Chapter 79

Fluent in at least 7 languages, by the grace of God, William Tyndale translated much of the Bible into English from the Hebrew and Greek original tongue sources. In doing so he gave the English language many of its best known phrases.

'In the beginning God created heaven and earth. The earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the deep, and the spirit of God moved upon the water. Then God said: Let there be light, and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good: and divided the light from the darkness, and called the light day, and the darkness night: and so of the evening and morning was made the first day.' (Genesis j.)

Through the years many English speaking believers in the Word adopted and loved the 'Authorised' version of the New Testament, and surely it includes Phrases of lapidary beauty that have been admired :

'heat of the day' (Matthew xvj.)

'They made light of it, and went their ways: one to his firm place, another about his merchandise,' (Matthew xxij.)

'And he put forth a similitude unto them saying: The lands of a certain man brought forth fruits plenteously, and he thought in himself saying: what shall I do? because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said: This will I do. I will destroy my barns, and build greater, and therein will I gather all my fruits, and my goods: and I will say to my soul: Soul thou hast much goods laid up in store for many years, take thine ease: eat, drink and be merry. But God said unto him: Thou fool, this night will they fetch away thy soul again from thee. Then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is it with him that gathered riches, and is not rich in God.' (Luke xij.)

'filthy lucre' (First Timothy iij.)

'in the morning: ye say, today shall be foul weather, and that because the sky is tremulous and red. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the fashion of the sky: and can ye not discern the signs of the times?' (Matthew xvj.)

'scales fell from his eyes' (Acts ix.)

'The powers that be' (Romans xiij.)

'For where ij or iij are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.' (Matthew v.)

'the salt of the earth' (Matthew v.)

'Ask and it shall be given you: Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.' (Matthew vij.)

'clothed and in his right mind' (Luke xviij.)

'Iesus beheld them, and said unto them: with men this is unpossible, but with God all things are possible.' (Matthew ixx.)

'For in him we live, move, and have our being' (Acts xvij.)

'Full of good works' (Acts ix.)

'A law unto themselves' (Romans ij.)

'Fight the good fight of faith; lay hold on eternal life.' (First Timothy vj.)

'Be not weary in well doing' (Second Thessalonians iij.)

'Let brotherly love continue' (Hebrews xiij.)

'Looking unto Iesus, the author and finisher of our faith' (Hebrews xij.)

'The patience of Job' (James v.)

'Behold I stand at the door, and knock' (Revelation vij.)

'And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes' (Revelation vij.)

All these phrases, and many, (specially when it is direct, simply plain and strong,) and many other, were taken by the King James version translators directly from Tyndale.

B.) About the brave translator (William Tyndale 1494-1536 A.D.)

Pursuing a vision Master Tyndale happened to be in the company of a learned man and, in disputing with him ... the man said, "We are better to be without God's laws than the pope's." Master Tyndale, hearing this, replied, "I defy the pope and all his laws;" and added, "If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough to know more of the Scripture than thou dost." (Foxe, Book of Martyrs)

At that time, printing had just been invented, although translating the Bible was considered heretical. These were dangerous times for Scripture translations. Even still, Tyndale said, "It is impossible to establish the lay people in any truth, except the Scriptures be laid before their eyes, in their mother tongue." He fled to Germany in 1524, later to Belgium. He continued his work, translating the New Testament from the original tongue; and first began to print his first edition with marginal notes in a quarto edition at Cologne, but he was compelled to halt the printing and flee the city to avoid arrest. {Only a single copy of it (as far as Matthew chapter 22) survives, now in the British Museum.} Tyndale was forced to leave England and finish his work in Worms, Germany, and in the year of our Lord 1526, he printed the version (anonymously) in smaller octavo format. The shrewd religious authorities knowing that they could not stop this version from reaching England's shores, planned to buy up all the copies and burn them. It backfired, as they bought these copies from merchants, the money was given to Tyndale to print up even more copies. And because his enemies did so much carp at it, pretending it to be full of heresies, he wrote to John Frith, as followeth, "I call God to record against the day we shall appear before our Lord Iesus, that I never altered one syllable of God's Word against my conscience, nor would do this day, if all that is in earth, whether it be honor, pleasure, or riches, might be given me."

