Jacques Deschamps (March 6, 1697 in

Pays de Caux The Pays de Caux (, , literally ''Land of Caux'') is an area in Normandy occupying the greater part of the French ''département'' of Seine Maritime in Normandy. It is a chalk plateau to the north of the Seine Estuary and extending to the cliffs ...

– October 3, 1759, in Dangu) was a French theologian and

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particu ...

. His father, Noel Deschamps, was a village laborer remembered as being honest and hardworking, who died when his son Jacques was only four years old. In 1709, young Jacques was sent to

Dieppe Dieppe (; Norman: ''Dgieppe'') is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newha ...

to continue the education he had begun in his father's home. From there, he went to

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...

, where he studied philosophy and then theology. Deschamps was elevated to the priesthood in 1721, taking on a position at Caux that did not accord with his love of study. He was then able to go to Paris to complete the necessary studies to become a Doctor of the

Sorbonne Sorbonne may refer to: * Sorbonne (building), historic building in Paris, which housed the University of Paris and is now shared among multiple universities. *the University of Paris (c. 1150 – 1970) *one of its components or linked institution, ...

. He then went to a seminary in Paris, where he was able to devote himself to his studies. In 1728, he was appointed

parish priest A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

of Dangu, in the

diocese of Rouen The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Rouen (Latin: ''Archidioecesis Rothomagensis''; French: ''Archidiocèse de Rouen'') is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. As one of the fifteen Archbishops of France, the Ar ...

. He served there for 31 years, until his death. Deschamps composed a French translation of the

Book of Isaiah The Book of Isaiah ( he, ספר ישעיהו, ) is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible and the first of the Major Prophets in the Christian Old Testament. It is identified by a superscription as the words of the 8th-century BC ...

, published in 1760, which is noted for being rather more free than literal—even to the point of reordering lines and paragraphs. This translation is introduced by three "discourses" of a theological nature. Deschamps died before being able to publish a similar work on the

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

, which he had been working on for some years. He is remembered for his desire to educate the young.

References

External links

Isaïe vengé : double sens des saintes écritures établi et justifié, rappel futur des juifs réduit à ses justes idées
a 1761 work criticizing Deschamps' interpretation of Isaiah, at Google Books * {{DEFAULTSORT:Deschamps, Jacques 1697 births 1759 deaths Clergy from Rouen University of Paris alumni French non-fiction writers 18th-century French Roman Catholic priests 18th-century French diplomats French male non-fiction writers