John Trapp (5 June 1601, in Croome D'Abitot – 16 October 1669, in Weston-on-Avon), was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

Anglican Bible commentator. His large five-volume commentary is still read today and is known for its pithy statements and quotable prose; his volumes are quoted frequently by other religious writers. Son of Nicholas Trapp, of

Kempsey, Worcestershire Kempsey is a village and civil parish in the Malvern Hills District in the county of Worcestershire, England. It is bounded by the River Severn on the west, and the A38 main road runs through it and is about south of Worcester. The village ...

, Trapp studied at the Free School in

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...

and then at Christ Church, Oxford (B.A., 1622; M.A., 1624). He became usher of the free school of Stratford-upon-Avon in 1622 and its headmaster in 1624, and was made preacher at Luddington, near Stratford, before becoming vicar of Weston-on-Avon in

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

. He sided with parliament in the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

and was arrested for a short time. He took the

covenant Covenant may refer to: Religion * Covenant (religion), a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general ** Covenant (biblical), in the Hebrew Bible ** Covenant in Mormonism, a sacred agreement b ...

of 1643 and acted as chaplain to the parliamentary soldiers in Stratford for two years. According to his own words, in the Commentary to Job, Job 9:5, in 1657 he was "here in Herefordshire". He served as rector of Welford-on-Avon in Gloucestershire between 1646 and 1660 and again as vicar of Weston from 1660 until his death in 1669. Trapp had married Mary Gibbard in 1624; they had eleven children. Their son Joseph (1638–1698), rector of Cherrington,

, was father of

Joseph Trapp Joseph Trapp (1679–1747) was an English clergyman, academic, poet and pamphleteer. His production as a younger man of occasional verse (some anonymous, or in Latin) and dramas led to his appointment as the first Oxford Professor of Poetry in 1 ...

, first

Oxford Professor of Poetry The Professor of Poetry is an academic appointment at the University of Oxford. The chair was created in 1708 by an endowment from the estate of Henry Birkhead. The professorship carries an obligation to lecture, but is in effect a part-time p ...

. :''Be careful what books you read, for as water tastes of the soil it runs through, so does the soul taste of the authors that a man reads.'' -- John Trapp :''He who rides to be crowned will not mind a rainy day.'' -- John Trapp :''Unity without verity is no better than conspiracy'' -- John Trapp Trapp's works have been quoted by religious writers including

Charles Spurgeon Charles Haddon Spurgeon (19 June 1834 – 31 January 1892) was an English Particular Baptist preacher. Spurgeon remains highly influential among Christians of various denominations, among whom he is known as the "Prince of Preachers". He wa ...

(1834–1892). Ruth Graham, the daughter of

Ruth Bell Graham Ruth McCue Bell Graham (June 10, 1920 – June 14, 2007) was an American Christian author, most well known as the wife of evangelist Billy Graham. She was born in Qingjiang, Jiangsu, Republic of China, the second of five children. Her parents, Vir ...

, said that John Trapp, along with

C.S. Lewis CS, C-S, C.S., Cs, cs, or cs. may refer to: Job titles * Chief Secretary (Hong Kong) * Chief superintendent, a rank in the British and several other police forces * Company secretary, a senior position in a private sector company or public se ...

and

George MacDonald George MacDonald (10 December 1824 – 18 September 1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian Congregational church, Congregational Minister (Christianity), minister. He was a pioneering figure in the field of modern fantasy literature a ...

, was one of her mother's three favorite sources for quotations.

Works

* ''Annotations upon the Old and New Testament, in five distinct volumes'' (London, 1662) * ''A brief commentary or exposition vpon the Gospel according to St John'' (London, 1646) * ''A clavis to the Bible. Or A new comment upon the Pentateuch: or five books of Moses'' (London, 1650. .e. 1649 * ''A commentary or exposition upon all the books of the New Testament'' (London, 1656) * ''A commentary or exposition upon all the Epistles and the Revelation of John the Divine'' (London, 1647) * ''A commentary or exposition upon the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job and Psalms'' (London, 1657) * ''A commentary or exposition upon the four Evangelists, and the Acts of the Apostles'' (London, 1647) * ''A commentary, or, exposition upon the XII. Minor prophets'' (London, 1654) * ''A commentary or exposition upon these following books of holy Scripture; Proverbs of Solomon, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel & Daniel. Being a third volume of annotations upon the whole Bible.'' (London, 1660) * ''Gods love-tokens, and the afflicted mans lessons: brought to light, and layd before him in two fruitfull and seasonable discourses upon Revel. 3. 19. Comforting under, and directing unto a right use of our personall, and publike crosses and calamities.'' (London, 1637) * ''Solomonis panaretos: or, A commentarie upon the books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs'' (London, 1650) Download a scanned version fro
here
* ''Theologia theologiæ, the true treasure; or A treasury of holy truths, touching Gods word, and God the word. Digg’d up, and drawn out of that incomparable mine of unsearchable mystery, Heb. I. 1, 2, 3. Wherein the divinity of the holy Scriptures is asserted, and applied.'' (London, 1641)

References

* *Graham, Ruth. Christianity Today online, "She Made Christ Her Home". Posted August 1, 2007.

External links

* * John Trapp : Master, Pastor and Puritan Divine. Biography by Richard Pearson. 2018. {{DEFAULTSORT:Trapp, John 1601 births 1669 deaths People educated at the Royal Grammar School Worcester 17th-century English writers 17th-century English male writers Anglican writers 17th-century English Anglican priests English theologians Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford People from Malvern Hills District 17th-century English theologians English male non-fiction writers 17th-century biblical scholars 17th-century Christian biblical scholars