BEsides those Authors who have written in particular upon some certain historical Books of Scripture, there are others who have had in view the five historical Books we have been speaking of in general, or the following, besides such as Esdras, Tobit, and Judith, which make up the Octateuch.
Among these, John Gottlob Carpzovius wrote an Introduction to these eight historical Books; printed in Latin at Lipsick, 1714, in 4to. In his Preface he enumerates the Authors who have gone before him in this way of writing. Some he thinks too diffuse, others too concise: some ramble into unreasonable Digressions, others omit what is most necessary. Next, he sets forth the Plan which he had made of his Work. This consists, 1st, in examining the Title of the Books, and the Place they have in the Canon of Scripture; 2dly, in inquiring by whom they were written; 3dly, in explaining the Subject of them; 4thly, in shewing the Usefulness of them, and discovering wherein they relate to Jesus Christ; 5thly, to prove the Authenticknefs of them, and that they are canonical; 6thly, to set down the Chronology; lastly, he points out the Interpreters, both Christian and Jewish. John Carpzovius executes his Design learnedly and judiciously, excepting in such Particulars as proceed from his being a Lutheran.
M. Felibien put out the historical Pentateuch in Latin, at Paris, 1704, in 4to. It contains the five first historical Books of Scripture, viz. Joshua, Judges, Ruth, the first and second Book of Samuel; with Comments gathered from the Hebrew Text, the Version of the Septuagint, and the best Interpreters, and Arguments of the Books and Chapters in Verse.
The Author has not pretended to go to the bottom of the Difficulties in Scripture, to give them a new Turn, and open Tracts unknown before to the Learned. He modestly declares that he leaves this Care to Criticks, who have more leisure and a better Capacity. For his part, it was his Intention only to put a short, easy, orthodox Comment into the Hands of young Ecclesiasticks; and he has accomplished his Design. His Notes, which are clear and judicious, explain every thing in a very plausible manner, which might obstruct the Reader; and are sufficient for the generality of those who study the sacred Writings. As to any thing farther, there is nothing new in his Explanations. This, in the very Title of his Book, he appears not to be ignorant of; as may be judged from his application to himself of the following Passage out of St. Jerom: Fateor nunquam in divinis voluminibus propriis viribus credidisse, nec habuisse opinionem meam. The judicious Commentator does not insist on Allegories, but is satisfied with describing the particular Places of the Fathers, where those, who are fond of such Subtilties, may find them. In moral Reflections, it is not thus with him, many whereof he has inserted, as they were extracted from the Writings of the Fathers, in their own very Words: and these he has made choice of with great discretion. In the beginning of every Book and Chapter, he has added the Argument of them, both in Prose and Verse. His Prose is clear, his Verses are not excellent. It is allowable for any one to be but a moderate Poet in a Comment upon Scripture, provided he be a good Interpreter. He follows the Chronology of Torniel, without any variation.
Altho this Comment is literal, there are nevertheless many good Instructions to be gathered out of it, very proper to increase the Piety of Believers. The Author, at the end of the Volume, has added a Chronology of the Old Testament from the Creation of the World to the Death of David; and he has been so careful as to mark the Names of all those with a Star, from whom our Lord Jesus Christ is descended.
He was of Chartres, Brother to the famous Andrew Felibien; whom we shall speak of upon Jeremiah. He was Canon and Archdeacon of Chartres, and not of Vendôme, as F. le Long writes, who has confounded him with one of his Brothers. He died in 1716.
Malvenda’s Comments on the historical Books, begin with Joshua. See upon the Pentateuch. These, in five Volumes fol. are not so well esteemed as what he has written upon Paradise and Antichrist. See upon Genesis, where we have spoken of him; and we shall again mention him hereafter.
Fabricius Paulutius’s Comment upon the historical Books, was printed with that written by him upon the Pentateuch; whereof we have said something. Nothing more remains than that we take notice of the Author. He was an Italian of Forli; was made first Bishop of that City, which in Italian is called Civita de la Pieve, in the Province of Rome, by Paul V. in 1605. and died in 1625. Ughellus speaks of him in his Italia Sacra, tom. 1. p. 633. We shall speak again of him upon the New Testament.
We are obliged to F. D. Bernard Pez, for having made us acquainted with the learned Commentator Irembert, and his Works, which had hitherto lain in the dark. He promised to give us Irembert’s Comment upon Joshua, in his Thesaurus of Anecdotes, and to place it in the fourth Tome; which Favour he has not done us. He has published his two Comments upon Judges and Ruth, tom. 4. p. 133. & 444.
He informs us that he was a Benedictine Abbot in Germany, in the middle of the 12th Century; that he lived among the learned Men of his Time; and that he employed his whole Time and Application in studying the divine Writings, so as to become, by this means, a very learned Commentator. We shall speak of him in the Sequel of his other Comments. There is no Library-keeper has spoken of him; at least, we have found none, after all the search that we have made.