Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 17:13/אבן עזרא על שמות י״ז:י״ג
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.