Jakub Wujek Bible
Encyclopedia
The Jakub Wujek Bible was the main Polish Bible translation used in the liturgy
of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland from the late 16th century till the mid-20th century.
The translation was done by a Polish Jesuit, Jakub Wujek
(after whom it is commonly named), with the permission of Pope Gregory XIII
and the Jesuit Order. It was based on the Vulgate
. The first edition was completed in 1593, but the full authorized edition was ready only two years after Wujek's death, in 1599.
The Jakub Wujek Bible replaced the Leopolita's Bible (1561), and was in turn replaced by the Millennium Bible
(1965).
In 1584 Polish Jesuits and the primate of Poland, Stanisław Karnkowski, decided that a new Polish translation of Bible was needed, as the previous Leopolita's Bible from 1561 was not seen as adequate, and contemporary Protestant translations were seen as better. Jakub Wujek, already known for excellent translations of parts of the Bible into his homilies
, was chosen to head the task. The first edition of the New Testament
was ready in 1593. The translation was accompanied with footnotes, explanations and polemics.
The Clementine Vulgate, issued in 1592, caused a delay in the translation, as it had to be checked for consistency with the new Latin version. Wujek finished work on the New Testament, revised with the Clementine Vulage, in 1594, and on the Old Testament
in 1596; the works were immediately published. The final version of Wujek's Bible was ready in 1599, after corrections from a Jesuit commission, two years after Wujek's death in 1597. Some modern scholars tend to rank the first edition, from 1593/1594, over that from 1599.
, and a major work advancing the written Polish language
. Various parts of it were quoted by Polish poets, including Adam Mickiewicz
and Juliusz Słowacki. It would also serve as a major Polish-language Catholic
Bible till the Millenium Bible of the 20th century (1965) and was also an important source for the prime` Polish-language Protestant Bible, the Gdańsk Bible of 1632.
Liturgy
Liturgy is either the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions or a more precise term that distinguishes between those religious groups who believe their ritual requires the "people" to do the "work" of responding to the priest, and those...
of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland from the late 16th century till the mid-20th century.
The translation was done by a Polish Jesuit, Jakub Wujek
Jakub Wujek
Jakub Wujek son of Maciej Wujek; a Polish Jesuit, religious writer, Doctor of Theology, Vice-Chancellor of the Vilnius Academy and translator of the Bible into Polish.-Life:...
(after whom it is commonly named), with the permission of Pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII
Pope Gregory XIII , born Ugo Boncompagni, was Pope from 1572 to 1585. He is best known for commissioning and being the namesake for the Gregorian calendar, which remains the internationally-accepted civil calendar to this date.-Youth:He was born the son of Cristoforo Boncompagni and wife Angela...
and the Jesuit Order. It was based on the Vulgate
Vulgate
The Vulgate is a late 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. It was largely the work of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damasus I in 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations...
. The first edition was completed in 1593, but the full authorized edition was ready only two years after Wujek's death, in 1599.
History
The full title of the Bible is: Biblia to iest Księgi Starego y Nowego Przymierza według Łacińskiego przekładu starego, w kościele powszechnym przyiętego, na Polski ięzyk z nowu z pilnością przełożone, z dokładaniem textu Żydowskiego y Greckiego, y z wykładem Katholickim, trudnieyszych miejsc, do obrony wiary swiętej powszechnej przeciw kacerstwóm tych czasów należących: przez D. Iakuba Wuyka z Wągrowca, Theologa Societatis Iesu. (This is the Bible Books of the Old and New Testament according to old Latin translation, in regular church accepted, translated to the Polish language with new attention, with additions of Jewish and Greek texts, with Catholic interpretations of difficult passages, for the defence of the universal holy faith against the heretics of these times, by D. Iakub Wuyek of Wągrowiec, Theologa Societatis Iesu.)The Jakub Wujek Bible replaced the Leopolita's Bible (1561), and was in turn replaced by the Millennium Bible
Millennium Bible
Millennium Bible is the main Polish Bible translation used in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church in Poland. Its first edition was published in 1965 on the 1000-year anniversary of the baptism of Poland...
(1965).
In 1584 Polish Jesuits and the primate of Poland, Stanisław Karnkowski, decided that a new Polish translation of Bible was needed, as the previous Leopolita's Bible from 1561 was not seen as adequate, and contemporary Protestant translations were seen as better. Jakub Wujek, already known for excellent translations of parts of the Bible into his homilies
Homily
A homily is a commentary that follows a reading of scripture. In Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a homily is usually given during Mass at the end of the Liturgy of the Word...
, was chosen to head the task. The first edition of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
was ready in 1593. The translation was accompanied with footnotes, explanations and polemics.
The Clementine Vulgate, issued in 1592, caused a delay in the translation, as it had to be checked for consistency with the new Latin version. Wujek finished work on the New Testament, revised with the Clementine Vulage, in 1594, and on the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
in 1596; the works were immediately published. The final version of Wujek's Bible was ready in 1599, after corrections from a Jesuit commission, two years after Wujek's death in 1597. Some modern scholars tend to rank the first edition, from 1593/1594, over that from 1599.
Importance
Wujek's Bible is recognized as an excellent translation, one of the most important works of the Renaissance in PolandRenaissance in Poland
The Renaissance in Poland lasted from the late 15th to the late 16th century and is widely considered to have been the Golden Age of Polish culture. Ruled by the Jagiellon dynasty, the Kingdom of Poland actively participated in the broad European Renaissance...
, and a major work advancing the written Polish language
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
. Various parts of it were quoted by Polish poets, including Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Bernard Mickiewicz ) was a Polish poet, publisher and political writer of the Romantic period. One of the primary representatives of the Polish Romanticism era, a national poet of Poland, he is seen as one of Poland's Three Bards and the greatest poet in all of Polish literature...
and Juliusz Słowacki. It would also serve as a major Polish-language Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Bible till the Millenium Bible of the 20th century (1965) and was also an important source for the prime` Polish-language Protestant Bible, the Gdańsk Bible of 1632.
External links
- The Wujek Bible at Poland.pl Original Wujek Bible from 1599, Wielkopolska Digital Library Original Wujek Bible, damaged copy, in the Polish Internet Library Original New Testament, part of Wujek's Bible from 1593, Wielkopolska Digital Library
- Wujek Bible, 1923 edition in the Internet Archive New Testament, modernized 1936 edition based on Wujek Bible Biblia w przekładzie ks. Jakuba Wujka
Further reading
- S. Sawicki, "Biblia" Wujka w kulturze polskiej, "Studia Gnesnensia" 1975, t. 1, s. 318-319