Versions of the Bible by James Hamilton

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 20, 1910

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 37.

Versions of the Bible

By James Hamilton

Four hundred years ago, including detached portions as well as complete transcripts, the whole world did not contain more than a few thousand copies of the Word of God; and, altho they were rapidly multiplied by the art of printing, at the beginning of the present century it is supposed that the entire amount fell short of four millions of copies. Since then the increase is amazing. The Bible Society alone has called into existence well-nigh fifty millions of copies, in one hundred and forty-eight languages or dialects, of which one hundred and twenty-one are translations never before printed. Many of these languages were never reduced to rule, had no grammar, no lexicon, had never been seen in print, had never been written down, till Bible translators undertook the arduous task; and altogether it may be presumed that the Gospel story can now be read in the speech of three fourths of our earth's inhabitants.—Dr. J. Hamilton.