Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 23:23/אבן עזרא על שמות כ״ג:כ״ג
אכי. צום בעת בואם אל הארץ שיסירו כל ע"ג, והזכיר ששה גוים, ולא חשש להזכיר הקטן שבהם ובעבורו אמר והכחדתיו מיד, כי האחרים מעט מעט יגרשם, או פי' והכחדתיו כל אחד ואחד, כמו בנות צעדה עלי שור (ברא' מט כב):
1FOR. God commanded Israel to remove all idols immediately upon coming to the Land of Israel. He mentioned six nations and did not bother to mention the smallest among them.187 It is concerning the latter that God said, and I will [immediately] cut him off.188. In Hebrew the Girgashites are referred to as “him” (“it” in English) in the singular because they were separated from the other Canaanite nations and immediately destroyed (Weiser). As to the others, By little and little I will drive them out (v. 29). It is also possible that and I will cut him off means: and I will cut off each one of them. It is like Its branches run over the wall (Gen. 49:22).189