# Matthew Poole's Synopsis -- Volume 1



## VirginiaHuguenot (Aug 24, 2007)

I am pleased to announce that the first volume of the first English translation of Matthew Poole's _Synopsis Criticorum_, which includes prefatory material and his collected comments and annotations on Genesis 1-9, is now available for sale as a hardback edition (446 pages, $35.42), as well as for free downloading. The translation work was done by my pastor, Steven Dilday. For more information about Matthew Poole, the Synopsis, and how to place your order you may visit The Matthew Poole Project or place your order directly at Lulu.com.


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## BuddyOfDavidClarkson (Aug 29, 2007)

I bought my copy.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Aug 29, 2007)

BuddyOfDavidClarkson said:


> I bought my copy.



 Thanks! I hope it will be a blessing you, brother.


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## greenbaggins (Aug 29, 2007)

I have also purchased it, and done some advertising for you here.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Aug 29, 2007)

greenbaggins said:


> I have also purchased it, and done some advertising for you here.



 Thanks so much for your kind words and support. Blessings!


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## BuddyOfDavidClarkson (Sep 4, 2007)

VirginiaHuguenot, I love you to death, but you're not pushing this book hard enough. 

Here are reasons why EVERYBODY in the forums needs to get it:

- According to Beeke's "Meet the Puritans", Poole was ejected from his pastorate in 1662 after he refused to comply with the Act of Uniformity.

- At this point, and for the next 10 years, he worked in solitude and wrote prolifically. His major work during this time was a five-volume work entitled Synopsis Criticorum alirumque Sacre Scripturae Interpretum. What is it? It's a compilation and abridgement of biblical commentators from all ages and nations. Apparently, the work was famous as it went through 5 printings.

- Poole began the work in 1666 and worked on it every day for 10 years! Beeke writes, "His plan was to study from 4 a.m. until supper, stopping only to eat a raw egg at 8:30a.m. and another egg at noon."

We must support a man  with that kind of devotion.


Anyway, this is what the VirginiaHuguenot is pushing. For me, it was a no-brainer to buy a copy. I'm looking forward to the whole thing coming out.

Again, much thanks to Joel Beeke's "Meet the Puritans" for filling in a lot of the blanks.




VirginiaHuguenot said:


> I am pleased to announce that the first volume of the first English translation of Matthew Poole's _Synopsis Criticorum_, which includes prefatory material and his collected comments and annotations on Genesis 1-9, is now available for sale as a hardback edition (446 pages, $35.42), as well as for free downloading. The translation work was done by my pastor, Steven Dilday. For more information about Matthew Poole, the Synopsis, and how to place your order you may visit The Matthew Poole Project or place your order directly at Lulu.com.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Sep 5, 2007)

Brother -- Thanks for the encouraging words and support -- much appreciated! 

Matthew Poole's _Synopsis_ has never before been available to English readers. If one reads his Annotations (Commentary) one will find many references to the _Synopsis_ by his continuators. I found nine references to the _Synopsis_ in Revelation alone. While it will be a while, dv, before Revelation is available, this fact highlights the importance of the _Synopsis_ in understanding Poole's Annotations. As I recall, Beeke and Pederson recommend Poole's Annotations as the best Puritan Bible commentary for personal study. The _Synopsis_ clarifies much that went into Poole's understanding of Scripture that is not fully stated in the Annotations. Matthew Henry credits Poole's Annotations and _Synopsis_ in the preface to his commentary. Charles Spurgeon says:



> If you are well enough versed in Latin, you will find in POOLE'S SYNOPSIS,[4] a marvellous collection of all the wisdom and folly of the critics. It is a large cyclopaedia worthy of the days when theologians could be cyclopean, and had not shrunk from folios to octavos. Query—a query for which I will not demand an answer—has one of you ever beaten the dust from the venerable copy of Poole which loads our library shelves? Yet as Poole spent no less than ten years in compiling it, it should be worthy of your frequent notice—ten years, let me add, spent in Amsterdam in exile for the truth's sake from his native land.
> 
> His work was based upon an earlier compilation entitled Critici Sacri, containing the concentrated light of a constellation of learned men who have never been excelled in any age or country.
> 
> MATTHEW POOLE also wrote ANNOTATIONS[5] upon the Word of God, in English, which are mentioned by Matthew Henry as having passed through many impressions in his day, and he not only highly praises them, but declares that he has in his own work all along been brief upon that which Mr. Poole has more largely discussed, and has industriously declined what is to be found there. The three volumes, tolerably cheap, and easily to be got at, are necessaries for your libraries. On the whole, if I must have only one commentary, and had read Matthew Henry as I have, I do not know but what I should choose Poole. He is a very prudent and judicious commentator; and one of the few who could honestly say, "We have not willingly balked any obvious difficulty, and have designed a just satisfaction to all our readers; and if any knot remains yet untied, we have told our readers what hath been most probably said for their satisfaction in the untying of it." Poole is not so pithy and witty by far as Matthew Henry, but he is perhaps more accurate, less a commentator, and more an expositor. You meet with no ostentation of learning in Matthew Poole, and that for the simple reason that he was so profoundly learned as to be able to give results without a display of his intellectual crockery. A pedant who is for ever quoting Ambrose and Jerome, Piscator and Œcolampadius, in order to show what a copious reader he has been, is usually a dealer in small wares, and quotes only what others have quoted before him, but he who can give you the result and outcome of very extensive reading without sounding a trumpet before him is the really learned man. Mind you do not confound the Annotations with the Synopsis; the English work is not a translation of the Latin one, but an entirely distinct performance. Strange to say, like the other great Matthew he did not live to complete his work beyond Isaiah 58; other hands united to finish the design.



