KINICHI, DAVID B. JOSEPH, commonly called by the Jews Redak, from the initial letters 2-1-1 = 'nil, R. David Kimchz; was born in bonne in 1160, and died about 1235. Very little is known of the private life of this celebrated mentator, grammarian, and lexicographer, who is justly regarded as the teacher of Hebrew of both Jews and Christians throughout Europe. Ile wrote—(r.) A Commentary On the Pentateuch pin nimri of which, however, Genesis only has been published by A. Ginzburg, Pressburg 1842, cap. 1. 1-10 being supplied by Kirchheim from the writings of Kimchi, as the MS. was defective; (2.) A Commentary on the Earlier Prophets 611 t,,Pre tfTVt.:1 D'1•441:), i.e., Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, printed in the Rabbinical Bibles edited by Jacob b. Chajim, Venice 1525, 1548 ; 1.3uxtorf 1619 ; and Frankfurter i724-27 ; (3.) A COM mentary on the Later Prophets (IVIN43.3 (.711D D'AlliN), i.e., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the minor prophets, also given in the Rabbinical Bibles ; A Commentaiy on the Psalms (vnn iz+5rin 3/), first printed in 477, reprinted several times, and also given in the Rabbinical Bibles of Jacob b. Chajim, but not in those edited by Bux torf and Frankfurter ; (5.) A Commentary on Ruth tyint), published for the first time by Mercier, Paris 1563 ; (6.) A Commentary 011 Chronicles (rpry,a +12.1 voz), given in the Rab binical Bibles ; (7.) A Commentary on yob (t21"10 Zrtt 1)), which has not yet been published ; (8.) The celebrated work called Michlol 615=), or Pe)fection, which consists of two parts—a. A He brew Grammar (pripir; jar;), usually bearing the name Michlol, edited with notes by Elias Levita, Venice 1545, and by M. Hechim, Furth t793 ; and (9.) b. A Hebrew Lexicon (pp, j);i), com monly called The Book of Roots (0V1Vil "MD), the best editions of which are by Elias Levita, Venice 1546, and Biesenthal and Lebrecht, Berlin 1847 ; (m.) A Refutation of Christiani0 (11i11V11 C2+1113), in vvhich he tries to explain away some Messianic Psalms, printed together with the brated A itzachon VIVI) of Lippmann, dam 1709, 1711 ; Ktinigsberg 1847 ; and (it.) Another polemical work called mm, also printed with the .Nitzachon.
Kimchi does not pretend to originality ; he frankly says, in his introduction to the Afichlol, that his aim is to exhibit the results of the mani fold and extensive labours of his numerous prede cessors. Hence his lexicon is, to a great extent, a
translation of Ibn Ganach's Eook of Roots f1BN GANACH], and hence his repeated quotations from Saadia, Ibn Koriesh, Chajug, Ibn Ganach, Ibn Ge birol, lbn Giath, Ibn Balaam, Gikatilla, and many others. But though his claims are modest, yet his merits are great. He was the first who discovered the distinction between the long and short vowels, whereby the understanding of the changing of vowels has been greatly facilitated. He moreover defended a simple, natural, and grammatical exe gesis, at a time when most of his Jewish brethren were enamoured of Hagadic, Kabbalistical, and astrological interpretations. It is, therefore, not to be wondered at that he became so eminent among his brethren, that they applied to him, by a play of words, the saying in the Mishna (Aboth. 17), LIN j'N MVP VIA, no Kinichi, no understanding ofthe Scriptures. Equally great was his reputation amongst Christians after the revival of learning, and at the thne of the Reformation, notwithstand ing his hostility to Christianity, which is displayed throughout his commentaries,* and which arose from the persecutions the Jews had to endure from the Crusaders in the name of Christ. The first Hebrew lexicons or glossaries compiled by Chris tians, as well as the grammars and the notes accompanying the Latin Bibles of Munster and Stephen, arc derived from Kimchi. Excerpts of his Commentary on Isaiah were translated into Latin by Munster, and a Latin version of the whole of it was published by Malanimeus, Flo rence 1774, Leusden published Latin versions of Joel (Utrecht 1656) ; and Jonah (Utrecht 1657). De Muis published a Latin translation of Malachi (Paris /618). Vehe published a German transla tion of Amos, Col. 1581; and Dr. M'Caul trans lated the Commentary on Zechariah into English (London 1837). A Latin translation of the Com mentary on the Psalms was made by Janvier (Constanz 154.4). The gmmmatical part of his work called the Afichlol was translated into Latin by Guidacier, Paris 1540 ; and a Latin version of the roots was published in 1535. Comp. Stein schneider, Catalogus Lib. Hebr. in Bibliotheca Bed leiana, col. 868-875; Furst, Bibliotheca yudaica, p. 183, Sty. ; the masterly biography of Kimchi by Geiger in Ozar Nechmad, Vienna 1857, p. 157, sey.—C. D. G.