Commentary on Maimonidesʼ Twenty-Five Premises

A New English Translation of the Reconstructed Source alongside the Edited Hebrew Rendering by Rabbi Isaac ben Natan.

Edited by Daniel Levin

The thirteenth-century commentary by Muḥammad ibn Abī Bakr ibn Muḥammad al-Tabrīzī on the twenty-five premises of Maimonides’ Guide to the Perplexed bridges the Aristotelian foundations of Maimonidean theology with the verification methods of the Eastern Islamic philosophical tradition. By systematically supplying the physical and metaphysical proofs that Maimonides chose to omit, al‑Tabrīzī constructed a comprehensive framework rooted in Avicennan philosophy, which profoundly influenced the trajectory of medieval Jewish thought.

Despite its historical significance, access to al-Tabrīzī’s commentary has been hindered by the absence of a modern edition. This volume addresses that deficiency by presenting a new reading edition of its medieval Hebrew rendering, alongside the first English translation of the original work. By resolving centuries of accumulated textual corruption, this edition allows the commentary to be studied as the substantive work it is—one that provided the conceptual vocabulary for philosophers such as R. Moses Narboni and R. Hasdai Crescas.

Companion Editions by Daniel Levin:

Digital Critical Edition of the Medieval Hebrew Translations:

Provides the fully established texts of both Isaac ben Natan’s translation and the anonymous translation. This digital edition features critical apparatus and comprehensive textual notes.

Hebrew Print Edition of the Medieval Hebrew Translations:

Presents the annotated, parallel Hebrew texts of Isaac ben Natan’s translation and the anonymous translation, along with an appendix featuring the partial translation attributed to Moses ibn Tibbon. This volume omits the critical apparatus.