The Wycliffe Bible Translation and the Term "The Preparation" (Part 1) by Marsha Basner

Much commentary has been made by both Sabbatarians and non-Sabbatarians regarding the term "preparation" (in conjunction with the Sabbath). Its presence in the biblical accounts detailing the Savior's last week is presented as irrefutable proof that the day it refers to is supposedly Friday.

In consulting a lexicon, we find the following definition of the Greek term translated as "preparation:" # 3904 Paraskeue (Strong's Concordance) paraskeuh/ as if from (3903) Transliterated word phonetic spelling Paraskeue par-ask-yoo-ay' [ ] Parts of Speech (Theological Dictionary of the New Testament [TDNT]) Noun, Feminine 7:1,989

Definition

1) a making ready, preparation, equipping

2) that which is prepared, equipment

3) in the NT in a Jewish sense, the day of preparation a) the day on which the Jews made necessary preparation to celebrate a sabbath or a feast "Parasceve," is the Latin equivalent to the Greek term, "Preparation," which is defined as follows according to the Catholic Encyclopedia:

"In the Latin language, the term 'Parasceve,' (equivalent to the Greek term, Paraskeue) seems to have been applied also to the eve of certain festival days of a sabbatic character. Foremost among these was the first day of the unleavened bread, Nisan 15. We learn from the Mishna (Pesach, iv, 1, 5) that the Parasceve of the Pasch, whatever day of the week it fell on, was kept even more religiously than the ordinary Friday, in Judæa work ceasing at noon, and in Galilee the whole day being free." (http:// www.newadvent.org/cathen/11476a.htm)

According to the definition of both Paraskeue and "Parasceve the terms can be used to refer EITHER to the day prior to the Sabbath or prior to a feast day, refuting the claim that many have that the term 'preparation' as used in the Bible, exclusively refers to a "Friday." (The Eastern Church however, did eventually adopt the word Paraskeue, using it exclusively to refer to Friday.)

Interestingly, during the first century, the common term used by the Hebrews for the evening before the Sabbath or Festival was "Erev Shabbat," "Erev Pask/ Passover," etc. Therefore when reading some of the earliest English translations, it was amazing to find the term "Sabbath even" or "Pask/Passover even," (as would be expected from writings of that time period), rather than the term "preparation" as is present in our "modern" English translation.

A common practice of many Sabbatarians is when presented with a new translation of the Bible, to check certain key texts to ascertain how the translator rendered them. When this author had the opportunity to view the Wycliffe Bible translation, of 1395, (a translation that is 610 years old, containing old English spellings that are sometimes hard to decipher) Heb. 4:9, the following was found: "Therfor the sabat is left to the puple of God."

Finding that very interesting, assuming that the term "sabat" used above was the old English rendering of "Sabbath," Matt. 28:1 was checked with these findings: "But in the euentid of the sabat, that bigynneth to schyne in the firste dai of the woke, Marie Mawdelene cam, and another Marie, to se the sepulcre."

Becoming more intrigued, an Internet search was run on Wycliffe and his Bible translation, the highlights are as follows:

The first hand-written English language Bible manuscripts were produced in 1380's AD by John Wycliffe, an Oxford professor, scholar, and theologian. Wycliffe, (also spelled "Wycliff" & "Wyclif"), was well-known throughout Europe for his opposition to the teaching of the organized Church, which he believed to be contrary to the Bible. With the help of his followers, called the Lollards, and his assistant Purvey, and many other faithful scribes, Wycliffe produced dozens of English language manuscript copies of the scriptures. They were translated out of the Latin Vulgate, which was the only source text available to Wycliffe. The Pope was so infuriated by his teachings and his translation of the Bible into English that 44 years after Wycliffe had died, he ordered the bones to be dug up, crushed, and scattered in the river!
(http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/john-wycliffe.html).

Another interesting site revealed: Some of his students joined him at the parish church in Lutterworth. There they undertook the monumental task of translating all the Scriptures into English, working from a handwritten Latin translation that was over 1000 years old. And they continued Wycliffe's practice of training "poor preachers," known as Lollards, who took the Word out to the common people across the land (http://chi.gospelcom.net/GLIMPSEF/Glimpses/glmps013.shtml).

Since Wycliffe wrote from a handwritten Latin translation 1000 years old, he had access to a translation written in the late 300's A.D.!

Perusing through many other texts, the following became apparent, that many verses in his Bible differed markedly from the same verses in the more modern, specifically our KJV Bible, (and other English Bibles which are based upon the Received Text/TextusReceptus of 1516 A.D.)

One series of verses which were specially noted are the focus of this article. Those are the verses containing the word "preparation" in conjunction with the term "Sabbath," occurring in the Gospel's accounts of our Savior's last week. The following is a comparison of the following texts, Matt. 27:62, Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54, John 19:14, 31 & 42 in the KJV and the Wycliffe Bible:

Matt. 27:62
KJV: "Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate," Wycliffe: "And on the tother dai, that is aftir pask euen, the princis of prestis and the Farisees camen togidere to Pilat,"

Mark 15:42
KJV: "And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,"
Wycliffe: "And whanne euentid was come, for it was the euentid which is bifor the sabat,"

Luke 23:54
KJV: "And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on."
Wycliffe: "And the dai was the euen of the halidai, and the sabat bigan to schyne."

John 19:14

KJV: "And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!" Wycliffe: "And it was pask eue, as it were the
sixte our. And he seith to the Jewis, Lo! youre king."

John 19:31
KJV: "The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away."
Wycliffe: "Therfor for it was the pask eue, that the bodies schulden not abide on the cros in the sabat, for that was a greet sabat dai, the Jewis preiden Pilat, that the hipis of hem schulden be brokun, and thei takun awei."

John 19:42
KJV: "There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand."
Wycliffe: "Therfor there thei putten Jhesu, for the vigilie of Jewis feeste, for the sepulcre was niy."

Observations:

In Matt. 27:62, instead of the term "the day of preparation" as used in the KJV/, Received Text, Wycliffe uses, "after pask (passover) even."

In Mark 15:42, instead of the term "preparation" as used in the KJV, Wycliffe uses the term "eventide."

In Luke 23:54, instead of "the preparation," Wycliffe uses the term "even of the haliday."

In John 19:14 instead of "preparation of the passover" Wycliffe uses the term "pask eve."

In John 19:31, instead of "the preparation" Wycliffe uses the term "pask eve."

In John 19:42, instead of "preparation day," Wycliffe uses "vigilie of the Jewes feeste."

We can draw two conclusions from this comparison. Either the term "preparation" (parasceve in Latin, paraskeue in Greek) was not present in the Latin texts which Wycliffe used, or he intentionally ignored it on each of these 6 occasions.

Based on this man's reported passion for truth, this author has concluded that this term "preparation/ parasceve" was not used in these aforementioned texts in the manuscripts which Wyliffe used which dated from the 4th century A.D.

To be continued....

End Note

An online site for the Wycliffe Bible is http://www.bibledbdata.org/onlinebibles/wycliffe_nt/index.htm

Marsha Basner is a vice president of the BSA and lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

TSS

March - April 2005 The Sabbath Sentinel