Sebastian Munster published, in 1534, -35, and -46, in fol. a Latin Translation of the Old Testament and the Gospel of St. Matthew, from the Hebrew, with Notes of his own. These, for the most part, are taken from the Rabbins; for Munster was much addicted to the study of these Authors: And this sort of Learning begun then to be very fashionable. But his Comments had been certainly much better, if he had consulted more the Fathers of the Church, who are the naural Interpreters of Holy Scripture. The best and most compleat Edition of Munster is that of Basil, 1546, in fol. His Notes were reprinted in the Great Criticks, viz. on the Pentateuch in the first Tome; on the Historical Books in the second; on the Hagiographa in the third; on the Prophets in the fourth; on Tobit in the fifth; and on St. Matthew in the sixth. They have been likewise printed separately; on the Proverbs at Basil, 1524. on Isaiah, ibid. in 4to. On St. Matthew in 16to. 1582. or in 8vo. according to Crovæus, p. 317. of his Elenchus.
Simon, in his Critical History of the New Testament, ch. 47. p. 710. does not approve those on St. Matthew, because in these he spends Time in disputing with the Jews, and has very little in the way of explaining the Sacred Text.
Munster was born at Inghelheim, in 1489, was admitted among the Cordeliers at 14 Years of age; but he left them afterwards, having embraced the Opinions of the Protestants.
He was a Mathematician and Geographer; had Wit, and knew a great deal: He did not concern himself with Controversy, but addicted himself to the Study of natural Sciences, which he very much cultivated. He died in 1552, in the 63d Year of his age.
The three Osianders, Andrew the Elder, Luke, and Andrew the Younger, have likewise published Bibles with Notes: We have spoken of them in the Article above, concerning the Latin Bibles which have been put out by Protestants.
We shall add here, that besides the three Osianders there was a fourth, named John Adam, who wrote upon the Pentateuch, and some other Books of Scripture, as will be seen hereafter. Andrew the Elder put out Notes properly on the Harmony only of the Gospels; but Luke is the principal Author of the Annotations on the whole Bible, printed at Tubingen in 1573, 1584, eight Volumes in 4to. His Son Andrew, called the Younger to distinguish him from the Elder, printed his Father’s with the Notes of other Lutheran Doctors, ibid. 1606. two Vols in fol. This perhaps is what F. le Long calls, Explicatio interpolata Bibliorum, ibid. 1597, three Vols. in fol.
These Literal, short, and very commodious Notes, are ranged over-against the Sacred Text, in two Columns, at least in the Edition of 1606, which we have seen in the Library of St. Mibiel, and which neither F. le Long nor Crovæus seem to have had any Knowledge of, since they do not mention them.
Osiander the Elder was of Bavaria, born in 1498, turned Monk of the Order of St. Augustin; but having declared for Luther in 1522, he quitted his Habit, and died in his Errors the same Year, in the 54th of his age. He was a passionate, morose Man. He had some Tincture of the Hebrew Language, and spoke easily, and with much Strength and Energy.
Luke was of Nuremberg, and his Son Andrew was born at Wittemberg, in the Year 1562. The Father died in 1604, the Son in 1617. It is said of the Father, that he had discovered the Secret of being concise with Copiousness, and copious with Brevity. As for the Son, he is said to have been a vigilant and prudent Divine, copious and vigorous in his Discourses, clear and persuasive.
Conrad Pelican has followed the same Method as the Osianders: He has reformed the Vulgate, that he might make it agree better with the Greek and Hebrew, and has added to it his Comments, printed at Zurich, in 7 Vols. fol. 1532, 1540. But there is nothing in them upon Jonah, Zachary, and the Revelations. The Annotations of all these Authors may sometimes be of use, to understand the Literal and Grammatical Sense of the Bible. Pelican was of Ruffach in Alsace, where he was born in the Year 1478. He turned Cordelier in 1493, but quitted the Habit afterwards, on the score of his Opinions. Gretser says, he was the most moderate of all the Innovators, particularly in his Comments. Nevertheless, he had a great Share in what was transacted against Religion in Switzerland. He married twice, and died in 1556, which was the 78th Year of his Age.
We have already observed, that the first Editions of the Bible with Vatablus’s Notes, from the Year 1545 to the Correction of them by the Salamanca Doctors in 1584, are not approved by Catholicks, and should be placed among the Comments published by Protestants: We have shewn too that it was Robert Stephens who falsified them.
