De Moor II:34: The Translation of Scripture, Part 2

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But let the greatest care be taken by pious Magistrates, together with the Governors of the Churches, that for the Church publicly and privately provision be made of a faithful Version by Men skillful in Languages.  In this respect both the Magistrates of the Netherlands as Nursing-Fathers to the Church,[1] and the Ministers of the Church themselves, have discharged their duty faithfully.  In the first times after the Reformation, the Church in the Netherlands made use of a Version of the Sacred Scripture, the author of which is unknown, prepared, not from the Hebrew and Greek founts, but from the German Version of Luther, which was problematic in many portions, however Eckhardus may endeavor to defend the same, Fasciculo Controversiarum cum Calvino, chapter I, question 5, pages 21-24.  With respect to the New Testament, the Dutch Version was thereafter emended and corrected in accordance with the Greek Text by JAN UYTENHOVE,[2] to whom were added as help JOHANNES À LASCO,[3] MARTINUS MICRON,[4] PETER and WALTER DELHEN, formerly Ministers of the Dutch Church in England:  and henceforth from this emendation our Church read the New Testament, after which this Version thus corrected was first published at Embden in 1565:  see ISAAC LE LONG’S Boekzaal der Nederduytsche Bybels,[5] pages 708, etc., 718.  However, innumerable errors, and some of those quite serious, were remaining, which both from Luther’s Version had adhered to ours, and additionally had crept in through the indolence of the Dutch Translators and typesetters.  For which reason a new Version, prepared from the very founts, was altogether necessary.   Unto this most important work at diverse times were nominated Nobleman Philippus Marnixius, Lord of Saint-Aldegonde,[6] Arnoldus Cornelii,[7] and Wernerus Helmichius,[8] who all died with the work hardly begun.  And so by the States-General of the Netherlands the National Synod of Dort in the year 1618, after preparation made for this in Sessions VI-XII, in Session XIII designated certain eminent Theologians to undertake the care of the first preparation of this new Version, or of review of it thereafter, and thus to render this work, so long desired, at last completed.  And the Translators of the Old Testament were indeed selected by the Synod, Johannes Bogerman,[9] Willem Baudært,[10] and Gerson Bucerus.[11]  To whom with additional votes were most closely joined Antonius Thysius, Jacobus Rolandus,[12] and Herman Faukelius.[13]  For the Translation of the New Testament and Apocryphal Books were chosen Jacobus Rolandus, Herman Faukelius, and Petrus Cornelii.  To these with superior votes were most closely conjoined Festus Hommius,[14] Antonius Walæus, and Jodocus Hoingius.[15]  But, with the death of some that the Synod had designated intervening, Jacobus Rolandus, Antonius Walæus, and Festus Hommius actually translated the New Testament.

Now, to the Examination of the Version of the Old Testament were appointed, 1.  Antonius Thysius; 2.  Johannes Polyander; 3.  Petrus Plancius,[16] whom, having died, Jacobus Rolandus succeeded, and, with Rolandus also dying, Abdias Widmarius[17] was appointed by the Synod of Northern Holland; 4.  Jodocus Larenus;[18] 5.  Sibrandus Lubbertus,[19] in whose place Bernhard Fullenius[20] was substituted; 6.  Jacobus Revius;[21] 7.  Franciscus Gomarus.  To whom, 8.  Arnoldus Teekmannus[22] was finally added by a particular Synod of Utrecht.

To the Examination of the Version of the New Testament were appointed, 1.  Sebastiaan Damman;[23] 2.  Festius Hommius, into whose place succeeded Henricus Arnoldi Lidanus; 3.  Gosuinus Geldorpius,[24] whom Willem van Nieuwenhuizen followed; 4.  Antonius Walæus, into whose place Carolus Dematius[25] succeeded; 5.  Bernhard Fullenius, who was also among the Revisers of the Old Testament; 6.  Johannes Langius,[26] whom Caspar Sibelius[27] followed; 7.  Ubbo Emmius,[28] whom Heinrich Alting followed.  To whom, 8.  the men of Utrecht added Lodewijk Gerardus van Renesse.[29]

