The Commentary of Abraham ibn Ezra on the Book of Job

The book of Job was among the most popular books of study for Jewish scholars in the Middle Ages. With its themes of suffering, providence, and theodicy it attracted much attention despite the difficulty of its language. Abraham ibn Ezra (1089-1164) was born in Muslim Spain, but composed his commentaries while residing in Christian Europe. His commentaries meld what was the most advanced thinking of his day to identify the distinction between biblical genres, to show sensitivity to rhetoric and poetry, to establish a model for defining hapax legomena, and to bring scientific and astrological knowledge to the reading of the Bible. By innovatively composing the commentary in Hebrew, rather than Arabic, he also transmitted the intellectual life of the Jews of the Muslim world North, making it available to new audiences.