The Geneva Bible

Every preschool child knows the story. The Pilgrims set sail from Plymouth, England on the Mayflower September 6, 1620 and arrived in Cape Cod on November 11, 1620. They endured a perilous Winter that cut their number in half. Nevertheless, the following Fall they prepared a feast and gathered together to thank God for their blessings. What you might not know is that they carried with them the Geneva Bible.

The Geneva Bible has a significant history. It was translated by exiled protestants in Geneva during the reign of Queen Mary I a.k.a. "Bloody Mary." The Bible was not only unique because it was the first to employ a number system for each verse but it also had an extensive commentary written in the margins. Shakespeare oftentimes quoted from it in his plays. You may read an interesting article about this edition by Bruce M. Metzger here.

Reflecting on its history in the Plymouth Colony, I have wondered, how many frigid Sunday mornings the preached word was proclaimed from the Geneva edition? How many Pilgrims read it late at night seeking comfort after the death of a loved one or facing the uncertainty of surviving another day themselves? How many times were the Psalms read out of it in praise?

If you have an extra $60,000.00 lying around, you can pick-up an original 1st edition at www.Greatsite.com. Greatsite has facsimile copies that are much more moderately priced between $250.00 and $750.00. Finally, if your budget is very limited you can view one online at the Digital Christian Library in PDF format. I bought a facsimile copy a few years ago to serve as our "family Bible" and I hope that it will be passed down for generations to come. It is also of special significance to me since it appears my Dutch Reformed ancestors, who settled New Amsterdam (modern day Manhattan), likely read from the Geneva Bible.

This Thanksgiving weekend I am thankful for the Gospel which we would not have but for the faithfulness of God preserving it through his saints down through the ages. While I gather with family and friends, I look forward to the day when we will all gather around Christ's table for that penultimate feast that he will provide for us by his own hand.

Happy Thanksgiving!

P.S. Another interesting note about the Geneva edition is that it contains the Apocrypha. I was surprised to learn that many of the original protestant versions apparently contained the Apocrypha as well. However, the translators did not consider the Apocrypha to be part of the canon as reflected in the Geneva Bible's preface to these books. It that states they were included for the furtherance of knowledge of history.