William Tyndale is an unsung hero of the Reformation. Whereas Calvin, Luther, Zwingli and other leaders of the continental Reformation are well-known, Tyndale languishes in obscurity. Perhaps Tyndale's name is rarely on the lips of believers because so little is known about his life. Whatever the reason for the neglect, it seems that Christians, and in particular those who come from the Low Countries, France and Germany, do not always appreciate fully the role which Tyndale played in the English Reformation. Yet Tyndale's mark upon English-speaking Christianity is indelible, for it was he who provided the first accurate and widely used translation of large parts of the Bible. In fact, not less than 90 per cent of the New Testament in the Authorised Version consists of Tyndale's own translation, and modern editions, too, adopt his text in many places.

Whereas Tyndale did not, unlike Calvin and Luther, develop a complete theology, he did greatly advance the Reformation. Until the sixteenth century, no reliable English translation of the Bible existed. A rough translation had been in limited circulation since John Wycliffe's day, but it was not based upon the Hebrew and Greek original texts, and so was unreliable. What is more, an act in the fourteenth century had banned this and all other English translations. Thus, while translations of Scripture appeared in Czech, Spanish, German, Italian and the Scandinavian languages well before 1530, there was no official and readily available Bible in English. If we think back to a time when no Bible existed in English, we begin to realize what a service Tyndale performed. We begin to appreciate this shadowy figure who made it his life's goal to provide a Bible in plain English. It is important that we know something of the life and work of William Tyndale, who was born some 500 years ago.

Birth and Education (1494-1521)⤒🔗

The exact place of Tyndale's birth remains uncertain. It is probable that he was born in the northwestern region of Gloucestershire, to a family of farmers. Working back from Tyndale's student records at Oxford University, where he obtained his B.A. in 1512, scholars suggest that he was likely born in 1494. Very little is known about Tyndale's life before he went to university. We know that around 1515 he moved to Cambridge, probably to continue his studies under the supervision of the “modern” scholars there.

In Cambridge, the winds of intellectual and ecclesiastical change were blowing. Students were refreshed by the avant-garde education and icy scholasticism was melting rapidly away. After generations of neglect, the classical languages – especially Greek – were being avidly studied. The famous humanist scholar Erasmus visited Cambridge from 1511 to 1514, teaching Greek and preparing a Latin translation of the New Testament. Students and professors heralded it as an outstanding piece of modern scholarship. Thus it was at Cambridge that Tyndale developed his knowledge of the classical languages, a knowledge that would stand him in good stead when he began his own translation of Scripture.

Little Sodbury (1521-1524)←⤒🔗

The Manor of Little Sodbury in Gloucestershire was the possession of Sir John Walsh, one of the most influential men in this region of England. We do not know for sure why Tyndale left Cambridge for Little Sodbury in 1521. Some think that he was appointed tutor to the children of Sir John and Lady Walsh; others that he became chaplain to the household; and still others that he was appointed secretary to Sir John. Whatever the reason for the move, Tyndale stayed at the Manor about two years. Here it was that Tyndale developed his desire to translate the Bible into English.

Little Sodbury was a focal point for the clergymen of the region. At the Manor, many issues of religious life were debated. Tyndale participated in many of these debates, increasing his knowledge of Scripture and of the diverse opinions of the priests. In addition to serving the Walsh family, Tyndale preached regularly in the churches of the surrounding towns and in the city of Bristol. At this time, Tyndale also produced his first major work, an English translation of Erasmus' Handbook of the Christian Soldier.

First published in Latin in 1503, this treatise was a bestseller on the continent. At first reading, it resembled the spiritual “instruction manuals” which were common in the late Middle Ages. But Erasmus argued that outward signs of piety, such as adherence to the customs of the church, were meaningless without genuine piety in one's heart. What Tyndale liked most was Erasmus' demonstration that the clergy of his day did not know the Bible well, and that, as a result, the laity were being falsely instructed. Most likely Tyndale witnessed such ignorance of Scripture in the priests of Gloucestershire. Perhaps this motivated him to write an English version of the Bible for his fellow citizens. The priests were not preaching and teaching the Word of God.

Tyndale's observation of the commoners in the area surrounding Little Sodbury also served as a powerful stimulus. Most villagers were poor farmhands, who spent many hours working the fields around the Manor. These people were uneducated, superstitious and spiritually impoverished. This came as no surprise, since the clergymen who taught them were often equally ignorant of Scripture, and selfish and corrupt.

Frequently Tyndale debated with such priests. One argument in particular has been long remembered. Tyndale argued from Scripture, but his opponent argued from church tradition and papal authority. At a certain point, the priest stated that it would be best if people were “without God's law (rather) than the pope's.” Tyndale replied with these famous words,

I defy the pope and all his laws; if God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth a plough shall know more of the Scripture than thou dost.

With these sharp words, Tyndale not only suggested that the priest did not know the Bible, but also implied that he himself intended to help his fellow man to learn Scripture. And so, combining his appreciation for the European ecclesiastical and intellectual Reformation with his observations of spiritual life in England, Tyndale decided to produce a correct version of the Bible in the plain language of the common folk.

