Tyndale translated this work, alone, from the original Greek. This is not the work of a committee with an ax to grind. Actually, this is the translation that all English Bibles, including the King James, was based on until the 20th century. It seems no one else even attempted to translate the whole book from scratch into English from Greek until the modern age. Unless you can read Koine Greek yourself, it is still the best alternative.

I have heard various experts state that the King James version "eliminated" biases in the Tyndale. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The King James is in fact an edited and censored version of the Tyndale. If there was intensional bias involved it was in the minds of the rich and powerful who had Tyndale and his Bible consigned to the flames- and replaced with a "politically correct" substitute.

Tyndale's sole purpose was to get the undistorted, uncorrupted, word of God, as best he knew it, to the English people. He gave his life for that purpose. I prefer to trust his version for this reason.


The First Gem of English Bibles   February 25, 2002
 8 out of 10 found this review helpful

The Word of God Preserved by God for the English speaking people by the promise of God. Psalms 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. Tyndale gave his life to get the Bible to the English people. Tyndale was caught: betrayed by an Englishman that he had befriended. Tyndale was incarcerated for 500 days before he was strangled and burned at the stake in 1536. His last words were, "Lord, open the eyes of the King of England". The start of the line of 7 English Bibles which ends with the crowning jewel the Authorized Version know as the King James Version. I must for Bible collectors. Best deal on the market. Other sites sale for $(...). I got mine used and it is brand new for $(...). Amazon is the way to go. Recommend the 1611 replica of the King James also. Also the 1560 Geneva Bible.


The book that turned England upside down   September 22, 2001
 31 out of 32 found this review helpful

This is the British Library edition of the William Tyndale New Testament of 1526, original spelling Worms edition, in small but easy to read modern type. This older freer form of spelling takes a little to get used to but is worth it. The English is clear, often clearer than the authorized version, although similar since the AV is essentially a revision of Tyndale. The volume is small and easy to carry around, much as was the intent of the volume of nearly 500 years ago. It contains no notes or cross references, it has chapter headings. There is no verse numbering, since these did not appear in English for the first time until the 1558 Geneva New Testament. It has a brief preface by Tyndale's biographer David Daniell, and a helpful historical introduction by the editor W. R. Cooper.

These men have done a great service to the modern English reader in increasing the accessibility of William Tyndale's works.

Not only is this an important book to own for historical reasons, it also is useful for the message it contains: the life changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.

"For yf when we were enemys, we were reconciled to God by the deeth of hys sonne: moche more, seynge we are reconciled, we shalbe preservyd by his life. Not only so, but we also ioye in God by the meanes off oure lorde Jesus Christ, by whom we have receavyd this attonment," Romayns v.


The Finest English Bible prior to 1880!   March 29, 2000
 10 out of 12 found this review helpful

William Tyndale's translation paved the way for all other English translations of God's Holy Writ. His biography and martyrdom are beyond the context of this review, but they do speak volumes to the force that guided this man to risk hir mortal life that all men might know and study the Word of God in their own language.

The Tyndale translation was completed prior to the chapter and verse numeration that we are accustomed to today, and it reads very well--almost as smoothly as Foxe's "Book of Martyrs." Whereas the King James tends toward a little bit of verbosity and is difficult for many to follow today, the Tyndale is passionately written by a "common" man. One of the only disadvantages to the Tyndale is that it is a one-man translation whereas the King James and our modern translations are composed by committees that tend to filter out bias. But it is very critical to point out that the King James is really a revision of the Tyndale Bible! The Tybdale IS a reliable translation based on the best source material available in its time.

Not only can I highly recommend the Tyndale for pure reading pleasure, but I can recommend it for serious study, not only of the Holy Scriptures but also as a fine examply of 16th Century English literature. Every pastor and theologian should have a copy of the Tyndale Old and New Testaments on their book shelves.