ABSTRACT
Sebastian Muenster has exerted a lasting influence on the English Versions of the Bible from the Great Bible onwards. In an earlier study on Rashi and the English Bible 2 I was able to show that whereas Miles Coverdale is strongly influenced by Luther in his own translation of 1537 he comes much nearer to Jewish exegesis in his revision of Matthew’s Bible through making extensive use of Muenster’s Latin translation. The Bishops’ Bible is indebted to both the Great Bible and the Geneva Version. Both owe much to Muenster for their greater accuracy. Moreover, Archbishop Parker issued to the translators of the Bishops’ Bible instructions one of which enjoins “… for the verity of the Hebrew to follow … Muenster specially….” As Muenster was the principal medium of the transmission of Jewish exegesis, which is so evident both in the text and in the notes of the English Versions, a more detailed account of his considerable knowledge of Jewish grammatical studies and Biblical exegesis is surely called for. It is therefore the purpose of this short paper to describe critically the sources which Muenster used in his Latin Bible, in the translation of the Old Testament as well as in his numerous notes at the end of each chapter.
