RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Bible Versions
who gives an account of his work in the Lucubrationes Franktallenses (in Pearson's Critici Saeri, vol viii). This revised edition appeared in 1588. In this as well as in the following editions the divine name Yahweh was translated by I'Eternel and this rendering is retained to this day in the Protestant Bible of France.
During the seventeenth century this revision of Olivetan's version, known as the " Geneva Bible," was again revised by different ministers; the editions of G. Diodati (Geneva, 1644), Samuel Des Marets (Amsterdam, 1669), and David Martin (New Testament, Utrecht, 1696; whole Bible, 1707) are the first of such revisions. Martin's Bible was again revised by the Basel minister Pierre Roques (1744), and is to this day disseminated by Bible Societies along with other editions. Twenty years before Roques published Martin's revised text, J. F. Osterwald (q.v.), a pastor at Neuchatel, published anew the Geneva Bible in 1724, and another and revised edition in 1744, in which he embodied the results of the exegetical science of the time. As Osterwald's translation became the standard version, it was adopted by the British and Foreign Bible Society and issued from time to time. A thoroughly revised version prepared by M. Fossard and other French pastors was published by the French Bible Society in 1887, and this revised text was then adopted by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
The following are other Protestant versions: S. Chastillon (Castalio), complete Bible (2 vols., Basel, 1555); J. Le Clerc (Clericus), N. T. (Amsterdam, 1703); I. de Beausobre and J. Lenfant, N. T. (Amsterdam, 1718; often reprinted in Germany and Switzerland); Charles Le Cene, Bible (Amsterdam, 1741); H. A. Perret-Gentil, professor at Neuchatel, 0. T. (Neuchatel, 1847 sqq.); E. Arnaud, N. T. (Toulouse, 1858); A. Rilliet, N. T. (Geneva, 1859); M. J. H. Oltramare, N. T. (Geneva, 1872); Louis Segond, O. T. (Geneva, 1874), N. T. (1879), whose work has been printed by the Oxford University press; E. Stapfer, N. T. (Paris, 1889).
Of versions by Roman Catholics, the most important are a translation of the New Testament published anonymously (Trevoux, 1702), but ascribed with correctness to Richard Simon (q.v.), and a series of versions which proceeded
4Ca?hoTicn from Port R°yal and the Jansenists.
Versions. As early as the middle of the seventeenth century, Antoine Godeau (q.v.) published a translation of the Bible, at first in parts, then as a whole. In 1667 the New Testament followed, printed by the Elzevirs at Amsterdam, for a bookseller of Mons, whence it is often called the Mons Testament. The translators were Antoine and Louis Isaac Lemaistre de Sacy (see Lemaistre de Sacy, Louis Isaac), aided by Antoine Arnauld, Pierre Nicole, Claude deSainte-Marthe, and Thomas du Fosse. The Old Testament, translated by Louis Isaac Lemaistre deSacy, was added later (1671), and the New Testament by Pasquier Quesnel (q.v.) appeared in 1687. These translations exercised great influence, partly on account of the elegance of the language, partly on account of the notes, which served devotional purposes. Their method is not a literal rendering, but is paraphrastic. The translation of
the New Testament generally known as that of De Sacy was often republished, and is still widely used in France, being circulated by the British and Foreign Bible Society.
Rend Benoist (q.v.) published a translation of the Bible in 1566. Jacques Corbin, an advocate of Paris, presented the Vulgate in a translation more Latin than French in 1643. The Latin New Testament of Erasmus was translated into French by Michel de Marolles, abbd of Villeloin (1649), who also published a version of the Psalms (1644). Denys Amelote, a priest of the Oratory, translated the New Testament Vulgate into very good French (1666). Dominique Bouhours, a Jesuit, also issued a French New Testament (1697). In the eighteenth century C. Hur6 (1702), Augustin Calmet (1707), N. Le Gros (1739), and others made versions, all more or less dependent on the Vulgate. In more recent times the Psalms and Job have been often translated. The entire Bible by E. Genoude (Paris, 1S21 sqq.) had great success. The Gospels by Lamennais (Paris, 1846) are a model of style, but because of the notes are really a socialistic polemic. [Other names and works which may be mentioned are: M. Orsini, La Bible des families catholiques (Paris, 1851); H. F. Delaunay, who translated the annotated Bible of J. F. Allioli (q.v.) into French (5 vols., Paris, 1856); J. A. Gaume, Le Nouveau Testament (2 vols., Paris, 1863); M. A. Bayle, who furnished the translation for Paul Drach's annotated Bible (Paris, 1869 sqq.); P. Giguet, who translated the Septuagint (4 vols., Paris, 1872); H. Lasserre, Les Saints Evangiles (Paris, 1887); the Abbe" Boisson (Paris, 1901); the Abbe1 Glaire, who furnished the French translation for the polyglot Bible of F. Vigouroux (Paris, 1898 sqq.); and the Abb<$ Crampon, La Sainte Bible, revised by the Jesuit fathers with the collaboration of the professors of St. Sulpice (Paris, 1907).]
Translations of the Old Testament by Jews are found in S. Cahen's annotated Bible (18 vols., Paris, 1831-51) [and in the Old Testament translated under the direction of Zadoc Kahn, chief rabbi of France (1901 sqq.)]. (S. Berger-)".)
Bibliography: The most important contributions on the subject have been produced by S. Berger, as follows: La Bible franchise au moyen age, Paris, 1884; Les Bibles provenqales et vaudoises, in Romania, xviii (1889); Nouvelles recherches sur les bibles provengales et catalanes, ib. xix (1890), cf. P. Meyer, in Romania, xvii (1888), 121, and H. Suchier, in Zeitschrift fur romanische Philologie, iii (1879), 412. For enumeration of French Bibles consult BritishMuseum Catalogue, entry " Bibles, French," 175-188, and the Appendix, "Bibles, French," 18; O. Douen, Catalogue de la societe biblique de Paris, 1862; Bible of Every Land, pp. 254-260, 281-283, London, 1861 (incomplete, but clear so far as it goes). Consult also J. Le Long, Bibliotheca sacra, vol. i, Paris, 1723; E. Reuss, Fragments litteraires et critiques relatifs a I'histoire de la Bible fran- Qaise, in Revue de theologie et philosophic, ii, iv-vi, xiv, new series, iii-v (1851-67, exceedingly important); idem, Geschichte der heiligen Schriften des Neuen Testaments, pp. 465 sqq., Brunswick, 1887; E. Pdtavel-Olhff, La Bible en France, ou les traductions fran^aises des saintes ecritures, Paris, 1864; E. Cadiot, Essai sur les conditions d'une traduction populaire de la bible en langue franqaise, Strasburg 1868- G. Striimpell, Die ersten Bibelubersetzungen der Franzosen 1100-1300, Brunswick, 1872; A. Matter, Note sur la revision de la bible d'Osterwald, Pans, 1SSA J Bonnard, Les Traductions de la bible en vers fran^ais au moyen age, Paris, 1884; P. Quievreux, La Traduction du N. T. de Lefevre d'Etaples, Paris, 1894; P. Meyer, Notice duMS. Bibliotheque Nationale F 6447, Paris 1897; A Laune, La Traduction de VA. T. de Lefevre d'Etaples Paris, 1895; Revue de I'histoire des Religions, xxxn, so, DB, extra vol., pp. 402-406.
VII. German Versions: After the Gothic version of Ulfilas (see above, A, X), the oldest fragment of the Bible in a Germanic tongue is probably the Matthew of Monsee, of the year 738 (twentytwo leaves are in Vienna, two in Hanover; on the*
Bible Versions