William Tyndale | Biography, Bible, Death, & Facts (2024)

William Tyndale | Biography, Bible, Death, & Facts (2)

William Tyndale (born c. 1490–94, near Gloucestershire, England—died October 6, 1536, Vilvoorde, near Brussels, Brabant) was an English biblical translator, humanist, and Protestant martyr.

Tyndale was educated at the University of Oxford and became an instructor at the University of Cambridge, where, in 1521, he fell in with a group of humanist scholars meeting at the White Horse Inn. Tyndale became convinced that the Bible alone should determine the practices and doctrines of the church and that all believers should be able to read the Bible in their own language.

William Tyndale | Biography, Bible, Death, & Facts (3)

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biblical literature: The translation of William Tyndale

William Tyndale | Biography, Bible, Death, & Facts (4)

Because of the influence of printing and a demand for Scriptures in the vernacular, William Tyndale began working on a New Testament translation directly from the Greek in 1523. After church authorities in England prevented him from translating the Bible there, he went to Germany in 1524, receiving financial support from wealthy London merchants. His New Testament translation was completed in July 1525 and printed at Cologne. Again under pressure, this time from the city authorities, Tyndale fled to Worms, where two more editions were published in 1525. The first copies were smuggled into England in 1526, where they were at once proscribed.

When the New Testament was finished, Tyndale began work on the Old Testament. The Pentateuch was issued in Marburg in 1530, each of the five books being separately published and circulated. Tyndale continued to work on the Old Testament translation but was captured in Antwerp before it was completed. Condemned for heresy, he was executed by strangulation and then burned at the stake at Vilvoorde in 1536.

At the time of his death, 18,000 copies of his New Testament had been printed; however, only two complete volumes and a fragment remain today, at London’s British Library. Tyndale’s greatest achievement was the ability to strike a felicitous balance between the needs of scholarship, simplicity of expression, and literary gracefulness, all in a uniform dialect. The effect was the creation of an English style of Bible translation, tinged with Hebraisms, that was to serve as the model for future English versions for nearly 400 years, beginning with the King James Version of 1611.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.

William Tyndale | Biography, Bible, Death, & Facts (2024)

FAQs

What did William Tyndale say before he died? ›

Tyndale's last words before being strangled and burned at the stake in 1536 were, 'Oh Lord, open the King of England's eyes,' said George. The martyr's prayers were answered in 1539 when King Henry VIII allowed the Bible in every parish church in England. The King James Bible was published in 1611.

What was the best things William Tyndale did? ›

William Tyndale (l.c. 1494-1536) was a talented English linguist, scholar and priest who was the first to translate the Bible into English. Tyndale objected to the Catholic Church's control of scripture in Latin and the prohibition against an English translation.

Who was William Tyndale and why was he burned? ›

This stained-glass window commemorates a martyr who had studied at Oxford. William Tyndale was burnt at the stake in Antwerp in 1536. He had left England in 1524 to produce an English translation of the Latin Bible (known as the Vulgate).

How accurate is the Tyndale Bible? ›

Bishop Tunstall of London declared that there were upwards of 2,000 errors in Tyndale's 1525/1526 Bible, having already in 1523 denied Tyndale the permission required under the Constitutions of Oxford (1409), which were still in force, to translate the Bible into English.

Who finally betrayed Tyndale? ›

Eventually, Tyndale was betrayed by Henry Phillips to ducal authorities representing the Holy Roman Empire. He was seized in Antwerp in 1535, and held in the castle of Vilvoorde (Filford) near Brussels.

Why did Henry execute Tyndale? ›

As a reward for his work he was condemned as a heretic and sacked from the priesthood in 1536. He was hunted down by Henry's men in Antwerp, and charged with heresy. But as a concession to a former priest, he was tied to the stake and then strangled before being burned.

Did Tyndale believe in the Trinity? ›

The family name is God, and in that family there are three Persons— the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit—but it is one Family. Although Tyndale does not have much teaching about the Trinity his stress on the family and his theology of the covenant makes me think he would not disagree with that definition.

Did William Tyndale have children? ›

William de Tyndale was born in 1344, in Tansor, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom as the son of Robert de Tyndale IV. He married Lady Elizabeth De Deane about 1364, in England. They were the parents of at least 4 sons. He died on 21 July 1413, in England, United Kingdom, at the age of 69.

When Tyndale spread the gospel, he risked dangers to himself. True or false? ›

He believed that everyone, regardless of their social status, should have the opportunity to engage with and gain knowledge from the Word of God. Tyndale's commitment to this cause was so unwavering that he risked his life to accomplish it.

Why did the Catholic Church not want the Bible translated? ›

In 1498, the Inquisition stated that it was impossible to translate the Bible into a modern language without making mistakes that would plunge unskilled and especially new converts into doubts about faith.

Who wrote the Bible actually? ›

In Who Really Wrote the Bible, William Schniedewind offers a bold new answer: the Bible was not written by a single author, or by a series of single authors, but by communities of scribes. The Bible does not name its authors because authorship itself was an idea enshrined in a later era by the ancient Greeks.

Why was William Tyndale a martyr? ›

Who was William Tyndale? Tyndale Park Christian School. Our school takes its name from William Tyndale, the man responsible for the first English translation of the Bible and who died a martyr for his belief that the Word of God should be available in the language of the people.

How much of the King James Bible was from Tyndale? ›

Based on 18 sampled passages from those portions of the Bible that Tyndale translated, we conclude that for the New Testament Tyndale's contribution is about 84 per cent of the text, while in the Old Testament about 76 per cent of his words have been retained.

What is the oldest Bible in the world? ›

Codex Sinaiticus Petropolitanus, Oxford.

Which Bible is the original Bible? ›

The oldest extant Bible is Codex Sinaiticus, which has been made in the 3rd century. It is a handwritten Greek codex, with the Old Testament being the Septuaginta canon, and the New Testament containing the same books as today.

What were Tyndale's last words? ›

Tyndale's last words were reported to be "Lord, Open the Kings Eyes!" It is said that he was executed on October 6th, but some believe it may have been weeks earlier. His dying request came true when Henry finally agreed that copies of the Bible in English and Latin should be available in all churches in England.

Did William Tyndale have kids? ›

William de Tyndale was born in 1344, in Tansor, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom as the son of Robert de Tyndale IV. He married Lady Elizabeth De Deane about 1364, in England. They were the parents of at least 4 sons. He died on 21 July 1413, in England, United Kingdom, at the age of 69.

Was Wycliffe burned at the stake? ›

He was invited to the Council of Constance to explain his views; though promised safe conduct, he was arrested, tried for heresy, and burned at the stake. His writings were important in the development of the Czech language as well as in the theology of church reform, and his followers were called Hussites.

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