A ''Mikraot Gedolot'' (), often called a "
Rabbinic
Rabbinic Judaism (), also called Rabbinism, Rabbinicism, Rabbanite Judaism, or Talmudic Judaism, is rooted in the many forms of Judaism that coexisted and together formed Second Temple Judaism in the land of Israel, giving birth to classical rabb ...
Bible" in English, is an edition of the
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;["Tanach"](_blank)
. '' Masoretic Text
The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; ) is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (''Tanakh'') in Rabbinic Judaism. The Masoretic Text defines the Jewish canon and its precise letter-text, with its vocaliz ...
in its letters,
niqqud
In Hebrew orthography, niqqud or nikud ( or ) is a system of diacritical signs used to represent vowels or distinguish between alternative pronunciations of letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Several such diacritical systems were developed in the Ea ...
(vocalisation marks), and
cantillation marks
Hebrew cantillation, trope, trop, or ''te'amim'' is the manner of chanting ritual readings from the Hebrew Bible in synagogue services. The chants are written and notated in accordance with the special signs or marks printed in the Masoretic ...
* A
Targum
A targum (, ''interpretation'', ''translation'', ''version''; plural: targumim) was an originally spoken translation of the Hebrew Bible (also called the ) that a professional translator ( ''mǝṯurgǝmān'') would give in the common language o ...
or
Aramaic
Aramaic (; ) is a Northwest Semitic language that originated in the ancient region of Syria and quickly spread to Mesopotamia, the southern Levant, Sinai, southeastern Anatolia, and Eastern Arabia, where it has been continually written a ...
translation
*
Jewish commentaries on the Bible
Jewish commentaries on the Bible are biblical commentaries of the Hebrew Bible (the Tanakh) from a Jewish perspective. Translations into Aramaic and English, and some universally accepted Jewish commentaries with notes on their method of approach ...
; most common and prominent are medieval commentaries in the ''
peshat
''Peshat'' (also ''P'shat'', ) is one of the two classic methods of Jewish biblical exegesis, the other being Derash. While ''Peshat'' is commonly defined as referring to the surface or literal (direct) meaning of a text,Goldin, S. (2007). Unloc ...
'' tradition
Numerous editions of the ''Mikraot Gedolot'' have been and continue to be published.
Commentaries
In addition to
Targum Onkelos
Interlinear text of Hebrew Numbers 6.3–10 with British_Library.html" ;"title="Aramaic Targum Onkelos from the British Library">Aramaic Targum Onkelos from the British Library.
Targum Onkelos (or Onqelos; , ''Targūm ’Unqəlōs'') is t ...
and
Rashi
Shlomo Yitzchaki (; ; ; 13 July 1105) was a French rabbi who authored comprehensive commentaries on the Talmud and Hebrew Bible. He is commonly known by the List of rabbis known by acronyms, Rabbinic acronym Rashi ().
Born in Troyes, Rashi stud ...
's commentary, the standard Jewish commentaries on the Hebrew Bible, the ''Mikraot Gedolot'' will include numerous other commentaries. For instance, the
Romm publishing house
The Romm publishing house was a publisher of Jewish religious literature from 1788 to 1940. It is known for its 1886 Vilna Shas, which still serves as a definitive edition.
Baruch ben Yosef Romm founded the business originally in Grodno and it co ...
edition of the Mikraot Gedolot contains the following additional commentaries:
*
Targum Jonathan
The Targum Jonathan () is the Aramaic translation of the Nevi'im section of the Hebrew Bible employed in Lower Mesopotamia ("Babylonia").
It is not to be confused with "Targum Pseudo-Jonathan," an Aramaic translation of the Torah. It is often kn ...
*
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan (also known as the Jerusalem Targum, Targum Yerushalmi, or Targum Jonathan) is an Aramaic translation and interpretation (targum) of the Torah (Pentateuch) traditionally thought to have originated from the land of Israel, al ...
