How Much of the King James Bible Is William Tyndale's?: An Estimation Based on Sampling. Issue 1 (3rd July 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nielson, Jon; Skousen, Royal
• Is Part Of: Reformation. Volume 3:Issue 1(1998)
• Page Start: 49
• Page End: 74
• Publication Date: 2014-07-03
• Subjects: Reformation -- Great Britain -- Periodicals; Reformation -- Periodicals; Church history -- 16th century -- Periodicals; Europe -- Civilization -- 16th century -- Periodicals; Europe -- History -- 1492-1648 -- Periodicals; Periodicals; 940.23
• DOI: 10.1179/ref_1998_3_1_004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1357-4175

Abstract

Abstract : Previous estimates of William Tyndale's contribution to the 1611 King James Version (or Authorized Version) of the Bible have run from a high of up to 90 per cent (Westcott) to a low of 18 per cent (Butterworth). Here we propose an accurate and appropriate method for determining the respective contribution to the KJV of each version of the early English Bible. Based on 18 sampled passages from those portions of the Bible that Tyndale translated, we conclude that for the New Testament Tyndale's contribution is about 84 per cent of the text, while in the Old Testament about 76 per cent of his words have been retained.