TETRAPLA Meaning and
Definition
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Tetrapla is a term that refers to a specific arrangement or edition of the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (known as the Old Testament). The term itself is derived from the Greek words "tetra," meaning four, and "plous," meaning fold.
The Tetrapla edition is attributed to the biblical scholar and theologian Origen, who lived during the 3rd century AD. This edition was essentially a colossal work consisting of four different columns or versions of the Greek Septuagint. Each of these columns contained a different textual form of the biblical text: the original Septuagint, Origen's own revision, a transliteration of the Hebrew text, and a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew text.
Origen's primary intent in creating the Tetrapla was to facilitate textual comparison and analysis of the different versions. Scholars and theologians of the time could easily compare translations of the Hebrew Bible alongside the original text, helping to resolve discrepancies, clarify meanings, or confirm the accuracy of the translated versions.
While the Tetrapla edition was regarded as a significant scholarly achievement, it was a massive and complex work that was challenging to reproduce. Consequently, it did not gain wide distribution or popularity, and very few complete copies of the Tetrapla have survived to the present day. Nonetheless, its influence and contributions to biblical scholarship cannot be understated, as it laid the groundwork for later textual criticism and analysis of the Septuagint.
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A Bible consisting of four different Greek versions arranged in parallel columns by Origen, one of the ancient fathers; a version of the Bible in four languages and in four columns.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
Common Misspellings for TETRAPLA
Etymology of TETRAPLA
The word "Tetrapla" originates from Greek. It is a compound word consisting of "tetra", meaning "four", and "plas", meaning "fold" or "folded". The term is primarily associated with the Tetrapla edition of the Bible, which was a critical and comprehensive edition of the Old and New Testaments compiled by the early Christian scholar Origen in the 3rd century. The Tetrapla consisted of four parallel columns, each displaying different variations of the biblical text, including the original Hebrew or Aramaic, Greek transliterations, Greek translations, and other variant readings. The term "Tetrapla" is used to describe this four-fold format of the compilation.
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