The Edition History of the Deux Aes Bible

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Edition History of the Deux Aes Bible The Edition History of the Deux Aes Bible August den Hollander At the beginning of the second half of the sixteenth century the still young Reformed Protestant movement in various places in Western Europe was busy with the organization of religious life. Adherents devoted themselves to pro­ viding the movement with works that could give expression to its own identity and were necessary to regulate and make uniform church life, such as a cate­ chism, a psalm book, a confession, and a Bible translation.1 On the one hand, that process was made more difficult in the practical sense because the scho­ lars who were supposed to be working on the publications were often busy with several tasks at once and thus had little time; they also traveled around and were therefore not always available to accept such work or, if they started on it, to finish it. On the other hand, working on such texts was in a certain sense experimental in nature for the still young movement and for that reason also not entirely without risks for the author and the financier(s). One example of this was the 1556 edition of the New Testament by Jan Utenhove that was printed by the Emden printer/publisher Gillis van der Erven.2 The Flemish refugee Jan Utenhove, who was an important supplier of texts for the young Reformed movement, had done a translation of the New Testament, with the help of the Emden minister, Godfried van Winghen, also a Flemish refugee, to replace the Liesveltbijbel which followed Luther to a great extent. The German­Dutch language mixture which Utenhove had chosen was a major reason why the publication was a complete disaster. It turned out to be a noose around Utenhove’s neck who had paid Van Winghen an annual allow­ ance of 60 guilders, and certainly around the neck of the printer Van der Erven. 1 On sixteenth­century Dutch catechisms and confessions, see W. Heijting, De catechismi en confessies in de Nederlandse Reformatie tot 1585, 2 vols. (Nieuwkoop, 1989); for the Heidelberg Catechism which was influential in the Dutch Reformation, see K. Apperloo­Boersma, H. J. Selderhuis, eds, Power of Faith—450 Years of the Heidelberg Catechism (Göttingen, 2013). On early reformation Dutch psalm books, see S. J. Lenselink, De Nederlandse Psalmberijmingen van de Souterliedekens tot Datheen (Dordrecht, 1983). See also J. de Bruijn, W. Heijting, Psalmzingen in de Nederlanden van de zestiende eeuw tot heden. Studies en catalogus (Kampen, 1991). On the Dutch Confession of De Bres, see E. Braekman & E. de Boer, eds., Guido de Bres. Zijn leven, zijn belijden, (Utrecht, 2011). 2 See A. Pettegree, Emden and the Dutch Revolt, Exile and the Development of Reformed Protestantism (Oxford 1992), pp. 93–4. © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, ���4 | doi ��.��63/9789004�73�76_�05 42 den hollander In the meantime, the demand for a new Reformed translation of the Bible did not disappear, and four years later, in 1560 (dated 1559), Van der Erven pub­ lished a thorough revision of Utenhove’s translation by Johannes Dyrkinus, who came from Ghent. His translation, which was written in comprehensible and clearly readable Dutch, was a success. Despite all ambitions to the con­ trary, work on the Old Testament proceeded no further than another revision of the Liesvelt Bible by Godfried van Winghen. This was also ready in 1559, shortly before Van Winghen began a trip to visit various congregations. In 1561–62 at the earliest, the first edition of the complete Bible, Old and New Testament, was published by the Emden printer/publisher Gillis van der Erven. This would come to be known as the Deux Aes Bible. Mapping Editions of the Deux Aes Bible Although the Deux Aes Bible was not the first Reformed Bible to appear in the second half of the sixteenth century for the still young Reformed movement in the Low Countries, it became the most well­known Dutch sixteenth­century Bible by far.3 Numerous editions of this Bible were published, and it thus occu­ pied an important place in the development of early Reformed Protestantism. But whoever wants to describe the edition history of the Deux Aes Bible is faced with a difficult task, as is true for many Bible translations. The key pro­ blems in Bible bibliographical enterprises are generally twofold: First of all, there is the question of what is precisely