MICHAELIS, JOHN BKXJ 



MICHAUX, ANDKft. 



which are Mfeaha, and other* not. ('Micah, neu ubeneUt uud 

 ecUuUrC Lnrgo, 1*00.) This hypotWis, which is toUlly at 

 7arfrsse with all the testimony we hare on the subject, and la 

 not nttihrH by internal evidence, on which it proteases to be founded, 

 ha* been amply refuted by Jahn (' Einlcitung,' voL il, p. 480) and 

 BoseomiJlrr (* Scholia in Vet. Teat, Praam, in Mia*). 



Mioah prophird both to Inael and Judah (I 1). He begins by 

 predicting (he overthrow of both nation*, upbraids them with their 

 cruelty, iajnsUer, and impiety, and concludes this part of the book 

 with the linking prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, which 

 Jerrtuiah quota*, and which aome suppose to refer to the taking of the 

 city and the raxing of the temple by the Romans, (chaps. L, il, iii.) 

 He next pfopheaiea the restoration of the people to Jerusalem (IT. 1-8), 

 after they shall have been carried captire to Babylon (IT. 9, 10), and 

 the destruction of their enemies (IT. 11,13). He foretells the birth of 

 the Mnaiah at Bethlehem, after great calamities (T. 1-3), his minUtry, 

 and final triumph (T. 4-16). In chap. vi. he again rrproTrs the people 

 for their ingratitude, irreligion, and injustice. In chap. vii. Jerusalem 

 la represented as complaining of the corruption and faithlessness of 

 her sons, but patiently waiting for deliTerance from God (TOT. 1-10). 

 The prophet console* her with the promise of her restoration 

 (TCT. 11-18), and concludes his book with a sublime prayer to God 

 for the fulfilment of that promise (ver. 14-20). 



"The style of Micah,' says Bishop Lowth, "is for the most part 

 close, forcible, pointed, and concise, sometimes approaching the 

 obscurity of Hosea, in many parts animated and sublime, and in 

 general truly poetical" (' Prelect,' xxi) 



The canonical authority of this book is undisputed. One of the 

 mo>t remarkable predictions in it (T. 2) ii quoted in the New Testa- 

 meat as being understood by the Jewish priests and scribes to refer 

 to the birth of the Messiah. (Matt ii. 6.) 



(Kosenmuller, ScAoJia in Vet. Tat. ; the Introductions of Eichhorn, 

 Bertholdt, Jahn, De Wette, and Home; The Minor PropheU, by New- 

 come and Horsley ; Micak, tiberttlit and eriaulert, Ton K. W. Justi, 

 Lrip. 1920.) 



MICHAELIS, JOHN BENJAMIN, one of the minor classic poets 

 of Germany, was born at Zittan on the last day of the year 1746. 

 Though be bad no other instruction than what the gymnasium of his 

 natire place afforded (for his father, who was a cloth-maker, bad 

 suffered so much in his circumstances by the war, as to be unable to 

 send him elsewhere), his natural abilities, seconded by a happy 

 memory, stood him greatly in lieu of a regular classical education. 

 Having made himself a complete master of Latin, he went to Leipzig 

 with the intention of applying himself to the study of physic, but 

 soon desisted from it as one for which he had no relish, and applied 

 himself to poetry. At the recommendation of some of his friends, 

 bat far more out of necessity, he published a volume of poems in 

 1796. These first proofs of his poetical talent obtained for him the 

 encouraging notice of Oellert, Weiase, and Oeser ; the last-mentioned 

 of whom interested himself warmly in his success, and earnestly 

 recommended him to Oleiro, who was afterwards his truest pstron. 

 In 1770 be was invit. d to undertake the editorship of the ' Hamburg 

 Correspondent ; ' but he soon relinquished the office, which, alluring 

 as it appeared at first, soon proTed too irksome for him. While at 

 Hamburg however he became acquainted with Letsiug, who exerted 

 himelf to serre him, and obtained for him the situation of stage-poet 

 in Seyler's company ; but bis cerTonsness and ill state of health soon 

 compelled him to give it op. He now determined to avail himself of 

 the generous propoul which Gleim had preTiously made him, to take 

 p bis residence with him, and make bis house a permanent home. 

 By Gleim be was welcomed ss if rather conferring an obligation than 

 reoeivinf one ; and thus suddenly placed in eaae and comfort, and in 

 the socu ty of such men as Jaoobi and Lichtwer, nothing further was 

 left Urn to 



, 



rn to wish for, except that he might continue to enjoy his happi- 

 Unfortunately be became subject to a spitting of blood, which 

 carried him off on the 80th of September 1772, in the twenty-fifth 

 year of his age. 



In the favourable circumstance* in which he was latterly placed, 

 there si no doubt but that bad longer life been granted him he would 

 ~t dbtinculabed binWf among the writers at the close of the 18th 

 ry. The productions be lft are to be considered merely as the 

 .. **T{ l * pC U r 1 * The principal one. among them aro his 



^^tf^S- S* Ul **' i * d ***** pUU; and they afford proof 

 o* ooly of literary uUnt, but of thTwoallanos of his moral 



HAEUS, JOHN DAVID, was born at Halle on the 27th of 

 Febnury 1 Hi. father, Chrtattaa Biedict Michaoli., wa. pro- 



foeaorof theology in the University of Halle, and a distinguished 

 Jar. After nceiTing Instruction for some time from 



. con or some me rom 



Miv.u tutors, Michael* sp, D t four yean, in the Orphan School at 



H^" ^,?u U ? "~ P" U I "'' "td to W*M and 

 .opby. In 1733 be began to attend th. lectures at thTunTveralty, 

 it wa. her. that he obuined from the chancellor Ludwtfi 

 ire. oo German hUtory the foundation of that knowledge of 

 . " *"*" * ocW ' wllich "" "lUnrard. 



