Miles Coverdale

Hieronder het artikel uit Chambers’s cyclopædia of English Literature uit 1886 over Miles Coverdale.

 

n translating the Pentateuch, Tyndale was assisted by MILES COVERDALE (1485 – 1565), who, in 1535, published the first English translation of the whole Scriptures with this title: Biblia, the Bible; that is, the holy Scripture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully and newly translated out of the Doutche and Latyn into English.

Coverdale was made bishop in Exeter in 1551, but retired to the continent during the reign of Mary. When Elizabeth ascendid the throne, he returned to England, and remained there till his death.

His translation of the Bible has been reprinted in London. The extent of its variation from that of Tyndale will appear by cantrasting the following verse (Gen. xxix.32), as rendered by each translator:

Tyndale’s Version

When the Lorde sawe that Lea was despised, he made her frutefull, but Rahel was baren. And Lea conceived and bare a sonne and called his name Ruben, for she sayde ± the Lorde hath lokeed upon my tribulation. And now my husbonde will love me.

Coverdale’s Version

But when the Lorde sawe that Lea was nothinge regarded, he made her fruteful and Rachel barren. And Lea conceived and bare a sonne whom she called Ruben, and sayde: the Lorde hath loked upon mine adversitie. Now wyll my husbande love me.