Kimhi, David

Kimhi, David

▪ European scholar
Kimhi also spelled  Kimchi, Kimḥi, or Qimḥi,  byname  Radak ( acronym  of Rabbi David Kimhi), also called Maistre Petit 
born c. 1160, , Narbonne?, Toulouse, France
died c. 1235, , Narbonne?

      European scholar of the Hebrew language whose writings on Hebrew lexicography and grammar became standard works in the Middle Ages and whose reputation eclipsed that of both his father, Joseph Kimhi, and his brother, Moses, a grammarian.

      As a boy David Kimhi learned his father's teachings under the tutelage of his brother and then began to support himself by teaching children the Talmud, the body of Jewish tradition. His own great work, the Sefer mikhlol (“Book of Completeness”), was originally intended to comprise a grammar and a lexicon of the Hebrew language. The latter, however, appeared as a separate work, Sefer ha-shorashim (“Book of the Roots”). (The grammar, edited and translated by William Chamaky, was published in 1933; 2nd ed. 1952.) His work differed from previous grammars in its comprehensive treatment of verbs and covered all the rules of conjugation, punctuation, and accent. Distinguished also by conciseness and clarity, it became the leading grammar for centuries. The lexicon enjoyed a comparable popularity, and, though based largely on the dictionary of Ibn Janāḥ and the writings of Joseph Kimhi, it remains an original work. Kimhi introduced many new etymologies, made comparisons of Hebrew and Aramaic and of Hebrew and Provençal, and included exegetical notes on the biblical contexts of word roots. Another work, ʿEṭ sofer (“Pen of the Scribe”), was a manual covering the rules of punctuation and accent for biblical manuscripts.

      David Kimhi was also the most important biblical exegete of his family. The importance of his commentaries on Genesis, the Psalms, and other Old Testament books is underscored by their presence, second to those of the great medieval commentator Rashi, in the first printed editions of the Hebrew Bible. (The commentaries were edited and translated into English by various hands and published in 1919–35 as part of Columbia University Oriental Studies.) A staunch supporter of the great Jewish philosopher Maimonides, Kimhi was also extremely skilled in refuting Christian attacks on Judaism and Jews.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • KIMḤI, DAVID — (known as Radak from the acronym of Rabbi David Kimḥi; Maistre Petit; 1160?–1235?), grammarian and exegete of Narbonne, Provence. The son of Joseph Kimḥi and brother and pupil of , David was a teacher in his native town and was active in public… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Kimhi, David (Redak) — (?1160 ?1235)    French grammarian and exegete, son of Joseph Kimhi. He was a teacher in Narbonne, Provence, where he was also active in public life. During the Maimonidean controversy of 1232, he undertook a journey to Toledo to gain the support …   Dictionary of Jewish Biography

  • David Ḳimḥi — David Kimhi …   Wikipédia en Français

  • David Kimhi — (Hebrew: דוד קמחי‎, also Kimchi or Qimḥi) (1160–1235), also known by the Hebrew acronym as the RaDaK (רד ק), was a medieval rabbi, biblical commentator, philosopher, and grammarian. Born in Narbonne, Provence, he was the son of Rabbi Joseph Kimhi …   Wikipedia

  • David Kimhi — …   Wikipédia en Français

  • KIMḤI, JOSEPH — (also known as Maistre Petit; Rikam, from the acronym of Rabbi Joseph Kimḥi; c. 1105–c. 1170), grammarian, exegete, translator, and polemist. Kimḥi migrated from Spain in the wake of the Almohad persecutions and settled permanently in Narbonne.… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • KIMHI (LES) — KIMHI LES L’histoire du judaïsme médiéval a retenu les noms de trois Kimhi, tous exégètes: Joseph (1105 env. 1170); David, son fils enfin, Moïse (mort en 1190 env.). Joseph, grammairien, exégète et traducteur, quitta l’Espagne pour Narbonne à… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • KIMḤI, MOSES — (known by the acronym Remak, i.e., Rabbi Moses Kimḥi; d. c. 1190), grammarian and exegete of Narbonne, Provence; son of and brother of David Kimḥi . As a grammarian, he generally followed his father, although his work shows traces of the… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • KIMḤI, RAPHAEL ISRAEL BEN JOSEPH — (first half of 18th century), emissary of Safed. Kimḥi was born in Constantinople where he studied under . When his teacher moved to Ereẓ Israel in 1713 he followed him and settled in Safed, where he studied under Jacob Vilna Ashkenazi. In 1728… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • KIMḤI, MORDECAI — (second half of 13th century), a Provençal rabbi and halakhic authority of Carpentras, grandson of David Kimḥi . Urbach s opinion that he was the maternal grandfather of perez b. elijah cannot be accepted since Mordecai was an older contemporary… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

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