Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 29:19/אבן עזרא על דברים כ״ט:י״ט
איעשן אף. ישרפנו אש האף עד שיראה העשן והנה אם הוא יחיד ימות מיד ואם היא משפחה ורבצה בו כל האלה והטעם שתרבץ האלה במשפחה עד שימח' שמה ואם הוא שבט והבדילו ה' לרעה וכמוהו והיה לה' והעלתיהו עולה כאשר פירשתיו:
1THE ANGER OF THE LORD…SHALL BE KINDLED.51 (literally, shall smoke). Our clause literally reads, the anger of the Lord…shall smoke. Hence I.E.’s interpretation. The fire of God’s anger shall bum him to the point where the smoke will be visible. Observe, if the sinner be an individual he will die immediately, and if it is a family all the curse…shall lie upon him. This means that the curse shall lie upon the family until its name is eradicated. If the sinner be a tribe, the Lord shall separate him unto evil (v. 20).52 refers to an individual; and all the curse…shall lie upon him refers to a family; and the Lord shall separate him unto evil refers to a tribe. Similarly And I will offer it up for a burnt-offering (Jud. 11:31), as I have explained.53 there has the meaning of or. It appears that I.E. interpreted similarly.