Kimchi, David

, a celebrated Spanish rabbi in the twelfth century, son of Joseph, and brother of Moses Kimchi. He lived at Narbonne 1190, was appointed, 1232, arbiter of the dispute between the Spanish and French synagogues respecting the books of Maimonides; acquired great fame by his learning and writings, and died, in a very advanced age, about 1240. His Hebrew works are numerous, and so much valued by the Jews, that they consider no one as learned who has not studied them. The principal are, an excellent Hebrew grammar, entitled “Michlol, i.e. Perfection,” Venice, 1545, 8vo; Leyden, 1631, 12mo. This work has served as a model to all Hebrew grammarians. A book of “Hebrew Roots,” 1555, | 8vo. or fol. without date. “Dictionarium Thalmudicum,” Venice, 1506, fol. “Commentaries” on the Psalms, Prophets, and most of the other books in the Old Testament. Kiuichi keeps chiefly to the literal and grammatical sense, and not unfrequently cites Jewish traditions. He discovers much less aversion to the Christians than the other rabbins, and his Commentaries are generally considered as the best which have been written by the Jews. His style is pure, clear, and energetic. Father Janvier translated his Comment on the Psalms into Latin, 1669, 4to, and his arguments against the Christians have been translated by Genebrard, 1566, 8vo. ¹