understood by a Bible edition. Following the electronic Bible bibliography Biblia Sacra here, the term “Bible” is understood to mean the edition of the complete text of one or more Bible books, i.e., the edition of the complete Deux Aes Bible in its different variants as well as the separate publications of the Old Testament and/or New Testament, and even separate editions of one or more Bible books from the Deux Aes Bible.4 3 For the Deux Aes Bible, see A. J. van den Berg, B. Thijs, Uitgelezen. Bijbels en prentbijbels uit de vroegmoderne tijd (Heerenveen, 2010), pp. 60–9; C. C. de Bruin, De Statenbijbel en zijn voor- gangers. Nederlandse bijbelvertalingen vanaf de Reformatie tot 1637 (rev. by F. G. M. Broeyer), (Haarlem, 1993), pp. 178–201. Still valuable is C. A. Tukker, Een verborgen schat in den acker. Over geschiedenis en betekenis van de eerste gereformeerde Bijbel (Utrecht, 1978). 4 Biblia Sacra, a project of which Piet Visser was one of the initiators, is an electronic biblio­ graphy of Bibles printed in the Netherlands and Belgium up to 1800 (www.bibliasacra.com). Biblia Sacra provides extensive descriptions of Bible editions and numerous reproductions of typographical and iconographical material. It gives information on both the editions and, .
Recommended publications
  • 1. Introduction. Fascinating Multilingualism
    This post-print includes the introduction, chapter 4 and the conclusion of the book ‘van de Haar, A. (2019). The Golden Mean of Languages. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill.’ The publication is uploaded with permission of Brill. More information on the book is available at https://brill.com/view/title/35813. 1. Introduction. Fascinating Multilingualism 1.1. Introduction The year 1546 constitutes a pivotal moment in the history of the Dutch language. It was in this year that Ghent schoolmaster and printer Joos Lambrecht published his Naembouck. Not only was this the first alphabetically ordered dictionary with a variant of Dutch as its source language, it is also considered to be the first purist dictionary of this vernacular. As such, the Naembouck is part of a sixteenth-century trend in the Low Countries, that focused on the rejection of foreign—usually French or Latin—loanwords. Needless to say, no historical overview of the Dutch tongue fails to mention this work. However, rather than a monolingual feat focused solely on the promotion of Dutch, the Naembouck is a Dutch-French dictionary designed for the instruction of the latter tongue. Moreover, Lambrecht used a new way of spelling both Dutch and French words that was strongly inspired by French orthographical treatises. The Naembouck is not a product of simple veneration of Dutch, but of an inquisitive mind interested in the languages he encountered in his everyday life. The sixteenth-century Low Countries were, indeed, fundamentally multilingual. While Latin continued to be an important player in the interregional, scholarly, and religious fields, the vernacular realm saw Dutch and French dialects in constant contact.
    [Show full text]
  • The Creation of a Secular Inquisition in Early Modern Brabant
    Orthodoxy and Opposition: The Creation of a Secular Inquisition in Early Modern Brabant Item Type text; Electronic Dissertation Authors Christman, Victoria Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 10/10/2021 08:36:02 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195502 ORTHODOXY AND OPPOSITION: THE CREATION OF A SECULAR INQUISITION IN EARLY MODERN BRABANT by Victoria Christman _______________________ Copyright © Victoria Christman 2005 A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 2 0 0 5 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE As members of the Dissertation Committee, we certify that we have read the dissertation prepared by Victoria Christman entitled: Orthodoxy and Opposition: The Creation of a Secular Inquisition in Early Modern Brabant and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Professor Susan C. Karant Nunn Date: 17 August 2005 Professor Alan E. Bernstein Date: 17 August 2005 Professor Helen Nader Date: 17 August 2005 Final approval and acceptance of this dissertation is contingent upon the candidate’s submission of the final copies of the dissertation to the Graduate College. I hereby certify that I have read this dissertation prepared under my direction and recommend that it be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement.
