Tanakh

Torah(The Five Books of Moses)

Creation, the beginning of mankind, and stories of the patriarchs and matriarchs.

The Israelites’ enslavement in Egypt, miraculous redemption, the giving of the Torah, and building of the Mishkan (Tabernacle).

Leviticus

Laws of sacrificial worship in the Mishkan (Tabernacle), ritual purity, and other topics like agriculture, ethics, and holidays.

Numbers

Wanderings of the Israelites in the desert, census, rebellion, spies and war, interspersed with laws.

Deuteronomy

Moses’ final speeches, recalling events of the desert, reviewing old laws, introducing new ones, and calling for faithfulness to God.

Prophets

Joshua

The Israelites enter, conquer, and settle Israel under the leadership of Joshua.

Judges

Cycles of sin, foreign oppression, repentance, and redemption through leaders appointed by God.

I Samuel

The prophet Samuel, the advent of monarchy with the reign of Saul, and the rise of a young David.

II Samuel

King David’s triumphs and challenges as he establishes a united kingdom with Jerusalem as its capital.

I Kings

Solomon’s kingship, construction of the Temple, a schism in the kingdom, and Elijah the Prophet.

II Kings

Stories and miracles of the prophet Elisha, the decline of Israel’s kingdoms, and the Temple’s destruction.

Isaiah

Criticism of religious corruption, calls for change, and descriptions of a utopian future.

Jeremiah

Warnings of Jerusalem’s destruction and demands for repentance, largely rejected by the people, some of whom torture and persecute him.

Ezekiel

Dramatic symbolism conveying rebuke or hope, and visions of a future Temple.

Hosea

Rebuke of Israel for abandoning God, comparing their relationship to that of unfaithful lovers.

Joel

A locust plague, a call to repent, and a promise of judgement for Israel’s oppressors.

Amos

Condemnation of oppression and arrogance in the nations and Israel, and a call for reform.

Obadiah

The shortest book in Tanakh, at just 21 verses, predicting the downfall of the kingdom of Edom.

Jonah

A great fish swallows Jonah when he tries to escape his mission of prophecy, and Jonah repents.

Micah

Berating of Israel and its leadership for insincere ritual worship, and calls for justice and kindness.

Nahum

A celebratory prophecy about the downfall of the Assyrian empire, an oppressor of Israel.

Habakkuk

Charging God to explain the unjust success of the Babylonians, God’s response, and a prayer.

Zephaniah

Warnings of the destruction God will wreck on the unfaithful and calls for justice and humility.

Haggai

Urgent calls to build the Second Temple and descriptions of its future glory.

Zechariah

Symbolic visions of redemption, explained by angels, and descriptions of the end of days.

Malachi

Criticism of disingenuous ritual worship and descriptions of God’s future blessings.

Writings

Psalms

Poems of despair, hope, gratitude, and supplication to God, attributed to David and others.

Proverbs

Guidance for living a wise, moral, and righteous life, in the form of poems and short statements.

Job

Satan convinces God to strike a righteous man with tragedy, spurring conversations about suffering.

Song of Songs

Poetic conversations of two lovers, traditionally read as a metaphor for God and Israel.

Ruth

A Moabite widow remains loyal to her mother-in-law and to Israel, embarking on a new beginning.

Lamentations

Laments of Jerusalem’s destruction, grappling with theological explanations.

Ecclesiastes

An exploration of the meaning of life, reckoning with death, futility, and purpose.

Esther

Esther becomes queen of Persia and foils a plot to destroy the Jews, establishing the Purim holiday.

Daniel

A Jewish advisor to Babylonian kings interprets dreams and miraculously escapes danger.

Ezra

Rebuilding the Temple after decades of exile and religious revival led by Ezra the scribe.

Nehemiah

Rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls and the nation’s commitment to observe the commandments.

I Chronicles

Recounts of events in the Torah and early Prophets, focusing on King David.

II Chronicles

Recounts of events in the Prophets, from Solomon through the First Temple’s destruction.

Targum

Translations of Tanakh into Aramaic, originally transmitted orally and mostly committed to writing between the first and eighth centuries CE

Aramaic Targum

Targumim on the books of Writings, ranging in style and date of composition.

Onkelos

Primary Targum on the Torah accepted in the Talmud as authoritative; read publicly in synagogues in talmudic times and still today by Yemenite Jews.

Tafsir Rasag

Rav Saadia Gaon’s influential 10th-century translation of the Torah into Arabic using Hebrew characters.

Targum Jerusalem

Pieces of Targum on scattered phrases throughout the Torah.

Targum Jonathan

Primary Targum on the books of the Prophets, read publicly in synagogues in talmudic times and still today by Yemenite Jews.

