David Scot (c.1770–1834) was a Scottish orientalist and writer.

Life

Born about 1770 at

Penicuik Penicuik ( ; ; ) is a town and former Police burgh, burgh in Midlothian, Scotland, lying on the west bank of the River Esk, Lothian, River North Esk. It lies on the A701 road, A701 midway between Edinburgh and Peebles, east of the Pentland Hil ...

, near Edinburgh, he was the son of William Scot, a small tenant farmer. His father printed a theological pamphlet. It argued against the Scottish dissenters of the

First Secession The First Secession was an exodus of ministers and members from the Church of Scotland in 1733. Those who took part formed the Associate Presbytery and later the United Secession Church. They were often referred to as Seceders. The underlying ...

, and in particular against

Adam Gib Adam Gib (15 April 1714 – 14 June 1788) was a Scotland, Scottish religious leader, head of the Antiburgher section of the Scottish Secession Church. He reportedly wrote his first covenant with God in the blood of his own veins. Gib was born ...

and his work ''The Present Truth, a Display of the Secession Testimony'' (1774). Thomas Murray, from personal knowledge of Scot, wrote that the father was a "jobbing gardener" in

Colinton Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated southwest of the city centre. Up until the late 18th century it appears on maps as Collington. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-w ...

parish; and remarked on Scot's diffidence. Scot was educated at the parish school and the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...

. He was licensed as a preacher by the presbytery of Edinburgh on 25 November 1795. Supporting himself by private teaching, he studied medicine, and graduated M.D. on 25 June 1812. He formed a close friendship with Alexander Murray and Dr.

John Leyden ] John Caspar Leyden, M.D., (8 September 1775 – 28 August 1811) was a Scottish indologist. Biography Leyden was born at Denholm on the River Teviot, not far from Hawick. His father, a shepherd, had contrived to send him to Edinburgh Univer ...

, and with their help gained a knowledge of a number of Asian languages. He also studied Persian language, Persian and

Hindustani Hindustani may refer to: * something of, from, or related to Hindustan (another name of India) * Hindustani language, an Indo-Aryan language, with Hindi and Urdu being its two standard registers * Hindustani Muslims are the Urdu-speaking, Hindust ...

under Borthwick Gilchrist. He acted as tutor to candidates for the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...

service. In 1812 Scot was an unsuccessful candidate for the Chair of Hebrew and Oriental Languages at the University of Edinburgh. Through the influence of John Marjoribanks, however, some of whose sons had been his pupils, he obtained the parish living of

Corstorphine Corstorphine (Scottish Gaelic: ''Crois Thoirfinn'') ( ) is an area of the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh. Formerly a separate village and parish to the west of Edinburgh, it is now a suburb of the city, having been formally incorporate ...

, near Edinburgh, to which he was presented on 22 August and ordained on 17 November 1814. After a ministry of 19 years he was appointed in 1833 professor of Hebrew in

St Mary's College, St Andrews St Mary's College, founded as New College or College of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the home of the Faculty and School of Divinity within the University of St Andrews, in Fife, Scotland. History The college was founded in ...

. When on a visit to Edinburgh to attend the meeting of the

British Association The British Science Association (BSA) is a charity and learned society founded in 1831 to aid in the promotion and development of science. Until 2009 it was known as the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA). The current Chief ...

, he was seized with

dropsy Edema (American English), also spelled oedema (British English), and also known as fluid retention, swelling, dropsy and hydropsy, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may inclu ...

, and died on 18 September 1834.

Works

Besides editing Murray's posthumously-published ''History of the European Languages'', Scot was author of: * ''Essays on various Subjects of Belles Letters'', Edinburgh, 1824. * ''Discourses on some important subjects of Natural and Revealed Religion'', Edinburgh, 1825. * ''Key to the Hebrew Pentateuch'', London, 1826. * ''Key to the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon'', London, 1828. He also wrote a Hebrew grammar (published 1834) for the use of his class. As a member of the

Wernerian Natural History Society The Wernerian Natural History Society (12 January 1808 – 16 April 1858), commonly abbreviated as the Wernerian Society, was a learned society interested in the broad field of natural history, and saw papers presented on various topics such as m ...

, he contributed essays on the zoology of the Bible, particularly in volume VI of their proceedings.

Family

In 1832, Scot married Helen Heugh, daughter of John Heugh of Gartcows,

Falkirk Falkirk ( ; ; ) is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland, historically within the county of Stirlingshire. It lies in the Forth Valley, northwest of Edinburgh and northeast of Glasgow. Falkirk had a resident population of 32,422 at the ...

, who survived him. The couple had no children.

Notes

External links

Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Scot, David 1834 deaths 19th-century ministers of the Church of Scotland Scottish orientalists Christian Hebraists People from Penicuik Year of birth uncertain