Editing Matthew Bible (section)

==Translation==
The Matthew Bible was the combined work of three individuals, working from numerous sources in at least five different languages.

The entire New Testament (first published in 1526 and later revised in 1534), the [[Pentateuch]], [[Book of Jonah|Jonah]] and in [[David Daniell (Literary scholar)|David Daniell]]'s view,<ref>Tyndale, William (tr.); Martin, Priscilla (ed.) (2002) ''William Tyndale's New Testament (edition of 1534)''; with an introduction by Priscilla Martin. Hertfordshire; p. xxi, line 37 and see the Wikipedia article for [[David Daniell (Literary scholar)|David Daniell]]</ref> the [[Book of Joshua]], [[Book of Judges|Judges]], [[Book of Ruth|Ruth]], [[Books of Samuel|First and Second Samuel]], [[Books of Kings|First and Second Kings]], and [[Books of Chronicles|First and Second Chronicles]], were the work of [[William Tyndale]]. Tyndale consulted [[Martin Luther|Luther]]'s [[Luther Bible|German Bible]], [[Erasmus]]’ [[Latin]] version, and the [[Vulgate]] for the biblical text, prefaces, and marginal notes, and worked directly with the [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]] and [[Koine Greek|Greek]].<ref>Scientifically proven, see: Tyndale, William (tr.); Martin, Priscilla (ed.) (2002); p. xvi</ref><ref>Scientifically proven, see also: Daniell, David (1994) ''William Tyndale: a biography''. New Haven & London: Yale University Press, p. 114, line 33</ref><ref>Scientifically proven, see also: Vogel, Gudrun (2009) "Tyndale, William" in: [[Brockhaus Enzyklopädie|Der Brockhaus in sechs Bänden]]. Mannheim/Leipzig: Brockhaus Verlag</ref><ref>Scientifically proven,  see also: Zwahr. A. (2004) ''Tyndale, William'' in: [[Meyers Konversations-Lexikon|Meyers Großes Taschenwörterbuch]]. Mannheim: Bibliographisches Institut</ref>{{dubious|date=February 2024}} The use of the pseudonym "Thomas Matthew" resulted possibly from the need to conceal from [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] the participation of Tyndale in the translation. A theory exists from Dr. Harding that indicates the name ''Thomas Matthew'', which in Greek means "A twin to the original gift from God", may have been chosen to indicate that the largest contributing author was indeed William Tyndale and that his writings were preserved by Coverdale and Rogers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mailchi.mp/3ec8f95bd2de/the-matthew-bible|title = A reason for the name - the Matthew Bible| date=24 January 2024 }}</ref>

The remaining books of the Old Testament and the [[Apocrypha]] were the work of [[John Rogers (Bible editor and martyr)|John Rogers]] and [[Myles Coverdale]]. Coverdale originally translated primarily from [[German language|German]] and Latin sources and in the Matthew Bible they used the original language texts to translate.<ref>Probably [[Luther Bible|Luther's German translation]] and the [[Vulgate]] (see: Tyndale, William (tr.); Martin, Priscilla (ed.) (2002); p. xxi, line 18); for more see: [[Coverdale Bible]]</ref> Historians often tend to treat Coverdale and Tyndale like competitors in a race to complete the monumental and arduous task of translating the biblical text. One is often credited to the exclusion of the other. In reality they knew each other and occasionally worked together. Contemporary historian [[John Foxe]] states that they were in [[Hamburg]] translating the Pentateuch together as early as 1529.<ref>[http://www.exclassics.com/foxe/foxintro.html Foxe, John. The Acts and Monuments of John Foxe]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

The [[Prayer of Manasseh]] was the work of [[John Rogers (Bible editor and martyr)|John Rogers]]. Rogers translated from a French Bible printed two years earlier (in 1535). Rogers compiled the completed work and added the preface, some marginal notes, a calendar and an almanac.

Of the three translators, two met with martyrdom. Tyndale was strangled to death and his body burned on 6 October 1536 in [[Vilvoorde]], [[Belgium]].<ref>most probably, at the instigation of agents of [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] and his [[Anglican Church]]</ref> John Rogers was "tested by fire" on 4 February 1555 at [[Smithfield, London|Smithfield]], England; the first to meet this fate under [[Mary I of England]]. Myles Coverdale was employed by [[Thomas Cromwell|Cromwell]] to work on the [[Great Bible]] of 1539, the first officially authorized English translation of the Bible.

Time and extensive scholastic scrutiny have judged Tyndale the most gifted of the three translators. [[Brooke Foss Westcott|Dr. Westcott]] (in his ''History of the English Bible'') claims that "The history of our English Bible begins with the work of Tyndale and not with that of [[John Wycliffe|Wycliffe]]."<ref name=EB1911>{{cite EB1911 |wstitle=Bible, English |volume=3 |pages=894–905 |first1=Anna Carolina |last1=Paues  |first2=Herbert Hensley |last2=Henson}}</ref> The quality of his translations and choices have also stood the test of time, coming relatively intact even into modern versions of the Bible. A. S. Herbert, Bible cataloguer, says of the Matthew Bible, "this version, which welds together the best work of Tyndale and Coverdale, is generally considered to be the real primary version of our English Bible",{{sfn|Herbert|1968|p=18}} upon which later editions were based, including the [[Geneva Bible]] and [[King James Version]].{{sfn|Herbert|1968|p=18}} Professor [[David Daniell (author)|David Daniell]] recounts that, "New Testament scholars [[Jon Nielson]]<ref>Perhaps also written: John Nielson</ref> and [[Royal Skousen]] observed that previous estimates of Tyndale's contribution to the KJV 'have run from a high of up to 90% (Westcott) to a low of 18% (Butterworth)'. By a statistically accurate and appropriate method of sampling, based on eighteen portions of the Bible, they concluded that for the (KJV) New Testament Tyndale's contribution is about 83% of the text, and in the Old Testament 76%.<ref>[[David Daniell (author)|Daniell, David]] (2003) ''The Bible in English: history and influence''. New Haven and London: Yale University Press {{ISBN|0-300-09930-4}}, p. 448</ref> However, these studies do not in turn deal with the contributions of [[Middle English Bible translations|previous versions]] to Tyndale. 

The Matthew Bible, though largely unrecognized, significantly shaped and influenced English Bible versions in the centuries that followed its first appearance.