Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 12:23/אבן עזרא על שמות י״ב:כ״ג
אולא יתן המשחית. לא יניחנו, כמו "כי על כן לא נתתיך לנגוע אליה" (ברא' כ ו), והנה המשחית ברשותו, ואם יניחנו כאילו נתן לו רשות:
1AND WILL NOT SUFFER. He will not suffer the destroyer. Yitten (will suffer)392 literally means, will give. At times it has the meaning of will give permission. Rashi similarly interprets, “He will not give him the power to come” into your homes. here is similar in meaning to netatikha (suffered I thee) in Therefore suffered I thee not (Gen. 20:6). Now, the destroyer is under God’s power. If God allows him to come into their homes it is as if He gave him permission to do so.