What is Tanach?תנ"ך
Tanach is the complete Hebrew Bible, an acronym formed from its three parts: Torah (the Five Books), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Kesuvim (Writings).
Also written: Tanakh, Tenach, Hebrew Bible
The three-part structure is why the acronym exists: T-N-K, vocalised as Tanach. A complete Tanach may be a single thick volume or a multi-volume set, and editions differ widely in whether they include commentary, vowelisation, cantillation marks, or facing translation.
Buyers usually care about one thing first — whether the edition includes the commentaries they need. A plain text Tanach and a Mikraos Gedolos edition of the same books serve completely different purposes and are not substitutes for one another.
Browse Nach listings on SimplySefer
Related terms
- Chumash — A Chumash is a printed volume of the Five Books of Moses, named from the Hebrew word for five, usually including commentary and the haftaros read on Shabbos and festivals.
- Nach — Nach refers to the Prophets and Writings — the two sections of the Hebrew Bible that follow the Torah, comprising Tanach minus the Five Books of Moses.
- Meforshim — Meforshim are the classical commentaries on Jewish texts and the commentators behind them — individual authors such as Rashi, Ramban, and Ibn Ezra, and collective works such as Tosafos.