description Alexander Cruden Overview
Alexander Cruden (1699–1770) was a Scottish scholar best known for compiling 'A Complete Concordance to the Holy Scriptures,' first published in 1737. This comprehensive index catalogued every word in the King James Bible, allowing readers to locate specific passages quickly. The concordance, which took Cruden over three years to complete, became an essential reference work and remains in print today. Despite his scholarly achievements, Cruden's life was marked by periods of mental instability, resulting in several confinements to asylums.
He later became an advocate for the rights of those deemed mentally ill and campaigned for the humane treatment of patients.
help Alexander Cruden FAQ
What is Alexander Cruden best known for?
He compiled A Complete Concordance to the Holy Scriptures, a reference work that indexes words in the King James Bible. The first edition appeared in 1737, making Cruden a major name in Bible reference publishing.
What does Cruden's concordance let a reader do?
It lets readers search for a word and find the passages where it appears in the King James Bible. That makes it an index to scripture rather than a modern dictionary of English.
Was Alexander Cruden a lexicographer or a theologian?
He was a Scottish scholar and lexicographer best known for organizing biblical language into a searchable reference. His dates are 1699 to 1770, and his concordance remains the work most closely tied to his name.
Does A Complete Concordance cover only famous Bible verses?
No, its purpose was to catalogue every word in the King James Bible, not just well-known passages. That broad coverage is why readers could use Cruden's 1737 work to locate obscure references as well as familiar ones.
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