Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 10:6/אבן עזרא על שמות י׳:ו׳
אומלאו. זו המלה משונה בלשון הקדש כי טעם ומלאו, שהבתים היו מלאים מהן והנה מצאנו "מלאו ארבעה כדים מים" (מ"א יח לד) שהוא פועל יוצא כאילו הוא כתוב בפתחות המ"ם ודגשות הלמד מהבנין הדגוש:
1SHALL BE FILLED. This word34 (filled) is a third person kal perfect plural. The vav changes it into an imperfect. is irregularly used in the Hebrew language.35. The meaning of u-male’u (shall be filled) is that the houses were full of locusts.36 is intransitive. However, mile’u is transitive. Both are kal forms. However, we also find mile’u (fill) in Fill four jars with water (I Kings 18:34) wherein mile’u is a transitive verb. It is as if it were vocalized with a pattach beneath the mem and a dagesh in the lamed37. and belonged to the conjugational form that receives a dagesh.38 is always transitive.
בויפן. אמר ר' ישועה, כי ויפן הוא שב אל משה, שהיה חולק כבוד למלכות, שפונה אל המלך בצאתו והוא הולך אחורנית ויפת אמר כשהשלים צרכו וככה, ופנית בבקר (דבר' טז ז) והנה מה יעשה במלת ויפן כה וכה (למעלה ב יב), והנה טעם ויפן מגזרת פנים, כאילו הוא וירא והנה משה יצא מאת פרעה בלא רשותו, והזכיר הכתוב זה בעבור שכעס פרעה וצוה לגרשם אחר שהושבו:
2[AND HE TURNED.] Rabbi Joshua says that va-yifen (and he turned) refers to Moses, who paid his respects to the throne by facing the king39 means: and he faced. Compare, panim (face). and walking out backwards.40 However, Yefet says that Moses finished his duties.41 means: and he was finished, i.e., finished his duties. Compare, panuy (unoccupied, disengaged). So too u-fanita (and thou shalt turn)42 means: and you will be finished. in and thou shalt turn in the morning (Deut. 16:7). However, what shall Yefet do with the word va-yifen (and he looked) in And he looked this way and that way (Ex. 2:12)?43 Va-yifen is to be explained as coming from the same root as panim (face).44. It should be noted that the same applies to the above interpretations. However, I.E. means that the word means to turn the face and look. According to I.E. the meaning of our verse is: and he looked (va-yifen); i.e., he turned his face and went out from Pharaoh. It has the same meaning as va-yar (and he saw). Now Moses left the presence of Pharaoh without his permission. Scripture notes this because Pharaoh asked that Moses and Aaron be brought back. After they were returned Pharaoh, in anger, commanded that they be driven out.45