Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 21:3/אבן עזרא על שמות כ״א:ג׳
אאם בגפו. י"א בגפו כמו בגופו ומצאנו גופת שאול (דה"א י יב) ומשקלי השמות משתנים, ואחרים אמרו שהוא כמו כנף, וכנף בלשון תרגום וגפין כאילו אמר בכנף בגדו לבדו ואינו מטעם הענין, כי אין ראוי להיות פירושו רק שאין גוף אחר תלוי על גבו, והנה יהיה כמו, על גבי חרשו חורשים (תה' קכט ג), אמר הגאון הוצרך הכתוב לומר אם בגפו יבא בגפו יצא, כאשר יאמר יצא לחפשי בעבור דבר אשתו שהוא צורך לומר אם בעל אשה הוא, ואחר שאין אשה ישראלית נמכרת בגנבתה בבית דין מה טעם לומר ויצאה אשתו עמו, להודיע כי הקונה עברי צריך לפרנס את אשתו, ותעמוד עמו עד שיצאו יחד:
1IF HE COME IN BY HIMSELF. Some say that the word be-gappo (by himself) has the same meaning as be-gufo (with his body). Now we find the phrase gufat sha’ul (the body of Saul) (I Chron. 10:12) in Scripture.73 is gufah. Gufah with the third person pronominal suffix is gufato. Thus our verse should have read gufato rather than gappo. However, the forms of nouns change.74 Others say75: in the wing (skirt) of his garment. that gappo (himself) has the meaning of wing. Wings are referred to as gappin in Aramaic. It is as if Scripture read, if he came in bondage possessing only the wing of his garment.76 refers to the wing (corner) of his garment. However, this is out of context, for the context requires us to explain be-gappo as meaning that he carries no other body on his back. Gappo is like gabbi (my back) in The plowers plowed upon my back (Ps. 129:3).77 is a variant of gabbo (his back), for the bet and peh sometimes interchange because they are similarly sounded labials. Rabbi Saadiah Gaon says that Scripture had to say, If he come in by himself, he shall go out by himself78 while saying79 he shall go out free80 because of his wife,81 that is, the Torah had to say, if he be married.82 Now if an Israelite women is not sold by a law court for theft, why does Scripture say, then his wife shall go out with him? It states this to teach us that the one who acquires a Hebrew slave is obligated to support his [the slave’s] wife. She is with him until they go out together.