Samuel Lee (linguist)

Samuel Lee (1783-1852) was an English Orientalist, linguist, and cleric. He was Regius Professor of Hebrew at the University of Cambridge from 1819 until his death.

Lee was born in Shropshire, England, into poverty. Largely self-taught, he mastered Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Chaldee, Syriac, and Samaritan by the age of 25, while working as a carpenter. He subsequently learned Persian, Arabic, and Hindustani.

He was appointed professor of Arabic at Cambridge in 1815, followed by the Regius Professorship of Hebrew. His scholarly work was extensive and included translations of the Bible into various languages, including Hindustani, Persian, and Syriac. He also produced grammars and lexicons of Hebrew and Arabic.

Lee was noted for his conservative theological views and his opposition to higher criticism of the Bible. He was a member of the Church of England and held several ecclesiastical appointments throughout his career.

His major works include:

• Syriac Grammar (1823)
• Hebrew Grammar (1827)
• Lexicon Hebrew, Chaldaicum et Biblicum (1840)
• Translations of the Bible into Hindustani, Persian, and Syriac.