20. Principal Versions of the Bible
Versions of the Bible are translations from the original languages.
18. The Septuagint
The Septuagint (from the Greek word for 70, the alleged number of translators) version is a Greek translation of the Old Testament done in Alexandria around 250 b.c. It was the version used by the Jews of the Diaspora living in Greek-speaking areas. It includes the deuterocanonical books. Its importance is derived from its extensive use by the early Church.
19. The Hexapla
Differences in some versions of the Septuagint began to be introduced by the Jews. Thus, Origen (a.d. 240) composed the Hexapla version, setting the main Hebrew and early Greek texts in six columns side by side.
20. The Vulgate
Beginning in a.d. 383, at the bidding of Pope Damasus, St. Jerome rendered the complete Bible into Latin. He made extensive use of the oldest Hebrew and Greek texts of each book. Thus, he provided an authoritative and uniform version for the Church up to the Council of Trent.
In 1546, the Council proclaimed the juridical authenticity of the Latin Vulgate and ordered the publication of a correct edition of its text.
Vernacular Bibles could be used, but only with the imprimatur of the bishops. The main objections to the vernacular versions were: (a) errors were inserted into the text due to imprudence or deceit by enemies of the Catholic Church, and (b) indiscriminate reading led to private interpretations of Sacred Scripture, and consequently to the rejection of Sacred Tradition and the Church’s teaching authority, or Magisterium.
21. Printed Editions
In 1452, Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press, and the first printed book was the Latin Vulgate. This was half a century before the Protestant Reformation. Many more editions of the Bible came out of presses in every country before Luther was even born.
The first printed vernacular version of the Bible (1466) was in High German. By December 31, 1500 (when Luther was 17 years and two months old), there were 134 Latin editions of the Bible, 15 in German, 13 in Italian, 11 in French, 2 in Bohemian, one in Dutch, and one Spanish edition in print: a total of 177 editions of the Bible (according to Peddler, a Protestant writer).
From 1466 to 1520, 47 editions of the Bible in several vernacular languages (German, Italian, French, Bohemian, Dutch, Spanish, and Russian) account for more than 25,000 copies of the Bible. Portions of the Bible in the vernacular that were printed from 1462 to 1520 totaled 100,000 single copies. The oft-repeated story that Luther was the first to give the Bible to the people in their own language is a myth.
22. English Versions
Even before the invention of the printing press, the first English Bible (the lost version of St. Bede) was produced. At the end of the fourteenth century, the heretic John Wycliffe produced his English version of the Bible.
22a) Protestant Versions
The first Protestant Bible printed in English was the Tyndale version (1525), followed by that of Coverdale (1535). In 1611, the King James Version (KJV) was published; it is the most widely known and used version. It was revised in 1952, and the result was the Revised Standard Version (RSV).
Other modern versions are the New American Standard Bible (NAS), published in 1963; the Good News Bible: Today’s English Version (TEV), which is not a literal translation, published in 1976; and the New International Version (NIV), published in 1978.
22b) Catholic Versions
The first English Catholic Bible was prepared by exiled scholars from Oxford and printed in France. The New Testament was published at Rheims in 1582, followed by the Old Testament at Douay in 1609. Thus, we have the Douay-Rheims version.
The Douay-Rheims Bible was revised by Bishop Challonier between 1749 and 1752. The most famous modern version of this text is the Confraternity Edition (1941), a revision of the original translation.
The Msgr. Knox Version, a totally new translation from the Vulgate, was published in 1945.
The Jerusalem Bible (JB) was published in 1966. It was first prepared by a group of French Catholic scholars in 1956. At some difficult passages, its editors claim that “the text is corrupted,” and proceed to modify the text. These modifications should be studied cautiously.
The New American Bible (NAB) was published in 1970.
There is also a Revised Standard Version (Catholic Edition) of the Bible (RSV-CE), which follows the RSV with necessary corrections.
These versions have the imprimatur of a bishop, but this does not assure that the translation faithfully renders the true meaning of the original word of God. It means only that the text does not contain a doctrinal error.
