Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 25:18/אבן עזרא על דברים כ״ה:י״ח
אאשר קרך. מגזרת כל הקורות אותם:
1HOW HE MET THEE. Karekha (met thee) is related to the word korot (befallen) in all that had befallen them (Gen. 42:29).
בויזנב בך. כרת זנבך והם הנחשלי' אחריך שלא היה בם כח ללכת ויתכן להיות מלת נחשלים כמו נחלשי' וכן כבש כשב:
2AND SMOTE THE HINDMOST OF THEE. Va-yezanev bekhah (and smote the hindmost of thee) means,71 means a tail. Thus va-yezanev means and he tailed you. Hence I.E.’s comments. and cut off your tail (zanav), namely, all that were enfeebled in thy rear,72 means and he cut off all those in your rear. that is, those who did not have the strength to walk. It is possible that the word necheshalim (enfeebled)73. is similar to nechelashim (enfeebled).74. Similarly keves (lamb) and kesev (lamb).75
גואתה עיף. כי ברפידים בא והעם צמא למים כי כן כתוב:
3WHEN THOU WAS FAINT. For Amalek came to Rephidim where the people thirsted for water. The latter is clearly stated.76.
דויגע. מן הדרך:
4AND WEARY. From the way.
הולא ירא. שב אל עמלק והוא פעל עבר כמו כי כבד ממך כי זקן יצחק כאשר אהב:
5AND HE FEARED NOT. This refers to Amalek. Yare (feared) is a verb in the perfect.77 in the kal. However, yare is vocalized kamatz, tzere. Hence I.E.’s comment. It is like the word kaved (heavy) in for the thing is too heavy for thee (Ex. 18:8); zaken (old) in that when Isaac was old (Gen. 27:1), and ahev (loveth) in such as he loveth (Ibid., 8).78 in the third person perfect.