The Fool Bible

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

During the reign of Charles I an edition of the Bible was printed in which the text of Psalm xliv, 1 read "The fool hath said in his heart there is a God." For this mistake the printers were fined £3,000 and all copies were suppressed.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “The Fool Bible” mean?

During the reign of Charles I an edition of the Bible was printed in which the text of Psalm xliv, 1 read "The fool hath said in his heart there is a God." For this mistake the printers were fined £3,000 and all copies were suppressed.

Is “The Fool Bible” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.