Any one familiar with the history of the King James Version and its various printings will know what is commonly referred to as the “Wicked Bible.” In 1631 an edition of the KJV was printed which contained a printing error which made the seventh commandment to read “Thou shalt commit adultery.” I’ve also read that some think it was not a mistake but an act of sabotage but never got much more than that. In Gordon Campbell’s book, Bible, he provides a few more details. Citing an unpublished paper by Ian Gadd he says the “court judgment also says that the edition printed the beginning of Deuteronomy 5:24 as ‘the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory and his great asse’ (instead of ‘greatnesse’), which is surely mischief rather than error; one mistake may be an improbable accident, but two points to sabotage. In seventeenth-century English ‘ass’ was a respectable word meaning ‘donkey’, not a coarse word meaning ‘buttocks’, but the reading nontheless verges on blasphemy. No copy of a Bible with ‘great asse’ misprint is known to survive, though at least three copies (in Bloomington, Toronto, and Cambridge) have a blob of ink over what is likely to be ‘great asse’).”
Campbell has pictures of the three Bibles mentioned above and the ink blots do partially cover up the word in question. It does seem odd that a blob of ink would appear in just this spot in three different Bibles. The printer was heavily fined and the Bibles were ordered to be burned.
Here’s how the seventh commandment appeared in the Bible:
Hello,
I have just read your comment about the wicked Bible and was wondering if you know if any of the copies of this Bible (still published by Robert Barker dated 1631) were produced without the mistake or did all of the copies have the mistake(s). The reason I ask is that I have a copy of a 1631 Bible published by Robert Barker with the same (almost) title page to the New Testament, but has had the first books removed – this copy starts at the book of Joshau. Any information you could give me would be appreciated.
Thank you,
Don Redecopp
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Hi Donald,
Great question but I’m afraid I have no idea. But I know someone who might. I would suggest you contact Dr. Don Brake from Multnomah Biblical Seminary who has written extensively on the history of the English Bible. I’ve emailed him myself and he warmly responded. His email address is dbrake@multnomah.edu . I’m sure he could help you. I would be curious to know what you find out.
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