Czech Bibles show the Sabbath Resurrection of Jesus

In the Middle Ages there were not only very many German (Manuscripts, Prints-1, Prints-2), but also many and Bohemian (Czech) manuscripts of the NT (Biblia bohemica). It must be a shock for all friends of Sunday, because many Czech Bibles describe the resurrection of Jesus mostly "on a Saturday morning" or "on the first Saturday", the seven Saturdays that are counted every year until Pentecost. The following is a translation of the most important words:

czech Bible translations, resurrection sabbath
The translation of the most important Czech words in the resurrection chapter of the NT

This overview, arranged according to the Strong numbers, makes it clear that the corresponding Slavic words for Sunday (nediela, niedziela), week (tehodne, tyden, tydzień) and after (po) have been added to some Bibles by some translators as desired, since they are demonstrably not present in the basic text of the Greek NT (see Interlinear Bible) and even not in the Vulgate. So there is also no corresponding Strong number in the Resurrection chapter for such important words as "week", "Sunday" and "after", which every Greek-speaking person knew at the time of Jesus.

The first Czech translations of the NT show the Saturday resurrection

The most important old Bohemian (Biblia bohemica) or Czech bibles (abbreviation: Cz) are mentioned below. It becomes clear that most Catholic Bibles have always taught the resurrection of Jesus "on a/first Saturday" (jedna/prwni sobotu). Saturday (sobota) was the then term for the Sabbath. The translators have grown up with the Latin language (the language of the church at that time) since their childhood. Therefore they knew exactly that the Vulgate only reports of women coming to the tomb "on a Saturday/Sabbath" and not of the day after. Only in the later Bibles did theologians introduce the "first day of the week" or "Sunday" into the Bible translation, because otherwise nothing would speak for the sanctification of Sunday if Jesus had also risen on a Sabbath. This would destroy the whole doctrinal concept of the catholic Church, which is verbally taught. In the later written and printed Bohemian and Czech Bibles (1466, 1488 [Prague Bible], 1489, 1506, 1529, 1540, 1564, 1579 [Kralitzer Bible, NT; 1613 Full Bible] etc.), the translation was no longer literal, but in accordance with church doctrine. Now all of a sudden the words after (po), week (tegodne, tyden) or even Sunday (nediela) appear in the Bible to postpone the resurrection of Jesus by one day. Nevertheless, there is a shockingly large number of correctly translated Bohemian and Czech Bibles in which the resurrection of Jesus “on a Saturday” or “on a Sabbath” is a matter of fact:

Mt 28:1, Czech Bibles, resurrection Jesus Saturday morning
Mt 28:1: Czech Bibles show the resurrection of Jesus on a Saturday morning
Mark 16:2 Czech bibles, sabbath resurrection Jesus
Mk 16:2: Czech Bibles show the resurrection of Jesus on a Saturday morning
Mark 16:9 czech bibles resurrection sabbath
Mk 16:9: Czech Bibles show the resurrection of Jesus on the first Saturday
Luke 24:1 Chech Bibles, sabbath resurrection jesus
Lk 24:1: Czech Bibles show the resurrection of Jesus on a Saturday morning
John 20:1 Chech Bible translation, sabbath resurrection Jesus
Jn 20:1: Czech Bibles show the resurrection of Jesus on a Saturday morning
John 20:19, Jesus resurrection Sabbath evening
Jn 20:19: Czech Bibles show the appearance of Jesus on a Saturday evening
Acts 20:7 Czech Bibles translation, resurrection sabbath
Acts 20:7: Czech Bibles show the assembly of the church on a Saturday
1Cor 16,2 Czech Bible translations collection Saturday Sunday
1Cor 16,2: Czech Bibles show the collection on a Saturday and Sunday
Lk 18,12 Bohemian Czech Bibles fasting Sunday week
Lk 18,12: wrong translation in Bohemian and Czech Bibles: fasting on Sunday/week

 

List of Abbreviations:

