Matthew Henry

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Matthew Henry, English Presbyterian minister and Bible commentator, was born on October 18, 1662 and died on June 22, 1714.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Matthew Henry's Commentary contains his own writings through Acts at which point after he died his work was carried on by godly men as follows:

The following are the ministers by whom the Exposition on the Epistolary writings, and the Revelation, was completed, as given by J. B. Williams, Esq., LL.D.,F.S.A., in his Memoirs of the Life, Character, and Writings, of the Rev. Matthew Henry, 8vo. p. 308.

Romans - Mr. [afterwards Dr.] John Evans.
1 Corinthians - Mr. Simon Browne.
2 Corinthians - Mr. Daniel Mayo.
Galatians - Mr. Joshua Bayes.
Ephesians - Mr. Samuel Rosewell.
Philippians - } Mr. [afterwards Dr.] William Harris.
Colossians
1 Thessalonians - } Mr. Daniel Mayo.
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy - } Mr. Benjamin Andrews Atkinson.
2 Timothy
Titus - } Mr. Jeremiah Smith.
Philemon
Hebrews - Mr. William Tong.
James - Dr. S. Wright.
1 Peter - Mr. Zec. Merrill.
2 Peter - Mr. Joseph Hill.
1, 2, and 3 John - Mr. John Reynolds, of Shrewsbury.
Jude - Mr. John Billingsley.
Revelation - Mr. William Tong.

 

[fredtgreco]

Andrew,

Do you know if these were completed from scratch, or if they started with Henry's notes?

 

[Pilgrim]

From the Preface to Vol. VI:

After much expectation, and many enquiries, the last volume of the late reverend Mr. Henry's Exposition now appears in the world. The common disadvantages that attend posthumous productions will doubtless be discerned in this; but we hope, though there are diversities of gifts, there will be found to be the same spirit. Some of the relations and hearers of that excellent person have been at the pains of transcribing the notes they took in short-hand of this part of the holy scripture, when expounded by him in his family or in the congregation; they have furnished us with very good materials for the finishing of this great work, and we doubt not but that the ministers who have been concerned in it have made that use of those assistances which may entitle this composure to the honour of Mr. Henry's name; and, if so, they can very willingly conceal their own.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

This source says:

Henry's reputation rests upon his celebrated commentary, An Exposition of the Old and New Testaments (5 vols., London, 1708-10; afterward enlarged and often reprinted; new ed., 5 vols., New York, 1896). He lived to complete it only as far as to the end of the Acts; but after his death certain non-conformists prepared the Epistles and Revelation from Henry's manuscripts.

Spurgeon says:

You are aware, perhaps, that the latter part of the New Testament was completed by other hands, the good man having gone the way of all flesh. The writers were Messrs, Evans, Brown, Mayo, Bays, Rosewell, Harriss, Atkinson, Smith, Tong, Wright, Merrell, Hill, Reynolds, and Billingsley--all Dissenting ministers. They have executed their work exceedingly well, have worked in much of the matter which Henry had collected, and have done their best to follow his methods, but their combined production is far inferior to Matthew Henry himself, and any reader will soon detect the difference.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

From the Journal of Sacred Literature (July - October 1848), p. 223:

Matthew Henry commenced his Exposition in the closing part of the year 1704, whilst he was minister at Chester; and two years afterwards (Nov. 1706) the first part of it, comprising the Pentateuch, was published in one volume folio. A second volume, extending to the close of the historical books, was ready by the middle of 1708; a third, comprising the poetical books, was published in March, 1710; a fourth, including the Prophets, and thus finishing the Old Testament, appeared in the middle of 1712, after he had settled at Hackney; a fifth volume, embracing the Gospels and Acts, was ready by the end of April, 1714; and some progress had been made by him in preparing a sixth, which was designed to include the Epistles, when his valuable life was cut short by death on the 22nd of June, 1714. The notes which he had written on the Romans were so complete as to need only to be epitomized and arranged, which was done by Dr. John Evans; and his design out to completion by the labours of others of his friends and admirers, who took each one of the remaining books of the New Testament, and endeavoured to write a commentary on it in Henry's style and method, and in some cases with the help of notes which he had left behind or which had been taken down in short-hand from his pulpit expositions. The parties thus employed, with the portion executed by each, were the following: -- Mr. Simon Browne, 1 Cor.; Mr. Daniel May, 2 Cor.; Mr. Joshua Bayes, Galatians; Mr. Samuel Roswell, Ephesians; Dr. William Harris, Philippians and Colossians; Mr. Daniel Mayo, 1 and 2 Thessalonians; Mr. Benjamin Andrews Atkinson, 1 and 2 Timothy; Mr. Jeremiah Smith, Titus and Philemon; Mr. William Tong, Hebrews; Dr. S. Wright, James; Mr. Zech. Merrill, 1 Peter; Mr. Joseph Hill, 2 Peter; Mr. John Reynolds, 1, 2, and 3 John; Mr. John Billingsby, Jude; Mr. W. Tong, Revelations.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

His commentaries are awesome. It's kind of like reading Calvin in brief. Matthew Poole is even more condensed.

[Edited on 10-9-2006 by SemperFideles]

 

[polemic_turtle]

I thought he died "with the other Matthew"( Poole ) on Isaiah 58, not Acts. :-\

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Originally posted by polemic_turtle
I thought he died "with the other Matthew"( Poole ) on Isaiah 58, not Acts. :-\

That's right. Henry completed through Acts but Poole only through Isaiah 58. Spurgeon says of Poole,

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.

However, Poole did finish the Synopsis, which covers the entire Bible and from which much his Annotations are drawn.

[Edited on 10-9-2006 by VirginiaHuguenot]

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]