PART B:

THE CORRUPTED

CHALLONER

REVISION

OF THE

DOUAY-RHEIMS

HOLY BIBLE

(1749–1752)

The Catholic Encyclopedia (1909): A General Admonition Concerning the Challoner Revision

Notwithstanding that the Challoner Revision1,2,3,4,5 of the Douay-Rheims Holy Bible was the most widespread Catholic Bible used in English-speaking countries well into the twentieth century, it should be noted that a serious challenge to its essential Catholicity was raised in the 1909 edition of The Catholic Encyclopedia,6 wherein the Challoner Revision is likened to the Anglican (i.e., King James) Authorized Version.

First of all, in establishing the historical context of the Douay-Rheims Holy Bible, the Douay Bible entry of The Catholic Encyclopedia initially refers to the Authorized Version in its 3rd paragraph:

In the year 1578, owing to political troubles, the college was temporarily transferred from Douai (which was then in the dominions of the King of Spain) to Reims, and during its sojourn there, in 1582, the New Testament was published, and became consequently known as the “Rheims Testament”. It contained no episcopal imprimatur, but a recommendation was appended signed by four divines of the University of Reims. The Old Testament was delayed by want of means, until the whole Bible was eventually published in two quarto volumes, in 1609 and 1610, by which time the college had returned to Douai, and the recommendation was signed by three doctors at that university. Thus the New Testament appeared nearly thirty years before the Anglican Authorized Version,7 […]

The Douay Bible entry subsequently likens the Challoner Revision to the Authorized version in its 4th paragraph, to wit:

Although the Bibles in use at the present day by the Catholics of England and Ireland are popularly styled the Douay Version, they are most improperly so called; they are founded, with more or less alteration, on a series of revisions undertaken by Bishop Challoner in 1749–52. His object was to meet the practical want felt by the Catholics of his day of a Bible moderate in size and price, in readable English, and with notes more suitable to the time. He brought out three editions of the New Testament, in 1749, 1750, and 1752 respectively, and one of the Old Testament in 1750. The changes introduced by him were so considerable that, according to Cardinal Newman, they “almost amounted to a new translation”. So also, Cardinal Wiseman wrote, “To call it any longer the Douay or Rheimish Version is an abuse of terms. It has been altered and modified until scarcely any verse remains as it was originally published.” In nearly every case Challoner's changes took the form of approximating to the Authorized Version, though his three editions of the New Testament differ from one another in numerous passages.8 […]

A Pertinent Example: The Corruption of Isaiah 40:22 in the Challoner Revision

Before proceeding to Part C: Bible Verses Confirming Planar Earth Geocentrism, it is imperative to return to Isaiah 40:22 (quoted on our HOME page in both Latin and Early Modern English) and quoted again here as follows:

* Qui ſedect ſuper gyrum9 terrae, & habitatores eius ſunt quaſi locuſtae: qui extendit velut nihilum caelos, & expandit eos ſicut tabernaculum ad inhabitandum.
— prophetia isaiae, xl: 22, Biblia Sacra, Vvlgatae Editionis (1598 A.D.)10

✝ He that ſitteth vpon the compaſſe of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as locuſtes: he that ſtretcheth out the heauens as nothing, & ſpreddeth them as a tent to dwel in.
— the prophecie of isaie, xl: 22, Holie Bible, Doway-Rhemes Edition (1582, 1609, 1610 A.D.)11,12,13

The reader can see that in the uncorrupted, original version of the Douay-Rheims Holy Bible, the Latin Vulgate word gyrum was translated as compaſſe (i.e., compass). Furthermore, in Thomas Elyot’s sixteenth century (Latin-English) Dictionary, gyrus (the nominative form of gyrum) is translated as a cyrcute (i.e., a circuit) or compaſſe,14 and more recently, in the Oxford Latin Desk Dictionary, the English translation of the Latin word gyrus (again, the nominative form of gyrum) is circle; circuit; course,15 or in other words (from an exclusively geometric perspective), a bounded, 2-dimensional figure having continuously constant curvature. Gyrum absolutely cannot be translated as globe, or in other words (again, from an exclusively geometric perspective), a bounded, 3-dimensional figure having continuously constant curvature. Yet, Bishop Challoner chose to re-translate gyrum as globe in his eighteenth century revision of the original Douay-Rheims Holy Bible:

It is he that ſitteth upon the globe of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as locuſts: he that ſtretcheth out the heavens as nothing, and ſpreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.
—The Prophecy of ISAIAS, xl: 22, Holy Bible, Doway-Rhemes Edition, Challoner Revision (1749–1752)

The reason that gyrum cannot be translated as globe is because the English word globe is itself derived from the Latin word globus, meaning sphere; dense mass; closely packed throng.16 Thomas Elyot translates globus (& globum) as a boule, or other thing very rounde. Also a multitude of menne or beaſtes gathered rounde togither.17 Hence, the Latin word for sphere or globe is globus, not gyrum.

