Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 5:3/אבן עזרא על דברים ה׳:ג׳
אלא את אבותינו. לבדם:
1THE LORD MADE NOT THIS COVENANT WITH OUR FATHERS. Alone.4
בכי אתנו אנחנו. והטעם כי גם אתנו כמו לא יקרא שמך עוד יעקב. או טעמו לא כרת עם אבותינו שהיו במצרים רק אתנו כרת הברית כי רבים יש במחנ' ששמעו הברית מפי השם על כן אמר אנחנו אלה שהם פה והם חיים והעד על יושר זה הפירוש שאמר עמכם וביניכם:
2BUT WITH US, EVEN US. The meaning of ittanu5 (even us) is, but also with us.6). I.E. believes that this should be interpreted: The Lord made not this covenant with our fathers alone, but also with us. In other words, ittanu (us) should be interpreted as if written gam (also) ittanu. It is similar to thy name shall not be called any more Jacob (Gen. 35:10).7 should be read as if written, Thy name shall not be called any more only Jacob. See I.E. on Gen. 35:10 (Vol. 1, p. 332). Or it means the Lord did not make a covenant with our fathers who were in Egypt but only with us,8 for there were many in the camp who heard the covenant from the mouth of God.9 Moses therefore said even us, those who are here, and are alive. Moses’ words, with you (v. 4) and [I stood] between [the Lord] and you (v. 5) is proof of the correctness of this interpretation.