Marginal Observation

The first English Bible to be translated directly from the original languages was made by William Tyndale in the first part of the sixteenth century. The margin of Tyndale’s Bible gives us an insight into the state of religion at that time. At Exodus 36:5, 6, where Moses forbids the people to bring any more offerings for the building of the tabernacle because they had more than enough, Tyndale’s marginal comment says: “When will the pope say Hoo! [hold!] and forbid an offering for the building of St. Peter’s Church? And when will our spirituality say Hoo! and forbid to give them more land? Never until they have all.”