*
Rashbam
Samuel ben Meir (Troyes, c. 1085 – c. 1158), after his death known as the "Rashbam", a Hebrew acronym for RAbbi SHmuel Ben Meir, was a leading French Tosafist and grandson of Shlomo Yitzhaki, "Rashi".
Biography
He was born in the vicinity of ...
*
Tosafot
The Tosafot, Tosafos or Tosfot () are Middle Ages, medieval commentaries on the Talmud. They take the form of critical and explanatory glosses, printed, in almost all Talmud editions, on the outer margin and opposite Rashi's notes.
The authors o ...
on the Torah (''Daat Zekenim'')
*
Chaim ibn Attar
Chaim ibn Attar or Ḥayyim ben Moshe ibn Attar (, ; – 7 July 1743) also known as the Or ha-Ḥayyim after his popular commentary on the Torah, was a Talmudist and Kabbalist. He is arguably considered to be one of the most prominent Rabbis o ...
(''Or Hachaim'')
*
Abraham ibn Ezra
Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra (, often abbreviated as ; ''Ibrāhim al-Mājid ibn Ezra''; also known as Abenezra or simply ibn Ezra, 1089 / 1092 – 27 January 1164 / 23 January 1167)''Jewish Encyclopedia''online; '' Chambers Biographical Dictionar ...
*
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 ...
*
Nachmanides
Moses ben Nachman ( ''Mōše ben-Nāḥmān'', "Moses son of Nachman"; 1194–1270), commonly known as Nachmanides (; ''Nakhmanídēs''), and also referred to by the acronym Ramban (; ) and by the contemporary nickname Bonastruc ça Porta (; l ...
*
Gersonides
Levi ben Gershon (1288 – 20 April 1344), better known by his Graecized name as Gersonides, or by his Latinized name Magister Leo Hebraeus, or in Hebrew by the abbreviation of first letters as ''RaLBaG'', was a medieval French Jewish philosoph ...
*
Jacob ben Asher
Jacob ben Asher (c. 1270–1340), also known as Ba'al ha-Turim as well as Yaakov ben haRosh, was an influential Medieval rabbinic authority. He is often referred to as the Ba'al ha-Turim ("Author of the ''Turim''"), after his main work, the ''A ...
(''Ba'al Haturim'')
*
Obadiah ben Jacob Sforno
Ovadia ben Jacob Sforno (Obadja Sforno, Hebrew: עובדיה ספורנו) was an Italian rabbi, Biblical commentator, philosopher and physician. A member of the Sforno family, he was born in Cesena about 1475 and died in Bologna in 1549.
Bi ...
*
Shabbethai Bass Shabbethai ben Joseph Bass (1641–1718) (; also known by the family name Strom), born at Kalisz, was the founder of Jewish bibliography and author of the supercommentary on Rashi's commentary on the Pentateuch.
Life
After the death of his parent ...
(''Siftei
Hakham
''Hakham'' (or ''Chakam(i), Haham(i), Hacham(i), Hach''; ) is a term in Judaism meaning a wise or skillful man; it often refers to someone who is a great Torah scholar. It can also refer to any cultured and learned person: "He who says a wise th ...
im'')
*
Obadiah of Bertinoro
Obadiah ben Abraham of Bertinoro (; 1445 – 1515), commonly known as "The Bartenura", was a 15th-century Italian rabbi best known for his popular commentary on the Mishnah. In his later years, he rejuvenated the Jewish community of Jerusale ...
(''Emer Neka'')
*
Shlomo Ephraim Luntschitz
Shlomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz (1550 – 21 February 1619) was a rabbi and Torah commentator, best known for his Torah commentary .Although most write this as ''Keli Yakar'', "the second word should be ''Yekar''" (יְקָר), as the voweliza ...
