He flourished about the time of the third Crusade, A.D. 1190, and lived through the first quarter of the thirteenth century. Whilst the laity of Christendom were engaged in the attempt to recover the Holy City, and the divines in perfecting and systematising the Christian oral law, or Popish Rabbinism, Kimchi, and other distinguished rabbies of the day, were zealously and laboriously employed in the grammatical study of the Old Testament, and in the improvement of biblical interpretation. Their countrymen were accustomed then, as now, wherever the Talmud is much studied, to follow the Talmudic method of interpretation, and to pay but little attention either to context or grammar, of which, from the method of instruction pursued in Rabbinical schools, they do not so readily perceive the necessity or the value. It would, however, be a mistake to suppose that Kimchi or his cotemporaries had discovered the simple and rational method of exposition, or that the Jews, in the long interval between the dispersion and the Crusades, were either ignorant or destitute of the grammatical principle. They carried with them from their country Onkelos's Chaldee translation of the Pentateuch, as a model of literal interpretation; and the labours of Jonathan, † about two centuries after the dispersion, testify that they knew how to profit by it. The Masorat furnishes another instance of a diligent and accurate grammatical study of the text. "It is evident," says Gesenius, § * Known by the name of Targum of Onkelos. See Buxtorf's Tiberias, or Masoretic Commentary. § Geschichte der Heb. Sprache. p. 75. On the following page he that its authors were guided by fixed grammatical principles, which, though never collected into one whole, they had deduced for themselves, and according to which they conformed the text, and endeavoured to remove its irregularities and supposed errors. In doing so, they manifest a great accuracy of study." The punctuation, whenever affixed, presupposes no scanty measure of grammatical study; and the system of the accents shows the most accurate and delicate perception of the relation and connexion of words and sentences; and these two together must have ever preserved amongst the reflecting Jews a correct taste for the true principles of interpretation. These works attest the continued existence of grammatical principles amongst the Jews themselves, but it is probable that from the Arabic grammarians they learned method and system; * and soon after the triumphs of Mahometanism, and the culture of Arabic, the series of professed Jewish grammarians commenced. † About the beginning of the tenth century, Saadiah Gaon distinguished himself as a grammarian, translator, and commentator, from whom the succeeding commentators often make useful citations. In the latter half of the eleventh century, R. Solomon, commonly called Rashi, furnished a commentary to the states his opinion that this work was diligently carried on in the sixth century, and finished about the eighth or ninth. * It may, however, be doubted whether the benefit was an unmixed good; and whether, if the Jews had worked out their own principles to a system, that system would not have been more purely Hebrew, and therefore more correct. + Gesen. Geschichte, p. 94. whole Bible, which, though full of Talmudisms, manifests diligence, acuteness, a thorough acquaintance with the language of Scripture, and a desire to rise above Talmudic interpretation. He was succeeded in the next century by Aben Ezra, who far surpassed him in power and freedom of judgment. And a little later came David Kimchi, who, diligently using the labours of his predecessors, and possessing no ordinary resources of his own, has, besides a grammar and lexicon, left a commentary on most of the books of Scripture, which, though written six hundred years ago, will bear a comparison with any that has appeared even in the nineteenth century. Valuable in itself, it has other points of attraction for the Christian student. It is the work of one to whom the Christian world has been much indebted; for his grammar and lexicon have, until very lately, contributed the main portion of all similar productions, and his commentary has been one of the sources from which commentators since the Reformation have drawn most valuable materials. What Gesenius says generally of the Jewish commentators is particularly true of Kimchi. "The judicious commentator will know how to use much in them that is indisputably true and good; and a facility in understanding these sources is indispensably necessary to every respectable interpreter." To the reader of the English Bible, Kimchi is also of value, as he will find the translations generally confirmed, and see how very little that rabbi would have altered. Indeed, a comparison with the rabbies would show that our translators were deeply read in, and diligent in consulting the best Jewish autho * Gesen. Geschichte, p. 102. rities, and would go far towards proving that we have great reason to be satisfied with, and thankful for, our English translation. To the student of divinity, Kimchi and his cotemporaries are of great importance, inasmuch as they may be regarded as the founders of a new school in Jewish theology. The violent persecutions of the Crusaders, the jealousy excited by the Christian attempt upon the Holy Land, and the influence of the doctrine of the Mahometans, amongst whom they lived, produced a sensible change in Jewish opinions and interpretations, which is plainly marked in Kimchi, and other writers of the day, and without a knowledge of which, the phænomena of modern Judaism connot be fully understood. Rashi, Aben Ezra, and Kimchi endeavoured to get rid of the Christian interpretations, and Maimonides to root out the Christian doctrines which had descended from the ancient Jewish Church. The writings of the commentators passed without notice, but Maimonides' attack on Jewish doctrines drew down the sentence of excommunication, and led to a serious feud, in which Kimchi appeared as the friend of Maimonides, and endeavoured to make peace. In the course of time, however, the opinions of all gained ground, and have now an almost universal influence on Jewish habits of thought, which makes a knowledge of their writings desirable. A specimen of Kimchi's Commentary is now presented to the public, as a small contribution towards this object. It is hoped that even this may be useful, not only in exhibiting Jewish interpretation, but in helping Christians to form a more correct estimate of the Jewish mind. The controversialist is compelled to attack that which is erroneous, or even absurd in the oral law, and the ignorant or unthinking hastily conclude that all the Jewish writings are of the same character. The translation of Kimchi or Aben Ezra would speedily undeceive the world. In the mean while it is hoped that the patient reader of even this specimen, will rise with a different idea of Jewish talent and learning. It may also facilitate the study of Rabbinical literature to some who have commenced, and induce others to begin. The controversy with the Jews is an important branch of Christian divinity, which is comparatively overlooked, and cannot be effectually cultivated without some knowledge of the rabbies. It was principally for the conversion of the Jews, that the oriental professorships were determined on at the Council of Vienna, in 1311, and it is to be hoped that those who appreciate the value of Christianity now, will also remember that this is one use of knowing the original language of the Old Testament. To those whose other avocations do not permit them to study Rabbinical writers this translation may prove useful, especially as constant regard has been had to the Jewish controversies, and the chief passages relating to the Messiah have been considered, somewhat at length, in observations appended to the chapters in which they occur. The present translation was made from the text in Buxtorf's Bible, but it is much to be wished that one of the Universities would furnish students with a more correct and cheaper edition. Wolfius mentions that this portion of Kimchi was translated into Latin by Robert *Gesen. Geschichte, p. 104. |