Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 21:22/אבן עזרא על שמות כ״א:כ״ב

אוכי ינצו. אלה האנשים הם עברים, שהם נצים מכה זה את זה וכן כתוב למה תכה רעך (למעלה ב יג):

1AND IF MEN STRIVE²⁴⁸. TOGETHER. The reference is to Hebrew men²⁴⁹ means Hebrew men. who strive together and hit each other. Scripture similarly reads, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? (Ex. 2:13)²⁵⁰ [who] were striving (nitzim) together (Ex. 12:13). Now nitzim and yinnatzu (the word used for strive in our verse) come from the same root. We thus see that the Hebrew word yinnatzu (strive) means to exchange blows (Filwarg).

בונגפו. כולל שניהם, כי פעם יהיה פירוש זה או זה וכן באש ישרפו אותו ואתהן (ויקרא כ) זאת או זאת ואם שניהם ישראלים דין אחד להם וזאת האשה היא ישראלית:

2AND HURT. Both are included.²⁵¹ (hurt) is in the plural. Its literal meaning is, and they hurt. Hence I.E.’s comment. Sometimes its meaning is one or the other.²⁵² Thus the meaning of they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they (Lev. 20:14) is, either this one or that one.²⁵³ If both²⁵⁴ are Israelites one law applies to them. The woman spoken of in this verse is an Israelite woman.

גולא יהיה אסון. באשה:

3YET NO HARM FOLLOW. To the woman.

דענוש יענש. בעבור הילדים שיצאו ומתו:

4HE SHALL BE SURELY FINED. Because of the children who were aborted and died.

הכאשר ישית עליו. אבי הילדים אם יעשה בחפצו הנוגף, ואם לאו יתן עפ"י ב"ד כמו ופללו אלהים (ש"א ב כה):

5ACCORDING AS THE WOMAN’S HUSBAND SHALL LAY UPON HIM. If the one who hurt the woman wants to do according to the will of the father of the children.²⁵⁵ Otherwise he shall pay in accordance to the ruling of the law court. Bi-fililim (as the judges determine) is similar to the word u-fillelo (shall judge him).²⁵⁶ means judges.