Geneva Bible 1560. God. 1560. 4305 pages. [Source: Bought]
I first discovered this version--with archaic spelling--on the YouVersion app. I also bought an e-book copy because I was LOVING it so much. I started reading in December 2020 and I finished March 2, 2021. I read using the Bible in 90 Day plan--loosely. I think I finished the Bible in 86 or 87 days instead of 90--if you want to nitpick.
I have read a little here and there in the 1599 Geneva Bible. That one was reprinted not that long ago. The print is SUPER TEENY TINY. But in my reading it wasn't instant love. Not even close.
With the 1560 Geneva Bible it was INSTANT LOVE. And it wasn't just infatuation--lasting for a few chapters of Genesis. Nope, from Genesis to Revelation I remained HEAD OVER HEELS in love with the 1560 Geneva Bible.
I loved the archaic spelling. LOVED, LOVED, LOVED. I think that is in part what kept me engaged with the text.
Many of the Textus Receptus Bibles were written in Early Modern English (c.1500-c.1800). This may be daunting for some readers but it is not so hard once you get used to it. Most early modern writers saw no need to follow a strict set of rules for spelling and grammar, and little in the way of such a thing existed. Standardization came later.
It reminded me of a couple of Mark Twain quotes:
I don't see any use in having a uniform and arbitrary way of spelling words. We might as well make all clothes alike and cook all dishes alike. Sameness is tiresome; variety is pleasing. I have a correspondent whose letters are always a refreshment to me, there is such a breezy unfettered originality about his orthography. He always spells Kow with a large K. Now that is just as good as to spell it with a small one. It is better. It gives the imagination a broader field, a wider scope. It suggests to the mind a grand, vague, impressive new kind of a cow.
- speech at a spelling match, Hartford, Connecticut, May 12, 1875. Reported in the Hartford Courant, May 13, 1875
I never had any large respect for good spelling. That is my feeling yet. Before the spelling-book came with its arbitrary forms, men unconsciously revealed shades of their characters and also added enlightening shades of expression to what they wrote by their spelling, and so it is possible that the spelling-book has been a doubtful benevolence to us.
- Mark Twain's Autobiography
“Anyone who can only think of one way to spell a word obviously lacks imagination.” Mark Twain
The spelling of certain words just made as much sense if not MORE sense than the traditional (modern) spellings.
For example:
- voyce instead of voice
- shalbe instead of shall be
- yeeres instead of years
- eightie instead of eighty
- gyants instead of giants
- mightie instead of mighty
- onely instead of only
- crueltie instead of cruelty
- fourtie instead of forty
- moneth instead of month
- speache instead of speech
- multiplie instead of multiply
- sayd or sayde instead of said
- assoone instead of as soon
- appoynt instead of appoint
- companie instead of company
- knowen instead of known
- syr instead of sir
- stuffe instead of stuff
- inough instead of enough
- cattell instead of cattle
- foorth instead of forth
- starre instead of star
- enemie instead of enemy
- detters instead of debtors
- glorie instead of glory
- physition instead of physician
- easie instead of easy
- delite instead of delight
- rejoyce instead of rejoice
- krush instead of crush
- afrayde instead of afraid
- libertie instead of liberty
- prayse instead of praise
- worthie instead of worthy
- haylestones instead of hailstones
- coles instead of coals
- powred instead of poured
- middes instead of midst
- shepheard instead of shepherd
- battell instead of battle
- tentation instead of temptation
- trueth instead of truth
- wisedom instead of wisdom
- hipocrisie instead of hypocrisy
- sprinkeling instead of sprinkling
- ordeined instead of ordained
Here are some verses to give you an idea of what the text is like.
“In the beginning was that Word, and that Word was with God, and that Word was God. This same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by it, and without it was made nothing that was made. In it was life, and that life was the light of men. And that light shineth in the darkenesse, and the darkenesse comprehended it not.”
John 1:1-5
“Verely, verely I say vnto thee, wee speake that we know, and testifie that we haue seene: but yee receiue not our witnesse. If when I tel you earthly things, ye beleeue not, howe should yee beleeue, if I shall tel you of heauenly things? For no man ascendeth vp to heauen, but he that hath descended from heauen, that Sonne of man which is in heauen. And as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse, so must that Sonne of man be lift vp, That whosoeuer beleeueth in him, shoulde not perish, but haue eternall life. For God so loued the worlde, that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but haue euerlasting life. For God sent not his Sonne into the world, that he should condemne the world, but that the world through him might be saued. Hee that beleeueth in him, is not condemned: but hee that beleeueth not, is condemned already, because he hath not beleeued in the Name of that onely begotten Sonne of God. And this is the condemnation, that that light came into the worlde, and men loued darknesse rather then that light, because their deedes were euill. For euery man that euill doeth, hateth the light, neither commeth to light, least his deedes should be reprooued. But he that doeth trueth, commeth to the light, that his deedes might bee made manifest, that they are wrought according to God.”
