Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 19:15/אבן עזרא על שמות י״ט:ט״ו
אהיו נכונים לשלשת ימים. טעמו ליום השלישי ולפי הפשט לא הוסיף יום אחד מדעתו והנה אתן לך שני עדים נאמנים ושניהם בספר הזה הנה כתוב, ויאסוף אותם אל משמר שלשת ימים (ברא' מב יז), ושם כתוב ויאמר אליהם יוסף ביום השלישי (שם שם יח) וכתיב ובעוד שלשת ימים ישא פרעה (שם מ יט) ושם כתוב ויהי ביום השלישי יום הלדת (שם שם כ), וכן היו נכונים לשלשת ימים:
1BE READY AGAINST THE THIRD DAY. The meaning of li-sheloshet yamim is, for the third day. According to the plain meaning of the text, Moses did not add a day by himself.145 (and be ready against the third day). However, our verse reports that Moses told Israel, heyu nekhonim li-sheloshet yamim (be ready against the third day). According to the Rabbinic sage Rabbi Jose, Moses told Israel be ready for three days (which is the literal meaning of heyu nekhonim li-sheloshet yamim). That is, God will reveal himself to you on the fourth day. Moses thus added another day on his own. See Sabbath 87a. I will bring two faithful witnesses,146 and la-yom ha-shelishi. both of which are found in this book. Now it is written, And he put them all together into ward three days (sheloset yamim) (Gen. 42:17). It is then written, And Joseph said unto them the third day (yom ha-shelishi) (Gen. 42:18). Scripture also states, within yet three days (sheloshet yamim) shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee (Gen. 40:19). It is then written, And it came to pass the third day (ba-yom ha-shelishi) (Gen. 40:20).147 and yom ha-shelishi. Hence they must have one meaning. Similarly here, heyu nekhnim li-sheloshet yamim [means be ready for the third day].