Product Description
William Tyndale published The Obedience of a Christian Man two years after he presented his 1526 English translation of the Bible, a forbidden undertaking, which eventually led to his execution. His vigorous, direct translation of the New Testament was intended to make it accessible even to the "boy that driveth the plough." In The Obedience of a Christian Man, he articulates his religious principles in what became one of the most important publications of the first phase of the English Reformation. He boldly develops the argument that ordinary believers should live directly according to Scripture without the intervention of worldly and often corrupt popes and prelates. This fine example of English prose raises, even today, powerful questions about the challenge of living a Christian life.Amazon.com Review
The Obedience of a Christian Man by William Tyndale, a principaltranslator of the King James Bible, was published in 1528, three yearsafter the first publication of his English translation of the NewTestament. Obedience defends the basic goal of his translation, andof the English Reformation that he helped incite: opening direct access forall believers, even the "boy that driveth the plough" to Scripture, thesupreme authority of the Church. For reformers such as Tyndale, obedienceto Scripture was a revolutionary act requiring complete commitment. Tyndaledescribed this commitment with forcefulness that still reads fresh today:

To preach God's word is too much for half a man. And to minister atemporal kingdom is too much for half a man also. Either other requireth anwhole man. One therefore cannot well do both.

The book is a landmark of political thought, expounding another fundamentalprinciple of the English Reformation: that the king is the supremeauthority of the state. (Tyndale's ideal of royal authority, however, isdetermined by Scripture's authority: "The most despised person in his realmis the king's brother and fellow member with him and equal with him in thekingdom of God and Christ.") The Obedience of Christian Man includesmuch rhetoric about obedience of woman to man that now appears archaic andoffensive, but its tough-minded description of the uneasy relationshipbetween power and love is timeless. --Michael Joseph Gross ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

From the Reformation's Genesis
This small book (235 pages of which 26 pages are endnotes) is the second of three texts William Tyndale published in the wake of his 1526 New Testament- the first English Bible."The Obedience of a Christian Man" ("Obedience") offers considerable early Protestant theology with occasional glimpses into the Reformation as it is happening."Obedience" is a preeminent primary source.

Much of what contemporary English speaking Protestant Christians assume (God is the source of life, God rules through human leaders, leave a place for Divine vengeance, believing leaders should rule with truth, Christ is the believer's mediator before God, etc.) is originally offered here.Writing from the Reformation's genesis, Tyndale is the first to proffer an English theology.

Editor David Daniell provides a helpful text with this paperback edition (2000).He alters Tyndale's 16th century language slightly for the sake of contemporary learning.Readers are focused by "Obedience's" idioms and practical theological application as well as amused by its various Reform era words (i.e. "volo", "shriven", aneled", "neverthelater", "menpleasers", etc.).These terms are presented with no textual definition and thus help convey the book's 16th century flavor.These idioms do not distract Tyndale's original theological tenants from effective 21st century application.

"Obedience" is somewhat technical and assumes readers' biblical familiarity.Tyndale is replete with Scripture quotes, and illusions.His illustrations are interesting- taken from his 1520s and 30s life as a fugitive from King Henry VIII's sheriffs (William Tyndale was ultimately captured in Belgium and burned as a heretic on October 6, 1536... 470 years ago this month).(Beware, as with all the earliest Protestant Reformers, Tyndale has a pronounced disregard, and verbal dislike, for Roman Catholic clergy and the Pope.)This book is recommended to all 16th century buffs, theology students, church historians, and pastors.

Please get your facts straight - Tyndale deserves that, !
No offence, but please check your facts, then write.I am not sure who is referred to as Amazon's reviewer, but he or she or they deserve a raise!As a reader pointed out elsewhere in a review, ". . . Tyndales' words account for 84 per cent of the [KJV]New Testament, and for 75.8 per cent of the [KJV]Old Testament books that he translated."In fact when we read the KJV (more properly, the AV or Authorized version), we are in the main reading the beautiful, soaring word-music of Tyndale, surely one of the most-overlooked great writers of the English language.Anyone who loves the bible in English translation should read Tyndale's translation, especially those who presume (incorrectly) to dismiss him.

"Amazon's reviewer"is correct and needs araise
No offence, but please check your facts, then write.I am not sure who is referred to as Amazon's reviewer, but he or she or they deserve a raise!As a reader pointed out elsewhere in a review, ". . . Tyndales' words account for 84 per cent of the [KJV]New Testament, and for 75.8 per cent of the [KJV]Old Testament books that he translated."In fact when we read the KJV (more properly, the AV or Authorized version), we are in the main reading the beautiful, soaring word-music of Tyndale, surely one of the most-overlooked great writers of the English language.Anyone who loves the bible in English translation should read Tyndale's translation, especially those who presume (incorrectly) to dismiss him.