John 3:11-21
“Iesus then answered, and saide vnto them, Murmure not among your selues. No man can come to mee, except the Father, which hath sent mee, drawe him: and I will raise him vp at the last day. It is written in the Prophetes, And they shalbe al taught of God. Euery man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, commeth vnto me: Not that any man hath seene the Father, saue hee which is of God, hee hath seene the Father. Verely, verely I say vnto you, hee that beleeueth in me, hath euerlasting life. I am that bread of life.”
John 6:43-48
When Iesus therefore saw her weepe, and the Iewes also weepe which came with her, hee groned in the spirit, and was troubled in himselfe, And saide, Where haue ye layde him? They said vnto him, Lord, come and see. And Iesus wept. Then saide the Iewes, Beholde, how he loued him. And some of them saide, Coulde not he, which opened the eyes of the blinde, haue made also, that this man should not haue died? Iesus therefore againe groned in himselfe, and came to the graue. And it was a caue, and a stone was layde vpon it. Iesus saide, Take ye away the stone. Martha the sister of him that was dead, said vnto him, Lord, he stinketh alreadie: for he hath bene dead foure dayes. Iesus saide vnto her, Saide I not vnto thee, that if thou diddest beleeue, thou shouldest see the glorie of God? Then they tooke away the stone from the place where the dead was layde. And Iesus lift vp his eyes, and saide, Father, I thanke thee, because thou hast heard me. I knowe that thou hearest me alwayes, but because of the people that stand by, I said it, that they may beleeue, that thou hast sent me. As hee had spoken these things, hee cried with a loude voyce, Lazarus, come foorth. Then he that was dead, came forth, bound hande and foote with bandes, and his face was bound with a napkin. Iesus said vnto them, Loose him, and let him goe. Then many of the Iewes, which came to Mary, and had seene the thinges, which Iesus did, beleeued in him.”
John 11:8-15, 21-28, 33-45
“Let not your heart be troubled: ye beleeue in God, beleeue also in me. In my Fathers house are many dwelling places: if it were not so, I would haue tolde you: I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I wil come againe, and receiue you vnto my selfe, that where I am, there may ye be also. And whither I go, ye know, and the way ye knowe. Thomas sayd vnto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest: how can we then know ye way? Iesus sayd vnto him, I am that Way, and that Trueth, and that Life. No man commeth vnto the Father, but by me. If ye had knowen mee, ye should haue knowen my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and haue seene him.”
John 14:1-7
“These things spake Iesus, and lift vp his eyes to heauen, and saide, Father, that houre is come: glorifie thy Sonne, that thy Sonne also may glorifie thee, As thou hast giuen him power ouer all flesh, that he shoulde giue eternall life to all them that thou hast giuen him. And this is life eternall, that they knowe thee to be the onely very God, and whom thou hast sent, Iesus Christ. I haue glorified thee on the earth: I haue finished the worke which thou gauest me to doe. And nowe glorifie me, thou Father, with thine owne selfe, with the glorie which I had with thee before the world was. I haue declared thy Name vnto the men which thou gauest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gauest them me, and they haue kept thy worde. Nowe they knowe that all things whatsoeuer thou hast giuen me, are of thee. For I haue giuen vnto them the wordes which thou gauest me, and they haue receiued them, and haue knowen surely that I came out from thee, and haue beleeued that thou hast sent me. I pray for them: I pray not for the worlde, but for them which thou hast giuen me: for they are thine. And al mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am glorified in them. And nowe am I no more in the world, but these are in the worlde, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keepe them in thy Name, euen them whome thou hast giuen mee, that they may bee one, as we are. While I was with them in the worlde, I kept them in thy Name: those that thou gauest me, haue I kept, and none of them is lost, but the childe of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee, and these things speake I in the worlde, that they might haue my ioy fulfilled in themselues. I haue giuen them thy word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou keepe them from euill. They are not of the worlde, as I am not of the world. Sanctifie them with thy trueth: thy word is trueth. As thou diddest send me into the world, so haue I sent them into the world. And for their sakes sanctifie I my selfe, that they also may bee sanctified through the trueth. I praie not for these alone, but for them also which shall beleeue in mee, through their woorde, That they all may bee one, as thou, O Father, art in me, and I in thee: euen that they may be also one in vs, that the worlde may beleeue that thou hast sent me. And the glory that thou gauest me, I haue giuen them, that they may be one, as we are one, I in them, and thou in mee, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the worlde may knowe that thou hast sent mee, and hast loued them, as thou hast loued me. Father, I will that they which thou hast giuen me, be with me euen where I am, that they may beholde that my glorie, which thou hast giuen mee: for thou louedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the worlde also hath not knowen thee, but I haue knowen thee, and these haue knowen, that thou hast sent me. And I haue declared vnto the thy Name, and will declare it, that the loue wherewith thou hast loued me, may be in them, and I in them.”
