Born in 1943 in Den Haag, the Netherlands. There I passed through the ’s Gravenhaagsch Christelijk Gymnasium (now Gymnasium Sorghvliet).

In 1969 I passed the B.A. degree at the Free University of Amsterdam, and then I became parish minister in the Reformed Chrurch of Rotterdam-Heyplaat.

In 1973 I obtained the Master’s degree. In the same year I became parish minister in the Reformed Church of Maartensdijk. This church became later on part of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands.

In 1979 I obtained my doctorate with a thesis about the use of Old Testament quotations in the epistle to the Galatians. I started then the study of Semitic languages at the University of Amsterdam. Later on I continued this study for a couple of years at the University of Leiden.

My work as a minister in Maartensdijk was interrupted in 1982-1983 as I was visiting professor at Bryn Mawr College (PA).

In 1993 I was declared unfit as a minister on medical grounds. I started then to study Arabic. Next to other publications this study resulted in a Duch translation of the Qor’an that was published in February 2015.