  • Cz-V 14.Jh.: The oldest Czech Bible manuscripts from the 14th century were compiled by Josef Vintr in 1977. In the Resurrection chapter they are Gospels (Evangelistare) with the letter abbreviations: S (Library Seitenstetten, Austrian, Sign. CCLXXII, fol. 144a-153a), R (text by Rajhrad, Univ.-Bib. Brno, Sign. R 364), W (Evangelistar, Austrian National Library, Sign. 4733).
  • Cz-Ev 14.Jh.: Evangelistar from the 14th-15th century (Austrian National Library, sign. 4733). 
  • Cz-Om 15.Jh.: Olomouc Evangelistar from the 15th century (Evangeliář olomoucký). This manuscript shows an excellent translation of the Vulgate in all places. Every Czech child can understand that the women came to the tomb "on a Saturday" and not the day after. It was the "first Sabbath" (Mk 16:9) of the 7 Sabbaths up to Pentecost. 
  • Cz-Rj 1401: Evangelia Rajhradský 1401-1450, Biblia bohemica from Raigern, from the Benedictine Abbey of Rajhrad (German Raigern; Latin Monasterii Rayhradensis) in southern Czechia. Mk 16:2; Mk 16:9 was not translated literally but logically by adding after (po), since the verse before (Mk 16:1) reports that the women prepared the ointments after the Sabbath had already passed. But they meant the High Sabbath, because the women came to the tomb on the following weekly Sabbath. The verses in Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1; Jn 20:19 were translated very well. So this Bible contradicts itself, because Jesus cannot have risen on two different days.
  • Cz-Bs 1415: Bible Boskovská, Boskovic Bibel 1415-1420, named after the former owner Černohorský z Boskovic (Státní vědecká knihovna Olomouc, Sigantur: M III 3). 
  • Cz-Ol 1417: Bible Olomoucká, Olomouc Bible 1417, a chaotic translation, because according to Mt 28:1 and Jn 20:1 Jeus rose from the dead "on a Saturday", while the other passages speak of "on a Sunday" (Mk 16:2; Mk 16:9; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:19). Especially the two different days in a single chapter of Jn 20 were certainly very confusing for the readers. Since the Gospels have an identical statement in the basic text, the church falsification becomes obvious.
  • Cz-Pl 1420: Palimpsestes-NT 1420-1440. As writing material was very expensive, an old scroll was cleaned and rewritten with the Czech NT (Palimpsest; Nový zákon palimpsestový). Today everyone can see for himself that the women came to the tomb "on a Saturday" (Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1; Jn 20:19; Mt 28:1) and not the day after. Only in Mk 16 was the word after (po) added, since verse 1 speaks of the preparation of the anointing after the Sabbath.
  • Cz-Hd 1433: Bible Hodějovská 1433-1466 (also called Bible Sázavská, because the manuscript was later deposited in the Sázava monastery). It deserves special mention because it contains the OT and NT and surpasses most other Bibles in its content. It has been translated by a specialist who has understood his craft and has translated the Vulgate very accurately. He was able to distinguish between one/first in all passages and described the resurrection of Jesus "on a Saturday morning". So the women did not come to the tomb on a Sunday. Even Acts 20:7 and 1Cor 16:2 were correctly translated from Latin into Czech.
  • Cz-Pd 1435: Bible Padeřova 1435, Paderov Bible (or Biblia bohemica). The writers were Philip of Paderov (Filip z Paderova) and John Aliapars (Jan z Prahy Aliapars), who wrote the Bible in the castle of Ostromec (Bohemia) around 1435. The translator is unfortunately unknown, but he too was able to translate the Vulgate very well in most places. There are only a few inaccuracies, as the words after (po; Jn 20:19), Sunday (nedeli; 1Cor 16:2) and week (tyden; Lk 18:12) were inserted here. Otherwise the women came to the tomb "on a Saturday/first Saturday" (Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2; Mk 16:9; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1).
  • Cz-Ku 1440: Bible Kunštátská 1440-1460, Kunstädter Bible. This Bible also proclaims the Sabbath resurrection of Jesus very clearly.
  • Cz-Lu 1440: Lupáčův Nový zákon 1440-1460. Martin Lupáč (†1468) was a Czech theologian of the Hussite reform movement. And what does his translation of the NT say? The resurrection of Jesus "on a Saturday" (Mt 28:1; Mk 16:9; Lk 24:1; John 20:1)! Nicholas Klaudyan took it as a draft for the print of the NT in 1518, but removed the Sabbath and replaced it with Sunday.
  • Cz-Mi 15.Jh.: Bible Mikulovská 1401-1450. This manuscript contains a major error, because it brings the word after (po) to the Bible in all places (even in Mt 28:1), although it is proven to be neither in the basic Greek text nor in the Latin Vulgate. So by this falsification the translator has deliberately postponed the Resurrection Day. He also no longer separates between one and the first, as many colleagues before him have done, but throws everything into one pot. In Mt 28:1 and Jn 20:19 there is also no mention of the Sabbath, but of the holy day in general (swatku). But God has named this holiday in the chapter on the resurrection seven times with "Sabbath", so that we do not confuse this day with Sunday.
  • Cz-Cl 1445: Nový zákon klementinský 1445-1465, Clementine NT. Some verses were translated correctly (Mt 28:1; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1; Jn 20:19; Acts 20:7). Jesus rose from the dead on a Sabbath.
  • Cz-Cu 1450: Bible klementinská neznámého původu 1450-1465, Clementinian NT of unknown origin. According to Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1 and Jn 20:1; Jn 20:19 the women came to the tomb "on a Saturday (Soboty)" and not "on a Sunday (nediele)".
