Spanish translations of the Bible
Encyclopedia
Several Spanish translations of the Bible have been made since approximately 700 years ago.
would use them as a resource for learning Jewish practices.
Following the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, the refugees took these versions with them. In 1553 a printed version, known as the Ferrara Bible
, was made in Latin characters for Duke Ercole II d'Este
of Ferrara
. In Constantinople
and Salonica
Bibles were printed in Hebrew, flanked by translations into Ladino
and Judaeo-Greek
in Hebrew characters, for the use of the Sephardi Jews
. Some later prints contained the Ladino text alone.
, revised by Cipriano de Valera
. It was for the use of the incipient Protestant movement and is widely regarded as the Spanish equivalent of the King James Version.
The first whole Bible in Spanish was printed in Basel in 1569, authored by Casiodoro de Reina, although some think that this Bible was a collective effort of some monks of the San Isidoro community in Spain, who, led by Casiodoro de Reyna, escaped Inquisition and persecution. This was the first version of the complete Bible in Spanish (including Apocrypha), and is known as "Biblia del Oso" because of the honey-eating bear on its title page. Reina presented the University of Basel with some volumes, one of them with Reina's dedicatory and signature.
For the Old Testament, the work was possibly based on the Ferrara Bible (printed 1553), with comparisons to the Masoretic Text and the Vetus Latina. The New Testament probably derives from the Textus Receptus of Erasmus with comparisons to the Vetus Latina and Syriac manuscripts. It is possible that Reina also used the New Testament versions that had been translated first by Francisco de Enzinas
(printed in Antwerp 1543) and by Juan Pérez de Pineda (published in Geneva 1556, followed by the Psalms 1562).
After the publication of the whole Bible by Reina, there was a version from Cipriano de Valera
(printed in London 1596) which became part of the first Reina-Valera
print (Amsterdam 1602).
This edition of the Reina-Valera Bible has been revised in the 19th, 20th, and 21st century (1862, 1865, 1909, 1960, 1995, 2004, 2009). The discussion on these revisions especially concerning the 1960 version resulted in the "Monterrey Revision Project", as well as others, aiming at a revision of the original version of 1602 according to the Textus Receptus.
The Bible was first translated into Castilian Spanish in the so-called Pre-Alfonsine version, which led to the Alfonsine version for the court of Alfonso X (ca. 1280).
The Biblia de Petisco y Torres Amat appeared in 1825. Traditionalist Catholic
s consider this to be the best Spanish translation because it is direct translation from St. Jerome
's Latin Vulgate
, like the English language
Douay-Rheims Bible.
Of more recent versions, the first official translation from the complete Catholic Bible was done by Nácar-Colunga (1944), followed by Bover-Cantera (1947) and Straubinger (1944-51).
The most widely accepted Catholic Bible is the "Biblia de Jerusalén". Its first Spanish translation was published in 1967 and was revised in 1973. It is also available in a modern Latin American version, and comes with full introductory texts and comments.
Other popular versions include Biblia Latinoamericana (1972), Nueva Biblia Española (1975), Cantera-Iglesia (1975), Sagrada Biblia (1978), La Biblia (1992), Biblia del Peregrino (1993), and Biblia de América (1994) and La Biblia de Nuestro Pueblo (2006).
In recent years several ecumenical versions that carry the Deuterocanonical books, for example "Dios Habla Hoy" from the UBS, have been approved by the CELAM (Latin American Episcopal Council) for study purposes. Their acceptance, however, is limited and their use in liturgy avoided due to claims of inaccurate translations in key passages for Catholics like Luke 1:26-38, 40-45; John 20:22-23; 21:15-17.
In 2010 the Conference of Spanish Bishops published an official version of the Holy Bible in Spanish for liturgical and cathechetical use.
Jewish translations
Medieval Spanish Jews had a tradition of oral translation of Biblical readings into Spanish, and several manuscript translations were made, either for Jewish use or for Christian patrons. However, restrictions were placed on the private ownership of Spanish translations of the Bible, partly as a measure against Protestantism and partly for fear that crypto-JewsMarrano
Marranos were Jews living in the Iberian peninsula who converted to Christianity rather than be expelled but continued to observe rabbinic Judaism in secret...
would use them as a resource for learning Jewish practices.
Following the expulsion of the Jews from Spain, the refugees took these versions with them. In 1553 a printed version, known as the Ferrara Bible
Ferrara Bible
The Ferrara Bible was a 1553 publication of the Ladino version of the Tanach used by Sephardi Jews. It was paid for and made by Yom-Tob ben Levi Athias and Abraham ben Salomon Usque , and was dedicated to Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara...
