Typographical errors that have occurred in various editions of The Bible
This article is about translation, scribal and typographical errors in the Bible. For other types of error, seeCriticism of the Bible.
The "Judas Bible" (1613) contains a misprint in Matthew 26:36,[1] in which the name "Judas" appears instead of "Jesus". In this copy, a slip of paper has been pasted over the misprint (circled in red).[a]
Throughout history,printers' errors, unconventionaltranslations[b] and translation mistakes have appeared in a number of publishedBibles. Bibles with features considered to be erroneous are known asBible errata, and were often destroyed or suppressed due to their contents being consideredheretical by some.
The Book of Kells features two errors within its text:
Thegenealogy of Jesus, in theGospel of Luke, lists an extra ancestor in Luke 3:26.[2] This error is considered to have resulted from the transcriber reading the phrase"QUI FUIT MATHATHIAE" as"QUI FUIT MATHATH IAE", with the"IAE" being considered an additional individual, resulting in the lines"QUI FUIT MATHATH" and the additional"QUI FUIT IAE", rather than the singular"QUI FUIT MATHATHIAE".[3]
In theGospel of Matthew, 10:34b should read "I camenot to send peace, but the sword". However, rather than theLatingladium, meaning "sword", the Book of Kells hasgaudium, meaning "joy", rendering the verse "I came not [only] to send peace, but [also] joy".[4]
"Place-makers' Bible" 1562: the second edition of theGeneva Bible,Matthew 5:9[6] reads "Blessed are the placemakers: for they shall be called the children of God"; it should read "peacemakers".[7]
In its chapter heading for Luke 21, the Place-makers' Bible has "Christ condemneth the poor widow", rather than "commendeth".[8]
"Manchester edition" 1793: The heading on Chapter 3 of Leviticus and the first verse has "bees" rather than "beeves" (plural of beef). It reads: "How the pacifique hosts must be of bees, sheep, lambs and goats" ("pacifique hosts" meaning peace offerings).[9]
In various printings of theKing James Version of the Bible, some of the more famous examples have been given their own names. Among them are:
"Judas Bible", from 1613: This Bible has Judas, not Jesus, saying "Sit ye here while I go yonder and pray" (Matthew 26:36).[11][12] A second folio edition printed byRobert Barker, printer to King James I, is held in St. Mary's Church,Totnes,Devon. In this copy, the misprint has been covered with a small slip of paper glued over the name of Judas.[a]
"Printers Bible", from 1612: In some copies, Psalm 119:161[13] reads, "Printers have persecuted me without a cause", rather than "Princes have persecuted me..."[14]
"Wicked Bible","Adulterous Bible" or"Sinner's Bible", from 1631: Barker and Lucas: Omits an important "not" from Exodus 20:14,[15] making theseventh commandment read "Thou shalt commit adultery." An 1886 study ofStar Chamber case reports suggests that this was just one of the "two grossest errors" in the printing, alongside Deuteronomy 5:24,[16] which read "the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his great-asse" instead of the correct "greatness[e]".[17] However, this second error does not appear in any extant copy of the Bible.[18] The printers were fined £300 and most of the copies were recalled immediately. Only 15 copies survive in the collections of public institutions in the English-speaking world.[19]
"More Sea Bible", from 1641: "...the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was more sea", rather than "...the first heaven and the first earth were passed away and there was no more sea", fromRevelation 21:1[20][21]
"Unrighteous Bible" or"Wicked Bible", from 1653, Cambridge Press: Another edition carrying this title omits a "not" before the word "inherit", making1 Corinthians 6:9[22] read "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the kingdom of God?". In addition,Romans 6:13[23] reads "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of righteousness into sin", where it should read "unrighteousness".[24]
"Sin On Bible", from 1716: Jeremiah 31:34[25][26] reads "sin on more" rather than "sin no more".
