To set eyes on a Bible actually published in 1611 is a rare treat. Seeing two of them side by side at an exhibition and lecture in Southwell Minster last weekend was joy indeed. Leather bound, richly illuminated and beautifully printed, these two treasures were laid open for inspection behind security glass in display cases in the minster transept.
One royal octavo double spread showed on the left-hand page the final chapter of the prophecy of Malachi including the phrase “The sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings”. And on the right-hand page was the intricate, delicate, yet glorious frontispiece to the New Testament which would reveal the good news of Jesus “preaching the gospel and healing everywhere”.
The other copy of the King James Bible was opened in order to display a reminder that all scripture, like other literature, needs to be read with a critical mind. It showed the third chapter of the book of Ruth in which verses 15 and 16 were rendered “Also he [Boaz] said, Bring the veil that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she [Ruth] held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and he went into the city. And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.”
This second edition was one of many printed with the typographical error “he” for “she” in verse 15, and it is known, therefore, as the Great He Bible. It was of course Ruth and not Boaz who went into the city: “she” rather than “he”. An interesting example, perhaps, of “history” taking preference over “herstory”, as Sally was remining us last Sunday.
I shall be preaching soon on the topic “The Bible: how is it true?”, and we shall be exploring the idea of infallibility in the Holy Scripture. This is just one example where the written text is not to be taken as literally true.
