CASTELLAN SPANISH

One of the many knocks we get against our Valera 1602 Spanish Bible is that it is "archaic" and "old." Some have complained that they don't understand some of the old words. (Which is strange because they almost always are the same words used in the old 1909 Spanish Bible, and no one complained about them in that version). They say they want a modern updated Bible which new words that any Spanish speaker can understand. Those that use the 1960 Spanish Bible praise it because they say the modern grammar is easier to understand. Those who use the Modern Gomez say the same.

They often are quick to call Castellan Spanish "outdated" and they claim ridiculous things like, "Spanish is different in every country. There is therefore a need to have a Spanish Bible in every country that is translated into their dialect." But is this so?

It is for these people I give the following from the International Correspondence School Spanish Grammar book, copyright 1903. There we read:

"Among Spanish-Speaking People, Spanish grammar is usually called gramática castellana, Castilian grammar; and the Spanish language itself, lengua castellana, Cástilian language, or simply castellano, Castilian. The reason for this being that language was first spoken in the old kingdom of Castile, the center of Spanish power and influence at that time; but a law was enforced later on by which the dialects spoken in some of the provinces should be totally discarded from the public schools, and in their place the Castilian language should exclusively be taught used in all official documents, becoming therefore the national language. Accordingly, the general prevailing tendency is to call the Castilian language "el idioma español" or simply "el español."

The entire population of Spanish America speak and write the language of Castile, with only some slight deviations in pronouncing certain letters, as it will be presently explained."

According to this weighty and important statement, Spanish is Castellano or Castilian, and anyone who says that Castilian is out of date is very misinformed. It is also the LAW that official documents should be written in Castellan Spanish. Should not then the Bible be done in Castellan as well?

And we are further told that the entire population of Spanish America SPEAKS and WRITES the language of Castile.

The 1909 Spanish Bible, and even the 1865 are Castilian Bibles. But they contain critical text readings, and therefore are not pure.

The Reina-Valera Gomez from 2010 is not completely a Castilian Bible, as it deviates time and again from the many Castilian words from the 1909 of which it claims to come from. It also many times reads in favor of the 1960 Spanish Bible, which is very modern Spanish. And, it has changed many old Castellano words with synonyms of modern spanish words. Several Hispanic people who have read the Gomez tell me it is full of "street spanish" and is not like reading the beautiful old Reina-Valera CASTELLANO Spanish.

Thus, the purest Spanish Bible available today that is indeed based upon the old Reina-Valera Castilian texts, and has removed all critical text readings is the Valera 1602 Purified Spanish Bible.

So, if you want a true Spanish Bible (a Castilian Bible) you need to turn to the Valera 1602 Purified.