Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 21:14/אבן עזרא על שמות כ״א:י״ד
אוכי יזיד. טעם להרגו, כאילו כתיב והרגו בערמה, וכמוהו כי תחל לזנות (ויקרא כא ט), שפי' כי תחלל נפשה לזנות על כן אביה היא מחללת, וידוע כי לשון חלול גם תחלה מפעלי הכפל והם שנים טעמים על כן הוצרך להפריש בין שניהם, אמר כי תֵחֵל לזנות, כי מלשון תחלה יאמר תָחֵל, כמו תָחֵל לספור (דבר' טז ט):
1AND IF A MAN COME PRESUMPTUOUSLY. To slay him181. is to be understood as if written, and slew him with guile.182 Similarly If she profane by playing the harlot (Lev. 21:9),183 the meaning of which is, if she profane herself by playing the harlot and therefore she profaneth her father (Ibid.).184 (she profane) includes in it the object; that is, she profane herself. It is known that the term chillul (profanation) and the word techillah (beginning) come from a double root.185. However, they differ in meaning. It was therefore necessary to differentiate between them. Scripture therefore reads, techel li-zenot (profane by playing the harlot) (Lev. 21:9), for if it had the meaning of beginning, it would read tachel (thou shalt begin), as in tachel lispor (shalt thou begin to number) (Num. 16:9).186 are vocalized with a kamatz beneath their prefixes. However, in order to differentiate between the words, to profane was vocalized with a tsere, techel, and to begin follows the normal vocalization, that is, tachel.
במעם מזבּחי. הנה זה הפך הפסוק הראשון, ששם כתוב ושמתי לך מקום והם ערי מקלט, רק המזיד שינוס אפילו על מזבחי כאשר עשה יואב יומת וקדמונינו אמרו אפילו כהן ורצה לעבוד עבודת מזבחי יומת:
2FROM MINE ALTAR. This is the reverse of the previous verse. It is there stated, then I will appoint thee a place [whither he may flee], the reference being to the cities of refuge. However, he who presumptuously kills and flees, even if he seeks refuge at the altar as Joab did,187 shall be put to death. Our sages said even a priest188 who wants to perform the service at the altar shall be put to death.189 85a; San. 35b.