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Novum Instrumentum omne

Erasmus · 1516

Erasmus's 1516 printed Greek New Testament with his own Latin translation, which became the basis for Luther's and Tyndale's Bible translations.

Erasmus's own Greek New Testament edition, his great scholarly achievement and the basis for later Reformation Bibles.

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Title page of the 1516 Basel edition of Erasmus's Novum Instrumentum omne, in black letter and roman type, with large capitals NOVVM IN at top, a printer's woodcut device in the center, and a printed privilege notice at the bottom. Text is in Latin.
Desiderius Erasmus, Novum Instrumentum omne, Basel, 1516.

About this source

What it is

Novum Instrumentum omne was a bilingual Greek-Latin New Testament prepared by Erasmus and printed by Johann Froben in Basel in 1516. Erasmus corrected the standard Latin Vulgate text and set it beside the Greek, with extensive scholarly notes; later editions added his own fresh Latin translation.

Why it matters

It was the first printed Greek New Testament to reach a wide audience, published just before the rival Complutensian Polyglot was released. Up to 300,000 copies were printed in Erasmus's lifetime. His Greek text underlay the Textus Receptus used by Martin Luther, William Tyndale and the King James Bible, making Erasmus's scholarship central to the Reformation even though he himself stayed within the Catholic Church.

Look closer

  • Why might having the Greek and Latin side by side matter to scholars and translators?
  • Why was this book rushed into print, and what problems did that cause?
  • What does the book's huge influence on later Bible translations tell you about the power of printing in this period?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Desiderius Erasmus on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Page from a 16th-century printed Latin book with a pen-and-ink marginal drawing at upper left of a figure in a hooded garment holding up a small figure of a man, with handwritten Latin notes and a printed column of Latin and Greek text beside it. The handwritten annotation reads 'Vere nobiles qui' at the top.Book

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In Praise of Folly

Erasmus · 1511 (written 1509)

Title page of a 1524 book printed in Basel. Text reads 'De libero arbitrio diatribe sive collatio, Desiderii Erasmi Roterod', with 'Primum legito deinde iudicato' below, a printer's ornament, and 'Basileae apud Ioannem Frobenium, Anno M.D.XXIIII. Mense Septembri.' at the bottom.Book

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De libero arbitrio diatribe sive collatio

Erasmus · 1524

Scan of the title page of a 1525 book, with an ornate woodcut border of architectural arches and foliage. Central text reads 'DE SERVO ARBITRIO MARTINI Lutheri ad D. Erasmum Roterodamum' and 'Vvittembergae 1525', with a winged cherub holding a shield marked with a monogram at the bottom. A circular library stamp reads 'Ex Bibl. Paulina Monast.' and handwritten notes appear at top and right.Book

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On the Bondage of the Will

Martin Luther · 1525

Oil painting of an older man with grey hair wearing a black cap and dark fur-trimmed robe, resting his hands on a red book with gold lettering and green ribbon markers. A green curtain and carved pilaster stand behind him, with books and a glass bottle on a shelf at right.Painting

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Erasmus

Hans Holbein the Younger · 1523

Painting of a man in profile wearing a black flat cap and dark robe, writing with a quill on a sheet of paper resting on a book. He wears rings on his hand. Behind him is a dark patterned textile hanging with red and gold motifs.Painting

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Portrait of Erasmus Writing

Hans Holbein the Younger · 1528

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