23. The New Vulgate
The Second Vatican Council ordered the publication of a new Latin version of the Bible. The new version follows the Vulgate of St. Jerome, with some corrections. Completed in 1977, the New Vulgate has the juridical endorsement of the Magisterium for the universal Church
18. The Septuagint
The Septuagint (from the Greek word for 70, the alleged number of translators) version is a Greek translation of the Old Testament done in Alexandria around 250 b.c. It was the version used by the Jews of the Diaspora living in Greek-speaking areas. It includes the deuterocanonical books. Its importance is derived from its extensive use by the early Church.
19. The Hexapla
Differences in some versions of the Septuagint began to be introduced by the Jews. Thus, Origen (a.d. 240) composed the Hexapla version, setting the main Hebrew and early Greek texts in six columns side by side.
20. The Vulgate
Beginning in a.d. 383, at the bidding of Pope Damasus, St. Jerome rendered the complete Bible into Latin. He made extensive use of the oldest Hebrew and Greek texts of each book. Thus, he provided an authoritative and uniform version for the Church up to the Council of Trent.
In 1546, the Council proclaimed the juridical authenticity of the Latin Vulgate and ordered the publication of a correct edition of its text.
Vernacular Bibles could be used, but only with the imprimatur of the bishops. The main objections to the vernacular versions were: (a) errors were inserted into the text due to imprudence or deceit by enemies of the Catholic Church, and (b) indiscriminate reading led to private interpretations of Sacred Scripture, and consequently to the rejection of Sacred Tradition and the Church’s teaching authority, or Magisterium.
21. Printed Editions
In 1452, Johann Gutenberg invented the printing press, and the first printed book was the Latin Vulgate. This was half a century before the Protestant Reformation. Many more editions of the Bible came out of presses in every country before Luther was even born.
The first printed vernacular version of the Bible (1466) was in High German. By December 31, 1500 (when Luther was 17 years and two months old), there were 134 Latin editions of the Bible, 15 in German, 13 in Italian, 11 in French, 2 in Bohemian, one in Dutch, and one Spanish edition in print: a total of 177 editions of the Bible (according to Peddler, a Protestant writer).
From 1466 to 1520, 47 editions of the Bible in several vernacular languages (German, Italian, French, Bohemian, Dutch, Spanish, and Russian) account for more than 25,000 copies of the Bible. Portions of the Bible in the vernacular that were printed from 1462 to 1520 totaled 100,000 single copies. The oft-repeated story that Luther was the first to give the Bible to the people in their own language is a myth.
22. English Versions
Even before the invention of the printing press, the first English Bible (the lost version of St. Bede) was produced. At the end of the fourteenth century, the heretic John Wycliffe produced his English version of the Bible.
22a) Protestant Versions
The first Protestant Bible printed in English was the Tyndale version (1525), followed by that of Coverdale (1535). In 1611, the King James Version (KJV) was published; it is the most widely known and used version. It was revised in 1952, and the result was the Revised Standard Version (RSV).
Other modern versions are the New American Standard Bible (NAS), published in 1963; the Good News Bible: Today’s English Version (TEV), which is not a literal translation, published in 1976; and the New International Version (NIV), published in 1978.
22b) Catholic Versions
The first English Catholic Bible was prepared by exiled scholars from Oxford and printed in France. The New Testament was published at Rheims in 1582, followed by the Old Testament at Douay in 1609. Thus, we have the Douay-Rheims version.
The Douay-Rheims Bible was revised by Bishop Challonier between 1749 and 1752. The most famous modern version of this text is the Confraternity Edition (1941), a revision of the original translation.
The Msgr. Knox Version, a totally new translation from the Vulgate, was published in 1945.
The Jerusalem Bible (JB) was published in 1966. It was first prepared by a group of French Catholic scholars in 1956. At some difficult passages, its editors claim that “the text is corrupted,” and proceed to modify the text. These modifications should be studied cautiously.
The New American Bible (NAB) was published in 1970.
There is also a Revised Standard Version (Catholic Edition) of the Bible (RSV-CE), which follows the RSV with necessary corrections.
These versions have the imprimatur of a bishop, but this does not assure that the translation faithfully renders the true meaning of the original word of God. It means only that the text does not contain a doctrinal error.
23. The New Vulgate
The Second Vatican Council ordered the publication of a new Latin version of the Bible. The new version follows the Vulgate of St. Jerome, with some corrections. Completed in 1977, the New Vulgate has the juridical endorsement of the Magisterium for the universal Church