Simonis, Johann

Simonis, Johann, conrector of the gymnasium and professor of Church history and antiquities in the University of Halle, was born Feb. 10, 1698, at Drusen, near Schmalkalden, and died Jan. 2, 1768. He wrote, Onomasticon Vet. Test. sive Tractatus Philologicus, in guo Nomina Vet. Test. Propria, etc. (Halle, 1741): — Introductio Grammatico-critica in Linguam Groecam, etc. (ibid. 1752): — Introductio Grammatico-critica in Linguam Hebraicam, etc. (ibid. 1753): — Arcanum Formarum Nominumn Hebraicoe Linguoe, etc. (ibid. 1735): — Lexicon Manuale Hebr. et Chald. (ibid. 1752; Amst. 1757 and often; last ed. by Winer, Leipsic, 1828; Engl. transl. by Ch. Seagar, The Smaller Heb. and Chald. Lexicon Translated and Improved, Lond. 1832): — Onomasticum Novi Test. et Librorum Vet. Test. Apocryphorum, sive Tractatus Philol., quo Nomina Propria Novi Test. et Librorum Apocryphorum Vet. Test. ex Ipsorum Originibus et. Farmis Explicantur. Besides these and many other works, mentioned by Furst and Winer, he edited the Biblia Hebraica Manualia ad Optimasa quasque Editiones Recensita, etc. (Haile, 1752; 2d ed. 1767; 3d ed. 1822; 4th ed. 1828 [the latter two eds. by Rosenmuller]). Simonis's object in editing his edition of the Hebrew Bible was to publish a correct, but at the same time a cheap, edition of Van der Hooght's text. But, in spite of all care, some inaccuracies have crept into the text. See Furst, Bibl. Jud. 3, 337 sq.; Winer, Handbuch der theol. Lit. 1, 39, 115, 119, 121, 122, 127, 137, 535, 607; Rosenmuller, Handbuchfur die Literatur der bibl. Kritik und Exegese, 1, 238 sq.; Steinschneider, Bibliog. Handbuch, p. 132 sq. (B.P.)