Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 17/אבן עזרא על שמות י״ז

אויסעו. אחז הכתוב דרך קצרה לומר למסעיהם כי ממדבר סין נסעו אל דפקה ומשם לאלוש, ומאלוש לרפידים.

1JOURNEYED. Scripture is being brief in saying by their stages. For from the wilderness of Sin Israel journeyed to Dophkah; from there to Alush, and from Alush they went to Rephidim.¹ alludes to all the places that Israel stopped between Sin and Rephidim.

בוטעם על פי ה' ביד משה כאשר הזכרתי:

2[ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD.] Its meaning is, as I have already noted,² via the hand of Moses.³

אוירב. הזכיר העם, ולא כל העם, כאשר הזכיר בדבר המן כי שתים כתות היו, האחד אין להם מים לשתות, והיא העושה מריבה עם משה, והשנית יש להם מים שהביאו מאלוש, והיא הרוצה לנסות את השם אם יתן מים, כאשר יפרש:

1WHEREFORE THE PEOPLE STROVE. Scripture mentions the people, not all of the people as it does with regard to the manna,⁴ for there were two parties. One had no water to drink. This is the group⁵ mentioned in our verse. that strove with Moses. The second group had water which they brought from Alush. This group,⁶ as Scripture goes on to say,⁷ wanted to test God and see if He would provide water.

בתנו לנו מים. למשה ואהרן מדברים ואין צורך להזכיר אהרן, כי כבר פירשתי כי משה לא דיבר עם ישראל רק ע"י אהרן והנה השיב למריבים עמו מה תריבון עמדי, נצעק כולנו אל השם, ואמר למנסים, מה תנסון את ה':

2GIVE US WATER. They spoke to Moses and Aaron.⁸ (give). Tenu is in the plural, hence I.E.’s comment. There was no need to mention Aaron,⁹ for I have already explained that Moses spoke to Israel only through Aaron.¹⁰ [WHY STRIVE YE WITH ME?] Moses answered them,¹¹ Why strive ye with me? Let us all cry out unto the Lord.¹² He said, wherefore do ye try the Lord? to those who wanted to test God.¹³

אויצמא. כאשר התחזק עליהם הצמא התרעמו על משה כי הרע להם להוציאם מארץ מצרים:

1AND THE PEOPLE THIRSTED. When the thirst overpowered them they raged against Moses and accused him of doing them evil in bringing them out of Egypt.¹⁴ follows and the people thirsted.

אויצעק. דבר הכתוב דרך משל כי רבי מריבות עשו עמי ומתרעמים עלי, ואילו היה בהם יכולת היו סוקלין אותי:

1AND THE PEOPLE CRIED…THEY ARE ALMOST READY TO STONE ME. Scripture speaks metaphorically.¹⁵ Its meaning is: they have striven with me and they rage against me. If they had the power they would stone me.

אויאמר. יש אומרים בעבור שאמר עוד מעט וסקלוני, אמר לו השם עבור לפני העם המריבים עמך להודיע כי מים תתן להם עתה:

1AND THE LORD SAID. Some say that because Moses said, they are almost ready to stone me, God told him, Pass on before the people who strive with you and inform them that you will now give them water.¹⁶ is short for: pass on before the people who strive with you, etc.

בוקח אתך מזקני ישראל. ומטך אשר הכית בו, בצווי:

2AND TAKE WITH THEE OF THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL; AND THY ROD, WHEREWITH THOU SMOTEST THE RIVER. By command.¹⁷

אהנני. הטעם כי תמצאני, והטעם כחי וגבורתי בחורב

1BEHOLD, I WILL STAND BEFORE THEE THERE UPON THE ROCK IN HOREB. Its meaning is, you will find Me there, the idea being you will encounter My strength and power on Horeb.¹⁸

בוהכית בצור. שאין בו מים:

2AND THOU SHALT STRIKE THE ROCK. Which contains no water.¹⁹

גואחז דרך קצרה שלא הזכיר ותשת העדה ובעירם:

3[AND MOSES DID SO.] Scripture is being brief, for it does not mention, and the congregation drank, and their cattle (Num. 20:11).²⁰

אויקרא. משה או הקורא:

1CALLED. Moses or someone.²¹ The subject is omitted, hence I.E.’s comment.

