Heinrich Meyer, a German Protestant chiefly known for his Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, was born on January 10, 1800, and passed on June 21, 1873. Meyer had a deep and early love for languages and studied them veraciously, which allowed him to consume English, French, Dutch, Latin, Greek, and even Gothic commentaries. Through his years as a pastor he was known for always being prepared to speak on the message of the cross. Meyer’s work on the commentary started in 1829 in German. Later, in 1832, the second part of his work on the New Testament continued with Meyer writing and editing, alongside other ministerial duties. In 1846 Meyer developed a visceral affliction that caused him to struggle with his health for much of the rest of his life. Even from his sickbed, Meyer was diligent in the work he had begun, as long as the Lord preserved him to do so. Meyer understood though that he could not complete the commentary nor complete full translations in his own strength. They were, however, completed after his death. Faithful to the end, his headstone reads: Romans 14:8 “Whether we live, we live unto the Lord; whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord’s.” His commentary went through a series of translations, one being an English version of twenty volumes, produced after his death in 1873–82, and an American translation in 1884–88 in eleven volumes.^[1]

^[1]  Meyer, Gustav. Meyer’s NT Commentary, https://biblehub.com/commentaries/meyer/.

“Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 6 Feb. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_August_Wilhelm_Meyer.