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**List: Hungarian Ministry Holy Bible ( Szent Biblia )
HUNGARIAN.--1860 S. Bagster [Info only: n.d. John 1:1-14 unknown.] |
Magyar / Hungarian Bible History (3)
**List: Hungarian Ministry
Holy Bible ( Szent Biblia )
Hungarian...
"III.--VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES IN THIS LANGUAGE. The earliest Magyar version of any portion of the Scriptures was made in 1541, by John Sylvester,
a native Magyar; it consisted only of the Four Gospels and Acts, and was dedicated to King Ferdinand
and his son Maximilian; no printed copy is now known to be in existence, yet in "Blight's Hungary"
it is stated that an edition was printed at Szigetvar in 1541, at the expense of Thomas Nadaschdy.
Le Long also mentions an edition of St. Paul's Epistles, printed at Cracow in 1553, and another version
of the Four Gospels, executed by G. P. Pestinus, and printed at Vienna in 1536; he also speaks of an
edition of the entire New Testament, published at Vienna in 1574. Another version of the New
Testament was printed at Vienna in 1574, without the translator's name.
The first edition of the whole Bible in Magyar appeared at Visoly, near Gönz (or Güns), in 1589. This
is the present authorised version of Hungary. The translation was made from the Hebrew and Greek,
conferred with the Vulgate and several other Latin versions, by Gaspard Caroli, or Karoli, a Magyar
by birth, pastor of the church of Gönz, and dean of the Brethren of the Valley of Kaschau. He had
imbibed the principles of the Reformation at Wittenberg, where he had studied in his youth; and the
desire of disseminating among his countrymen the knowledge of the truths which he had found precious
to his own soul was, in all probability, the cause of his embarking in this arduous undertaking. In the
printing of his work he was assisted by Count Stephen Bathory, who obtained a printer from Germany,
and established a printing-office for the purpose at Visoly. The sheets, as they passed through the
press, were corrected by Albert Molnar, afterwards regent of the college of Oppenheim: he afterwards
subjected the whole to a careful revision, and published an improved edition at Hanau in 1608, accom-
panied with a Magyar translation of the Heidelberg Catechism[?], the Liturgy[?] of the Hungarian Churches,
and a metrical version of the Psalms. Molnar subsequently published two other editions of the Bible,
namely, in 1612 at Oppenheim, and in 1645 at Amsterdam: he also published two separate editions of
the New Testament and of the Psalms, in 12mo., at Amsterdam, in 1646.
When these editions were exhausted, another revision of the Hungarian Bible was undertaken by
Count Stephen Bethlen D’Iktar, brother to Prince Gabriel Bethlen: he assembled a number of learned
men to prepare the work, and established a printing-press at Waradin. In 1657 the revision was
completed, and the printing commenced; but in 1660, when the edition, intended to consist of 10,000
copies, was but half completed, the city of Waradin was taken by the Turks, and 4000 copies were lost
or destroyed. The remaining copies were saved and taken to Claudiopolis, or Koloswar, in Transylvania,
where the edition was completed in 1661. Another edition (the sixth) of the Bible was published, in
8vo., at Amsterdam in 1684-5, by N. K. M. Totfalusi, by whom a separate edition of the New
Testament and Psalms was printed, in 12mo., during the same year. The seventh edition of the Bible
was published at Cassel in 1704, edited by John Ingebrand. Editions also appeared at Utrecht in
1730, 1737, and 1794, in 8vo.; at Basle in 1751, in 8vo.; and at Leipsic in 1776, in 8vo. An
edition of the New Testament was printed at Wittenberg in 1736, in 8vo., and a metrical version of
the Psalms at Debreczin in 1723, in 12mo. Another revision of the Hungarian Bible, which perhaps
ought rather to be regarded as a new translation, was executed by Dr. Comarin, pastor of Debreczin,
but he died before it could be committed to the press, and the MS. was sent for publication to the
celebrated Vitringa. It was possibly from this MS. that the edition of 1716-17 was printed in
Holland, the circulation of which was prevented by the Jesuits, who seized and destroyed 3000
copies."--1860 S. Bagster [Info only]"A Bible Society was formed at Presburg in 1812, encouraged by a donation of £500 from the
Parent Society; but, with the exception of an edition of the Bible mentioned by Van Ess in 1823, no
editions of the Hungarian Scriptures appear to have been published by that Society. In 1814,
Dr. Pinkerton found at Utrecht upwards of 2000 copies of the authorised Hungarian Bible, belonging
to the above mentioned edition of 1794: these copies had never been circulated, owing to a reverse
of circumstances sustained by the individual with whom the edition had originated. The copies were
purchased by the British and Foreign Bible Society, and transmitted to Presburg for distribution.
In 1830-31, Mr. William Greenfield, of the British and Foreign Bible Society, reported upon and
prepared a copy of the authorised Hungarian New Testament; but it does not appear that an edition
was carried through the press. It was not, indeed, till 1837 that Hungary really became accessible
to the operations of the Society; but during that year the publication of the Scriptures was commenced
in Hungary itself; 8000 copies of the Bible, 13,000 New Testaments, and 2500 copies of the New
Testament and Psalms were successively issued from the press at Güns (Gönz), and in 1841 the whole
of the Scriptures was stereotyped. The total number of Hungarian Bibles and Testaments printed by
the British and Foreign Bible Society up to the close of the year 1859, has been as follows: --Bibles . . . . 79,300
--The Bible of Every Land. (1860, Second Edition) Samuel Bagster [Info only]
Testaments . . . . 27,000
Testaments and Psalms . 21,000"HUNGARIAN.--1860 S. Bagster [Info only: n.d. John 1:1-14 unknown.]
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