Book Review
A Bible for Presbyterian believers
who feel like exiles in their times
By Walter Taylor, The Layman, the Geneva Bible was first published in 1560 in Geneva, Switzerland, by British exiles living there to escape persecution during the reign of Queen Mary Tudor (“Bloody Mary”). It was the first “study Bible” in English, and the marginal notes that accompanied the Biblical text were written from a Reformed perspective.
Readers of The Layman may well remember that a new edition of the 1599 Geneva Bible (by Tolle Lege Press) was reviewed in 2007. However, there are several features of this Hendrickson edition of the Geneva Bible that make it different from the other recently published Geneva Bible. The first is that it is a facsimile of the first edition of 1560. This means that the print occurs as it originally looked and has not been set into modern type. Thus, it contains the older (and sometimes inconsistent) spellings that were common in the 16th century.
It also includes the original marginal notes of the 1560 edition, which are a bit more reflective of the thought of the earlier Reformers than the notes of the 1599 edition. This difference is seen especially in the notes that accompany the text of Revelation. The 1560 notes reflect the more cautious approach to this book taken by Calvin and others, whereas the 1599 notes are far more speculative in their interpretation.
Further, the Hendrickson edition includes the Apocrypha (which all Protestant Bibles contained at the beginning of the Reformation, but later was removed). The 1599 Geneva Bible did not include the Apocrypha.
There are two other features present in the Hendrickson 1560 Geneva Bible that did not make it into the Tolle Lege edition:
First, since it is a facsimile of the original, the Hendrickson edition contains all the original maps, charts and illustrations used to make the text more clear (for example, there are drawings of the tabernacle, the temple and its furnishings, the ark of the covenant, priestly clothing from the Old Testament, etc.).
Second, this edition retains the “The Argument” that appears at the beginning of each book of the Bible, something we would call an introductory summary. The reader should remember that this Bible is a facsimile, which means the text is not as easily read as a modern book. However, it appears clearly and is readable, printed as it is on “off-white” cream-colored paper. This Bible is a joy to hold in the hand, as it has a quality binding that should last.
The Hendrickson Bible also contains an introductory essay on the history of the Geneva Bible. Unlike the Tolle Lege edition, this introduction is much more scholarly and does not lend itself to the American nationalism or the “theonomic” notes present in the Tolle Lege edition.
The illustration on the title page of the Bible depicts the Israelites about to cross the Red Sea, with the Pillar of Fire before them and the Egyptian army at their backs. The illustration is bordered with three verses from the Old Testament:
- “Fear ye not, stand still, and behold the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you this day” (Exodus 14:13).
- “Great are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out of all” (Psalm 34:19).
- “The Lord shall fight for you; therefore hold you your peace” (Exodus 14:14).
This title page was designed to give encouragement to persecuted and exiled Reformed believers. Perhaps this edition of the Geneva Bible again can serve as a source of strength and blessing for modern day Presbyterian believers who often feel like exiles within their own times.
The Rev. Walter Taylor is a Presbyterian minister in Oak Island, N.C.