Neofiti

Targum on the Torah that incorporates expansions on biblical text, compiled in Israel.

Rishonim on Tanakh

Rashi

Most widely-read biblical commentary, compiled in the 11th-century, explaining the simple meaning of the text with interpretive elaborations.

Ibn Ezra

12th-century commentary focusing on the simple meaning of the text and incorporating grammar and linguistics.

Ramban

13th-century commentary weaving together biblical interpretation with law, philosophy, and mysticism.

Abarbanel

15th-century commentary on the Torah and Prophets, opening each section with a list of questions on the biblical text.

Alshich

16th-century commentary highlighting the moral and religious lessons embedded in every biblical phrase.

Ateret Zekeinim

First completed work of the Abarbanel, composed around 1470, commenting on passages in chapters 23 and 24 in Exodus.

Ba'al HaTurim

14th-century short introductions to biblical passages by the author of the Tur, often containing gematria and linguistic devices.

Bartenura on Torah

15th-century supercommentary to Rashi’s Torah commentary, attributed to the Mishnah commentator Rav Ovadiah Bartenura.

Bekhor Shor

12th-century commentary by a French Tosafist, focusing on literal interpretations and offering rational explanations of miraculous biblical events.

Chizkuni

13th-century commentary presenting literal interpretations of the author’s predecessors and presenting new ideas.

Da'at Zekenim

Commentary composed by the Tosafists in the 12th and 13th centuries, primarily in France and Germany.

Eshkol HaKofer on Ruth

15th-century commentary by R. Abraham Saba, rewritten from memory after the author was forced to abandon his original work before fleeing Portugal.

Ezra ben Solomon on Song of Songs

13th-century kabbalistic commentary of Rabbi Ezra ben Shlomo of Gerona, selected, translated, and annotated by Seth Brody in the 20th century.

Gevia Kesef

14th-century philosophical and exegetical work by Rabbi Yosef ibn Kaspi, mostly related to the book of Genesis.

Hadar Zekenim on Torah

Torah commentary compiled anonymously from the writings of Franco-German scholars in the 12th-13th centuries (Ba’alei HaTosafot).

Immanuel of Rome on Esther

14th-century commentary that offers linguistic and grammatical explanations as well as philosophical perspectives.

Joseph ibn Yahya

16th-century commentary on Writings by a student of the Rashba.

Kitzur Ba'al HaTurim

Abridgement of the 14th-century Baal HaTurim Torah commentary.

Mashmia Yeshuah

15th-century treatise of the Abarbanel examining prophecies throughout Tanakh that speak of redemption.

Minchat Shai

17th-century commentary focusing on textual variants, cantillation marks, and vowelization of biblical text.

Paaneach Raza

13th-century commentary by one of the French Tosafists explaining the simple meaning of the text while weaving in gematria and word schemes.

Rabbeinu Bahya

Fourteenth-century commentary incorporating literal explanations along with allegorical, philosophical, and mystical interpretations.

Rabbeinu Chananel

11th-century commentary reconstructed from citations in later Torah commentators and fragments of manuscripts discovered in the Cairo Genizah.

Radak

Popular 13th-century commentary focusing on the simple meaning of the text and incorporating grammar and philosophy.

Ralbag

14th-century commentary defining words, explaining passages, and demonstrating morals, incorporating law, philosophy, math, and astronomy.

Ralbag Beur HaMilot

One of three sections of Ralbag’s Torah commentary, focusing on literal definitions.

Rashbam

Popular 12th-century commentary by Rashi’s grandson focusing on the simple meaning of the text.

Riva on Torah

Supercommentary on Rashi’s Torah commentary compiled by one of the Tosafists in the 13th or 14th century.

Rosh on Torah

14th-century commentary attributed to the legal codifier Rabbi Asher ben Yechiel.

Saadia Gaon

10th-century commentary incorporating essays on legal and philosophical topics loosely connected to biblical verses.

Second Version of Ibn Ezra

Second commentary of the Ibn Ezra on the Book of Esther, with overlapping themes to those of his first commentary but with many new interpretations.

Sforno

Commentary by 16th-century Italian rabbi and physician.

Shelom Esther

16th-century commentary on the Book of Esther by Rabbi Yitzchak ben Mordechai Gershon.

Toledot Yitzchak on Torah

16th-century commentary combining simple and allegorical interpretations by the uncle of Rav Yosef Karo based on sermons he delivered.

Tur HaArokh

14th-century commentary by the author of the Tur with summaries of traditional interpretations, particularly those of the Ramban.

Tzror HaMor on Torah

16th-century commentary with literal explanations as well as mystical ones based on the teachings of the Zohar.