במסה ומריבה. בעבור שני דברים הנזכרים, ומשפט לשון הקדש כאשר יזכיר שני דברים יחל לעולם מהשני שהוא הקרוב כמו ואתן ליצחק את יעקב ואת עשו (יהושע כד ד) ואח"כ ואתן לעשו (שם), וככה הזכיר תחלה מסה, ואחר כך מריבה, ושב לפרש קריאת מריבה על ריב בני ישראל עם משה, ופי' מסה על נסותם את ה', והנה פי' המסה "היש ה' בקרבנו" שיעשה כל צרכנו, וזאת הכת השניה הכעיסה ה' יותר מן הראשונה, ע"כ אמר לא תנסו את ה' אלהיכם כאשר נסיתם במסה (דבר' ו טז):

2MASSAH AND MERIBAH. Because of the two reasons noted.²² It is the style of the Hebrew language to begin its comments with the second of two items when two particulars are listed,²³ as the second item is at hand. Compare, And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau (Josh. 24:4), which is followed by and I gave unto Esau (Ibid.). Scripture similarly first mentions Massah and then Meribah and turns to explain that the name of the place was called Meribah because of the striving of the children of Israel with Moses. It then explains that the place was called Massah because they tried the Lord. Now “trial” refers to Israel’s asking, Is the Lord among us to provide for all of our needs? This second party angered God more than the first.²⁴ Scripture therefore says, Ye shall not try the Lord your God, as ye tried Him in Massah (Deut. 6:16).²⁵

אויבא. גוי עמלק הוא היושב בארץ הנגב (במד' יג כט):

1THEN CAME AMALEK. The reference is to the nation of Amalek, which dwelleth in the land of the South (Num. 13:29).²⁶

אויאמר משה אל יהושע. הוא נין הנשיא אלישמע בן עמיהוד שהיה בעל דגל אפרים, וקראו הכתוב כאן יהושע בשם שקראו משה בדבר המרגלים:

1AND MOSES SAID UNTO JOSHUA. Joshua was the grandson²⁷ as in Vat. Ebr. 38 and in some of the printed editions. Some editions have nun. The latter is probably a scribal error. However, Filwarg believes it to be correct and tries to justify it. It is also possible that I.E. was playing on the words nin and nun, the former meaning grandson and the latter being the name of Joshua’s father. of Prince Elishama ben Ammihud, the possessor of the banner of the tribe of Ephraim.²⁸ Scripture refers to him here as Joshua,²⁹ See Num. 13:16. which is the name by which Moses called him in the account of the spies.³⁰

בבחר לנו. דרך הלשון לומר ככה, בחר לך (ש"ב כד יב) שבו לנו בזה (למטה כד יד):

2CHOOSE US OUT. It is Hebrew style to speak in this manner.³¹ (for thee) or lanu (for us) for purposes of emphasis. Compare, choose thee (II Sam. 24:12); Tarry ye here for us (Ex. 24:14).

גאנשׁים. ידועים, בעלי גבורה, אנשי מלחמה, כמו כלם אנשים (במד' יג ג):

3MEN. Renowned, powerful men and men of war, as in all of them men (Num. 13:3).

דוצא הלחם. צא ממחנה ישראל להלחם בעמלק:

4AND GO OUT, FIGHT WITH AMALEK. Go out from the camp of Israel to fight against Amalek.

הואנכי אהיה נצב על ראש הגבעה שהוא חורב והוא הר סיני:

5I WILL STAND ON TOP OF THE HILL. Horeb, which is the same as Mount Sinai.

וומטה האלהים בידי. שארים בו ידי להתפלל:

6WITH THE ROD OF GOD IN MY HAND. With which I will lift my hand to pray.

אויעש. הזכיר אהרן וחור בעבור צורך לפרש תמכו בידיו:

1SO JOSHUA DID. Aaron and Hur are mentioned because of the need to explain (they) stayed up his hands (v. 12).³²

אוהיה. יש אומרים כי הרמת ידו כאשר במלחמה מי שבידו הנס, ואילו היה כן מרים אותו אהרן או חור או יעמידוהו במקום גבוה בהר שיראה עומד והנכון מה שאמרו קדמונינו:

1AND IT CAME TO PASS. Some say that Moses held his hand³³ up in a manner similar to one holding up a banner in war.³⁴ However, if this was the case then Aaron or Hur would have lifted the rod up or they would have placed it on a high place on the mountain so that the people would see it standing. The correct interpretation is the one offered by the ancient sages.³⁵ 3:8: “Now do the hands of Moses promote or hinder the battle! It is rather to teach you that when the Israelites directed their thoughts on high and subjected their hearts to their Father in heaven, they prevailed; and if not they were defeated.”

אוידי משה. ידענו כי אין כח באדם להרים ידיו יום שלם, ואפילו שעות מועטות, ואף כי עד בא השמש, והנה הזכיר וידי משה כבדים יותר מידי שאר הזקנים, ע"כ לא היה יכול להרימם תמיד:

1BUT MOSES’ HANDS WERE HEAVY. We know that a human being does not have the strength to hold his hands up for an entire day. One cannot even hold them up for a few hours, certainly not until the going down of the sun.³⁶? Now Scripture notes that Moses’ hands were heavier than the hands of other old people.³⁷ Moses thus could not continually hold his hands up.

