MEUSCHEN, JOHANN GERHARD, a learned divine and philologist, was born in 1680, at Osna bruck, in Westphalia, studied at Jena, and obtained the degree of A.M. in 1702. He then went to Kid, where he eventually became profes sor of philosophy in 1704. Having returned to his native place, he assisted his father for some time in the ministry, until he was elected preacher at St. Catherine's. In 1708 he was made pastor of the Lutheran congregation in the Hague ; in 1716 he became court preacher of Hanau, and subsequently general superintendent of Coburg, church -councillor and professor of theology at Coburg, where he died in 1743. His most important works in the field of Biblical literature are—Diatribe de Nasi Principe et directors Synedrii llfagni Hebrseorum, Coburg 1724 ; Novum Thrta mentum e Talmude illustratum, Leip. 1736 ; Bib liotheca Medici sacri, scu recensio scriptorum qui Scripturanz Sacram ex medicina et philosophia naturali illustrurunt, the Hague 1712. Besides publishing many sermons and smaller dissertations, on topics of practical or historical interest, he edited H. Eygas' Chronicon Universals, Leyd. 1643.
the grandfather of Mehetabel, the wife of Hadar, one of the kings of Edam (Gen. xxxvi. 39 ; Chron. i. 5o). The name means gold-water, i.e., probably auriferous stream. Some regard it
as the name of a place rather than a person, and suppose that daughter is used in the sense of inhabitant or native; but this is unnecessary, for though it may seem strange to call a man a stream or water, yet analogous instances are not wanting etc.) To what this prince was inklebted for his name, whether to his material wealth—` he was called Mezahab because gold was in his house as water' (Abarbanel)—or to some exuberance of mental resources, such as led Cicero to say of Aristotle, 6rt xpuctov grorakeds Ern Adyros (Plutarch, Lit. Cic., vol. iv., p. 465, of Bryan's edit.), it is impossible to say. The Targ. Onkel. abolishes the proper name, and renders daughter of a worker in gold.' The Targ. Jonath. and the T. Hierosol. resolve the name into 'in, What is gold? and apply it to Matred, who, say they, was a man that laboured with much assiduity and vigi lance, and after he became rich and was full of wealth, his mind was purified, and he repented and said, What is gold, and what is silver ?' Jarchi gives a similar rendering, but assigns a different reason for the name ; he was,' says he, a rich man, and gold was not of any value in his eyes:— W. L. A.