RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Bible Text Bible Versions
1. Greek Versions. 1. The Septuagint.
Origin (§1).
Printed Editions (§ 2).
Early Corruption of the Text
The Hexapla of Ongen (§ 4). Lucian and Hesychius (§ 5). Versions Made from the Septuagint
(§6). Manuscripts (§ 7).
2. Later Greek Translations. Aquila (§1). Symmachus (§ 2). Theodotion (§ 3).
II. Latin Versions. 1. The Latin Bible before Jerome.
I. Arabic Versions. II Celtio Versions.
III. Dutch Versions.
IV. English Versions.
The Earliest Versions (§ 1). Wyclif (§ 2). Tyndale (§ 3).
Coverdale. Other Editions (§ 4). The Douai Bible (§ 5). The Authorized Version (§ 6). The Revised Version (§7). Minor Versions (§8). Rare and Curious Editions (§ 9). V. Finnish and Lappish Versions. VI. French Versions.
The Earlier Versions (§1). Guyard des Moulins (§ 2). Protestant Versions (§ 3). Roman Catholic Versions (§ 4).
BIBLE VERSIONS.
A. Ancient Versions.1
The Old Latin Bible. The Itala
(§ 1). Manuscripts and Editions (§ 2). Quotations in Latin Writers (§ 3).
2. The Bible of Jerome (the Vulgate). Jerome's Work. The New Testament (§ 1).
The Old Testament (§ 2).
History to the Invention of Printing (§ 3).
Earlier Printed Editions (§ 4).
The Sixtine-Clementine Edition (§5).
Later Work. Problems (§ 6).
3. Later Latin Translations. III. Syriac Versions.
1. The Peshito.
B. Modern Versions.
VII. German Versions.
Old German Fragments (§1). Printed Bibles Before Luther
(§ 2). Luther's Bible (§3). Revision of Luther's Version
(§4). Other Versions (§ 5). VIII. Greek Versions, Modern. IX. Hebrew Translations of the New Testament. X. Hungarian (Magyar) Versions. The First Versions (§ 1). The Komaromi Bible (§ 2). Modern Versions (§ 3). XI. Italian Versions. XII. Lithuanian and Lettish Versions. XIII. Persian Versions.
Origin and Name (§ 1). The Old Testament (§ 2). The New Testament (§ 3). 2. Later Versions. IV. The Samaritan Pentateuch. V. Aramaic Versions (the Targums). Origin and Language (§ 1). Targum Onkelos (§ 2). Targum Jonathan (§3). Other Targums of the Law and
Prophets (§ 4). The Hagiographa (§ 5). VI. The Armenian Version. VII. Egyptian Coptic Versions. VIII. The Ethiopic Version. IX. The Georgian (Iberian) Version. X. The Gothic Version of Ulfilas.
XIV. Portuguese Versions. XV. Scandinavian Versions.
Before the Reformation (§ 1). Since the Reformation (§ 2). XVI. Slavonic Versions.
The Old Church Slavonic Version (§ 1). Russian Versions (§ 2). Bulgarian and Servian Versions
(§3). Slovenian and Croatian Versions
(§4). Bohemian Versions (§ 5). Wendish or Sorbic Versions
(§6). Polish Versions (§ 7). XVII. Spanish Versions. XVIII. Bible Versions in the Mission Field.
Bible versions, or translations of the original Hebrew and Greek of the Old and New Testaments, may be treated in an encyclopedia from different points of view : (1) from the critical, as instruments with which to reconstruct the original text ; (2) from the exegetical, as showing how the Bible was understood in different times and places; (3) from the historical, as documents for showing the extent of the Bible and of its propagation among the nations of the earth; (4) from a literary and philological standpoint, since the Bible versions are often the earliest monuments of the respective languages.
Versions are either primary and direct, as the Septuagint, or secondary and indirect, derived versions, as the Old Latin. [They now exist, either for the entire Bible or a part, in more than five hundred languages. During 1906 eleven new versions were added and translation or revision is in progress in over one hundred tongues. Scriptures for the blind are issued by the British and Foreign Bible Society in fifteen languages.] Manifestly only a selection of the more important versions can be treated here.
1 The principle of arrangement adopted in this series of articles is that of age, not simply, however, on account of chronological precedence, but because necessarily the earliest versions are, generally speaking, the most important for text-critical purposes. Two main divisions are thus formed: A, Ancient Versions; and B, Modern Versions. The versions treated under A are arranged approximately in order of text-critical value; under B, alphabetically.
Of the complete Bible in the original languages there is as yet but one edition in existence: Biblia Sacra tarn Veterisquam Novi TestamenticumApocryphis secundum Jontes Hebraos et Grcecos, ed. C. B. Michaelis (2 vols., Zullichau, 1740-41; cf. the correspondence on this point in the Sunday School Times, Sept. and Oct., 1899, raised by a statement in the TLZ, 1899, no. 14). E. Nestle.
Bibliography: Among older works the following are indispensable: J. H. Hottinger, Dissertationum theologicophilologicarum fasciculus, Heidelberg, 1660 (deals with Jewish and Christian translations); Richard Simon, Histoire critique du Vieux Testament, Amsterdam, 1680, Eng. transl., London, 1682; idem, Histoire critique des versions du Nouveau Testament, Rotterdam, 1690, Eng. transl., London, 1692; idem, Histoire critique du texte du Nouveau Testament, Rotterdam, 1689, Eng. transl., London, 1689; idem, Nouvelles observations sur le texte et les versions du Nouveau Testament, Paris, 1695 (on Simon consult H. Margival, in Revue d'histoire et de litterature religieuses, Jan., Feb., 1896).
Bibliographical information is to be sought in the following: J. Le Long, Bibliotheca Sacra, emendata ab A. G. Masch, 2 parts in 5 vols., Halle, 1778-90 (part 1 deals with editions of the original texts, part 2, in 4 vols deals with versions); Article Bibel in J. S. Ersch and J. G. Gruber, Allgemeine Encyklopadie, reprinted as a separate volume, Leipsic, 1823; The Bibles in the Caxton Ex Ubition, London, 1878; British Museum Catalogue, entry " Bible," 4 parts, including Appendix, London, 1892-99 (the fullest list printed of editions of the Bible and of its parts); T. H. Darlow and F. H. Moule, Historical Catalogue of the Printed Editions of Holy Scripture in the Library of the British and Foreign Bible Society, vol. i, English, London, 1903, vol. ii not yet issued. Of specific interest are: L. Hain Repertorium bibliographicum, 5 vols., Stuttgart. 1826-91, Supplement by W. A. Copinger, 3 vols., London.
Bible Versions