John Kitto

John Kitto was born in Dec. 4, 1804 to a desperately poor family. Unfortunately, his parents were part of high society just four years previously, but the bad habits of drunkenness ate up both their economic standing as well as their social standing. His father was a highly skilled mason and his uncle had managed to tame the swamp land between Plymouth and the next town so that there was both a road through the swamp made by driving slate in vertically into the swamp as well as a walk-way.

When John was born, he was a very sickly, tiny, weak infant. He was not expected to live. When other children his age were out running about, John still was tied to his mother, with limbs that were too weak to hold him up. As such, his development was so and late.

If it were not for his grandmother, he might not have received any education at all. From his earliest days he became an avid reader, and so was self-educated. He became deaf in an accident when he was a boy helping his father shingle roofs. He fell from the roof carrying shingles for his dad onto the pavement 35 feet below. He was dumped on a "poorhouse" but found favor by the managers who saw how industrious he was and capable in spite of his status and physical limitation. They were instrumental in helping him receive special training. John sought for a way to be a missionary even though deaf. He found he wanted the world to understand the beauty and wonder of Scripture. To do this, he wrote a large collection of books which have been in high demand and are thoroughly respected.

John Kitto was always a frail diminutive fellow. His round the clock research to produce the vast amount of Biblical study aids wore him physically down prematurely. He died when 50, on Nov. 24, 1854, seeking to restore his broken health at the mineral springs in Germany. Before his death, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquities.

For more information, see Alan Bond's comments at the beginning of An Illustrated History of the Bible. There is also Charles Spurgeon's comments about him in the Sword and Trowel.

For the biographies that we have published see:

• From Poorhouse to Pulpit by William Thayer
• Lost Senses, by John Kitto

His works are often quoted in the following resources:

• The Anchor Bible Dictionary
• Reference material in The Ante-Nicene Fathers ed. by Roberts and Donaldson
• Sir Robert Anderson's The Coming Prince
• Barne's Notes on the Holy Scriptures
• The Biblical Illustrator
• Bullinger's Several Works
• Reference material by the translators and editors of Calvin's Commentaries
• Easton's Bible Dictionary
• Alfred Edersheim's Sketches of Jewish Social Life & The Temple, Its Ministry and Services & The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah
• The Expositor's Bible
• Fausset's Bible Dictionary
• Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons
• The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
• Jamieson, Fausset and Brown's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures
• Keil & Delitzsch's Commentary on the Old Testament
• J. Vernon McGee, Thru the Bible
• New Bible Dictionary
• The Pulpit Commentary
• Philip Schaff's History of the Christian Church
• Smith's Bible Dictionary
• Strong's Systematic Theology
• Strong and McClintock's Work
• Charles Spurgeon's many works.
• The Tabernacle, Its Priests and Services by William Brown.
• Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon
• R.A. Torrey's compilation of The Fundamentals
• Unger's Bible Dictionary
• Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament
• The Works of John Knox

He was friends with Charles Spurgeon and Spurgeon talks of the gifts they exchanged. Spurgeon conducted his funeral.

In Commenting on the Commentaries, C.H. Spurgeon says:

"Then, of course, gentlemen, you will economize rigidly until you have accumulated funds to purchase KITTO’S PICTORIAL BIBLE. You mean to take that goodly freight on board before you launch upon the sea of married life. As you cannot visit the Holy Land, it is well for you that there is a work like the Pictorial Bible, in which the notes of the most observant travelers are arranged under the texts which they illustrate. For the geography, zoology, botany, and manners and customs of Palestine, this will be your counselor and guide. Add to this noble comment, which is sold at a surprisingly low price, the eight volumes of KITTO’S DAILY READINGS. They are not exactly a commentary, but what marvelous expositions you have there! You have reading more interesting than any novel that was ever written, and as instructive as the heaviest theology. The matter is quite attractive and fascinating, and yet so weighty, that the man who shall study those eight volumes thoroughly, will not fail to read his Bible intelligently and with growing interest."

F.B. Meyer, in Light on Life's Duties said:

We can never know too much of that literature which throws side-lights on the Bible, and which unfolds the customs of the people, difficult allusions, historical coincidences, geographical details. Geikie’s Hours with the Bible; Kitto’s Daily Illustrations, edited by Dr. Porter; Dr. Smith’s Bible Dictionary; books like these are invaluable.

He was instrumental in bringing together church leaders to enable D.L. Moody to hold evangelistic meetings in London.