AMong the Protestants, next to those who have written on the whole Bible, the most eminent are Calvin, OEcolampadius, Musculus, Gataker, Calovius, Marlorat, and Rivet; most of whom are intire in the Great Criticks, or Extracts of them are in the Synopsis.
John Calvin wrote upon all the Prophets, great and small. His Comment upon Isaiah was printed at Geneva, in 1617, in fol. the sixth Edition. The best is of 1551, because he himself revised it.
OEcolampadius wrote likewise upon all the Prophets; in particular upon Isaiah, ibid. 1567, in 4to. the second Edition.
Wolfgang Musculus wrote only upon this first Prophet; his Comment was printed at Basil, 1623, in fol.
That of Augustin Marlorat was printed at Geneva, 1610, in fol. a new Edition. All these Writers are known sufficiently.
What Thomas Gataker composed upon Isaiah, is in his Adversaria Miscellanea & Posthuma, tom. I. of his printed Works at Utrecht upon the Rhine, in 1698. two Volumes in fol. See the Table of such Passages of Scripture as are explain’d by him; it is at the end of the first Volume.
Abraham Calovius’s Notes upon this, and the other Prophets, are in the second Tome of what he performed upon the whole Bible, at Lipsick, 1719. four Volumes in fol.
Solomon Vantill made a Comment, which was printed by the Direction of Campegius Vitringa at Lewarden, 1720, in fol. and contains 958 Pages, without the Preface and Tables.
Andrew Rivet commented only the 53d Chapter of Isaiah; at Leyden, 1623, in 4to.
Drusius wrote Notes upon the three first Chapters only; printed in the second Edition of the Great Criticks, with those made by him on the small Prophets. They were not published till after his Death, and then just as they were found in his Papers.
Augustus Varen has written Disputations on the twelve first Chapters of Isaiah; printed at Rostock, 1658, in 8vo. The publick School of Isaiah, ibid. 1665, in 4to. The canonical College of the four last Prophets of Babylon, namely, Daniel, Haggai, Zachary, and Malachi; ibid. in 1667, in 4to. The Trifolium of the three last Prophets, ibid. in 1662, in 4to. Lastly, a particular Comment upon the Prophet Isaiah, revised by John Fecht, and printed at Lipsick, 1708, in 4to. We have spoken of him upon Genesis.
He has prefixed a kind of Introduction to this Prophet, which comprehends ten Articles. In it he examines the general Title of the Prophecy, the Order of the Subjects spoken of by Isaiah, the Order wherein the Prophecy of Isaiah is disposed in the Bible; whatsoever concerns more particularly the Person of this Prophet, the Places, Time, and Circumstances wherein he prophesied, the general Aim and Division of his Prophecies. He afterwards splits his Comment into three large Sections; the first whereof ends at the 12th Chapter, the second at the 39th, and the third contains those which follow.
In this long Comment it seems to be his Design that nothing might escape the Accuracy and Subtlety of his Reflections; he scans every thing, divides and subdivides every thing, and leaves nothing for the Reader’s Mind to do. His omitting to insert the Text of Isaiah, so as to make it necessary to recur to the Bible that we may understand his Explanation, is an Inconveniency. Besides, the Author has not so confined himself within the Bounds of Criticism, or Divinity, as not to intersperse frequently thro’out his Comment many Points of ecclesiastical History and Controversy; and it will be surprizing to any one to find such Questions as have but a very remote relation to the Text of Isaiah.
Moreover, it may be necessary to know that in this new Edition there is a Catalogue published, and an Account of Varen’s Works, as well printed as Manuscript; which fills almost the first Tome. It is a Preface by John Fecht, wherein he gives us the Author’s Life; of which you have here an Abridgment.
He came into the World at Lunebourg, in the Year 1620. and died in 1684, a Lutheran. He had happy Dispositions for the Sciences, and a very strong Inclination to the Hebrew Tongue, which he spake with more ease than his native Language. He was also a Man of great Memory and Judgment.
A Comment upon Isaiah by Campegius Vitringa, in Latin, at Leuwarden, 1714, 1715. two Volumes in 4to. Herein he prescribes to himself two Rules: First, to follow the proper and grammatical Sense, which results naturally from the Signification of the Words; considering, at the same time, the Circumstances and Drift of the Discourse, unless he is obliged, by very strong Reasons, to have recourse to another more spiritual and exalted Sense, when the Attributes cannot agree with the Subject which seems to be express’d. The second, to look for the Accomplishment of the Prophecies, in the Times nearest at hand; and, if it is not to be found in these either totally or partially, then to proceed to Times subsequent and more remote, verifying it by the History. He was a Dutch Calvinist, studied Night and Day, and understood Antiquity extremely well.
Vincent Struck’s Explanation of Isaiah in Latin, at Lipsick, 1708, in 4to. This may be called rather Theological Lectures, than Observations upon a Prophet. He first of all examines what is to be understood by the Word Prophecy. 2. What relates to the Author of this. 3. He gives us the Subject of this Book. 4. He describes the Time wherein Isaiah prophesied. He is very copious upon each of these Articles.
Lyser’s Comment upon the small Prophets in Latin, at Lipsick, 1709, in 4to. published by his great Grandson Lyser, who added to it his Explanation of the Prophet Haggai, which was wanting. We find here Prolegomena prefix’d to each Prophecy, wherein the Author gives the Life of that Prophet whose Writings he undertakes to explain. He is very circumstantial in his Inquiries, and endeavours to discover the Spirit and Genius of the Prophet. He lays open the Vices which were then reigning among the Jews, and gives us some idea of the Subject and Matter of each Prophecy. Moreover, there is a short Analysis prefixed to every Chapter of all Things contained in it. He afterwards explains all the several Verses, sometimes by a Paraphrase only; but when any Difficulties occur, he treats the matter more copiously, and in a manner which demonstrates that he had studied the Scriptures with a particular application, and had a good knowledge of Hebrew.
He came into the World at Winenden, in the Province of Wittemberg, in 1552. was made a Lutheran Minister in 1573. and died at Dresden in 1610, according to William Wilck; or 1601, according to Bayle. He wrote abundance of Books upon the Scripture, every one of which we have taken notice of in their proper place.
Francis Burmann wrote six and twenty Disputations upon the Prophets, namely, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah.
John Cæsar has several Discourses in German upon Jonah, Micah, Habbakkuk, and Zephaniah, at Wittemberg, 1598, 1600, 1603, and 1608, in four Volumes in 8vo. See upon Job. This is the last time that we shall speak of him.
Lewis Capellus has Notes upon the 53d Chapter of Isaiah at the end of the 52d; upon Obadiah, Micah, Nahum, Habbakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Malachi, and Zechariah, in his other posthumous Works, at Amsterdam, in 1689, in fol.
Bartholomew and Isaiah Heidenrich. The first has an Exposition of Joel, Jonah, Obadiah, Nahum, Haggai, and Malachi, at Wittemberg, 1610, in 8vo. We have spoken of him upon Ruth. The second has several Discourses in German upon Joel, Jonah, Obadiah, Micah, and Amos; printed at Lipsick, in three Volumes in 8vo. in two Volumes in 4to. 1603, 1611.
Edward Liveleius wrote Notes upon Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, and Jonah, at London, 1587, in 8vo. and in the Great Criticks upon the Prophets. He says himself, speaking of his Notes, that they will appear inconsiderable to those who despise the grammatical Sense. He flatters himself, however, that they will be of some use. Simon reproaches him with too much affecting to appear learned, where there was no necessity. See what he says of him in his Critical History of the Old Testament, p. 445. He was an Englishman, Professor in the University of Cambridge; and died in 1605, or 1606. This is all we shall say of him.
John Mercier wrote likewise a Comment upon the same Prophets, at Giessen, 1595. See upon Genesis. Amand Polanus has a Comment upon Jeremiah, and his Lamentations, in 1608, in 8vo. upon Ezekiel, with a logical and theological Analysis, ibid. in 1592, in 8vo. upon Daniel, in 1600, in 8vo. an Analysis of Malachi, in 1606, in 8vo. of the Prophet Hosea, in 1601, in 8vo. We have spoken of him on the Psalms, Article 50. We shall speak of him again.
