ChosenRebel's Blog

I’m reading Steven Lawson’s mini-biography of William Tyndale, (THE DARING MISSION OF WILLIAM TYNDALE, Reformed Trust, 2016). On page 104, this sentence arrested my attention:

“Having learned Hebrew over a period of some five years, Tyndale was ready to begin the task of translating the books of the law.”

The previous 103 pages had demonstrated the remarkable circumstances under which Tyndale was laboring. He had been forced to flee for his life from England. The King didn’t like his project to translate the Bible into the English vernacular. Moving to the European mainland, Tyndale traveled from city to city trying to stay one step ahead of the agents sent to find him. The king was obsessed with finding and dispensing with Tyndale. No one could be trusted. Yet, without access to libraries, teachers, and his own books, without a place to call home or even to lay out his papers, looking over his shoulders for his pursuers, he tracks down resources, Jewish rabbis and other works, he not only learns his 9th language, but he translates the first five books of the Old Testament!

I am in awe!

He didn’t have my computer with all of its language software. 
He didn’t have a Hebrew teacher in seminary like I did who wrote a book on learning Hebrew.
He didn’t have an opportunity to casually call a Hebrew scholar for insight on an obscure word.
He didn’t have a parsing guide on his shelf.
He didn’t have a comprehensive Hebrew dictionary at his disposal. 
He had a German translation of the Hebrew.
He tracked down a French translation of the Hebrew.
He located a Latin translation of the Hebrew.

These he compared to one another, with his growing, learned-on-the-run Hebrew understanding and he  made his own English translation! And all this he did while running for his life.

Astounding!

I know William Tyndale was an extraordinary intellect. I know God gifted him with significant language talent. I know that I don’t have a tenth of his ability. I know that most of us can’t touch his capacity to endure hardship. I am in awe and thankful for his labor. And make no mistake, no matter how talented and extraordinary is the intellect of William Tyndale, it was work, hard, focused, exhausting work for the King and His Kingdom. His life and accomplishments are both inspiration and challenge to us all.

What are we doing with the time we have?

I don’t know how much time I have left, but I am committing myself to make it count. Will you join me? Isn’t the King and His Kingdom and the people for whom the Savior died worth our best efforts for His ever expanding glory?

Oh, and if you are interested in the Biography, here’s the link.