Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 18:26/אבן עזרא על שמות י״ח:כ״ו
אישפוטו הם. כמו ישפוטו בשורק תחת חולם כמו וגם לא תַעבוּרי מזה (רות ב ח) כמו ולא תעבוֹרי, ור' שלמה רצה להפריש ביניהם ולא עלתה בידו ונוכל לומר דרך דקדוק, כי ראינו חָדְלוּ פרזון בישראל חָדֵלּוּ (שופטים ה ז) בדגשות הלמ"ד בעבור שהוא באתנח, הרים נָזֹלּוּ (ישעי' סג יט) בסוף פסוק, ואמר תְהָתֵלּוּ בו (איוב יג ט) כי חשבוהו כמו סוף פסוק, כי מלת "בו" דבקה היא עם "תהתלו" ותנועה אחת לבדה וככה יִשְׁפְטוּ הם, כמו יִשְׁפוּטוּ בעבור שיש להשיב כי אין כח האתנח ככח סוף פסוק "בו", הנה עמים תחתיך יִפְלוּ (תה' מה ו) ה' על יְמִינְךָ (שם קי ה) טוב עשית עם עַבְדְךָ (שם קיט סה) ורבים כאלה, וככה לא ימצא בסוף פסוק:
1THEY JUDGED THEMSELVES. Yishputu (judged) means the same as yishpotu (judged).248 A shuruk has been substituted for a cholam in yishputu. It is similar to lo ta’avuri (neither pass) in neither pass from hence (Ruth 2:5), which has the same meaning as ve-lo ta’avori (and neither pass).249 the more common form. However, Rabbi Solomon250 wanted to distinguish between them251 and yishpotu. Rashi implies that yishpotu is an imperative and yishputu a participle. See Rashi on verse 26. but was unable to do so.252 Now from a grammatical standpoint the following may be said. We find the terms chadelu (ceased)253 and chadellu (ceased) with a dagesh in the lamed because it is marked with an etnach254 in The rulers ceased (chadelu) in Israel, they ceased (chadellu) (Jud. 5:7). We similarly find the word nazollu255 the usual form. (quake) at the end of a verse in That the mountains may quake (Is. 63:19). Scripture likewise reads, tehatellu256 the usual form. vo (will ye mock him) (Job 13:9) since tehatellu is considered257 to be the last word, etc. to be the last word in the sentence because it is connected to the word vo, which has only one vowel. Similarly, yishpetu hem is like yishputu (hem),258) comes in the middle of a sentence and the other (yishputu) at the end of a sentence. for one can say259 and the sof pasuk equally change the word’s vocalization. Hence yishpetu and yishputu should be vocalized in the same way. that the etnach260 does not have the same power that the end of the verse has. Observe the word yippelu (fall) in The peoples fall under thee (Ps. 45:6); yeminekha (thy right hand) in The Lord at thy right hand (Ps. 110:5); avdekha (thy servant) in Thou hast dealt well with Thy servant (Ps. 119:65)261 beneath them and maintain their normal vowels. Similarly yishpetu. and many other such instances. We do not find this to be the case at the close of a verse.262