EICHHORN, JOHANN GOrFFRIED, was born 16th October 1752, at Dorenzimmern, and died at Gottingen, 25th June 1827. He was succes sively rector of the Gymnasium at Ordruff in the Grand Duchy of Gotha, professor of Oriental languages at Jena, and professor of the same at Gottingen. He was a man of extensive and varied culture, of a vivid and versatile genius, possessed of immense powers of application, and capable of employing these powers with success in various departments of literature. His fertile ingenuity often betrayed him into untenable hypotheses, which, though plausibly defended by him, have tended considerably to detract from his perman ent reputation and influence. His writings are very numerous • they are chiefly in the depart ment of ancient history, literary history, and Bibli cal literature. In this last branch his works are : —Einleitung izz :Las A& Testament, 3 vols. 8vo, Leipz. 1780-83, best edition, Gott. 1820-24, 5 vols. ; Einleit. in die Apoeryph. Schriften des A. T., Gott. 1795 ; Einleit. in etas N. T., Gott. 2 VON. 1804-10, best edition, Leipz. 5820-27, 5 vols.; Comzzzezztarius Apocalypsin 7ohannis, 2 vols.. Gott. s791 ; Die Hebr. Prapheten, 3 vols. Gott. 1816 20. To this branch, also, belong his Repertorizenz far Bibl. and Morgenlandisclze Literatur, 18 vols. Leipz. 1777-86 ; and his Alkenzeine Bibliothek der Biblischen Literatur, 10 vols. Leipz. 1787-1801. As a theologian, Eichhorn belonged to the ration alist school, and may be regarded as one of its most influential leaders. His works on Biblical Introduction produced a great effect, both on the treatment of that subject, and on the views of his countrymen in regard to the questions coming under it. Nothing so painstaking, so copious, so exact, or so systematic, had before appeared on the subject ; and to this day his works remain the most valuable repertory of facts to which the student can betake himself. It is when Eichhorn
resorts to hypotheses that he becomes misleading ; and yet it would be unfair to say that even by this he has not contributed largely to the advance of Biblical science. His inquiry into the origin of the three synoptic gospels is a most elaborate piece of investigation ; and though his conclusion has met with but few to adopt it, there can be no doubt that the interest his inquiry excited has tended much to advance the question at issue to wards a satisfactory solution. His discussion of the canon of the 0. T., though containing some peculiar and untenable views, is still of great value to the student. The only books of the N. T. whose genuineness he calls in question are Jude, 2 Peter, and the Pastoral epistles ; respecting these last, he was the first to suggest that, though not written by Paul, Pauline ideas lie at their basis. As an exegete, Eichhorn's great defect is his want of spiritual sympathy with the sacred writers, and the consequently purely literary and superficial character of his exegesis. The asthe tic element in the prophetical writings he fully ap preciates, hut their religious and theocratic ele ments he almost wholly misses, while of their re lation to Christianity he seems to know nothing. Had the Bible not been a divine book, Eichhorn's writings on it might have occupied the same place of authority as all will concede to his Geschichte der Literatur von 'hi-en oafinge bis die neues ten zeiten, and his other works on literary history ; but as it is, his works on Scripture only afford another illustration, among many, how incompe tent are mere genius and scholarship to do justice to them, apart from that teaching of the Spirit by which alone the things that are spiritually dis cerned' can be apprehended.—W. L. A.