(''Kli Yakar'')
*
Isaac Abarbanel
Isaac ben Judah Abarbanel (; 1437–1508), commonly referred to as Abarbanel (; also spelled Abravanel, Avravanel or Abrabanel), was a Portuguese Jewish politician, statesman, philosophy, philosopher, Rabbinic commentaries, Bible commentator ...
*
Joseph Kara
Joseph ben Simeon Kara ( 1065 – c. 1135) (), also known as Mahari Kara, was a French Bible exegete who was born and lived in Troyes.
Biography
His uncle and teacher was Menachem ben Helbo, whom Ḳara often cites in his commentaries, these quo ...
Newer editions often include
Baruch Epstein
Baruch Epstein or Baruch ha-Levi Epstein (1860–1941) () was an Ashkenazi Jewish rabbi, best known for his '' Torah Temimah'' commentary on the Torah. He was the son of Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein, rabbi of Novarodok and author of the work ...
's ''
Torah Temimah'' and other medieval commentaries, or more modern commentaries such as
Malbim
Meir Leibush ben Yehiel Michel Wisser (March 7, 1809 – September 18, 1879), better known as the Malbim (), was a rabbi, master of Hebrew grammar, and Bible commentator. The name ''Malbim'' was derived from the Hebrew initials of his name. He ...
. Special editions exist of supercommentaries on Rashi or commentaries and targumim not included in older editions. Bomberg also included the Masoretic notes on the biblical text, but no modern edition does.
Editions of the Bomberg ''Mikraot Gedolot''
First published in 1516–17 by
Daniel Bomberg
Daniel Bomberg ( – ) was one of the most important early printers of Hebrew books. A Christian Hebraist who employed rabbis, scholars and apostates in his Venice publishing house, Bomberg printed the first Mikraot Gdolot (Rabbinic Bible) and ...
in
Venice
Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...
, the ''Mikraot Gedolot'' was edited by
Felix Pratensis. The second edition was edited by the Masoretic scholar
Jacob ben Hayyim ibn Adonijah
Jacob ben Hayyim ben Isaac ibn Adonijah or Jacob ben Chayyim (c. 1470 – before 1538), was a scholar of the Masoretic Text, Masoretic (𝕸) textual notes on the Hebrew Bible, exegete and printer (publishing), printer.
Born in Tunis and thus some ...
in 1525.
All of its elements (Masoretic Text,
Targum
A targum (, ''interpretation'', ''translation'', ''version''; plural: targumim) was an originally spoken translation of the Hebrew Bible (also called the ) that a professional translator ( ''mǝṯurgǝmān'') would give in the common language o ...
, and commentaries) were based upon the manuscripts that ben Hayyim had at hand (although he did not always have access to the best ones according to some, Ginsburg and some others argued that it was a good representation of the
Aaron ben Moses ben Asher
Aaron ben Moses ben Asher (; 10th century, died c. 960) was a sofer (Jewish scribe) who lived in Tiberias. He perfected the Tiberian system of writing vowel sounds in Hebrew. The system is still in use today, serving as the basis for grammatic ...
text).
The first Bomberg's ''Mikraot Gedolot'', though hailed as an extraordinary achievement, was riddled with thousands of technical errors. Objections were also raised by the Jewish readership, based on the fact that the very first printing of the Mikraot Gedolot was edited by
Felix Pratensis, a Jew converted to Christianity. Furthermore, Bomberg, a Christian, had requested an ''imprimatur'' from the
Pope
The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...
. Such facts were not compatible with the supposed Jewish nature of the work; Bomberg had to produce a fresh edition under the direction of acceptable Jewish editors. This second edition served as the textual model for nearly all later editions until modern times. Concerning the biblical text, many of ben Hayyim's errors were later corrected by
Menahem Lonzano
Menahem ben Judah ben Menahem de Lonzano (), often Menahem di Lonzano, was a rabbi, Masoretic scholar, lexicographer, and poet. He died after 1608 in Jerusalem.