The Venerable Synod determined that a beginning of the work was to be made three months after the dismissal of the Synod, and it believed that that was able be completed thereafter in the space of four years.  However, the Translators of the Old Testament finally met in the tenth year afterwards, 1628, at Leiden, and began the translation.  In the following year, 1629, the Translators of the New Testament and Apocryphal Books followed.  They completed the Translation of both the Old and the New Testament in the year 1632.  With the work of Translation completed in the space of four years, those that were appointed for the Examination of the Version, and had already privately reviewed at home some Books received from the Translators at various times, were summoned to Leiden, so that there they together might call the entire work unto a meticulous examination.  The Revisers of the Old Testament, after they had landed at Leiden on July 1, 1633, were applying themselves to the work entrusted to them until September of 1634.  Then, the Revisers of the New Testament also brooded over the work unto which they had been appointed until they completed it in the month of October, 1635.  At long last, this new Version was first brought forth into the light in the year 1637, with a Preface added by the ILLUSTRIOUS and MOST POWERFUL GENERAL ORDERS OF THE NETHERLANDS, to which Churches of the Netherlands they study to commend the same.  See concerning this Translation and its Rules, which the Venerable Synod wished to be observed in the same, the Acts already cited of the National Synod of Dort, Sessions VI, VIII-XIII, page m. in the larger form of Elzevir’s edition, 21, 23-31; and also LEUSDEN’S Philologum Hebræo-mixtum, Dissertation X, XI; the Vitam Walæi, before his Opera, ***** 4 versa, column b, ****** 1, 2; add the Bibliothecam Sacram of JACQUES LE LONG, part II, chapter IX, section X, pages 276-284; and especially that most accurate history of this Version written by the most noble HINLOPEN, Judge at Hoorn, which he published at Leiden in the year 1777 under the title, Historie van de Nederlandsche Overzettinge des Bybels door NICOLAAS HINLOPEN:  from which among other things it shall appear that the Translators, both of the Old and the New Testament, came somewhat more swiftly to Leiden and began the work of Translation, and that they they brooded over it a little longer than I have given above from the relation of others; see pages 95-97, 100, 103-108, 112-114, 121, 122, 127, 128, 134-136, in the Appedices, page 77.

Concerning this Version, introduced into our Church by public authority, necessary is the admonition or our Most Illustrious AUTHOR, let no one rashly by private judgment despise and censure the same before the people; which to him is evidence of intolerable impudence and ambition.  And indeed, by universal consent our New Version excels nearly all the Versions in painstaking attention to detail, ἀκριβείᾳ/ precision, and faithfulness:  and we altogether forwardly and with abandon anticipate that those eminent Theologians, who were intent upon this work in such number, for so long a time, so painstakingly, and with their shared insights, are going to surpass everywhere by long intervals, either us ourselves, or one or the other Theologian, either in skill in the Original Languages, or in happily following the mind of the Holy Spirit.  And so, unless some weighty cause move us, there is to be adherence to the received Version, which shall contribute to the edification of the Church, and to the averting of the doubt of the simple and of much common scandal:  for more on this see LEYDEKKER in his Face Veritatis, locus II, controversy V, pages 45-47.

Nevertheless, our AUTHOR does not wish this to be extended to such an extent, as if we believe our Version to be also Authentic with respect to the words and infallible, so that there might not be any appeal from it:  for this is a privilege of the Original Text alone.  We do not imitate the Papists, who do not hesitate to canonize their Vulgate Version; nor the Anabaptists, who in disputation concerning controversies of faith ever cleave to the Vernacular Version, although corrupted, to such an extent that they do not admit an appeal from it to the Original text; see DORESLAER and AUSTRO-SYLVIUS, contra Anabaptistas, chapter VIII, section III, pages 117, 118, 126-129.  But, if a healthy veneration remain, which to an Assembly of so many illustrious Theologians, who had the charge of this translation and its examination, by just right we owe according to the command of the Apostle, whereby he wills that the spirit of the Prophets be subject to the Prophets, 1 Corinthians 14:32; we believe that even now it is incumbent upon each and every Doctor to seek and teach the force of the Originals; and to the same we permit to compare the several Translations noted in the margin also, and, when necessity requires it, sometimes even to recede from our Version, and to indicate that, but with due modesty and prudence.  The Orders of Holland in an Edict to promote the peace of the Church, published on April 9, 1675, mandates in article V, “One neither ought to subject the New Translation to critical analysis nor cite it disparagingly, unless one does so humbly and unpretentiously to address a difference of opinion.”

[1] Isaiah 49:23.

