Explicit and implicit polemic in Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch's Bible commentary

An in-depth consideration of certain portions of Hirsch's Torah commentary reveals that, even if not explicitly polemical, the considerable elaboration of, and strong emphasis on, what appear to be trivial subjects are but the tip of a polemical iceberg. The purpose of these passages in his commentary was to refute the arguments of biblical criticism, especially its denial of the premodern assumption of the divine origin of the Torah, and of Reformers and liberal Jews, who undermined the status of rabbinic halakhah. Generally, Hirsch dismisses the assumptions of Bible critics in a refined, covert fashion, such that those familiar with these assumptions will immediately recognize his intent, whereas those lacking such familiarity will simply take the commentary at face value.