Journal: Westminster Theological Journal
Volume: WTJ 33:2 (May 1971)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous

---

WTJ 33:2 (May 71) p. 189

Book Reviews

tr. Ward Allen: Translating for King James. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 1969. xi, 155. $10.00.

Every careful student of the English Bible will find much of interest and instruction in the book whose long title page is partially abstracted below:

“Translating for King James. Being a true copy of the only notes made by a translator of King James’ Bible, the Authorized Version, as the Final Committee of Review revised the translation of Romans through Revelation at Stationers’ Hall in London in 1610–1611: taken by the Reverend John Bois…Scholar and Fellow of St. John’s College in Cambridge…these notes were for three centuries lost, and only now are come to light, through a copy made by the hand of William Fulman, Clergyman, Antiquarian…who, upon his death, in 1688, bequeathed to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, his papers, containing this copy of Fr. Bois’ notes. Here translated and edited by Ward Allen.”

The daily details of the actual work of the so-called King James Committee are even now practically unknown. The end result, however, is known and treasured by every lover of the Word—in the form of the printed “King James Bible.” We do know that much careful revision took place after the initial work of the committee had been done.

John Bois was a member of the Cambridge company assigned to the Old Testament and to the Apocrypha in particular, spending some four years upon this work. In addition he served on a final review committee. During this period he took careful daily notes of the proceedings and these were kept unpublished until his death. These are the notes that are the concern of our editor, Ward Allen.

The life of John Bois by Anthony Walker is also here reprinted and becomes a helpful and welcome addition to the general subject matter.

The antiquarian William Fulman had access to the original notes, now lost to us, and was at once persuaded of their importance. He copied them out verbatim, and this is the form in which they are now made available to us. A photographic copy beside each page of printed text supplements the value of the work of the editor.

References which are cited in the notes are carefully traced to their sources in an added section.

One important matter to be dealt with is the effort to establish with

WTJ 33:2 (May 71) p. 190

reasonable certainty that what we have before us is simply not a continuation of New Testament notes which had already been made by John Bois on the Gospels and Acts. The fact that the material presently considered continues from the book of Romans through Revelation raises...

visitor : : uid: ()