Mikraot Gedolot


A Mikraot Gedolot, often called a "Rabbinic Bible" in English, is an edition of the Hebrew Bible that generally includes three distinct elements:
Numerous editions of the Mikraot Gedolot have been and continue to be published.

Commentaries

In addition to Targum Onkelos and Rashi's commentary, the standard Jewish commentaries on the Hebrew Bible, the Mikraot Gedolot will include numerous other commentaries. For instance, the Romm publishing house edition of the Mikraot Gedolot contains the following additional commentaries:
Newer editions often include Baruch Epstein's Torah Temimah and other medieval commentaries, or more modern commentaries such as Malbim. Special editions exist of supercommentaries on Rashi or commentaries and targumim not included in older editions. Bomberg also included the Masoretic notes on the biblical text, but no modern edition does.

Editions of the Bomberg ''Mikraot Gedolot''

First published in 1516–17 by Daniel Bomberg in Venice, the Mikraot Gedolot was edited by Felix Pratensis. The second edition was edited by the Masoretic scholar Jacob ben Hayyim ibn Adonijah in 1525.
All of its elements were based upon the manuscripts that ben Hayyim had at hand.
The first Bomberg's Mikraot Gedolot, though hailed as an extraordinary achievement, was riddled with thousands of technical errors. Objections were also raised by the Jewish readership, based on the fact that the very first printing of the Mikraot Gedolot was edited by Felix Pratensis, a Jew converted to Christianity. Furthermore, Bomberg, a Christian, had requested an imprimatur from the Pope. Such facts were not compatible with the supposed Jewish nature of the work; Bomberg had to produce a fresh edition under the direction of acceptable Jewish editors. This second edition served as the textual model for nearly all later editions until modern times. Concerning the biblical text, many of ben Hayyim's errors were later corrected by Menahem Lonzano and Jedidiah Norzi.
The Mikraot Gedolot of Ben Hayyim served as the source for the Hebrew Bible translation in the King James Version in 1611 and the Spanish Reina Valera translation.
A scholarly reprint of the 1525 Ben-Hayyim Venice edition was published in 1972 by Moshe Goshen-Gottstein.

Recent printed editions

Many editions are reprints of, or based on, late nineteenth century Eastern European editions, which are based on the Ben Hayyim edition.
Newer editions of Mikraot Gedolot have been published based on manuscript evidence, principally the Keter Aram Tzova, the manuscript of the Tanakh kept by the Jews of Aleppo. These also have improved texts of the commentaries based on ancient manuscripts. Four of these editions are:
  • the Bar Ilan Mikraot Gedolot ha-Keter, ed. Menaḥem Cohen, complete in 21 volumes: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua & Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Minor Prophets, Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Five Megillot, Daniel-Ezra-Nehemiah, and Chronicles.Torat Hayim, published by Mossad Harav Kook, with 15 volumes thus far: Torah, Psalms, Proverbs, and five Megillot, plus several non-biblical texts.
  • Chorev Mikraot Gedolot, published by Hotzaat Chorev.
  • Mikraot Gedolot, published by Artscroll Mesorah

Wikimedia projects

Wikisource's Mikraot Gedolot is available in Hebrew and English.

Editions available online

digital copy: