Shem Tov ben Joseph ibn Shem Tov’s lengthy commentary on Maimonides’ Guide for the Perplexed was first printed alongside the text of the Guide in 1551, and has accompanied the Guide as a standard commentary in many editions since. In the commentary’s introduction, Ibn Shem Tov describes his goal of making the Guide more accessible to contemporary readers while maintaining Maimonides’ ideals of concealing deeper ideas from the masses. He also stresses the Guide’s importance for understanding Torah and connecting to God, seeing it as the ideal combination of religion and philosophy.