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Revising Biblical Translation: Luther's Lexical Choices in Matthew between 1522 (Septembertestament) and 1545, Compared with the Greek Source Text

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2008

Geoffrey S. Koby
Geoffrey S. Koby
Affiliation:
Kent State UniversityDepartment of Modern and Classical Language StudiesP.O. Box 5190Kent, OH 44242-0001 [gkoby@phoenix.kent.edu]
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Extract

After Martin Luther first translated and published the New Testament in 1522, he immediately began the work of revision—work that would last through his lifetime and beyond. Working with a group of biblical scholars, he made thousands of changes to the text, continuing until his death in 1546. Although some critics have seen Luther's earlier language as vulgar and coarse—particularly in the Gospels— and have suggested that he refined his language over time, others suggest that a more differentiated view is necessary. This article examines the lexical differences in the Gospel of Matthew between the Septembertestament of 1522 and the last Bible published during Luther's lifetime, in 1545. Major lexical changes are compared with the Greek source text, and assigned to three major classes: (I) changes that bring the translation closer to the original Greek meaning; (II) changes that diverge from a close rendering of the source text, for comprehension or esthetic reasons; and (III) changes that are neutral with regard to the source, originating from target language (German) considerations. Most major changes arise from either the source text or understandability considerations. The original lexical choices in the 1522 version are not as coarse or extreme as some have suggested.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Germanic Linguistics , Volume 7 , Issue 2 , Fall 1995 , pp. 207 - 246
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Germanic Linguistics 1995

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