In 1535, Tyndale had planned to complete the translation of the Old Testament, but was betrayed by a fellow Englishman feigning to be his friend who was really being paid to betray him. This man enticed Tyndale to venture into the streets of Antwerp, where he was ambushed and taken to the prison in the castle at Vilvorde, Brussels. Trials for heresy in the Netherlands were in the hands of special commissioners of the self proclaimed "holy roman empire". It took 16 months for the law to take its course. A letter from him during this time, in Latin, has survived:

'I believe, most excellent Sir, that you are not unacquainted with the decision reached concerning me. On which account, I beseech your lordship, even by the Lord Iesus, that if I am to pass the winter here, to urge upon the lord commissary, if he will deign, to send me from my goods in his keeping a warmer cap, for I suffer greatly from cold in the head, and am afflicted with a continual catarrh, which is much increased in this cell. A warmer coat also, for that which I have is very thin: also cloth for repairing my leggings; my overcoat is worn out: the shirts also are worn out. He has a woolen shirt of mine, if he will please send it. I have also with him leggings of heavier cloth for overwear. He likewise has warmer nightcaps: I also ask to be allowed to use a lamp in the evening: it is indeed weariesome sitting alone in the dark. But most of all I beg and beseech your clemency to be urgent with the commissary, that he will kindly permit me to have my Hebrew Bible, Hebrew Grammar, and Hebrew Dictionary, and that I might employ my time with that study. Thus likewise may you obtain what you most desire, saving that it further the salvation of your soul. But if, before the end of winter, a different decision be reached concerning me, I shall be patient, and submit to the will of God to the glory of the grace of Iesus Christ my Lord, whose spirit may ever direct your heart. Amen.'

W. Tyndale

Tyndale was condemned as a heretic, degraded from the priesthood, and delivered to the secular authorities for punishment under the laws of the Inquisition.

T h e "C r i m e s" o f W i l l i a m T y n d a l e:

First:.... He maintains that faith alone justifies.

Second :... He maintains that to believe in the forgiveness of sins and to embrace the mercy offered in the Gospel, is enough for salvation.

Third :.... He avers that human traditions cannot bind the conscience, except where their neglect might occasion scandal.

Fourth :... He denies the freedom of the will.

Fifth :.... He denies that there is any purgatory.

Sixth :.... He affirms that neither the virgin nor the saints pray for us in their own person.

Seventh :. He asserts that neither the virgin nor the saints should be invoked by us.

.{note: According to the Scriptures Mary was only a virgin till she conceived.

'The birth of Christ was on this wise, when his mother Mary was married unto Ioseph, before they came to dwell together, she was found with child by the holy ghost.' Matthew j.

Common sense would say that every generation from hence forth should call her 'blessed' as she so said in Luke chapter j.

Mary was also blessed with many children:

"Is not this the carpenters son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren be called, Iames and Ioses and Simon and Iudas? and are not his sisters all here with us?"

Matthew xiij. & Mark vj., also see Matthew xij., Mark iij., & Luke viij.

Howbeit some still fanatically believed and even hold today that Mary remains a virgin; or worst that she and the saints could even be invoked. What they are assuming and accusing Tyndale of, is the heresy that they themselves hold; and will be justly judged so according to the word of God. The Lord himself so loved us that he warned way in advance:

'It is enough for the disciple to be as his master is, and that the servant be as his lord is. If they have called the lord of the house beelzebub: how much more shall they call them of his household so? Fear them not therefore. There is nothing so close, that shall not be opened, and nothing so hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light. And what ye hear in the ear that preach ye on the house tops. And fear ye not them which kill the body, and be not able to kill the soul. But rather fear him, which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.' Matthew x.

Thus far there is only a son of man that God rose from the dead, and according to the Scriptures only HE must be invoked:

'Iesus said unto him I am the way, the verity, and life. No man cometh unto the father, but by me.' John xiv.

