Myles Coverdale and dedicated to King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn.
What Texts and Translations Did This Version Use?
The foundational manuscripts, earlier translations, and polyglots consulted during compilation.
Who In The Future Used This Translation?
Modern revisions, authorized successors, and descendants shaped by this text.
Matthew Bible
Rogers supplied the remaining Old Testament books and Apocrypha from Coverdale's 1535 translation.
King James Version (Authorized Version)
The KJV committee drew upon Coverdale's lyrical cadence, especially in the Psalms and lyrical poetic passages.
Translators & Committees
Myles Coverdale
Bishop of Exeter & Translator
1488 – 1569 • English
"Let not the reader be offended with diversity of translations, for it helpeth much to the understanding of the text."
Myles Coverdale was a graduate of Cambridge University and an Augustinian friar who became an ardent reformer. When William Tyndale was imprisoned, Coverdale completed the monumental task of printing the first entire English Bible in 1535. Coverdale was also commissioned by Thomas Cromwell to edit the Great Bible of 1539. A gifted stylist with a poet's ear, Coverdale’s rhythmic translation of the Psalms was incorporated into the 1662 Book of Common Prayer and remained the liturgical standard of the Anglican Church for over four centuries.
Read full biographyHistorical Context & Textual Significance
Introduced the complete English Bible into print; Coverdale's poetic translation of the Psalms was retained in the Book of Common Prayer and sung across the Anglican communion for centuries.
Where Can You View Original Surviving Copies Today?
Known physical copies preserved in world archives and library vaults.