Tyndale's Bible: Saint Matthew's Gospel

Read in the Original Pronunciation by David Crystal

By: William Tyndale

Narrated by: David Crystal

What was so special about the Tyndale Bible? How does it sound to us today? The first text of the Bible to be printed in English was the New Testament of William Tyndale, published in 1525-6. Its repercussions lasted for almost a century, stimulated by the religious intolerances of the age, and Tyndale's influence can be seen in most of the Bible translations over the next 100 years, not least in the language of the King James Bible of 1611 - as this recording of Saint Matthew’s Gospel in the pronunciation of Tyndale’s own time makes vividly clear.

©2013 The British Library Board (P)2013 The British Library Board

Beautiful

This is truly food for the heart and soul. Thank you so much, it's beautiful.

Performance that draws one on

What made the experience of listening to Tyndale's Bible: Saint Matthew's Gospel the most enjoyable?

The narrator capture the original pronunciations. His reading was impeccable.

What did you like best about this story?

The staunge tongue drew one along.

Have you listened to any of David Crystal’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No, but now shall look for more.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Familiar and yet not... watch, you'll be spellbound.

Any additional comments?

Like a parable. You'll find yourself thinking about the message because you've heard it.

Great listen!

wonderful way to experience the 16th century and get a feel for the history of the English language. Tyndale was an absolute master at the English language and its translation from the Greek text.

the way we used to speak

everything is corrrect , but just as important is the voicing. l am sure this will help actors with phrasing and production of Shakespeare.

Matthew's Bible

I thought this was the Matthew's Bible, 1537 edition, New Testament portion... It was only the Book of Matthew from Tyndale Bible, 1526 edition. Awe, I wish for more; the entire New Testament.

David Crystal reading made the word come alive. I yearn for more.

I only wish it was the full Bible

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

ABSOLUTELY. Anyone who regularly reads the KJV needs to listen to this. Seeing the difference between Tyndale and the KJV is interesting, but the real benefit is the OP. Hearing the Scriptures in this accent/pronunciation removes the distance between you and the text. After a few minutes the old-timey language and grammar doesn't sound old-timey anymore. It feels fresh, and close, and urgent in a way that is difficult to communicate. I desperately wish that David Crystal would do a full KJV audio bible in OP. I would recommend this to anyone who finds the thee/thous goest/doth language of the KJV to be dense and discouraging. After listening to it in this accent, it feels clear as water, and not formal or highfalutin at all. For language nerds, this is also super cool to hear the OP which you can tell is a sort of "mother-accent" to a dozen modern English accents.

Like opening.a time portal

David Crystal reading Tyndale’s Bible helps a modern person to feel what it must have been like for a person in 1530 to hear the Bible in his own language for the first time- I only wish David would perform more of Tyndale’s Bible because I can’t imagine there is another person who could deliver this text with such understanding of the meaning and accuracy of accent.