Giovanni Diodati

Giovanni Diodati or Deodati (3 June 1576 – 3 October 1649)¹ was a Genevan-born Italian Calvinist theologian and translator. His translation of the Bible into Italian from Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Syriac sources became the reference version used by Italian Protestants.

Biography

He was born on 3 June 1576, at Geneva, to a noble family originally from Lucca in Italy, and was exiled on account of its Protestantism. He considered himself an Italian "di nation lucchese", of Lucchese nationality.² His father was Carlo Diodati. The Diodatis were part of a group of about sixty noble Luchessi families who had emigrated to Geneva, sometimes called the "Italian Cabal".³ Between 1594 and 1597, future Amsterdam burgomaster Jacob Dircksz de Graeff lived for three years in the house of Diodati.⁴ He matriculated at the Genevan Academy in 1596.² At the age of twenty-one he was nominated professor of Hebrew at Geneva on the recommendation of Theodore Beza. In 1606, he became professor of theology, in 1608 pastor, or parish minister, at Geneva, and in the following year he succeeded Beza as professor of theology.⁵

As a preacher Diodati was eloquent, and he was sent on a mission to France in 1614. He had previously visited Italy, and made the acquaintance of Paolo Sarpi, whom he endeavoured unsuccessfully to engage in a reformation movement. In 1618 and 1619, he attended the , and took a prominent part, being one of the six divines appointed to draw up the . He sympathized with the condemnation of the .