GESENIUS, WILHELM, the eminent Hebrew scholar, was born at Nordhausen, in Hanover, 3d Feb. 1786, and died at Halle, 23d Oct. 1842. From the Gymnasium of his native town he passed to the University of Helmstadt, now defunct, and sub sequently to that of Gottingen, where he studied theology. After fulfilling the functions of a Privat docent at Gottingen for three years, he was ap pointed in 18,09 Professor at the Gymnasium of Heiligstadt ; and in the following year he was elevated to a theological professorship at Halle, where he continued to the end of his life. He de voted himself with great zeal to' the duties of his chair, and became the most popular teacher of Hebrew and O. T. exegesis in Germany. He con tinued to prosecute with much diligence the study of Hebrew, and directed his attention to the preparation of works adapted to promote famili arity with that language. His earliest aim was directed to the improvement of Hebrew lexico graphy ; before leaving Gottingen he had turned his mind to this subject ; and he was no sooner settled in Halle than he set himself in earnest to accomplish what he had proposed. In 1810 appeared the first volume of his Hebrdisch-deutsches Hana' worterbuch des Allen Tenamenrs, which was fol. lowed by the 2d vol. in 1812. This work, pro duced between the author's 22d and 26th year, he was accustomed himself to regard in later years as a juvenile performance ; but it was such a per formance as secured for him at once a foremost place among Hebrew philologists, and its appear ance constitutes an era in the history of Shemitic learning. In this field Gesenius continued to labour to the last ; in 1815 he issued his Neues Hcb. Deutsch. Handworterbuch fzer schzeler, of which new editions appeared in 1823, 1828, and 1834, under the title of Heb. zend Chald. II. W. B. ueber das A. T. ; and in 1833 appeared his Lexi con Manuale Heb. et Chald. in V. T lebros ; but his great work in this department, and in which he was occupied at the time of his death, is the Thesaurus Philologicus Clitines Ling. Heb. et Chal. V. T., of which the first fasciculus appeared in 1829, the fifth in 1842, and which, completed by Rodiger, who added a sixth fasciculus (1853), occupies 3 vols. 4to. Of these works the first has been translated into English by Christopher Leo, 2 V01.5. 4to, Camb. 1825, the second by J. NV. Gibbs, Andover 1824, and the third, with correc tions furnished by the author, by Dr. E. Robinson, 1841. To the improvement of the grammar of the Hebrew also Gesenius set himself with much diligence and perseverance ; and in this depart ment issued the following works :—Hebriiische Granznzatik, Halle 1813, r3th ed. 1842, translated
from the 1 rth ed. by Prof. Conant of New York, 18,39 (3d ed. 1842, reprinted in London 1840); four editions, superintended by Rodiger, have appeared since the author's death, from one of which the translation by Tregelles is made ; Lese bitch, Halle 1814, 6th ed. 1834 ; Geschichte der Heb. Sprache und Schnfi 1815; Lehrgebliude der Heb. Sprache, 1817. Gesenius was the author also of the following works :—Vernich zee& die Afaltesische Sprache,18to ; De Pentateuchi Samaritan!' Origine, Indole et Auctoritate, 1815; Der Prophet Yesaia, iibersetzt, und mit Comment. begleitet, 2 V015. 1820 21; De Sanzaritanorzem Theolog,th ex fontibus itzedi. tis, 1822 ; Carmina Samaritana interp. Lat. cum comment. Must. 1824; Pahrographische Studien ueb. Phiinizische tend Punische SchriA1835; Scrip tune Lingureque Phrenicith Monunzenta quotquot supersunt, 1837 ; besides many articles on Biblical subjects in the Encyclopdie of Ersch and Gruber. Amongst those by whom service has been rendered to the cause of O. T. philology, no name stands higher than that of Gesenius. All he has written bears marks of careful study, is characterised by sound judgment and good sense, and is presented in a style remarkably pellucid and simple. It may be objected to his grammatical system that it is too artificial, and presents rather the grammarian's de vice than a scheme of the actual phenomena of the language—his multiplication of the declensions, for instance, to nine, and his distinction between mas culine and feminine declensions is without support from the actual facts of the language ; but there can be no doubt that his grammars are an immense improvement on all that preceded them, and have done more to facilitate and encourage the study of Hebrew than any that have appeared since. To his lexicographical works the only objection that can be offered is that they are confined exclusively to the Biblical Hebrew, and so still leave us with. out a complete Thesaurus of the Hebrew tongue. As an exegete Gesenius is strong only in philo logy and the other adjutorial branches of interpre.
tation ; he affords valuable help in reaching the meaning of the prophet's words, but often sadly fails in apprehending the significance of his thoughts. During his later years he gave much attention to palmography, and his contributions to this branch of inquiry are of first-rate excellence, and leave behind them all preceding- works in the same de partment.—W. L. A.