Great Bible

The Great Bible was the first English Bible officially authorized for public use in churches, and it stands as a landmark in the emergence of an English scriptural tradition sanctioned by the crown and the established church. A complete Bible, it was translated from Hebrew and Greek as mediated through prior versions, taking the Matthew Bible as its base text; it is best classified as a substantial revision rather than a fresh translation, with the Matthew Bible serving as both predecessor and base translation. Its guiding philosophy is that of an ecclesial vernacular, scripture rendered for the congregation gathered rather than for private study alone. Among its distinctive features, it was designed for lectern and church use and printed in a large folio format, a size suited to reading aloud in parish settings, and it shaped the English biblical versions that followed it.