Influential remarkable book written almost 500 years ago
This remarkable book needs to be set in context, it was written almost 500 years ago, during the brutal persecution of those who believed the simple Gospel and in the absolute authority of "Scripture alone".


William Tyndale, a gifted scholar educated at Oxford and ordained a priest, saw at first hand the widespread corruption within the Roman Catholic Church

Rome held ultimate power, even over the kings and government. The Pope and its bishops believed that they could not err in all matters spiritual. Their core belief was, and still is, that 'Church Tradition' holds equal, if not more authority than the Holy Bible, the infallible, inerrant Word of God.

Rome went to extreme lengths to prevent the ordinary folk from having any independent understanding of the Bible, particularly in what it said regarding, purgatory, confessing sins to a priest, selling of indulgences, praying to Mary, praying to Saints, salvation by works and money payments etc.


In defiance of the Pope's law Tyndale laid the foundation for the English Reformation when he completed the very first (from original Greek) English translation of the New Testament. This translation differed sharply from the Church's official Latin version, particularly as to how six key words were translated.

From the Greek Tyndale translated, "congregation" instead of "church", "elder" instead of "priest", "repentance" instead of "do penance", "love" instead of "charity", "favour" instead of "grace" and "knowledge" instead of "confess".

Tyndale's unique gift cut to the bedrock of Papal authority. Matthew 16 v 18 now read, "That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my congregation". One word, congregation, had at a stroke demolished the Pope's claim to be the head of Christ's Church and brought into sharp focus the contradictions of the Papal system, its customs, its practices, its friars, its priests, its bishops and its Pope.

Taking his cue from Matthew 7 v 15 & 16 he is scathing with righteous indignation when comparing the simple life and Gospel of Jesus Christ the very Son of God with that of the Pope - "Christ's vicar on earth". This unleashed the full might of the Papacy, Tyndale was hunted across Europe, his New Testament translation and books were burnt, as were people caught holding similar beliefs.


In this book Tyndale systematically examines English social and political life; he examines the relationship between church, and state; he sees one social structure created by God and the Christians responsibility within it. He examines the responsibility and obedience of children through to subjects,"what to do if the king, prince or ruler is evil", what to do with "the Popes false power" and how those in positions of responsibility and power ought to rule.

Tyndale writes with authority, he knows his Bible intimately, he has an unshakable confidence in the promises of God's Word and he knows with certainty that Truth will triumph regardless of a bleak situation.

Tyndale's is not an historical faith rooted in an ancient story, nor was it a dead faith; this is a living vibrant feeling faith firmly rooted in the power of the Living Word of God.

Tyndale knew many of his readers would be tortured and burnt; he starts the introduction bringing them comfort. Constantly echoing Scripture, the simplicity of the Gospel and New Testament doctrine he shows how adversity follows Gods chosen people and how God uses this adversity to purify His people, to strengthen their faith and to demonstrate that His grace is sufficient to meet their every need.

This book shows a man driven by one desire and one desire only, the desire that ordinary folk should be able, without fear, to read and understand the Word of God; to know that Salvation is a personal matter, justification is by faith alone in the finished work of our Lord and Savour Jesus Christ and His Redeeming Blood and that the fruits of this faith are good works.

Christian living is a life of service according to the New Testament and not according to the Church. Even in the 21st century this book brings the challenge of the Gospel - do those who claim to be Christian truly know the joy of this vibrant living feeling faith; are the fruits of this faith a life of service and giving?

In May 1535 William Tyndale was caught, interrogated for 16 months, defrocked as a priest and burnt as a heretic.

Today most who read this review will be privileged to enjoy freedom of worship, freedom of conscience, freedom of expression, freedom of the press and freedom from fear; we cannot even contemplate the conditions that Tyndale and his fellow labourers endured. We owe them all a great debt of gratitude for their faith courage and determination.

David Danell has done an excellent job in, modernising the spelling, adding end notes and in his introduction. ... Read more