  • Cz-Ml 1450: Bible Mlynářčina, Bible Táborská between 1450-1475. According to the tradition, the Bible was written by a miller (mlynář). After the Moscow Bible (Bible Moskevská) it is the second smallest Czech Bible manuscript (22 x 14.5 cm). But its content is great, for it speaks of the coming of women to the tomb "on a Saturday" (Mt 28:1; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1), even though in some places the word after (po) has been added to the Bible.
  • Cz-Le 1460: Nový zákon s Umučením 1460-1470. In addition to the NT, this manuscript also contains theological commentaries on the suffering of Jesus. Here, too, the resurrection of Jesus "on a Saturday" is noted, even if not all passages have been translated correctly. The text is based on the Cz-Ml 1450 which was published 10 years earlier.
  • Cz-Tl 1461: Bible Talmberská 1461-1480, Talenberg Bible (Talmberk). This bible proclaims on all still preserved pages the resurrection of Jesus "on a Saturday". Even 1Cor 16,2 has been translated correctly.
  • Cz-Jn 1470: Český Nový Zákon "Jana z Prahy" 1470, NT by John from Prague. This manuscript proclaims the resurrection of Jesus "on the first Sabbath" in a clear way (see Calendar). Only in Mk 16:2 the author has added the word after (po), because verse 1 speaks of the preparation of ointments after the Sabbath. This example shows how important it is to know the calendar of God. This NT cannot be praised often enough. Every Czech infant knows that "w jednu Sobotu" means "on a Saturday" and not "on a Sunday. If God and the apostles had meant Sunday or the week, they would have written it accordingly. Especially the words Sunday and week mentioned by John from Prague in 1Cor 16:2 and Lk 18:12 clearly show that in the Gospels Saturday was meant and no other day.
  • Cz-Kl 1471: Bible Kladrubská 1471, Kladrub Bible, named after the former Benedictine monastery Kladruby or after the bearer of the Bible Joannes Christophorus Bořek (Bible Bořkova) This Bible was created by followers of Jan Hus (1372-1415). Every child can understand the text, which is in all places from the resurrection of Jesus "on a Sabbath" or "on the first Sabbath" of the 7 Sabbaths to Pentecost according to God's Calendar.  
  • Cz-Dl 1475: Bible Dlouhoveského (Dlouhoveská or Martinická; named after the two owners). This excellent translation has been excellently translated in all places (even Acts 20:7 and 1Cor 16:2). There is no doubt: Jesus rose from the dead on a Saturday morning.
  • Cz-Si 1475: Nový zákon se signetem 1575-1476. One of the first Czech prints was the so-called "NT with a sign" (or seal), which was probably printed in Pilsen after 1476. The printer is not known by name and is named after another of his works as Tiskař Arnoštových. The text is reminiscent of the work of John from Prague in 1470 (Cz-Jn 1470), but it is not a copy, it has many peculiarities. Also in this NT the true resurrection day of Jesus (Saturday) was correctly described.
  • Cz-Ak 1485: Nový zákon v aksamitu 1485-1505. The velvet NT, as the book boards were originally covered with black velvet (aksamite). This Bible is very similar in content to the previous Bible Kladrubská 1471 (except for 1Cor 16:2) and of course speaks in all passages of the resurrection of Jesus "on a Saturday". 
  • Cz-Pr 1488: Bible Pražská 1488. The Prague Bible of 1488 is the oldest printed Czech full Bible (OT and NT) and at the same time the oldest printed complete Bible in a Slavic language. But unlike the many very good old manuscripts before it, it was not translated literally, but according to the church doctrine. The first worldwide printed Bible in a national language, the German Mentelin Bible of 1466 was much more accurate and spoke (like the old Czech Bibles) of Saturday. Also the Czech NT 1475 (Cz-Si 1475), which was printed more than 10 years before, still proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus "on a Saturday". So the print of 1488 was no longer about the correct translation of the Word of God, but about the worldwide introduction of the Catholic Sunday sanctification. Of course, the biblical teaching of Jesus' resurrection on Saturday or Sabbath does not fit into this at all, so that the biblical text had to be changed accordingly and the word Sunday (nedieli; Mt 28:1; Mk 16:2; Mk 16:9; Jn 20:19) and after (po, Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1) had to be introduced.
  • Cz-Kn 1489: Bible Kutnohorská 1489. The oldest printed Czech Bible with illustrations.
  • Cz-Kr 1579: Bible Kralická 1579-1593. The Kralice Bible is the most famous translation of the OT and NT from Hebrew and Greek into Czech. The bishop of the Bohemian Brethren, Jan Blahoslav (*1523; †1571), who studied in Wittenberg, Königsberg and Basel, himself translated the NT, which appeared in 1564. The second edition followed in 1568, but the actual Kralitzer Bible appeared from 1579 (Pentateuch) in 6 volumes and only in 1593 the last volume with the NT was finished (nevertheless the year 1579 is often used for quotations from the NT). In 1596 the one-volume edition was published and after minor revision a new edition was published in 1613. Although Bishop Blahoslav Martin knew Luther personally and knew about his Bible, which reports about the coming of women to the tomb "on a Sabbath", he nevertheless postponed the Resurrection Day of Jesus and thus followed the teaching of the Catholic Church. To this end he immediately inserted all kinds of false statements about the NT, namely "on the first day of the week" (prwní den téhodne; Mt 28:1), "the first day after Saturday" (prwní den po Sobotě; Mk 16:2; Lk 24:1; Jn 20:1; Jn 20:19) and even "on Sunday" (w Neděli, Mk 16:9). But anyone who knows the basic Greek text and the Vulgate knows that the evangelists spoke only of the Sabbath.

