Mathew's Bible (1551)

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3rd Edition

Mathew's Bible was a significant milestone in the English Bible. It represented the first printed compilation of all of William Tyndale's translation work. It was issued in 1537, less than a year after Tyndale's death. It was compiled by John Rogers, who published it under the pseudonym of Thomas Matthew.

Rogers incorporated Tyndale's translation of the Pentateuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy), while the books of Joshua through Chronicles were taken from a manuscript translation by Tyndale. Tyndale's New Testament was used in a modified form. The remainder of the Old Testament and Apocrypha were a revised version of the Coverdale Bible of 1535.

Tyndale's works were condemned by authorities in England. But despite the translation's connection to Tyndale, Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury, preferred it to other English translations. He recommended Mathew's Bible for use in the Church of England, and

license to print the book was granted by Cromwell. It was the first English Bible to be printed in England rather than in other parts of Europe.

Mathew's Bible was reprinted in 1549 and 1551. The copy on display here is the third edition.

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