Product Description
This major biography traces the dramatic life of William Tyndale, the first person to translate the Bible into English from the original Greek and Hebrew, and discusses the profound religious, literary, intellectual, and social implications of his immense achievement. Tyndale's masterful translation, which gave the laity access to God, formed the basis of all English bibles, including the "King James Bible," and made significant and lasting contributions to the English language.Amazon.com Review
Several popular histories of the King James Bible are available tointerested readers, including works that concentrate on the book'spolitical influence Wide as the Waters) and its theological import (In the Beginning). Perhaps themost readable survey of the language of the King James Version,however, comes in the form of a biography of its primary translator.William Tyndale: A Biography by David Daniell (a University ofLondon scholar and chairman of the William Tyndale Society) revealsall that is known of Tyndale's life, but its primary interest is inTyndale's rhetorical style. Daniell asserts, convincingly, thatTyndale "made a language for England," in the same way that MartinLuther is acknowledged having united Germany's dialectsin his German translation of the New Testament. The biography recitesmany widely known facts (Tyndale wrote nine-tenths of the King JamesVersion's New Testament (the gospel Christmas stories--"there wereshepherds abiding in the fields"--are Tyndale's), and half ofits Old Testament ("Let there be light" is another of Tyndale'sphrases). More importantly, Daniell's biography describes thedevelopment of Tyndale's skills as a linguist (he commanded eightlanguages, including Hebrew, at a time when Hebrew was virtuallyunknown in England) and parses Tyndale's adaptation of Greek, Hebrew,and Latin syntax into English. In the first sentence of hisintroduction to this book, Daniell states that "William Tyndale gaveus our English Bible." The verb in that sentence is the key tothis biography: it is a work of gratitude. --Michael JosephGross ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

every Christian should read this book
Excellent biography. A thriller...once you get past the introductory chapters you won't be able to put it aside until you are finished.

Interesting Biography
I bought this for my son when he was in seminary.It gives a thorough and interesting account of the life of William Tyndale.

Use of secular term
On the third page of his introduction to The New Testament 1526 edition by William Tyndale, David Daniell uses the non-christian term, CE (Common Era) instead of the Christian term, AD (In the year of our Lord).I have no personal knowledge of David Daniell, and am not in any way trying to state that David Daniell is anti-christian.I'm just confused as to why he chose not to use the Christian term.

William Tyndale, a Biography by David Daniel
David as well as Tyndale gave us a plain English Bible and Book. Kenzo Tagawa, Japanese, translated the book into Japanese which is 800 pages, and it also gives us a memorable treasure.

The True "Man For All Seasons"
Dr. Daniell's biography of William Tyndale is sympathetic and masterful.Tyndale's influence as a translator is well-documented, as is his humble devotion to providing the Word of God in a language that laymen could understand.One marvels at how Thomas More has gained greater historical sympathy given his virulent, active persecution of early reformers.Daniell's bio is generously footnoted and includes a fine bibliography for further reading.I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the early English Reformation. ... Read more

Product Description
Printed in Germany in 1534 and smuggled into England for distribution, Tyndale`s masterly translation of the New Testament outraged the clerical establishment by giving the laity direct access to the word of God for the first time. Despite its suppression, it ultimately formed the basis of all English bibles-including much of the King James Version-until after the Second World War. Now for the first time Tyndale`s translation is published in modern spelling so that this remarkable work of English prose by one of the great geniuses of his age is available to today`s reader. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Most Excellent
What can a man say, to the gift of God?Thank You... This work is beyond question the pure Word of God, for which the "man of sin" did kill its earthly author.

William Tyndale was the man !
William Tyndale was the man. He translated the Bible as though he believed it we're the Word of God,not as today's so called scholars who don't even believe we have it anymore.Tyndale believed the Bible could be reliably translated into the English, unlike many modern captains of head knowledge who claim only the Greek can reveal the deeper things. This also was one of the many false claims of the Catholics;that being that the original language (Latin) could not be reliably translated into English

Tyndale never sought to produce a sect to follow him as Calvin and Luther, yet he did more damage to Rome's heresies that both men combined simply by loosing the Word from the dead Latin language, (Tyndale used Erasmus's Greek)and the Papists.
William gave his life for what he believed, being murdered by both the Catholics and the English Church,which was being controlled by Henry VIII.However, William stands vindicated by God and history and they condemned.

History vindicates William Tyndale, his translation being read by more people that any written work in the history of the world,seeing that his words we're 80 to 90 percent carried over to the Authorized King James Version.
This being a fact for which William was never given proper credit...

Use of secular term
On the third page of his introduction to The New Testament 1526 edition by William Tyndale, David Daniell uses the non-christian term, CE (Common Era) instead of the Christian term, AD (In the year of our Lord).I have no personal knowledge of David Daniell, and am not in any way trying to state that David Daniell is anti-christian.I'm just confused as to why he chose not to use the Christian term.

Excellent Quality
I purchased the hardcover edition and I must say it is far superior in size and quality to the paperback (I have both). The paper quality of both is the same, but the hardcover is much larger in size and print. Also, once opened and pressed out(broken in), starting at the center and working your way out.It lays flat allowing for comfortable reading.

If you simply want a copy of Tyndale just to read, get the paperback, it's obviously cheaper. If, however, you are looking for library quality, I would highly recommend the hardcover edition.

