P066 A Short History of the English Bible.

P066 A Short History of the English Bible.

Another Oxford Bible of 1804 makes Paul say in Gal. v, 17, "For the flesh lusteth after the Spirit."

Still another Oxford Bible of 1807, has in Heb. ix, 14, "Purge your conscience from good works," instead of dead, works. A Genevan Bible, published in 1562, has two singular errors. In the chapter heading of Luke xxi are the words, "Christ condemneth the poor widow," instead of commendeth. In Matt, v, 9, instead of "Blessed are the peace-makers" it has, "Blessed are the place-makers" which rendering would, doubtless, find acceptance with office-seekers. The famous Vinegar Bible is an edition of the Authorized Version published in Oxford in 1717, by J. Baskett. In the running title of Luke xx, instead of The Parable of the Vineyard, it has The Parable of the Vinegar. This Bible, issued in two folio volumes, is remarkable for its beautiful typographical appearance, but so numerous are the mistakes in it that a punster of the day declared that it was "a Baskett-full of printer’s errors."

Another famous Bible is called the to remain Bible. It is a Cambridge Bible of 1805. In examining the proof-sheet containing Gal. iv, 29, in which are the words "persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now," the proof-reader is said to have had a doubt about leaving the comma after the word Spirit.

He sent a query to the editor, who wrote on the margin of the proof the words "to remain," meaning that the comma was to be retained. The compositor, in correcting the proof, found these words written in the margin, and, mistaking them for a correction, deliberately took out the comma, and substituted the intrusive words, so that it reads "persecuted him that was born after the Spirit to remain even so it is now." This strange error was repeated in at least two subsequent editions. But the worst of all errors is found in the celebrated Wicked Bible. This is an edition of the Authorized Version printed in London, by Barker & Lucas, in 1631. In Exod. xx, 14 the negative particle is left out of the seventh commandment, making it read, "Thou shalt commit adultery."