בוטעם וישימו שלא היה יכול לעמוד ושגבו מקומו:

2[AND PUT IT.] Its meaning is, they strengthened his place³⁸ because he was not able to stand up.³⁹

גואהרן וחור עמדו, ואמר הכתוב כבדים על לשון זכרים, וככה מזה אחד ומזה אחד, וכמוהו והנה יד שלוחה אלי והנה בו מגלת ספר (יחז' ב ט):

3AND AARON AND HUR. Stood. Scripture employs the masculine kevedim (heavy)⁴⁰. Yad (hand) is a feminine, hence I.E.’s comment. and similarly reads, mi-zeh echad u-mi-zeh echad (the one on the one side, and the other on the other side).⁴¹ refers to the hands. However, since yad is feminine Scripture should have read mi-zot echad u-mi-zot echad. Ve-hinneh yad sheluchah elai, ve-hinneh vo megillat sefer (behold, a hand was put forth unto me; and, lo, a roll of a book was therein) is similar (Ezek. 2:9).⁴² (therein) is masculine. However, yad is feminine. We thus see that Scripture occasionally combines feminine nouns with masculine pronouns or adjectives.

דויהי ידיו אמונה. כל אחד מידיו כמו בנות צעדה (ברא' מט כב) וכמו וצדיקים ככפיר יבטח (משלי כח):

4AND HIS HANDS WERE STEADY. Each one of his hands.⁴³ (his hands) is plural; emunah (steady) is singular. Hence va-yehi yadav emunah (and his hands were steady) means: and his hands was steady. I.E. holds that when a verb or an adjective in the plural governs or modifies a noun in the singular, the verb or adjective refers to each one within the plural. Hence, “and his hands was steady” means: and each one of his hands was steady. See Vol. 1, Foreword, p. xvii. The phrase is grammatically similar to Its branches run over the wall (Gen. 49:22)⁴⁴ (its branches) is plural; tza’adah (run) is singular. According to I.E., Gen. 49:22 should be translated: each one of its branches runs over the wall. See I.E. on Gen. 49:22 and the notes thereto. and But the righteous⁴⁵ (righteous) is plural; kefir (young lion) is singular. According to I.E., Prov. 28:1 should be translated: but each one of the righteous is secure as a young lion. are secure as a young lion (Prov. 28:1).

הואמונה דבר עומד וקיים והוא שם דבר וי"א מגזרת ויהי אומן את הדסה (אסתר ב ז) כאלו אומנים הם שישאו ידיו:

5STEADY. Emunah (steady) is a noun meaning something lasting and permanent.⁴⁶ Others say that emunah comes from the same root as the word omen (brought up)⁴⁷ means a person who raises a child. Cf. Num. 11:12; II Kings 10:1; Is. 49:2. in And he brought up Hadassah (Esth. 2:7). Aaron and Hur were like nursemaids who lifted up his hands.⁴⁸ (and his hands were steady) means: and his hands were nursed by nursemaids. For other interpretations and possible translations see Weiser and Krinsky.

אויחלש אין הפרש בין וַיַחֲלשׁ, ובין וַיֶחֱלָש (איוב יד י). כאשר טעם יִטְרֹף (תה' ז ג) כמו יִטְרָף (ברא' מט כז) כי תדר נדר (במד' ל ד) וַיִדַר יעקב (ברא' כה כ) בפתח רק זאת הגזרה כמלת שם, פעם יוצאת ופעם עומדת או יהיה גבר ימות ויחלש, וכבר חלש כדרך, וירם תולעים ויבאש (למעלה טז כ) ע"כ הזכיר גבר בעל גבורה:

1AND JOSHUA DISCOMFITED AMALEK. There is no difference between va-yachalosh⁴⁹ (discomfited or weakened) and va-yechelash⁵⁰ Both words come from the root chet, lamed, shin, and may be used interchangeably. (weakened) (Job 14:10).⁵¹ Likewise, the word yitrof⁵² (tear) (Ps. 7:3) means the same as yitraf⁵³ (tears) (Gen. 49:27).⁵⁴ The same is the case with the words tiddor (voweth)⁵⁵ in voweth a vow (Num. 30:4) and va-yiddar (vowed),⁵⁶ which is vocalized with a pattach in and Jacob vowed a vow (Gen. 28:20). However, this root,⁵⁷ unlike taraf (tore) and nadar (vowed). like the word shav (returned), is sometimes transitive and sometimes intransitive.⁵⁸ Or,⁵⁹ in Job 14:20 is not only intransitive but also a pluperfect. Vat. Ebr. 38 reads: “Or va-yechelash means he weakened others… Scripture therefore employs gever, which indicates a mighty man.” Thus “or” introduces a new interpretation of the word va-yechelash. Whereas the previous interpretation believed it to be intransitive, this one believes it to be transitive. va-yechelash (weakened) in a man (gever) dieth, and is weakened (Job 14:10) means he was already weakened,⁶⁰ as Vat. Ebr. 38 does. The printed texts read: u-khvar chalash acherim (he has already weakened others). See above note. The point is va-yechelash is a pluperfect. Translated according to I.E., our verse should be interpreted: the mighty man (gever) who killed others dieth. Or, the mighty man weakened and dieth. like the word va-yivash (and rotted)⁶¹ in and it bred worms, and rotted (Ex. 16:20). Scripture therefore employs the term gever (man), which indicates a mighty man.⁶² is in contrast to dieth.