Heading for "The Parable of the Vineyard" in a copy of the "Vinegar Bible"
"Vinegar Bible", from 1717: J. Baskett, Clarendon Press: The chapter heading forLuke 20 reads "The Parable of the Vinegar" instead of "The Parable of the Vineyard." One reviewer called this particular edition "a Baskett full of errors" due the abundance of typographical errors. One copy sold for $5,000 in 2008.[27]
"The Fools Bible", from 1763: Psalm 14:1[28] reads "the fool hath said in his heart there is a God", rather than "there is no God". The printers were fined £3,000 and all copies ordered destroyed.[29]
"Murderer's Bible", from 1801: "Murmurers" is printed as "murderers", makingJude 16 read: "These are murderers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage."[30]
"To-remain Bible", from 1805: InGalatians 4:29,[31] a proofreader had written in "to remain" in the margin, as an answer to whether a comma should be deleted. The note inadvertently became part of the text, making the edition read "But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit to remain, even so it is now."[32]
"Standing Fishes Bible", from 1806: "Fishes" replaced "fishers" makingEzekiel 47:10[33] read "And it shall come to pass, that the fishes shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets; their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many."[34]
"Wife-hater Bible", from 1810: "Wife" replaces "life" in this edition, making Luke 14:26[35] redundantly read "If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own wife also, he cannot be my disciple."[36]
"The Large Family Bible", from 1820:Isaiah 66:9[37] reads: "Shall I bring to birth and not cease to bring forth?" rather than "Shall I bring to birth and not cause to bring forth?"
"Rebecca's Camels Bible", from 1823: "Camels" replaces "damsels" in one instance, making Genesis 24:61[38] read "And Rebecca arose, and her camels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebecca and went his way."
"Owl Bible", from 1944: "Owl" replaces "own", making1 Peter 3:5[39] read, "For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their owl husbands." The error was caused by a printing plate with a damaged lettern.[40]
"Contrary Bible", from 2016: this edition of theEnglish Standard Version text used the unconventional translation ofcontrary for the Hebrew word‘el in Genesis 3:16 and 4:7, deviating from its translation in previous editions of the ESV as well as the consensus translations of those verses in otherModern English Bible translations. In the ESV's 2025 revision, the wording in these verses were reverted back to its pre-2016 text.[41][c]
In the novelGood Omens,Neil Gaiman andTerry Pratchett created the"Buggre Alle This Bible" of 1651 (and theCharing Cross Bible). The typesetter replacedEzekiel 48:5 with a rant complaining about his job. It also has three extra verses at the end ofGenesis 3 about the loss of theflaming sword by theangel Aziraphale, added by Aziraphale himself, a character in the story.
In the BBC science-fiction sitcomRed Dwarf, one of the main characters,Arnold Rimmer, tells of his family belonging to an obscure fundamentalist Christian sect, the "Seventh Day Advent Hoppists". According to Rimmer – who is revealed in another episode to have the middle nameJudas due to his parents' unconventional take on Christianity – the Hoppists' unique form of worship arose from a misprinted Bible wherein1 Corinthians 13:13 reads "Faith, hop and charity, and the greatest of these is hop." The membership consequently spent every Sunday hopping. Rimmer says he never agreed with the faith, but claims to be liberal on religious matters.
The Poisonwood Bible is a 1998 bestselling novel byBarbara Kingsolver which mentions some of the famous "misprint Bibles" such as theCamel Bible, theMurderer's Bible, and theBug Bible. The novel's title refers to the character of Nathan Price, a missionary in the 1950sBelgian Congo who creates his own "misprint" by mispronouncing the local expression "Tata Jesus is bängala", meaning "Jesus is most precious". In his pronunciation, he actually says "Jesus ispoisonwood!"
^abAccording to a note in St Mary's Church, Totnes, Cornwall
^Note that Bibles with an unconventional but deliberate overall translation style, such as anidiomatic style, adynamic equivalence style or aparaphrasitic style, are not included in this list.
^The 2016 wording for both verses (contrary to... but) was changed to use the original wording (for... and).[42]
^Nathan, George Jean Nathan; Henry Louis Mencken (1951).The American Mercury. p. 572.The compilers of the late seventh century manuscript, The Book of Kells, refused to adopt St. Jerome's phrase "I come not to bring peace but a sword." (" ... non pacem sed gladium.") To them the phrase made no sense and they altered it ...