John 17:1-26
The heauens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth ye worke of his hands. Day vnto day vttereth the same, and night vnto night teacheth knowledge. There is no speach nor language, where their voyce is not heard. Their line is gone forth through all the earth, and their words into the endes of the world: in them hath he set a tabernacle for the sunne. Which commeth forth as a bridegrome out of his chamber, and reioyceth like a mightie man to runne his race. His going out is from the ende of the heauen, and his compasse is vnto the endes of ye same, and none is hid from the heate thereof. The Lawe of the Lord is perfite, conuerting the soule: the testimonie of the Lord is sure, and giueth wisedome vnto the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right and reioyce the heart: the commandement of the Lord is pure, and giueth light vnto the eyes. The feare of the Lord is cleane, and indureth for euer: the iudgements of the Lord are trueth: they are righteous altogether, And more to be desired then golde, yea, then much fine golde: sweeter also then honie and the honie combe. Moreouer by them is thy seruant made circumspect, and in keeping of them there is great reward. Who can vnderstand his faultes? clense me from secret fautes. Keepe thy seruant also from presumptuous sinnes: let them not reigne ouer me: so shall I be vpright, and made cleane from much wickednes. Let the wordes of my mouth, and the meditation of mine heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.”
Psalms 19:1-14
The Lord is my shepheard, I shall not want. He maketh me to rest in greene pasture, and leadeth me by the still waters. He restoreth my soule, and leadeth me in the paths of righteousnesse for his Names sake. Yea, though I should walke through the valley of the shadowe of death, I will feare no euill: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staffe, they comfort me. Thou doest prepare a table before me in the sight of mine aduersaries: thou doest anoynt mine head with oyle, and my cuppe runneth ouer. Doubtlesse kindnesse and mercie shall follow me all the dayes of my life, and I shall remaine a long season in the house of the Lord.”
Psalms 23:1-6
I will alway giue thankes vnto the Lord: his praise shalbe in my mouth continually. My soule shall glory in the Lord: the humble shall heare it, and be glad. Praise ye the Lord with me, and let vs magnifie his Name together. I sought the Lord, and he heard me: yea, he deliuered me out of all my feare. They shall looke vnto him, and runne to him: and their faces shall not be ashamed, saying, This poore man cryed, and the Lord heard him, and saued him out of all his troubles. Taste ye and see, howe gratious the Lord is: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. Feare the Lord, ye his Saintes: for nothing wanteth to them that feare him. The lyons doe lacke and suffer hunger, but they, which seeke the Lord, shall want nothing that is good. Come children, hearken vnto me: I will teache you the feare of the Lord. Keepe thy tongue from euill, and thy lips, that they speake no guile. Eschewe euill and doe good: seeke peace and follow after it. The eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous, and his eares are open vnto their crie. But the face of the Lord is against them that doe euill, to cut off their remembrance from the earth. The righteous crie, and the Lord heareth them, and deliuereth them out of all their troubles. The Lord is neere vnto them that are of a contrite heart, and will saue such as be afflicted in Spirite. Great are the troubles of the righteous: but the Lord deliuereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. But malice shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous, shall perish. The Lord redeemeth the soules of his seruants: and none, that trust in him, shall perish.”
Psalms 34:1-6, 8-11, 13-22
“And I sawe a newe heauen, and a newe earth: for the first heauen, and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And I Iohn sawe the holie citie newe Hierusalem come downe from God out of heauen, prepared as a bride trimmed for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heauen, saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them: and they shalbe his people, and God himselfe shalbe their God with them. And God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes: and there shalbe no more death, neither sorow, neither crying, neither shall there be any more paine: for the first things are passed. And he that sate vpon the throne, sayd, Behold, I make all things newe: and he sayde vnto me, Write: for these wordes are faithfull and true. And he said vnto me, It is done, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ende. I wil giue to him that is a thirst, of the well of the water of life freely. He that ouercommeth, shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my sonne. But the fearful and vnbeleeuing, and the abominable and murtherers, and whoremogers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall haue their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. And there came vnto mee one of the seuen Angels, which had the seuen vials full of the seuen last plagues, and talked with mee, saying, Come: I will shewe thee the bride, the Lambes wife. And he caried me away in the spirit to a great: and an hie mountaine, and he shewed me that great citie, that holie Hierusalem, descending out of heauen from God, Hauing the glorie of God: and her shining was like vnto a stone most precious, as a Iasper stone cleare as crystall, And had a great wall and hie, and had twelue gates, and at the gates twelue Angels, and the names written, which are the twelue tribes of the children of Israel. On the East part there were three gates, and on the Northside three gates, on the Southside three gates, and on the Westside three gates. And the wall of the citie had twelue foundations, and in them the Names of the Lambes