Beautiful
Foranyone interested inthe New Testament,this versionisperhapsthepurest.Tyndaleenriched the English languagewithso manyterms. 90%of the KingJames versionishis translation, but hisissmoother, less wordyand hadnopoliticalagenda like the King James version ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
In the 1530s William Tyndale translated the first 14 books of the Old Testament into English from the original Hebrew, a translation that laid the foundation of all subsequent English Bibles, including the Authorised Version (King James Bible) of 1611. Tyndale was the first to translate the Hebrew Bible into English. At the time, that language was virtually unknown in England, and Tyndale had learned his Hebrew while he was exiled to the Low Countries and Germany for political reasons. The publication of Tyndale's Old Testament, on top of his earlier and later translations of the New Testament, outraged the clerical establishment by giving the people access to the word of God in English. Tyndale was hunted down and burned at the stake for blasphemy. Tyndale translated and printed the Pentateuch (first five books of the Old Testament) in 1530 as a pocket book, revising Genesis in 1534. He also translated and printed the Book of Jonah, probably in 1531. In addition, there is little doubt that he also translated the historical books of the Old Testament - Joshua to 2 Chronicles.The present volume contains the Pentateuch (unavailable except in an out-of-print and unreliablly edited Victorian facsimile) and the historical books, which have not been in print since 1551. The spelling in the texts has been modernized to show them as the modern productions they once were, and Tyndale's introductions and marginal notes are included. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Use of secular term
On the third page of his introduction to The New Testament 1526 edition by William Tyndale, David Daniell uses the non-christian term, CE (Common Era) instead of the Christian term, AD (In the year of our Lord).I have no personal knowledge of David Daniell, and am not in any way trying to state that David Daniell is anti-christian.I'm just confused as to why he chose not to use the Christian term.

Classic
I recieved my copy of Tyndale's Old Testament a few days ago, and I must say I am very pleased. After purchasing the Tyndale's New Testament in hardcover, I just had to have this one.

This is a library quality book, and is slightly thicker than the New Testament (of course), but the same height, which makes them a perfect match on my bookcase.

I highly recommend this edition of Tyndale's Old Testament especially ifyou have the New Testament, or even if you don't and you just love the King James or the history of God's word.Tyndale's foreward to the reader is excellently detailed and really helps to get inside the thoughts of the man as he diligently sought to translate the word of God into our own language.

You will not be disappointed.

Wow!! What a book!!
Wow!! Words can't describe my feelings here. Tyndale not only died for God's word, but he lived for it as a fugitive. His passion for the task of translating the scriptures had to be incredible. He was the 1st to translate the scriptures from the original languages into English. Friends of Wycliff did a New Testament translation (FROM THE OLD LATIN AND NOT THE CATHOLIC VERSION) which I recommend, but please get Tyndale's New Testament also. The Catholic Church and the offshoot Church of England did not want the scriptures to be read by the common man so they could control the people. Also, most of the King James is actually Tyndale's work even though he isn't given credit for it. It was said the King James translators found his work so well done they could hardly believe it. There is no doubt the hand of God was upon this man. I am so glad I bought this book and it is large print making it very easy to read.

Excellent Rendition and Work
When I read about Daniell's work and passion for Tyndale and his Bible, I decided to check it out.I was completely impressed with the work, Daniell retained the idea of Olde English, with more current English spelling, quite a fete.

Interestingly, you will also read a quick history of Tyndale's life and desire to have the common man have the scriptures in his hand.What punctuates this work is where Tyndale's work stops.At his death, he had competed much of the Old Testament.

An interesting factoid that Daniell shares it that Tyndale gave us the English word for the term we use as Passover.For the Bible student, this is interesting because Pasha is translated throughout the whole NT of Tyndale's as Easter (the modern term used for Pasha today in the Greek language.)

Many do not know that this work is really the foundation and much of the superstructure for what would become the KJV.Daniell tells us in other places that the KJV is 87% from Tyndale's work, where Tyndale left us a legacy.

To complete your Bible collection, to understand the work of a man whose life was constantly in peril until his ultimate murder, to be inspired by another set of eyes and ears on the early text types, you must get the Tyndale Old and New Testament that David Daniell has compiled.The bargain price for both is the best around.You will not be dissappointed. ... Read more

Book Description
Amidst the millions of committed Christians in each generation, a handful rise to special prominence. Learn more about their exciting and inspiring lives in Barbour's "Heroes of the Faith" series.

Though his life was cut short, Tyndale's work became the foundation for most later English translations of the Scripture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

English Martyr - William Tyndale
From the cover (loosely):Five hundred years ago, no one had a copy of the Bible in the English language.One man dreamed of spreading the gospel by putting the Bible into words the English peasant could understand.Then church officials objected to his work, Tyndale determined to continue his translation efforts, no matter what the risk.In spite of persecution, hunger, and hardship, Tyndale persevered with his mission until he was betrayed, arrested, convicted as a heretic, and burned at the stake.