174 - 



of a.ver.1 

 in Londoo and in Oxford. During pert of his 



residence in England he preached at the Gennnn chapel in St. James's 

 Palaoe. On his return to Germany he devoted himself to the study 

 of history, Oriental languages, and biblical criticinm. At the death 

 of the chancellor Ludwig. Michaelis was commissioned to arrange and 

 catalogue his immense library. The catalogue waa published in 1745, 

 and is considered a model for such works. 



In 1746 he went t<> the University of Gottingen at the invitation 

 of Munchh.iusen ; and there he spent the rest of bU life, although he 

 was invited by Frederick the Great in 1763 to return to Prussia. To 

 the University of Gottingen Miehaelis rendered the most important 

 services, as professor of theology and oriental literature from 1745 to 

 1791 ; as secretary and director of the Royal Society of Sciences, from 

 1751 to 1770, when he left it on account of some differences with the 

 members ; as editor of the journal entitled ' Gelehrte Anzeigen,' from 

 1763 to 1770; and as librarian and director of the philological seminary, 

 which would have been abandoned after the death of Gesner in 1761, 

 if Michaelis had not consented to direct it gratuitously. 



In order to throw new light upon biblical science, Michaelis planned 

 the expedition to Arabia and India which was conducted by Carsten 

 Niebubr. The first project of this enterprise was submitted in the 

 year 1756 to the Baron von Bernstorff, then minister of Frederick V., 

 king of Denmark. The choice of the travellers was entrusted chiefly 

 to Michaelis, who drew up a series of questions for their guidance. 



In 1775 Michablis waa made a knight of the Polar Star by the king 

 of Sweden ; in 1786 he was appointed an Aulic counsellor of Hanover, 

 and in 1 739 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. 

 He died on the 22nd of August 1791. He waa twice married ; by 

 his first wife he had only one eon, Christian Frederic; by his second 

 he bad nine children, of whom one son and three daughters survived 

 him. 



The mind of Michablis was strongly characterised by independence. 

 He always acted in the spirit of bis motto 'libera veritas.' But his 

 love of independence often led him to undervalue the labours of other 

 learned n.en, and to do injustice to some of hia most distinguished 

 contemporaries. He often appeared to delight in discovering diffi- 

 culties solely that ho might have the pleasure of removing them. In 

 the examination of the Old Testament he treated the Masoretic tra- 

 ditions with a contempt hardly less extravagant then the reverence 

 entertained for them by the school of Buxtorf ; and in every depart- 

 ment of criticism he was apt to hazard ingenious conjectures in oppo- 

 sition to all real evidence. Though a good Hebrew scholar, he never 

 possessed an accurate knowledge of the classical languages, and his 

 acquaintance with Arabic waa superficial. Notwithstanding these 

 defects, his contributions to biblical and Oriental learning aro invalu- 

 able, especially when he treats of subjects capable of illustration 

 from history and philosophy. His religious opinions were never 

 firmly fixed, but he invariably expressed the greatest reverence for 

 the Scriptures. 



The works of Michaelis are very numerous ; the following are some 

 of the moitt important. In Oriental literature, grammars of Hebrew, 

 Chaldee, Syrian, and Arabic, and treatises on various subjects con- 

 nected with these languages ; ' Oriental and Exegetical Library,' 24 

 vols., New do. 8 vols. ; ' Supplements in Lexica Hebraica,' 6 vols. 

 In philosophy, an essay ' On the Influence of Opinions on Language, 

 and of Language on Opinions,' which obtained a prize from the 

 Prussian Academy of Sciences in 1759 ; a treatise on moral philosophy, 

 and other works. In history, geography, and chronology, ' Spicilcgium 

 Geographic Hebncorum extern post Bochartum ;' other treatises on 

 geography and chronology ; several separate dissertations on the laws 

 and antiquities of the Jews, the substance of most of which is em- 

 bodied in his ' Mosaisches Recht,' in 6 vols., 1770-76 ; a second edition 

 of the first 5 vols. of this work was published in the years 177S-SO. 

 This work, which is considered the masterpiece of Michaelis, wa* 

 translated into English by Dr. Alexander Smith, in 4 vols., 8vo, 1814, 

 under the title of ' Commentaries ou the Laws of Moses.' " The great 

 object of Michaelis in this work is to investigate and illustrate the 

 philosophy of the Mosaic laws, to show their wonderful adaptation in 

 every respect to the very peculiar circumstances in which the people 

 to whom they were given had been placed by providence ; and, while 

 he takes every opportunity of establishing the claims of Moses to the 

 character of an ambassador from heaven, to inculcate upon human 

 legislators the important lesson of studying those particulars respect- 

 ing the nature and political situation, the ideas and prejudices, the 

 manners and customs of their countrymen, by attention to which 

 alone they can ever hope to make them virtuous, prosperous, and 

 happy." (Dr. Smith's ' Preface,' p. xvii.) In biblical criticism 

 Michaclis's ' Introduction to the New Testament ' is well known in 

 Kngliind by the translation of the late Bishop Marsh ; he also pub- 

 lished part of an ' Introduction to tho Old Testament ; ' a ' Transla- 

 tion of the Bible, with Notes, for the Unlearned,' and to viral oth. r 

 critical works. x 



(Professor Haasencamp, Collection of Mcmoirt relating to the Life 

 and Writing! of Michailu ; and Biog. Univ., vol. xxviii.) 



MICHAUX, ANDKfc, waa a French botanist, who vi-ited Syria, 

 Persia, and North America, at the Utter part of the last century, in. 

 all which countries be made considerable collections of dried plants. 

 He is chiefly known as the author of a valuable account of the oaks 

 of North America, published in folio at Paris ,iu 1801, and of the 



