Folia Theologica 9. (1998)
György Benyik: Hungarian Bible Translation
222 GY. BENYIK In 1556, when a large part of Hungary was occupied by the Turks, PÉTER MELIUS JUHÁSZ38 39 was studying in Wittenberg. In 1557 he was captured by Archbishop Miklós Oláh. From 1558 he became the Calvinist minister of Debrecen. He was a prolific writer: An Explanation of Saint Paul’s Epistle was published in 1561,39 An Explanation of Saint John’s Gospel in 1562, and An Explanation of the Revelations Given to Saint John in 1568. These were not traditional exegetical works but dogmatic commentaries. Supposedly he translated also the Book of Isaiah and the New Testament. They were published in Szeged in 1567, but no trace of them has been found. Whilst he published 42 books the above- mentioned translations are unfortunately not among the six original manuscripts which have survived. His activities were interrupted by his early death in 1572, at the age of 40. MIKLÓS TELEGDY40 was one of the prominent bishops of Hungarian Counter-Reformation. With the support of Antal Veranics he studied in Cracow, and then returned home where he took part in the religious polemics of his time. Primarily he translated the Gospels from Latin and explained them in Hungarian.41 His principal aim was to neutralize the impact of Péter Bornemissza. TAMÁS FÉLEGYHÁZI42 was one of the best trained reformers of 16th century. He studied in Cracow, Breslau, Odera Frankfurt and in Wittenberg. His version of the New Testament was finished by György Gönczi Fabricius. Contradicting the Protestant practice he gives long comments on the texts. With these often unnecessary notations, which dominate the book, he wanted to convert the readers to his own belief. Psalm Paraphrases Though they do not belong strictly to the translation of the Scriptures, psalm paraphrases still have to be mentioned as a genre closely connected with poetical rendering of the Bible. There are more than fifty 38 Assumed name. Perhaps he was Péter Somogyi, a teacher at Vágsellye. Horhi, 1532 -Debrecen, ,1572. 39 Incze, Gábor, (intr.) RÉVÉSZ Imre (publ.). Szent Pál apostol levelének... magyarázatja. Budapest, 1937. 40 BOTH, Ferenc. Telegdi Miklós élete és művei. Szeged, 1899. 41 Evangeliomocnak magyarázatja... Vienna, 1562. Newer edition by Szilárdy, Áron. Budapest, 1884. 42 FÉLEGYHAZI, Tamás. Újtestamentom. Debrecen, 1586.
