Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 32:17/אבן עזרא על דברים ל״ב:י״ז
אלשדים. כמו לשעירים אשר הם זונים על כן פירש רבי יצחק בן שאול נ״ע לא שערום אבותיכם מגזרת לשעירים למ״ד לשדים מושכת עצמה ואחרת עמה. וכן הוא לשדים וללא אלוה. ולפי דעתי שאין צורך רק פירושו לשדים שאינם אלהים ונקראו שדים על טעם אמים משוד הדעת:
1DEMONS. Shedim (demons) has the same meaning as se’irim (satyrs) in the satyrs after whom they go astray (Lev. 17:7).186 as demons. He explains the word as meaning to fear. They are called se’irim because all who see them are terrified. Therefore Rabbi Isaac the son of Saul187 who rests in Eden says that the word se’arum (dreaded) in Which your fathers dreaded not188 is related to the word se’irim.189 means dreaded and se’irim means those who terrify. The lamed of la-shedim (unto demons) pertains to shedim and also to another word.190 of lashedim (unto demons) pertains to shedim and also to another word. La-shedim lo eloha (unto demons, no-gods) is to be read as if written la-shedim u-le-lo eloha (unto demons and unto no-gods).191 I believe that there is no need for this interpretation. On the contrary, the meaning of la-shedim lo eloha is clearly, unto demons who are no-gods. They are called shedim in the same way that the Emim are called Emim.192 They are called shedim because they destroy reason.193 means to rob.
באלהים לא ידעום. ואיך חשבו שהם אלהים ולא ידעו זה בראי' וזאת מלת ידעום ולא בהעתקה וזהו לא שערום אבותיכם:
2GODS THAT THEY KNEW NOT. How could Israel think that these gods were deities when they did not know these gods by proof.194 This is the meaning of they knew not. Neither did they know them by tradition. This is what Which your fathers dreaded not refers to.
גחדשים מקרוב באו. מימים מעטים אינם קדמונים אפי' אבותיכם ולא ידעום:
3NEW GODS THAT CAME UP OF LATE. A few days ago. They are not ancient. Even their fathers did not know them.
דשערום. פי' לא שערו מהם. מגזרת וישתער עליו כטעם תסמר שערת בשרי וקרוב הוא מגזרת סערה ואם הוא בסמ״ך וכמוהו בני יצאוני יצאו ממני חזקתני ותוכל חזקת ממני. והנה טעמו ולא פחדו מהם:
4DREADED. Se’arum means they were not in dread of them. Se’arum is related to the word ve-yista’er (shall come like a whirlwind) in shall come against him like a whirlwind (Dan. 11:40). It is similar in meaning to sa’ar in That made the hair (sa’arat)195 to the word sa’ar (hair). See Rashi, “Se’arum means they were not afraid of them, their hair (sa’aratam) did not stand up in fear of them. It is the nature of man’s hair to stand on end because of fear.” of my flesh to stand up (Job 4:15).196 means, and will frighten. Similarly, the meaning of se’arum is, were not afraid of them. However, it appears that se’arum is related to the word sa’arah (storm) even though the latter is spelled with a samekh.197 with a sin. Se’arum is similar to yetza’uni (are gone forth of me)198 in My children are gone forth of me (Jer. 10:20) and in chazaktani199 (Thou hast overcome me) in Thou hast overcome me, and hast prevailed (Jer. 20:7); that is, you are more powerful than me.200 and chazaktani are intransitive verbs with accusative suffixes. However, an intransitive verb cannot come with an accusative suffix. Thus these suffixes are not to be taken as accusatives. Yetza’uni is to be rendered, gone forth from me, and chazaktani is to be rendered, you are more powerful than me. The same is true with se’arum, which is an intransitive verb with an accusative. It literally means were in dread you. However, it is to be rendered as were in dread of you. Look, the meaning of se’arum is, they were not afraid of them.