Alexander McClure
“The first decided steps, however, toward giving to the English nation a Bible printed in their own tongue, were the translations of the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, made by William Tyndale, and by him printed at Hamburg [Germany], in the year 1524; -- and a translation of the whole of the New Testament, printed by him partly at Cologne, and partly at Worms, in 1525.”
Alexander McClure, The Translators Revived, Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry, p. 6.
***
GJ - I hasten to note what Lutherans realize - Tyndale's work was closely associated with Luther's Biblical translation team, not only geographically but also in time.
Tyndale was in Germany, in part, because he was under a death sentence in England. Just as Luther established the German language with his translation, so Tyndale established the English language with his genius work with the substance of the KJV. Tyndale was already killed for violating the King Henry's orders, but his clear and compelling translations became the heart of the Authorized Version.
PS - The other contributor to the English language was Shakespeare, the pen name of the Earl of Oxford. The translation of Shakespeare into German made that work a major contribution to the German language.
