BIBLICAL QUOTATIONS IN THE GEORGIAN TRANSLATION (K14) OF ST. MAXIMUS THE CONFESSOR’S DOGMATIC-POLEMICAL TREATISES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS IN RELATION TO OLD GEORGIAN VERSIONS OF THE BIBLICAL TEXT

Abstract

The article examines biblical quotations in the Gelatian translation (K14) of the dogmatic and polemical treatises of the eminent seventh-century theologian, Saint Maximus the Confessor. The study aims to analyze the translation style and principles applied to rendering biblical texts. The biblical citations found in the Georgian text are compared with Old Georgian versions of the Bible, including the Pre-Athonite, Athonite, and Gelatian recensions.

The Gelatian translator disregards the textual tradition of earlier Georgian versions and translates the biblical quotations with a high degree of literalism, adhering closely to the Greek source. The Gelatian translation represents a prominent example of a highly Hellenophile school of translation, distinguished by its remarkable linguistic precision. It exhibits a deliberate effort to preserve the stylistic features, terminology, and structural composition of the Greek original to the greatest possible extent.

This analysis highlights both the translator’s approach to Scripture and his style, while also reflecting the textual plurality and circulation of biblical versions within the Georgian literary tradition.

A comparison of the biblical quotations used by Maximus the Confessor with the critical editions of the Greek Bible reveals that he frequently draws on variant readings that diverge from the standard Old Greek versions. These findings offer valuable material for the study of the textual history and variation of the Old Greek biblical tradition.

Keywords: Saint Maximus the Confessor, Dogmatic-polemical treatises, Gelatian manuscript (K14), biblical quotations, textology.