Acharonim on Tanakh

Aderet Eliyahu

18th-century commentary on the Torah by the Vilna Gaon.

Aderet Eliyahu (Rabbi Yosef Chaim)

19th-century commentary on select verses from the Torah and haftarot by the Ben Ish Chai, with elaborative and mystical interpretations.

Ahavat Yehonatan

18th-century commentary on the haftarot, written by Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschutz.

Alon Bakhut on Lamentations

18th-century commentary on the book of Lamentations, written by Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschutz.

Avi Ezer

18th-century supercommentary to Ibn Ezra's Torah commentary.

Ba'alei Brit Avram

Mystical commentary compiled by a student of Rav Chaim Vital in the 17th century and first published in the 19th century.

Beit HaLevi on Torah

19th-century analytical commentary on Genesis and part of Exodus by Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveitchik.

Chanukat HaTorah

A mystical commentary compiled in the 19th century from teachings of Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel, a leading 17th-century Polish rabbi

Chatam Sofer on Torah

19th-century commentary of the Chatam Sofer on the Torah and haftarot published by his grandson.

Chida

Series of 18th-century commentaries of Rav Chaim Yosef David Azulai, incorporating rabbinic and kabbalistic teachings.

Divrei David on Rashi

17th-century supercommentary on Rashi’s Torah commentary by R. David HaLevi Segal, author of the Turei Zahav, or Taz, on the Shulchan Arukh

Em LaMikra

19th-century commentary by R. Elijah Benamozegh, incorporating philology, archaeology, and history.

Eretz Chemdah

19th-century collection of sermons on the Torah readings and haftarot by Rabbi Meir Leibush Weisser, known by his acronym "Malbim."

Gur Aryeh

16th-century supercommentary to Rashi’s Torah commentary by the Maharal of Prague.

HaKtav VeHaKabalah

19th-century commentary by an opponent of Reform Judaism meant to demonstrate how the oral tradition is derived from the biblical text.

Haamek Davar

Influential 19th-century commentary of the Netziv based on classes he gave on the weekly Torah portion in the Volozhin Yeshiva.

Harchev Davar

The Netziv’s elaborations upon his Haamek Davar.

Iggeret Shmuel on Ruth

16th-century commentary on the Book of Ruth, by Samuel de Uçeda, that includes interpretations from talmudic times all the way to the author’s contemporaries.

Imrei Yosher

19th-century commentaries on the five megillot by the author of the Netivot Mishpat.

Kli Yakar

17th-century commentary based in part on sermons delivered by the author, Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim of Luntshits.

Lechem Dim'ah on Eikhah

16th-century commentary on the book of Lamentations.

Levush HaOrah

16th-century supercommentary on Rashi’s Torah commentary.

Malbim

19th-century commentary known for its assumption that every word in Tanakh carries unique meaning, with no synonyms or repetitions.

Maskil LeDavid

18th-century super-commentary on Rashi on the Torah by Rabbi David Pardo, an Italian Rabbi and poet.

Mechokekei Yehudah

R. Yehuda Leib Krinsky's two-part supercommentary on Ibn Ezra's Torah commentary

Megalleh Amukkot on Torah

16th-century Torah commentary by the kabbalist R. Natan Nota Spira

Mekhir Yayin on Esther

First work authored by Rema, written in the 16th century as a commentary comparing the plot of the book of Esther to a person’s journey through life

Menot HaLevi on Esther

Commentary on the book of Esther by Rabbi Shlomo HaLevi Alkabetz.

Meshekh Chokhmah

20th-century commentary of Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, which he started writing as a teenager.

Metzudat David

18th-century classic commentary on Prophets and Writings explaining verses in clear and simple language, primarily based on the Radak’s commentary.

Metzudat Zion

Work originally composed together with the Metzudat David as one work, explaining individual words.

Minei Targuma on Torah

18th-century commentary interpreting and expanding upon Targum Onkelos.

Mizrachi

16th-century supercommentary on Rashi’s Torah commentary, in part defending Rashi from critiques of later commentators like the Ramban.

Nachalat Ya'akov

Early 19th-century compilation of essays on the Torah by R. Yaakov Lorberbaum

Netinah LaGer

19th-century commentary on Targum Onkelos, an Aramaic translation of the Torah.

Ohel Ya'akov on Torah

Collection of the 18th-century Dubner Maggid’s homiletical teachings on the Torah

Ohev Ger

19th-century academic work of the Shadal analyzing the methods of Targum Onkelos and presenting its textual variants.

Ohr Chadash

16th-century commentary on the book of Esther by Maharal

Or HaChaim

18th-century Torah commentary incorporating mysticism, originating in Morocco and seen as an essential work by the European founders of chasidism.

