Biblia Det er Den gantske Hellige Scrifft: paa Danske igien offuerseet oc Prentet effter vor allernaadigste Herris oc Kongis K. Christian den IV. Befaling. Mett Register/ alle D. Lutheri Fortaler ghans Udledning i Brædden oc Viti Theodori Summarier. Cum Gratia et Privilegio

Kiøbenhaffn (Copenhague), Melchior Martzan og Salomon Sartor, 1632-1633

Folio. (37 x 27 cm.). Bound in a spledid and richly gilt Cambridge-style full calf binding from ab. 1730-40. Two intact brass clasps to each board, with leather straps. Boards with broad borders made of numerous large gilt single stamps. Elegant gilt inner frame-border with large gilt corner stamps, inside which a polished calf centre in two tones of brown. The middle of the polished centre with yet another gilt oval frame made of elegang gilt stamps. Spine with six raised bands, richly gilt compartments, and with "Biblia" in gilt to second compartment from the top. Boards with inner gilt borders. All edges gilt. The binding is remarkably fresh and in splendid condition.

The first thirty leaves and the last partof the NewTestament has a dampstain, predominantly to the inner margin,mostly in the blank part, but touching a bit of the text. The first and the last leaves have been neatly re-hinged, far from affecting the text. All in all, it is extremely well preserved internally as well and is in overall splendid condition. A few 18th century marginal notes.

Engraved title-page and two engraved half-titles as well as the engraved portrait of Christian IV, all by the royal engraved Simon van de Passe. The half-title, which merely contains the printed words "BIBLIA / Paa Danske", is almost never present, but in the present copy, the entire printed part of the half-title has been preserved, mounted on a blank leaf (presumably at the time of binding). (22 - not counting the first blank nor the engraved title-page and portrait), 353 (i.e. 354), 226, 159 ff.

The scarce first edition, complete and in magnificent condition, of the last (being the third) of the Danish folio- bibles, known as "Christian IV's Bible", being a slightly revised edition of the Bible of 1589. Christian IV is the most famous Danish king ever to have lived, and the Christian IV bible is extremely sought-after.