John Brown (1722–1787) was a Scottish preacher, theologian, and self-taught scholar whose ministry in the Secession Church left a lasting legacy of biblical exposition and devotion. Born in Carpow, Perthshire, to poor parents who died in his youth, he was largely self-educated, working as a shepherd, peddler, soldier during the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion, and schoolmaster. Despite lacking formal schooling, he taught himself Latin, Greek, and Hebrew—later mastering Arabic, Syriac, Persian, and Ethiopic—driven by a thirst for knowledge that began when he purchased a Greek New Testament at age 16. In 1751, after training under Ebenezer Erskine and James Fisher, he was ordained minister of the Associate Synod congregation in Haddington, East Lothian, where he served for 36 years, also becoming the Synod’s professor of divinity in 1767. Married twice—first to Janet Thomson in 1753, then to Violet Croumbie in 1773 after Janet’s death—he fathered several children, founding a ministerial dynasty. Brown’s ministry was marked by his dual gifts as a preacher and scholar, most famously embodied in his Self-Interpreting Bible (1778), a widely popular work blending commentary with Scripture that saw 26 editions. Known as “John Brown of Haddington,” he preached with earnestness and clarity, serving a rural flock while training ministerial candidates, often in his home. His other works, like A Dictionary of the Holy Bible and The Christian Journal, reflected his commitment to making theology accessible. Living simply—sometimes in near poverty—he died in 1787 at Haddington, leaving a legacy as a humble, industrious servant whose writings and family (including preacher sons John and Ebenezer) extended his influence across the English-speaking world.