Diligence in reasoning, and utmost obedidience to the word of God must be taken very seriously, unless one finds himself zealously striving against the faith first given to the Saints, yea, against THE MAKER, and learn the hard lesson like king Saul according to the Old Testament (see I Samuel chapter 28)

"Woe be unto him that chideth with his maker, the potsherd with the potter: Sayeth the clay to the potter: What makest thou? or thy work serveth for nothing?" Isaiah 45:9 (Coverdale's Bible) ..Therefore I say hereto that he was martyred also because he held the word of God above and over all traditions & doctrines of men. And Lo, the LORD asks those that accuse and persecute his children still today the same question:

'Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God, thorow your traditions?' Matthew xv. also see Mark vij.}.

At last, after much reasoning, when no reason would serve, although he deserved no death, he was condemned by virtue of the emperor's decree, made in the assembly at Augsburg. Brought forth to the place of execution, he was tied to the stake, strangled by the hangman, and afterwards consumed with fire, at the town of Vilvorde, (morning of 6 October) A.D. 1536; crying at the stake with a fervent zeal, and a loud voice, "Lord! open the king of England's eyes."—Foxe's Book of Martyrs

A couple of years after Tyndale's death, Miles Coverdale's Bible was to be used in every parish in the land. This was largely based on Tyndale's Bible. In 1539 Tyndale's own edition of the Bible became officially approved for printing. The Great Bible was the first Bible ever authorized for public use.

William Tyndale's translation is the foundation of all reformed English versions published for three centuries afterwards: Coverdale's Bible New Testament is a revision of Tyndale 1534; Matthew's Bible is a revision of Tyndale 1535; Taverner's Bible and the Great Bible are revisions of Matthew's Bible; The Bishops' Bible is a revision of the Great Bible, and also the N.T. of the "Geneva Bible" is mainly a revision of Tyndale 1535.

(Although also unacknowledged, much of his work appears in the so called 'Authorized' (or 'King James') version of the Bible whose translator's were to abide by rule 1 which demanded merely a revision of the Bishops' Bible; The version is not said to be "authorized"; yet "appointed to be read in Churches" (not on the title page of the New Testament) could be interpreted to mean that as successor to the Bishops' Bible, which was thus appointed, it (the N.t.) might be regarded as "authorized"; moreover the Bishops' Bible was the legitimate successor of the expressly "authorized" Great Bible.)

IJ. Notes on the Restoration

A.) Divers spellings kept to best reason the integrity of the original

1.) Tyndale had a writting freestyle that used divers spelling of the same name like: Isay, Esay (that we call Isaiah,) Hierusalem & Ierusalem (Jerusalem;) Iury, Iewry, Iewery: (Jewry which is interpreted as Judaea) etc.. although the reader is able to easily recognize; the same like when we call somebody a shorten or derived form of their name; Hence most names are also kept that way in this online edition. 2.) Most words were updated to current 'go spelling'; For ensample the word hys=his or wyfe=wife is updated as such. 3.) The words "off" & "of" were sometimes interchanged in the original, the same with "then" & "than". 4.) The original translation used both lower and upper case sporadically, as an example for lower-case jewe I rendered it as jewe and left Iewe when in upper-case; also most descriptors were kept in the same letter case like in the original; Nonetheless the significance of the whole original text still remains intact in this restored edition.

B.) Further word notes on interesting T.N.T renderings you may come across :

a.) COMO : original spelling like 1526 edition "como" and according to the Greek word Erhomenon (participle present) it is best translated: as coming, even returning (that is, Iesu Christ is coming in the glorious body of resurrection.)

Found in the second letter of John :

"For many deceivers are entered into the world, which confess not that Iesus Christ is como in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."

b.) ESTER : exact spelling, (other: passover, the feast of sweet bread)

ester lamb: this is the Hebrew feast of sweet bread, and this lamb was offered at the first passover in egypt. (also pascha : or paschal lamb; that Christ the Lord fulfilled by shedding his precious blood for us at calvary)

c.) IESUS, IESU : "J" was not used in the original W.T. English for words (although is used as a 1 roman numeral .j.) William Tyndale like most early translators were very accurate in rendering the name of the Lord from the original tongue. The name of our Lord for ensample was kept the exact spelling shewing that the English root word came from the latin word Iesu (pronounced Yesu) that is derived from the Greek word Iesous and most important of all that the Greek got it from the Hebrew word Y'shu of Yahshuah meaning G_D "Yah" will save and be our health "shuah" (like the name Ioshua in the O.T.) that has a similar meaning of the Name; An Angel will be able to verify the significance in the first chapter of Matthew.

