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**List: Swedish Ministry Bible (Biblia, Bibeln, Bibel )
SWEDISH. [STOCKHOLM.]--1860 S. Bagster [Info only: Gothic Character "1848" John 1:1-14 unknown.] |
Svenska / Swedish Bible History (3)
**List: Swedish Ministry
Bible (Biblia, Bibeln, Bibel )
Swedish...
"III.--VERSIONS OF THE SCRIPTURES IN THIS LANGUAGE. A version of the Scriptures into Swedish is said to have been made in the fourteenth century by
order of St. Brigit, or Bridget, who about the year 1344 founded the religious order called from her
the Brigittins; but it is problematical whether such a version was really executed, for no vestiges
whatever of it remain, and it is not even mentioned by early writers. A translation of the New
Testament, according to Luther's German version, (the first Swedish version of which we have any
definite account,) was undertaken by command of Gustavus Vasa in 1523, by Laurentius Andreas,
then a priest of the church of Stengnas, but afterwards archdeacon of Upsal, and at length
chancellor. This New Testament was printed in 1526, in folio, at Stockholm, and was after-
wards republished in various forms. At the same time that Gustavus Vasa gave directions for the
translation of this New Testament from Luther's version, he enjoined John Gothus, archbishop of
Upsal, to prepare another version accommodated to the tenets of the Church of Rome, in order that by
a careful comparison of both translations with the original, an easier access might be opened to the
truth. The archbishop, not daring to resist the royal mandate, employed some of his clergy to pre-
pare this translation; but, to evade its publication, he secretly left the kingdom, and died in 1544 at
Rome; so that although the New Testament is said to have been actually translated on this occasion,
chiefly by a Catholic doctor named Benedict, yet no portion of the work was printed.
The first Swedish version of the entire Bible was published at Upsal in 1541, with the Apo-
crypha. The Old Testament was translated by Laurentius and Olaus Petri from Luther's German
version of 1534, and the New Testament was that of Laurentius Andreas, printed, as we have seen, in
1526. Another version of the New Testament, prepared by Amund Laurent, was published at Stock-
holm in 1550, and again in 1605 and 1621; and in the course of subsequent years several editions of
the Psalms were printed. But unless the Bible of 1541 was reprinted at Upsal in 1576, which seems
very doubtful, Sweden remained for about seventy years without a second edition of the entire
Scriptures. At length however, in the commencement of the seventeenth century, Charles IX.
ordered Jonas Petri, bishop of Strengnes, and other learned men, to collate Luther's editions of 1534
and 1545, noting such discrepancies as appeared to them of any importance, with the view of pro-
ducing an improved edition of the Swedish translation. These notes, when completed, were called
the "observations of Strengnes;" and it was decreed in the synod of Stockholm in 1602, that they
should be incorporated with the old version in a new edition of the Bible. The edition, however,
from various causes, did not make its appearance till 1617, when it was printed in folio at Stockholm.
This edition was carried through the press by John Reidbeck and John Lenœus, who were ordered to
retain the text of the former edition, (which followed Luther's of 1535,) but to correct its numerous
typographical errors, and to add summaries to the chapters, parallel references, brief annotations, and
necessary indexes. In 1622 not a copy of this edition remained on sale, and a reprint was, therefore,
issued in quarto at Lubeck, followed by several successive editions in 8vo. (but without the summaries
and notes) at Leyden; and by two editions in 1636 and 1646 at Stockholm. In 1650, the Strengnes
Bible was printed in 4to. under the care of Bishop Matthia; but, through the carelessness of the
printers, whole verses were omitted in this impression. Several editions of the entire Bible, in folio,
quarto, and octavo, were published in 1655 and subsequent years at Stockholm, professedly from the
edition of 1618, but with many deviations from that text.
In 1671 the Four Gospels in the Sueo-Gothic, or vulgar Swedish dialect, translated by George
Stiernhielm, appeared in a polyglot containing the Gospels of Ulphilas, the Norse or Icelandic Gospels,
and the Vulgate.
A revised edition of the entire Bible was undertaken under the reign of Charles XII., and the
execution of the work was committed to Eric Benzel, bishop of Strengnes, and afterwards archbishop
of Upsal, assisted by Nicholas Berg and other learned men. Former editions were collated, and the
marginal notes were revised for this edition; but variations from the text of 1618 were very sparingly
admitted, except when they appeared more conformable to the originals and to Luther's German
version. It was printed in 1703, in folio, at Stockholm, and is considered a superior edition.
Another revised edition of the Bible appeared in 1709, in 4to., at the same place. The prepara-
tion for this edition was begun by John Gezel, bishop of Abo, who collated it with the Greek and
Hebrew texts; but he died in 1690, and the work was completed and published by his son. It
is accompanied with the prefaces and notes of Luther, a portrait of Charles XII., and a chronological
index. So many editions of the Swedish Scriptures appeared in the course of the eighteenth century,
that the country was generally considered to be well supplied with Bibles; and it was not till the year
1808, when Dr. Paterson visited Sweden, that the real facts of the case were ascertained; and it was
then found that the poorer inhabitants were almost destitute of the word of God, and that the high
price of Bibles placed them beyond the reach of the humbler classes. This discovery led to the
formation of the Evangelical Society, by which several editions for the poor were issued, aided by
grants from the British and Foreign Bible Society. The Swedish Bible Society was formed in 1815,
and, with its numerous auxiliary Societies, still continues the important work of printing and dis-
seminating the Scriptures. It received much assistance from the British and Foreign Bible Society
until the year 1826, when the decision of the Apocryphal question in London severed the connexion
between the two Societies.
In order to maintain the circulation of Bibles in Sweden without the Apocrypha, several editions
of the Old and New Testaments have been issued by the British and Foreign Bible Society. Their
first edition, which was stereotyped, was published in 1828, under the superintendence of the Rev.
J. P. Wahlin, chaplain to the Swedish Embassy in London. The text adopted was that of the last
edition of the Swedish Bible Society. Several editions from the same text have since been printed
by the same Society in London, and likewise at Stockholm, through the medium of their Agency
maintained there.
The total number of copies of the Swedish Scriptures issued by the British and Foreign Bible
Society and the Swedish Bible Society, up to the beginning of 1860, amounted to above 1,660,000;
of which 212,238 Bibles, and 684,236 Testaments, were from the Agency of the British Society.
Separate editions of the Testament and Psalms, to the number of 128,202 copies, besides 480 copies
of the Gospel of St. Luke, printed in embossed characters for the blind, have likewise been issued by
the same Society."--The Bible of Every Land. (1860, Second Edition) Samuel Bagster [Info only]SWEDISH. [STOCKHOLM.]--1860 S. Bagster [Info only: Gothic Character "1848" John 1:1-14 unknown.]
[Christian Helps Ministry (USA)] [Christian Home Bible Course]