Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 1:1/אבן עזרא על שמות א׳:א׳

אספר ואלה שמות, חבור לאברהם נשלם שנת תתקי"ג יקר כמו שהם

1May the writer and the reader be strong and steadfast¹ 38. The printed editions omit it as they do many of the other poems which introduce Torah portions in I.E.’s Commentary on Exodus. Some manuscripts open with the following introduction: Abraham’s commentary on the book of Exodus, finished in the year 4913 (1152-53 C.E.), is as precious as onyx. However, other commentaries give the date 4927 (1166-67 C.E.) as the date of the manuscript’s completion. E. Levine notes, “Some writers have held that the 1152-53 date refers to the long commentary whereas the inscription 1166-67 refers to the short commentary; others have maintained that the 1152-53 refers to the short commentary and the 1166-67 refers to the long commentary which was written precisely between 1159 and 1167 C.E.” See Foreword. in the very ark². The reference is to I.E.’s commentary on Exodus. Commenting on the word ba-aron (in a coffin) in Gen. 50:26, I.E. explains, “The reason why ba-aron is vocalized with a kamatz is that it signifies the coffin which he had prepared for himself.” (See notes on Gen. 50:26.) The word aron can refer to an ark or to a coffin. I.E. is being a bit morbid. which is the house which the author prepared for himself.I now begin to explain the Torah portion, Shemot; which opens the second Book of the Torah.

בואלה, טעם הוי"ו בעבור שהזכיר בסוף הספר הראשון, כי ראה יוסף לבניו בני שלשים (ברא' נ כב) הזכיר כי אחיו ברדתם היו מעטים ופרו ורבו ומלת אלה גם בחסרון הה"א שוה לזכרים ולנקבות וכתיב "כי את כל התועבות האל" (ויקרא יח כז) ואחריו מכל התועבות האלה (שם שם כט), לאנשים האל (ברא' יט ח) אלה ילדו להרפה (ש"ב כא כב) מה אעשה לאלה (ברא' לא מג) וככה מלת לז, השונמית הלז (מ"ב ד כה) הנער הלז (זכרי' ב ה), ובעבור היות מלת אלה מלעיל היה הה"א נוסף כה"א לילה (ברא' א ה) נחלה מצרים (במד' לד ה), ושם לשון זכר ורבים שמות כי התי"ו כולל סימן רבים ורבות כמו מקומות ואבות, גם המ"ם ככה סימן הזכרים והנקבות, כמו נשים ופלגשים ויש שמות שימצאו במ"ם גם בתי"ו כמו נפשים (יחז' יג כ) נפשות (שם שם יח) לבבות (דה"א כח ט) גם לבבים על לבבהן (נחום ב ה):

2NOW THESE ARE. Our book opens with a vav³ which literally means, and these are, and is so translated by I.E. The question thus arises, why open a book with a connective? Indeed, Deut. 1:1 opens with elleh ha-devarim and not with ve-elleh ha-devarim. Similarly, Exodus should have read elleh shemot and not ve-elleh shemot. because the end of Genesis relates that Joseph saw the children of the third generation (Genesis 50:23).⁴, i.e., that he was fruitful. However, it does not tell us about the fate of his brothers. The latter is related to us at the beginning of Exodus where we are told that the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly (Ex. 1:7). Thus the opening part of Exodus is connected to the closing section of Genesis. Hence the connective vav. Scripture notes that Joseph’s brothers were few in number when they descended to Egypt but that they were fruitful and multiplied there (Exodus 1:7).The word elleh (these) and el (these) are employed equally with the masculine and the feminine. We thus find, For all these abominations (ha-to’evot ha-el)⁵ (abominations) is feminine. (Leviticus 18:27) and then afterward, any of these abominations (ha-to’evot ha-elleh) (Lev. 18:29). We similarly read, unto these men (la-anashim ha-el) (Gen. 19:8); These four (arba’at elleh) were born to the giant (II Samuel 21:22); and what can I do this day for these (la-elleh) my daughters (Gen. 31:43). The same is the case with the word laz (that one).⁶ We thus find, that Shunamite (ha-shunammit ha-laz) (II Kings 4:25) and this young man (ha-na’ar ha-laz) (Zechariah 2:8). The fact that the word elleh is penultimately accented indicates that its heh is superfluous.⁷. The heh added to the word has no meaning. It is like the heh of laylah (night)⁸. and the heh of nachlah (brook) in the Brook of (nachlah) Egypt (Numbers 34:5).⁹.

