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Gesenius

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Geseniushttps://en.wikisource.org/wiki/1911_Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica/Gesenius,_Heinrich_Friedrich_Wilhelm

General

He was a german orientalist, lexicographer, christian hebraist, lutheran theologian, biblical scholar and critic, born in Nordhausen in 1786.

During 1806-1807 he compiled his first Hebrew lexicon in German, which was published a few years later by FCW Vogel, at his printing house in Leipzig, who also published all his later editions of the lexicon.

His large lexicon of biblical hebrew and chaldee (aramaic) was first published in 1829. This edition was continued and expanded under the editorship of Rödiger after Gesenius death until 1858.

His textbook on Hebrew grammar first apppeared as a small book of 202 pages in 1813 and went through 13 editions in Gesenius's lifetime.

He also published some smaller works in German, on the grammatical anomalies found in the Hebrew text of the old testament. Also, he wrote extensively on the Samaritans and their version of the Pentateuch, and on the phoenicians and their language, most notably with the publication of Scripturae Linguaeque Phoeniciae.

His opposition

In 1830 Gesenius, along with his friend and colleague Julius Wegscheider, were confronted by EW Hengstenberg and his party in the Evangelishe Kirchenzeitung, on account of his rationalism and his lecture comments treating lightly the biblical accounts of miracles. After this, Gesenius was troubled with personal stresses, in 1833 almost died of lung disease, in 1835 three of his children died, in 1842 died after prolonged misery from gall stones.

This "rationalism" is to be understood from a philosophical point of view. In philosophy, rationalism is the "epistemological" view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge". Or, any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification. This point of view is often in contrast to other possible sources of knowledge such as faith, tradition, or sensory experience.

What exactly is meant by "reason" here? It is defined as the capacity or ability to apply logic consciously, with the aim of seeking the truth. ("consciously" being a state of mind where the person is aware of internal and external or even unknown existence / factors influencing the subject / topic that is being studied).

I think it is important to remember here that "reason" back then and "reason" today is something completely different. Today, we reason with fairytales such as evolution, or with lies that are clearly not the truth such as those which the church represents. These things have been accepted as the truth as a result of being spread over and over to multiple generations consistently.

If reason would be done on facts, authentic sources only, then it is indeed the only method of seeking and testing for truth.

Jer6:16 Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.

1John4:1 Believe not every spirit, but test the spirit whether they are of Eloheem because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

EW Hengstenberg was thus not in agreement with Gesenius on his approach to seek the truth. What exactly was EW Hengstenberg's point of view to be opposing the process of "reason"?

The Father of EW Hengtenberg was JHK Hengstenberg, famous minister of the Reformed Church and head of the Frönenberg convent. EW Hengstenberg studied church history and oriental languages initially, however later directed his attention to the study of the bible, which also led him to a conviction, not only the divine character of the evangelical religion, but also of the unapproachable adequacy of its expression in the Augsburg confession. In 1825 he became a licentiate in theology, his thesis being remarkable for their evangelical fervour and for their emphatic protest against every form of "rationalism", especially in questions of old testament criticism.

Other influences

Important to understand that Genesius works have been continued past his death by other authors and editors publishing under his name. Not all works that feature Genesius are thus of the same origin and the characters/intentions of the later authors and editors needs to be carefully considered.