Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 14:3/אבן עזרא על שמות י״ד:ג׳
אואמר פרעה לבני ישראל. כמו אמרי לי (ברא' כ יג):
1AND PHARAOH WILL SAY OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. This is similar to say of me (Gen. 20:13).16 (say of me); literally, say to me. I.E.’s point is that there are instances in which the lamed is to be interpreted to mean of, concerning, about. Thus li-vene yisrael does not mean to the children of Israel but of the children of Israel.
בנבוכים. בשורק תחת חולם כמו לא תעבורי מזה (רות ב) כי הוא מבנין נפעל כמו נכונים (למטה יט יא) והנה נבוכו (יואל א יח), גם והעיר שושן נבוכה (אסתר ג טו) כמו והממלכה נכונה (מ"א ב מו) והטעם כאדם שלא ימצא עצה ולא ידע מה יעשה, ונו"ן נִבְכֵּי ים (איוב לח טז) שרש, ופירושו מעמקי ים, ואין לו טעם במקום הזה:
2ENTANGLED. Nevukhim (entangled) is vocalized with a shuruk in place of a cholam.17 is navokh. Thus we would expect to see nevokhim rather than nevukhim. Compare, nakhon, nekhonim, navon, nevonim. It is similar to the word ta’avuri (pass)18 comes in place of a sheva. The usual form of the kal feminine imperfect is ta’avri. in neither pass from hence (Ruth 2:8), for nevukhim is a nifal as the word nekhonim (ready) (Ex. 19:11) is.19 Now navokhu (perplexed) (Joel 1:18) and also navokhah (perplexed) in but the city of Shushan was perplexed (Est. 3:15) are like nakhonah (established)20 and follow the same paradigm. Similarly nevukhim despite its irregular vocalization. in And the kingdom was established (I Kings 2:46). Its meaning is, they are like a person who cannot find anyone to advise him and does not know what to do.21 means perplexed. The nun in nivkhe (depths of) in the depths of the sea (Job 38:16)22 is a root letter.23 of nevukhim is not a root letter but the nun of the nifal form. The root of nevukhim is bet, vav, kaf and the root of nivkhe is nun, bet, kaf. The meaning of nivkhe yam (the springs of the sea) is the depths of the sea. Nivkhe has no place here.24 and nivkhe. Rashi comments, “Nevukhim means enclosed and sunk deep, as in nivkhe yam.”
גסגר עליהם המדבר. שנסגרו עליהם דרכי המדבר ולא ידעו אנה ילכו ואנה יצאו כמו הבורחים:
3THE WILDERNESS HATH SHUT THEM IN. The ways of the wilderness are closed to them, and like fugitives they do not know where to go.