Introduction: Rev. Johann Philipp Fabricius was one of the greatest Danish Halle Missionaries who ever came and ministered in South India. He was selected by the great G.A. Francke for Tranquebar Mission. and Rev Fabricius reached Tranquebar, via Cudalore, in 1741. He was a multi-faceted personality, he was a Linguist, Tamil Scholar, Lexicographer, Evangelist and Translator of Bible into Tamil. The Bible translated by Rev Fabricius into Tamil is called as Fabricius version and it was considered as a better and standard translation than other previous Tamil versions of the Bible. A perusal of his ministerial and literary career and accomplishments will definitely galvanise the readers to achieve enviable goals and live a meaningful and fruitful life and to be cautious in financial matters.
Rev. J.P. Fabricius' Parents and Birth: Cleeberg is a hilly village surrounded by forests and the tiny river Kleebach passes through this beautiful village, and it is located near Frankfurt on the Maine, in Hasse State, West Germany; and it is one of the State approved health resorts, and the magnificent Cleeberg Castle adds historical importance to this village. Rev J.P. Fabricius' father Mr Reinhard was a native of this beautiful village, and he served as a Hessian Bailiff [ Legal officer] from 1728. Mr. Reinhard and Mrs. Reinhard couple gave birth to Rev Johann Philipp Fabricius on 22nd January 1711 at Cleeberg. Rev. J.P. Fabricius' parents gave birth to eight children in total including Rev. J.P. Fabricius. Mr Reinhard and his beloved wife brought up their 8 children in the knowledge of God, as good Christians
Rev. J.P. Fabricius' Education: As an ardent student and learner even during his childhood and school days, Rev J.P Fabricius gained reasonable knowledge about Lutheran Catechism, Church History and also developed good command over Latin and Greek. Then he joined the famous University of Geissen and studied Philosophy and Law for three and half years and passed these Courses meritoriously. While he was studying at this University of Geissen, he was highly influenced by the sharp theologian, Writer, and Poet Prof. Dr. Jakob Rambach, D.D who was working as the First Professor of Theology at the University of Geissen from 1731 till his death. Then Rev J.P. Fabricius worked as a tutor in his elder brother's family at Gleeberg, during the years 1732-36. In 1736 he pursued his Theological Study at the famous University in Halle. and he had the privilege to study under the guidance and coaching of Prof. G.A Francke and Pro,Langa At Halle University along with Theology he mastered Hebrew language also. Then he worked as a teacher at the historical Orphanage founded by the great Theologian, Social thinker and egalitarian Rev. August Hermann Francke in Glaucha, near Halle and enriched his mind with compassion and loving kindness for the poor and orphan children.
Rev. J. P. Fabricius was selected for Tranquebar Mission by G.A Francke: As there arose a vacancy for the service of a Missionary in Tranquebar mission in South India on account of the return of Rev. Walhter to Europe in 1740.. Rev. Prof. G.A Francke selected his student Rev, J.P. Fabricius for Tranquebar Mission. after getting J.P. Fabricius's consent. Rev. J.P Fabricius was sent to Copenhagen city and there he was ordained as a Lutheran Pastor/ Missionary, on 23rd October 1739. Then without wasting time Rev. J.P Fabricius along with two other Missionaries began their voyage via England and reached Cudalore and proceeded his journey towards Tranquebar and reached Tranquebar, on 8th September 1740. As he was fully aware of the importance of having fluency in the native language Tamil, Rev J.P. Fabricius, on arrival at Tranquebar immediately started to learn Tamil language with great devotion and ardent joy. Quickly he learned the Tamil and he delivered his first Sermon in Tamil at the New Jerusalem church, Tranquebar, on March 31st,1741 based on verse according to John I;29 [The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said," Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world']. and impressed the gathering inside the Church.
Rev. J.P. Fabricius in Madras: Though Rev. J.P. Fabricius was originally intended for the Danish Mission in Tranquebar he received proper permission to enter the service of the English Society "SPCK"[ Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge]. Rev. Johann Philipp Fabricius reached Madras in 1742 in the service of S.P.C.K. to succeed Rev. Benjamin Schultze. and to enable Rev Schultze to return to England. The anomaly of an Anglican society [SPCK] supporting Lutheran missionaries caused no trouble or qualms in the eighteenth century. From 1742 to 1788 Rev. J.P. Fabriciius worked in Madras and he was principally assisted by the Missionary Rev. Beithaupt from 1749 t0 1782. Rev J.P. Fabricius' long ministry of forty-six years [1742- 1788] in Madras, faced many vicissitudes of fortunes on account of frequent wars between French and English.
French captured Madras in 1742 and Fabricius fled to Pulicat with his sheep: In 1746, Madras was captured by the French and the Mission- House was pulled down, and Rev J.P. Fabricius with his Catechists and school Children took refuge at Paleacatta [Pulicat], which belonged to the Dutch and where they received good reception. In1949 Rev Fabricius and his sheep returned to Madars and there everything was in a dilapidated condition and so Rev. Fabricius quickly erected a Hut for the School in the Church yard which was the only possession left for them. The Congregation assembled under some large trees for Dive Worship Service and the servants of the Mission were received into private houses. In the year 1752 the English Government gave a new and beautiful Roman Catholic Church with all its adjoining buildings to Rev Fabricius [ SPCK Mission]and that Catholic Church had been built by an Armenian Romanist a few years before in Vepery.