    [Show full text]
  • De Plaats Van Guy De Brès in De Reformatie Van Zijn Tijd
    De plaats van Guy de Brès in de Reformatie van zijn tijd J. Decavele Abstract In this article it is examined what we know about Guy de Brès, the alleged author of the Belgic Confession. As distinct from most of his colleagues, there is hardly any explicit evi­ dence for De Brès’ theological education. His wide reading, however, is well­established, as is the fact that he was a highly respected minister in his environment. As a result of his many contacts with the Calvinistic communities of Rouen and Amiens, De Brès was an important liaison between the French Huguenots and the French­speaking churches in the Netherlands (including the church of Antwerp). He distinguished himself from other pro­ testant preachers, including his former friend Peter Dathenus, by his principle of absolute submission to the magistrate. The flipside of this principle was a profound aversion to the Anabaptists, which De Brès shared with many other Calvinists – although it seems that in his own territory he did not have to deal at all with Anabaptists. Samen met Pieter Datheen behoort Guy de Brès tot de predikanten uit de beginperiode van het calvinisme in de Lage Landen die tot vandaag enige bekendheid blijven genieten, althans bij sommige Nederlandse (en in minde­ re mate Belgische)1 protestanten. De reden is vanzelfsprekend dat beiden 1 Heeft men het in Nederland doorgaans over ‘Guido de Bres’, dan gebruiken we in deze bijdrage de naam die in de historische bronnen voorkomt: Guy de Brès (elders Guy de of du Bray). In België en Noord­Frankrijk – met sinds omstreeks 1600 opnieuw een overwe­ gend katholieke cultuur – is hij vandaag zo goed als onbekend, zoals we hebben kunnen vaststellen tijdens onze rondreis door zijn ‘thuisland’: Bergen, Doornik, Valenciennes, Rijsel en Amiens.
    [Show full text]
  • Concerning Music in Our Churches
    Volume 52, No. 5 February 28, 2003 Concerning Music in our Churches • Who Governs the Church? • Angels and Missions • The First Psalters in the Dutch Reformed Churches EDITORIAL By J. Visscher Who Governs the Church? A Constant Question The form of government: arbitrary or divinely One of the questions that crops up from time to time in ordained? the life of the church has to do with its governance. Who But is that true? Is church government simply a matter of rules the church? Who is responsible for its leadership and human choice? And is the choice based purely on practical direction? Who is in charge? considerations? Or does the Bible also have something to say Of course, different churches have and continue to an- here? Is Scripture audible or silent on this matter? swer this question in different ways. The Roman Catholic From our perspective as Reformed believers, we have al- Church is convinced that the Pope as the supposed succes- ways insisted that the form of our church government is sor to the apostle Peter has the ultimate authority. The An- not an arbitrary thing. And neither is it a matter of human glican Church insists that a college of bishops, with the arch- choice. It too has been regulated by God. It too is revealed bishop of Canterbury as first among equals, should make in his Word. the final decisions. Most congregational churches are firmly What in particular does it reveal? It reveals that it is God’s established in their view that it is the membership that must will that the church of our Lord Jesus Christ be governed by have the final say.