Great reading
This is a wonderful book. I have never read anything so well writen. There are even explanations for the less common words right next to the word instead of having to go to a dictionary or the back of the book.
Very honest writing they always tell you when something is speculation and not proven fact.
Lots of information about the people surrounding the main subject, I really couldn't put this book down. Only took me a day and a half to finish it even with working full time and household chores.
I plan to read many more from this series.
Well worth the price.

... Read more

Product Description
The publication in 1526 of a modestly-priced pocket edition of the New Testament in English was arguably the most important single event in the history of the English Reformation. This volume is a complete reprint of William Tyndale's pioneering translation of the New Testament from Greek into English. Produced at the same size as the original edition, it presents Tyndale's words in the original spelling. It has been transcribed and edited by Dr W.R. Cooper, and has an introduction by David Daniell, author of a biography of Tyndale and Chairman of the Tyndale Society. William Tyndale's influence has been as wide as Shakespeare's . Between 1525 and 1535 he gave us our English Bible, translating the whole of the New Testament and half of the Old Testament. His pocket-sized Bibles were smuggled into England, ruthlessly sought out by the Church, confiscated and destroyed. Tyndale himself was condemned as a heretic, strangled and burned outside Brussels in 1536. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Tyndale New Testament
I wanted as old translation of the New Testament, in English, as I could get.This one has been cleaned up a bit but still retains much of the olde English that allows you to see what folks were studying 500 years ago. If it were in the English it was originally written, we could barely read it.

It doesn't add quite the insight as the Geneva Study Bible but still does what I need it to do.It does confirm the Geneva Study Bible.

I ordered a used copy but it looks new and came in less time than I was told.I use it to supplement my study with the KJV and NIV.

In my opinion, a good buy for serious Bible study.

A very good replication of Tyndale's work.
This is a very nice compact pocket size replication of Tyndale's New Testament. The lettering is modern but the spelling is original.

Tyndale Bible
I purchased this for my wife, whom is doing research to compare it with later editions of the Bible.In particular, she is trying to find
if it might give clues to biases in translation in more modern translations.

The first modern English book
Tyndale wanted anyone, rich or poor and especially the poor man, to have access to the unmediated word of God.Since Wyclif in the 14th century, the Lollards had been walking the country preaching the Gospel at great personal risk, but the English Bible they used was firstly manuscript (and very expensive) and secondly little more than a transliteration into poor English from the Latin (Vulgate) Bible. The 1408 Constitutions of Oxford made it effectively a capital offence to translate the Scriptures into English, and thus Tyndale had to effect his translation and its printing in hiding on the Continent.

At this time the English language was undergoing the "great vowel shift", effectively becoming intelligible to us.But the literate classes considered it a crude language, incapable of higher thought (which needed Latin, or some such proper language for expression).There was no literature in the new modern language.Then Tyndale's inflammatory text appeared, and spread like wildfire underground.

Tyndale was an exceptionally able scholar, fluent in all the European languages, and Greek too.He could even hear the Aramaic under the Greek text of Matthew.And we hear his translation today as beautiful English:this is because it is the underlying text of the New Testament of the King James bible of 1611.But at the time he was using the structure of the speech of the ordinary man, and turning this speech to unprecedented use.He claimed that the English of the ordinary man was very well matched to the ordinary Greek used by the New Testament writers, and his English is of the utmost clarity and immediacy.We still use it today!When we say things are "for the best" we are using Tyndale's text of Romans chapter 8 verse 28, one of very many places where King James does not improve Tyndale.

Thus, Tyndale's New Testament of 1526 is the first modern English book. And it has had enormous influence directly on us, since it has moulded the language, and moulded our thought with it right up to very modern times.When we hear and respond to the "Nine Lessons and Carols" from Kings College Cambridge, we are responding to Tyndale's text.

And without Tyndale there would have been no Shakespeare!This is an important book!

Quite an eye-opener...
Hard to understand the spelling in some places, but for the most part was easy enough for me to read. It was facinating to read the original spelling version, and compare it to the corrected spelling version. There ARE some debatable differences in the translated words they chose to use!
This text, along with the 1599 Geneva Bible and the 1611 King James Version, provides a TRUE rendering of God's Word. One can really see how His Word has been altered through out the years, especially when one compares it to the newer bible versions.
It was also good to read it without the chapter divisions, as this has also lent to the different viewpoints and interpretations. A VERY good book for those in search of the ultimate truth! ... Read more

Product Description
The publication in 1526 of a modestly-priced pocket edition of the New Testament in English was arguably the most important single event in the history of the English Reformation. Between 1525 and 1535 Thomas Tyndale gave us the English Bible, translating the whole of the New Testament and half the Old Testament. His pocket-sized Bibles were smuggled into England, ruthlessly sought out by the Church, confiscated and destroyed. Tyndale himself was condemned as a heretic, strangled and burned outside Brussels in 1536. This volume is a complete facsimile of William Tyndale's pioneering translation of the New Testament from Greek into English, held at the British Library, and only one of the two last copies remaining in the world. The British Library produced an edition of the Tyndale Bible with original spelling but a modern typeface. It has sold over 10,000 copies and remains one of our most popular and well received titles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

An Invaluable Gem
I was delighted to receive this reproduction of the most influential English Bible translation of all time.This was the version that gave more than 70% of the phrases to the King James version.This is the document that, along with Shakespeare, created our modern English language.

