William Smits
Encyclopedia
William Smits was a Dutch
Franciscan
orientalist and exegete.
From 1732 to 1744 he published, at Antwerp, several Biblical theses dealing with questions of textual criticism and chronology
. In one of these, "Isagoge Romano-Catholica ad textum hebraeum...", he shows that the Latin Vulgate is substantially a faithful translation of the original Hebrew; and in another, "Isagoge Romano-Catholica ad textum graecum vulgo LXX. . .", he states the reasons why the Septuagint is preferable to the actual Hebrew text.
Asked by Cardinal Thomas Philip of Alsace, then Archbishop of Mechlin, Smits undertook the translation of the entire Bible into Dutch
. The title is: "Biblia Sacra Vulgatae editionis, versione belgica, notis grammaticalibus, literalibus, criticis, ... elucidata per FF. Minores Recollectes musae philologico-sacri antwerpiensis." Of this series he lived to finish only thirteen Sacred books, which were published, in seventeen volumes, from 1744 to 1767. The work was continued by his collaborator and former pupil, Peter van Hove
.
In 1765 Smits was appointed the first prefect of the "Musaeum philologico-sacrum", a Franciscan biblical institute at Antwerp.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
orientalist and exegete.
Biography
He entered the Order of Friars Minor at the age of eighteen. As a religious he applied himself to the study of Biblical languages and Sacred Scripture and was appointed lector.From 1732 to 1744 he published, at Antwerp, several Biblical theses dealing with questions of textual criticism and chronology
Chronology
Chronology is the science of arranging events in their order of occurrence in time, such as the use of a timeline or sequence of events. It is also "the determination of the actual temporal sequence of past events".Chronology is part of periodization...
. In one of these, "Isagoge Romano-Catholica ad textum hebraeum...", he shows that the Latin Vulgate is substantially a faithful translation of the original Hebrew; and in another, "Isagoge Romano-Catholica ad textum graecum vulgo LXX. . .", he states the reasons why the Septuagint is preferable to the actual Hebrew text.
Asked by Cardinal Thomas Philip of Alsace, then Archbishop of Mechlin, Smits undertook the translation of the entire Bible into Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
. The title is: "Biblia Sacra Vulgatae editionis, versione belgica, notis grammaticalibus, literalibus, criticis, ... elucidata per FF. Minores Recollectes musae philologico-sacri antwerpiensis." Of this series he lived to finish only thirteen Sacred books, which were published, in seventeen volumes, from 1744 to 1767. The work was continued by his collaborator and former pupil, Peter van Hove
Peter van Hove
Peter van Hove was a Flemish Friar Minor, lector in theology and exegete.-Biography:Peter was born at Retie, in the Campine region of Flanders...
.
In 1765 Smits was appointed the first prefect of the "Musaeum philologico-sacrum", a Franciscan biblical institute at Antwerp.