Bíblia JFA + Harpa

The Description of Bíblia JFA + Harpa

Site Editorial Commentary：Version of the Bible translation of John Ferreira Almeida with Christian Harp

Bíblia JFA + Harpa is an Offline version of the bible and the Christian Harp (Harpa Cristã). No internet connection is required for reading the scriptures or hymns (internet access is only needed if you wish to listen to a song from the Christian Harp).

To access the Christian Harp index, simply open the application menu and select 'Harpa'.

This application features the Almeida Corrigida e Fiel (ACF) version of the Bible, which is fully corrected and updated. If you enjoy using the app, please leave your comments and rating. The application will be constantly updated; feel free to send your suggestions to [email protected].

About Almeida:

The translation by João Ferreira de Almeida is considered a milestone in the history of the Bible in Portuguese. It was the first translation of the New Testament from the original languages. Previously, there were versions of the Pentateuch translated from Hebrew. According to records, in 1642, at the age of 14, João Ferreira de Almeida left Portugal to live in Malacca (Malaysia). He had converted to Protestantism from Catholicism and moved to work in the local Dutch Reformed Church.

He was already familiar with the Vulgate since his uncle was a priest. After converting to Protestantism at 14, Almeida departed for Batavia. At 16, he translated a summary of the Gospels from Spanish to Portuguese, though it was never published. In Malacca, he also translated parts of the New Testament from Spanish.

At 17, he translated the New Testament from Latin, using Theodore Beza's version, and relying on Italian, French, and Spanish versions.

At 35, he began translating from works written in the original languages, although it remains a Mystery how he learned these languages. He used the Masoretic Text as the basis for the Old Testament and a 1633 edition (by the Elzevir brothers) of the Textus Receptus. He also used translations of the time, such as the Reina-Valera in Spanish. The translation of the New Testament was completed in 1676.

The text was sent to the Netherlands for review. The review process lasted 5 years, and it was published in 1681 after more than a thousand modifications were made. The reason was that the Dutch reviewers wanted to harmonize the translation with the Dutch version published in 1637. The East India Company ordered the defective copies to be collected and destroyed. The saved copies were corrected and used in Protestant churches in the East, with one of them on display at the British Museum.

Almeida himself revised the text for ten years, and it was published after his death in 1693. While revising, he also worked on the Old Testament. The Pentateuch was completed in 1683. There is a translation of the Psalms that was published in 1695, annexed to the Book of Common Prayer, anonymously, but attributed to Almeida. Almeida managed to translate up to Ezekiel 48:12 in 1691, the year of his death, with Jacobus op den Akker completing the translation in 1694.

The complete translation, after many revisions, was published in two volumes, one in 1748, revised by den Akker himself and Cristóvão Teodósio Walther, and another in 1753. In 1819, the British and Foreign Bible Society published a 3rd edition of the complete Bible in one volume.

There are also editions printed in the Danish colony of Tranquebar, dating from 1719 to 1765. These are partial editions of the Bible, which were obtained as the reviewers finished their work.