אכתב זאת זכרון בספר. זו הפרשה בשנת הארבעים נאמרה, והעד שאמר בספר, בפתחות הבי"ת הנודע והוא ספר התורה או ספר אחר היה להם ויקרא ספר מלחמות ה', ואיננו אתנו כאשר אין לנו ספר הישר ומדרש עדו, ודברי הימים למלכי ישראל, וספרי שלמה:

1WRITE THIS FOR A MEMORIAL IN THE BOOK. This chapter⁶³ was said in the fortieth year.⁶⁴ The fact that Scripture reads ba-sefer (in the book) with a pattach beneath the bet⁶⁵ (in a book). is proof of the aforementioned. For ba-sefer refers to the well-known book, that is, the book of the Torah.⁶⁶ It is also possible that they had another book⁶⁷ known as The Book of the Wars of the Lord⁶⁸ which was lost to us, as were the Sefer Ha-Yashar⁶⁹ and the Midrash of Iddo⁷⁰ and the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel⁷¹ and the works of Solomon.⁷²

בוטעם באזני יהושע, כי השם ידע כי הוא עתיד להלחם עם מלכי כנען:

2[IN THE EARS OF JOSHUA.] For God knew that Joshua was destined to wage war with the kings of Canaan.⁷³

גוטעם כי מחה אמחה, בעבור שהכעיס את השם, כי אלופי אדום נבהלו מפחדו בעבור האותות שעשה במצרים, ובים, וככה מואב ופלשת, והנה זה עמלק שמע גבורת השם בעבור עמו ישראל, והנה בא ממקום רחוק להלחם עם ישראל ולא פחד מהשם, וכן כתוב ולא ירא אלהים (דבר' כה יח), ויש אומרים כי עמלק היה שם המלך בעבור שאמר הכתוב את עמלק ואת עמו (פ' יג) או עם אחר נתחבר עמו:

3[FOR I WILL UTTERLY BLOT OUT THE REMEMBRANCE OF AMALEK.] Because Amalek angered God. For the chiefs of Edom and similarly those of Moab and of Philistia feared and trembled before God because of the signs which the Lord displayed in Egypt and at the sea.⁷⁴ Now this very Amalek heard of the might that God displayed on behalf of His people Israel. Behold, he came from a distant place to wage war against Israel. He did not fear God. Indeed, Scripture explicitly states, and he (Amalek) feared not God (Deut. 25:18).⁷⁵ Some say that Amalek was the name of a king.⁷⁶ They say this because Scripture reads, Amalek and his people. On the other hand, it is possible that another nation joined Amalek.⁷⁷ means the nation of Amalek and its allies.

אויבן מזבח. בחורב, ומלת מזבח מושך עצמו ואחר עמו, וכן הוא מזבח ה':

1AND MOSES BUILT AN ALTAR. On Horeb. The word mizbe’ach (altar) is to be read as if written twice. Our verse is to be read as if written, mizbach Adonai (the altar of the Lord).⁷⁸ (the Lord is my banner). I.E. suggests that we read the verse as follows: And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it the altar of the Lord who is my banner.

אכי יד. כמו כי אשא אל שמים ידי (דבר' לב מ) והטעם כי השם שם ידו על כסאו וזאת היא שבועה, ור' ישועה אמר, כי יד חזקה תהיה ליושב בראשונה על כסא ישראל כאשר נאמר בשלמה על כסא ה' (דה"א כט כג) והטעם על שאול:

1THE HAND UPON THE THRONE OF THE LORD. It is as if God put His hand upon His throne. This was the taking of an oath.⁷⁹ It is similar to For I lift up My hand to heaven (Deut. 32:40).⁸⁰ Rabbi Joshua says that its⁸¹ meaning is that the first one to sit upon the throne of Israel, the reference being to Saul,⁸² will have a mighty hand.⁸³ We similarly find it said concerning Solomon: Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord (I Chron. 29:23).