Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 32:7/אבן עזרא על דברים ל״ב:ז׳
אימות. עם ימי שתי לשונות וכן שנות עם שני:
1THE DAYS OF. Yemot (days of) and yeme (days of) are two forms.75 (day). The same is the case with shenot (years of) and shene (years of).76 (year).
בעולם.זמן שעבר:
2OF OLD. Olam (of old) means the time that has past.
גשאל אביך. בעבור שאמר זכור אם שכחת מה שספרו לך אבותיך שאל אותם:
3ASK THY FATHER. Scripture states this because it earlier77 said Remember. If you forgot what your fathers told you, ask them.
דויגדך. כמו ויגד לך. וכן כי ארץ הנגב נתתני. בני יצאוני:
4AND HE WILL DECLARE UNTO THEE. Ve-yaggedekha means and he will declare unto thee.78 means unto thee. The kha ending usually indicates the accusative (you or thee). Thus ve-yagaddekha would appear to mean, and He will declare you. Hence I.E. points out that here it means will declare to you. Compare, netattani (thou hast given to me)79 is usually the sign of the accusative. Compare channani (Gen. 33:11). Thus we would ordinarily render, netattani, you have given me. Hence I.E. points out that here it has the meaning of you have given to me. We thus see that at times accusative suffixes are not to be rendered literally. in for that thou hast given to me in the Southland80 (Josh. 15:19). And yetzauni (are gone forth of me) in My children are gone forth of me (Jer. 10:20).81 is to be rendered as gone forth of me, not gone forth me.
הזקניך. הטעם כפל כי כן דרך צחות:
5THINE ELDERS. Scripture repeats itself, for it is elegant to do so.82…repeats the idea of Ask thy father…