Johann Jakob Wettstein

Johann Jakob Wettstein (also Wetstein; 5 March 1693 any further use of the manuscripts in the library.
– 23 March 1754) was a Swiss theologian, best known as Then a rumour began that Wettstein’s projected text
a New Testament critic.
would take the Socinian side in the case of such passages
as i Timothy iii. 16;[1] and in other ways (e.g. by re-
garding Jesus's temptation as a subjective experience, by
1 Biography explaining some of the miracles in a natural way) he gave
occasion for the suspicion of heresy. At length in 1729 the
charge of projecting an edition of the Greek Testament
1.1 Youth and study savouring of Arian and Socinian views was formally laid
against him. The end of the long and unedifying trial was
Johann Jakob Wettstein was born in Basel. Among his his dismissal, on 13 May 1730, from his office of curate
tutors in theology was Samuel Werenfels (1657–1740), of St Leonard’s.
an influential anticipator of modern scientific exegesis.
While still a student Wettstein began to direct his atten-
tion to the special pursuit of his life, the text of the Greek 1.3 Amsterdam
New Testament. A relative, Johann Wettstein, who was
the university librarian, gave him permission to examine He then moved from Basel to Amsterdam, where another
and collate the principal manuscripts of the New Testa- relative, Johann Heinrich Wettstein (1649–1726), had
ment in the library, and he copied the various readings had an important printing and publishing business. From
which they contained into his copy of Gerard of Maas- his office excellent editions of the classics were issued,
tricht's edition of the Greek text. as well as Gerard of Maastricht’s edition of the Greek
In 1713 in his public examination he defended a disser- Testament. Wettstein had begun to print in this office
tation entitled De variis Novi Testamenti lectionibus, and an edition of the Greek Testament, which was suddenly
sought to show that variety of readings did not detract stopped for some unknown reason. As soon as he reached
from the authority of the Bible. Wettstein paid great at- Amsterdam he published anonymously the Prolegomena
tention also to Aramaic and Talmudic Hebrew. In the ad Novi Testamenti Graeci editionem, which he had pro-
spring of 1714 he undertook a learned tour, which led posed should accompany his Greek Testament, and which
him to Paris and England, the great object of his inquiry was republished by him, with additions, as part of his
everywhere being manuscripts of the New Testament. In great work, 1751. The next year (1731) the Remonstrants
1716 he made the acquaintance of Richard Bentley at the offered him the chair of philosophy in their college at
University of Cambridge; Bentley took great interest in Amsterdam, vacated by the illness of Jean Leclerc, on
his work and persuaded him to return to Paris to col- condition that he clear himself of the suspicion of heresy.
late carefully the Codex Ephraemi, Bentley having then He returned to Basel, and procured a reversal (March 22,
in view a critical edition of the New Testament. 1732) of the previous decision, and re-admission to all his
clerical offices. But, on his becoming a candidate for the
Hebrew chair at Basel, his orthodox opponents procured
1.2 Basel his defeat and he retired to Amsterdam.
At length, he was allowed to instruct the Remonstrant stu-
In July 1717 Wettstein returned to take the office of a cu- dents in philosophy and Hebrew on certain humiliating
rate at large (diaconus communis) at Basel, a post which conditions. For the rest of his life he continued as pro-
he held for three years, after which he became his father’s fessor in the Remonstrant college, declining in 1745 the
colleague and successor in the parish of St Leonard’s. At Greek chair at Basel. In 1746 he once more visited Eng-
the same time he pursued his favorite study, and gave pri- land, and collated Syriac manuscripts for his great work.
vate lectures on New Testament exegesis. It was then that At last this appeared in 1751-1752, in two folio volumes,
he decided to prepare a critical edition of the Greek New under the title Novum Testamentum Graecum editionis re-
Testament. He had in the meantime broken with Bent- ceptae cum lectionibus variantibus codicum manuscripts,
ley, whose famous Proposals appeared in 1720. His ear- etc. He did not venture to put new readings in the body
lier teachers, however, J. C. Iselin and J. L. Frey, who of his page, but consigned them to a place between the
were engaged upon work similar to his own, became so textus receptus and the full list of various readings. Be-
unfriendly towards him that after a time he was forbidden neath the latter he gave a commentary, consisting prin-

1
2 4 EXTERNAL LINKS

cipally of a mass of valuable illustrations and parallels 4 External links

drawn from classical and rabbinical literature, which has
formed a storehouse for all later commentators. In his • This article incorporates text from a publication now
Prolegomena he gave an admirable methodical account in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911).
of the manuscripts, the versions and the readings of the "Wetstein, Johann Jakob". Encyclopædia Britan-
fathers, as well as the troubled story of the difficulties nica. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
with which he had had to contend in the prosecution of
the work of his life. He was the first to designate uncial • Novum Testamentum Graecum (Amsterdam 1751)
manuscripts by Roman capitals, and cursive manuscripts
by Arabic figures (A, B, C, D). He did not long survive
the completion of this work. He died in Amsterdam.

1.4 Work

Wettstein rendered service to textual criticism by his col-

lection of various readings and his methodical account of
the manuscripts and other sources.
Through his laborious study of Codex Alexandrinus, he
found misinterpretations or calculated mistakes of New
Testament written in Greek that question the basis of
Christianity. For example, the misreading of Greek word
“God” with “who”, so the passage from the book of I
Timothy no longer read: “Christ as God made mani-
fest in the flesh, and justified in Spirit”, but instead read:
“Christ who was made manifest in the flesh, and justi-
fied in Spirit”. This finding, and some other findings led
him to question his faith of the Divinity of Christ, which
showed up on his later works.
Some opponents rendered his work less valuable because
of his prejudice against the Latin version and the princi-
ple of grouping manuscripts in families which had been
recommended by Richard Bentley and J. A. Bengel.
See Wettstein’s account of his labors and trials in his Nov.
Test. i.: 1751. Novum Testamentum Græcum editionis re-
ceptæ, cum Lectionibus Variantibus Codicum MSS., Edi-
tionum aliarum, Versionum et Patrum, necnon Commen-
tario pleniore ex Scriptoribus veteribus, Hebræis, Græcis,
et Latinis, historiam et vim verborum illustrante, in two
volumes. Amsterdam: Amstelædami. Reprinted in 1962
by Graz, Austria: Akademische Druck-u. Verlagsanstalt.

2 Bibliography

• Wettstein, J. J. (1751). Novum Testamentum Grae-

cum editionis receptae cum lectionibus variantibus
codicum manuscripts. Amsterdam: Ex Officina
Dommeriana.

3 References
[1] See An Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions
of Scripture.
 3

5 Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

5.1 Text
• Johann Jakob Wettstein Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Jakob_Wettstein?oldid=767361210 Contributors: Bryan Derksen,
Deb, Docu, Charles Matthews, D6, Bender235, Rjwilmsi, RussBot, Cryptic, Attilios, SmackBot, Bejnar, Iridescent, ShelfSkewed, Cyde-
bot, Waacstats, Classical geographer, Ontoraul, McM.bot, StAnselm, Nummer29, Niceguyedc, Alfredie, RogDel, Kbdankbot, Addbot,
AkhtaBot, Leszek Jańczuk, Lightbot, Omnipaedista, Plucas58, Full-date unlinking bot, RjwilmsiBot, ATX-NL, Marcocapelle, VIAFbot,
OccultZone, Klnasy, KasparBot, Arcituno and Anonymous: 9

5.2 Images

5.3 Content license

• Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0