Tyndale then travelled to London in order to gain permission from Bishop Tunstall to publish an English Bible. When Tunstall advised Tyndale to look elsewhere for patronage and support, Tyndale went to Humphrey Monmouth, a rich cloth merchant. Monmouth took Tyndale into his home, which was open to Reformers. Here Tyndale started to translate the Bible and met many who supported his endeavour. But, as no official permission was forthcoming, it appears that Tyndale's only recourse was to leave the country and to complete his translation abroad. In 1524, Tyndale departed from England like an outlaw, determined to help his friends despite the laws of the country.

Germany (1524-1530)←⤒🔗

Tyndale arrived in Hamburg in the spring of 1524, and soon moved on to Wittenberg, the city where Martin Luther was living. There is no evidence that Tyndale had direct contact with the famous German Reformer, but it is certain that the citizens of Wittenberg were favourable to church reform and supported attempts to effect it. Here Tyndale could find the books needed for an English translation of the Bible, and here he had easy access to Luther's German Bible, as well as other Reformation writings. Tyndale acquired the services of William Roy, who became secretary and scribe.

By the spring of 1525, the translation of the New Testament was well under way, so that Tyndale could search for a printer. He found Peter Quentel, whose shop was in Cologne. The earliest surviving manuscript of Tyndale's translation, a quarto containing the first 22 chapters of the Gospel of Matthew, came from Quentel's press. They planned to print 3,000 copies, but the work was rudely interrupted when pro-Romanist infiltrators raided the printing shop. Tyndale and his assistant fled, hastily gathering what copies and manuscripts they could carry. They escaped to Worms, where Peter Schoeffer was asked to complete the printing. And so, in the spring of 1526, some of the 3,000 copies from Schoeffer's press came trickling into England, hidden in boat holds like drugs under innocent cargo.

Almost as difficult as the translation was the challenge of importing these illicit books into the mother country. For English Bibles were as illegal in the 1520s as cocaine is in 1990s. The powers of the church and of Henry VIII were very strong on both sides of the Channel. The king's officials imprisoned those caught trafficking in Reformation literature. Yet a steady stream of books entered England during the 1520s, as many merchants carried contraband literature from the Low Countries to the ports of London. In Antwerp especially, printers were willing to publish and export English literature to England, motivated by financial gain as much as zeal for reform. Thus it happened that in 1526, the dockworkers in London's harbour secretly unloaded numerous English New Testaments.

When the Bibles reached the people of England, there were two reactions. Many who were eager to read Scripture in their own tongue rejoiced greatly. Throughout the cities and the countryside, people began reading aloud to others the Word of God in plain English. As the book was not expensive, those who could afford it bought a copy. Others shared the Bible, passing it on to friends. In high and low places, England was reading the Bible. Tyndale's prayer had been answered. Even the ploughboy could have his own Bible.

Unlike the Wycliffe Bible, which was based on the Latin Vulgate, Tyndale's version was based on the original Greek language. Whereas the Wycliffe version contained Latinate expressions, idioms, and vocabulary, Tyndale eschewed English words of Latin derivation. His translation was readable, simple and direct. Whenever possible, he used plain, earthy and informal words which even the uneducated could understand. Yet Tyndale had applied the latest techniques of scholarship. He had carefully consulted Erasmus' Latin translation and the tracts of the Reformers. Although Tyndale followed Luther's German translation in many places, his New Testament was not a mere translation of the German edition. For Tyndale had employed his own superb knowledge of the languages (he was fluent in eight) and his university training to the full. This was not a derivative translation of poor quality, but a careful edition which all could read and all could understand.

Even today, the translation appears a marvel. Each sentence is carefully composed, taking into account the sound, rhythm and cadence of the English language. Even difficult theological expressions are rendered with simple and direct words. Sentences are concise and to the point. Yet the text is sprinkled with variety. It was Tyndale who coined many phrases which we still use today: “with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26); “the powers that be” (Romans 13:1); “fight the good fight” (1 Timothy 6:12); and “eat, drink, and be merry” (Luke 12:19). These and many other memorable phrases in Tyndale's translation were adopted by the authorized versions which later appeared.

Of course, the translation contains none of the jargon of false Roman Catholic ceremony and custom. Words like “penance,” “priest” and “church” were replaced with “repentance,” “elder” and “congregation.” For “penance” was understood to mean the Romanist practice of payment for sins, and “priest” meant the Roman Catholic clergy, while “church” referred to the hierarchical church of Rome, not the (local) congregation of those who believe. In his translation, Tyndale studiously avoided such words and expressions which supported wrong Roman Catholic practices. The Bible would not be subject to the laws of the pope!

The reaction of the clergy, therefore, was quite different from that of the common man. London's Bishop Tunstall complained that many copies of Tyndale's New Testament,

containing the pestilent and pernicious poison in the vulgar tongue, have been dispersed in great numbers throughout our diocese … (which) will without doubt infect and contaminate the flock committed to us, with the pestilent poison and the deadly disease of heretical depravity.

The book was banned, copies were to be seized and burned and those found to possess them were punished severely.

The hunt was on for the fugitive Tyndale. Henry VIII dispatched several agents to the Low Countries to flush Tyndale out of hiding and to bring him in chains to England. It is therefore difficult now to describe Tyndale's whereabouts from 1527 until 1530. Yet it is clear that Tyndale was not inactive. After completing the New Testament, Tyndale improved his knowledge of Hebrew in order to begin a translation of the Pentateuch, which appeared by the summer of 1530. It was his intention to provide a complete English Bible.

Germany (1530-1535)←⤒🔗

In 1530, the advisers of Henry VIII sent Stephen Vaughan to search for Tyndale on the continent. Vaughan found Tyndale and promised him safe passage to England. Tyndale rightly suspected Vaughan of setting a trap and did not comply. His caution was well-founded. By this time, squabbles between Tyndale and Thomas More, Lord Chancellor to Henry VIII, were reaching a peak. Tyndale's published attacks against More only resulted in an increase of rewards offered for the wanted man.

After receiving several overtures, Tyndale replied that if only Henry granted,

a bare text of the Scripture to be put forth among his people, like as is put forth among the subjects of the Emperor in these parts, … be it of the translation of what person so ever shall please His Majesty, I shall immediately make faithful promise never to write more, nor abide two days in these parts.

Until Henry decreed an official English Bible, Tyndale would not set foot on English soil. It is truly unfortunate that Henry did not heed Tyndale's request at this time, but only redoubled the efforts to catch the reformer. By 1531, many English Reformers of lesser fame had been arrested, and the circle of friends around Tyndale had become small.

In June of 1530, Thomas More and the college of bishops again prohibited “erroneous” English translations of the Bible. Henry VIII and the clergy still did not wish to see English Bibles in the hands of English citizenry. The official declaration reads,

It is not necessary the said Scripture to be in the English tongue, and in the hands of the common people, but that the distribution of the said Scripture, and the permitting or denying thereof, dependeth only upon the discretion of the superiors as they shall think it convenient.

Despite these warnings, Tyndale published an attractive revised edition of the New Testament in 1534. In his comfortable lodgings at the home of Thomas Poyntz in Antwerp, he continued to translate the Old Testament, from Joshua to Chronicles. Aware that he was a wanted man, Tyndale only left the protection of his wealthy merchant patron to visit the poor and the sick in Antwerp. From his apparently secure home, he heard that in England the clergy had started to realize that there was a need for an English Bible. It must have been welcome news for Tyndale when the clergy of province Canterbury politely requested Henry to appoint a committee for the publication of an English Bible. It is noteworthy that Henry did acquiesce to this request, and ten scholars were chosen to execute the plan. Little was done, however, and it was not until 1537 that an official English translation was proposed.

Tyndale's Arrest and Death (1535-1536)←⤒🔗

On or about May 23, 1535, one Henry Phillips, who was a student at the University of Louvain, met Tyndale by chance. Though a man of little account, he won Tyndale's confidence and was invited to dine with the translator at Poyntz' house in Antwerp. Little did Tyndale know that Phillips only wanted to learn where he lived so that the soldiers of the king might arrest him. Phillips appeared courteous as he, in turn, invited Tyndale to dinner. But as the two were leaving the security of Poyntz's house, Phillips delivered Tyndale up to the king's soldiers. After a brief scuffle, Tyndale was caught and then escorted to the state prison in the castle of Vilvorde, near Brussels.

The motive for Phillips' actions remains unclear. Perhaps he harboured strong sentiments against the Reformation. It does seem plausible that Phillips was a Roman Catholic who disliked the so-called new theology. There is some evidence that he was sent by English authorities to hunt for Tyndale in the Low Countries, and that he may have received financial assistance to do so. But it also appears that Phillips disliked Henry VIII, for English forces later attempted to arrest him as a traitor. The strongest evidence suggests that a person, or group of persons, opposed to the flow of “heretical” Reformation literature into England, wanted to stop Tyndale from writing. It is likely that Tyndale was regarded as the foremost English Reformer whose arrest might put an end to the developments on the island. Whatever Phillips' motive, Tyndale was imprisoned, and the efforts of Poyntz and others to have him released were unsuccessful.

For more than eighteen months Tyndale was locked in the prison at Vilvorde. Even while he was in prison, Tyndale continued to study the Bible and to translate the Old Testament. But on October 6, 1536, after attempts to coerce him to recant proved fruitless, Tyndale was led by officials of the city to the place of execution. There he was strangled and set on fire.

It is reported that Tyndale's last words were, “Lord, open the King of England's eyes.” It is remarkable that shortly after Tyndale's death, this prayer was answered, when Henry VIII gave royal assent to an English translation of the Bible. Only three years after Tyndale died, an officially sanctioned English Bible could be found on all the lecterns in churches throughout England. This so-called “Great Bible,” ordered by Henry's vice-regent Thomas Cromwell, owes a large debt to Tyndale's 1534 edition. Whole sections of it are William Tyndale's work. Yet the name of the one scholar who gave so much time and energy, indeed his life, to provide an English Bible, appears nowhere in it. Tyndale was an unsung hero even in his own time.