DAVIDSON, ANDREW BRUCE Scottish divine, was born in 1831 at Kirkhill, Aberdeenshire, where his father, Andrew Davidson, had a farm. During his four years at Aberdeen university his mother supplied him fortnightly with pro visions from the farm and sometimes walked the whole 20 miles from Kirkhill, handing the coach fee to her son. He graduated in 1849. In 1852, after three years as a schoolmaster, he entered New college, Edinburgh, and was licensed to preach in 1856. For two years he preached occasionally and took vacancies. In 1858 he became assistant professor of Hebrew at New college. He taught during the winter, and in the long vacation continued his preparation for his life work. One year he worked in Germany under Ewald, another year he went to Syria to study Arabic. In 1862 he published the first part of a commentary on Job. It was never finished and deals only with one-third of the book, but it is recognized as the first really scientific commentary on the Old Testament in the English language. In 1863 he was appointed by the General Assembly professor of oriental languages at New college. He was junior colleague of Dr. John Duncan (Rabbi Duncan) till 187o, and then for 3o years sole professor. He was a member of the Old Testament revision committee. He died on Jan. 26, 1902.
Besides the commentary on Job he published a book on the Hebrew Accents, the only Scottish performance of the kind since the days of Thomas Boston. His Introductory Hebrew Grammar has been, widely adopted as a class-book in theological colleges. His Hebrew Syntax has the same admirable clearness, precision and teach ing quality. His Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews is one of a series of handbooks for Bible classes. These were followed by com mentaries on Job, Ezekiel, Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah, in the Cambridge series; and a Bible-class primer on The Exile and Restora tion. His lectures on Old Testament Prophecy were published after his death by Prof. J. A. Paterson. The Theology of the Old Testa ment in the "International Theological Library" is a posthumous volume edited by Prof. Salmond. "Isaiah" in the Temple Bible was finished, but not revised, when he died ; and he also had in hand the volume on Isaiah for the International Critical Commentary; to which must be added a mass of articles contributed to the Imperial Bible Dictionary, the Encycloperdia Britannica, and the chief religious reviews. Various articles in Dr. Hastings' Bible Dictionary were by Davidson, including the article "God." Two volumes of sermons, The Called of God (with biographical introduction), and Waiting upon God, were published after his death.