Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 4:23/אבן עזרא על דברים ד׳:כ״ג
אהשמרו לכם ועשיתם פסל. וכבר אמר כזה והטעם להוסיף אש אוכלה על כן אנכי מצוך:
1TAKE HEED UNTO YOURSELVES…AND MAKE YOU A GRAVEN IMAGE. Moses had previously said something to this effect.31 He repeated himself because he wanted to add, For the Lord thy God is a devouring fire (v. 24). Hence32 I command you to [take heed unto yourselves…].
בתמונת כל. כל דבר:
2EVEN THE LIKENESS OF ANY THING. Temunat kol33 is to be rendered as the likeness of anything.34 is short for kol davar (all things, i.e., any thing).
גאשר צוך. כאשר צוך או מלת צוך שלא לעשות כמו ועל העבים אצוה ויש אומר על צורת הככבים וזה רחוק בעיני:
3WHICH THE LORD THY GOD HATH FORBIDDEN THEE. Asher tzivvekha (hath forbidden thee) is to be rendered as He commanded thee.35 (hath forbidden thee) literally reads, which He has commanded you. However, it cannot have this meaning here for then our verse would read: and make you a graven image, even the likeness of anything which the Lord your God has commanded you. Hence I.E. comments that asher tzivvekha is to be read, ka’asher tzivvekha. In other words, it is to be interpreted as, which the Lord your God had commanded. Or tzivvekha may be interpreted: which He commanded you not to make.36 has the meaning of prohibited. Compare, I will also command (atzavveh) the clouds (from raining rain upon it)37 (Is. 5:6).38 Some say that the reference39 (likeness of anything) refers to the making of an image of the stars. is to the likeness of the stars.40 (even any manner of likeness, of anything that is in heaven above). However, this appears to me to be far-fetched.