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The State Bibles

The Anglo-Dutch Politics of the King James Version and the Statenvertaling

Esther van Raamsdonk (Autor)

Buch | Hardcover

270 Seiten

2026
The British Academy (Verlag)
978-1-80596-587-9 (ISBN)

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The State Bibles is the first extended comparative study of two key bible translations of the early modern period – the King James Version (1611) and the Dutch Statenvertaling (1637). It connects editorial decisions and theological emphases with contemporary retellings of biblical-political narratives, including chapters drawing on David, Naboth, and Esther. The KJV had an underappreciated influence on shaping the Dutch translation, which can be recovered through a comparison of their editorial practices, scriptural transmission, and religio-political contexts. Despite the translations’ ambition to project a definitive Christian Truth, the texts themselves resonate to the aims, fears, and tensions in both nations’ history. In turn, adaptations into literary or polemic texts repeated or rejected the translation choices and glosses of the state-authorised bibles, informing our understanding of the bibles’ reception, the influence of other traditions, and the infinite adaptability of the bible narratives. Many such adaptations remain understudied, but can unlock how authors responded to contemporary crises, and the tools available to them to express their ideas. Crucially, this is a transnational story, exploiting a striking ‘Anglo-Dutch Moment’ in how sacred texts were commissioned, translated, produced, illustrated, studied, revised, performed, criticised, and endorsed.

Esther van Raamsdonk is a lecturer in the department for English Language and Culture, with a focus on early modern English literature. Her Ph.D. is from the University of Exeter, and an MA in early modern English literature from Bangor University. Since then, she have worked at the Universities of Exeter, Queen Mary University London, University of Oxford and University of Warwick.

List of Figures

Note on Editions, Spelling, and Translation

Acknowledgements

Preface: The State Bibles

Introduction

Part I Divine Designs

Genesis: The Origins of the King James Version (1611) and the Statenvertaling (1637)

The Frontispiece: The Politics of Production

Annotations and Glosses

Part II Translation to Adaptation

Biblical Drama, Dryden, and Vondel

David and the Divine Monarchy

Naboth’s Vineyard and the Limits of Kingship

Esther: Canonicity and Adaptation

Conclusion: New Lives

Bibliography Index

Erscheint lt. Verlag	28.7.2026
Reihe/Serie	British Academy Monographs
Zusatzinfo	26 Illustrations, black and white
Sprache	englisch
Maße	156 x 234 mm
Themenwelt	Literatur ► Klassiker / Moderne Klassiker
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Geschichte
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie
ISBN-10	1-80596-587-5 / 1805965875
ISBN-13	978-1-80596-587-9 / 9781805965879
Zustand	Neuware