DAVID, an illustrious Jewish rabbi, was born at Narbonne about the end of the twelfth century, and died in Provence in 1240. His father, Joseph Kimchi, and his brother, Moses Kimchi, though decidedly inferior to him, were men of great note in their day as Hebrew scholars and commentators. Moses Kimchi is the author of the celebrated Commentary on the Life of Ezra, incorporated in the rabbinical bible of Venice, 1549; and of a Hebrew Grammar published in that city in 1624. David Kimchi, however, has always been regarded by the Jews with a much higher feeling of reverence than any other member of his gifted house. Their respect for him falls little short of superstition; and in matters of doubt or dispute his authority is looked upon by them as final. In the fierce controversy which broke out between the Jews of Spain and those of France as to the opinions of Maimonides, he was chosen to arbitrate between the disputants; and it was entirely through his wisdom and knowledge that the controversy was brought to a close in such a way that both parties were completely satisfied. His printed works, as highly esteemed now as when they were first given to the world, are,—a Hebrew Grammar entitled Mishloch—i.e., "Perfection," Venice, 1545; Leyden, 1631, &c.; a Lexicon of Hebrew roots entitled Sepher Sopherim, Naples, 1490; Venice, 1592, &c. These works, which have been frequently reprinted, furnished Buxtorf with the materials of his Lexicon and Thesaurus. The Grammar, in particular, has served as a model for all the Hebrew Grammars that have appeared since it was written. Kimchi wrote commentaries on almost all the books of the Old Testament. Some of these have been often printed separately; and a collective edition of them was published at Gotha in 1713, in 3 vols. 4to. Kimchi was an obstinate Jew, and cherished an implacable and furious hatred to the name of Christ, which often breaks out in his most abstract speculations. A catalogue raisonné of his works, which include a Talmudic dictionary, is given in Wolf's Bibliotheca Hebraica, Hamburg, 1715-33.