Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 21:9/אבן עזרא על דברים כ״א:ט׳
אואתה תבער הדם הנקי. פירושו עונש הדם הנקי או יהיה הדם דם הנקי ויש אומרים אתה חייב לבער שפיכות דמים והנכון בעיני הוא אשר הזכרתי כי לא ישפך דם נקי בארצך אם תעשה הישר בעיני ה' כסוד שכר עבירה עבירה ושכר מצוה מצוה:
1SO SHALT THOU PUT AWAY THE INNOCENT BLOOD. The meaning of the innocent blood is, the punishment for the shedding of the innocent blood.20 (ha-dam hanaki) from the midst of thee. The question arises, “What does this clause mean?” The innocent blood has already been shed, i.e., put away. Hence I.E. points out that ha-dam ha-naki is short for onesh ha-dam ha-naki (the punishment for the innocent blood), and our verse teaches that by performing this ritual you remove from your midst the punishment for the shedding of innocent blood. See Meijler. On the other hand, the word ha-dam ha-naki (the innocent blood) is short for ha-dam, dam ha-naki (the blood, the innocent blood).21, the spiller of innocent blood. That is, if after the ritual is performed the murderer is discovered, you shall put away the shedder of blood, of innocent blood. Some say that the meaning of so shalt thou put away the innocent blood is, you must eradicate the shedding of blood. However, in my opinion, and I have mentioned this before, it means no innocent blood will be shed in your land if you do what is right in the eyes of God. The latter is in keeping with the secret that the reward of sin is sin, and the reward of a commandment is the commandment.22 2:1. If innocent blood was shed near the city it was because the people of the city committed a similar crime. Thus the wages of sin is more sin.