Memorial plaque of György Besnyei

One of the prominent personalities of the Reformed population of Nagymegyer, György Besnyei, was born in the city and was a Bible translator. We do not have precise data about his birth and childhood. Based on his mention of his birth year in his 73rd year, we can conclude that it was 1675. The era in which he lived was the era of the growing Counter-Reformation. The Nagymegyer congregation was also in dire danger during this period, its official documents were destroyed, including György Besnyei's birth certificate. On August 20, 1698, he entered the ranks of higher students in Debrecen. Here he prepared for his pastoral vocation. In 1707, he became the pastor of the Vágfarkasd congregation, where he remained until 1712. Between 1712 and 1727, he was the preacher of the Kamocsa congregation. From February 2, 1712, he held the position of deacon in the diocese of Komját. He was the last deacon of this diocese. From 1727 until his death, he was deacon-pastor in Madar. His literary and Bible translation work developed during his stay in Madar. We do not know the beginning of this work, only that he completed the translation in 1737. He did his work alone, following the previous translations of Gáspár Karoli and mainly György Csipkés Komáromi. He regularly kept the original Hebrew and Greek text in mind. He polished the old style of the previous translations. His most critical critic, József Bárány, also speaks with appreciation of his knowledge, knowledge of the language, and thoroughness.