After what we have said of Vatablus’s Notes, and distinguishing what Bertin le Comte and Badwel have foisted into them, no more remains, but to shew who these two Calvinists were. They were by Nation Frenchmen, and flourished at the same time. Badwel was Professor at Nismes, among those of his Religion, about 1567. His Notes are printed in the Great Criticks, tom. 5. p. 1. 7916.Castalio’s Bible, whereof we have be- fore spoken, is printed with the Addition of short Notes upon the Old and New Testament. There is nothing very singular in them. The first Impression of this Bible was made at Basil, in 1551, and afterwards in 1554, -56, -73, 1697, 1699. This Author has printed likewise the Defence of his Translation, at Basil, 1557. 8vo.
Chatillon’s, or Castalio’s Notes are likewise in the Great Criticks, on the Pentateuch, tom. 1. on the Historical Books, tom. 2. on the Hagiographa, tom. 3. on the Prophets, tom. 4. on the Apocryphal Books, tom. 5. on the Gospels, tom. 6. on the Acts and following Books, tom. 7.
His Notes are preferable to those of other Calvinists, because he has not intermixed so much Jewish Learning in them, and shews himself to be an able Critick, as is the Opinion of M. Simon, in his History of the New Testament.
Chatillon was born in 1515, was Professor at Geneva, and afterwards at Basil, where he died in 1563. He is reproached with changing the Language of Scripture, by the Choiceness of his Words, and Affectation in his Latin. Sainte Marthe places him among the most learned Men of his Age.
Michael Villanovanus, otherwise Michael Servetus, has added Annotations of his own to the Latin Version of Pagninus, printed in 1542, at Lyons. His Notes are such as might be expected from such a sort of Writer. He was a Spaniard, and Native of Tarragona. He had Wit, was bold, and ready at Invention, and wrote in a seducing manner. Calvin had him burnt at Geneva in 1553, for his Blasphemies against the Mystery of the Holy Trinity.
The Bible, commonly called the Zurich Bible, is loaded with literal Notes and Scholia in the Margin. Leo de Juda, Theodore Bibliander, Peter Cholin, Rodolphus Gautier, and Conrad Pelican, were concerned in them. This Bible was printed at Zurich in 1543, -44, -45, -50, -64, 84, 1616, in fol. It is useful in explaining the Literal and Grammatical Sense of Scripture.
Leo de Juda’s Notes were printed separately upon Genesis and Exodus, at Zurich, 1527, in 8vo. upon the New Testament, ibid. 1581. fol. The Objection against him is, that endeavouring to avoid Obscurity, by being too accurately concise, he became rather a Paraphrast than a faithful Interpreter.
He was a German, a Calvinist Minister at Zurich, and died there in 1542.
Theodore Bibliander put the last hand to Leo’s Notes; he requesting him to do so on his Death-bed. We may make the same Judgment of those which were of his own composing. They were printed separately upon several Books of Scripture, as may be seen in Crovæus, and F. le Long.
Bibliander was a Native of Bischoffisel near St. Gal, in Switzerland, was born in 1514, and died of the Plague at Zurich, in 1564. He was learned in the Languages, and the Divinity of the Protestants. Melchior Adam says he was called Bibliander, from the many Books he wrote.
Peter Cholin was of Zug in Switzerland, and died in 1542.
Rodolphus Gautier was of Zurich, born in 1512, or in 1519, as some say. He died at the Age of 68, with the Reputation of an excellent Preacher among his Countrymen; which, says Weskeod, he supported by the Purity and Integrity of his Manners.
Tremellius and Junius’s Bible was printed first in 1575, in fol. and after that very often; it has literal and very learned Notes annexed to it. Junius did several times revise it, and the last Editions are the largest. He published likewise Sacred Parallels, wherein he compares the Passages of the Old Testament with such of the New as have any Relation to them, printed at Heidelburg, separately, 1598, in 8vo. and afterwards in the first Tome of his Works in two Vols. fol. at Geneva, 1607, 1613. These Parallels are very much esteemed. Junius, otherwise du Jon, was born at Bourges, in the Year 1545. He studied the Law there, afterwards at Lyons, and then at Geneva. He went to Antwerp in 1565, and was Minister there. At length, after having been in different Places, he died in 1602, in the 57th Year of his Age. Tremellius, born at Ferrara of a Jewish Father, was very knowing in the Hebrew Tongue. He died in 1580, at about 70 Years of Age.
John Piscator published the Old and New Testament, with learned Comments of his own, in 24 Vols. in 8vo. at Herborn, begun in 1601, and ended in 1616. They were reprinted in 1643, -45, -58. They are thought to be properly no more than an Analysis of the sacred Text, wherein he from time to time intermixes Controversial Questions. Simon, in his Critical History of the New Testament, p. 760. has a good Opinion of this Method, and believes it to be a Sign of his Accuracy and Erudition: But the little Trifles which he takes notice of, and his Scholastick Style, make him very tedious.
John Drusius has likewise written upon almost the whole Bible. His Works are collected in the Great Criticks, and in the two last Volumes of the Supplement to this large Work. This Author understood well the Languages: He is very moderate, and his Writings are of use to understand the Literal Sense of Scripture. They have been printed in different Places, and in several Forms. He has written Notes upon the whole Pentateuch; and besides these, larger Notes upon Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and the eighteen first Chapters of Numbers; short Notes upon Joshua, Judges, Ruth, the two Books of Samuel, Esther, Job, Ecclesiastes, Ecclesiasticus, the twelve Small Prophets, Tobit, and the first Book of Maccabees; Scholia on the fifty-four first Psalms, and a Comment on the first nineteen; Notes upon Hosea, Joel, Amos, Micah, Habbakkuk, and Zephaniah; and Readings upon Micah, Habbakkuk, Zephaniah, and Zachary; not to say any thing of several Treatises which relate to Scripture.
His different Works upon the Scripture are computed to make nineteen Volumes in 4to. and fourteen in 8vo. His Notes lie dispersed in the seven first Volumes of the Great Criticks: There are besides in the eighth, sacred Animadversions, p. 1327. Hebrew Questions, p. 1489. an Explanation of the Proverbs in Holy Scripture, p. 1589. Hebrew Adages, and other Works, p. 1889.
In his Notes he intermixes Observations upon the History, Rites, and Manners, of the Jews; for which Reason M. Dupin thinks them to be judicious and learned, though M. Simon judges otherwise of them.
Drusius was a Native of Oudenard in Flanders, born in 1550. He was a good Critick, indefatigable in his Studies, and moderate in Disputes. He died at Franekar in 1616, being 66 Years old.
Sfff Hugo Grotius, one of the most learned and moderate Men the Protestants ever had, has written Notes upon all the Old and New Testament, which are in great Esteem, and in the Hands of every one. They have been printed by themselves, and again in the Collection of his Works, in four Vols. in fol. at Amsterdam, 1679. They are all entire in the Great Criticks of England, and in the Synopsis. But the Amsterdam Edition is to be preferred, not only because it is beautiful, but likewise for the sake of the Index, which was prepared by the Author himself, and is one of the most accurate and learned that is any where extant. Colomesius, particularly, esteems his Notes upon the New Testament. His Comment upon St. Matthew is much more copious than the rest: But there is a great deal of fine profane Learning scattered throughout among his Annotations, which contributes much to make him read and sought for by those who have a Taste for this kind of Literature. See what R. Simon says of them, in his Critical History of the New Testament, p. 805, to 815; and M. Dupin, in his Bibliotheque des Heretiques, tom. 2. p. 499.
It is advisable, however, to give the Readers some Caution against so eminent a Writer, whose great Reputation and Learning, joined with an uncommon Modesty, are so apt to make way for the Reception of his Opinions; which it is of consequence to observe, are very ambiguous as to the Article of Christ’s Divinity, he wresting the Sense of almost all those Passages which most clearly establish it. He does the same with respect to those Passages which are cited by us, to confirm the Doctrine of Original Sin. His Preface, and his Explanation of the Canticles, are scandalous. His Notions are very singular concerning the two Epistles to the Thessalonians, the second of St. Peter, that of St. Jude, and the Time wherein the Revelations were written. He weakens the Prophecies relating to Jesus Christ, or reduces them almost to nothing.
They who would be convinced of the Truth of what we have said of him concerning the Divinity of our Saviour, may consult his Comments on Isaiah vii. 14. ix. 6. Psalm xlv. 7. and the whole cixth. St. John ix. 35. and xx. 28. St. Luke xxii. 33. Acts xx. 28. Rom. ix. 5. 1 John iii 36. Heb. i. 3, 5, 6. They who would know his Thoughts of Original Sin, may see his Comments upon Genesis viii. 21 Job xiv. 4. xxxi. 18. Psalm l. 7lvii. 14. Isai. xlviii. 8. Hosea vi. 7. Wisdom xii. 10, 11. Romans v. 12, 13, 14, 15. 1 Cor. v. 15. Ephes. ii. 3, Luke ii. 22, &c. Le Clerc defends him, in his Bibliotheque ancienne & modernne, p. 132. tom. 19. See his Book entituled Pietas ordinum Hollandiæ, of 1614.
Grotius was of Delf, born in 1583, went through his Studies with incredible Rapidity: At fifteen he maintained general Theses in Philosophy. He had a solid Judgment, was knowing in the Languages, a good Critick, and very conversant in Sacred and Profane Antiquity. After many Crosses and Misfortunes, he died in 1645, at 62 Years of Age.
