The guide for the perplexed

THE GUIDE FOR THE PERPLEXED


                                   BY
                            MOSES MAIMONIDES

                TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL ARABIC TEXT
                                   BY
                          M. FRIEDLÄNDER, Ph.D


                   SECOND EDITION, REVISED THROUGHOUT


                                 LONDON
                      GEORGE ROUTLEDGE & SONS LTD
                      New York: E. P. DUTTON & CO
                                  1910








PREFACE


The first Edition of the English Translation of Maimonides’ Dalalāt
al-Hairin being exhausted without having fully supplied the demand, I
prepared a second, revised edition of the Translation. In the new
edition the three volumes of the first edition have been reduced to one
volume by the elimination of the notes; besides Hebrew words and
phrases have been eliminated or transliterated. By these changes the
translator sought to produce a cheap edition in order to bring the work
of Maimonides within the reach of all students of Theology and Jewish
Literature.


M. FRIEDLÄNDER.

Jews’ College, July 1904.








PREFACE TO VOLUME ONE OF THE FIRST EDITION


In compliance with a desire repeatedly expressed by the Committee of
the Hebrew Literature Society, I have undertaken to translate
Maimonides’ Dalalāt al-Ḥairin, better known by the Hebrew title Moreh
Nebuchim, and I offer the first instalment of my labours in the present
volume. This contains—(1) A short Life of Maimonides, in which special
attention is given to his alleged apostasy. (2) An analysis of the
whole of the Moreh Nebuchim. (3) A translation of the First Part of
this work from the Arabic, with explanatory and critical notes.

Parts of the Translation have been contributed by Mr. Joseph Abrahams,
B.A., Ph.D., and Rev. H. Gollancz—the Introduction by the former, and
the first twenty-five chapters by the latter.

In conclusion I beg to tender my thanks to Rev. A. Loewy, Editor of the
Publications of the Hebrew Literature Society, for his careful revision
of my manuscript and proofs, and to Mr. A. Neubauer, M.A., for his
kindness in supplying me with such information as I required.


M. FRIEDLÄNDER.

Jews’ College, June 1881.








CONTENTS


                                                                   PAGE

    Life of Maimonides                                               xv

    Moreh Nebuchim Literature. Analysis of the Guide for the 
      Perplexed                                                   xxvii

    Part I.

    Introduction—
    Dedicatory Letter                                                 1
    The Object of the Guide                                           2
    On Similes                                                        4
    Directions for the Study of this Work                             8
    Introductory Remarks                                              9

    CHAPTER.
    I       The homonymity of Ẓelem                                  13
    II      On Genesis iii. 5                                        14
    III     On tabnit and temunah                                    16
    IV      On raah, hibbit and ḥazah                                17
    V       On Exod. xxiv. 10                                        18
    VI      On ish and ishshah, aḥ and aḥot                          19
    VII     On yalad                                                 19
    VIII    On maḳom                                                 20
    IX      On kisse                                                 21
    X       On ʻalah, yarad                                          22
    XI      On yashab                                                23
    XII     On kam                                                   24
    XIII    On ʻamad                                                 25
    XIV     On adam                                                  25
    XV      On naẓab, yaẓab                                          25
    XVI     On Ẓur                                                   26
    XVII    On Mishnah Ḥagigah ii. 1                                 27
    XVIII   On ḳarab, nagaʻ, niggash                                 27
    XIX     On male                                                  28
    XX      On ram, nissa                                            29
    XXI     On ʻabar                                                 30
    XXII    On ba                                                    32
    XXIII   On Yaẓa, shub                                            32
    XXIV    On halak                                                 33
    XXV     On shaken                                                34
    XXVI    On “The Torah speaketh the language of man”              34
    XXVII   On Targum of Gen. xlvi. 4                                3