Perush Nevi’im Rishonim [commentary to Former Prophets]

ABRABANEL, DON ISAAC.

Gershom Soncino

Pesaro

1511

FIRST EDITION. Printed without a title page. Four-piece white-on-black woodcut border of Renaissance ornament on f.2, (cf. Habermann, Sha’arei Sepharim Ivri’im pl.17). Letters of initial words within white-on-black decorative vignettes.

Vinograd, Pesaro 29; Mehlman 64; Adams B-1278

Abrabanel endeavours to explain the general content of the Bible, its principles, views and moral teachings more than the actual meaning of the words and passages. Primarily a philosophical, theological, ethical and to some extent historical commentary, his method as an exegete is entirely novel, prefacing each section of each Book with a number of questions and then interpreting that section in such a manner as to gradually resolve them. See M. Waxman, vol. II, pp. 46-51 and, in general B. Netanyahu, Don Isaac Abravanel, Statesman & Philosopher (1968). Gershom Soncino was perhaps the most prolific printer of his time producing more than 100 Hebrew titles and as many non-Hebrew texts (using the name Hieronymus Soncino). According to Marx, “The years 1509-1511, during which time the production of books in Venice as a result of the War of the League of Combray, was at a complete standstill, were among Gershom’s best years as far as the quantity of books produced is concerned; if in 1509 he published only four books, in 1510 he reached the number of fourteen, and in 1511, twelve.” Regarding Soncino’s years on the Adriatic coast in Pesaro see D. Amram, The Makers of Hebrew Books in Italy (1963) pp. 104-115 and M. Marx, Gershom Soncino’s Wanderyears in Italy, in HUCA Vol. XI (1936) pp. 459-465.