Bahasa Malayu / Malay Bible History (3)

**List: Malay Ministry the Bible ( الكتاب, al-Kitab ) Malay... MALAYAN. "IT is difficult, if not impossible, to calculate the exact number of individuals composing the restless and enterprising race to which this language is vernacular, but they certainly include several millions.   The kingdom of Menangkabou, in the central region of Sumatra, where this language, with some little dialectic variation, is still spoken, appears to have been the original country of the Malays; but, impelled by the love of adventure and of trade, they possessed themselves at a very early period of the Malayan peninsula from the fifth degree of north latitude, and then established successive colonies in the districts most favourably situated for commerce throughout the islands of the Malayan archipelago.   In the Malayan peninsula, the Malays, properly so called, are held and consider themselves as quite distinct from the Orang benau, or aborigines: the latter, indeed, are very different from them both in appearance and in speech.   On all the sea-coasts of those islands, and on the banks of the navigable rivers, there is but one language of traffic in which merchants and traders of all nations transact their business, and that lan- guage is the Malayan, which on that account has been called the lingua franca of the Eastern archi- pelago.   This predominance is due not only to the energetic commercial habits of the Malays, but likewise to the peculiar qualities of the language itself.   It is soft and harmonious in pronunciation, simple and easy in its grammatical system, plain and natural in the construction of sentences.   The cases of nouns are denoted by prepositions; distinct words are used to express the singular and the plural number; and gender is ascribed to no inanimate object.   There are few if any Malayan sounds which cannot be readily articulated by Europeans; and even in the numerous words which are borrowed from other languages, the Malays smooth and polish down the harsher sounds to the standard of their own organs.    Malayan is a branch of the ancient and widely-extended language of which the fragments are to be found in nearly all the islands of the Pacific.   The so-called Polynesian language, which ranges from the South Sea Islands to the East, as far as Madagascar in the West, bears in the Malay tongue the same proportion as Anglo-Saxon does in English; and words borrowed from Sanscrit and from Arabic occupy in it the same relative position as words derived from Greek and Latin do in our own language. It is therefore in many respects almost identical with the dialects of the South Sea islanders, and especially with those of the Malayan archipelago; but it likewise possesses some distinctive character- istics of its own, and a considerable portion of its vocabulary is undoubtedly borrowed from the Sanscrit, through intercourse with India.   Arabic has had even more influence than the Sanscrit in the modification of this language; and nearly all the abstract terms, as well as the religious and political theories of the Malays, are derived from the Kor_n.   The Arabic characters have been principally employed in writing Malayan since the conversion of the Malays of Sumatra to Isl_mism, in A.D. 1204.   The Malay language thus written is called basa jahwi, or mixed tongue.   Six sounds which do not exist in Arabic are denoted by means of diacritical points.   Roman letters are also extensively used by the Malays, especially in some of the Dutch colonies. I.--VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES IN THIS LANGUAGE.    No fewer than seven distinct versions of the Scriptures, in whole or in part, exist in this language. The honour of originating and commencing this series of translations belongs to the Dutch, who applied themselves to this important work very shortly after the formation of their East India Company in 1602.   The first translation was made by John Van Hasel, a director of that Company, about the beginning of the seventeenth century.   When he had completed a version of the Gospel according to St. Matthew, he handed over the MS. to Peter de Carpentier, the general of the Company; and soon after, in 1612, another version of St. Matthew was delivered to the same individual by Albert Cornelisson Ruyl, in order that the two translations might be compared.   It was objected to the former that it was too literal, and therefore unidiomatic; and to Ruyl’s, that it was too courtly: ultimately, however, the preference was assigned to the latter.   Encouraged by this decision, Ruyl devoted himself to the completion of the New Testament; but he only lived to translate as far as the close of the Gospel according to St. Mark.   His MSS. were sent to Holland, and were printed with the Dutch version, at Enkhuyzen, in 1629; and again at Amsterdam, in 1638.    Van Hasel, far from being discouraged at the preference with which Ruyl’s version was regarded, persevered with his own translation, and completed a version of the Four Gospels, of which, however, St. Luke and St. John only have been published.   They were printed at Amsterdam in 1646, with the Dutch version.   Van Hasel also translated the Psalms, in concert with Justus Heurn, who for fifteen years presided over the Dutch Church in India.   The first portion of this version was printed at Amsterdam in 1648, and the entire Psalter appeared at the same place in 1689.   