    [Show full text]
  • Spenser's Dutch Uncles
    chapter 8 Spenser’s Dutch Uncles: The Family of Love and the Four Translations of A Theatre for Worldlings Stewart Mottram A Theatre for Worldlings is a milestone work in more ways than one.1 Commonly regarded as the first English emblem book, it is “always to be remembered as containing the first printed verse of Edmund Spenser.”2 Yet Spenser’s contribution to A Theatre has overshadowed critical interest in the remainder of the volume, with its seemingly eclectic collection of poems, prose commentary, and woodcut illustrations. This chapter responds by restoring Spenser’s verse translations to the commentary they were origi- nally intended to illustrate, reading poems and prose together within the broader context of the community by whom, and for whom, A Theatre was first produced. A Theatre announces itself as a product of London’s Flemish community, and it is to Flemish exiles that Jan van der Noot addresses his lengthy prose commentary on Spenser’s translations, as his references to “our natiue cou[n]trey of low Germanie” make clear (sig. H2v).3 In this case study of a text produced by a collaborative community of poets, printers, illustrators, and translators, I explore a particularly fruitful instance of how the sixteenth-century book trade helped “translate” ideologies across texts and translations. A Theatre for Worldlings, printed in London by Henry Bynneman in 1569, was an English translation of a volume that had originally appeared in Dutch and French formats from the London press of John Day the previous year, and the volume would go on to appear in German translation in a Cologne edition of 1572.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Alisa Van De Haar, University of Groningen Sixteenth-Century
    DISCUSSING THE MOTHER TONGUES OF A MULTILINGUAL COUNTRY. EARLY MODERN DEBATES ON DUTCH AND FRENCH IN THE LOW COUNTRIES Alisa van de Haar, University of Groningen Sixteenth-century Europe was marked by a true fascination with language. Up to this period, the study of language had focused mainly on the classical languages, and in particular Latin. In the sixteenth century, however, the attention for language in general increased hugely. In various levels of society, the languages of the world came under scrutiny. People started to study and discuss classical as well as exotic languages and modern, local vernacular languages. They compared languages and studied their individual characteristics and history. A Europe- wide debate developed about the central topic of finding a perfect language or medium for communication. Key questions were: Which language is the best? And how can individual languages be improved? These debates were not just taking place in academic and Latin- speaking environments, but on a much broader scale. Many people were interested in the particular nature of their mother tongue and possible ways to enhance it. It is important to note that at this time, the vernacular languages were not standardized. They existed in a variety of dialects, usually without an overarching prestige variety, and no rules for spelling or grammar had been defined. This was also the case for Dutch, the main vernacular language of the Low Countries. Around the year 1550, publications started to appear in which this vernacular was discussed. Its positive characteristics were debated, and rules for spelling were proposed. Some language debaters considered one particular dialect the best variety, others suggested that a new form of Dutch should be created out of its different dialects.
    [Show full text]
  • TBS QR576 Layout.Qxd 17/06/2006 13:47 Page 1
    QR Covers-576.qxd 16/06/2006 22:30 Page 5 The Word of God Among All Nations THE MAGAZINE OF THE TRINITARIAN BIBLE SOCIETY ISSUE NUMBER : 576 July to September 2006 QR Covers-576.qxd 16/06/2006 22:29 Page 2 Trinitarian Bible Society Founded in 1831 for the circulation of Protestant or uncorrupted versions of the Word of God Officers of the Society General Committee: General Secretary: Mr. D. P. Rowland The Rev. M. H. Watts, Chairman Assistant General Secretary: The Rev. B. G. Felce, M.A., Vice-Chairman Mr. D. Larlham The Rev. G. Hamstra, B.A., M.Div., Vice-President Editorial Manager: Mr.G.W.Anderson Mr. D. Oldham, Vice-President Office Manager: Mr.C.A.Wood,Vice-President Mr. J. M. Wilson Pastor R. A. Clarke, B.Sc., F.C.A. Treasurer Warehouse Manager: Mr. G. Bidston Mr.I.A.Docksey Mr.G.R.Burrows,M.A. Production Manager: Mr. G. D. Buss, B.Ed. Mr.M.D.N.Thomas Pastor M. J. Harley Quarterly Record Mr.A.K.Jones Production Team General Secretary: D.P.Rowland The Rev. E. T. Kirkland, B.A., Dipl.Th. Assistant General Secretary:D.Larlham Editor: G.W.Anderson The Rev. J. MacLeod, M.A. Production Editor: Dr.D.E.Anderson Assistants to the Editor:M.J.Fenn, C.P.Hallihan, The Rev. D. Silversides R.J.Cooper Graphic Design:Stephen Talas The Rev. J. P. Thackway Circulation: J.M.Wilson TBS QR576 layout.qxd 17/06/2006 13:47 Page 1 The Word of God Among All Nations QUARTERLY RECORD THE MAGAZINE OF THE TRINITARIAN BIBLE SOCIETY Issue Number 576 July to September 2006 C ONTENTS 2 18 Annual General Meeting The Gereformeerde 2006 Bijbelstichting 40th Anniversary 3 19 Thy Law is My Delight The Treasury 6 20 Regeneration, the New Birth The Da Vinci Code: Rewriting history 9 23 Dutch Bible: The Road to the The Word of God Among All Statenvertaling Nations © Trinitarian Bible Society 2006 All rights reserved.
