Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 1:2/אבן עזרא על שמות א׳:ב׳
אראובן. ויהודה כל שהוא נע כזי"ן זבולן בהכנס עליו אחת מאותיות בוכ"ל וראוי להיות האות המשרת בשוא נע, והנה אין יכולת בלשון לקרוא שני שואין נעים, על כן שמו חירק תחת האות המשרת, כי אז היה בי"ת האות המשרת הנכנס עליו יאמרו בִּזבולן, ואם כ"ף או למ"ד כִּזבולן, לִזבולן, ואם וי"ו יאמרו שורק תחת חירק, כאלו הוי"ו בקריאת אלף, כמו וזבולן, כי המלה תראה כקריאת אל"ף או זבולן, ואם היה האות הראשון יו"ד כמו יהודה, שהיו"ד מאותיות הנעלמות יעלימוהו, כמו נעלה ביהודה (ישעי' ז' ו') כִיהודה ליהודה נחשון (במד' א ז), כי עתה היו"ד הוא נעלם, ואינו נזכר ונרגש בשפה, וגם ככה עם וי"ו ויהודה, והנה נכתבו השבטים הנה כסדר תולדותם:
1REUBEN. When a word beginning with a letter that is vocalized with a mobile sheva (sheva na), e.g., the zayin of Zevulun, has a bet, vav, kaf, or lamed prefixed to it, the prefix ideally should also be vocalized with a mobile sheva.23, and lamed are prepositional prefixes. They are usually vocalized with a mobile sheva. I.E. explains the rules of the vocalization of the prefixes in this note because a connective vav is prefixed to many of the names of the sons of Jacob listed in our chapter. However, due to the impossibility of sounding two mobile sheva’im in succession these prefixes are vocalized with a chirik rather than with a sheva. Hence if the word zevulun has a bet prefixed to it we say bi-zevulun (in Zebulun), If zevulun has a kaf or lamed prefixed to it we say ki-zevulun (like Zebulun) or li-zevulun (to Zebulun). However, if the word has a vav prefixed to it then it is vocalized with a shuruk rather than a chirik. We sound the vav as if it had an alef preceding it and pronounce the word u-zevulun (and Zebulun) for the word is sounded as if it were written alef vav plus zevulun.24 is the sign of the shuruk. I.E. explains that a shuruk is sounded as if spelled alef vav; i.e., it is pronounced ooh. However, if we deal with a word whose first letter is a yod, an example being the name yehudah, then the yod is silent, for the yod is one of the quiescent letters.25, and yod. These letters surrender their consonantal function by coalescing with surrounding vowel signs at the end of a syllable or word. Thus the yod following a chirik or tzere is not sounded as a consonant. Hence the term quiescent letters. Compare, biyhudah (against Judah) in Let us go up against Judah (Isaiah 7:6) and kiyhudah (like Judah) and liyhudah (of Judah) in Of Judah, Nahshon (Num. 1:7). In the latter case the yod is silent and is not perceived or felt when the word is enunciated. The same is also the case when a vav is prefixed to the word yehudah. The word is pronounced viyhudah.The tribes are here listed in order of their births.26