Folia Theologica 9. (1998)

György Benyik: Hungarian Bible Translation

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GY. BENYIK

of them changing the original version entirely.56 Analysis of these texts falls outside the scope of this study, therefore we shall not deal with it now. Over the centuries the Károli version has become the symbol of Calvinist Orthodoxy and only few dared to make changes in its text. By the 20th century its language had moved away from spoken Hungarian to such an extent that it can be regarded more as a linguistic record than as a text appropriate for present-day usage. Its phraseology however still defines the language of Protestant sermons and also gives different spellings for biblical names. It is only recently that Protestant translators have made efforts to change its archaisms.

Revisions and Newer Translations

ALBERT SZENCZI MOLNÁR57 was already attending school at the age of 10. After a short period of wandering he helped with the printing of the Károli Bible in Gönc. From there he went to Debrecen and later to Kassa, where he became a tutor. He travelled abroad for years, visiting Wittenberg, Drezden, Heidelberg, and finally in 1593 Strassburg, where he became acquainted with European humanists. He finished university and later he went to Switzerland and travelled around Italy. It was there that he met Martin Opitz who by Szenczi’s invitation went to teach to Gyulafehérvár. From Italy he went to Frankfurt, where he worked as a proof-reader. In Altdorf he was financially supported by a Humanist, Konrad Ritterhausen. He wrote his Latin Grammar and compiled a Latin-Hungarian Dictionary (Nürnberg, 1604). These works he took to Emperor Rudolph in Prague, where he also met Kepler. Published by Herborn in 1607, his greatest work, the Psalterium Ungaricum58 he fin56 SZENCZI MOLNÁR, Albert. Teljes revízió. Hanau, 1608.; KÖLESÉRI, Sámuel. Teljes revízió. Várad, 1657.; KÖLESÉRI, Sámuel. Teljes revízió. Várad, 1661.; Misztótfalusi Kis, Miklós. Teljes revízió. Amsterdam, 1685.; Komáromi Csipkés, György. Teljes revízió. Leyden, 1675. (1718).; Bél, Mátyás. Újszövetség revízió. Leipzig, 1717.; Löwe, Antal. Teljes revízió. Basel, 1770.; Pethe, Ferenc. Teljes revízió. Utrecht, 1794.; Szigethy, Miklós. Teljes revízió. Debrecen, 1799.; Füstkúti, László Márton. Teljes revízió. Pest-Pozsony, 1804.; Pethe, Ferenc. Teljes revízió. Pest, 1817.; Károli-Szász, Károly. Teljes revízió. Budapest, 1884.; Czeglédy-Raffay. Teljes revízió. Budapest, 1938.

57 Szene, 1574.; Kolozsvár, 1634.

58 Whole title: Psalterium Ungaricum. Szent Dávid Királynak és Prófétának Százötven Zsoltári az Franciái nótáknac és verseknec módgyokra most úyon- nan Magyar versekre fordittac es rendelte,ttec az Szenei Molnár Albert Által