Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 1:17/אבן עזרא על שמות א׳:י״ז

אותירֶאן. העלימו האל"ף בעבור שלא תתערב המלה עם גזרת ראה:

1BUT THE MIDWIVES FEARED GOD. The alef in va-tirena (feared) is not sounded lest the verb be thought to come from the root resh, alef, heh.¹⁸¹ is sounded, va-tirena is pronounced va-tir-enah and appears to come from the root resh, alef, heh, meaning: and they saw. The root of va-tirena is yod, resh, alef.

בותחיין. בכל כחן יותר ממשפט הראשון, כי מה צורך היה להאריך:

2BUT SAVED. Even more than at first, they now worked with all of their strength to save the children. Otherwise what need was there for Scripture to be so verbose?¹⁸² coming after and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them appears to be redundant unless it adds something new.