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Psalms with the commentary of Redak. The Redak attacks a number of christological interpretations by demonstrating Christian "corruption" of the text or the inapplicability or irrationality of the interpretation. He inveighs frequently against the allegorical mode of the Christian interpreters. Certain basic questions in the Jewish-Christian controversy, chief among which is the identity of the "true Israel," were frequently raised. R. David Kimhi wards off the attempt of Christian theologians to claim the name of Israel or other biblical names of the Jewish people for the Church and lays great stress on the superior morality and religiosity of the Jews. He defends the taking of interest from a gentile "for in general they hate Israel" but discourages exacting it from a righteous gentile (Ps. 22:23). Although very much aware of Israel's tribulations in exile, Kimhi believed in a special providence for the Jewish people which paralleled the special providence of the sage, in that Israel is a nation of sages. Never explaining how this providence is manifested, he limited himself to frequent references to the future redemption in the messianic age.
While the book gives no name of printer, the type appears to be identical to the type used by Paulis Fagius (Paul Buechelin ; 1504–1549), the Christian Hebraist. Born at Rheinzabern, in the Palatinate, Germany, he was professor of Hebrew first at Strasbourg and later at Cambridge. He learned Hebrew from Elijah Levita, whom he invited to supervise the Hebrew press he established in Isny (Bavaria). A special position was occupied by the Hebrew press at Isny, Wuerttemberg, and later at Konstanz on the German-Swiss border, where some books were printed in separate editions for Jews and Christians (e.g., Levita's Tishbi of 1541–42). They used the German type for their meticulous productions. This Psalms was definitely printed for Jewish consumption! |
