WETTE, W. rui. MARTIN LEBERECHT DE, D.D., was born 12th January 1780, at Ulla, near Weimar. He was educated at Weimar and Jena ; and a powerful influence on his mental habits and bent of opinion was exerted by early intercourse with Herder, Griesbach, and Paulus. In 1807 he became extraordinary professor of theology at Jena ; 1809 he was appointed ordinary professor of theology at Heidelberg ; thence he went, in 8 r 0, to Berlin. Having come under the censure of the government for writing a letter of sympathy to the mother of Sands, the murderer of Kotzebue, he was, in 1819, dismissed from his professorship, and banished from the Prussian dominions. He betook himself to Basle, where he was appointed professor of theology in 182t ; and here he remained till his death, which took place 16th June 1849. Few men have exerted a more powerful influence on modern theolog,y in Germany than De Wette. His learning, his vigour.. his acumen, bis boldness, his versatility, and his unwearied assiduity, conspired to give him a powerful hold over educated men of all classes. He commenced his career as an ad
herent of the destructive school of criticism, and to the last he was in criticism very much of a sceptic. But along with this he was as an interpreter singu larly fair as well as learned and acute, so that his exegetical works possess the highest value. The works by which he is best known are : Lebrbuch. der Einleitung in die Bilch. A. und N. T., Berl. 1817, vols., of which the 6th edition is in circu lation ; Lehrbuch der Hebr. Archdologie, Leipz. 1814, which has also passed through several editions ; Die HeiZ Schrift. des A. u. N. T fiber setzt, Heidelb. 1831, several editions ; Commentar lib. die Psalnzen, Heidelb. 18u, 4th ed. 1836 ; Kurzgefasst. Exegetisch. Hdbuch. zunz N. T. 1S36 1848, several editions. On his merits as an expo sitor, see COMMENTARY.-W. L. A