846 THE GERMAN REFORMATION. A.D. 1517 To 1580.
Progress of his Version.
Luther was gradually prepared for this work. He found for the first time a complete copy of the Latin Bible in the University Library at Erfurt, to his great delight, and made it his chief study. He derived from it his theology and spiritual nourishment; he lectured and preached on it as professor at Wittenberg day after day. He acquired the knowledge of the original languages for the purpose of its better understanding. He liked to call himself a “ Doctor of the Sacred Scriptures.”
He made his first attempt as translator with the seven Penitential Psalms, which he published in March, 1517, six months before the outbreak of the Reformation. Then followed several other sections of the Old and New Testaments, —the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, the Prayer of King Manasseh, the Magnificat of the Virgin Mary, etc., — with popular comments. He was urged by his friends, especially by Melanchthon, as well as by his own sense of duty, to translate the whole Bible.
He began with the New Testament in November or December, 1521, and completed it in the following March, before he left the Wartburg. He thoroughly revised it on his return to Wittenberg, with the effectual help of Melanchthon, who was a much better Greek scholar. Sturz at Erfurt was consulted about coins and measures; Spalatin furnished from the Electoral treasury names for the precious stones of the New Jerusalem (Rev. ch. 21). The translation was then hurried through three presses, and appeared already Sept. 21, 1522, but without his name.!
1 Under the title: Das Newe Testament Deutzsch. Wittemberg. With wood-cuts by Lucas Cranach, one at the beginning of each book and twentyone in the Apocalypse. The chapter division of the Latin Bible, dating from Hugo a St. Caro, was retained with some paragraph divisions; the versicular division was as yet unknown (Robert Stephanus first introduced it in his Latin edition, 1548, and in his Greek Testament of 1551). The order of
§ 62. LUTHER’S TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE. 347
In December a second edition was required, which contained many corrections and improvements.1
He at once proceeded to the more difficult task of translating the Old Testament, and published it in parts as they were ready. Tke Pentateuch appeared in 1523; the Psalter, 1524.
In the progress of the work he founded a Collegium Biblieum, or Bible club, consisting of his colleagues Melanchthon, Bugenhagen (Pommer), Cruciger, Justus Jonas, and Aurogallus. ‘They met once a week in his house, several hours before supper. Deacon Georg Rorer (Rorarius), the first clergyman ordained by Luther, and his proof-reader, was also present; occasionally foreign scholars were admitted; and Jewish rabbis were freely consulted. Each member of the company contributed to the work from his special knowledge and preparation. Melanchthon brought with him the Greek Bible, Cruciger the Hebrew and Chaldee, Bugenhagen the Vulgate, others the old commentators; Luther had always with him the Latin and the German versions besides the Hebrew. Sometimes they scarcely mastered three lines of the Book of Job in four days, and hunted two, three, and four weeks fora single word. No record exists of the discussions of this remarkable company, but Mathesius says that “ wonderfully beautiful and instructive speeches were made.”
At last the whole Bible, including the Apocrypha as “books not equal to the Holy Scriptures, yet useful and
the Epistles is changed, and the change remained in all subsequent editions. Some parallel passages and glosses are added on the margin. It contained many typographical errors, a very curious one in Gal. 5:6: ‘‘ Die Liebe, die durch den Glauben thiatig ist,’’ instead of ““ Der Glaube, der durch die Liebe thatig ist.’’
_ A copy of this rare edition, without the full-page Apocalyptic pictures, but with the error just noticed, is in the Union Seminary Library, New York. It has the famous preface with the fling at the ““ rechte stroern Epistel’’ of St. James, which was afterwards omitted or modified.
1 The woodcuts were also changed. The triple papal crown of the Babylonian woman in Rev. ch. 17 gave place to a simple crown.