, was made in Latin characters for Duke Ercole II d'Este
Ercole II d'Este
Ercole II d'Este was Duke of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio from 1534 to 1559. He was a member of the house of Este and the eldest son of Alfonso I d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia....
of Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
. In Constantinople
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
and Salonica
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
Bibles were printed in Hebrew, flanked by translations into Ladino
Judaeo-Spanish
Judaeo-Spanish , in Israel commonly referred to as Ladino, and known locally as Judezmo, Djudeo-Espanyol, Djudezmo, Djudeo-Kasteyano, Spaniolit and other names, is a Romance language derived from Old Spanish...
and Judaeo-Greek
Yevanic language
Yevanic, otherwise known as Judeo-Greek, was the dialect of the Romaniotes, the group of Greek Jews whose existence in Greece is documented since the Hellenistic period. Its linguistic lineage stems from the Hellenistic Koine and includes Hebrew elements as well. It was mutually intelligible with...
in Hebrew characters, for the use of the Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
. Some later prints contained the Ladino text alone.
Reina-Valera translation
The classic Spanish translation of the Bible is that of Casiodoro de ReinaCasiodoro de Reina
Casiodoro de Reina or de Reyna Casiodoro de Reina or de Reyna Casiodoro de Reina or de Reyna (born 1520 in Montemolín; died 15 March 1594 in Frankfurt am Main was a Lutheran theologian who (perhaps with several others) translated the Bible into Spanish.-Early life:...
, revised by Cipriano de Valera
Cipriano de Valera
Cipriano de Valera was the editor of the first major revision of the Spanish Bible translation of Casiodoro de Reina. First published in 1602, this version of the Bible continues to be called the Reina-Valera, even after latter revisions. Valera was in exile in England during most of the reign of...
. It was for the use of the incipient Protestant movement and is widely regarded as the Spanish equivalent of the King James Version.
The first whole Bible in Spanish was printed in Basel in 1569, authored by Casiodoro de Reina, although some think that this Bible was a collective effort of some monks of the San Isidoro community in Spain, who, led by Casiodoro de Reyna, escaped Inquisition and persecution. This was the first version of the complete Bible in Spanish (including Apocrypha), and is known as "Biblia del Oso" because of the honey-eating bear on its title page. Reina presented the University of Basel with some volumes, one of them with Reina's dedicatory and signature.
For the Old Testament, the work was possibly based on the Ferrara Bible (printed 1553), with comparisons to the Masoretic Text and the Vetus Latina. The New Testament probably derives from the Textus Receptus of Erasmus with comparisons to the Vetus Latina and Syriac manuscripts. It is possible that Reina also used the New Testament versions that had been translated first by Francisco de Enzinas
Francisco de Enzinas
Francisco de Enzinas , also known by the humanist name Francis Dryander , was a classical scholar, translator, author, and Protestant apologist of Spanish origin.-Family and Education:Francisco de Enzinas was born in Burgos, Spain, probably on 1 November 1518...
(printed in Antwerp 1543) and by Juan Pérez de Pineda (published in Geneva 1556, followed by the Psalms 1562).
After the publication of the whole Bible by Reina, there was a version from Cipriano de Valera
Cipriano de Valera
Cipriano de Valera was the editor of the first major revision of the Spanish Bible translation of Casiodoro de Reina. First published in 1602, this version of the Bible continues to be called the Reina-Valera, even after latter revisions. Valera was in exile in England during most of the reign of...
(printed in London 1596) which became part of the first Reina-Valera
Reina-Valera
The Reina-Valera is a Spanish translation of the Bible, first published in 1569 in Basel, Switzerland and nicknamed the "Biblia del Oso" . It was not the first complete Bible in Spanish; several others, most notably the Alfonsina Bible, were published in previous centuries...
print (Amsterdam 1602).
This edition of the Reina-Valera Bible has been revised in the 19th, 20th, and 21st century (1862, 1865, 1909, 1960, 1995, 2004, 2009). The discussion on these revisions especially concerning the 1960 version resulted in the "Monterrey Revision Project", as well as others, aiming at a revision of the original version of 1602 according to the Textus Receptus.
Catholic translations
Official Catholic Bibles must carry a Vatican imprimatur to ensure they contain the entire canonical text identified by Pope Damasus and the Synod of Rome (382) and the local Councils of Hippo (393) and Carthage (397), contained in St. Jerome's Latin Vulgate translation (420), and decreed infallibly by the Ecumenical Council of Trent (1570).The Bible was first translated into Castilian Spanish in the so-called Pre-Alfonsine version, which led to the Alfonsine version for the court of Alfonso X (ca. 1280).