Lewis de Dieu, a very learned Protestant, put out Animadversiones in omnes veteris Testamenti Libros, in 4to. Lugd. Batav. 1648, and In quatuor Evangelia, at the same Place, in 4to. 6 Vols. 1631. He besides published Comments on St. Paul’s Epistles, on the Canonical Epistles and Revelations, printed separately in four Volumes in 4to. All that this Author has written is well esteem’d. He had a profound Knowledge of the Languages, and was withal very moderate. His Critical and Sacred Conferences with Cloppenburg are printed in the ninth Tome of the Great Criticks, p. 3968. But his Works which were before printed in six Volumes in 4to. were printed in fol. at Amsterdam, 1693. M. Simon, in his Critical History of the New Testament, ch. 53. says, that he affected too much Subtilty, and that his violent Inclination to criticise others led him into a grammatical way of trifling.
He was of Flushing in Zealand, born there in 1590. He studied at Leyden, and taught there till his Death, which happened in 1642. Constantine l’Empereur compares him to a bright Star, because of his Knowledge in Languages and the politer Arts.
John Lightfoot, an Englishman, has written upon almost the whole Scripture. We have of his, the Harmony of the Old Testament, in English, in fol. printed at London, in 1655. Observations upon Genesis, in 4to. Manipulus Spicileg. ex Exodo, in 4to. in English.
The Harmony of the Four Gospels, in fol. London. 1665.
Horæ Hebraicæ in Matthæum, Marcum, Lucam, Joannem, & in Acta.
Item, in Acta Commentarium Chronologico-criticum, in English, in 4to. 1645.
In Epist. ad Romanos, & in primam ad Corinthios, Horæ Hebraicæ.
Item, Centuria Chorographica loca quædam terræ Israeliticæ perlustrans, ad Evangel. Matthæi.
Item, Item, Decas Chorographica Marco præmissa.
Item, Chorographica pauca in Lucam. Item, Chorographica in Joannem. Lastly, he has made some Remarks upon Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Joshua, &c. His Works, for the most part, have been printed separtely, and were afterwards joined together in two Volumes in fol. printed at Utrecht in 1699.
Lightfoot was born in Staffordshire, in 1602, and died in 1675, in the 74th Year of his Age. D. Mabillon mightily commends his profound Knowledge of the Jewish Antiquities; but Simon thinks his Criticisms too Rabbinical.
Solomonis Deylingii Observationes Sacræ, Lipsiæ, tom. 1. 1708. tom. 2. 1711. tom. 3. 1715.
The entire Title of his Works, as F. le Long has it, is as follows; Observationes variæ, in quibus multa Scripturæ veteris & novi Testamenti dubia vexata solvuntur, loca difficiliora illustrantur, atque vindicantur, duæ partes, in 4to. It is probable that this Father never saw the third Part, of 1715, since he takes no notice of it. There is mention made of this Work in the Acta Lipsiensia, 1709, 1711, 1715. and in the History of Fabricius’s Library, tom. 4. p. 493.
John le Clerc, celebrated for the many Works which he has composed, in 1693 printed a Latin Philological Comment, with Critical Dissertations, and a Paraphrase upon the Pentateuch; and in 1708, the Sequel of this Comment upon the Historical Books of Scripture. The Remainder of his Comment on the Old Testament is expected.
Upon the New he has published his Remarks, his Latin Corrections of Hammond’s Comment, and a French Comment, with a Version of the New Testament. This Author lies under vehement Suspicions of Socinianism and Arianism. He is an ingenious Man, speaks well, and is Master of the most abstruse Learning. It is said for certain, that he will very soon publish a French Bible, all entirely of his own translating.
Bayle assures us, that the Design of his Notes is to renew the Errors of Sabellius and Socinianism. He sometimes cites the ancient and modern Commentators, with no other View frequently but to set off his Explanations to the Prejudice of others.
The Protestants have published more than one French Bible, with Notes and Explanations. Those written by Olivetan and Calvin are very short, being intended by them only to illustrate some Places of their Translations. But afterwards they were very much enlarged, and multiplied. We have already spoken of them in the XVIth. Article of the Part foregoing.
Sebastian Castalio translated his Latin Bible into French, and printed it with Notes, at Basil, 1555, in fol. This had still less Success than his Latin Bible.
The French Bible, printed at Geneva and at Lyons, in 1562, with large Notes, by Nicholas de Gallars.
