Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 1:41/אבן עזרא על דברים א׳:מ״א
אותהינו. ותאמרו הן ואל תתמה איך יבא פעל נגזר ממלה מדבקת כי כן מלת על גם פן שמצאנו אפונה כאשר פירשתיו וי״א שהוא מגזרת הין והטעם מדה והוא רחוק:
1AND DEEMED IT A LIGHT THING. The meaning of va-tahinu (and deemed it a light thing) is, and you said behold (hen).84), and will go up unto the place which the Lord hath promised (Num. 14:40). Do not ask how a verb85. can be derived from a word that is connected to another word,86 for we find the same with al.87 (went up) is derived from al (on). The same is true, as I have explained,88 of the word pen (lest), for we find the word afunah (I am distracted) (Ps. 88:16).89 is derived from the word pen. Others say that va-tahinu is related to the word hin.90 Its meaning is a measure.91 is, they measured; i.e., they were ready to measure the mountain, that is, to take the mountain (Sarim). However, this is far-fetched.