The Biblia de Petisco y Torres Amat appeared in 1825. Traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholic
Traditionalist Catholics are Roman Catholics who believe that there should be a restoration of many or all of the liturgical forms, public and private devotions and presentations of Catholic teachings which prevailed in the Catholic Church before the Second Vatican Council...
s consider this to be the best Spanish translation because it is direct translation from St. Jerome
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
's Latin 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...
, like the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
Douay-Rheims Bible.
Of more recent versions, the first official translation from the complete Catholic Bible was done by Nácar-Colunga (1944), followed by Bover-Cantera (1947) and Straubinger (1944-51).
The most widely accepted Catholic Bible is the "Biblia de Jerusalén". Its first Spanish translation was published in 1967 and was revised in 1973. It is also available in a modern Latin American version, and comes with full introductory texts and comments.
Other popular versions include Biblia Latinoamericana (1972), Nueva Biblia Española (1975), Cantera-Iglesia (1975), Sagrada Biblia (1978), La Biblia (1992), Biblia del Peregrino (1993), and Biblia de América (1994) and La Biblia de Nuestro Pueblo (2006).
In recent years several ecumenical versions that carry the Deuterocanonical books, for example "Dios Habla Hoy" from the UBS, have been approved by the CELAM (Latin American Episcopal Council) for study purposes. Their acceptance, however, is limited and their use in liturgy avoided due to claims of inaccurate translations in key passages for Catholics like Luke 1:26-38, 40-45; John 20:22-23; 21:15-17.
In 2010 the Conference of Spanish Bishops published an official version of the Holy Bible in Spanish for liturgical and cathechetical use.
List of Spanish translations
- Biblia Alfonsina, 1280.
- Biblia del Duque de AlbaAlba BibleThe Alba Bible is a 1430 translation of the Old Testament made directly from Hebrew into Mediaeval Castilian, one of the earliest known translations into a Romance language...
, 1430. - Antiguo Testamento del rabino Salomón, 1420.
- Antiguo Testamento de traductor anónimo, 1420.
- Nuevo Testamento de Francisco de EnzinasFrancisco de EnzinasFrancisco de Enzinas , also known by the humanist name Francis Dryander , was a classical scholar, translator, author, and Protestant apologist of Spanish origin.-Family and Education:Francisco de Enzinas was born in Burgos, Spain, probably on 1 November 1518...
, 1543. - Ferrara BibleFerrara BibleThe Ferrara Bible was a 1553 publication of the Ladino version of the Tanach used by Sephardi Jews. It was paid for and made by Yom-Tob ben Levi Athias and Abraham ben Salomon Usque , and was dedicated to Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara...
, 1553. - Nuevo Testamento de Juan Pérez de Pineda, 1556.
- Reina o "Biblia del Oso" (RV), 1569, revised in 1602 by Cipriano de ValeraCipriano de ValeraCipriano de Valera was the editor of the first major revision of the Spanish Bible translation of Casiodoro de Reina. First published in 1602, this version of the Bible continues to be called the Reina-Valera, even after latter revisions. Valera was in exile in England during most of the reign of...
(see Reina-ValeraReina-ValeraThe Reina-Valera is a Spanish translation of the Bible, first published in 1569 in Basel, Switzerland and nicknamed the "Biblia del Oso" . It was not the first complete Bible in Spanish; several others, most notably the Alfonsina Bible, were published in previous centuries...
). - Biblia del padre Scío de San Miguel, 1793.
- Valera1865, Valera 1602 reprinted by the America Bible Society, revised by Dr. Ángel de Mora, 1865.
- Versión Moderna, 1893.
- Biblia de Petisco y Torres Amat (1º Tomo—Genesis to RuthBook of RuthThe Book of Ruth is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible, Tanakh, or Old Testament. In the Jewish canon the Book of Ruth is included in the third division, or the Writings . In the Christian canon the Book of Ruth is placed between Judges and 1 Samuel...
), 5º Tomo—IsaiahBook of IsaiahThe Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
to EzekielBook of EzekielThe Book of Ezekiel is the third of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah and preceding the Book of the Twelve....
, 1825. - Nuevo Testamento versión hispanoamericana, 1916.
- Biblia Nácar-Colunga, 1944.
- Biblia Bóver-Cantera, 1947.
- Nuevo Testamento de monseñor Straubinger, 1948.
- Biblia de Jerusalén, 1966. Translation from French.
- Biblia traducción del Nuevo Mundo, 1967. Translation from English.
- Biblia de Editorial Labor, 1968.
- Biblia edición pastoral para Latinoamérica, 1972.
- La Biblia de editorial Herder, 1975.
- Nueva Biblia Española, 1976.
