『五經百篇』은 오경 중에서 핵심이 되는 작품 99편을 선별하여 경상감영 서리의 글씨체로 편찬 및 간행된 정조조 편찬 선본이다. 정조는 탕평정치가 성행한 18세기 조선후기에 즉위하여 임금이면서 스승인 君師論을 펼쳤고, 패관소품문 등의 경박한 문장을 바로잡고자 文體反正을 강력하게 주창하였다. 더불어 초록하는 작업을 학습의 방법으로 삼았으며 고문을 지향하고 주자학을 존숭하는 학문적 성향을 지니고 있었다. 정조조의 선본은 문체반정과 정조의 문체관 및 학문적 사상이 융합되어 편찬되었으며, 서명에 ‘選’이라는 글자를 붙이거나, 10의 배수에 맞추어 글을 뽑아 각 분야의 정문을 종합적으로 제시한 『八子百選』, 『朱書百選』, 『史記英選』, 『陸奏約選』, 『오경백편』, 『杜陸千選』등 6종의 선본이 대표적이라고 할 수 있다. 『오경백편』은 그 중 경학의 정문을 제시한 문헌으로, ‘四書’가 아닌 ‘오경’을 대상으로 한 까닭은 당시 사서집주에 치우친 학문 세태에 오경의 중요성을 제기하고자 하는 의도가 내포되어 있다. 『오경백편』 수록 작품의 내용은 ‘治國’에 귀감으로 삼을만한 역사·정치 관련 주제가 각 40%, 20%로 다수를 차지하며, 삼강오륜의 모범을 제시하는 사회 관련 주제와 유가의 기초적인 원리에 대해 알 수 있는 철학 주제가 각각 30%와 10%였다. 이는 작품 선별 기준에 있어 요순시대를 치국의 전범으로 삼아 군주이자 스승인 군사를 지향하는 정조의 정치이념이 영향을 미쳤으며, 『오경백편』이 오경 전체의 내용을 편협한 관점에 의거하여 선별하지 않고 효율적으로 요약하고 있다는 점을 보여준다. 또한, 수록된 99편의 작품들이 공통적으로 다른 경서에서 인용되거나 다양한 글에서 흔히 인용되는 고사의 원전이 되는 작품이라는 점을 통해 정조가 『오경백편』을 교육용 독본으로 여기고 편찬하였다는 점을 알 수 있다. 『오경백편』은 1794년에 정본 편찬을 위한 校準이 시작되어 1795년에 정본이 완성되었고, 같은 해에 繕寫本 3건이 완성되었다. 1797년에는 규장각의 학자들과 논의한 끝에 일부 편차를 수정하고, 제목 또한 변경하였다. 질박한 글씨체로 목판본을 간행하여 ‘문체반정’과 ‘서체반정’을 동시에 꾀하고자 경상감영 영리들에게 2차례 선사를 명한 후, 1798년 대략 30일 동안 155판을 판각, 20일 동안 인출 작업을 시행하여 간행을 완료하였다. 이러한 字體는 『오경백편』이 지닌 가장 큰 특징이라고 할 수 있다. 頒賜는 西庫에 30건, 華城行宮에 3건, 內閣·玉堂·春坊에 각 2건, 外奎章閣, 外閣, 오대사고, 성균관을 비롯하여 16곳의 서원에 각 1건이 이루어졌고, 개인에게 반사한 기록으로는 감인을 담당했던 신하들과 경상감영의 선사 영리 5인에게 각 1건씩으로, 총 73건을 반사하였다. 정조조 이후에는 5차례 반사한 기록이 있었으며, 그 대상은 모두 성균관 유생이었다. 현존본은 필사본은 3건, 목판본은 17건, 신활자본은 15건이 전해진다.『오경백편』은 교육용 독본으로 편찬되었으나, ‘御定書’로서 귀중본 취급되어 간행 이후 교육용 독본으로 활용된 예시가 희소하고, 다른 선본에 비해 그 영향력도 미미하였다. 즉, 『오경백편』은 단순히 정조가 선별한 99편의 경서일 뿐만이 아니라 문체반정과 서체반정이라는 정조의 정치적 이념이 투영되어 있고, 교육용 독본으로 사용할 것을 목적으로 편찬 및 간행된 어정서이자 선본이다. 이 문헌은 정조의 문예관과 정치관, 조선후기의 학풍, 교육사의 시대적 흐름을 읽을 수 있는 중요 문헌이다.
