IBN GANACH, or DJANAH JONAH, or ABUL VALID MERVAN, as he is called in Arabic. This famous grammarian and lexicographer, who is alternately quoted in Jewish writings by the names of ii.31"1, R. yonah ; ri))+-1, R. yonah the Grammarian ; "I'IDID71;1.)11 R. Jonah the Spaniard ; NM, Yonah the Phy sician; MC; pN NM, r014 R. Yana?! the Physician, Ibn Ganach ; and Dvin NI, R. in:is (derived from inn =.11fervan),* was born at Cordova about A.D..995, and died about 1050. When quite a youth 1bn Ganach evinced his skill in the sacred language by writing Hebrew poetry. This, however, he soon gave up for the more solid and arduous studies of Hebrew grammar and lexi cography under the guidance of Isaac Ibn Gika tilla [GIKAT1LLAJ, and of medicine, in the academy which was called into existence by the literary tastes of the Caliph Al-Hakem H. But his studies and domestic peace were soon interrupted, as Ile, like many of his co-religionists, had to quit Cor dova in consequence of the suffering,s which were inflicted upon the inhabitants of that devoted city in the year 1013, after it was taken by Al-Mos tain Suleiman. He went to Saragossa, where he settled down when about twenty years of age (1014-1015), practised medicine for a maintenance, and devoted all his spare time to the prosecution of his researches in sacred philology and hermeneu tics, which were the chief aim of his life ; and his achievements in these departments are truly mar vellous. Independent in his researches, and sin cerely believing that whatever tends to evolve the true sense of the inspired text ought to be publicly made known, though it might be contrary to vene rated opinions and against one's ovvn interests, Ibn Ganach published (r) the first instalment of his labours in Arabic, in the form of additions to and correction of Chajug's grammatical treatise on the quiescent letters (ron nrrnt. nto [CHAJoGJ), under the title of p)rh-lo6.; Hebrew ini7 ;1=1, Supp/ement or Strictures, which is a very important contribution to Biblical exegesis. But notwithstanding the excellency of his criticisms, and the meek and gentle spirit of their author, and in spite of his acknowledgment that he, in com mon with many others, had sucked at Chajug's breast of wisdom,' but that he must say with Aris totle, his love for truth is greater even than his love for Plato ;' these strictures upon so celebrated a man provoked the disciples of Chajug, and Samuel Ha-Nagid issued a rejoinder to Ibn Ga noch's animadversions [SAmuEL HA-NAG1D). To
this Ibn Ganoch replied in a treatise, (2) entitled invr6N :Nm Hebrew rin9:nn -IDD, the book of reproach or correction, which, like its predeces sor, contains very valuable grammatical and exe getical remarks. He then published (3) a polemi cal work called ;-1.0N-6,4 rri9,40-, Hebrew 1Ct) il-13/Mil, the book of recollections ; (4) another called ,rior.61.1., 2;,/-1 Hebrew nna -nrm zroprI, the book of approxmation and recti fication ; and (5) another entitled ro)ai+N r6t.41:ri Hebrew rINVI-171 1MD, the book of reconciliation.
He also wrote (6) a Commentary on the Song of Song, which, according to 1bn Aknin, who quotes it, gives a literal exposition of this book [IBN AKNIN]. WhilSt engaged in these polemical works, all of which are valuable contributions to Hebrew lexicography and Biblical exegesis, Ganach prepared himself for his chefd'amvre, called rop:r191.,, the critic, which he finished in his vanced age, and divided into two parts ; the one (7) being a treatise on grammar as connected vvith exegesis, entitled InAN MNrIn Hebrew lzp rippnri, the book of embroidery ; and the other (8) a Lexicon, entitled 91Y;6,4 mt..= Hebrew ',no 04V1V71, the book of roots. This gigantic work is the most important philological production in the Jewish literature of the middle ages. The mastery of tbe science of the Hebrew language in all its delicate points which Ibn Ganach therein displays, the lucid manner in which he explains every gram matical difficulty, and the sound exegetical rules which he therein propounds, have few parallels up to the present day. He was not only the creator of the Hebrew syntax, but almost brought it to perfection. He was the first who pointed out the ellipses and the transposition of letters, words, and verses in the Hebrew Bible. He explained in a. simple and natural manner inore than two hundred obscure passages in the Bible, which had up to his time greatly perplexed all interpreters, by showing that the sacred writers used abnonnal for normal expressions (comp. his rinpnri chap.