Updated American Standard Version
Giving Bible readers what God said not what translators think God meant
Explore the monumental role of William Tyndale in translating the Bible into English, his influence on future translations, and the controversies that surrounded his work. Discover Tyndale's lasting legacy in the landscape of Christianity and English literature.
Discover the pivotal role of William Tyndale in the translation of the Bible, and how his work laid the foundation for the English Bible. Explore the journey of Bible translation and the enduring impact of Tyndale's contributions, leading to the renowned King James Version.
William Tyndale (c. 1490-1536) devoted himself early to Scripture studies, and by the time he had reached the age of about thirty, he had taken for the work of his life the translation of the Bible into English.
Bible translation goes back to 280 to 150 B.C.E., when (seventy-two, according to tradition) translators gave us the Hebrew Old Testament books in Greek. From those days forward, translators have lived hazardous lives in trying to bring us the Word of God in the common languages of man. This has often been from the religious organizations themselves, who have caused the suffering and death of many translators. Is it any different today? How so?
The importance of the Tyndale Bible in shaping and influencing the English language cannot be overstated. According to one writer, Tyndale is "the man who more than Shakespeare even or Bunyan has molded and enriched our language."
The Christian, on the other hand, but notably the Christian, have persistently sought to make their Bible speak all languages at all times. It is a curious fact that a Book written in one tongue should have come to its largest power in other languages than its own.
On the Bible translation scene, advocates of colloquial English Bible translations regularly and rigorously debunk the King James Version. In turn, it has become common for these debunkers to attempt to drive a wedge between the King James Version and William Tyndale’s translation work nearly a century earlier.