Rabbi Bachya was born in Saragossa in approx 1255, developed into a Bible exegete and Kabbalist under the tutelage of the famous Rabbi Shlomoh ben Adret (Rashba). He was the first to build his commentary on the four principles denoted by the letters pardes, "Peshat, Remez, Drush, Sod," 1) the plain text, 2) a deeper, more philosophical approach to the text; 3) homiletical approach to the text; and 4) a mystical kabbalistic interpretation of the text. He died in 1340 after seeing his work achieve great popularity.

The translator, Eliyahu Munk, was born in Frankfurt on Main, where he received his education at the Samson Rafael Hirsch Realschule, and the Yeshiva of the late Rabbi Joseph Breuer, of blessed memory. He continued his education at the Yeshiva in Gateshead, England. He served in Jewish education (primarily as a teacher) for almost 30 years in Toronto, Canada.