Das Neue Testament Deutsch

In 2022, we commemorate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's German translation of the New Testament. This translation, completed in about eleven weeks at the Wartburg Castle near Eisenach, where Luther hid for three-quarters of a year due to the imperial ban placed on him, is considered a milestone in the Reformation. It made the key religious resource of Christianity accessible to countless contemporaries.

Typically, the perception of this groundbreaking work has focused on the first edition, which was published in September 1522 by Melchior Lotter the Younger in Wittenberg. Its print run of 3,000 copies sold out quickly, despite its exorbitant price—this is known as the "September Testament."

However, the edition presented here in its first critical edition is based on the lesser-known "December Testament," the second edition from the end of 1522. This text deserves special attention because it demonstrates that the characteristic revision process for all of Luther's Bible editions began early on: Luther reviewed the text again, corrected individual translation decisions, and sought to create a more readable text in some places. Since this edition played a significant role in the subsequent reception of the German New Testament, the critical edition represents an important contribution to the history of the Reformation. The commentary clarifies the individual translation decisions made by the Reformer in relation to the traditional Latin version (Vulgate), the Greek text of Erasmus, and its Latin translation (editions from 1516 and 1519), as well as in light of the later revision history.