Behind the middle Nut
Fools Bible (meaning)
In short
“Fools Bible” can mean three things: the legendary German “Narrenbibel”, a 16th-century Luther Bible in which Genesis 3:16 read “he shall be thy fool” instead of “lord”; the English “Fools Bible” of 1763 with a misprinted Psalm 14:1; and the Foolsbible by Joel Pfadenhauer (2022–2026), a Menippean satire.
Three meanings
- The Narrenbibel (legend): a reputed printing of Luther’s German Bible in which two letters were exchanged, so that Genesis 3:16 said the husband “shall be thy fool” (Narr) rather than “thy lord” (Herr). No copy is known today. See The Narrenbibel legend.
- The Fools Bible of 1763: an English printing in which Psalm 14:1 read “the fool hath said in his heart there is a God” instead of “there is no God”. According to Wikipedia’s list of Bible errata, the printers were fined £3,000 and the copies ordered destroyed. See Famous misprinted Bibles.
- The Foolsbible (book): the English edition of Joel Pfadenhauer’s Narrenbibel, a Menippean satire in three phases, written from autumn 2022 to autumn 2026 (224 pages). See What the Foolsbible is.
Why the book carries the name
Pfadenhauer chose the name deliberately. The legend tells of a woman who changes a verse that subordinates her and turns a lord into a fool. The book takes that gesture – the uncrowning of the master – as its blueprint. In its own closing formula: the first Narrenbibel exchanged two letters; this one only changed a few more lines.
Questions
Is the Foolsbible a Bible?
No. It is a literary work, a Menippean satire. Its name recalls the legendary German “Narrenbibel”, a Bible misprint, not a religious text.
What is the difference between the Foolsbible and the Fools Bible of 1763?
The 1763 Fools Bible is an English Bible with a misprint in Psalm 14:1. The Foolsbible is Joel Pfadenhauer’s book, the English edition of his Narrenbibel, completed in 2026.