新約聖書

• Reading: しんやくせいしょ
• Romaji: shinyaku seisho
• Kanji breakdown: 新 (shin) — new; 約 (yaku) — promise, covenant; 聖 (sei) — holy; 書 (sho) — book
• Pronunciation: /ɕiɴ.ja.kɯ.seː.ɕo/

Meaning

New Testament; the second major division of the Christian Bible.

A compound noun referring to the New Testament of the Christian Bible. 新約 means new covenant/testament, and 聖書 means holy book/scripture. Paired with 旧約聖書 (Old Testament). While Japan is not predominantly Christian, this term appears in cultural, literary, and historical discussions.

Examples

1. 大学の授業で新約聖書を読むことになった。 I ended up reading the New Testament for a college class.
2. 新約聖書にはイエスの教えが書かれている。 The New Testament contains the teachings of Jesus.
3. 西洋文学を理解するには新約聖書の知識が役立つ。 Knowledge of the New Testament is useful for understanding Western literature.

Usage Guide

Context: religion, literature, history, academia

Tone: academic

Origin & History

From Sino-Japanese 新約聖書. 新 (shin) means new, 約 (yaku) means promise/covenant, 聖 (sei) means holy/sacred, and 書 (sho) means book/writing. A direct translation of the Western concept of the New Testament.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated