GESENIUS, ge-zaInt-vs, WILHELM ( 1786 1842). One of the greatest German Orientalists and biblical scholars. He was born at Nord hausen, and educated at the gymnasium of his native town, and at Helmstedt and the University of G6ttingen. After having been for a short time teacher in the padagogium at Helmstedt, he became, in 1806, a theological repetent, or tutor, in Gottingen, and in 1809 was appointed pro fessor in the gymnasium of Heiligenstadt. In 1810 he received a call to Halle as assistant professor of theology, and was made full profes sor in the following year. In 1820 and again in 1835 he traveled extensively, making investiga tions in various libraries. In 1827 he was called to Eichborn's position at Gottingen, but declined the call. In 1810-12 he published a Hebrew and Chaldaic Dictionary of the Old Testa ment. In 1813-14 appeared his Hebriiisches mentarbuch, consisting of a Hebrew grammar and a reading book, which were also published separately. This dictionary and grammar, as they have been successively revised and trans lated (13th ed. of the lexicon ed. by Buhl. 1899; 27th ed. of grammar ed. by Kautsch. 1902), are still standard books of reference, not only throughout Germany, but also in Great Britain and America. Of Gesenius's numerous other
writings, the following may be mentioned: %HI ische Geschichte der hebriiischen Sprache and Behrift (1815) ; De Pentateuehi Samaritani Orig ine (1815) ; a translation of the prophet Isaiah with commentary (1820-21) ; Ausfiihrliches gram matisch-k,ritische Lehrgebilude der hebrdischen Sprache (1817) ; and Scripture: Linguceque Plicenicia; Monumenta (3 vols., 1837). His larger lexicon of the Hebrew language, Thesaurus Philo logus Criticus Lingua; Hebroce et Chaldcece Veteris Testamenti, which would undoubtedly have been his greatest achievement, but which was interrupted by his death, was completed in 1858 by E. ROdiger. Gesenius's great merit was his placing the study of Semitic languages on a sound philological basis. His method of inter preting the Old Testament was rationalistic. Both Semitic philology and biblical exegesis have advanced far beyond the point to which he car ried them; nevertheless, his methods and princi ples underlie much of the work that has been done since his time, and that is still being done. Consult Hayne, Gesenius, eine Erinnerung fiir seine Freunde (Berlin, 1842).