The Geneva Bible

e if the President of the United States outlawed your version of the Bible because he considered it to be a threat to his rule. Imagine that he authorized a new government "approved" version for you to read instead. That's exactly what happened in the tumultuous year of 1611. King James despised the revolutionary and "seditious" Geneva Bible. He thought the Geneva Bible's study notes on key political texts threatened his authority, so he outlawed it and ordered a new translation of the Bible - the King James (Authorized Version). While the King James Version is an excellent translation, it was edited and authorized by the Government. The Geneva Bible was not. It was truly a Bible by the people and for the people. The Geneva Bible is unique among all other Bibles. It was the first Bible to use chapters and numbered verses and became the most popular version of its time because of the extensive study notes. These notes were included to explain and interpret the Scriptures for the common people and laid the foundation for a Republican form of government. For nearly half a century these notes helped the people of England, Scotland, and Ireland understand the Bible and true God-ordained liberty. When the Pilgrims arrived in America in 1620, they brought the 1599 Geneva Bible. You can see why this remarkable version with its profound study notes played a key role in the formation of the American Republic. Today, the 1599 Geneva Bible has been all but forgotten.