Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 20:8/אבן עזרא על דברים כ׳:ח׳

אהירא. להכות אחר:

1THAT IS FEARFUL. To strike another person.

בורך הלבב. לסבול מכת אחר:

2AND FAINT-HEARTED. To suffer someone’s blow.

גאת לבב. הנה את יראה נוסף רק טעמו כאשר פי' שהוא כעצם הדבר:

3HIS BRETHREN’S HEART. Look, the word et appears superfluous.¹² (lest brethren’s heart melt). The particle et usually connects an active verb with the object. However, yimmas is in the nifal; it is passive. Hence the particle et appears to be superfluous. However, its meaning is as I have previously explained.¹³ does not always connect an active verb with the direct object. See I.E. on Ex. 10:8 (Vol. 2, pp. 187,188). It indicates the thing itself.¹⁴ (heart).