Who Is This For?
Best For:
Historical research, understanding Reformation theology, studying KJV origins, Shakespeare scholars, and those interested in the Bible that shaped early English Protestantism and colonial America.
Not Ideal For:
Regular devotional reading, modern worship, children, or those unfamiliar with 16th-century English.
Strengths & Limitations
✓ Strengths of the GNV
- Immense historical and literary significance
- First Bible with verse numbers for easy reference
- Extensive study notes explaining difficult passages
- Directly influenced the King James Version
- Public domain - freely available
✗ Limitations to Consider
- Extremely archaic 16th-century English
- Calvinist annotations may bias interpretation
- Study notes reflect Reformation-era controversies
- Difficult for modern readers without training
- Format unfamiliar to contemporary readers
Overview
The Geneva Bible was the most influential English Bible before the King James Version, produced by Protestant exiles in Geneva during the reign of Catholic Queen Mary I. It was the Bible of Shakespeare, John Bunyan, John Donne, and the Pilgrims who sailed on the Mayflower - the first English Bible to use verse numbers and extensive study notes.
Want to read the GNV Bible online? Use our Bible search tool to find any verse, or start reading from Genesis.
Notable Features of the GNV
- First English Bible with verse numbers throughout
- Extensive Calvinist marginal notes
- First English study Bible with maps and illustrations
- Portable octavo format for home reading
- Influenced the King James Version translators
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Geneva Bible?
The Geneva Bible was the most influential English Bible before the King James Version, produced by Protestant exiles in Geneva during the reign of Catholic Queen Mary I. It was the Bible of Shakespeare, John Bunyan, John Donne, and the Pilgrims who sailed on the Mayflower - the first English Bible to use verse numbers and extensive study notes.
How can I read the GNV Bible online?
You can read and search the Geneva Bible online for free at Acts1 Family. Use our Bible search tool to find any verse, chapter, or keyword in the GNV translation.
When was the GNV Bible published?
The Geneva Bible was first published in 1560. It is classified as a Formal Equivalence translation with a College reading level.
Who should use the GNV Bible?
Historical research, understanding Reformation theology, studying KJV origins, Shakespeare scholars, and those interested in the Bible that shaped early English Protestantism and colonial America.
How does the GNV compare to other Bible translations?
The Geneva Bible (GNV) is a Formal Equivalence translation. Compare it with other versions like the KJV, ASV, or NIV using our Bible comparison tools to find the best translation for your needs.
Read the GNV Online
Search any verse, compare with other translations, or start reading from Genesis.
Start ReadingHistory
Complete History of the GNV Translation
When Catholic Queen Mary I came to the English throne in 1553, she initiated severe persecution of Protestants. Hundreds of Protestant scholars fled to Geneva, Switzerland, then a center of Reformed Christianity under John Calvin. Among these refugees was William Whittingham, brother-in-law to Calvin, who led a team including Miles Coverdale, Christopher Goodman, Anthony Gilby, and Thomas Sampson in producing a new English translation.
Whittingham completed the New Testament in 1557, and the full Bible appeared in 1560 - the first English Bible to divide all verses with numbers (following Robert Estienne's 1551 Greek New Testament). The Geneva Bible was also the first English study Bible, featuring extensive marginal notes, maps, woodcut illustrations, and book introductions.
The Geneva Bible's popularity was immediate and lasting. Over 150 editions were printed between 1560 and 1644, and it remained the household Bible of English Protestants even after the KJV appeared. Shakespeare quoted it over 5,000 times. Its Calvinist notes, however, troubled King James I, who saw them as undermining royal authority - one reason he commissioned a new translation.
Learn More on Wikipedia
Translators
Meet the 4 Key Translators and Contributors
William Whittingham
Chief translator and editor
Oxford scholar, brother-in-law of John Calvin, later Dean of Durham. Led the New Testament translation and oversaw the entire project.
Miles Coverdale
Contributor
Produced the first complete printed English Bible in 1535. His experience was invaluable to the Geneva project.
Anthony Gilby
Old Testament editor
Puritan scholar who oversaw the Old Testament translation and contributed many marginal notes.
Thomas Sampson
Contributor
Later Dean of Christ Church, Oxford. Contributed to both translation and annotations.
Textual Basis
Manuscript Sources and Translation Methodology
The Geneva Bible's New Testament was translated from Theodore Beza's Greek text and compared with the Latin. The Old Testament was translated from Hebrew, with reference to Latin and previous English versions including Tyndale's work.
Reception
Scholarly Praise
"It was chiefly owing to the dissemination of copies of the Geneva version of 1560 that a sturdy and articulate Protestantism was created in Britain."
— Bruce Metzger, The Bible in Translation (2001) [source]
"For the first time, the Biblical text was divided into chapters with verses, packed with notes and commentary, and filled with helpful cross-references. It became the most popular Bible of the 16th century."
— Houston Christian University Dunham Bible Museum, The Geneva Bible: The First English Study Bible (2020) [source]
Scholarly Concerns
The commentary notes were deemed 'seditious' by King James I, who banned it in 1611, objecting particularly to notes that questioned royal authority and promoted Calvinist interpretations.
— Britannica, Geneva Bible (2024) [source]
Revision History
View 4 Major Revisions and Updates
- 1560 First complete edition published in Geneva.
- 1576 First edition printed in England (London), called the 'Breeches Bible' for its translation of Genesis 3:7.
- 1599 Major revision with updated notes and Laurence Tomson's New Testament revision.
- 1644 Last edition printed; the KJV had by then largely supplanted it.
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