Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 13:18/אבן עזרא על שמות י״ג:י״ח

אוַיסב. מפעלי כפל סבב, גם יבוא על משקל אחר וַיָסֶךְ בדלתים (איוב לח ה) וַיָגֶל את האבן (ברא' כט י) ולא תשמע לדברי האומרים ששרשו נסב:

1LED THE PEOPLE ABOUT. Va-yassev (led about)⁸⁰ beneath the yod, a tzere beneath the samekh, and a dagesh in the samekh. is a verb⁸¹. that comes from a double root. Its stem is samekh, bet, bet. Va-yassev also has an alternative vocalization.⁸², with a kamatz beneath the yod and a segol beneath the samekh. For a double root in the hifil imperfect may be vocalized pattach tzere, as in yassev, or kamatz segol, as in yasekh, yagel, yasev. Compare, va-yasekh (shut up) in Or who shut up (Job 38:8)⁸³. and va-yagel (and rolled) in and rolled the stone (Gen. 29:10).⁸⁴. Pay no heed to those who say that the root of va- yassev is nun, samekh, bet.

בומלת המדבר. מושך עצמו ואחר עמו והוא דרך המדבר מדבר ים סוף, וכמוהו הארון הברית (יהושע ג יד) הארון ארון הברית, ועץ הדעת (ברא' ב ט) דעת טוב ורע, הספר המקנה (ירמיה לב יב) היין החמה (שם כה טו) וכמוהו רבים:

2[THE WILDERNESS.] The word ha-midbar (the wilderness) is to be read as if written twice.⁸⁵. Now a definite article cannot be prefixed to a word in the construct. Hence I. E. argues that ha-midbar yam suf is short for ha-midbar, midbar yam suf. See Vol. 1, Foreword, p. XV, and I.E. on Gen. 2:9. The clause is to be understood as if written, by the way of the wilderness, wilderness of the Red Sea. Similarly, ha-aron ha-bebrit (the ark of the covenant) (Josh. 3:14) is to be understood as if written, the ark, ark of the covenant,⁸⁶ and, ve-etz ha-da’at tov va-ra (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) (Gen. 2:9) as if written, and the tree of the knowledge, knowledge of good and evil.⁸⁷ Likewise the terms ha-sefer ha-miknah (the deed of the purchase)⁸⁸, is short for ha-sefer, sefer ha-miknah (the deed, deed of the purchase). (Jer. 32:12) and ha-yayin ha-chemah (the wine of fury) (Jer. 25:15).⁸⁹ is short for ha-yayin, yen ha-chemah (the wine, wine of fury). There are many other similar instances.

גוסוף הוא שם מקום, וי"א שהוא מגזרת סוף דבר (קהלת יב יג), כי הוא סוף העולם, והוא ים אוקינוס כאשר כבר זכרתי וזאת טעות גדולה, כי הוא ים מזרחי כנגד מצרים וים ספרד גדול ממנו:

3RED SEA. Suf (Red) is the name of a place. Others say that suf comes from the same root as sof (the end)⁹⁰ (Red Sea) is a variant of yam sof and means the Sea of the End, that is, the sea which lies at the end of the world. in The end of the matter (Eccles. 12:13). It is so called because it lies at the end of the world. The reference is to the Atlantic, which I have already mentioned.⁹¹ However, this is a major blunder, because the yam suf (Red Sea) lies in the east, opposite Egypt.⁹² The Spanish Sea⁹³ is larger than it.⁹⁴

דוחמושים. י"א מלאים הון שיש להם כל צרכיהם והנה כתוב וגם צדה לא עשו להם (למעלה יב) ומה טעם להזכיר זה עתה. רק פירושו חגורי חומש למלחמה כמו חלוצים תעברו (דבר' ג יח) שפי' חגורי חלצים, והעד הנאמן ואתם תעברו חמושים (יהושע א יד) ובמקום אחר קראם חלוצים, כי מה טעם להוליך צדה לפני אחיהם, וטעם להזכיר הכתוב וחמושים במקום הזה, כי למעלה כתוב בראותם מלחמה כי ביד רמה יצאו בכלי מלחמה ולא כמו עבדים בורחים:

4ARMED. Some say that chamushim (armed) means full of wealth, possessing all that they need. Now Scripture states, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual (Ex. 12:39).⁹⁵ Furthermore, what reason is there to mention this now?⁹⁶ The only meaning of chamushim is, girded with weapons for war. Compare, chalutzim ta’avoru (ye shall pass over armed) (Deut. 3:18), the meaning of which is: ye shall pass over with girded loins.⁹⁷ means loins. Therefore, chalutzim ta’avoru literally means: ye shall pass over with loins, i.e., with loins girded with weapons. The fact that Scripture in one place reads, ve-attem ta’averu chamushim (but ye shall pass over before your brethren armed) (Josh. 1:14) and in another place refers to the Israelites as chalutzim (Deut. 3:18) is true witness to the aforementioned.⁹⁸ means armed. What reason was there for them to carry food before their brethren?⁹⁹ means stocked with food then Josh. 1:14 tells us that the tribes of Dan and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh passed over the Jordan before the rest of Israel, carrying food. Now what conceivable reason was there for this? Food carriers or baggage follow behind troops. They do not precede them. The reason Scripture at this point notes that the children of Israel went up armed is that it is previously stated, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt (v. 17).¹⁰⁰ For¹⁰¹ the Israelites went out with a high hand (Ex. 14:8), with weapons of war and not like fleeing slaves.