- Biblia Interconfesional, 1978.
- Dios Habla Hoy o Versión Popular (DHH), 1979.
- La Biblia al Día, 1979.
- Biblia el libro del pueblo de Dios, 1980.
- Biblia de la Universidad de Navarra, 1983-2004.
- La Biblia de las Américas (LBLA), 1986, 1995, 1997.
- Biblia, versión revisada por un equipo de traductores dirigido por Evaristo Martín Nieto. 1989.
- Reina-Valera Actualizada (RVA), published by the Editorial Mundo Hispano, 1989.
- Biblia Casa de la Biblia, 1992.
- Biblia del Peregrino, 1993.
- Nuevo Testamento versión Recobro, 1994.
- Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI), 1999.
- Nuevo Testamento traducción de Pedro Ortiz, 2000.
- Nuevo Testamento la Palabra de Dios para Todos (PDT), 2000.
- VALERA1865, revised by Dr. Ángel de Mora, 1865, reprinted by the Valera Bible Society, 2000.
- Traducción en lenguaje actual (TLA), 2003.
- Traducción del Nuevo Mundo de las Escrituras Griegas Cristianas, 1963, 1987. Translation from English. Publisher: Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.
- Reina Valera Gómez 2004 Publicada por Iglesia Bautista Libertad.
- Biblia la Palabra de Dios para Todos (PDT), 2005.
- Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy (NBLH), 2005. Formerly known as Nueva Biblia de los Hispanos.
- Nueva Biblia al día (NBD), 2008.
- Nueva Traducción Viviente (NTV), 2009. (New Testament only; full Bible available in 2010)
- Santa Biblia: Reina-Valera 2009, 2009 Published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Sagrada Biblia. Versión oficial de la Conferencia Episcopal Española, 2010.
Comparison
| Translation | John Gospel of John The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus... (Juan) 3:16 |
|---|---|
| Biblia de Jerusalén (JER) | Porque tanto amó Dios al mundo que dio a su Hijo único, para que todo el que crea en él no perezca, sino que tenga vida eterna. |
| Nueva Biblia de Jerusalén | Porque tanto amó Dios al mundo que dio a su Hijo unigeníto, para que todo el que crea en él no perezca, sino que tenga vida eterna. |
| Biblia Latinoamericana 1995 (BL95) | ¡Así amó Dios al mundo! Le dio al Hijo Unico, para que quien cree en él no se pierda, sino que tenga vida eterna. |
| El Libro del Pueblo de Dios | Porque el Dios amó tanto al mundo, que entregó a su Hijo único, para que todo el que cree en él no muera, sino que tenga Vida eterna. |
| La Palabra de Dios para Todos (PDT) | Dios amó tanto al mundo que dio a su Hijo único para que todo el que crea en él no se pierda, sino que tenga vida eterna. |
| Reina-Valera Reina-Valera The Reina-Valera is a Spanish translation of the Bible, first published in 1569 in Basel, Switzerland and nicknamed the "Biblia del Oso" . It was not the first complete Bible in Spanish; several others, most notably the Alfonsina Bible, were published in previous centuries... 1960 |
Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna. |
| Nueva Versión Internacional | Porque tanto amó Dios al mundo, que dio a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo el que cree en él no se pierda, sino que tenga vida eterna. |
| Dios Habla Hoy | Pues Dios amó tanto al mundo, que dio a su Hijo único, para que todo aquel que cree en él no muera, sino que tenga vida eterna. |
| La Biblia de las Américas | Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que dio a su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que cree en Él, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna. |
| Traducción en lenguaje actual | Dios amó tanto a la gente de este mundo, que me entregó a mí, que soy su único Hijo, para que todo el que crea en mí no muera, sino que tenga vida eterna. |
External links
- Valera Bible Society. Rejects all Reina-Valera revisions after 1865.
- Biblia Latinoamericana (Sobicain)
- Nueva Versión International (International Bible Society)
- Which Spanish Bible is Correct? (fundamentalist site)
- Biblia Reina-Valera, 1602 version (Project Gutenberg)
- The Spanish Bible Issue
- Santa Biblia Valera 1602 Purificada
- Santa Biblia Valera 1602 Purificada (2007)
- Bible Versions (biblegateway.com)
- Biblia de Jerusalem
- Spanish Bible PDT version
- El Libro del Pueblo de Dios (vatican.va)
- http://www.dailyaudiobible.com/Groups/1000043454/Daily_Audio_Bible/Hidden_Home_Page/Listen_Now/Listen_Now.aspx
- Santa Biblia: Reina-Valera 2009 (LDS edition)
- La Biblia más antigua en castellano (Spanish)