Publisher of the New Matthew Bible
We remember that which we first received,
and strengthen the things that are ready to die
(Revelation 3:2,3)
Our goals:
- To increase awareness and understanding of the 1537 Matthew Bible, which contained the translations of William Tyndale and Myles Coverdale.
- To publish the New Matthew Bible (“NMB”), a gentle update of the Matthew Bible.
- To publish the lost writings of Myles Coverdale. While Tyndale’s books are readily available, Coverdale has been unjustly overlooked.
Our books:
Our small, unique line of Christian books focus on the Matthew Bible and the men who made it. We also offer a limited number of discernment books by various authors.
Booksellers: contact us directly for bulk orders and discount information. We will give customized quotes.
Our story:
Ruth Magnusson Davis
Ruth Magnusson Davis is the founder of Baruch House Publishing and the New Matthew Bible Project. A Canadian, she is a retired lawyer and student of Early Modern English and the Reformation. As a teenager she worked in France, where she learned that she loved to study language and grammar. She went on to obtain an undergraduate degree in French and German, and studied in Manitoba, Quebec, and Germany. Law school followed, and a successful professional career, before she retired to dedicate herself to the New Matthew Bible Project.
Ruth founded Baruch House Publishing in 2005. In 2016 Baruch House published the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible, called the October Testament. The reference to October recalls Martin Luther’s September Testament and reminds us that the year of the Lord is drawing to a close. For different editions of the October Testament, Ruth’s first book True to His Ways, published in 2006, and more, go to our store.
Work on the Old Testament of the New Matthew Bible is underway.
The New Matthew Bible Project:
The October Testament: the New Testament of the New Matthew Bible
The New Matthew Bible (“NMB”) is the gentlest possible update of the 1537 Matthew Bible. The goal is to keep all the doctrine, dignity, and beauty of the original bible translation of William Tyndale and Myles Coverdale, with the historic language that has informed the best books and hymns over the centuries. That is one reason why we call the New Matthew Bible the only ‘modern’ bible which is not. But it is important to recover the meaning of the original translations, which has in places been significantly changed by later bible revisions, and the New Matthew Bible restores the original sense of the Scriptures.
About the Matthew Bible:
1549 Matthew Bible used in the New Matthew Bible Project
The Matthew Bible was the work of three men who gave us the word of God in our own language when it was against the law to do so. It contains the New Testament bible translation of William Tyndale, and half of the Old Testament is also his work. However, Tyndale was captured and executed in 1536 before he could finish his work. The bible translation of Myles Coverdale made up the balance of the Old Testament and, also, the Apocryphal books. Coverdale’s remarkably clear translations have not received the regard that they are due.
A third man, John Rogers, who was a friend and associate of Tyndale and Coverdale, collated their translations, added commentaries and study aids, and in 1537 published the whole bible under the pseudonym ‘Thomas Matthew.’ This is why it is called Matthew’s Version, or the Matthew Bible. Rogers used a false name to conceal William Tyndale’s involvement, because his works were banned in England. Like Tyndale, Rogers also died for his work with the English bible: he was burned at the stake by Queen Mary in 1555.
The martyrdom of both Tyndale and Rogers makes the Matthew Bible the only English bible bought with blood. It is also the unacknowledged base of the King James Version. Computer studies have shown that 83% of the KJV New Testament is from the Matthew Bible. However, readers will find in the Matthew Bible a return to greater clarity, even though it dates from the prior century, a satisfying fullness of truth, and a sweet gentleness.
Our websites:
We have two websites:
- This one, with publishing information.
- www.newmatthewbible.org This is our New Matthew Bible Project website, with information about the Matthew Bible, our approach to updating it, interesting articles, sample scriptures, and more.
Academic papers:
Ruth has published academic papers, covering a variety of topics about the Matthew Bible, the early English Reformation, the value of the original bible translation by William Tyndale and Myles Coverdale, the New Matthew Bible, and more. These can be viewed at her profile at Academia.edu. If you download a paper, be sure to leave a reason when prompted. We love to hear from you!