Rabbi David Kimchi (RaDaK) & Messiah

David Kimchi, also known as RaDaK, was a medieval rabbinic commentator and philosopher who lived from 1160–1235 AD. In this post I will quote from his commentary in regards to a few OT texts that are either Messianic or have a direct bearing on Christian exegesis of OT verses, such as Psalm 2:12.

Radak on Psalms 2:12

נשקו בר כמו וינשק לכל אחיו (בראשית מה טו). ובר כמו בן; וכן מה ברי ומה בר בטני (משלי לא ב). או פרושו מן לברי לבב (תהלים עג א) ואם יהיה ענינו בן יהיה פרושו: נשקו זה הבן שקראו האל בן כמו שאמר: בני אתה. וטעם נשקו כמו שהוא מנהג העבד לנשק יד האדון; ואם יהיה ענינו נקי פרושו: מה לכם ולי, כי אני בר לבב ואין בי עון שתבאו ותלחמו בי, אבל עליכם לנשק לי ולהודות שאני מלך במצות האל. ויתכן לפרש בר מן ברו לכם איש (שמואל א יז ח) על דרך: שאול בחיר יי' (שם ב כא ו). 

Kiss the son: – as (in the verse) “and he kissed all his brethren” (Gen. 45:15). And (the word) בר is the same as בן; and so “What, my son (בני)? ”; and “what, O son (בר) of my womb?” (Prov. 31:2). Or it may be interpreted by “the pure (ברי) of heart” (Ps. 73:1). If its meaning is “son,” this will be its interpretation: Kiss this son whom God has called “son,” as He says (above): Thou art My son. And the command is Kiss, because it is the custom for a servant to kiss the hand of the master. And if its meaning is “pure,” its interpretation is, “What have I to do with you, for I am pure in heart and there is no wickedness in me that ye should come and fight against me? Your duty is to kiss me and to confess that I am king by the command of God.” And בר may also be fittingly interpreted from (the verse) “Choose (ברו) you a man for you” (1 Sam. 17:8), upon the analogy of “Saul the chosen of the Lord” (2 Sam. 21:6).

Notice that the rabbi admits that the Hebrew of Psalm 2:12 can be rendered as “Kiss the son,” which is how Christian translations of the OT typically render the text.

Radak on Psalms 45:1

שושנים. כלי ניגון ששמו שושנה וזה המזמור נאמר על המלך המשיח ונקרא שיר ידידות כי בו אהבת ה' למשיחו: 

Roses. A musical instrument called a rose, and this Psalm is said about the King Messiah and is called a song of friendship because in it is the love of God for His anointed:

Malachi 3:1 with Radak 

האדון. הוא מלך המשיח והוא מלאך הברית, או אמר מלאך הברית על אליהו, וכן אמר באגדה שאליהו קנא על ברית מילה שמנעה מהם מלכות אפרים, שנאמר קנא קנאתי לה' אלהי ישראל כי עזבו בריתך בני ישראל, אמר לו קנאת בשטים וכאן אתה מקנא על המילה חייך שאין ישראל עושים ברית מילה עד שאתה רואה בעיניך, מכאן התקינו לעשות כסא הכבוד לאליהו שנקרא מלאך הברית שנאמר ומלאך הברית אשר אתם חפצים הנה בא אמר ה' צבאות:

The Lord. He is the Messiah and the Angel of the Covenant, or the Angel of the Covenant said about Elijah, and so it is said in the legend that Elijah was jealous for the covenant of circumcision, which prevented them from the kingdom of Ephraim, as it is said, I have been jealous for the Lord, the God of Israel, because the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant. He said to him, "You are jealous of the Shittim, and here you are jealous for the circumcision, your life, that Israel does not practice circumcision until you see with your own eyes." Hence, they set up a throne of honor for Elijah, who is called the Angel of the Covenant, as it is said, "And the Angel of the Covenant, whom you desire, behold, he comes," says the Lord of hosts...

הנה אנכי שולח לכם. אע"פ שאני מזהירכם על תורת משה בכל דור ודור אעפ"כ לטובתכם אשלח לכם את אליהו הנביא והטעם שישיב נשמתו שעלתה לשמים אל גוף נברא כגופו הראשון כי גופו הראשון שב אל הארץ בעלותו כל יסוד אל יסודו ואחר שיחיה אותו בגוף ישלחנו לישראל לפני יום המשפט והוא יום השם הגדול והנורא והוא יזהיר האבות והבנים יחדיו לשוב בכל לב אל השם והשבים ינצלו מיום המשפט וזהו שאמר: 

Here I am sending you. Although I warn you about the Torah of Moses in every generation, nevertheless, for your benefit, I will send you Elijah the prophet and the reason that he will return his soul that ascended to heaven to a created body like his first body, because his first body returned to the earth with every element returning to its element. And after that, he will revive him in the body. He will send him to Israel before the Day of Judgment, which is the great and terrible Day of the Lord. And he will warn the fathers and the sons together to return with all their hearts to the Lord, and those who return will be saved from the Day of Judgment. And this is what he said:

It is remarkable that Kimchi admits that the Lord (Heb. ha Adon) of Malachi 3:1 is the Messiah since every other occurrence of the Hebrew words ha Adon are used of YHWH God!

“Therefore the Lord (ha Adon), Yahweh of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel, declares, ‘Ah, I will be comforted concerning My adversaries, And I will avenge Myself on My enemies.’” Isaiah 1:24 Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

“For behold, the Lord (ha Adon), Yahweh of hosts, is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah Both supply and support, the whole supply of bread And the whole supply of water,” Isaiah 3:1 LSB

“Therefore the Lord (ha Adon), Yahweh of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame... Behold, the Lord (ha Adon), Yahweh of hosts, will lop off the boughs with a terrible crash; Those also who are high in stature will be cut in pieces And those who are lofty will be made low.” Isaiah 10:16, 33 LSB

Further Reading

Judaism, God as an Angel & Malachi 3:1

Messiah of Midrash Tanchuma

Isaiah 42 in Rabbinic Tradition