Ateret Zekeinim (“Crown of the Elders”) is the first completed work of Isaac Abarbanel. It is a commentary on Exodus 23:20-24:18, a series of verses that discuss God’s sending of an angel to accompany the Israelites, a covenant between God and the Israelites, the “seeing of God”, and Moses’ ascent to Mount Sinai to receive a second set of tablets. In the process of interpretation, Ateret Zekeinim focuses on themes such as prophecy, divine providence, and the uniqueness of the Jewish people. The work begins with a series of questions on the biblical verses, proceeds to note and critique approaches of earlier commentators, and ultimately presents the author’s interpretation.
