Folia Theologica 9. (1998)
György Benyik: Hungarian Bible Translation
HUNGARIAN BIBLE TRANSLATIONS 225 March 1607 in Olmiitz. In the 1580s, almost 30 years earlier, and even ten years before Károli’s version, István Szántó Arator translated the Old Testament in Olmiitz,53 but supposedly his work was destroyed in the 1605 fire in the Jesuits’ Túróé Convent. Although Káldy writes that „he (Szántó Arator) devoted all his efforts to translating the Bible but I, not knowing about it, started a translation myself in 1606 at Gyulafehérvár, Transylvania”, there are facts to contradict his statement. Káldy, like most Jesuits of his time, was engaged in politics mediating between the Prince of Transylvania and the Viennese Court, and in 1606 he had to go to Vienna at least five times.54 The manuscript of his translation, which still can be found at the University Library in Budapest, is almost error- free, ready to print. It is quite impossible that a man with so many obligations could have produced a translation of such quality within one and a half years without help. It is very probable therefore that he used Szántó Arator’s translation of the Old Testament, though he denied it later. Káldy’s version, unlike the rather ponderous Protestant translations, was quite fluent and smooth. It was published in Nagyszombat (1732) and later in Buda (1782). We may raise the following question: What version did the Hungarian Catholic priests use before Káldy’s translation? The manuscript of Telegdy’s work, or the translations influenced by Erasmus’ thinking? It still remains an unsolved problem. The Protestants published the Károli Bible as often as they could, whilst the Catholics, though with less intensity, tried to do the same with Káldy’s version.55 The Károli Bible and the Protestant preaching formed in its wake have exercised a great influence on language development. A large number of copies were printed by the British and Foreign Bible Society. The various revisions tried to make the laboured text more fluent, some 53 An article by Holl, Béla. in Magyar Könyszemle, 1956. 54 STOLL, B. Adalékok a Káldi Biblia történetéhez. Magyar könyvtár. Budapest, 1956. 55 KÁLDI, György. Teljes Biblia. Nagyszombat, 1732.; KÁLD1-SZEPESSY. Teljes revízió. Pozsony, 1835.; KÁLDI-VÉGH István. Prédikátor könyve. Esztergom, 1827.; KALDI-SZABÓ, József. Teljes revízió. Pest, 1851.; KÁLDI-TARKÁNYI, Béla. Teljes revízió. Eger, 1865.; Hittud. Akad. prof. Teljes revízió. Budapest, 1915.; Hittud. Prof. Újszövetség revízió. Budapest, 1928.; Szent István Társulat. Teljes revízió. Budapest, 1934.; KÁLDI- TOLDI-TALABÉR. Ószövetség revízió. Budapest, 1884.; Újszövetség revízió. Budapest, 1930.
