Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 32:4/אבן עזרא על דברים ל״ב:ד׳
אוהחל הצור תמים פעלו. להודיע כי כל מה שאירע לישראל בעבור מעשיהם הרעים היה:
1[THE ROCK, HIS WORK IS PERFECT.] Moses opens with this phrase to make it known that all that befell Israel did so because of their evil deeds.
בוטעם הצור. שהוא עומד תמיד כצור. ואל תתמה. כי כן יאמר הכתוב כארי' ישאג כי לא יוכל המדבר לדמות מעשי השם ית' כי אם אל מעשיו. כי הכל מעשיו. וכן צור לבבי כמו משען ותוקף ועמידה. וי״א מלשון צורה וכן וצורם לבלות שאול. ועיקר שאין לו עצם מקבל רק הוא צור קדמון והראשון נכון בעיני:
2The meaning of The Rock is that God, like a rock, is everlasting. Do not be amazed at this,27 for Scripture similarly states, The Lord…shall roar like a lion (Hos. 11:10).28 Scripture does this because one who speaks cannot compare God’s work to anything but His works, for everything is His work. Rock, in But God is the rock of my heart (Ps. 73:26), similarly means a support, might, and permanence. Others say that tzur (rock) is related to the word tzurah (image). Compare, tzuram (their form) in And their form shall be for the nether-world (Ps. 49:15). Its basic meaning is that God does not consist of matter,29. which can be molded into a form.30 On the contrary, He is Primary form.31 The first interpretation appears correct to me.
גתמים פעלו. כי כל מפעל פועל חסר בעבור הצטרכו לאשר הוא למעלה ממנו לבד מפעל השם הנכבד והכל (שנים) (בם' מ״ח גרס שונים) חוץ מיוצר הכל:
3HIS WORK IS PERFECT. All the works of an artisan are incomplete32 because the artisan needs the assistance of one greater than he.33 The work of God alone is perfect. Everything is a duality34 except for the creator of all.35
דכי כל דרכיו משפט. שלא ישתנו רק הם על משפט אחד וזו היא התהלה (התחלה) וכל הנבראים ישתנו מעשיהם כפי צרכיהם ומעשי השם (לכבודו) (בם' הנ״ל גרס לבדו) בגבורה כפי החכמה. ואין לטעון מעמידת השמש כי סודו ברור במלת וירח בעמק אילון כאשר פירשתי במקומו:
4FOR ALL HIS WAYS ARE JUSTICE. His ways do not change.36 On the contrary, they follow one law.37 This is the praise of God.38 (v. 3). All those who are created change their deeds in accordance with their needs.39 God’s works40. were done for His glory,41. with might42. and wisdom.43. Some editions read: God’s works alone were done in might in accordance with wisdom. The standing still of the sun (Josh. 10:12)44 is no argument to the contrary because, as I explained in its place,45 its secret is clear, from the clause And thou, Moon in the valley of Aijalon (Ibid.).46
האל אמונה ואין עול. הוא לבדו יש לו גבורת אמת כי כל גבורה בגבורים הוא מקרה מיד אחר. והטעם אחר שהוא אל אמונה לא יתכן שיעשה עול ויתכן להיות ואין עול בדרכיו. או מלת אל מושכת עצמה ואחרת עמה:
5A GOD OF FAITHFULNESS AND WITHOUT INIQUITY. God alone has true might,47. El means mighty. (See I.E. on Ex. 3:15). Hence I.E.’s comment on God’s might. for all the might of the mighty is an “accident;”48 that is, it depends on outside sources.49 The meaning of our clause is, it is not possible that God does iniquity because He is a God of faithfulness.50 (and without iniquity). The literal meaning of ve-en avel is, and no iniquity. According to this interpretation, and no iniquity means and God does no iniquity. It is possible that ve-en avel (and without iniquity) means and without iniquity in His ways.51 On the other hand, it is possible that the word El (God) is to be read as if written twice.52 is to be interpreted as if written, ve-en El avel.
וצדיק וישר הוא. בעבור שאמר שחת לו אמר כי צדקתו שחתו עם נפתל והנה הוא לבדו ישר ויושר הישר לתקן המעות על כן טעם לו בעבור שהיו לו בתחלה:
6JUST AND RIGHT IS HE. Since Scripture states shichet lo (is corruption His) (v. 5),53 literally means he destroyed. I.E. renders shichet lo as He destroyed that which belonged to Him, that is Israel. it says a perverse people corrupted God’s righteousness.54 Look, God alone is right.55 The rightness of the right is to fix that which is crooked.56 The word lo (v. 5) therefore refers to what He had at first.57 means He destroyed what was His, that is, Israel. According to I. E. the word lo, which usually means him, is to be interpreted as shelo (his).