SOURCE: May, Herbert Gordon. “The Genealogy of the King James Version.” In Our English Bible in the Making: The Word of Life in Living Language, pp. 31-43. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1952.

In the excerpt that follows, May discusses Coverdale's influence on the origins and development of the King James Bible.

Translation in the Tradition

The later authorized versions of the Bible had their antecedents, as truly as does a person. No responsible translator of the Bible translates de novo, making a totally “original” translation, ignoring the suggestions and helps of earlier translations. This is even true of James Moffatt's translation of the Bible, despite the fact that it is an attempt to make a completely fresh translation rather than to revise older translations. It is particularly true of the translations of the Bible that are in any real sense authorized versions. The present Revised Standard Version is a...