A Bible for Every Church:

The Great Bible

Both Coverdale’s Bible and Matthew’s Bible soon circulated throughout England with the approval of the crown. However, many people were displeased with them due to the controversial interpretations contained in their commentary notes. Henry VIII was pressed for a new, objective version, and Miles Coverdale was asked to oversee such a task.

Coverdale worked as editor over groups of scholars trained in Hebrew and Greek who carried out a revision of Matthew’s Bible. The translation went to press in 1539. A copy bound in black leather measured 16 ½ x 11 inches and sold for 12 shillings (about four weeks’ wages for a skilled artisan or twenty times the cost of a pair of shoes). It is known as the Great Bible due to its size.

A decree went out that an English Bible was to be available to the public in every parish church, but the people hungered for the word of God so badly that many churches had to chain the Bibles to the pulpit to prevent their theft. The Great Bible is the first translation of the Scriptures into English authorized for official use in the Anglican Church.

Printed by Richard Grafton in London, England

Sixth Impression: November 1541