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From the beginning, the Geneva Bible was a study Bible, richly annotated and illustrated. The 1599 edition had the most extensive annotations of any of the Geneva Bibles, and a table of interpretations of (mainly [[Old Testament]]) proper names.

From the beginning, the Geneva Bible was a study Bible, richly annotated and illustrated. The 1599 edition had the most extensive annotations of any of the Geneva Bibles, and a table of interpretations of (mainly [[Old Testament]]) proper names.

The Geneva Bible was highly popular in England, and indeed the [[Jamestown]] expeditionaries carried it to America in 1607. Likewise, the [[Pilgrims]] carried it with them to the [[Netherlands]], where they had fled, and then to what later became their [[Plymouth colony]] (in modern [[Massachusetts]]) in 1620.

The Geneva Bible was highly popular in England, and indeed the [[Jamestown]] expeditionaries carried it to America in 1607. Likewise, the [[Pilgrims]] carried it with them to the [[Netherlands]], where they had fled, and then to what later became their [[Plymouth Colony|Plymouth colony]] (in modern [[Massachusetts]]) in 1620.

In 1604, shortly after his own accession to the throne, King [[James I]] commissioned [[King James Bible|his own version]] of the Bible, that would later come to be known as "The Bishop's Bible" or, more commonly, the '''Authorized Version'''. James' motive for promulgating his own version was simple: he did not want the people to have in hand a Bible with all the marginal notes that the Geneva Bible had. The reason was equally simple: those marginal notes might encourage lay readers not to credit James' overriding dogma of "the divine right of kings" that was central to his authority.<ref name=Brown>Brown, Michael H. "[http://www.reformedreader.org/gbn/igb.htm Introduction to the Geneva Bible for the historic Baptist faith.]" ''The Reformed Reader'', 1988. Retrieved November 2, 2007. Brown's essay is a scathing indictment of Kings James and Charles and of the [[Church of England]] that they headed. It is also flawed on account of the almost vitriolic [[argumentum ad hominem]] that Brown employs against James and his successors and allies. At the time of his writing, the Geneva Bible remained out of print, and this might have informed his bitterness. Whether he would have written a more refined essay had he known that the Geneva Bible would one day be published once again, is perhaps impossible to determine.</ref>

In 1604, shortly after his own accession to the throne, King [[James I]] commissioned [[King James Bible|his own version]] of the Bible, that would later come to be known as "The Bishop's Bible" or, more commonly, the '''Authorized Version'''. James' motive for promulgating his own version was simple: he did not want the people to have in hand a Bible with all the marginal notes that the Geneva Bible had. The reason was equally simple: those marginal notes might encourage lay readers not to credit James' overriding dogma of "the divine right of kings" that was central to his authority.<ref name=Brown>Brown, Michael H. "[http://www.reformedreader.org/gbn/igb.htm Introduction to the Geneva Bible for the historic Baptist faith.]" ''The Reformed Reader'', 1988. Retrieved November 2, 2007. Brown's essay is a scathing indictment of Kings James and Charles and of the [[Church of England]] that they headed. It is also flawed on account of the almost vitriolic [[argumentum ad hominem]] that Brown employs against James and his successors and allies. At the time of his writing, the Geneva Bible remained out of print, and this might have informed his bitterness. Whether he would have written a more refined essay had he known that the Geneva Bible would one day be published once again, is perhaps impossible to determine.</ref>