Isaac Lemaistre de Sacy

Louis-Isaac Lemaistre (or Lemaître), sior of Sacy , priest of Port Royal, Theology French N and humanistic.

It was born in Paris on March 29th, 1613, died in the castle of Pomponne, close to Lagny, the January 4th 1684.

It publishes in 1650 a collection of prayers, the Heures of Port-Royal where it had translated there the liturgical anthems, which were a great success.

He is amongst other things known by his translation of the Bible, most widespread at the 18th century, also said, Bible of Port-Royal .

The first French version of the bible goes back to the twelfth century and was made by Pierre de Vaux, chief of Of Vaud of which there would remain one specimen. Then it have that of Guyard of the Mills, composed on the end of the thirteenth century and printed in 1488, then that of Rene Benoit, published in Paris in 1566, with marginal notes but which was censured like container certain errors of Calvin.

The translation of Maistre known as of Sacy, is known much and was reproduced much. It was really the first translation of the Bible accessible to the general public which did not know Latin.

This translation called the Bible of Sacy, made on the Vulgate, appeared the first time in Paris in the year 1672, 32 volumes in-8°, with explanations of the literal direction and spiritual direction, drawn from the Saints Fathers. A new version, corrected by Beaubrun, was published in Paris in 1717 in 3 folio volumes, with the fourth volume containing the books apocryphal books of the old will, the writings of apostolic times, the forewords of Saint-Jerome, and the essays on various biblical matters.

Certain theologists reproach the translation of Lemaistre for sometimes deviating from the letter without apparent reason. Others regards it as sober and elegant. As for the explanations, one reproached them for supporting too much the theses of Jansénius.

Many translations in the century which followed were in fact only resumptions of the translation of Maistre de Sacy.

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