JOHANN JACOB, an eminent German biblical critic, was born at Butzbach, in Hesse-Darmstadt, Jan. 4, 1745. He was educated at Frankfort-on-the-Main, and completed his studies at the universities of Tübingen, Halle, and Leipzig. He distinguished himself especially in all theological and biblical inquiries, and was the favourite pupil both of Semler and Ernesti. At the early age of twenty-four he had determined to devote himself to the scientific study of the doctrines and text of the New Testament. To carry out his plan, he began a literary tour through Germany, Holland, and England, making friends for himself among the leading literati of all these countries, and amassing large stores of valuable materials for his great work. In 1770 he returned to Frankfort to arrange and digest these; but in the following year was made theological lecturer, and in 1773, extraordinary professor of theology at Halle. In this office he distinguished himself so much that he was offered a professorship at Jena, which he accepted. In 1780 he became rector of the university, and was promoted to various other responsible offices. The Duke of Saxe-Weimar nominated him his ecclesiastical councillor, and a member of his states; and he had been already made prelate and deputy of the district of Weimar. About ten years before this, he had married a sister of the famous Schütz, with whom he seems to have lived happily till his death, March 24, 1812. Griesbach's first edition of his text of the New Testament was published at Halle in 1774, in the form of a hand-book for the students then attending his lectures. The first volume of the second edition was published in 1796, and the second in 1807. A font of types was cast expressly for this edition by the famous type-founder Giechen; and as the expense of the paper was borne by the Duke of Grafton, chancellor of the university of Cambridge, the grateful author published his book simultaneously in London and Halle. The book has been since twice reprinted in London, once in 1809, and again in 1818.

Griesbach's recension of the text of the New Testament is based on a comparison of the three great classes into which he divides the various Greek MSS. These sets of MSS. are the Alexandrine, the Western, and the Byzantine or Asiatic, which latter is the basis of the Greek Vulgate. Of these, the first is by far the best, as Griesbach considers undeniable, from the coincidence between the Scripture quotations in the extant works of Origen and the text of the celebrated Alexandrian MS. of the New Testament. The Byzantine, in opposition to Mattingly and Scholz, he considers far from reliable. But his whole system has been attacked repeatedly in Germany and England, in the latter country more especially by Dr Nolan in his Enquiry into the integrity of the Greek Vulgate, or received Text of the New Testament, and by Archbishop Lawrence in his Remarks upon the Systematical Classification of MSS., adopted by Dr Griesbach.

Griesbach's chief works, in addition to those already mentioned, are—Dissertatio de fide historica, ex ipsa rerum quae narrantur, natura judicandâ, 4to, 1764; Diss. hist. theol. locu theologico ex Leona M. Pontifex Romano Sistus, Halle, 4to, 1768; Dissertatio de Codicibus quattuor Evangeliorum Originariis, 4to, 1771; Dissertatio curcum in historiam textus Graeci Epistolae Paulinae specimen, Jena, 1777; Programma de fontibus unde Evangelista rerum receptione Domini narrationes habuerunt, 1784; Prope, de inscriptis Judaeis quibus auctor Epistle ad Hebrews in diversilibus Medio provinciis nunc est, 1791–92; Symbola critica et suppleanda et corrigenda varias N. T. lectiones: Accedit multorum N. T. codicum Graecorum descriptio et examen, Halle, 1785–93; Commentarius criticus in textum Graecum N. T.; Griesbach's Opuscula Academica were published at Jena in 1824.