AA.VV. - Statenbijbel - 1748

GRAND BIBLE OF THE DUTCH STATES-GENERAL: CALVINISM, POWER, AND MONUMENTAL PRINTING
Impressive Dutch Protestant Bible printed in Gorinchem in 1748, a full expression of the religious and political culture of the United Provinces in the golden age of the Reformation. This monumental edition of the famous “Statenbijbel,” the official translation approved by the Dordrecht Synod (1618-1619), represents one of the fundamental tools through which the Dutch Republic built its confessional and linguistic identity. The volume preserves the austere and solemn charm of grande Bibledomestic Calvinist Bibles: bold type, apparatus of registers and concordances, heraldic engravings dedicated to the House of Orange-Nassau, and an extraordinary period binding on wooden boards with dry tooling and remnants of metal clasps. The presence of the large heraldic plates dedicated to Willem Carel Hendrik Friso connects the book to the political dimension of the Orangist monarchy, transforming Scripture into a symbol of civil authority, dynastic continuity, and moral order. The exemplar, marked by ancient signs of use, marginal gore, and historical restorations, preserves the full material force of Bibles truly read and handed down through generations.
MARKET VALUE
The large Dutch Bibles of the eighteenth century complete with heraldic plates and preserved in the original contemporary binding show a stable but selective market. Comparable copies of the Statenbijbel in the eighteenth century, especially in monumental folio with wooden boards and original fittings, generally range between 1,000 and 3,000 euros, with higher values for copies particularly complete, fresh, or with noble provenance. Copies that were actually used, yet still structurally sound and with binding intact, maintain strong interest among collectors of historical Bibles, Protestant culture, and Dutch typography.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Contemporary full brown leather binding on wooden boards, dry tooling on the boards with geometric compartments and floral tools, traces of the original metal clasps. Engraved and typographic title page, text in Dutch in double column, numerous registers, concordances, and exegetical apparatus. Present is the large engraved heraldic plate dedicated to the House of Orange-Nassau with motto “Je Maintiendrai,” rampant lions, crown, and princely insignia. Spine with raised bands and signs of wear. Leaves with water stains, some browning, folds, tears, and marginal restorations and signs of use, especially on the early leaves, consistent with the domestic and liturgical nature of the work. In old books, with a multigenerational history, some imperfections may be present, not always noted in the description. Pp. 27nn; 684; 4nn; 302; 4nn; 344; 4nn; 154; (2).
FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Statenbijbel.
In Gorinchem, by Nicolaas Goetzee, 1748.
AA.VV.
CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The “Statenbijbel” constitutes the fundamental biblical text of Dutch Protestantism. Its origin lies in the Dordrecht Synod’s decision to produce an official translation directly from Hebrew and Greek texts, capable of replacing older versions regarded as imprecise or theologically uncertain. The result was a Bible that in the Netherlands played a role comparable to the King James Bible in the English-speaking world: not only a religious text but a linguistic, cultural, and political foundation of the nation.
This 1748 edition testifies to the continuity of that project more than a century after Dordrecht. The dedication and the heraldic plates linked to Willem IV of Orange-Nassau clearly show how the Bible was also a tool of political legitimization of the Orangist dynasty. The presence of princely heraldry, dynastic symbols, and the celebratory apparatus transform the book into an object of representation as well as devotion.
The extremely dense typographic layout, with cross-references and marginal notes, reflects the Calvinist exegetical tradition: the sacred text must be studied, compared, and interpreted through systematic reading. Large domestic Dutch Bibles like this were often the central book of the household, handed down for generations, annotated, publicly read, and kept as the family’s moral heritage.
PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Editions of the Statenbijbel were numerous from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century, but the large folio printings with heraldic apparatus and original binding are increasingly difficult to find in sound condition. Nicolaas Goetzee, civic printer of Gorinchem, worked in the tradition of Dutch Protestant typography, characterized by high typographic quality and notable editorial clarity.
The edition reflects the Dutch taste of the full eighteenth century: page monumentalism, strong contrast between text and margins, sober yet solemn ornamental devices, and heraldic engravings with a striking visual impact. The diffusion of these Bibles contributed decisively to the linguistic unification of modern Dutch.
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU / OPAC SBN: census of eighteenth-century Statenbijbel editions.
WorldCat: editions “Bybel dat is de gansche H. Schrift” printed in the Netherlands in the eighteenth century.
STCN – Short Title Catalogue Netherlands: records of eighteenth-century Statenbijbel editions.
Darlow & Moule, Historical Catalogue of Printed Editions of Holy Scripture, sections on Dutch Protestant Bibles.
Herbert, Historical Catalogue of Printed Editions of the English Bible and related Protestant vernacular Bibles.
Studies on the Synod of Dordrecht and the Dutch Reformed Church.