Hungary is located in central Europe and is landlocked by seven neighbouring countries. It became a member of the European Union in 2004 and has a population of around 10 million people. The Hungarian diaspora numbers about 5 million, most of whom are found in neighbouring countries and in the USA.

Christianity in Hungary

Historically Hungary has been a Christian country. In the eleventh century Hungary’s first king, Stephen I, promoted Christianity as the state religion. In the sixteenth century the Reformation led to as many as 70% of Hungarians becoming Protestants. However, this was sadly reversed in the following century as a result of the Counter Reformation.

Today there is no state religion and religious freedom in Hungary is guaranteed; however the constitution does recognise Christianity’s nation building role. As many as 55% of Hungarians regard themselves as nominal Christians, but only 2% of the total population regularly go to church.

Early Hungarian Scriptures

The first Bible translated into Hungarian, known as the Hussite Bible, was completed by two Franciscan friars in the early fifteenth century and was based on the Latin Vulgate. These men eventually fled Hungary due to persecution arising from their Hussite sympathies. Only parts of their work have survived. The first New Testament to be translated into Hungarian  from the Greek Received Text was completed by John Sylvester Erdösi, who was a student of Philip Melancthon. It was published in 1541. 

The Károli/Vizsoly Bible

The first published Bible in Hungarian, produced in 1590, was the work of Calvinist pastor Gáspár Károli, who is sometimes called the ‘Tyndale of Hungary’. Károli was born to a Serbian family who emigrated to Hungary because of the Ottoman invasion; there he became a Protestant.

In 1556, just ten years after the death of Martin Luther, Károli enrolled at the Wittenberg Academy in Germany. He began translating the Scriptures in 1586 and may have received assistance from other scholars. In the providence of God, Károli did not suff er martyrdom like his English counterpart William Tyndale, but lived to see his Bible printed and accepted by many in his own country. His edition is also known as the Vizsoly Bible, after the village in which it was printed. Károli died in 1591, one year after the publication of the Bible. His translation has been of great significance not only to Hungarian Christianity, but also to Hungarian language and literature.

The Károli Bible Today

The last thorough revision of the Károli Bible took place in 1908, and it is this edition that the Trinitarian Bible Society has published since 1988. Since 2004, TBS has circulated well over 100,000 copies of the Hungarian Bible, and it is still in demand today. A native Hungarian speaker is currently preparing a digital text of the Society’s edition of the Károli Bible. Once completed, the plan is to make this available on our website (tbsonlinebible.com) and to use it to prepare a new setting of the printed text since the current image is becoming rather worn.

Please pray for the ongoing distribution of this faithful edition of the Hungarian Scriptures.