Victorinus Strigelius has placed his Comment upon the four great Prophets with that which he has written upon the Maccabees: See ibid. He has likewise put out Scholia upon the twelve small Prophets, at Lipsick, 1570. the second Edition in 8vo. We shall say something of him again upon the Lamentations.
Urbanus Rhegius explain’d Obadiah, Habbakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, at Hall in Saxony, 1537. See upon the Psalms, in the Article of Protestants.
Balthasar Willius wrote a Comment on Zechariah, Haggai, and Malachi, at Bremen, 1638, in 8vo. We shall take notice of him again in another place. He was a German Lutheran of Bremen, and Professor. He died in 1656.
Edward Pocock wrote a Comment upon Hosea, Joel, Micah, and Malachi, in his Works at Amsterdam, 1699, in fol. We shall speak of him elsewhere.
Elias Schadeé put out the Synopsis of the Prophet Joel, at Strasburg, 1588, in 4to. A Comment upon Amos, ibid. the same Year, in 4to. The Synopsis of the principal Places of Jonah, ibid. in 4to. M. Du Pin, in the 4th Tome of his Tables, p. 432. speaks of another very considerable Work extracted from the Scripture; but it comes not within the compass of our Design, it being purely theological. He was a German of Limbewerden, a Lutheran, and Professor at Strasburg. He died in 1593. He understood Hebrew, and was Minister of the Protestant Church at Strasburg.
John Henry Ursin put out a literal Comment upon Hosea, at Frankfort, 1677, in 8vo. upon Joel, at Spire, 1640, in 8vo. upon Jonah, at Frankfort, in 1642, in 8vo. upon Obadiah and Nahum, ibid. in 1632, in 8vo. We have said something of him upon Genesis, and shall say more of him at some other opportunity.
Josse Willichius wrote upon Jonah, in particular, at Frankfort, in 1546, in 8vo. upon Obadiah, Jonah, Habbakkuk, and Haggai, at Basil, 1546, in 8vo. See upon St. Paul.
John Leusden, his philological Notes upon Jonah, Joel, and Obadiah; at Utrecht, 1656, 1657. in two Volumes in 8vo. This is the last time we shall speak of him.
David Paræus wrote a Comment upon Hosea at Heidelberg, in 1609. the second Edition in 4to. Notes upon Joel, Haggai, and Amos; at Oxford, 1631, in 4to. See upon Genesis, Article 30. and upon St. Matthew, &c.
The Rabbins, David Kimchi, Solomon Jarchi, and Aben Ezra, are in the Rabbinical Libraries.
David Kimchi, a Jew, wrote a Comment upon Isaiah and Jeremiah, printed at Constantinople, in 1503, in fol. the second Edition, in Hebrew. He wrote likewise in particular upon all the small Prophets.
That of Aben Ezra was printed at Venice, in 1526, in fol. and at Basil, in 1619. Samuel de Lanido published an ample Comment under this Title, Vas auri puri, at Venice, 1657.
Solomon, the Son of Isaac, wrote a Comment upon Isaiah, with the Text of the Bible; printed at Thessalonica, in 1600, in fol. upon Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, and Jonah, with John Mercier’s Latin Version; at Paris, 1556, in 4to. upon Hosea, with Notes by Coddée, at Leyden, 1621, in 4to. upon Joel, with Genebrard’s Version; at Paris, in 1563. upon Obadiah, Jonah, and Zephaniah, in Latin, by Pontac; ibid. in 1566, in 4to. upon Jonah and Joel, by Leusden; at Utrecht, 1657. the second Edition, two Volumes in 8vo. upon Malachi, in Latin, by Samuel Bohl; at Rostock, 1637, in 4to. in Hebrew and Latin, by Simeon de Muis; at Paris, in 1620. the second Edition, in 4to. upon the Lamentations, by Francis Taylor; at London, 1651, in 4to. We have spoken of him already in another Place.