Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 23:4/אבן עזרא על שמות כ״ג:ד׳
אשׁור אויבךָ. בחירק תחת היו"ד והוא פועל כי מלת ואָיַבְתִי (פ' כב) מהפעלים היוצאים והטעם אְעפ"י שתדע שהוא אויבך, וככה שונאך ונאמר אויבך כי נכון לדבר ככה, גם כן שונאך אולי באה זו הפרשה אם היה השור והחמור של עני יהיה שכרך הרבה מאוד שעשית מצות השם, וגם גמילות חסד עם עני:
1THINE ENEMY’S OX. Oyivkha (thine enemy’s) is spelled with a chirik beneath the yod.19 beneath the second stem letter usually changes to a segol when a word is combined with a pronominal suffix. Since oyivkha is a combination of the word oyev plus the pronominal suffix kha, we would expect Scripture to read oyevkha rather then oyivkha. Oyivkha is a verb,20 is not an adjective. It is a transitive participle meaning your hater, i.e., the one who actively hates you. for the word ve-ayavti 21 (then I will be an enemy) (v. 22) is a transitive verb.22) is also transitive. Its meaning is, even though you know that he is your enemy.23 The same is true of the word sona’akha (him that hateth thee) (v. 5).24 Scripture uses the term oyivkha25 because it is proper usage.26 This is also the case with sona’akha.27 is the proper vocalization of the word sone and the pronominal suffix kha. It is possible that this section28 was written because if the ox and the ass belong to a poor person, then the reward for returning them is very great. One observes God’s law and one also acts kindly with the poor.