Nový kovenant 2000

This excellent Czech translation from the Greek text (Scrivener) was prepared by Pastor John Podmolik. In contrast to the previous Czech Bibles printed from 1488 onwards, which mentioned Sunday (the manuscripts spoke of Saturday), the pastor puts the Sabbath back into the Bible in all places. In Mt 28:1b even one (instead of the first) was rightly used. There are only small inaccuracies in Jn 20:19 and Acts 20:7, because here the first (instead of one) is written. But this is no problem at all in terms of content, seeing that this one Sabbath is actually the first of the 7 Sabbaths up to Pentecost, as Mk 16:9 also proves. See Calendar of God. Every Czech child can understand that the women came to the tomb "on a Sabbath" and not "on a Sunday. Even Lk 18:12 was translated correctly.

Nový kovenant 2000 czech Bible resurrection Jesus Sabbath
The Nový kovenant 2000: proof of the resurrection of Jesus on a Sabbath morning

Summary

Most old Czech manuscripts mention the resurrection of Jesus "on a Saturday morning". Only in the Gospel of Mark some translators had a problem, because verse 1 speaks of women preparing the ointments when the Sabbath had already passed. Therefore Mk 16:2, Mk 16:9 was often not translated literally but logically, which inevitably meant adding the word after (po). But if the scribes had observed the calendar of God, they would not have had any problems of understanding, for there are three Sabbaths in every Passover week. But the scribes would have had to refer to the literal text of the Vulgate at least in a footnote. Nevertheless, most passages are excellently translated, including Mk 16:9, for there are two first Sabbaths every year on the Passover feast, namely the 15th Nisan (1st yearly Sabbath, High Sabbath) and the following 1st weekly Sabbath in the counting of the seven Sabbaths until Pentecost. See Calendar and Feasts of God.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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