Ruth 3:15--The 'He' and 'She' Bibles

Abstract

THE first two editions of the Authorized King James Bible of 1611 contain a curious typographical problem. The very first edition, the editio princeps (STC 2216), says that after Ruth received six measures of barley, ‘he went into the citie’ (Ruth 3:15). But the succeeding edition, also published in 1611 (STC 2217), has ‘she went’. Thus, the former edition is known as the ‘He Bible’, while the latter is called the ‘She Bible’. Both are folio editions. This situation also applies to quarto and octavo editions of the Authorized Bible down to 1614, although in the octavo edition of 1614 (STC 2236), the New Testament title page is dated 1615.1 A variety of explanations have been offered to account for this situation. The Historical Catalogue of Printed Editions of the English Bible 1525–1961 (Herbert), says of the two 1611 Folio editions: The suggested explanation of this dualism is that the printing was at first carried on in two separate offices, in order to facilitate rapid production; and that two standard copies were used, one of which had received a certain amount of additional correction from the press editors.2