Samuel Davidson
Encyclopedia
Samuel Davidson was an Irish
biblical scholar who was born near Ballymena
in Ireland.
He was educated at the Royal College of Belfast, entered the Presbyterian ministry in 1835, and was appointed professor of biblical criticism at his own college. Becoming a Congregationalist
, he accepted in 1842 the chair of biblical criticism, literature and oriental languages at the Lancashire Independent College at Manchester
; but he was obliged to resign in 1857, being brought into collision with the college authorities by the publication of an introduction to the Old Testament
entitled The Text of the Old Testament, and the Interpretation of the Bible, written for a new edition of Homes Introduction to the Sacred Scripture. Its liberal tendencies caused him to be accused of unsound views, and a most exhaustive report prepared by the Lancashire College committee was followed by numerous pamphlets for and against. After his resignation a fund of £3000 was subscribed as a testimonial by his friends.
In 1862 he moved to London
to become scripture examiner in the University of London
, and he spent the rest of his life in literary work.
Davidson is often mistakenly listed as a member of the Old Testament Revision Committee for the Revised Version of 1881. However, this confusion is due simply to his sharing the same surname as Andrew Bruce Davidson, D. D., Professor of Hebrew, Free Church College, Edinburgh, who in fact was on that committee.
Also translations of the New Testament
from Tischendorf's text, Gieseler's Ecclesiastical History (1846), and Fürst's Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon.
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
biblical scholar who was born near Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....
in Ireland.
He was educated at the Royal College of Belfast, entered the Presbyterian ministry in 1835, and was appointed professor of biblical criticism at his own college. Becoming a Congregationalist
Congregational church
Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
, he accepted in 1842 the chair of biblical criticism, literature and oriental languages at the Lancashire Independent College at Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
; but he was obliged to resign in 1857, being brought into collision with the college authorities by the publication of an introduction to the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
entitled The Text of the Old Testament, and the Interpretation of the Bible, written for a new edition of Homes Introduction to the Sacred Scripture. Its liberal tendencies caused him to be accused of unsound views, and a most exhaustive report prepared by the Lancashire College committee was followed by numerous pamphlets for and against. After his resignation a fund of £3000 was subscribed as a testimonial by his friends.
In 1862 he moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to become scripture examiner in the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, and he spent the rest of his life in literary work.
Davidson is often mistakenly listed as a member of the Old Testament Revision Committee for the Revised Version of 1881. However, this confusion is due simply to his sharing the same surname as Andrew Bruce Davidson, D. D., Professor of Hebrew, Free Church College, Edinburgh, who in fact was on that committee.
Works
Among his principal works are:- Sacred Hermeneutics Developed and Applied (1843), rewritten and republished as A Treatise on Biblical Criticism (1852)
- Lectures on Ecclesiastical Polity (1848)
- An Introduction to the New Testament (1848–1851),
- The Hebrew Text of the Old Testament Revised (1855)
- Introduction to the Old Testament (1862)
- On a Fresh Revision of the Old Testament (1873)
- The Canon of the Bible (1877)
- The Doctrine of Last Things in the New Testament (1883)
Also translations of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
from Tischendorf's text, Gieseler's Ecclesiastical History (1846), and Fürst's Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon.