Sermonettes 11
THE "WICKED BIBLE"
by Fritz Spiegel
The "Wicked Bible" was so-called because of its calamitous omission of "not" in the Seventh Commandment: "Thou shalt commit adultery." In 1631, the slip cost Robert Barker, the King's printer, a fine of £300.
An even greater penalty of £3,000 was imposed by Charles I on the printer of an edition which had Psalm 14 as, "The fool hath said in his heart that there is a God," instead of "no God". A Bible of 1716 urged the faithful to "sin on more", instead of "no more". An 1804 Bible had, "Thy son that cometh out of their lions," instead "loins", and the so-called "Murderer's Bible" had, "These are murderers," instead of "murmurers".
The Geneva Bible of 1562 says, "Blessed are the placemakers," instead of "peacemakers", and a Cambridge printing of 1653 unwittingly comes close to what many must have long suspected: "The unrighteous shall (instead of "shall not") inherit the Kingdom of God."
This page was created on 8 April 1998
Last updated on 8 April 1998
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