Supremacy of the Bible on English language

Supremacy of the Bible on English language

Answer: The influence of the Bible on English was both thematic and stylistic; That is to say, it gave the English characters a classical theme and also modified their literary style. Thus Bunyan and Oscar Wilde have imitated the simple, rhythmic, repetitive style of the Bible. Furthermore, ideas, sentiments, and even phrases are often borrowed from the Bible for use in both religious and secular writings. Ruskin, in particular, preferred to limit his writings to biblical quotations, which brought him amazing benefits. Many phrases from the Bible have become an essential element of the English language. The writings of those who have never read a single page of the Bible include Bible material. Phrases like 'clear as crystal', 'arose as one man', 'the sweat of his face' and 'a broken reed' are unique examples of biblical imitation.

John Wycliffe first translated the Bible into English in the 14th century. William Tyndale took the modern English translation to a whole new level by translating the Bible. The translation of the Bible by William Tyndale (c. 1494-1536) is primarily known as the Tyndale Bible, which is credited as the first direct English translation from the Hebrew and Greek texts. The Coverdale Bible, compiled by Myles Coverdale, was published in 1535. This is the first complete modern English translation of the Bible and the first fully printed translation into English. The authorized version of the Bible was published in 1611. It was crafted by 47 researchers designated by James I, directed by Bishop Lancelot Andrews.

Many proverbs and phrases in modern English are Bible gifts. Quotations from the Bible are given in abundance. The English language has been so enriched by the Bible that accurate assessment is virtually impossible. The following are some examples of biblical phrases: 'arose as one man', 'Broken reeds',' A law unto themselves', 'the man of sin', 'moth and rust', 'clear as Crystal', 'the eleventh hour',' ‘City of refuse’, ‘Whited sepulcher’, ‘Wash one’s hands off’ and many more familiar scriptural phrases and allusions. From Tyndale we are indebted for ‘long-suffering’, ‘peace-making’, ‘stumbling block’, ‘the fatted calf’, ‘filthy lucre’, ‘mercy seat’, ‘day spring’ and ‘scapegoat’.

Many such biblical phrases and sayings are prevalent in modern English even without knowing its source.

The impact of the Bible from Chaucer to the current day is unmistakably found in verse. Chaucer even draws material for some of his stories from the Bible. Spencer's ‘The Fairy Queen’ also stands out in biblical references. Milton's Paradise Lost Biblical and spiritual poets were interested in biblical hints. The poetry of T.S. Eliot, Yates, and Dylan Thomas in the twentieth century is full of biblical references. Technically, the influence of the Bible can be seen in the use of 'th' in place of ‘s’ such as 'hath', 'loveth', 'hateth', 'giveth' etc. Again, we find the old past tense of 'got', 'clove', 'break' instead of 'gat', 'clave', 'brake', in the poems dominated by Tennyson, Maurice, Coleridge, etc., we have verbs instead of 's' at the end:

“He prayth best who loveth best

All things both great and small” – Rime of the Ancient Mariners.

On the analogy of the classical 'holy of holies', which is expressed in a Hebrew manner, we find similar phrases in modern English such as:

Furthermore, classical proper names are often used as appellatives to determine character types. For example, ‘to raise Cain’ means making a determined angry noise; ‘David and Jonathan’ means ‘any devoted friends’.

Some lost words in the use of the Bible have been revived in full life. Such words as ‘damsel’ for young women, ‘raiment and apparel’ for clothing, and ‘firmament’ as the poetic synonym of the ‘sky’

However, the modern world has seen many changes in English language, but it has yet to see a movement that shakes the dominance of the greatest English book, The Bible. It goes without saying that the biblical influence in English literature is immense and most valuable. Its influence on English literature and language has been steady since the first translation of the Bible, published in 1611, by Wycliffe. These productions had a great impact on the development of standard prose, which abandoned the crude style of religious texts. The influence of the Bible was felt in other branches of literature, especially poetry.

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👉 Masculinity of the English language

👉 Semantic Changes in English Language