[2] Jan Uytenhove was a Ruling Elder of the Dutch congregation in London.

[3] Johannes à Lasco (1499-1560) was a Polish reformer.  He served as superintendent of the Strangers’ Church in London (1543-1555), composed mostly of French and Dutch refugees.

[4] Martinus Micron (c. 1522-1559) was one of the Dutch pastors of the Strangers’ Church.  He studied under Bullinger at the University of Basel.

[5] Isaac Le Long (1683-1762) was a historian and bibliographer.  Although of French descent, his family fled to the Netherlands for religion reasons.  He wrote a history of the Dutch translations of the Bible.

[6] Philips of Marnix (1540-1598) studied theology under Calvin and Beza at Geneva.  In 1560, he moved to the Netherlands and took an active part in the Reformation, serving as both a statesman and an author.  He undertook one of the earliest Dutch Bible translations.

[7] Arnold Cornelisz Crusius (1547-1605) was a Dutch Reformed minister.

[8] Werner Helmichius (1550-1608) was a Dutch Reformed minister.  In 1598, the States of Holland nominated Arnold Cornelisz Crusius and Werner Helmichius to make a new Dutch translation; but both men died, leaving the work incomplete.  The work of translation would not be resumed until 1618.

[9] Johannes Bogerman (1576-1637) was a Frisian Reformed Theologian.  He served as Professor of Theology at Franeker (1633-1637).  He was involved in the production of the Dutch Bible, and was president of the Synod of Dort.

[10] Willem Baudart (1565-1640) was a Dutch Reformed Theologian and Pastor.  He was particularly skillful in Hebrew.

[11] Gerson Bucerus (1565-1631) was a Dutch Reformed Minister, perhaps of English extraction.  He was a noted Hebraist.

[12] Jacobus Rolandus (1562-1632) was a Dutch Reformed Minister.  He was a zealous opponent of the Remonstrants, and a mover in the calling of a national synod to handle the crisis.

[13] Herman Faukelius (1560-1625) was a Dutch Reformed Minister.  He was active in the struggle with the Remonstrants, and a representative of the Zeelandic churches to the Synod of Dort.

[14] Festus Hommius (1576-1642) was a Dutch Theologian and Pastor.  He was actively involved in opposing the Remonstrants, and served as secretary to the Synod of Dort.

[15] Jodocus Hoingius (died 1637) was Rector of the Academy at Harderwijk.

[16] Petrus Plancius (1552-1622) was a Flemish astronomer, cartographer, and minster.

[17] Abdias Widmarius (1591-1668) was a German Reformed Pastor and scholar.  He served as Professor of Old and New Testament Exegesis at Groningen from 1645 to 1668.

[18] Jodocus Larenus was minister at Flushing.

[19] Sibrandus Lubbertus (c. 1556-1625) was a Dutch Reformed Theologian.  He served as Professor of Theology at Franeker (1585-1625), and was a prominent participant in the Synod of Dort.

[20] Bernard Fullenius (1565-1636) was a Dutch Reformed theologian, minister, and orientalist.

[21] Jacobus Revius (1586-1658) was a Dutch Reformed theologian, historian, and poet.  He was equally energetic in his opposition to Arminianism and Cartesianism.  Revius was appointed secretary of the translation committee.

[22] Arnoldus Teekmannus served as a pastor of a congregation in Utrecht.

[23] Sebastiaan Damman (1578-1640) was a Reformed minister in Zutphen.  He was appointed to serve as secretary to the Synod of Dort with Festus Hommius.

[24] Gosuinus Geldorpius (1563-1627) was a Dutch Reformed minister, and opponent of the Remonstrants.

[25] Carolus de Mæts (1597-1651) was a Flemish Reformed theologian; he served as Professor of Theology at Utrecht from 1640 to 1651.

[26] Johannes Langius (died 1624) served as minister of the Gospel at Doesburg.

[27] Caspar Sibelius (1590-1658) was a Dutch Reformed minister in Deventer.

[28] Ubbo Emmius (1547-1626) was a German Reformed theologian.  Emmius played a leading role in the formation of the University of Groningen, and he served as Professor of History, Geography, and Theology (1614-1625).

[29] Lodewijk Gerardus van Renesse (1599-1671) was a Dutch Reformed theologian and minister.  He was a learned man, and trained in nine languages.