Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 15:2/אבן עזרא על שמות ט״ו:ב׳
אעזי. אמר רבינו שלמה ז"ל כי יש הפרש בין עזי בקמץ חטף ובין עֻזי בקבוץ על כן אמר כי יו"ד עזי וזמרת יה נוסף ולא הראה לנו אחר כמוהו, ואמר כי וזמרת יה סמוך כאילו כתוב עז וזמרת יה היה לי לישועה כי חשב כי כמוהו ויהי ביום השלישי וישא אברהם את עיניו (ברא' כב ד), ומי שיבין בלשון ישמעאל ידע ההפרש שיש ביניהם, כי לומר עזי וזמרת יה ויהי לי לישועה איננו משפט לשון הקדש ולא לשון ישמעאל, ואין הפרש בין עזי בקמץ חטף, ובין היותו בקבוץ, כי אמר הטריפני חֻקי (משלי ל ה) נאמר ממנו. כי חָקךָ וְחָק בניך (ויקרא י יג), והנה בשירה הזאת, נהלת בעָזךָ (פ' יג) בקמץ חטף, וכמוהו ה' בעזך ישמח מלך (תה' כא ב), והנה היו"ד סימן המדבר א"ר משה הכהן, בעבור ריש וזמרָת קמוץ, כי הוא וזמרתי יה, אם אתן שנת לעיני (תה' קלב ד) קמוץ, כמו שנתי, והנה נַחְלָת שפרי עלי (שם טז ו) קמוץ כמו נחלתי (רות ד, ו) ה' מנת חלקי וכסי (שם טז) קמוץ, כמו מנתי, והנה מה יעשה במלת ומנָת המלך (דה"ב לא ג) שהוא קמוץ והוא סמוך, וככה ים המלח (במד' לד ג) יָם כנרת (שם לד יא), ומי שהשיב לומר אלה זרות הן נאמר לו שים עמהם עָזי וזמרָת יה", ולפי דעתי שמלת עזי מושכת עצמה ואחרת עמה, כמשפט לשון הקדש, כאלו כתוב, עזי וזמרת עזי יה, והטעם בעבור שהזכיר למעלה סוס ורוכבו רמה בים, הודה כי לא היה זה בגאותו ועזו, רק עזי ותפארת עזי הוא השם לבדו שהוא יה, וזהו אחד משלשה שמות העצם אשר פירשתי ושלשתם מגזרה אחת, ובעבור כי מלת אהיה ידועה בלשון הוצרך להחליף היו"ד בוי"ו בשם הנכבד, ומלת יה ידועה, ובעבור אות הגרון נפתח היו"ד, והיו"ד הנעלם הסירוהו כי יש לו סוד אחר מדרך המספר ומצאנו השם מחובר עם השם הנכבד, והוא כמו עזי וזמרת יה ה' וכבר פירשתי כי השם פעם הוא שם העצם, ופעם הוא שם תואר:
1THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH AND SONG. Rabbi Solomon9 of blessed memory says that there is a difference between ozzi (my strength), which is vocalized with a furtive kamatz, and uzzi, which is vocalized with a kubbutz. He therefore says that the yod in ozzi (my strength) in the Lord is my strength and song is superfluous.10 of ozzi is not a first person pronominal suffix. The word ozzi has the same meaning as the word oz. It means strength. Cf. Rashi’s comment on this verse. However, Rabbi Solomon does not offer another such instance.11 (enthroned) and shokheni (dwelt), the yods of both of which are superfluous. Cf. Filwarg. If this is what I.E. meant then he must have quoted Rashi from memory and erred. However, it is possible that what I.E. means is that Rashi offered no other instance of two words ending in a yod coming from the same root, one word vocalized with a kubbutz, the other with a kamatz, with the yod of one superfluous and the yod of the other a first person pronominal suffix. Rabbi Solomon goes on to say that ve-zimrat (and song) is in the construct with Yah (the Lord). He interprets our verse as if it read: The strength and vengeance12 (and song) is to be rendered, and vengeance. Rashi connects ve-zimrat to zamar, which means to prune or cut. God, as it were, pruned Israel’s enemies. of the Lord became my salvation.13 (and he is become), which usually opens a new clause. Hence Rashi points out that va-yehi at times has the meaning of hayah, which continues a thought rather than starting a new clause. Rabbi Solomon thought that our verse is similar to va-yehi ba-yom ha-shelishi va-yissa avraham et enav (on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes) (Gen. 22:4).14 (lifted up), which is grammatically similar to va-yehi, does not begin a new clause but rather continues a thought. However, one who knows Arabic knows the difference between the two verses.15 or va-yissa can be used with the meaning of hayah or nasa and when it cannot, for Hebrew and Arabic are sister languages. It is neither correct Hebrew nor Arabic form to say ozzi ve-zimrat Yah va-yehi li li-shu’ah.16 cannot mean: became my salvation, but rather, And He is become my salvation. There is no difference between ozzi vocalized with a furtive kamatz and the same word vocalized with a kubbutz.17 and uzzi mean the same. For while Scripture reads, chukki (mine allotted)18 in Feed me with mine allotted bread (Prov. 30:8) it elsewhere reads, chokkha19 ve-chok ba-nekha (thy due, and thy son’s due) (Lev. 10:13). Now we find the word ve-ozzekha (in Thy strength) (v. 13) vocalized with a furtive kamatz, later on in this song and similarly in O Lord, in Thy strength (be-ozzekha) the king re-joiceth (Ps. 21:2).20 is the word oz plus the second person pronominal suffix. Similarly, ozzi is the word oz plus the first person pronominal suffix. This contra Rashi, who maintains that the yod of ozzi is superfluous. The yod of ozzi is thus a first person suffix. Rabbi Moses Ha-Kohen says that the meaning of ve-zimrat Yah is, the Lord