H. G. Appenzeller’s Bible Translation, 1885~1902: Founder of the Seoul Version, Pioneer of the Critical Text and Trailblazer of Old Testament Translation

This paper investigates three topics related to the translation of the Korean Bible by Henry Gerhard Appenzeller (February 6, 1858~June 11, 1902). Chapter 2 provides a chronological summary of Appenzeller’s contributions during his missionary service from 1885 to 1902, focusing on the specific parts of the Bible he translated and his positions on some major controversies. This section reorganizes and clarifies existing research. Chapter 3 examines Appenzeller’s use of source texts and biblical criticism, thereby addressing issues related to Old Testament translation sources and criticism texts up to 1938. Chapter 4 discusses Appenzeller’s translation and publication of the extracted chapters of the Old Testament for the weekly Sunday Bible study in the Korean Christian Advocate beginning in February 1897, proposing this as the second earliest Korean Old Testament translation, after G. H. Jones’ 1893 tract, Study of the Old Testament. While Chapter 2 primarily consolidates existing research and addresses some misunderstandings, Chapters 3 and 4 introduce new arguments that challenge existing understandings. Given the absence of comprehensive studies on Appenzeller’s contributions to Bible translation, this paper aims to fill that scholarly gap.<br/> Appenzeller was one of the pioneers in Korean Bible translation, continually translating and revising the Scriptures throughout his missionary service (1885~1902). John Ross, H. G. Underwood, and H. G. Appenzeller can be identified as the foundational figures in the early translation of the Korean New Testament. As argued in Chapter 3, Appenzeller, alongside Ross and Underwood, was a pioneer in incorporating critical texts into New Testament translation. Furthermore, as newly revealed in Chapter 4, Appenzeller should be regarded as the one of the trailblazers of the Korean Old Testament translation, having translated and published various extracted Old Testament texts, including the First and Second Books of Samuel, the First Book of Kings, and the Psalms in 1897, and Genesis in 1898, in the Korean Christian Advocate. Although Alexander Pieters has traditionally been considered the pioneer of Old Testament translation, this recognition should be corrected to acknowledge G. H. Jones and Appenzeller as the first two translators to publish Old Testament texts. The contributions of Jones, Appenzeller, Underwood, and Pieters in establishing the foundation for Old Testament translation should be re-evaluated.