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Bach’s "Calov" Bible

Bach’s own bible in a unique reprint

The book, the most precious document of Bach’s life, is now available in a unique facsimile edition. Complete with autograph notes in Bach’s own hand.


Reading the Bible with Bach

Bach lesen

The Bible plays a central role in the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Many of the texts that Bach set to music were taken directly from the Bible. The Bible that lay on Bach’s desk is now accessible to everyone. So you can read along with Bach.

The "Bach Bible", also known as the Calov Bible after the man who published it, is not just a Bible but a Bible commentary. Abraham Calovius added notes and commentaries to the Bible text. For this he drew on the works of Luther. In his many works Luther often commented on Bible texts. Calov brings these comments together in this three volume Bible edition.

Thus this Bach Bible is not only a unique emotional monument: reading the Bible that Bach read and seeing the texts of his music highlighted in Bach’s own Bible! It also provides direct access to the spiritual world of Bach: these texts nurtured and supported Bach’s faith.


A unique edition of the most extraordinary Bach document

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NB. Where there is devotional music, God is always present with his grace.

[Note by Bach on 2 Chronicles 5.13]

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NB. Splendid proof that, besides other arrangements of the service of worship, music too was instituted by the Spirit of God through David.

[Note by Bach on 1 Chronicles 28.21]

A complete facsimile reprint, in which every detail of the original is being reproduced, is now available. Companies in the United States (where the Bible is kept in Concordia Seminary Library in St. Louis) and Poland (where experts are intensively involved in the printing and binding process) are at work for the Dutch publisher Van Wijnen of Franeker, who acquired the world-wide rights for this publication: all collaborating towards a remarkable result.

For anyone with an intense professional and/or emotional bond with the music of Bach and his world it must be an exciting idea that acquiring Bach’s own Bible is now possible.

The Bach Calov Bible is available for the first time. Never before has this unique work been republished.


List of subscribers

In the extensive commentary volume to the Bach Bible, a list of subscribers will be included, in which those who subscribe to the Bach Bible can, if they wish, be mentioned with their name and place of residence. Please specify when ordering whether and how you want to be included in that list.