TY - JOUR

T1 - Reformationstidens danske hebraist

T2 - Hans Tausens oversættelse af De Fem Mosebøger (1535)

AU - Dreyer, Rasmus H.C.

PY - 2023/12/31

Y1 - 2023/12/31

N2 - The article examines the Danish reformer Hans Tausen’s translation intoDanish of the Pentateuch (1535). It was the first complete translationinto Danish of these first five books of the Old Testament (which alsowas the title of the Tausen edition). The few studies in Danish churchhistory and bible studies of this translation have all concluded the Tausenedition as primarily a translation from Hebrew into Danish ratherthan being an adaption into Tausen’s vernacular of Luther’s German editions.In a critical review of these older studies (primarily Wøldike 1745and Pedersen 1917) the article points to Tausen’s dependence on Lutherboth theologically and linguistically. Through various examples the articleillustrates the Tausen edition as a translation from Luther’s Germanversion of the Pentateuch rather than an original translation fromthe Hebrew text. Tausen did consult the Hebrew Bible version, yet thearticle argues that the Hebrew text functioned more as an improvement,supplement and alteration of Luther’s editions in the translation intoDanish by Tausen. Likewise, Tausen consulted both Vulgate and LXXin the process of translation and sometimes preferred the Greek or Latinwording to the literal Hebrew or the translation of Luther. According toMolde 1949, Tausen’s translation, is one of the sources for the first completeDanish Bible translation from 1550 (also known as the ChristiernPedersen or Christian III edition) – predominantly a translation fromLuther’s complete German Bible. From this Danish 1550-version partsand expressions from Tausen’s translation has been incorporated intoDanish bible language. In his introduction to a facsimile edition of Tausen’stranslation from 1932, the church historian Bjørn Kornerup complainedthat Tausen’s well formulated Danish prose had not influencedDanish biblical language. Bertil Molde proved this wrong in his studyfrom 1949, and the article supports this view and thus the early influenceon Danish bible translations from the translations by Luther. The 1535translation by Tausen gained some popularity in the formative years ofthe Danish Reformation and in the years 1535-37 it was reprinted in fourto five different editions. Tausen’s edition of the Pentateuch has thusbeen a widespread work towards the official introduction of the Reformationof State and Church in Denmark in 1536-37 and this also explainsthe use of it by the translation committee of the Danish 1550-editionof the Bible.

AB - The article examines the Danish reformer Hans Tausen’s translation intoDanish of the Pentateuch (1535). It was the first complete translationinto Danish of these first five books of the Old Testament (which alsowas the title of the Tausen edition). The few studies in Danish churchhistory and bible studies of this translation have all concluded the Tausenedition as primarily a translation from Hebrew into Danish ratherthan being an adaption into Tausen’s vernacular of Luther’s German editions.In a critical review of these older studies (primarily Wøldike 1745and Pedersen 1917) the article points to Tausen’s dependence on Lutherboth theologically and linguistically. Through various examples the articleillustrates the Tausen edition as a translation from Luther’s Germanversion of the Pentateuch rather than an original translation fromthe Hebrew text. Tausen did consult the Hebrew Bible version, yet thearticle argues that the Hebrew text functioned more as an improvement,supplement and alteration of Luther’s editions in the translation intoDanish by Tausen. Likewise, Tausen consulted both Vulgate and LXXin the process of translation and sometimes preferred the Greek or Latinwording to the literal Hebrew or the translation of Luther. According toMolde 1949, Tausen’s translation, is one of the sources for the first completeDanish Bible translation from 1550 (also known as the ChristiernPedersen or Christian III edition) – predominantly a translation fromLuther’s complete German Bible. From this Danish 1550-version partsand expressions from Tausen’s translation has been incorporated intoDanish bible language. In his introduction to a facsimile edition of Tausen’stranslation from 1932, the church historian Bjørn Kornerup complainedthat Tausen’s well formulated Danish prose had not influencedDanish biblical language. Bertil Molde proved this wrong in his studyfrom 1949, and the article supports this view and thus the early influenceon Danish bible translations from the translations by Luther. The 1535translation by Tausen gained some popularity in the formative years ofthe Danish Reformation and in the years 1535-37 it was reprinted in fourto five different editions. Tausen’s edition of the Pentateuch has thusbeen a widespread work towards the official introduction of the Reformationof State and Church in Denmark in 1536-37 and this also explainsthe use of it by the translation committee of the Danish 1550-editionof the Bible.

M3 - Tidsskriftartikel

VL - 2023

SP - 7

EP - 28

JO - Kirkehistoriske Samlinger

JF - Kirkehistoriske Samlinger

SN - 0450-3171

M1 - 1

ER -