French attacked Madras Again in 1758: When the French attacked Madras in 1758 the Church and the Mission Houses were plundered and even the clothes were taken from an infant of Rev.Breithaupt. Both Rev. Fabricius and Rev. Breithaupt took refuge in Pulicat. Even though the French besieged Madras they lost Pondichery to the English. The English army took a Printing Press from Pondichery, on this occasion and presented it to Rev J.P. Fabricius [ SPCK}. The Printing Press was set up in the Mission Compound in Vepery, where the Diocesan Press of the Christian Literature Society still continues its work. Even during very difficult times Rev J.P Fabrcius stood with his congregation members and led them towards safer places, as a compassionate Christian Pastor.
Tamil Christian Hymnody by Rev. J.P. Fabricius: Like Rev Ziegenbalg, Rev J.P. Fabricius also understood the unique importance of Music in Christian Worship Service and so Rev. J.P. Fabricius published, a collection of 335 Tamil Christian hymns and most of them were translated by him from German language in an exquisite style. and this Hymnal Book was printed in 1774. Even today the Tamil hymns translated and complied by Rev Fabricius are sung by the Tamil Christians in Tamil Lutheran Christian Worship services throughout the world.
A Malabar and English Dictionary By Rev. J.P. Fabricius: A Tamil to English Dictionary was written, compiled and Published by Rev Fabricius in 1779: It was not an easy task for a foreigner to learn a local language and write a bilingual Dictionary. Rev. J. P. Fabricius compiled and published the First Tamil to English Dictionary containing 9000 hard Tamil words. This iconic work laid the foundation for many future literary works in Tamil by foreign missionaries and native Tamil scholars. This Dictionary was published under the title "A Malabar and English Dictionary". This Dictionary speaks about the literary genius and linguistic greatness of Rev. J.P Fabricius.
Rev. J.P. Fabricius Translated the Bible into Tamil: When Rev J.P. Fabricius read Rev Ziegenbalg's Tamil Bible and he earnestly felt that Rev. Ziegenbalg's Tamil Bible needed some changes and rectifications. Hence Rev J.P Fabricius decided to translate the Bible into Tamil, with a touch of lucidity, beauty, power and appropriateness. He started to translate the New Testament into Tamil, and he completed the Translation of the New Testament into Tamil in 1750. Rev. J.P. Fabricius used the Ziegenbalg's version of the Tamil Bible, as a model, and Fabricius finally printed his New Testament in 1766 in Madras, at the Printing Press donated by the British Govt to him. From October 1756 Rev J.P. Fabricius started to translate the Old Testament into Tamil from the original Hebrew language During the course of his Translation work he faced many difficulties caused by the wars between French and English. His Tamil scholar friend Mr Muthu Krishna helped Rev Fabricius a lot in his translation work, .and Rev Fabricius completed the translation the Old Testament, and it was not printed until 1798 and was printed only after his death. Rev. J.P. Rev. Fabricius was very particular to read the translated portions of the Bible to many proper people and received their feedback and accommodated their worthy suggestions. Tamil Christian Poet Vethnayagam Sasthiriyar paid a lasting tribute to the translation work of the Rev J.P. Fabricius, by calling it, "the golden translation of the immortal Fabricius".
Conclusion: The frequent wars between French and the English and wars between Hyder Ali and the English and the poverty faced by his native congregation members due to these wars and his old age affected the health of Rev. J.P. Fabricius very much. Even though Rev J.P. Fabricius was a great intellectual, a devoted Missionary and efficacious Translator of the Bible into Tamil; he was not careful in money matters. He involved in money lending with the funds entrusted to him by his friends for safe custody. The Tranquebar mission lost 2000 Pagodas and the Trichinopoly Mission all that it possessed which Rev. Schwartz had entrusted to Fabricius. Rev Fabricius was sentenced to the prison due to debt. But his Successor Rev Gericke took some necessary steps and released Rev. J.P. Fabricius. Rev. J.P. Fabricius died on January 24th 1791 in Madras as a bachelor. He was a great missionary when he took charge of the Tamil Lutheran congregation in Madras in 1742, the congregation had only 300 Christians but it reached 2200 during his ministerial period [1742--1788]..He was a great Linguist he developed good command over Tamil, Dutch, Portuguese in addition to his mother tongue German. Mr J. Ferd. Fenger author of the famous book HISTORY of the TRANQUEBAR MISSION, writes about Rev J.P. Fabricius, "His through acquaintance with the native languages was acknowledged, and his lexicographical labours deserve praise, but his particular gift lay in translating hymns into Tamil. His translations were used in all the congregations and are still famed as being really excellent". It is not possible to accommodate all the accomplishments of Rev. J.P. Fabricius within the space of this Blogpost and so I will end this Blogpost with the following sentence, " Dear and respected Rev. J.P. Fabricius, we thank God For you, we love you for your love for your congregation members, we adore your translation works and proud of you".
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By. P. Babu Manoharan, M.A, [ All rights are reserved. This Blogpost will be enlarged, modified or corrected later if needed].
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