Tamil Bible 1836 by C.T.E Rhenius

The New Testament, translated by Charles Theophilus Ewald Rhenius (C.T.E. Rhenius) and published in 1836 by the Madras Auxiliary Bible Society, is a massive milestone in the history of Tamil Christian literature.

Key features of this translation:

Simple and clear Tamil: Previous translations by the likes of Ziegenbalg and Fabricius had a somewhat difficult, Sanskrit-mixed, literal translation style. Rev. Rhenius changed that style and structured the verses according to the natural flow of the Tamil language (idiomatic translation).

A Bible for the common people: This translation was designed so that not only literary scholars, but also ordinary people with less formal education could easily read and understand it. This was a major reason for the rapid spread of Christianity in the Tirunelveli regions.

Grammatical excellence: Rhenius, an outstanding Tamil grammarian (who also authored a Tamil grammar book), crafted this very elegantly without distorting the meaning of the original Greek text, while simultaneously ensuring it did not deviate from Tamil grammatical traditions.

Unique word usage: He utilized words like Parabaran (God), Suvisesham (Gospel), and Sakkirathai (Diligence) in a style that was commonly spoken by the people. He avoided harsh words where they were unnecessary and instead used Tamil words with a pleasant phonetic rhythm.