A Lexicographical Analysis of Sharḥ al-ʾAlfāẓ by Abū al Faraj Hārūn (Parashat Bereshit)*

The article examines Sharḥ al-ʾAlfāẓ as-Ṣaʿba fī al-Miqra by the Karaite scholar Abū al-Faraj Hārūn, focusing on the lexicographical techniques applied in its treatment of Parashat Bereshit from Genesis. This work, a narrative-selective glossary, translates difficult words in the Hebrew Bible into Arabic, offering morphological and contextual explanations alongside parallels from other biblical texts. It follows a consistent formula of glossing, with Arabic equivalents linked to Hebrew parallels using the preposition min to confirm meanings. The glossary reflects influences from medieval Arabic philological traditions, resembling the kutub al-gharīb used for the Qurʾān and hadiths. Comparative Semitics and contextual interpretation play a key role, with hapax legomena addressed through deduction rather than reliance on external texts. The study positions the glossary within the broader landscape of mediaeval Jewish and Arabic philological literature, emphasising its pedagogical and linguistic significance.