Moses Kimhi (c. 1127 – c. 1190), also known as the ''ReMaK'', was a
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
Jew
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...
ish
biblical
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...
commentator and
grammarian.
Birth and early life
Kimhi was born around 1127, the eldest son of
Joseph Kimhi and the brother of
David Kimhi
''Cervera Bible'', David Kimhi's Grammar Treatise
David Kimhi (, also Kimchi or Qimḥi) (1160–1235), also known by the Hebrew acronym as the RaDaK () (Rabbi David Kimhi), was a medieval rabbi, biblical commentator, philosopher, and grammarian ...
, known as the ''RaDaK''. He was born and lived in
Hachmei Provence in
Occitania
Occitania is the historical region in Southern Europe where the Occitan language was historically spoken and where it is sometimes used as a second language. This cultural area roughly encompasses much of the southern third of France (except ...
, an area that was heavily under the influence of the
Sephardic community of that time. Little else is known of his early life.
Adulthood
He apparently raised his younger brother David following the death of their father, and was a major influence in his commentaries.
Career as a commentator
Like his father, he wrote a number of commentaries on the Bible, basing himself on the literal meaning of the text. His surviving works include commentaries on the books of
Proverbs,
Job,
Ezra, and
Nehemiah.
He also wrote a book of essays on
Hebrew grammar, known, after the first three words, as , or briefly as . In it he described the underlying principles of his commentaries, combined with tangential discussions of
medieval philosophy. This handbook was of great historical importance
as in the first half of the 16th century it became the favourite manual for the study of Hebrew among non-Judaic scholars.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kimhi, Moses
Provençal Jews
12th-century French rabbis
Bible commentators
1120s births
1190 deaths
Year of birth uncertain