Russian Synodal Bible
Encyclopedia
Russian Synodal Bible is a Russian non-Church Slavonic translation of the Bible
commonly used by the Russian Orthodox Church
, Russian Baptists and other Protestant
, as well as Roman Catholic communities in Russia.
The translation began in 1813, after the establishment of the Russian Bible Society
and by permission of czar Alexander I
. The work was partly halted under a more conservative emperor Nicholas I
(between 1825 and 1855), but it was again resumed and completed in the next reign, of Alexander II
.
The Most Holy Synod
entrusted the translation to four Orthodox theological academies, in Moscow, Saint Petersburg
, Kazan
and Kiev
. The complete work was published in 1876. The final editorship was performed by the Synod and personally by Filaret, Metropolitan of Moscow
. The translation of the Old Testament
is based on the Jewish Masoretic Text
while that of the New Testament
is based on the Greek printed editions of that time. This decision was grounded on Filaret's 1834 note "On the need of the Russian Church for a translation of the whole Bible from the original texts to the modern Russian language". The permission to use the Masoretic Text as preserved by the Jews (rather than relying on the Septuagint and/or the Church Slavonic translations as preserved by the Christians) was granted to Filaret by the Synod in 1862. Though the linguistic norms of the Russian language have changed since the early editions, some features remained untouched. Due to its vocabulary resemblance to the Church Slavonic language, the Synodal version helped shape some distinctive Slavonic-inspired features used both in the Russian spoken language and in Russian literature up to now.
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
commonly used by the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
, Russian Baptists and other Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
, as well as Roman Catholic communities in Russia.
The translation began in 1813, after the establishment of the Russian Bible Society
Russian Bible Society
Russian Bible Society - christian non-denominational organization for translating and distributing the books of the Old Testament and New Testament and the Bible in Russia.-Early history:...
and by permission of czar Alexander I
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
. The work was partly halted under a more conservative emperor Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
(between 1825 and 1855), but it was again resumed and completed in the next reign, of Alexander II
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
.
The Most Holy Synod
Most Holy Synod
The Most Holy Governing Synod was the highest governing body of the Russian Orthodox Church between 1721 and 1918, when the Patriarchate was restored. The jurisdiction of the Most Holy Synod extended over every kind of ecclesiastical question and over some that are partly secular.The Synod was...
entrusted the translation to four Orthodox theological academies, in Moscow, Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg Theological Academy
The Saint Petersburg Theological Academy is a theological seminary in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The academy grants master and doctorate degrees preparing theologians and priests for the Eastern Orthodox Church. It was founded in 1797 by Gabriel , Metropolitan of Saint Petersburg, as part of the...
, Kazan
Kazan Theological Seminary
The Kazan Theological Seminary is the principal Russian Orthodox seminary in the Diocese of Kazan.-History:Orthodox Christian Theological education began in 1718 in Kazan with the setting up of a school for education of children of the clergy in the Kazan area. This was then followed by the opening...
and Kiev
Kiev Theological Academy
The Kievan Theological Academy and Seminary is the oldest college of the Russian Orthodox Church. It is situated in Kiev and traces its history back to 1615, when Yelisey Pletenetsky founded a "brotherhood school" at the Theophany Monastery....
. The complete work was published in 1876. The final editorship was performed by the Synod and personally by Filaret, Metropolitan of Moscow
Filaret, Metropolitan of Moscow
Filaret , Metropolitan of Moscow was the most influential figure in the Russian Orthodox Church for more than 40 years, from 1821 to 1867. He was canonized on 13 October 1994 and his feast day is celebrated on November 19.-Life:He was born in Kolomna as Vasily Drozdov...
. The translation of 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...
is based on the Jewish Masoretic Text
Masoretic Text
The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible and is regarded as Judaism's official version of the Tanakh. While the Masoretic Text defines the books of the Jewish canon, it also defines the precise letter-text of these biblical books, with their vocalization and...
while that 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....
is based on the Greek printed editions of that time. This decision was grounded on Filaret's 1834 note "On the need of the Russian Church for a translation of the whole Bible from the original texts to the modern Russian language". The permission to use the Masoretic Text as preserved by the Jews (rather than relying on the Septuagint and/or the Church Slavonic translations as preserved by the Christians) was granted to Filaret by the Synod in 1862. Though the linguistic norms of the Russian language have changed since the early editions, some features remained untouched. Due to its vocabulary resemblance to the Church Slavonic language, the Synodal version helped shape some distinctive Slavonic-inspired features used both in the Russian spoken language and in Russian literature up to now.