is my song,21 (and song) is short for ve-zimrati (and my song). for the resh of ve-zimrat (and song) is vocalized with a kamatz.22 cannot be in the construct with Yah, for if ve-zimrat were in the construct with Yah it would be vocalized with a pattach rather than with a kamatz. Similarly,23 the meaning of shenat in I will not give sleep (shenat) to mine eyes (Ps. 132:4) is, my sleep,24 is short for shenati (my sleep). as shenat is vocalized with a kamatz.25 If shenat were vocalized with a pattach it would be in the construct. Likewise, the meaning of nachalat, which is vocalized with a kamatz26 in Yea, I have a goodly heritage (nachalat) (Ps. 16:6) is my heritage.27 is short for nachalati (my heritage). Similarly,28 the meaning of menat, which is vocalized with a kamatz29 in, O Lord, the portion (menat) of mine inheritance and of my cup (Ps. 16:5), is my portion.30 is short for menati (my portion). However, what will Rabbi Moses do with the word menat (portion) in the king’s portion (II Chron. 31:3) in which menat is vocalized with a kamatz and is in the construct. It is the same case with the word yam (sea) in the salt sea (Num. 34:3) and in the sea (yam) of Chinnereth (Num. 34:11). Should one respond that the latter are irregular, we would tell him to place ozzi ve-zimrat Yah among them.31 is occasionally in the construct it is possible to interpret ve-zimrat as being in the construct with Yah. Hence there is no need for the novel interpretation that ve-zimrat is short for ve-zimrati. I believe that the word ozzi (my strength) is, as is the style of the Hebrew language, to be read as if written twice.32 Our clause is to be read as if written, ozzi, ve-zimrat ozzi33 is in the construct with ozzi, which is carried over from the first part of the verse. Yah (The Lord is my strength and the song of my strength).34 The reason behind this verse is that Moses earlier mentioned, The horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea (v. 4). Moses now states that this was not through his own majesty and strength. On the contrary, he confesses, my strength and the glory of my strength35 to mean: the glory of my strength. is Yah alone who is the Lord. Yah is, as I have explained,36 one of the three proper names of God. All three37 come from one root.38 Since the word eheyeh39 is frequently employed in speech it was necessary to substitute a vav for a yod in God’s glorious name.40 the form YHVH was used for God’s name rather than YHYH, which means he will be, and is frequently employed in speech. Filwarg suggests emending our textto read: since the word yihyeh is frequently employed in speech it was necessary for a vav to be substituted for a yod in God’s glorious name. The word Yah41 What I.E. means by Yah are the letters yod heh. is likewise known.42 is short for yehi (let there be) (Filwarg). Filwarg suggests emending to: The word yehi is likewise frequently employed. Its yod was vocalized with a pattach because of the guttural43 and the silent yod44 is short for YHVH, its shortened form should be YHY (yehi), as YHVH is really YHYH (which stands for yehiyeh), the vav being substituted for a heh. Hence I.E.’s comment. For I.E.’s explanation of the divine name see I.E. on Ex. 3:15. was dropped45 was not substituted for it as in the full name of God (Filwarg). because it has another secret numerical meaning.46 are spelled out and then computed they come to 26. The latter is the same as the numerical equivalent of the letters making up the divine name YHVH. Yah is spelled yod heh. Yod heh spelled out = 26. That is, yod spelled out comes to 20: yod (10), vav (6), dalet (4). Heh, which is spelled heh (5), alef (1), comes to 6. The full name of God, Y (10) H (5) V (6) H (5), comes to 26. Thus Yah = YHVH. We find Yah combined with God’s glorious name in ki ozzi ve-zimrat Yah YHVH (for God the Lord is my strength and song) (Is. 12:2). I have already explained that the name YHVH is at times a proper name and at times an adjective.47
בזה אלי. תקיפי:
2THIS IS MY GOD. My power.48 (God) means power. Hence Eli (my God) means my power. See I.E. on Ex. 3:15.
גואנוהו. אושיבהו בנוה:
3AND I WILL GLORIFY HIM. I will place Him in a building.49 (and I will glorify Him) to naveh (habitation), hence his translation. See Onkelos and Rashi.
דוזה ישרת בעבור אחר, זה אלהי אבי והטעם אלהי אברהם יצחק ויעקב:
4[THIS.] The word zeh (this) is to be read as if written twice. The last clause of our verse is to be read as if written: And this is my father’s God, the reference being to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.50
הוארוממנהו. שאספר גבורתו:
5AND I WILL EXALT HIM. For I will recount His might.