Pardes Yosef

Early 20th-century Torah commentary by Rabbi Yosef Patzanovski

Rav Hirsch on Torah

Seminal 19th-century German commentary by R. Samson Raphael Hirsch expressing to his belief in the interconnectedness of Torah and civilization

Reggio on Torah

19th-century commentary on the five books of the Torah by a scientifically oriented Italian scholar.

Shadal

19th-century commentary by a leading figure in the Jewish enlightenment quoting from traditional commentaries as well as from Christian and academic sources.

Siftei Chakhamim

17th-century supercommentary on Rashi, often beginning sections by identifying the textual difficulties that made Rashi’s comments necessary.

Tevat Gome

18th-century commentary by the author of the Pri Megadim, a supercommentary on major Shulchan Arukh commentaries.

Torah Temimah

Early 20h-century encyclopedia of the passages in rabbinic literature relevant to each biblical verse accompanied by brief explanations.

Tzafnat Pa'neach on Torah

20th-century commentary of the Rogatchover Gaon with a focus on analysis of biblical text through a legal lens.

Tze'enah Ure'enah

English translation of a popular 17th-century Yiddish work on the weekly Torah portions, haftarot, and megillot

Yeriot Shlomo on Torah

16th-century supercommentary on the Mizrachi supercommentary on Rashi’s Torah commentary.

Yesha Elohim on Esther

16th-century commentary on the book of Esther with a focus on highlighting God’s role in the story

Modern Commentary on Tanakh

Avraham Remer

20th-century commentaries on early Prophets by a student of Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook, highlighting the text’s contemporary relevance.

Birkat Asher on Torah

21st-century Torah commentary by the editor of the Shmirat Shabbat KeHilkhatah, with a focus on elucidating Rashi’s commentary.

Cassuto on Exodus

Early 20th-century commentary incorporating archeology, ancient Semitic languages, and literary tools.

Cassuto on Genesis

Mid-twentieth-century commentary incorporating archeology, ancient Semitic languages, and literary tools.

Chibbah Yeteirah on Torah

20th-century commentary of Rav Yehuda Herzl Henkin, a leading figure in the Religious Zionist movement.

David Zvi Hoffmann on Exodus

Commentary based on lectures that R. Hoffmann delivered at the Rabbinical Seminary of Berlin during the late 19th century

David Zvi Hoffmann on Leviticus

Commentary based on lectures that R. Hoffmann delivered at the Rabbinical Seminary of Berlin during the late 19th century

Depths of Yonah

21st-century English commentary on the book of Jonah authored by Rabbi Chaim Jachter together with his son, Binyamin.

From David to Destruction

21st-century English commentary on the Book of Kings by Rabbi Chaim Jachter.

Jonathan Sacks

R. Sacks's writings on the Torah, including his series Covenant and Conversation and companion volumes of essays

Karati Bekhol Lev

21st-century collection of Hebrew essays on the weekly Torah portion that draws from a wide range of Jewish and secular sources.

Megillat Ruth; From Chaos to Kingship

21st-century commentary on the book of Ruth by Rabbi Chaim Jachter.

Moses; A Human Life

21st-century portrait of the biblical Moses’ inner world by Dr. Avivah Zornberg, drawing on traditional commentaries and psychoanalytic sources.

Nechama Leibowitz

20th-century collection of worksheets with questions on the Torah and traditional commentators created by a pioneering educator and scholar.

Redeeming Relevance

21st-century compilation of essays by Rabbi Francis Nataf suggesting innovative ways to look at events of the Torah.

Sefer Daniel; Opportunity in Exile

21st-century English commentary on the Book of Daniel by Rabbi Chaim Jachter, incorporating questions and insights from his students at Torah Academy of Bergen County.

Steinsaltz

Translation and commentary on each of the books in the Hebrew Bible.

The Early Prophets, by Everett Fox

The Five Books of Moses, by Everett Fox

Everett Fox’s essays expanding upon his 20th-century Bible translation, a work designed to draw the reader into the world of the Bible through the power of its language.

Tribal Lands

21st-century English book examining the connections between the personalities of the 12 sons of Jacob and the territories that each tribe later inherited.

About Tanakh

The Tanakh, or Hebrew Bible, is Judaism’s foundational text. “Tanakh” is an acronym for the three major sections of the canon, the Torah (the Five Books of Moses), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings). This first library of the Jewish people contains many genres: narrative history, law, poetry, wisdom, and theology. It begins with the creation of the world and ends with Cyrus’s edict that the Jews be allowed to return to Judea and rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem in 539 BCE.