William Tyndale
c. 1494–1536 · Translator and martyr
If God spare my life, ere many years I will cause a boy that driveth the plough shall know more of the Scripture than thou dost.
Life
Translated the New Testament from Greek into English in exile; betrayed and strangled and burned near Brussels.
Why it matters
About 80% of the King James New Testament is his wording. His dying prayer: 'Lord, open the King of England's eyes.'
Works
- English New Testament (1526)
- The Obedience of a Christian Man (1528)