The book is an exact, full colour photographic reproduction of Tyndale's New Testament of 1526 - the first English translation of the Bible from the original Greek.The binding is excellent, the copy is clean and unretouched.The original was purchased by the British Museum from the Baptist Bristol library when it was closed.It is one of only 3 remaining copies and is the cleanest and best preserved - The British museum paid well over one million pounds in 1994, the most the library had ever paid for a single item!

The typeface is black letter gothic and takes a little getting used to.Abrieviations are common, the spelling is odd, but the language is quite familiar to those who know the King James Version.The text is just New Testament text - no marginal comments, just as Tyndale wanted it.

Of course, Henry VIII regarded this volume as seditious and had Tyndale arrested and executed in 1536, before he finished the translation of the Old Testament.(However, his friend John Rogers published all his work as the "Matthew" Bible the year after Tyndale's execution, and with royal ascent - a wonderful irony!)

A Masterpiece
This is a masterpiece of English Bible History.When I taught History of the English Bible, I wish I had access to it.It is a marvelous feeling to examine the beautiful text that has so remarkably been reprioduced here.One can read the actual words of Tyndales Monumental work for which he ultimaely paid with his life.It is a highwater mark as the first English translation made from the Greek.Prior to this, Wycliffe had made a translation from the Vulgate but Tyndale goes back to the original fountain head and translates it into English for all of England to examine and read.One has the feeling of many people from the past looking over his or her shoulder as one reads the text and examines the marginal notes made in an unknown hand.I go to it anew each time to drink from this fountain.One can see how influencial it was on the KJV almost 100 years later.It is a must have for anyone interested in how we came to have our current English translations and how influencial Tyndale still is on English Translations.

For a history lover - OUTSTANDING!
You can find the text of Tyndale's translation here: [...]- but there is something very satisfying about reading a copy of one of the actual 1526 Tyndale New Testaments! It takes 5-10 minutes to get used to reading the text, but with a bit of mental adjustment, it isn't hard at all. I agree with the reviewer who said Tyndale's was more 'modern' than the KJV. It was a very plain, 'common', and forceful translation. Odd as it sounds for someone who only recently bought a KJV after 40 years of using modern translations, I'll be reading regularly from Tyndale's.

The binding is typical for this price range - if I had to do it over, I might opt for the hardback version.

The New Testament: A Facsimile of the 1526 Edition
I really love it. Very pretty pages and images.It takes a while to get the hang of the fonts and it is slower reading than modern bibles but it is worth the effort.

My favorite New Testament
This is an amazing and important little book.As the first English Bible translated from the original languages, the historic value of Tyndale's New Testament can't be overstated.I find the text to be clear and readable, don't be put-off by the Gothic style type or variations in spelling, you adjust to that much faster than you think.William Tyndale gave his life to allow us to read the Bible in English, we owe him a very great debt for his work. ... Read more

Product Description
William Tyndale (sometimes spelled Tindall or Tyndall; pronounced /ˈtɪndəl/) (c. 1494 – 1536) was a 16th-century Protestant reformer and scholar who, influenced by the work of Desiderius Erasmus and Martin Luther,[1] translated considerable parts of the Bible into the Early Modern English of his day. While a number of partial and complete Old English translations had been made from the seventh century onward, and Middle English translations particularly during the 14th century, Tyndale's was the first English translation to draw directly from Hebrew and Greek texts, and the first to take advantage of the new medium of print, which allowed for its wide distribution. In 1535, Tyndale was arrested, jailed in the castle of Vilvoorde outside Brussels for over a year, tried for heresy and burned at the stake. He was strangled before his body was burnt by some people who associated themselves with the Roman Catholic Church.
Much of Tyndale's work eventually found its way into the King James Version (or "Authorised Version") of the Bible, published in 1611, which, as the work of 54 independent scholars revising the existing English versions, drew significantly on Tyndale's translations. The King James Version New Testament is 83.7 per cent Tyndale's work, with the KJV Old Testament 75.7 per cent Tyndale's.[2]
Whereas John Wycliffe had earlier produced an English translation of the Bible from Latin, Tyndale was the first to translate from the original Greek language. This was only made possible after Erasmus made the Greek New Testament available in Europe. ... Read more

