Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 32:43/אבן עזרא על דברים ל״ב:מ״ג
אהרנינו גוים עמו. אז ישבחוהו כאשר יקום השם דמם וי״א מגזרת ותעבור הרנה והטעם הכרוז והכריזו עליהם בכל מקום שיהיו:
1SING ALOUD, O YE NATIONS. Then, when God avenges Israel’s blood, the nations will praise Him.404 (v. 37). However, now that God has revealed His might, they will praise Him. It should be noted that I.E. renders our clause, “Sing aloud, O ye nations,” because of what He did for His people. Some say that the meaning of harninu (sing aloud) is similar to the word rinnah (cry) in And there went a cry (I Kings 22:36). It means the herald.405 Proclaim about them in every place where they are.406
בוכפר אדמתו עמו. י״א שהוא חסר וי״ו והטעם וכפר אדמתו ועמו ובדרש כי הארץ תכפר בעד כמו גם הוא נכון בטעם רק אינו מטעם המקום ועוד כי האדמה ל' נקבה והה״א העד הנאמן ותחתיו התי״ו והנה איננו וכפרה. ולפי דעתי שפירושו שהעם יכפר על האדמה כי כן מצאנו אבנים שחקו מים גם נמצא כפור בלא מלת על כמו וחטאת אותו וכפרתהו והטעם כי ישראל יעשו נקמה בגוים והם יכפרו על ארץ ישראל בעבור הדם ששופך בה כמו ולארץ לא יכופר והוא דבר בטעם המקום. או פירוש וכפר כמו וטהר וכמו וכפרתהו וכן אמר יחזקאל על סוף המלחמות וטהרו את הארץ והנה ישראל יטהרוה:
2AND DOTH MAKE EXPIATION FOR THE LAND OF HIS PEOPLE. Some say that a vav407. is missing.408 (his people). Our verse should be interpreted as if written ve-khipper admato ve-ammo (and doth make expiation for His land and for His people). According to the midrash409 111a. Rabbi Anan says: “Whoever is buried in the Land of Israel is considered to be buried beneath the altar.” the meaning of ve-khipper admato ammo (and doth make expiation for His land of His people) is that the land makes expiation for His people.410 does not refer to God but to admato (His land). This interpretation is true in itself.411 However, it is not the meaning of the verse.412 Furthermore, the word adamah (land) is a feminine.413 is a masculine. Hence it can not govern admato. The heh at its end414 is the absolute form of the word admato. is proof of this. The tav415. takes the place of the heh.416. Now, Scripture does not read vekhipperah (and doth make expiation).417 governed admato as the midrash says, then our verse would read, ve-khipperah admato. In my opinion the meaning of our clause is that the people will make expiation for the land,418 governs admato. Our verse should be interpreted as if written, ve-khipper ammo admato. for we find Scripture stating, avanim shachaku mayim (The waters wear the stones) (Job 14:19).419 (the waters wear the stones) literally reads, the stones wear the waters. This makes no sense. Hence we must rearrange the words in order to interpret the clause and interpret it as if written, mayim shachaku avanim. Similarly in our verse. The word kippur (expiate) is also found without the word al (for),420. This literally means and doth make expiation His land. This makes no sense. Our clause should read, ve-khipper al admato (and make expiation for his land). Hence I.E.’s comment. as in ve-khippartahu (and make atonement for it)421 is a combination of ve-khipparta oto (literally, and you shall make atonement it). Scripture should have read, ve-khipparta alav (and you shall make atonement for it). We thus see that Scripture sometimes leaves out the word al. It assumes that the reader will supply it. in, thus shalt thou purify it and make atonement for it (Ezek. 43:20). The meaning of ve-khipper admato ammo is that Israel will execute vengeance upon the nations and they will make atonement for the Land of Israel because of the blood that was shed in it. Compare, and no expiation can be made for the land [for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it] (Num. 35:33). This interpretation is in keeping with the meaning of the context.422 On the other hand, the meaning of ve-khipper (and doth make expiation) is, and will purify, as in ve-khippartahu (and make atonement for it) (Ezek. 43:20). Ezekiel similarly said, regarding the end of the wars,423 Thus shall they cleanse the land (Ezek. 39:16). Israel will thus purify the land.424