גה"א מצרימה, תחת מלת "אל" כמו נלכה דותינה (ברא' לז יז) ותבא אותי ירושלימה (יחז' ח ג):

3[THE NAMES OF.] Shem (name) is masculine. Its plural form is shemot (names), for the tav is used for both the masculine and the feminine.¹⁰ can be a plural masculine. I.E. makes this point because generally speaking only feminine plurals end in a tav. Compare, mekomot (places)¹¹, which is masculine. and avot (fathers). The mem is similarly used as a masculine and feminine plural. Compare, nashim (women) and pilagshim (concubines).¹² We also find some nouns employing both the tav and the mem in the plural forms. Compare, nefashim (souls) (Ezekiel 13:20) and nefashot (souls)¹³ is feminine. (Ezek. 13:18). We similarly find, levavot (hearts) (II Chronicles 28:9) and levavim (hearts).¹⁴ (heart) is masculine. Compare, al livvehen (upon their hearts)¹⁵ is made up of the plural levavim plus the suffix for their. (Nahum 2:8).[Into Egypt.] The heh of mitzrayemah (into Egypt) is in place of the word el (to). Compare, dotayenah (to Dothan) in nelekh dotayenah (let us go down to Dothan) (Gen. 37:16); and yerushalayemah (to Jerusalem) in and brought me in the vision of God to Jerusalem (Ezek. 8:3).¹⁶ is equivalent to el yerushalayim (to Jerusalem) and dotayenah to el dotan (to Dothan). Similarly, mitzrayemah is equivalent to el mitzrayim (to Egypt).

דאת יעקב. עם יעקב כמו כרת ד' את אברם (ברא' טו יח):

4WITH JACOB. Et ya’akov means with Jacob.¹⁷ is usually placed before the direct object. Here it is used as a preposition meaning with. Compare, In that day the Lord made a covenant with (et) Abram (Gen. 15:18).

האיש וביתו. יוצאי חלצו ואין בית בכל המקרא אשה, והנה העד איש וביתו באו, כי לא היו נשי השבטים במספר השבעים, ואל יקשה בעיניך וכפר בעדו ובעד ביתו (ויקרא טז, ו, יא) כי פשוטו בית אביו, כי שלשה וידוין היו ועזר הכהן שהיא אשתו בכח בעדו, והיא נכללת עמו, כי האיש ואשתו הוא האדם:

5EVERY MAN CAME WITH HIS HOUSEHOLD. Beto (his household) refers to those who came out of his loins. The term bayit (house, household) in Scripture never refers to a wife.¹⁸ (house) as a synonym for wife. Cf. Sabbath 118b: “Rabbi Jose said, I never called my wife, my wife but I called her my house.” Also see Yoma 2a, “Beto zo ishto (His household [Lev. 16:18] refers to his wife).” Every man came with his household (beto) is proof of this, for the wives of the tribes are not included in the seventy who descended into Egypt.¹⁹ does not mean one’s wife. Do not permit the verse and (the high priest shall) have made atonement for himself, and for his household (beto) (Lev. 16:18) to cause you any difficulty.²⁰, “his household” seems to refer to the wife of the high priest. See end of note 18. For according to the plain meaning of the text, beto (his household) refers to his father’s house. Beto (his household) must be so interpreted because the high priest made three confessions on the Day of Atonement.²¹ (Lev. 16:18). According to the Talmud the making of atonement refers to confession of sins (viduy). Cf. Yoma 36b. The three confessions offered by the high priest were on behalf of himself (for himself), on behalf of the house of Aaron (his household), and on behalf of the people of Israel (and for all the assembly of Israel). The priest’s helpmate, who is his wife, is included in the term for himself. She is included with him because a husband and a wife make a “man.”²² 63a: “Any Jew that has no wife is not a man.” Also see Gen. 1:27, And God created man…male and female created He them.