Folia Theologica 9. (1998)

György Benyik: Hungarian Bible Translation

HUNGARIAN BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

215

Bible Quotations in Hungarian Codices

Unfortunately, at the time of the Mongol invasion (1241) and during the long Turkish occupation (1541 -) many of our linguistic records were lost.

This explains the fact that from the 15th century only the TAMÁS and BÁLINT version of the Bible, written between 1416 and 1435, survived. Some scholars state that the translators belonged to the Hussite movement, but others doubt the heretical inspiration of the translation. We can assume that this translation survived in the Vienna Codex (1466). This translation of the Old Testament3 books was made from the Vulgate.

The Munich Codex was written in a Moldavian village called Tartós.4 In it we can find the four Gospels which contain the earliest Hungarian version of the „Our Father”: „Mi Atyánk, ki vagy mennyekben, szenteltessék te neved...”. The word order of this translation has exercised great influence on the Hungarian translation of the Lord’s Prayer even up to today. This codex also contains the first Hungarian „Wheel- calendar”.

Many experts think that the Apor Codex5 is an Old Testament fragment of the Hussite Bible. It contains some psalms, hymns and an explanation of the Athanasian Creed. The word „szellet”, referring to the wind and the Holy Spirit, in Ps. 139 implies its Hussite origin.

The Döbrentei Codex was copied by BERTALAN HALÁBORI.6 Its translation of the Book of Psalms and the Song of Songs later influenced Benedek Komjáthy’s psalm translations. This codex written in eights also contains a translation of the Book of Job and the text of a Passion account.

3 In it we can find fragments from the books of Ruth, Judith, Esther, Maccabees and also Baruch, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.

4 NYÍRI, Antal, (ed.). A müncheni kódex 1466-ból. Budapest, 1971.

5 VOLF, Gy. Nyelvemléktár Vol. VIII. 1878-1903. Facsimile edition in Codices Hungarici II. Budapest, 1942.

MÉSZÖLY, G. A Döbrendtei-kódex zsoltárai és az Apor kódex in Nyelvemléktár Vol. XLIII.1914. pp. 65-70.

6 VOLF, Gy. Nyelvemléktár. Vol. XII. Budapest, 1884., later corrected by VARGHA, Damján Cf. Szily Emlékkönyv. Budapest, 1918. pp. 89-90. BOROS, Álán Zsoltárfodítások a kódexek korában. Budapest, 1903. pp. 72- 120. HUBER, Emil Ki volt Bertalan pap, a Döbrentei kódex másolója? MKSZ, 1898. pp. 207-208.