After the martyrdom of Tyndale, a certain John Rogers fell heir to his manuscript translation of the books from Joshua to II Chronicles, and it was he who published what is known as "Matthew's Bible." The identity of the "Thomas Matthew" whose name appears on the title page has not been determined with certainty. Some consider that "Thomas Matthew" was simply a pseudonym for "John Rogers," who hesitated to court the fate which had befallen his friend Tyndale, by openly associating himself with a translation of the Bible; but it seems more probable that it was the name of some wealthy patron who financed the undertaking.
As a translation, Matthew's Bible can lay little claim to originality, as it closely followed Tyndale's rendering of the New Testament, and of such parts of the Old as he had been enabled to complete (Genesis to II Chronicles and the book of Jonah); while the remainder of the Old Testament was virtually reprinted from Coverdale's edition; but the special interest of Matthew's Bible lies in the fact that it is reputed to be the first English Version authorized by the Crown, having appeared, it would seem, a few weeks before the 1537 edition of Coverdale's Bible, which was similarly honored. When taking steps to procure this authorization from Henry VIII, and pleading for the official circulation of the volume, Archbishop Cranmer affirmed, with quaint exaggeration, that in his opinion no better translation would be forthcoming "till a day after Doomsday!"
Matthew's Bible was also noteworthy for its presentation in a combined form of the work of both Tyndale and Coverdale, but it was little more than a transitional version, and two years later, in April, 1539, it was followed by the "Great Bible," which soon superseded it. True, the immediate reason for this title is to be sought in the size of the book, for it formed a large folio volume; but this in no way minimizes the real importance of the work itself, for by King Henry's express command, a copy of "the whole Bible, in the largest volume, in Englyshe" was to be placed for public consultation in each of the parish churches of his realm. Though the decree was not universally observed, still the Great Bible was widely studied not only by the clergy, but also by the laity, for "everybody that could bought the book, or busily read it, or got others to read it to him" (Strype's "Life of Cranmer").
