Hirt, Johann Friedrich

Hirt, Johann Friedrich a distinguished German theologian, was born at Apolda, in Thuringia, August 14, 1719. He studied at the University of Jena, and in 1758 was made extraordinary professor of philosophy. In 1769 he changed to the chair of theology, and in 1775 was appointed regular professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg. He died July 29,1784. Hirt was regarded as one of the first theologians at the Wittenberg University, and inferior to no other person as a scholar of the Oriental languages. He is especially known in this department by the development which 'he gave to the systems of Alting and Danz on the Hebrew language (Systema trium morarum); but the advance of late years in the field of exegetical theology decreases the value of all his efforts in this direction. His most important works are. besides a host of dissertations in the field of exegesis, Biblia Hebraea analytica (Jena, 1753, 4to): — Philologisch-exegetische Abhandlung ub. Psalm 15, 14,45 (ibid. 1753, 4to) — Divinitas Christi, ex ejus resurrectione demonstrata (ibid. 1757, 4to): — Bibliorum analyticorum pars Chaldaica (ibid. 1757, 8vo): — Vollstand. Erklarung d. Sprüche Salomos (ibid. 1768, 4to): — Instit. abicae linguae (ibid. 1770, 8vo): — Orientalische und exeget. Biblioth. (ibid. 1772-1776, 8 vols. 8vo;

continued, under the title Wittenb. Oriental. und-exeget. Biblioth., Jena, 1776-1779,4 vols. 8vo). — Jocher ,Gelehrt Lex. Addend. 2, 2022; Döring, Gelehrt. Theol. Deutsch. 1, 740 sq.; Hoefer, Nouv. Biograph. Géneralé, 24, 795. — (J. H. W.)