Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 31:19/אבן עזרא על דברים ל״א:י״ט
אכתבו לכם. מצוה שיכתוב אותה משה גם כל מבין לכתוב:
1NOW…WRITE THIS. A commandment that Moses, and all who know how to write,56 (write) is in the plural. Hence I.E.’s comment. should write it.
בולמדה. הטעמים הקשים שיבאר להם:
2AND TEACH THOU IT. Explain to them the difficult meanings.
גשימה בפיהם. שידעו' בגרסא:
3PUT IT IN THEIR MOUTHS. That they should be able to recite it orally.57
דומלת ולמדה גם שימה זרה כי המשפט להיות ה״א ולמדה קמוץ ותחת הדל״ת פת״ח קטן:
4The words ve-lammedah (and teach thou it) and also simah (put it) are irregular, for grammatically the heh of ve-lammedah should have been vocalized with a kamatz and the lamed with a segol.58 rather than ve-lammedah. Similarly simah should have read simeha.
הלעד בבני ישראל. דבק בטעם עם כי אביאנו. גם יתכן להיותו מובדל בעבור וענתה כטעם לא תענה ברעך כאילו השיר' עונה לאשר יאמרו למה מצאתנו כל זאת:
5A WITNESS…AGAINST THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. This meaning of our verse is tied to For when I shall have brought them (v. 20).59 (v. 19), For when I shall have brought them into the land… The song that is being discussed in these verses is the song in the following chapter. It is also possible that our verse is independent,60 because Scripture states, ve-anetah (that…shall testify) (v. 21).61(v. 20) that this song shall testify before them (v. 21). Ve-anetah (that…shall testify) is similar to ta’aneh (bear)62 does not mean will answer but rather will testify. in thou shalt not bear…against thy neighbor (Ex. 20: 13). The song, as it were, will testify before those who ask, “Why did all this happen to us?”63