Benjamin Frederik Matthes (16 January 1818 – 9 October 1908) was a Dutch Protestant missionary in Dutch East Indies (Indonesia), linguist, especially of Buginese, author and Bible translator.

Biography Matthes was born the son of a Lutheran clergyman, and studied theology and literature at Leiden (1835–1838) and theology (1836–1841) at the Luthersch Seminarium at Amsterdam, as well as Semitic languages at Leiden and Heidelberg (1841–1844). Not being an outgoing preacher, Matthes preferred to study and teach.Jonker 1909, p. 255. In the years 1844–1848 he worked as second lecturer and vice director of the Zendelingshuis (missionary college) of the Nederlands Zendelinggenootschap (NZG, Protestant Netherlands Missionary Society) at Rotterdam. With Leiden professor Theodor Juynboll he curated a 1852 edition of a history of Egypt in Arabic written by Abū al-Maḥāsin Yūsuf ibn Taghrī-Birdī. At the Zendelingshuis he taught Malay language and published a Malay linguistic textbook.

First period at South Sulawesi, 1848–1858 In 1848 the Dutch Bible Society appointed him as a linguist to study the Makassarese and Buginese languages of South-West Sulawesi, and create grammar text books with a view to later publish Bible translations for both languages. After his marriage in July 1848 he duly arrived at his posting in Makassar in October 1848. There he could learn Makassarese from native speakers, however Buginese could only be acquired in the hinterland.

So in 1852, Matthes toured Bugis regions such as Maros, Pangkajene, and Tanete where he met Colliq Pujie (1812–1876). XIII, 191 p. : ill., schema., tab. ; 21 cm. One of her titles was Arung Pancana, as she was a daughter of La Rumpang Megga, ruler of the Kingdom of Tanette (reigned 1840–1855) and mother of the later Queen of Tanette Siti Aisyah We Tenriolle (reigned 1855–1910). Colliq Pujie was a widow of about 40 years old and a truly educated woman, who usually composed all the official letters for her father, and who not only had a thorough understanding of the courtly language of Bone, but did not seem to be unfamiliar even with the ancient La-Galigo language, which has now fallen completely into disuse. Matthes had been tasked to learn the Buginese language, which he found more difficult to master than the Makassarese. This led to a collaboration with Colliq Pujié. Matthes collected manuscripts of the epic I La Galigo in South Sulawesi that Colliq Pujié transliterated, edited and copied into 12 volumes of the manuscript I La Galigo.

On Matthes' trip in July–August 1857 searching for the purest form of the Buginese language, he was refused entry into the Kingdom of Bone.

First leave to the Netherlands, 1858–1861 In February 1858 he departed from Makassar for his first leave to Holland, where he arranged the printing of several of his manuscripts on the Makassarese language: a grammar, a dictionary and a study anthology (chrestomathy). In 1859, e.g., his Makassarese dictionary was published, which remained current until Cense's new dictionary of 1979. 989 pages.

Second period at South Sulawesi, 1861–1870 In 1861 he returned to Makassar, and found that the Dutch Governor now was opposed the Christian evangelizing in South Sulawesi. Matthes decided to continue his study of the Bugi language but also to restrict his upcoming Bugi Bible translation to the Gospel of Matthew. After the Second Bone War by the Dutch colonial army in 1860 a research visit to the Bone Kingdom had become feasible, so that Matthes could find his first manuscript in cipher writing. Furthermore, he continued collecting parts of larger manuscripts, especially those of the extensive La Galigo cycle. The learned princess Colliq Pujié of Tanette was of great help with her deep expertise of the old Bugi language and copied and edited available parts of La Galigo, to the tune of some 2848 folio pages, now curated by Leiden University Library.

Second leave to the Netherlands, 1870–1875 During this leave to the Netherlands Matthes curated the publication of several of his linguistic works, e.g., the second and third part of his Boegineesche Chrestomathie (Buginese Chrestomathy), Woordenboek (Dictionary, 1200 pages in two columns) and ditto Spraakkunst (Grammar) in 1875. He delivered a well-received lecture on the Sulawesi female and male bissu priests at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, which was published with extensive illustrations.Matthes, B.F. (1872). Over de bissoe's of heidensche priesters en priesteressen der Boeginezen, p. 3.

Teacher's college at Makassar, 1875–1879 The Dutch government requested Matthes to set up a training college for indigenous teachers at Makassar (Dutch: Kweekschool voor inlandsche onderwijzers), which he subsequently successfully led as a director up to 1879. The college complex was established at Justitielaan (now Jalan Amanagappa) in Makassar. Matthes wrote several textbooks for this college.Kern 1910, p. 73.

Return to the Netherlands Early 1880 Matthes returned to Holland, and continued his translations of the Bible into Makassarese and Buginese, which were completed in December 1900. He retired to Nijmegen where he died on 9 October 1908 at the age of 90. After his decease, his Makassarese and Buginese manuscripts were loaned to Leiden University Library.At Leiden University Library, these manuscript are catalogued as NBG-Boeg 1-216 in the collection of the Nederlands Bijbelgenootschap (Dutch Bible Society).

Quotation Matthes on bissus and their special role in nineteenth-century Bugi Sulawesi society:

Works Matthes' publications include: 185 pages. Two volumes, with scan of tome 2, part 1, at archive.org, consulted on 10 September 2026. 43 pages. XVI + 135 pages. VIII + 943 pages.

3 volumes. Vol. 1 published on behalf of the Dutch Bible Society, Amsterdam, periodical Bijbelmagazijn, and printed in Makassar by K. Sutherland. Vols. 2 and 3 published on behalf of the Dutch Government, and printed in Amsterdam by C.A. Spin & Sons. With a second title page in Buginese: Yinae surĕq Wugi sakkĕ-rupa. Includes a fragment of the La Galigo epic. 1872a:416-547; 1872b:250-284.

Two volumes. 50 pages + 4 plates. VIII + 1180 pages. Also oclc=834938955.

See also Bible translations into the languages of Indonesia and Malaysia Bible translations into Malay Christianity in Indonesia Christianity in Malaysia Makassarese language

Secondary literature 590 pages.

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