Heurn likewise trans- lated the Acts of the Apostles into Malayan, and revised the Gospels of Van Hasel and Ruyl according to the Greek, or rather, perhaps, conformed them to the Low or Belgic Dutch version of 1637; whereas, they had been originally accommodated to the Dutch version executed from Luther’s German Bible.   This revision was carried on under the sanction of the Dutch Company; and an edition consisting of the Gospels and Acts, with the Dutch version in the margin, was printed at their expense at Amsterdam in 1651.   This edition appears to have been used as the text of another edition of the Gospels and Acts, printed at Oxford in 1677, at the expense of the Hon. Robert Boyle, and under the superintendence of Dr. Hyde, keeper of the Bodleian Library.   A second impression of the same work, in every respect similar to the first, was printed at Oxford in 1704, and the copies were sent to the East, to be distributed among the natives to whom the language is vernacular.   These, and all the editions above mentioned, were printed in Roman characters.    At length, in 1668, the entire New Testament [....]    We now come to the standard Malay version of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, [....]    It does not appear what further measures were taken to supply the Malays with copies of the Scriptures until the year 1813, when George Livett, Esq., the resident at Amboyna, addressed the Calcutta Bible Society in behalf of the Amboynese Christians, whom he represented as numbering 20,000 individuals, but as being almost destitute of Bibles.   His accounts of the churches and schools in Amboyna were corroborated by other correspondents of the Society, and it was resolved to print 3000 copies of the Malayan New Testament, in 8vo., at Serampore, for the special use of the Amboy- nese converts.   The design was liberally aided by the Bengal government; and in 1814 the edition left the press: it was printed in Roman letters from the text of 1731.   Almost all the copies, with 1000 copies of the book of Genesis, were sent to Amboyna, and were there distributed by the resident, Mr. Martin, assisted by the Rev. Messrs. Kam and Carey.   In his letter of acknowledgment to the Society, Mr. Martin stated, that "the church was crowded by a multitude of people of both sexes and of all ages, imploring, with an earnestness of supplication that could not be resisted, the unreserved communication to them all of an advantage which all appreciated, and which all had been prepared and were qualified to enjoy."    It was necessary, however, not only to provide for Amboyna and its dependencies, where the Malays employ Roman letters, but for other Malayan districts, where the Arabic characters are still used.   The Society therefore determined upon printing two distinct editions of the Scriptures, the one in Roman, the other in Arabic letters.   The former edition was completed in 1817, when 1000 copies of the entire Bible from the text of 1731-1733 left the press.   The Arabic edition was not com- pleted till 1822, when 3000 copies of the New and 2000 copies of the Old Testament were published at Serampore, and forwarded to Penang, Malacca, Java, and Bencoolen, for distribution.   The text of this latter edition was the version of 1758, carefully revised and corrected by the Rev. Mr. Hutchings and Major M‘Innes.   The editors found little to alter in that admirable version beyond a few obsolete words and typographical errors.    While these editions were passing through the press at Calcutta, further supplies of the Malayan Scriptures were being prepared in London, at the earnest request of the Auxiliary Bible Society at Amboyna.   In 1819, 10,000 copies of the New Testament in the Roman character, from the text of 1733, were printed by the British and Foreign Bible Society, under the care of Professor Lee; and in 1822, 5000 copies of the entire Bible from the same text were issued.    The Netherlands Bible Society likewise contributed towards supplying the Malays with the oracles of God; and in 1820, 15,000 copies of the New Testament were printed at Haarlem, followed in 1824 by an edition of 7000 copies of the whole Bible.   These editions were printed in Arabic characters, from the edition of 1758, and were carried through the press under the able superintendence of Professor Wilmet.   In 1822, the same Society determined upon an edition of 5000 Bibles and 5000 New Testa- ments in the Roman character, from the texts of 1733.   The British and Foreign Bible Society sub- scribed for a large proportion of all these editions.    Whether the Netherlands Bible Society have printed any later editions does not appear; but it is satisfactory to find that the Calcutta Society have since resumed their labours in this department. In 1830, they printed at Singapore an edition of 2500 copies of St. Matthew’s Gospel, in Arabic cha- racters, as the first step towards giving a fresh edition of the entire New Testament.   This measure was adopted in consequence of the desire manifested among the Western Malays themselves to read the Scriptures,--a circumstance never known before, for the holy volume had previously been urged upon them rather than freely accepted, and their Moh_mm_dan prejudices had been deemed impregnable. In consequence of their increased demand for the "Englishman’s Koran," the Calcutta Society published, in 1833, a revised edition of 1000 copies of the Gospels and Acts, and 1500 copies of the entire New Testament, from the edition corrected by Mr. Hutchings.   