18th Century English Versions

1703. Daniel Whitby, A Paraphrase and Commentary on the New Testament, containing the Gospels, the Acts, all the Epistles, with a discourse of the Millenium. 2 vols. London, 1703. The second volume of this paraphrase of the New Testament was first published as A Paraphrase and Commentary upon all the Epistles of the New Testament in 1700. Whitby was a learned Arminian controversialist, who after 1712 advocated Arian views. His most famous work was an anti-Calvinist treatise entitled A Discourse concerning the True Import of the Words Election and Reprobation, etc. (London: John Wyat, 1710)

1729. [Daniel Mace], The New Testament in Greek and English, Containing the Original Text Corrected from the Authority of the most Authentic Manuscripts: And a New Version Form’d agreeably to the Illustrations of the Most Learned Commentators and Critics: with Notes and Various Readings, and a Copious Alphabetical Index. 2 vols. London: for J. Roberts, 1729. → Further information.

1745. William Whiston, The Primitive New Testament. Stamford and London, 1745. In this revision of the KJV Whiston adopts the readings of the three earliest (“primitive”) manuscripts which were then known to scholars. The Gospels and Acts are revised according to the Codex Bezae Cantabrigiensis, the Pauline epistles according to Codex Claromontanus, and the rest according to Codex Alexandrinus. Whiston’s source of information for the readings of these manuscripts was the apparatus of Mill 1707.

1746. John Taylor, A Paraphrase with Notes on the Epistle to the Romans: to which is Prefix’d a Key to the Apostolic Writings, or an Essay to Explain the Gospel Scheme, and the Principal Words and Phrases the Apostles have Used in Describing it. Dublin: John Smith, 1746. Published on the internet by Google Books in 2008.

1750. Richard Challoner, The Holy Bible, translated from the Latin Vulgat: diligently compared with the Hebrew, Greek, and other editions in divers languages, and first published by the English College at Doway, Anno 1609 : newly revised, and corrected, according to the Clementin edition of the scriptures : with annotations for clearing up the principal difficulties of Holy Writ. [Dublin?], 1750. → Further information.

1755. John Wesley, Explanatory notes upon the New Testament. London: William Boyer, 1755. Reprinted 1757, with further editions in 1760, 1790, and 1837. The 1790 reprint, in which the notes were eliminated, was published under the title, The New Testament, with an Analysis of the several Books and Chapters (London: at the New Chapel, 1790). → Further information.

1756. Philip Doddridge, The Family Expositor; or, a Paraphrase and Version of the New Testament; with Critical Notes; and a Practical Improvement of each Section. First published in 6 volumes from 1739 to 1756. Volume 1, “Containing the Former Part of The History of our Lord Jesus Christ, As recorded by the Four Evangelists, Disposed in the Order of an Harmony,” was printed by John Wilson in London, 1739. Volume 2, continuing the Gospels, appeared in 1740. Volume 3, containing the Acts of the Apostles, was printed by J. Waugh, 1748. Doddridge died in 1751, but he had completed the whole work in manuscript, and the remaining volumes were published by J. Waugh under the care of Job Orton. Volume 4, containing the Epistles to the Romans and Corinthians, was published in 1753; volumes 5 (Galatians to Philemon) and 6 (Hebrews to Revelation) appeared in 1756. There were many subsequent reprint editions.

1764. Anthony Purver, A New and Literal Translation of All the Books of the Old and New Testament; with Notes, Critical and Explanatory. 2 Vols. London: W. Richardson and S. Clark, 1764. → Further information.

1768. Edward Harwood, A Liberal Translation of the New Testament; being An Attempt to translate the Sacred Writings with the same Freedom, Spirit, and Elegance, With which other English Translations from the Greek Classics have lately been executed ... with select Notes, Critical and Explanatory. 2 Vols. London, 1768. → Further information.

1789. George Campbell, The four Gospels, translated from the Greek. With preliminary dissertations, and notes critical and explanatory. 2 vols. London: A. Strahan and T. Cadell, 1789. After Campbell’s death (1796), a “second edition with the author’s last corrections” was published in Aberdeen by J. Chalmers & Co. in 4 volumes, 1803-04.

1790. William Gilpin, An Exposition of the New Testament; intended as an introduction to the study of the Scriptures, by pointing out the leading sense and connection of the sacred writers. London: for R. Blamire, 1790. 2nd edition, 1793. A paraphrastic modern speech version.

1791. Gilbert Wakefield, A Translation of the New Testament. 3 Vols. London: Philanthropic Press, 1791. 2nd edition, 1795. Reprinted 1820. Featured a paragraphed text with verse numbers in the margin. Wakefield was a prominent Unitarian minister.

1795. Thomas Haweis, A Translation of the New Testament from the original Greek. Humbly attempted with a view to assist the unlearned with clearer and more explicit views of the mind of the Spirit in the Scriptures of Truth. London: printed for T. Chapman, 1795. An original version by one of the founders of the London Missionary Society.

1795. James MacKnight, A New Literal Translation from the Original Greek, of All the Apostolical Epistles: With a Commentary, and Notes Philological, Critical, Explanatory, and Practical. In Four Volumes. To which is Added a History of the Life of the Apostle Paul. Edinburgh and London, 1795. First published in four volumes from 1787-1795. A second edition, in six volumes, was published in London by Longmans & Co., 1806, and in Boston by W. Wells and T.B. Wait & Co., 1810. Reprints of the second edition in one large volume were later published in Philadelphia, 1835 and 1841. The most recent reprint (of the one-volume edition) was issued by Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, 1984. The text of MacKnight’s translation, minus the notes, was reprinted in The New Testament Translated from the Original Greek, by G. Campbell, P. Doddridge and J. MacKnight. London: John Lepard, 1818. This text was revised by Alexander Campbell for his edition of the New Testament published in 1826. Another similar edition containing MacKnight’s translation, unrevised, was published in London by Wightman and Cramp in 1827.

1796. William Newcome, An Attempt toward revising our English Translation of the Greek Scriptures, or the New Covenant of Jesus Christ; and toward illustrating the sense by philological and explanatory notes. 2 Vols. London: for J. Johnson; Dublin: John Exshaw, 1796. A revision of the KJV by Archbishop Newcome, based on the text of Griesbach 1774. This was the first English version to represent Griesbach’s new critical text. → Further information.

1798. Nathaniel Scarlett, ed., A Translation of the New Testament from the Original Greek, humbly attempted by Nathaniel Scarlett, assisted by men of piety and literature. London: Printed by T. Gillet; F. & C. Rivington, 1798. The collaborating “men of piety and literature” were all of Universalist convictions. They included James Creighton (Anglican), William Vidler (Universalist), and John Cue (Sandemanian).