Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 13:17/אבן עזרא על שמות י״ג:י״ז
אאויל מורד בעושהו היצלח? בשלותו כבדו חץ יפלח ראה שובב ושים אל לבך כל דבר פרעה בפ' בשלח
1Can a fool who rebels against his maker succeed? When at peace his liver an arrow shall split. Note and take heed, O recusant; All that the portion Be-Shallach records concerning Pharaoh.
בויהי בשלח. וי"ו ולא נחם כפ"א רפה בלשון ישמעאל וידוע כי ממצרים עד ירושלים דרך פלשתים אינו מרחק רב, והוא כמו מהלך עשרה ימים בדרך הישרה, ולולי זה איך היו באים השבטים בחמוריהם עד מצרים אם היה הדרך רחוק' מאוד מה היה מספיק שיאכלו הם וחמוריהם, ובעלותם מביאים שבר לבתיהם:
2AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN PHARAOH HAD LET THE PEOPLE GO. The vav in ve-lo nacham (led them not) is like an unaspirated fa in the Arabic tongue.68 prefixed to a word does not always mean and. Hence ve-lo nacham does not mean: and led them not, but may mean: that God led them not, or something similar. It is known that the distance between Egypt and Jerusalem by way of the land of the Philistines is not very great. It is about a ten-day journey by straight road. If this was not so, how did the tribes69 come as far as Egypt upon their asses?70 If the distance was very great how much would have been necessary for them and their asses to eat?71 Furthermore, upon returning they brought back food for their households.72
גכי קרוב הוא. א"ר משה אעפ"י שהוא קרוב וכמוהו לפי דעתי, כי עם קשה עורף הוא (למטה לד ט) רפאה נפשי כי חטאתי לך (תה' מא ה) כי רכב ברזל לו (יהושע יז יה) ולפי דעתי אין צורך, כי טעמו למה לא נחם אלהים דרך ארץ פלשתים בעבור שהוא קרוב, והנה נחם דרך רחוקה שלא יראו מלחמה, ויאמרו נתנה ראש ונשובה מצרימה:
3ALTHOUGH THAT WAS NEAR. Rabbi Moses Ha-Kohen says that ki karov hu means although that was near.73, which usually means “for” or “because,” has the meaning of “although” here. Rabbi Moses interprets thus, for prima facie, the word, “because” is out of place here, as God should have led them by the way of the Philistines because it was close. In my opinion, ki am keshe oref hu (for it is a stiff-necked people) (Ex. 34:9); refa’ah nafshi ki chatati lakh (Heal my soul; for I have sinned against Thee) (Ps. 41:5); and ki rekhev barzel lo (though they have chariots of iron) (Josh. 17:18) are similar.74 in these verses is to be translated as although. Hence Ex. 34:9 is to be translated, although it is a stiff-necked people; and Ps. 41:5, Heal my soul; although I have sinned against Thee. However, I see no need for this interpretation,75 here as although. for its meaning is: the reason God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines was that it was close.76 is to be rendered, because it was close. God thus led them via a distant way so that they would not witness any war and say, Let us make a captain, and let us return to Egypt (Num. 14:4).
דוידענו כי השם יודע העתידות בלי ספק, וידע שינחמו אם יוליכם דרך ארץ פלשתים, ואמר פן ינחם העם כי דברה תורה כלשון בני אדם שיבינו הלומדים:
4[LEST PERADVENTURE.] We know for certain that the Lord knows the future.77 implies that God was uncertain about the future. This contradicts the concept that the Lord is omniscient, hence I.E.’s comments. God knew that the people would repent if He led them by the way of the land of the Philistines. Scripture reads, Lest peradventure the people repent because the Torah employed human terminology so that those who study78 will understand.79