Johann Jacob Grynaeus

Johann Jacob Grynaeus (1540-1617), Swiss Protestant divine, was born on 1 October 1540 at Bern, the son of Thomas Grynaeus, pastor, and the nephew of Simon Grynaeus, German scholar and Reformation theologian. He was educated at Basel, before becoming a curate to his father in 1559. He completed his theological studies at Tbingen before succeeding his father as pastor. In 1575 he was called to the chair of Old Testament exegesis at Basel, but became involved in controversy with Simon Sulzer and other champions of Lutheran othodoxy, and in 1584 accepted an invitation to help in the restoration of the University of Heidelberg. He returned to Basel in 1586 as the superintendent of the church there and as professor of the New Testament. Grynaeus died on 13 August 1617.