It is with a sense of humility that I am involved in this project to make the _Synopsis_ available to English readers. I am not worthy to the task. (As a reminder from another thread, there are still research questions pending along with the free chapter downloads. Any scholars who are able to help us answer these questions will be much appreciated.) It is the project of a lifetime. For my pastor (and I) it is a labor of love. This is why we have sought to make Poole accessible. We are aiming to publish his works, and my pastor is also preparing an extensive biography of Poole. 

In the meantime, I recommend reading _Meet the Puritans_ for a good brief overview of Poole and his works, or the biographical sketch that we have made available on the website. 

And with all of that said, for those who are interested and willing to support the project, we thank you and pray that it will be a blessing to you and to many others.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Sep 14, 2007)

My own copy arrived this week.


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## BuddyOfDavidClarkson (Sep 29, 2007)

VirginiaHuguenot, considering that the first volume only contained the first 9 chapters of Genesis, how many volumes will the entire set encompass? 150?



VirginiaHuguenot said:


> I am pleased to announce that the first volume of the first English translation of Matthew Poole's _Synopsis Criticorum_, which includes prefatory material and his collected comments and annotations on Genesis 1-9, is now available for sale as a hardback edition (446 pages, $35.42), as well as for free downloading. The translation work was done by my pastor, Steven Dilday. For more information about Matthew Poole, the Synopsis, and how to place your order you may visit The Matthew Poole Project or place your order directly at Lulu.com.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Sep 29, 2007)

That's a good question! The first volume also included a large amount of prefatory material. Volume 2 includes Genesis 10-22 and is expected to the be published in October 2007; Volume 3 will complete Genesis (23-50) and is expected to be released in January 2008. The total number of volumes comprising the _Synopsis_ is expected to be 82 volumes.

We are also working on the complete works of Matthew Poole, and my pastor is preparing a comprehensive biography of Poole as well, in a separate set of volumes. Poole's masterful defense of the diety of the Holy Spirit, _The Blasphemer Slaine with the Sword of the Spirit_, is currently scheduled for release in the summer of 2008.



BuddyOfDavidClarkson said:


> VirginiaHuguenot, considering that the first volume only contained the first 9 chapters of Genesis, how many volumes will the entire set encompass? 150?
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## BuddyOfDavidClarkson (Sep 29, 2007)

How many volumes are you planning on releasing each year? If there are 82, I'd eat a big bowl of Wheaties and pick up the pace.



VirginiaHuguenot said:


> That's a good question! The first volume also included a large amount of prefatory material. Volume 2 includes Genesis 10-22 and is expected to the be published in October 2007; Volume 3 will complete Genesis (23-50) and is expected to be released in January 2008. The total number of volumes comprising the _Synopsis_ is expected to be 82 volumes.
> 
> We are also working on the complete works of Matthew Poole, and my pastor is preparing a comprehensive biography of Poole as well, in a separate set of volumes. Poole's masterful defense of the diety of the Holy Spirit, _The Blasphemer Slaine with the Sword of the Spirit_, is currently scheduled for release in the summer of 2008.
> 
> ...


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Sep 30, 2007)

We shall work as hard as we can (and eat as many Wheaties as are feasible ) to publish as many as we can as quickly as possible with the best quality editions that we can provide, dv. How many exactly? We shall see - we'll do our best. 



BuddyOfDavidClarkson said:


> How many volumes are you planning on releasing each year? If there are 82, I'd eat a big bowl of Wheaties and pick up the pace.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## MW (Sep 30, 2007)

VirginiaHuguenot said:


> The total number of volumes comprising the _Synopsis_ is expected to be 82 volumes.



I pray the Lord gives you brethren strength to fulfil the good design of completing this work.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Sep 30, 2007)

armourbearer said:


> VirginiaHuguenot said:
> 
> 
> > The total number of volumes comprising the _Synopsis_ is expected to be 82 volumes.
> ...



Thank you, brother, your prayers are greatly appreciated. The task before us is immense; only by God's grace can we persevere. Our motivation is to make Poole's Biblical studies available to the English-speaking world; to God be glory in this great design.


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