The printing was carried on at Singapore, under the care of the Rev. Messrs. Thomsen and Burn of the London My. Society, by whom such alterations were introduced in the text as a longer and more intimate acquaintance with the lan- guage had rendered desirable.    Another version of the New Testament, less literal and more idiomatic than former translations, has been executed by the agents of the London My. Society and of the American Bible Society, at Singapore.   The expenses have been partly defrayed by the British and Foreign Bible Society; editions consisting of 1000 copies in Roman and 1000 in Arabic characters were printed in 1856, under the care of the Rev. B. P. Keasberry, and are now in process of distribution.    It now only remains under the head of Malayan Scriptures to notice a version made in a dialect of this language termed "Low Malay."   This dialect, sometimes called "Common, or Colloquial Malay," because it is in many districts the general medium of conversation, is spoken more especially in the lower parts of Java, as for instance in Batavia and the whole neighbourhood; whereas, the Malayan Proper, or "High Malay," is spoken in the upper parts of the same island.   Dr. Leyden long ago remarked upon the impossibility of forming such a version as would be approved in every Malay country; at the same time observing, that a version in the idiom of Malacca and Batavia would not be very intelligible to the Malays of Sumatra and other islands.   The Rev. Claudius Buchanan also mentioned that the Dutch version of 1758 was not clearly understood by the Malays of Sumatra, and that Thomas Jarrett, Esq., of the Company’s civil service, had prepared a translation in the Sumatran idiom at the College of Fort William: the Four Gospels of this version were ready for press as early as 1804, but whether any portion was actually printed does not appear.    In the year 1814, the Java Auxiliary Bible Society was formed, and one of the first measures contemplated was the translation of the New Testament into Low Malay.   Mr. Robinson, a Baptist my., was engaged to prepare the work; and, after much delay arising from sickness and local difficulties, he completed and printed the Gospels according to St. Matthew and St. John.   The printing was afterwards transferred to the College at Singapore, and the version appears to have been completed by Dr. Medhurst.   An edition of the New Testament left the press in 1833, and some considerable distributions were made by Dr. Medhurst, during a visit to Sourabaya, on the north-east coast of Java, and Samarang.    A translation of the Psalms into Low Malay has more recently been made by some Christians at Sourabaya; and an edition of 1000 copies has been printed at Amsterdam, under the care of Professor Vetti, by the Netherlands Bible Society.   The edition left the press in 1847, and the copies were forwarded to Sourabaya."--1860   S. Bagster   [Info only: What is the "Englishman's Koran"?] MALAYAN.   OXFORD EDITION.-- The Bible of Every Land. (1860, Second Edition)   Samuel Bagster   [Info only: "1677" John 1:1-14 unknown (@ 1:14 daan kita souda caleatan mouljanja, suatu mahamoul ja saperti sabatang cara derri Bappa la); used ALLAH-TALLA & Pattahu ( Word ).] "II.--RESULTS OF THE DISSEMINATION OF THIS VERSION.    The readiness with which the Malays receive the Scriptures is proved by the numerous editions which have been distributed among them.   A few instances of the perusal of the Malayan version having been blessed to the conversion of individuals, are recorded by the mies..   Ali, a native teacher of the Malayan language, was led to compare the Bible with the Kor_n, and the comparison resulted in his rejection of Moh_mm_danism.   In 1839, he professed his faith in Christianity by receiving the rite of baptism. "The religion of Jesus (he often said) is the only true one given to man, because it changes the heart, which the Kor_n, and the study I have given to it for twenty years, could not produce."    It is in the highest degree gratifying to learn that the prospect of my. efforts among the Malays is becoming even more encouraging now than some years ago, especially in the Dutch possessions. The recent edition of the Malay Scriptures, above referred to, is likely to be speedily exhausted, and the demand for the Word of God is daily increasing.   "You are warranted in rejoicing (writes the Rev. J. H. Barnstein, one of the mies. of the Rhenish My. Society at Banjermassin, in Borneo, 1852), over the desire manifested here among the Moh_mm_dan Malays to possess the Scrip- tures; and we can in truth assure you that the precious Word of God has already produced much good here.   Even though we may as yet be able to reckon only a few isolated individuals who have openly embraced Christianity, we have the gratification of observing that on the whole many prejudices against the Gospel have been removed, and as the people read and hear the Word of God with feelings very different to those which formerly existed, we have the confident hope that by the blessing and grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, it will in time to come increasingly take root and bring forth fruit.""--The Bible of Every Land. (1860, Second Edition)   Samuel Bagster   [Info only]

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