PISCATOR (FiscHER), JOHN. A learned divine and voluminous writer of the Reformed Church, born at Strasburg, March 27, 1546. Losing his father when five years old, his mother wished him to follow some handicraft trade, but the Pastor Thomas seeing his desire for study, took him into his house to teach his children. He afterwards studied at the universities of Strasburg and Tubingen, and became lecturer in the former in the room of Marbach. His adherence to the Reformed faith caased his dismissal, and he left Strasburg and became successively professor of philosophy at Heidelberg 1574-77, of theology at Neustadt 1578, and co-rector at the newly-founded university of Herborn. This foundation owed its reputation and success to the ability of his teach ing ; and he maintained its reputation as a school of theology till his death, July 26, 1626. The tone of his theology was moderately Calvinistic.
His chief Biblical works were—(I.) A new Ger
man Translation of the Bible, Herborn 1602-4_ The translation followed that of Tremellius and Junius almost servilely. Arguments were prefixed to the chapters, and annotations appended, which provoked the attacks of the opponents of the Re formed opinions. This went through many edi tions. To that of 1610 an appendix was added, containing an index and tables of geography, his tory, coins, etc. (2.) Commentaries on the whole of the O. and N. T., Herborn 160r, in twenty-four vols. 8vo, and subsequently in folio. These con tain an analysis of every book and chapter of the Bible, doctrinal observations, the Latin version of Junius and Tremellius, and a new one of his own. This was a work of no common merit for the time, and deserves credit for its impartiality and freedom from prejudice. (3.) Analyses logica• theologies in plerosque S. Cod. libros, fol.—E. V.