The word globus occurs only once in the Holy Bible, in Numbers 16:11:

* & omnis globus tuus ſtet contra Dominum? quid eſt enim Aaron vt murmuretis contra eum?
— liber nvmeri, hebraice vaiedabber xvi:11, Biblia Sacra, Vvlgatae Editionis (1598)

✝ and al thy companie should ſtand againſt our Lord? for what is Aaron that you murmur againſt him?
— the booke nvmeri (or numbers) in hebrew vaiedabber, xvi:11, Holie Bible, Doway-Rhemes Edition (1582, 1609, 1610)

And that all thy company ſhould ſtand againſt the Lord? for what is Aaron that you murmur againſt him?
— The Book of NUMBERS xvi:11, Holy Bible, Doway-Rhemes Edition, Challoner Revision (1749–1752)

So Bishop Challoner translated globus correctly in respect of its military meaning as a group or company of men, whereas he translated gyrum incorrectly as globe. Reader, the question that is being begged is: Why did Bishop Challoner change the English translation for gyrum in Isaiah 40:22 from compass (i.e., circle) to globe (i.e., sphere)? Presumably, Bishop Challoner would have known Latin well enough not to have made such a mistake. But why change the translation at all? Was Bishop Challoner more steeped in the post-Newtonian heliocentric scientism of his day than he was in traditional Catholicism?18,19


— FINIS —


Further verses from the Holy Bible (in Latin) from the 1598 Latin Vulgate Edition and (in Early Modern English) from the 1582, 1609, 1610 Douay-Rheims Edition confirming various attributes of planar earth geocentrism are presented in Part C: Bible Verses Confirming Planar Earth Geocentrism.


UPDATE May 1, 2024: PLANE GEODESY has undertaken a project to provide a highly readable transcription of The Apocalypse of Saint John the Apostle from the 1582 Rheims New Testament. Check it out. See Blog C: The Apocalypse of Saint John the Apostle.


  1. 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. VOLUME I. Printed in the Year, 1750.↩️

  2. 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. VOLUME II. Printed in the Year, 1750.↩️

  3. 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. VOLUME III. Printed in the Year, 1750.↩️

  4. 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. VOLUME IV. Printed in the Year 1750.↩️

  5. THE NEW TESTAMENT OF Our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST. Tranſlated out of the Latin Vulgat; Diligently compared with the original Greek: And firſt published by the English College of Rhemes, anno 1582. Newly reviſed, and corrected, according to the Clementin Edition of the Scriptures. WITH ANNOTATIONS For clearing up modern Controversies in Religion, and other Difficulties of Holy Writ. VOLUME I. Printed in the Year MDCCLII. (It should be noted that this 1752 edition was the 3rd and final edition of the New Testamant brought out by Challoner, the first two editions having been brought out in 1749 and 1750 respectively.)↩️

  6. Charles G. Herbermann et al., Editors, The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1909), Volume V, p. 140, Douay Bible entry.↩️

  7. Loc. cit.↩️

  8. Loc. cit.↩️

  9. Words or phrases in scriptural verses that are relevant to the argument for planar earth geocentrism are highlighted in bold coloured font. Dictionary translations or definitions of those words or phrases are highlighted in bold black font.↩️

  10. BIBLIA SACRA VVLGATAE EDITIONIS, SIXTI V.P.M. IVSSV recognita atque edita. ROMAE. Ex Typographia Vaticana. M. D. XCVIII.↩️

  11. THE NEVV TESTAMENT OF IESVS CHRIST, TRANSLATED FAITHFVLLY INTO ENGLISH, out of the authentical Latin, according to the beſt corrected copies of the ſame, diligently conferred vvith the Greeke and other editions in diuers languages: Vvith Argvments of bookes and chapters, Annotations, and other neceſſarie helpes, for the better vnderſtanding of the text, and ſpecially for the diſcouerie of the Corrvptions of diuers late tranſlations, and for cleering the Controversies in religion, of theſe daies: In the English College of Rhemes. PRINTED AT RHEMES, by Iohn Fogny. 1582.↩️

  12. THE HOLIE BIBLE FAITHFVLLY TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH, OVT OF THE AVTHENTICAL LATIN. Diligently conferred with the Hebrew, Greeke, and other Editions in diuers languages. With Argvments of the Bookes, and Chapters: Annotations: Tables: and other helpes, for better vnderſtanding of the text: for diſcouerie of Corrvptions in ſome late tranſlations: and for clearing Controversies in Religion. By the English College of Doway. Printed at Doway by Lavrence Kellam, at the ſigne of the holie Lambe. M. DC. IX.↩️

  13. THE SECOND TOME OF THE HOLIE BIBLE FAITHFVLLY TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH, OVT OF THE AVTHENTICAL LATIN. Diligently conferred with the Hebrew, Greeke, and other Editions in diuers languages. With Argvments of the Bookes, and Chapters: Annotations: Tables: and other helpes, for better vnderſtanding of the text: for diſcouerie of Corrvptions in ſome late tranſlations: and for clearing Controversies in Religion. By the English College of Doway. Printed at Doway by Lavrence Kellam, at the ſigne of the holie Lambe. M. DC. X.↩️

  14. Thomas Elyot, Dictionary, 1538. Facsimilie reprinted by The Scolar Press Limited, Menston, England, 1970, s.v. Gyrus [the nominative form], a cyrcute or compaſſe [emphasis added].↩️

  15. James Morwood, Editor, Oxford Latin Desk Dictionary (Revised Edition) (Oxford University Press, 2005), p. 83, s.v. gȳrus [the nominative form], ī m circle; circuit; course [emphasis added].↩️

  16. Ibid., p. 81, s.v. globus, ī m sphere; dense mass; closely packed throng [emphasis added].↩️

  17. Thomas Elyot, op. cit., s.v. Globus, & Globum, a boule, or other thing very rounde. Also a multitude of menne or beaſtes gathered rounde togither [empasis added].↩️

  18. For the origins of heliocentrism see Hellenistic Greece I: Aristarchus (c. 310–c. 230 B.C.).↩️

  19. The re-emergence of heliocentrism in the sixteenth century is briefly discussed in The Early Modern Period: Copernicus to Newton (1543–1726).↩️


WEB PAGE CONTROL
REVISION 0 1 2
DATE 2021-JAN-16 2023-DEC-30 2024-MAY-01