The various portions of the translation are of unequal merit, the rendering of the Pentateuch being the best; but the completed work was of great value, not only to the Jews dispersed in the countries where Greek had been adopted as the national language, but it opened the way for the coming of Christianity: the study of its prophecies prepared the minds of men for the great Advent, and the version was used by the earlier Christians as the historic ground of their faith.
The books of the New Testament were written in Greek, with the probable exception of St.Matthew's Gospel, which, if written in Hebrew, or Aramaean, was immediately translated into Greek.
Contemporary with the origin of Christianity, and the vast extension of the Roman Empire, the Latin had become the all-absorbing tongue; and, as might be expected, numerous versions of the whole and of parts of the Scriptures were made in that language, and one of these complete versions, which grew in favor, almost superseding all others, was called the _Vetus Itala_.
THE VULGATE .-- St.Jerome, a doctor of the Latin Church in the latter part of the fourth century, undertook, with the sanction of Damasus, the Bishop of Rome, a new Latin version upon the basis of the _Vetus Itala_, bringing it nearer to the Septuagint in the Old Testament, and to the original Greek of the New.
This version of Jerome, corrected from time to time, was approved by Gregory I., (the Great,) and, since the seventh century, has been used by the Western Church, under the name of the _Vulgate_, (from _vulgatus_--for general or common use.) The Council of Trent, in the sixteenth century, declared it alone to be authentic.
Throughout Western Europe this was used, and made the basis of further translations into the national languages.

It was from the Vulgate that Aldhelm made his Anglo-Saxon version of the Psalter in 706; Bede, his entire Saxon Bible in the same period; Alfred, his portion of the Psalms; and other writers, fragmentary translations.
As soon as the newly formed English language was strong enough, partial versions were attempted in it: one by an unknown hand, as early as 1290; and one by John de Trevisa, about one hundred years later.
WICLIF: TYNDALE .-- Wiclif's Bible was translated from the Latin Vulgate, and issued about 1378.

If it be asked why he did not go to the original sources, and thus avoid the errors of successive renderings, the answer is plain: he was not sufficiently acquainted with Hebrew and Greek to translate from them.

Wiclif's translation was eagerly sought, and was multiplied by the hands of skilful scribes.

Its popularity was very great, as is attested by the fact that when, in the House of Lords, in the year 1390, a bill was offered to suppress it, the measure signally failed.