Parkhurst, John (2)

Parkhurst, John (2), a noted English Biblical scholar, was born of honorable parentage in June, 1728. He was educated at ugly Grammar School, and afterwards at Clare Hall, Cambridge, where he took the degree of B.A. in 1748, and that of M.A. in 1752. He was for some years a fellow of his college; then took orders in the Church of England, but never obtained any preferment, having succeeded to a considerable estate, which rendered him independent. He acted, without receiving any salary, as curate of the church at Catesby, the preferment of which Was in his own gift. He died at Epsom March 21, 1797. Parkhurst was a man of great integrity and firmness of character. He always lived in retirement, though he possessed qualities which fitted him to shine in society. In spite of a weak constitution he was a most laborious student. His first work was A Serious and Friendly Address to the Rev. John Wesley (1753), remonstrating against the doctrine of the faith of assurance as held by Mr. Wesley (see Wesley's Works). Parkhurst, however, devoted himself chiefly to Biblical studies. In 1762 he published the first edition of his Hebrew and English Lexicon, without Points, with a Hebrew Grammar, which has passed through several editions. His Greek and English Lexicon to the New Testament, with a Greek Grammar, appeared in 1769. Of this work there are several editions, both in quarto and octavo; the first of the octavo editions was prepared by his daughter, Mrs. Thomas. A new edition, by the Rev. Hugh James Rose, B.D., was published in 1829. The only other work published by Mr. Parkhurst was The Divinity and Pre-existence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ demonstrated from Scripture, in Answer to the First Section of Dr. Priestley's Introduction to the History of Early Opinions concerning Jesus Christ (Lond. 1787, 8vo). Dr. Priestley replied to this work in "A Letter to Dr. Horne." Parkhurst's lexicons, though now superseded, enjoyed a considerable reputation at the time of their first appearance, and certainly were very useful in their day. Their great blemish is their many fanciful and ridiculous etymologies bearing traces of the Hutchinsonian opinions of their author. See English Cyclop. s.v; Kitto, Biblical Cyclop . s; v.; Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Auth. s.v.; — Horne, Biblioteca-Biblia (1839), p. 208 sq.; Bickersteth, Christian Student, p. 388; Orme, B. Bib. sib. v.; Chalmers, Biog. Dict. 24:130; Lond. Gent. Mag. vol. 67 and 70; North Amer. Review, 44. 282; 72. 269.