Translators and Translations. A Brief History of the Making of the English Bible.

The story of translators and translations of the English Bible has no ending. That is one of the reasons why it needs telling again and again. Particularly in the light of new translations which have appeared in recent decades, fresh perspective is needed by this generation.

An attempt is made here to put in brief and readable compass some of the high lights of this never-ending parade of translators and translations. Many books have been written in this field. Some of them are very excellent; others are too tedious end technical for the desires and needs of the layman. This work is introductory, a taste which it is hoped will tempt the reader to explore further.

The story told here is primarily factual and illustrative. Those who wish to pursue the pros and cons of the accuracy and comparative values of various translations in detail can find voluminous resources elsewhere.

Space problems dictated the necessity of confining this particular story largely to the channels of Protestant translation activities. Significant work is being done in other circles, but could not be covered here.

Indebtedness to certain standard works is acknowledged. Among older reference works are Eadie: The English Bible and Moulton: The History of the English Bible. More recent are Butterworth: The Literary Lineage of the King James Bible and Robinson (ed.): The Bible in Its Ancient and English Versions. The Ancestry of Our English Bible, by Price, is a standard classic recently revised and brought up to date. Those who wish to pursue this field into more detailed and scholarly coverage will find Our English Bible in the Making, by May, most helpful.

Other translations, not yet published, are on the way. Wide reading in the work of many translators has been found helpful by generation after generation of Bible readers. It is hoped that this book will make both the problems and the accomplishments of translators more evident than they have formerly been.

—Harold L. Phillips

Anderson, Indiana