SÁNCHEZ (Sanctius), GASPAR. – Spanish Jesuit exegete, b. at Ciempozuelos (Madrid) in 1553 to exceptionally devout parents (v. the eulogy of his mother in Comm. in Tob., Lyon 1627, pp. 177–78), d. at Alcalá in 1628.
He taught grammar for 11 years before undertaking theological studies, and for 20 years after his ordination to the priesthood. Apparently, only in 1608 was he appointed professor of exegesis at Alcalá; in 1615, at the age of 62, he published his first volume of exegesis, of such perfection that it made him a classic exegete for the future. In him the exegetical ideal of the period stands out: « styli candor, eruditionis varietas, ingenii acumen, triumque linguarum peritia [latino, greco, ebraico], institutum sibi proprium de eruendo litterali sensu » (as the censor of Isaiah put it). Moreover, he neglected nothing that ancient and modern writers had written on the biblical books. He published a fine series of volumes, some between 1,000 and 2,000 pages, generally bearing the title Commentarii in... cum paraphrasi and issued in Lyon by H. Cardon. In them he acutely commented on: Is. (1615); Cant. (1616, with Ps. 76); Zach. (1616); Act. (1616, with an appendix on the sojourn of s. Giacomo, s. Pietro and s. Paolo in Spain); Ier. (1618, with Ps. 136 and a poetic paraphrase and commentary on Lam.); the minor prophets and Bar. (1621); the 4 ll. of Reg. and Par. (1623; it is among the best commentaries: it even anticipated difficulties later raised by the rationalists); Iob (1625); Ruth, Esd.-Neb., Iudt., Esth., I-II Mach. (1628, less prolix). He left manuscripts of commentaries on Sap.; Eccli. 1–24; Gen. 1–3.