Български / Bulgarski / Bulgarian Bible History (3)

**List: Bulgarian Ministry

Bible ( Библия )
Bulgarian...
BULGARIAN.

   "The Bulgarian dialect is the most corrupt, but, at the same time, the easiest to acquire of all the
languages of the Sclavonic stem.   Of the seven cases which properly belong to these languages, it has
retained but two, the nominative and the vocative; and it has moreover adopted the Albanian and
Scandinavian custom of placing articles, or rather pronouns, after nouns.   Yet, although in consequence
of these changes the Old Sclavonic version became less intelligible to the Bulgarians than to any other
Sclavonic nation, it was not till after the commencement of the operations of Bible Societies that any
successful effort was made to produce a Bulgarian version of the Scriptures.   A translation was
commenced in 1820, at the suggestion of Dr. Pinkerton.   An archimandrite, named Theodoseos, who
had been recommended by the Greek patriarch of Constantinople as the person best qualified for
such an undertaking, was appointed to prepare this version, and he completed the translation of the
New Testament in 1822.   The work was forwarded to St. Petersburg for publication, and the Gospel
of St. Matthew left the press in that city during the following year; it was printed in a thin 8vo.
volume, in parallel columns with the Sclavonic text.   But in the meantime it was discovered that,
owing probably to the incompetency of the archimandrite, the translation had been very inaccurately
executed.   The Petersburg Committee therefore resolved to limit the edition to 2000 copies; but the
suspension of the Russian Bible Society occurred shortly afterwards, and even this small edition seems
never to have been printed.
   In 1827, another translation of the New Testament was completed by Sapounoff, with the design
of publishing an edition on his own account at the press of the metropolitan of Bucharest.   He was
able to effect part of his design, in printing the Four Gospels; but by the time they left the press his
means were completely exhausted, and, from his inability to print the remainder of his version, the
Gospels were circulated separately.   They were received with much favour by the people, and the
translation (which had been executed from the Greek, compared with the Sclavonic and Wallachian
versions), was very generally attested to be faithful and intelligible.   Arrangements were therefore made
by the British and Foreign Bible Society, through their agent, Mr. Barker, to print an edition of the
entire version; but, owing to some difficulty that occurred in the purchase of the work, the project was
abandoned, and an entirely new translation was set on foot in 1836, by Mr. Barker.   The New
Testament was translated and forwarded to Smyrna in 1838, and was completed at press in that city
in 1840.   The edition consisted of 5000 copies.   Other editions have since been issued from the
London press, and the total number of copies printed for the Society, up to the close of 1859, amounted
to 30,100 Testaments, together with 18,978 copies of the Psalms.
   Considerable success has already attended the efforts made for the dissemination of Scripture truth
among the simple and industrious population of Bulgaria.   The recent Reports of the British and
Foreign Bible Society furnish illustrations of this gratifying fact.   In one instance, mention is made
of 400 copies of the Psalms having been sent to the fair of Usingiova, and being eagerly purchased as

soon as they were exposed for sale.   When first Mr. Barker (the Society’s agent) visited the Bulgarian
peasantry, some years ago, he found them totally ignorant of the truths of Christianity.   The history of
Our Saviour was quite new to them, and they took delight in hearing it.   They lamented that they
could not pray as he did, for they knew not how.   They were unacquainted with the Lord’s Prayer!
   The earnest demand for the Inspired Word evinced by the Bulgarian population encouraged the
Society to take steps for obtaining a translation of the entire Old Testament into the Bulgarian lan-
guage, and this work was completed in 1858.   As the work advanced, some of the separate books were
issued from the American Mission press at Smyrna; and it is proposed to undertake a complete edition
of the whole, so soon as the work shall have a preliminary revision, which is now (1860) in progress."--The Bible of Every Land. (1860, Second Edition)   Samuel Bagster   [Info only]

BULGARIAN VERSION, from the Edition printed at {Smyrna?}--1860   S. Bagster   [Info only: {Bulgarian} Character   "18__" John 1:1-8 unknown.]

[Christian Helps Ministry (USA)] [Christian Home Bible Course]