Ogyeong-Baegpyeon(五經百篇) is a compilation of an anthology which consists of 99 essential stories from Five Classics, and it is written in penmanship style of officials of the supreme local government office of Gyeongsang(慶尙) during the King Jungjo’s period. The King Jungjo ascended a throne in 18th century late period of Choson Dynasty when Politics of Tangpyeong (蕩平, the Policy to appoint talented people regardless of their political orientation to strengthen regality and stabilize the dynasty) was prevalent. He asserted ''Scholar-King'' and Munchepanjung(文體反正) which is a literary movement for correcting writers’ ideology and the way of writing to renovate flippant style of sentences such as a writing style of Paekansopum(稗官小品). Moreover, he applied an abstracting work as a learning method because he emphasized “Bakmunyackrhye(博文約禮, extensively studying all learning, and keeping himself under the restraint of the rules of propriety)”. He also aimed at ancient texts, and had academic disposition to respect neo-Confucian. The King Jungjo’s anthology is compiled through Munchepanjung and his academic perspective about a style of writing, and it reflects these clear purposes of the anthology by including the word ‘Seon(選)’ in the names of each chapter in the anthology and providing exemplary sentences of various category with numbers that are multiple of ten. For example, there are Paljabaekseon(八子百選, One Hundred Proses Written by Eight Great Writers), Juseobaekseon(朱書百選, One Hundred Letters Written by Zhu Xi), Sagiyoungseon(史記英選, The premium compilation which consists of essential stories from the historical records), Yukjuyakseon(陸奏約選, The prose anthology and a kind of an abridged edition of Yukji''s Juuimun), Ogyeong-Baegpyeon, Dulucheonseon(杜陸千選, One Thounsand Poems Written by Du Fu and Lu You). The Ogyeong-Baegpyeon is a literary work that suggests typical sentences in the study of Confucian classics. The reason for choosing Five classics but not Four Books is that the King Jungjo intended to emphasize the importance of Five classics which are the bases of the study of Confucian classics, while an academic trend of the time more focused on Sishu JiZhu(四書集註) which is a typical writing of Zhu Xi. The content of the stories in the Ogyeong-Baegpyeon includes historical (40%) and political (20%) subjects that can be models for governing a country, social (30%) and philosophical (10%) subjects that can suggest typical ''The three bonds and five relationships of Confucianism'' and basic principle of Confucianism. In each volume, Yeokgyeong(易經) for metaphysics, Seogyeong(書經) for Sage-King’s behaviors, Shigyeong(詩經) for ''The three bonds and five relationships of Confucianism'', Chungju(春秋) for historical lesson, and Yeki(禮記) for Confucianism philosophy were written. The selecting criteria for those volumes were influenced by the King Jungjo’s political ideology which aims for ‘scholar king’ theory and the age of Yao-Shun(堯舜) as a typical model of governing nation. Also, it suggests that Ogyeong-Baegpyeon was abstracted from Five Classics with unbiased perspective. In addition, the facts that all the compiled stories are referenced in other Confucian classics and various literatures as original texts reflect that the King Jungjo compiled them for educational purpose reading samples. In 1794, proofreading for recension compiling was started. Then, the process was finished and three transcriptions were made in 1795. In 1797, there was follow-up proofreading process, and particular arrangements were modified through discussion of scholars in the Kyujanggak archives(奎章閣). Also, its original name “Ogyeong-Baegseon (五經百選)”, was changed to “Ogyeong-Baegpyeon”. Ogyeong-Baegpyeon was written in simple font, and issued by woodblock edition. In addition, the King Jungjo ordered transcription two times to the officials of the supreme local government office of Gyeongsang. These facts suggest that the King Jungjo tried to Munchepanjung(literary movement) and Seochepanjung(書體反正, handwriting restoration) at the same time. In 1798, the process was completed in 30days for engraving 155 wood blocks and 20days for pressing. The dissemination of the royal presentation of gifts were on west archives(30 copies), the temporary palace in Suwon Hwaseong(水原華城) (3 copies), Naekak(內閣), Okdang(玉堂), Chunbang(春房) (2 copies for each), exterior kyujanggak archives(外奎章閣), Kyosokwan(校書館, the another name of 外閣), Five Archive(五臺史庫), SungKyunKwan(成均館), 16 of Seowon(書院) (1 copy for each). In addition, personal dissemination of the royal presentation of gifts were on Munhyung(文衡), Sabu(師傅), Youseon(諭善), Yosock(僚屬), five the officials of the supreme local government office of Gyeongsang, and other vassals(1 copy for each, total 73 copies) who took charge of Oneimgaksin(原任閣臣) and Gamin(監印). After the Reign of Jungjo, additional dissemination of the royal presentation of gifts occur in 1803, 1827, 1838, 1880, 1889 for Confucian scholar in SungKyunKwan. Currently, 3 copies of manuscript, 17 copies of woodblock edition, 15 copies of new printing type edition are remained. Ogyeong-Baegpyeon was compiled for educational purpose. However, since it was a king-edited book which is a valuable book, it was rarely used for educational purpose reading text, and the impact of it was insignificant. Thus, the fact that Ogyeong-Baegpyeon was reissued in 1908 at Hwuimunkwan(徽文館) because of its usefulness on Chinese studies is worthy of notice. Therefore, Ogyeong-Baegpyeon is a not only the special 99 compilations of the Confucian classics which are selected by the King Jungjo, but also the king-edited book which reflects the political ideology of the King Jungjo that includes Munchepanjung and Seochepanjung. In addition, its educational purpose should not be ignored. Ogyeong-Baegpyeon is an important literature that helps understand the political and literary ideology of the King Jungjo, academic trends during late period of Choson Dynasty, and educational history of the period.