    [Show full text]
  • Reinterpreting the Genevan Psalter: an Examination of Psalm 128 As Set by Goudimel, Sweelinck and Schütz
    Western Washington University Western CEDAR WWU Graduate School Collection WWU Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship 2014 Reinterpreting the Genevan Psalter: an examination of Psalm 128 as set by Goudimel, Sweelinck and Schütz Sara A. (Sara Alicia) Ferguson Western Washington University Follow this and additional works at: https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwuet Part of the Music Commons Recommended Citation Ferguson, Sara A. (Sara Alicia), "Reinterpreting the Genevan Psalter: an examination of Psalm 128 as set by Goudimel, Sweelinck and Schütz" (2014). WWU Graduate School Collection. 347. https://cedar.wwu.edu/wwuet/347 This Masters Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the WWU Graduate and Undergraduate Scholarship at Western CEDAR. It has been accepted for inclusion in WWU Graduate School Collection by an authorized administrator of Western CEDAR. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Reinterpreting the Genevan Psalter: An Examination of Psalm 128 as Set by Goudimel, Sweelinck, and Schütz By Sara Alicia Ferguson Accepted in Partial Completion of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Music Kathleen L. Kitto, Dean of the Graduate School ADVISORY COMMITTEE Chair, Dr. Bertil H. van Boer, Jr Dr. Carla Rutschman Dr. Leslie Guelker-Cone MASTER’S THESIS In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master’s degree at Western Washington University, I grant to Western Washington University the non- exclusive royalty-free right to archive, reproduce, distribute, and display the thesis in any and all forms, including electronic format, via any digital library mechanisms maintained by WWU. I represent and warrant this is my original work, and do not infringe or violate any rights of others.
    [Show full text]
  • Tyndale Society Journal
    The Tyndale Society Journal No. 33 August 2007 1 About the Tyndale Society Contents Registered UK Charity Number 1020405 The Tyndale Society Journal ♦ No. 33 Founded in 1995, five hundred and one years after Tyndale’s birth, and with members August 2007 worldwide, the Tyndale Society exists to tell people about William Tyndale’s great work and influence, and to pursue study of the man who gave us our English Bible. Instructions for submission of articles 4 Members receive 2 issues of the Tyndale Society Journal a year, invitations to social events, lectures and conferences, and 50% discount on subscriptions to Reformation. Valerie Offord Editorial 5 To join the Society or to request more information please contact our Membership Secretary (details on inside back cover of this Journal). Articles: For more information about the Tyndale Society visit: www.tyndale.org Randall J. Pannell Why begin with the Book of Jonah? 8 Trustees Rod Liddle Who are we? We are what the English Bible has made us 20 Prof. David Daniell, Sir Rowland Whitehead, Bt, Mr Peter Baker, Ms Rochelle Givoni, Thomas Martin Arthur, Prince of Wales and the English Reformation 24 Ms Mary Clow, Ms Charlotte Dewhurst, Rev. David Ireson, Revd Dr Simon Oliver, Dr Barry Ryan, Ms Jennifer Bekemeier, Dr Paul Coones, Mr David Green. Reports: Eunice Burton London Study Day ‘Not so wicked Mammon II’ 30 Patrons Brian Buxton The Mercers’ Company and the Reformation 36 His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rt. Rev. and Rt. Hon. Lord Carey of Clifton, Baroness James of Holland Park, Lord Neill of Bladen QC, Prof.
