Rav Avraham Ibn Ezra was born in Toledo in 1092, and he died in 1167. His occupations were numerous: commentator of the Bible, translator of Arabic to Hebrew, grammarian, philosopher, and poet. In Toledo, he established a deep friendship with Rav Yehuda HaLevi. Three of his uncles were ministers in the royal palace.

He settled in Toledo during the reign of the benevolent King Alfonso VI, but after his death, anti-Semitic events began to multiply against the Jews, and Rav Yitzchak thus settled in the south of Spain, which was predominantly Muslim. In this region, he lived well in Granada, Cordoba, and Lucena.

In 1148, the Almohad barbarians invaded Morocco, before continuing into Spain, and the Ibn Ezra was thus forced to flee to Rome, where he wrote his commentary on the Bible. He later lived in Provence and Rhodes (where he befriended Rabbeinu Tam and Rashi's other grandchildren, as well as the Rosh).

He traveled to Egypt where he learned with the Rambam. He wrote a commentary on the Torah and the Prophets, largely based on Hebrew grammar. He also wrote dozens of books on astronomy, astrology, and mathematics. The Ibn Ezra's most famous work is his commentary on the Bible, which appears in all the editions of the "Mikraot Gedolot" (editions of the Bible with classical commentaries for study).

His work is one of the most important interpretations of the Torah. In his commentary, the Ibn Ezra follows the pshat; the interpretation according to the simple meaning. He preferred this approach to haggadic, homolytic and allegorical approaches. Many of his commentaries deal with grammar and syntax issues. They are written in a style that is extremely concise and often interspersed with obscure allusions.