BONFRÈRE, JACQUES. - Belgian Jesuit and exegete, b. at Dinant on 12 Apr. 1573, d. at Tournai on 9 May 1642. A worthy disciple of Cornelio a Lapide, he taught first philosophy and theology, then Sacred Scripture and Hebrew. He is reckoned among the best exegetes of his time, both for his commentaries and for related biblical works.
Principal writings: Pentateuchus Moysis commentario illustratus (Antwerp, 1625), preceded by certain Praeloquia; Josua, Judices, Ruth, commentario illustrati (Paris, 1631); Onomasticon urbium et locorum Sacrae Scripturae (ibid., 1631). Certain observations in the Praeloquia concerning the possibility of a subsequent inspiration for the books of the Bible, the plurality of the literal sense, and the possibility that the number of books held by the Church to be inspired might be increased, provoked bitter controversies and cannot be admitted.