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William Tyndale is the finest English translator of the Bible, and his New Testament one of the most influential works in English Literature. As a young man in pre-Reformation England, where unauthorised translation of the Bible was illegal, he heard a pompous divine claim that 'we were better be without God's law than the Pope's'. Tyndale's answer was: 'I defy the Pope and all his laws, and if God spares my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the scripture than thou dost'. Unable to do this in England, he spent the rest of his life in exile on the Continent and was executed as a heretic in 1536. His translations - of the entire New Testament and much of the Old Testament - were smuggled into England, where an eager public risked their lives to read them. His New Testament with its clear, vivid style and resonant phrases, is a masterpiece of English prose and was the basis of the Authorized Version of 1611. ... Read more

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The English Bible---the mot familiar book in our language---is the product of a man who was exiled, vilified, betrayed, then strangled, then burnt.

William Tyndale left England in 1524 to translate the word of God into English.This was heresy, punishable by death.Sir Thomas More, hailed as a saint and a man for all seasons, considered it his divine duty to pursue Tyndale.He did so with an obsessive ferocity that, in all probability, led to Tyndale's capture and death.

The words that Tyndale wrote during his desperate exile have a beauty and familiarity that still resonate across the English-speaking world: "Death, where is thy sting?...eat, drink, and be merry...our Father which art in heaven."

His New Testament, which he translated, edited, financed, printed, and smuggled into England in 1526, passed with few changes into subsequent versions of the Bible.So did those books of the Old Testament that he lived to finish.

Brian Moynahan's lucid and meticulously researched biography illuminates Tyndale's life, from his childhood in England, to his death outside Brussels.It chronicles the birth pangs of the Reformation, the wrath of Henry VIII, the sympathy of Anne Boleyn, and the consuming malice of Thomas More.Above all, it reveals the English Bible as a labor of love, for which a man in an age more spiritual than our own willingly gave his life.
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Customer Reviews (11)

Transaction went smoothly
The book was at a great price and in the condition described in the ad.

A Story Well Told
Moynahan weaves a tale of political intrigue, outlining the passion and courage of the small group of English Reformers, most notably, William Tyndale.Tyndale, a skilled translator, is finally getting his due, primarily through the efforts of David Daniell, and the Tyndale Society.This book, along with Daniell's well-written biography of Tyndale, paints a clear picture of this good man's work.

On the other hand, Moynahan fails to complete a clear link between Tyndale's betrayer, Phillips, and Thomas More.While More clearly has much to answer for with his hate and personal involvement in the torture of English Reformers, he cannot, without doubt, be clearly charged with the martyrdom of Tyndale.

Moynahan's book is well-researched, with a sizable appendix on his sources.It would be an improvement to add clearer, specific references.

Other than that, well-done.

Spirituality is Passion
Perhaps it's hard to imagine, in this culture that seems so often frivolous and egocentric, caring enough about anything to put one's life at stake in service to it.

That's exactly what William Tyndale did in his long, rebellious quest to contribute to the translation, publication, and wider dissemination of the Bible, arguably the most important, influential text ever published.

Tyndale's is an oft-told tale, but it's told with verve and sparkling style here. This is one of those fine books that reminds the reader that true stories really are sometimes better than fiction! I recommend this experience to all who love a good yarn with plenty of intrigue, twists and turns.

--Robert McDowell, The Poetry Mentor (www.robertmcdowell.net), author of POETRY AS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE, July 15th, 2008, Free Press

The Fugitive
Moynahan's book is informative, well-written and well-produced (except for sources rather than footnotes). Despite some reviewers strained concerns, the book represents no threat to people of faith.In fact it celebrates them. It depicts the struggles and underlying genius of a gifted translator and polemicist, William Tyndale and is as exciting as a thriller.Cleverly and informatively interweaving the emergence of the new printing industry - Moynahan presents a Europe that is surprisingly cosmopolitan.Tyndale wanders from Antwerp to Cologne to Maintz to Hamburg, pursued by Wolsey's spies, ambassadors and priests.Tyndale managed because he was a polyglot - English, German, French, Dutch, Greek, Latin and Hebrew - and he had many supporters especially among the men and women of business and industry.

In celebrating Tyndale's accomplishments, Moynahan does a number on the much and overly celebrated Thomas More.I am a practicing Catholic and Englishman too boot, brought up on the presumed saintliness of Thomas More. Stimulated by C. J. Sansom's 16th Century murder mystery - Dissolution, I have read in quick order biographies of Wolsey, Cromwell and now Tyndale. I no longer think of More as "blessed". True, More stood by his principles and was erudite - but he appears fanatical, twisted and sadistic and demonstrated little belief in the sanctity of human life.After reading Moynahan's description of More's pursuit of Tyndale and other evangelicals, I defy anyone to see More's Utopia as a pleasant place.

