The German Kautzsch-Weizsäcker Bible (DEUGKW)

Overview

The Textbibel (Textbibel des Alten und Neuen Testaments) is a German academic Bible translation combining the Old Testament work of Emil Friedrich Kautzsch (1841-1910) with the New Testament translation of Carl Heinrich Weizsäcker (1822-1899). First published as a complete Bible in 1899 by J. C. B. Mohr (Paul Siebeck) in Tübingen, this edition represents the 1906 third edition. [1] [2]

Kautzsch, a professor of Old Testament studies at Halle, had first published the Old Testament portion in 1894 in collaboration with numerous specialist scholars. [1] His translation was notable for rendering the divine name YHWH as "Jahwe" following the scholarly convention of the time, rather than the traditional Lutheran "Herr." [1] Weizsäcker, who served as professor of church history and rector of the University of Tübingen, had independently published his New Testament translation in 1875, working from the critical Greek text of Tischendorf. [2] Weizsäcker continued revising his translation through nine editions until his death in 1899, striving to let the original text speak for itself in a rendering that was deliberately independent of Luther's influential tradition. [2]

The Textbibel was a landmark in German-language biblical scholarship, offering a critical translation informed by the latest philological and textual research of the late 19th century. The third edition (1906) was published after Weizsäcker's death in 1899; Kautzsch continued to oversee subsequent editions until his own death in 1910. [1] [2]

Translators and Contributors

  • Emil Friedrich Kautzsch (1841-1910): Old Testament translator and editor. Born in Plauen, Saxony, he held professorships at Leipzig, Basel, Tübingen, and finally Halle (from 1888). A leading Hebraist, he also edited the standard 28th edition of Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar and traveled to Ottoman Palestine in 1876. [1]
  • Carl Heinrich Weizsäcker (1822-1899): New Testament translator. Born in Öhringen, Württemberg, he studied and taught at Tübingen, becoming professor of church history in 1861 and university rector in 1890. A representative of the historical-critical school, he was the grandfather of later German President Richard von Weizsäcker. [2]

Language and People

German (ISO 639-3: deu) is spoken by approximately 76,100,000 people in Germany. [Glottolog: stan1295]

Publishing and Organizations

Published by eBible.

References