Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 25:2/אבן עזרא על דברים כ״ה:ב׳
אבן הכות. בחיר״ק כמו בן נון (ס״א בן) יקה והטעם כמו בן בליעל. וכן שבן לילה היה. והוא חייב. להכותו לפי דעתי שהכה חברו:
1DESERVE TO BE BEATEN. The word bin (deserve) is vocalized with a chirik.3, i.e., ben. Compare, bin nun (son of Nun) (Josh. 1:1) and bin yakeh (son of Jakeh) (Prov. 30:1). Bin hakkot (deserve to be beaten) is similar to ben bliyya’al (a base fellow) (I Sam. 25:17).4 usually means son of. However, in bin hakkot and ben bliyya’al, ben signifies that the subject belongs to a certain group. Bin laylah (in a night) in which came up in a night (Jonah 4:10) is similar. The judge is obligated to beat him.5 means that the wicked falls into the category of those whom the judge is obligated to have beaten. I believe that Scripture calls the culprit wicked6. because he struck his neighbor.
בוהפילו השופט. בציווי וכן והכהו והעד לפניו:
2THAT THE JUDGE SHALL CAUSE HIM TO LIE DOWN. By command.7 The same applies to and to be beaten, as before his8 face proves.
גכדי רשעתו במספר. המכות. היה נראה לנו שיש עון שיוכה עליו עשר גם עשרים ופחות ויותר והעד כדי רשעתו רק לא יוסיף על ארבעים לולי דברי הקבלה והוא לבדו האמת וי״א כי טעם רשעתו במכות גדולות או קטנות וכלם במספר ארבעים:
3ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OF HIS WICKEDNESS, BY NUMBER. Of blows. It would have appeared to us, were it not for the words of tradition,9 that there are some sins that a person is punished for with ten blows. Others are punished with twenty blows. Other sins are punished with a lesser or greater number. The clause according to the measure of his wickedness is proof of this. In any case,10 the blows shall not exceed forty. However, the words of tradition alone are true.11 Others say that his wickedness12. refers to greater or lesser blows,13 all of which number forty.14