Moynahan effectively brings to life the leading characters of this troubled, violent, vicious and generally un-Christian period.The work and genius of Master William Tyndale - who appears to have been more saintly than Thomas More -have been largely submerged in the blood and fire of the times:Blood and fire in large measure shed and stoked in the name of us Catholics.While much of the Reformation was driven by avarice, greed and geo-politics, the reality is that the Church had become wedded to form over substance, and the Rome of the Medicii Popes was closer to today's Hollywood than to Heaven.It is stunning to see the attitude of the Catholic Church towards the Bible and the laity.Great things were at stake just as they are today, but the manner in which those great things were championed and protected was intolerant, immoral and deeply un-Christian.

A MODERN HERETIC'S PROPAGANDA HIT PIECE
IT IS SO EASY TO ATTACK THE ANGLICANS, LUTHERANS , AND EPISCOPALIANS FOR THEIR HERESY THAT IT ISSELF-EVIDENT, BUT MR.MOYNAHAN'S OBSSESSIVE HATRED OF MORE IS CAUSE FOR CONCERN OVER HIS REAL IQ REGARDING THE WHOLE ISSUES OF THE SO-CALLED "REFORMATION"[ BUT MORE ACCURATELY TO BE TERMED THE PROTESTANT'S WAR ON THE ONE AND TRUE CHURCH ]PERHAPS MR.MOYNAHAN IS IGNORANT OVER THE SEVERE FRACTURING OF THE EPISCOPALIAN CHURCH IN THE USA -PERHAPS EVIDENCE THAT IT WAS HERESYAND THIS OF COURSE WILL LEAD BACK TO CANTERBURY EVENTUALLY. ACCUSATIONS ARE MADE AGAINST THE CATHOLIC THROUGH BLIND AND STUPID STORIES[ AS IF PEOPLE LEARN THEIR THEOLOGY FROM HELLISH HOLLYWOOD ] MORE IS STILL WELL KNOWN 572 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH AND IN FACT, IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS "A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS." TYNDALE IS A CURIOUS ANSWER TO A TRIVIA QUESTION. DR. JOHNSON EVEN MENTIONED MORE IN GLOWING PRAISE. THIS BOOK IS A PIECE OF PROPAGANDA GARBAGE - BURN IT LIKE MORE BURNED THE HERETICS TRYING TO KILL THE CHURCH. WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE NO GUIDANCE AND DETERMINE THEIR OWN MEANINGS FROM THEIR VERNACULAR?AS TYNDALE WANTED [ AS MOYNAHAN DEFENDS ] THIS IS THE KORAN....
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Customer Reviews (1)

wrongly reprinted
I tried twice to buy this product from Amazon.Both times copies arrived with the same mistake.I complained but got no satisfaction or even an answer.The book is a four column comparison of four different Bible versions.Originally it must have been printed with all four columns visible at one time while the book was opened, on facing pages.This reprint puts two columns on the front and two columns on the back of the same page of paper, making it VERY difficult to use.Apparently when they set this up for a reprint, they did not take time to think about it or compare the final version, or they would have skipped a blank page to make the page numbering come out right. Instead, they seem to have been only concerned with copying the content onto other pages.I still would like to own a copy of this book, reprint or original, but will not again try to buy it through Amazon since the format of the reprint is totally wrong, making it almost impossible to use comfortably. ... Read more

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William Tyndale is justly best remembered as a Bible translator. During the last eleven years of his short life he published three editions of the complete New Testament, the Pentateuch, the book of Jonah, and a few other parts of the Old Testament. He may well have left behind him in manuscript form a translation of the Old Testament's historical books from Joshua to 2 Chronicles, which was published as part of 'Matthew's Bible' in the year following his martyrdom. In the last letter from his pen, we see him zealous to make progress with the translation of the Old Testament, as languishing in his final imprisonment he requests that his 'Hebrew Bible, Hebrew grammar, and Hebrew dictionary' be granted to him.
There is little doubt that Tyndale could have translated the whole of the Bible into English if he had given himself exclusively to that work. But alongside the work of translation he felt it was necessary to contend earnestly for the Reformed faith and so he threw himself into several of the key theological controversies of the times. For this 'Apostle of England' the Bible must not only be translated, its teachings also must be expounded and applied in a practical way. To such work of exposition and application Tyndale gave himself with a passion, and in so doing not only proved himself a master of true biblical interpretation, but has left to posterity works of lasting value. As F.F. Bruce wrote in another context: A reprint of this kind is no mere archaeological curiosity; one who was so intensely a man of the Bible as Tyndale was speaks to more ages than his own, and in the following pages we shall find that he has much to say to us, if we pay heed to what we read. ... Read more

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This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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