Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 21:23/אבן עזרא על דברים כ״א:כ״ג
אכי קללת אלהים תלוי. בעבור שברך השם ועל דרך הפשט כי אלהים פועל והקללה תבוא לכל מקום קרוב מהתלוי ויש לו סוד דבק בנפש על כן ולא תטמא את אדמתך ונסמכה זו הפרשה בעבור המלחמה כי בתחלה כי תצא והנה גבעון יוכיח כי משפט לא תלין איננו לכבוד המת רק לכבוד הארץ כי משפט הערלים והישראלים [איננו] (בס' מ״ח מ״ז) שוה:
1FOR HE THAT IS HANGED IS A REPROACH UNTO GOD.87. For he cursed God.88 as, he is hanged (taluy) for cursing God (ki killelat Elohim). When people see his body they are reminded that God was cursed. The latter is a reproach to God. However, according to the plain meaning of the text, God is the subject.89 The curse comes to all places close to the hanged.90 as for God curses the hanged. He interprets this as meaning God curses those who are near a hanged person. It91 has a secret connected to the soul.92 Scripture therefore goes on to say, that thou defile not thy land.93 This section follows because of the war,94 for Scripture first states, When thou goest forth to battle (Deut. 20:1). Now the incident at Gibeon95 shows that the purpose of the law which says that his body shall not remain upon the tree all night is not out of respect for the deceased but rather out of respect for the land,96 for the law of the Canaanites and the law of the Israelites differ.97. 38 and other manuscripts. Some printed editions read: for the law of the uncircumcised and the law of the Israelites are the same. According to this reading Israel did not allow non-Jews to remain hanging on the tree because the Israelites respected Canaanite practice. The Vat. Ebr. 38 version is to be preferred for many reasons.