Junius, Franciscus

Junius, Franciscus (Françoise Du Jon), an eminent French Protestant theologian, was born at Bourges in 1545. He studied law at first, but embracing the principles of the Reformation, for which his father suffered persecution, he removed to Geneva in 1562, to study the dead languages and theology. In 1565 he took charge of a Walloon congregation at Antwerp: the party troubles of the time, however, obliged him to withdraw first to a church in Limburg, and finally to Germany. Frederick II welcomed him at Heidelberg, and he obtained a church in the Palatinate. During the war of 1568 he lived in the Low Countries, and was chaplain of the Prince of Orange. He afterwards again returned to his charge, and remained there until 1573, when he was called to Heidelberg by the elector, to take part with Tremellius in the translation of the Old Testament. After being also for a while professor of theology at Heidelberg, he returned to France in 1592 with the duke of Bouillon, and was employed by Henry IV on a mission to Germany. Later he accepted a professorship at Leyden, where he remained until his death in 1602. His principal work was the Latin translation of the Old Testament, which he executed in conjunction with Tremellius. It appeared in five parts, the first containing the five books of Moses (Frankfort, 157b, folio); the second embracing the historical books, 1576; the third the poetical books; 1579; the fourth the prophets, 1579; and the fifth the apocryphal books, 1579. After the death of Tremellius the translation was revised by his colleague, and printed at London, 1584, 8vo. In the course of twenty years it passed through twenty editions, and was printed for the last time at Zurich, 1764, 8vo. Junius lived to superintend a third edition, 1596, folio; but the best edition probably is the seventh, published in 1624, folio, containing a good index by Paul Tossanus. "The index was published in volume by itself at Frankfort; 1687, folio, and repeatedly after. The translation cannot be called elegant; it is too literal, and is sometimes obscure on that account. It is also disfigured with useless glosses and rabbinical traditions" (Kitto). He wrote besides, Apocalypseos Analysis (1592): — Grammatica Linguoe Hebroeoe (3d edition, 1593): — Acta Apostolorum et epistoloe 2 S. Pauilli ad Corinth. ex Arabica translatione Latine reddita — Procataclema ad V.T. interpretationem: — proelectiones in 3 priora capita Geneseos: — Explicatio 4 priorum Psalmorum: — Psalmus 101, seu principis Christiani institutio: — Comment. in Ezechielem: Expositio Danielis: — Lectiones in Jonam: — Sacra parallela: — Notoe, in Epistolam S. Judoe. His Opera theologica were published at Geneva in 1613, in two vols. folio. and are partly exegetical, partly philological and polemic. His autobiography, which is published at the beginning of his works, was written in 1595, and is the source of his biographies published by Melch. Adam and in Bayle's Dictionary. See Haag. La France Protestante; Herzog, Real-Encykop. s.v.; Kitto, s.v. (J.H.W.)