So only names starting with "I" instead of our modern "J" were kept as the original. Like other names: Iewry, Iury : which by interpretation is Judea. note: Jury is an interesting rendering taking into account the gospel and Romans chap. ix.

d.) GOSPELL : (v.) exact original spelling; (—as in "go" & "spell";-)

As to spell forth a good saying, glad speech; to tell the joy-full letters thereof.

Gospel, (n.) [other: Godspell; God + spell : his letters, promises, & true story. The glad tidings; that is, the good news of Christ the Lord who came in the flesh and died for our sins, whom God his father rose from the dead, and will rise all the dead at the last trompe; the soon coming Kingdom of God, and eternal health.

e.) LOWSE, lowsed, lowsest, loosed, loose (v.) : to turn loose, let go

lowse, lose (adj.) loose

(note: from the Greek : loose, untie; release, set free; break away, set aside; destroy, pull down; break up; or allow. "Low" from the Hebrew is to humble.)

"And I will give unto thee, the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou bindest upon earth, it shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou lowsest on earth, it shall be lowsed in heaven." Matthew chapter xvi.

f.) THOROW

1.) thorow (prep.) : by, through, be cause of, on account of

"and to give light to all men, that they might know what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God which made all things thorow Iesus Christ" Ephesians chapter iij.

2.) Thorowout, Thoroughout (prep.) Quite through; from one extremity to the other of; also, every part of; as, to search throughout the house.

3.) Thorow (adv.) thoroughly, completely

4.) Thorowout, Throughout (adv.) In every part; as, the cloth was of a piece throughout.

g.) W.T.'s translation also uses an unique method of roman numerals for chapters and numbers within the text, and it has been kept the same :

1 : j., 2 : ij., 3. iij., 4. iiij., 5. v., 6. vi., 7. vij., 8. viij. 9. ix., 10. x. 11.xi.. 20. xx., 30.xxx., 40.il., 44. xliiij. 50. l. 60. lx., 70. lxx., 80.lxxx., 90. xc., 100. C. 200. ij.C. 400. iiij. C. 500. D., 1000. M. 12000. xij M.

IIJ. Importance of the Archaic word

Archaic words bring back the sharpness to detail and of significance.

A.) Why is "Ye" and "Thee" needed; and How are used :

1.) Thee, Thou, Thy, Thine. Alway Singular (refers to only one.)

2.) Ye, You : Always Plural (refers to more than one.)

Note: Modern English has lost this important distinction. Serious doctrinal error can result from the consequences of changing the plural "Ye", "You" and the singular "Thee, Thy, Thine" to: "you and your"; as there would be no way to distinguish if the scriptural promises or directives are addressed to a given individual or to the people of God.

B.) How important is the poetic beauty and depth of archaic verb endings :

1.) -est or -st : Used to form the archaic second person singular (thee, thou.. etc) of English verbs: comest thou to me?

"And he said unto Iesus: Lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Luke Chap. 23

2.) -eth or -th : Used to form the archaic third person singular (he, she, they, it.. etc) present indicative of verbs: leadeth.

"He that goeth in by the door, is the shepherd of the sheep. To this man the porter openeth the door, and the sheep hear his voice, And he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out, and when he hath sent forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: For they know his voice." John x.

"He that leadeth into captivity, shall go into captivity: he that killeth with a sword, must be killed with a sword. Here is the patience, and the faith of the saints." Revelation chapter xiij.

IIIJ. A list of other interesting notes and definitions

abject : low, pitiful;

"Nevertheless he that comforteth the abject, comforted us at the coming of Titus." 2 Cor. vij.

acomptes : accounts, accomplishments;

"which shall give acomptes to him that is ready to judge quick and dead." I Peter iv.

advoutry, advoutrous, advouterers : adultery, or a-devouter; the prefix "a" meaning "not" devout or "without" devotion; unfaithfulness to the marriage, or to the truth; Christ the lord and God our father.

allayed : settled down, ceased;

"And he rose up and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea: peace and be still. And the wind allayed, and there followed a great calm:" Mark iv.

amen : so be it

anathema maranatha: from the marginal notes: {The same be accursed at the coming of the lorde.}

"If any man love not the lord Iesus Christ, the same be anathema maranatha." 1 Cor xvj.

anon - shortly, early, after a while, a little while, soon, right away, immediately,

areed, aread : prophecy, declare, guess

assoil : solve; clear up. Matthew xxj.

astonied, astunned : (adj.) bewildered; dazed, (p.) stunned; astonished, astounded

benevolence : compassion, kindness, good will

careful : full of cares; or cluttered with detail to the point of anxiety

charger : a large shallow dish; a platter.