Augustin Marlorat revised these Notes, augmented them, and had them printed in fol. at Geneva and Lyons, in 1563. Henry Stephens, who concealed his Name under that of Henry Anastasius, reprinted them at Geneva, in 1565. As to Marlorat, besides his Notes, he made Comments upon several Books of Scripture; or Expositions in 5 Vols. fol. printed in 1561, -62. These are a kind of Bibliotheca, wherein he has collected the Explanations of Protestants, of some Fathers, and Erasmus. To these he has only added his Annotations, which must have cost him a good deal of Pains. He undertook likewise a sort of Thesaurus of the Names, Words, and Examples in the whole Bible, whereof he only made a rough Draught. James Fouquier finished it, and printed it at Geneva, 1613, 1624.
The French-Geneva Bible, printed in fol. in 4to. and in 8vo. at Geneva, in 1588, has large Annotations, by Theodore de Bèze, Anthony de la Faye, John Jaquemot, Simon Goulart; and particularly by Cornelius Bonaventure Bertram. It may be proper to observe, that des Gallars made Notes only upon Exodus and the New Testament, and la Faye upon some particular Books, as did Jaquemet, or Jaquemot, Goulart, and Beza: But Bertram, besides his Notes upon the Scripture, published an Essay, shewing how to explain the most difficult Passages, under the Title of Lucubrationes Frankentallenses, because he was at Frankentale when he was about this Work. They are in the Great Criticks, tom. viii. p. 1120, 1164, and were printed separately at Altorf, 1647, in 8vo. the third Edition. There may be said to be a great deal of Judgment in this Piece, and that it is preferable to the large Comments wrote by those of his Religion. His Explanations are all Literal and Historical.
Bertram, Minister and Hebrew Professor at Geneva and Lausanne, was born at Thouars, a Town in Poitou, in 1531. He understood the Oriental Languages, and Jewish Antiquities very well: But Vossius, in his Critical Enquiries, reproaches him with Prejudices in favour of the Jews. He died at Lausanne in 1594.
Diodati’s Diodati’s French Bible appeared in fol. at Geneva, printed for Peter Chouet, with Notes, in 1644. It was and is still much esteemed by the Reformed Protestants. Wedelius says, his Notes are all of Gold, which is a metaphorical Expression, shewing his great Esteem of them: They are more Literal and Historical, than Moral. There are none upon the Books which he looks upon to be Apocryphal; but he has a Critical Discourse on each, destroying their Authority.
Diodati was of Lucca in Italy, from whence he retired to Geneva, where he was made a Minister. He died there, in 1649.
The French Bible, vulgarly called Des -maretz’s Bible, was put out in 2 Vols. fol. at Amsterdam, and printed by Daniel Elzivir, in 1669. It would be a hard matter to add any thing to the Beauty of the Character and Paper, and to the Neatness of the Impression: In the Notes there is great Choice; for they being collected from several Authors, some of them are Literal, others Critical, others Dogmatical and Theological, and all according to the Tenets of Calvin.
Samuel Desmaretz, was of Picardy, born in the Year 1599. He studied at Paris, was made Minister in 1620, and Professor in 1642 at Groninguen, where he died in 1673, at the Age of 74.
The French Bible of Geneva, reprinted at Amsterdam for Desbordes, Mortier, and Brune, in two Vols. fol. for the Use of the Reformed Walloon Churches, was put into better French, and illustrated with Theological and Critical Annnotations, by the Diligence of David Martin. These Notes are more correct than those of Desmaretz; but it has been the Author’s whole Concern to maintain his own Prejudices and Opinions. It was reprinted in 1707, in fol. with a Chronology at the End.
The History of the Bible, with Copper Cuts, at Antwerp for Mortier, 1700, in fol. The Prints are generally well designed, and the History is pretty correct. If the Author could have prevailed with himself not to have inserted the Opinions of his Party, the Work had been more universally useful.
We may mention here also Mark Escher, who made a Collection of several Passages out of Liranus’s Gloss, printed in the Bibliotheca Philologica, tom. 2. p. 389.
James Hasæus made Observations on the most difficult Places of the Bible. They are in the same Bibliotheca, tom. 2. p. 986, 1073.
Yves Gaukes has a Dissertation to explain all the Miracles related in the Old and New Testament. It is in the Bibliotheca Philologica, tom. 3. p. 581, 624. He was a Doctor of Physick.
Ruard Andula has explained some Passages in both Testaments, at Franckar, 1720. There is something of it in the same Bibliotheca, tom. 4. p. 589, 597.
John Christopher Pfaff has made a Dissertation on the Passages of the Old Testament cited in the New: This was printed at Tubingen, 1702, in 4to.