Rev. Herman Theodorus Obbink

Herman Theodorus Obbink was born on 23 January 1869 at the Rikkert farm in Heurne, one of Aalten’s buurtschappen. He was the twin brother of Johan Obbink, who was among the co-founders of the Zuivelfabriek dairy and ‘de Landbouw’ in Aalten.

On 16 September 1889, aged 20, Herman moved to Doetinchem, where he lived on Burg. van Nispenstraat (link). The Latin school, later the Stedelijk Gymnasium / Gemeentelijk Lyceum, was located there.

On 20 September 1892, he left Doetinchem for Utrecht, where he studied at Utrecht University. Subsequently, he served as a minister in Hoogersmilde, Kamperveen, Middelburg, and The Hague. On 2 December 1901, he obtained his doctorate in Utrecht with the thesis “The Holy War according to the Quran”.

On 20 April 1897, he married Jantine Gérardine ten Cate (1874–1949). The couple had three sons.

Professor

In 1910, he was appointed professor at the University of Amsterdam with the teaching assignment “General History of Religion and the History of the Israelite Religion”. His inaugural lecture was titled “The Significance of Egypt and Babylonia in the Ancient Religious World”.

In 1913, he was appointed Professor of Theology and History of Religion at Utrecht University. His inaugural lecture was titled “On Ancient Egyptian Conceptions regarding Death and Life”. The subjects of both lectures reflect his interest in the Egyptian and Babylonian-Assyrian world, which he always studied in connection with the Old Testament. At Utrecht University, he also gave language lectures in Assyrian and Ancient Egyptian.

Bible translator and court chaplain

In 1924, Obbink’s translation of the Old Testament was published. This was supplemented in 1927 with a translation of the New Testament by his colleague Annéus Marinus Brouwer (1875–1948). The translation, the “Utrecht translation“, is usually referred to as “Obbink and Brouwer”. He was rector of Utrecht University in 1928/1929. In 1939, he retired; his son Hendrik Willem Obbink succeeded him.

From 1929 to 1947, Obbink was a court chaplain. In that capacity, he officiated at the wedding of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard in 1937. He also baptised Princess Beatrix and led the funerals of Queen Emma and Prince Hendrik, the husband of Queen Wilhelmina (source).