Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Chapter I The Bible in the Reformation
- Chapter II Biblical Scholarship: Editions and Commentaries
- Chapter III Continental Versions to c. 1600
- Chapter IV English Versions of the Bible, 1525–1611
- Chapter V The Religion of Protestants
- Chapter VI The Bible in the Roman Catholic Church from Trent to the Present Day
- Chapter VII The Criticism and Theological Use of the Bible, 1700–1950
- Chapter VIII The Rise of Modern Biblical Scholarship and Recent Discussion of the Authority of the Bible
- Chapter IX Continental Versions from c. 1600 to the Present Day
- Chapter X English Versions since 1611
- Chapter XI The Bible and the Missionary
- Chapter XII The Printed Bible
- Chapter XIII Epilogue
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Notes on the Plates
- Index
- Plate Section
- References
Chapter III - Continental Versions to c. 1600
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2008
- Frontmatter
- Chapter I The Bible in the Reformation
- Chapter II Biblical Scholarship: Editions and Commentaries
- Chapter III Continental Versions to c. 1600
- Chapter IV English Versions of the Bible, 1525–1611
- Chapter V The Religion of Protestants
- Chapter VI The Bible in the Roman Catholic Church from Trent to the Present Day
- Chapter VII The Criticism and Theological Use of the Bible, 1700–1950
- Chapter VIII The Rise of Modern Biblical Scholarship and Recent Discussion of the Authority of the Bible
- Chapter IX Continental Versions from c. 1600 to the Present Day
- Chapter X English Versions since 1611
- Chapter XI The Bible and the Missionary
- Chapter XII The Printed Bible
- Chapter XIII Epilogue
- Appendices
- Bibliography
- Notes on the Plates
- Index
- Plate Section
- References
Summary
German Versions
Luther
A German Bible printed by Sylvan Otmar at Augsburg did indeed appear during the year 1518—only a few months after Luther had published his theses. But it belonged to the series of editions of the German translation made in about 1350 and first printed in 1466 by Johann Mentelin at Strassburg. In the next fifty years or so there were thirteen further editions. This translation was not made from the original languages but only from the Vulgate, and was moreover—despite several revisions, especially in 1475 and 1483—clumsy in its linguistic form, and partly incomprehensible. Hence it answered neither of Luther's two requirements for such a translation, that it should be based on the original texts and should use a German comprehensible to all; and it is not surprising that this medieval version did not have Luther's approval. He had already used the Greek original in his lectures on Romans in 1515–16, and the Hebrew in his commentary on Hebrews in 1517–18. And since it was one of his cardinal principles that the Scriptures were the only true key to the faith, it is not surprising either that he decided to translate the Bible into German himself. It seems as if the idea of such a translation was already current in Wittenberg in 1520. Andreas Carlstadt's treatise on the canon (Welche bucher Biblisch seint), which was published at Wittenberg in November, said ‘Shortly, as I hear, new German Bibles are to be printed’. But it was a whole year before the plan was put into effect.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The Cambridge History of the Bible , pp. 94 - 140Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1963
References
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