The story of the Geneva Bible is a fascinating and important part of world and Church history.

When the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Massachusetts in 1620, they brought along necessary supplies, a consuming passion for advancing the Kingdom of Christ, and their most precious cargo —William Bradford’s copy of the Geneva Bible. The famous painting of the embarkation of the Pilgrims (above) shows Bradford reading from his copy of the Geneva Bible.

When Bloody Mary became queen of England in 1553, she was determined to roll back the progress of the Reformation and reinstate Roman Catholicism.

She persecuted Christians who had embraced the Protestant Reformation, even putting some to death like Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley, and Lady Jane Grey, an English noblewoman who was put to death at the age of just seventeen.

Queen Mary’s actions led many Christian scholars to Geneva. With the protection of the Genevan civil authorities, a group of theologians produced an English translation of the Bible without the stamp of approval of English government officials or the Church of Rome.

While previous English translations failed to capture the hearts of the reading public, the Geneva Bible was instantly popular. Between 1560 and 1644 at least 144 editions appeared.

The 1599 Geneva Bible

The 1599 Geneva Bible

Having your own copy of the Geneva Bible will connect you to a time when many faithful and brave Christians understood what it meant to stand and act on the Word of God no matter the cost. This completely re-typeset edition of the 1599 Geneva Bible commemorates this history. With your order, you will be able to download a searchable PDF of the Geneva Bible and have access to more than 20 books related to the Geneva Bible at no extra cost! Order your copy today. Supplies are limited.

Buy Now

The Geneva Bible is a Bible of firsts: it was the first complete English translation of the entire Bible, it was the first to include chapter and verse divisions, it was the first to add explanatory study notes throughout, and so much more. The Geneva Bible was also the Bible that helped build America. The story of the Geneva Bible is a fascinating and important part of world and Church history.

Click here for today’s episode

Click here to browse all episodes of The Gary DeMar Podcast