John Weemes

Who was John Weemes?

John Weemes was a Church of Scotland minister, Hebrew scholar and exegete.

John Weemes was born at Lathocker, East Fife, and educated at the University of St Andrews. In 1608, he was appointed minister of Hutton, Berwickshire, and in 1613 he was translated to Duns. For several years Weemes acted as a representative of Presbyterian ministers in altercations with champions of episcopacy, for example at the Falkland Conference and the Perth Assembly of 1618 which issued the Five Articles. After appearing before the Court of High Commission in 1620 for disobeying the Articles, he apparently gave up ecclesiastical affairs and devoted himself to study and writing.

In his writings Weemes gave prominence to Hebrew and to Jewish writings, from the Midrash through the medievals to the early moderns, which made him one of the pioneers in Scotland of the study of Jewish life and learning. John Weemes is seen as one of the first Christian writers who presented a positive argument in favor of Jews being allowed to settle in a Christian country. His writings provided a positive view in favor of the resettlement of the Jews in England.