1551 English "Bug" Bible - Matthew's Version
1551. Item #71
The Byble, that is to say, Al the Holy Scripture conteined in the Olde & New Testament. By Richard Taverner, William Tyndale, John Rogers, Edmund Becke; printed by John Day. Imprinted at London, anno a. MDLI [1551]. Folio (29 cm). [14 of 22], xxxiiii [i.e., lxxxiiii], cxvii, [1], cxlii, lxxxiiii, [1], [cxvii of cxviii], [-a] leaves. Collation: LACKING *⁴, including general title. Signatures: AA⁶ b-c⁶ e-s⁶ (leaf g4 signed B.iiii; leaf s3 signed q.iii), A-T⁶ V⁴; 2A-2Y⁶, 3A⁶ 3B⁴ (leaf 2A2 signed A.ii); ²3A⁶, ²3B⁶, 3C-3O⁶ (leaf 3E4 signed Eiiii); 4A-4T⁶ 4V[5 of 8]; lacking final 2 leaves, including colophon. Final page with colophon dated MDLI, "the xxiii daye of Maye. Imprinted at London by Jhon Daye, dwellyng ouer Aldersgate beneth Saynt Martyns." OCLC Number: 8242244. "Cum gratia et privilegio ad-[sic] imprimendum solum." [INVJBC50-2]
The Old Testament and Apocrypha are the "Matthew" Bible version (the translation of William Tyndale as edited by John Rogers), revised by Richard Taverner and further revised by Edmund Becke, who edited the whole. The New Testament is in Tyndale's translation. Parts 2 and 3 of the Old Testament and the Apocrypha have divisional titles and separate foliation and registration. "The Newe Testament of oure Sauioure Iesu Christe" features a separate dated title page and foliation. Text printed in black letter, in double columns.
This is an early edition of the "Matthew's Bible," a landmark translation often described as “welding together the best work of Tyndale and Coverdale” and regarded as the foundational version of the English Bible (Herbert). The original 1537 Matthew's Bible is believed to have been edited by John Rogers under the pseudonym “Thomas Matthew,” although the name is thought to be a veiled reference to William Tyndale himself, whose name could not be openly associated with such works due to the dangerous political climate of the time. This 1551 edition is a reprint of the original, maintaining its critical textual legacy while reflecting additional revisions and adaptations.
Known colloquially as the “Bug Bible,” this edition derives its nickname from an unusual and archaic rendering of Psalm 91:5, which reads, “Thou shalt not neede to be afrayed for any bugges by night,” where "bugges" is an old English term meaning specters or terrors. The verse in its entirety, from this translation, emphasizes divine protection: “Thou shalt not neede to be afrayed for any bugges by night: nor for the arrow that flyeth by daye.” This peculiar phrasing, coupled with its evocative imagery, has made the edition both famous and memorable among collectors and scholars, reflecting the linguistic shifts and cultural nuances of early English Bible translations.
Provenance: GTS Seminary copy (deaccessioned), with the bookplate of John Pintard (1759–1844), American merchant, philanthropist, and co-founder of the Massachusetts Historical Society and New York Historical Society, as well as Secretary of the New York Chamber of Commerce. Gift inscription from John Pintard, dated October 4, 1835, on a detached later blank at the front. Stamp of GTS to the lower margin of AAi and old call number at top. Numerous 16th- and 17th-century overlapping ownership inscriptions and marginalia, including various doodles.
Binding: Early calf boards; front board detached. Spine renewed in the 19th century. Internally, faults commensurate with a Bible of this age, including toning, tears, minor losses, stains, and other marks.
Price: $17,500.00