Rev. Herman Theodorus Obbink

Herman Theodorus Obbink was born on January 23, 1869, at the Rikkert farm in the Aalten rural district of Heurne. He was a twin brother of Johan Obbink, who was, among other things, co-founder of the Dairy Factory and ‘de Landbouw’ in Aalten.

On 1889-09-16, Herman, aged 20, left for Doetinchem, and lived there on the Burg. van Nispenstraat (link). The Latin school (later State Gymnasium / Municipal Lyceum) was located there.

On September 20, 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 December 2, 1901, he obtained his doctorate in Utrecht with the thesis “The Holy War according to the Quran”.

On April 20, 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 baptized Princess Beatrix and led the funerals of Queen Emma and Prince Hendrik, the husband of Queen Wilhelmina (source).

Awards and Recognition

Obbink was a member of the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (1929) and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Debrecen. He was appointed Knight in the Order of the Netherlands Lion, Commander in the House Order of Orange, and Commander in the Order of Merit (Hungary).

Herman Theodorus Obbink passed away on December 29, 1947, in Utrecht, at the age of 78. He was buried at the Den en Rust cemetery in Bilthoven.

A street in Utrecht is named after him, the Obbinklaan.