twelue Apostles. And hee that talked with mee, had a golden reede, to measure the citie withall, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the citie laie foure square, and the length is as large as the bredth of it, and he measured the citie with the reede, twelue thousande furlongs: and the length, and the bredth, and the height of it are equall. And hee measured the wall thereof, an hundreth fourtie and foure cubites, by the measure of man, that is, of the Angell. And ye building of the wall of it was of Iasper: and the citie was pure golde, like vnto cleare glasse. And the foundations of the wall of ye city were garnished with all maner of precious stones: the first foundation was Iasper: the second of Saphire: the third of a Chalcedonie: the fourth of an Emeraude: The fift of a Sardonix: the sixt of a Sardius: the seueth of a Chrysolite: the eight of a Beryl: the ninth of a Topaze: the tenth of a Chrysoprasus: the eleuenth of a Iacynth: the twelfth an Amethyst. And the twelue gates were twelue pearles, and euery gate is of one pearle, and the streete of the citie is pure golde, as shining glasse. And I sawe no Temple therein: for the Lord God almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it. And this citie hath no neede of the sunne, neither of the moone to shine in it: for the glorie of God did light it: and the Lambe is the light of it. And the people which are saued, shall walke in the light of it: and the Kings of the earth shall bring their glorie and honour vnto it. And the gates of it shall not be shut by day: for there shalbe no night there. And the glorie, and honour of the Gentiles shall be brought vnto it. And there shall enter into it none vncleane thing, neither whatsoeuer woorketh abomination or lies: but they which are written in ye Lambes booke of life.”
“And I sawe a newe heauen, and a newe earth: for the first heauen, and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And I Iohn sawe the holie citie newe Hierusalem come downe from God out of heauen, prepared as a bride trimmed for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heauen, saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them: and they shalbe his people, and God himselfe shalbe their God with them. And God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes: and there shalbe no more death, neither sorow, neither crying, neither shall there be any more paine: for the first things are passed. And he that sate vpon the throne, sayd, Behold, I make all things newe: and he sayde vnto me, Write: for these wordes are faithfull and true. And he said vnto me, It is done, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ende. I wil giue to him that is a thirst, of the well of the water of life freely. He that ouercommeth, shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be my sonne. But the fearful and vnbeleeuing, and the abominable and murtherers, and whoremogers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall haue their part in the lake, which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. And there came vnto mee one of the seuen Angels, which had the seuen vials full of the seuen last plagues, and talked with mee, saying, Come: I will shewe thee the bride, the Lambes wife. And he caried me away in the spirit to a great: and an hie mountaine, and he shewed me that great citie, that holie Hierusalem, descending out of heauen from God, Hauing the glorie of God: and her shining was like vnto a stone most precious, as a Iasper stone cleare as crystall, And had a great wall and hie, and had twelue gates, and at the gates twelue Angels, and the names written, which are the twelue tribes of the children of Israel. On the East part there were three gates, and on the Northside three gates, on the Southside three gates, and on the Westside three gates. And the wall of the citie had twelue foundations, and in them the Names of the Lambes twelue Apostles. And hee that talked with mee, had a golden reede, to measure the citie withall, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the citie laie foure square, and the length is as large as the bredth of it, and he measured the citie with the reede, twelue thousande furlongs: and the length, and the bredth, and the height of it are equall. And hee measured the wall thereof, an hundreth fourtie and foure cubites, by the measure of man, that is, of the Angell. And ye building of the wall of it was of Iasper: and the citie was pure golde, like vnto cleare glasse. And the foundations of the wall of ye city were garnished with all maner of precious stones: the first foundation was Iasper: the second of Saphire: the third of a Chalcedonie: the fourth of an Emeraude: The fift of a Sardonix: the sixt of a Sardius: the seueth of a Chrysolite: the eight of a Beryl: the ninth of a Topaze: the tenth of a Chrysoprasus: the eleuenth of a Iacynth: the twelfth an Amethyst. And the twelue gates were twelue pearles, and euery gate is of one pearle, and the streete of the citie is pure golde, as shining glasse. And I sawe no Temple therein: for the Lord God almightie and the Lambe are the Temple of it. And this citie hath no neede of the sunne, neither of the moone to shine in it: for the glorie of God did light it: and the Lambe is the light of it. And the people which are saued, shall walke in the light of it: and the Kings of the earth shall bring their glorie and honour vnto it. And the gates of it shall not be shut by day: for there shalbe no night there. And the glorie, and honour of the Gentiles shall be brought vnto it. And there shall enter into it none vncleane thing, neither whatsoeuer woorketh abomination or lies: but they which are written in ye Lambes booke of life.”
Revelation 21:1-27
For those curious on the background of the 1560 Geneva Bible, there's this article on the Bible Research site.
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible
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