Biography
His origin is unknown, but it has been supposed that he was born in Ital ...
and
Jedidiah Norzi Jedidiah Solomon ben Abraham Norzi (1560–1626) () was a Rabbi and exegete, best known for his work ''Minchat Shai''.
Born at Mantua, he studied under Moses Cases, and received his semicha, rabbinical ordination in 1585. Toward the beginning of th ...
.
The ''Mikraot Gedolot'' of Ben Hayyim served as the source for the
Hebrew Bible
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;["Tanach"](_blank)
. '' King James Version
The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version (AV), is an Early Modern English Bible translations, Early Modern English translation of the Christianity, Christian Bible for the Church of England, wh ...
in 1611 and the Spanish
Reina Valera translation.
A scholarly reprint of the 1525 Ben-Hayyim Venice edition was published in 1972 by
Moshe Goshen-Gottstein
Moshe Goshen-Gottstein (; 6 September 1925 – 14 September 1991) was a German-born professor of Semitic linguistics and biblical philology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and director of the lexicographical institute and Biblical rese ...
.
[M. H. Goshen-Gottstein (ed.), Mikraot Gedolot, Biblia Rabbinica, A Reprint of the 1525 Venice Edition (Makor, Jerusalem, 1972)]
Recent printed editions
Most editions until the last few decades, and many editions even today, are reprints of or based on late nineteenth century Eastern European editions, which are in turn based more or less on the Ben Hayyim edition described above.
In the last generation, fresh editions of the ''Mikraot Gedolot'' have been published, based directly on manuscript evidence, principally (for the biblical text and Masoretic notes) the ''
Keter Aram Tzova'', the manuscript of the Tanakh kept by the Jews of Aleppo. These also have improved texts of the commentaries based on ancient manuscripts. Four of these editions are:
* the
Bar Ilan
Bar-Ilan University (BIU, , ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academic university institution. It has 20,000 s ...
''Mikraot Gedolot ha-Keter'', ed.
Menaḥem Cohen, complete in 21 volumes: Genesis (2 vols.), Exodus (2 vols.), Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua & Judges (1 vol.), Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Minor Prophets, Psalms (2 vols.), Proverbs, Job, Five Megillot (1 vol.), Daniel-Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles.
* ''Torat Hayim'', published by
Mossad Harav Kook, with 15 volumes thus far: Torah, Psalms, Proverbs, and five Megillot, plus several non-biblical texts.
* Chorev Mikraot Gedolot, published by Hotzaat Chorev (now complete).
* Mikraot Gedolot, published by
Artscroll Mesorah
References
{{reflist
Sources
*
Menaḥem Cohen, "Introduction to the ''Haketer'' edition," in ''Mikra'ot Gedolot Haketer: A revised and augmented scientific edition of "Mikra'ot Gedolot" based on the Aleppo Codex and Early Medieval MSS'' (Bar-Ilan University Press, 1992).
External links
*
Mikraot Gedolot – Haketer(
Bar Ilan University
Bar-Ilan University (BIU, , ''Universitat Bar-Ilan'') is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel. Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is Israel's second-largest academic university institution. It has 20,000 ...
website)
*
Reconstructing the Bible (haaretz.com website)
Wikimedia projects
Wikisource's Mikraot Gedolot is available in
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
(has the most content) and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Culture, language and peoples
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
* ''English'', an Amish ter ...
.
Editions available online
The Second Rabbinic Bible (Mikra'ot Gdolot)Mikraot Gedolot AlHaTorah– free customizable online edition, including up to 26 different commentators, some newly published or in critical editions
* The Second Rabbinic Bible (Mikraot Gedolot) (מקראות גדולות) Volume I, Yaakov ben Hayyim, 1524;
digital copy
Yaakov ben Hayyim, 1524: The Second Rabbinic Bible(Genesis through Deuteronomy only)
Ancient Hebrew texts
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Biblical commentaries
Biblical exegesis
Books about the Bible
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