Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 16:20/אבן עזרא על שמות ט״ז:כ׳

אולא שמעו אל משה. מלת אנשים דבקה עם ולא שמעו אל משה כי אנשים מעטים היו אמר רבי מרינוס, כי וירם מגזרת רמה:

1NOTWITHSTANDING THEY HEARKENED NOT UNTO MOSES. The word anashim (some of them) is connected to Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses.⁹⁸ They were few in number.⁹⁹ (they hearkened not) does not refer to alehem (unto them) in the previous verse, which refers to all of Israel, but rather to anashim (some of them) which follows (Filwarg). Rabbi Merinus¹⁰⁰ says that va-yarum (and it bred worms) comes from the same root as rimmah (worms).¹⁰¹ Hence va-yarum literally means: and it wormed; i.e., it bred worms.