Anton thor Helle

This article is about the Bible translator. For his father, the merchant, see Anton thor Helle (merchant).

Anton Thor Helle (baptized 28 October 1683 in Tallinn – 24 April [O.S. 13 April] 1748 in Jüri) was a Baltic German Lutheran clergyman, linguist and Bible translator in Estonia.[1] He led the initiative and served as chief editor of the first complete translation of the Bible into Estonian (1739), translating some parts and collating the whole text.[1]

Name

In contemporary sources his name appears in several forms (e.g. Anton thor Helle, Anton Thorhelle, Anthonij Torhelle). The particle thor (or tor), derived from Low German, was often treated by Helle and his contemporaries as an integral part of the surname and was frequently capitalized as Thor Helle.[2]

Life

Helle was born in Tallinn, the son of a German merchant. He attended the Tallinn Gymnasium and studied theology at the University of Kiel.[1] From 1713 he served as pastor of the parish of Jüri, where he founded a sacristan (sexton) school in 1721.[1] In 1715 he was elected assessor of the Estonian Consistory; in 1740 he also became pastor of Kose, and in 1742 was made dean (praost) of East Harju.[1]

Works

Estonian Bible (1739)

Under Helle's leadership a complete Bible translation in North Estonian was published in 1739.[1] The New Testament was based on the 1715 North Estonian version and was thoroughly revised in the 1720s, while the Old Testament books were translated from Hebrew as part of the 18th-century project.[1][3] The printing (6,015 copies) was supported by Count Nicolaus Zinzendorf.[4]

Kurtzgefaszte Anweisung zur Ehstnischen Sprache (1732)

Helle began compiling a new prescriptive grammar to support the Bible translation; colleagues (notably Eberhard Gutsleff the younger) also contributed, and the handbook appeared in 1732.[1] Besides grammar and a dictionary, it contains extensive collections of proverbs and riddles and other cultural material.[1]

Legacy

Helle's 1739 Bible served as a major model for the Estonian literary language and contributed to the dominance of the North Estonian written standard.[1] A monument commemorating the 250th anniversary of the first Estonian Bible and Helle was unveiled at Jüri on 14 October 1989.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Anton Thor Helle". Estonian Writers' Online Dictionary. University of Tartu. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  2. ^ Ross, Kristiina (2008). "Joobelist ja juubelist – Anton Thor Helle 325". Keel ja Kirjandus (in Estonian). 10: 757.
  3. ^ "Anton Thor Helle mälestuseks". Eesti Kirik (in Estonian). 1 May 2013. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  4. ^ "Eestikeelne Piibel". piibliselts.ee (in Estonian). Eesti Piibliselts. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
  5. ^ "30 aastat Piibli monumenti". piibliselts.ee (in Estonian). Eesti Piibliselts. 17 October 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2025.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_thor_Helle