    [Show full text]
  • John Hooper and the Origins of Puritanism I
    John Hooper and the Origins of Puritanism I. INTRODUCTION E following pages are an attempt to give a brief account of TIthe life of John Hooper sometime Bishop of Gloucester and Worcester, and to indicate something of his influence upon English Church History at the time of the Reformation.1 As we piece together the story of John Hooper we shall find that we are writing of the most influential Englishman belonging to the group in Edward VI's reign which strove to introduce that trend of teaching which later became known as Puritanism. Hooper's puritanical emphasis is well-known and often empha­ sised. He appears in all Church History books as the bishop who refused to be consecrated wearing episcopal dress. It is also well known, but not so often emphasised, that Hooper spent two years in Ziirich in close friendship with Zwingli's successor, Henry Bullinger. What is not so well known and therefore scarcely, if ever, emphasised is the fact that as far as can be ascertained Hooper never visited Geneva and Calvin. The theological school in which Hooper studied when he was abroad was that of Zurich. His chief teachers were Henry Bullinger and Ulrich Zwingli. It is true that the latter had been ~l1ed sixteen years before Hooper's arrival in Zurich, but Zwingli's teaching and influence in that town were very much alive then-as indeed they are today. The lessons Hooper learned in Zurich were not only theology from the pages of the text-book and from the clamour of the public disputation, but were also the working out of the theory in church practice.
    [Show full text]
  • Utenhove Van Gent
    utenhove van Gent 2 History of the utenhove Family in Ghent region from the 11th century. By Dimitri Lucas Mari José (L.M.J.) Uytenhove Edition 2018 3 4 Dedication I am dedicating this research project in earnest to my ancestors out of respect for that which they have realised on a daily basis in various sectors in the life of Ghent and its environs as well as within the Flemish population at large. At a city, regional and central level, the utenhove families have diligently been engaged as politicians, civic servants, business people, clergymen, people from a non-hereditary nobility and persons from an old, patrician origin primarily in order to progressively improve Ghent and its environs so that it would be a desirable place to live and work, and have been doing this as such since the 11th century. It is therefore my intention that the utenhove van Gent family shall once again assume a unique position in the Ghent area by active participation within the social life and by establishing a self-financing foundation utenhove van Gent for providing educational facilities exclusively to financially impoverished children in the Ghent area. I emphasise that only Mr Dimitri Lucas Marie José Uytenhove is responsible for the layout, content, linguistic and the legal aspect of this research. Drawn up in good faith and declared to be true. I hereby further declare that I have independently written this thesis and that I did not use any other sources. 3 Foreword Everything began when I was a teenager and every day saw the coat of arms of the Uytenhove’s hanging in our entrance hall in my parent’s home.
    [Show full text]
  • The Reformer John À Lasco
    The Reformer John à Lasco (1499-1560) Introduction It was five hundred years ago that the Polish reformer John à Lasco was born.1 Not restricting his activities to his native land, à Lasco played a considerable role in the life of Reformed churches in Germany, England, and the low countries. As a churchman who borrowed what he deemed best in Luther, Zwingli, Bucer and others, à Lasco sought to develop harmony between protestant groups rather than to advance his own ideas. À Lasco’s international experiences afforded him a perspective upon the affairs of church and state that was appreciated by many. Wishing especially to apply Reformed doctrine to the life of the churches, à Lasco promoted the development towards the writing of confessions, church orders, and liturgies. While the position he assumed in these matters evoked opposition from hardened Anabaptists, Lutherans, and others, many of à Lasco’s moderate formulations were adopted eventually in the now widely used professions of the Reformed faith. It will be worthwhile, therefore, to reflect upon the career and influence of à Lasco. À Lasco was well-connected: his uncle, also called John, was the archbishop of Gnesen in Poland, and his brothers were pursuing influential careers in politics and government. Enjoying his uncle’s patronage and interest, à Lasco studied internationally before assuming ecclesiastical and diplomatic offices in Poland. But whereas the archbishop hoped that young John would succeed him, à Lasco was influenced by reform-minded thinkers, and he befriended Erasmus. In becoming leader of the Christian humanists in Poland, à Lasco developed a critical stance towards the established church, and also towards Lutheranism.
    [Show full text]