Christe: exact spelling in seven letters with the suffix -e perhaps meaning from or belonging to Christ.

close: to come or gather around; to inclose; or enclose on all sides; to encompass; to confine. Mat xiij. : to bring in the sides, as when covering seed.

como : I Ihon : Iesus is coming, returning in the flesh, (that is, in the new glorious body of resurrection.)

concord - agreement

concupiscence: strong desire as in the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of self and/or goods.

cumbrance, encumbrance : be crushed (with difficulties), syn. burden; clog; impediment; check; hindrance

cruses : earthen vessels : jugs, pots, pitchers

dampned : dampened, damned;

"Grudge not one against another brethren, lest ye be dampned. Behold the judge standeth before the door." James v.

debite : deputy: from the Latin meaning to keep accounts of debts. Official listener to quarrels.

delectation : enjoyment, delight, pleasure

derely : dearly, (adv.) 1.) Loved and cherished; Highly esteemed or regarded. 2.) in a sincere and heartfelt manner; with affection 3.) at a great cost

devotion : plain hearted to God, being devoted to someone or something else.

discreet : prudent; sagacious, judicious; not rash or heedless, but thoughtful.

discreetly : wisely, sensibly, caution in speech and proper behaviour, modestly

discretion : ability to use common sense and discernment.

dissimulation : disguised motives or intentions

draught : natural movement. Or that which is drawn; as: That which is taken by sweeping with a net. Luke v.

durst : a past tense and a past participle of dare.

egal : equal, impartial

egalness : impartiality

eschew : to escape from, to avoid, shun

ere : before, sooner than, ever

err, erre : error, stray from the true course; to miss the thing aimed at.

ester: exact spelling; interpreted as passover, easter, the feast of sweet or unleavened bread

ester lamb: this is the Hebrew feast of sweet bread, and this lamb was offered at the first passover in Egypt.

even (n) : in divers passages means : evening

faithful : (faithfull) full of faith

farthing : a Great Britain coin worth 1/4 penny, or something of very little value.

faveour : also grace.

fealing , feal : faithful; loyal. [Obs.]

feign, feigned, feigning : to dissemble; to represent by a false appearance; to give a mental existence to, as to something not real or actual; to imagine; to invent; hence, to pretend; to form and relate as if true.

"There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart."—Neh. vi. 8.

firkins : small barrel

fuller: one who works with cloth. Mark ix.

fremed : strange, foreign

froward, frowardly: stubbornly headstrong, contrary to love and truth. Not willing to yield or compIy with what is required or is reasonable; perverse; disobedient; peevish; as, a froward child.

"A froward man soweth strife."—Prov. xvi. 28.

grece : flight of steps. Acts xxj.

Helias : Elijah, the prophet, EliYah = My God is YHWH.

Hiericho : Jericho = place of fragrance

Hierusalem, Ierusalem : Jerusalem

Iesu, Iesus : today translated as Iesu, Iesus; in Hebrew: Y'shu (from Yahshuah)

Ihon : John

Isay, Esay : the prophet Isaiah

Iury, Jewry: Judea

jot : gr. iota; heb. , yod : the smallest letter (10th) in the Hebrew alphabet

"For truly I say unto you, till heaven and earth perish, one jot, or one tittle of the law shall not scape, till all be fulfilled." Matt. Chap.v.

loth : unwilling

lucre : gain in money or goods; profit; riches;—often in an ill sense.

"See that ye feed Christe's flock, which is among you, taking the oversight of them, not as though ye were compelled thereto: but willingly: Not for the desire of filthy lucre: but of a good mind." First Peter chap. v.