Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 25:9/אבן עזרא על שמות כ״ה:ט׳
אמראה אותך. במראה העין, כי מראות יחזקאל היו בחלום נבואה, והוסיף ה"א הדעת ואמר המשכן, אחר שהזכיר מקדש, תוספת וי"ו:
1I SHOW THEE. You will see it with your eye. Unlike the visions of Ezekiel,69 which were in prophetic dreams. Scripture adds the emphatic heh and reads ha-mishkan (the tabernacle) after it mentions the term sanctuary.70 (the tabernacle) refers to the above-noted sanctuary. I.E.’s point is that Scripture does not command the making of a mishkan. It commands the making of a mikdash. Hence I.E. explains why the term ha-mishkan is used.
בוכן תעשו. לצורך הכלים, כי בתחלה ועשו לי מקדש:
2[EVEN SO SHALL YE MAKE IT.] A vav is placed in front of the word ken (even so) in the phrase ve-khen ta’asu71 thus refers only to the pattern of all the furniture (mentioned right above), but does not refer to the pattern of the tabernacle, since the term ‘making’ was already stated with reference to it, namely, and let them make me a sanctuary” (Chavel). (even so shall ye make it)72. Our verse adds an extra vav. The vav indicates that the verse is connected to what comes before. regarding the vessels, for Scripture earlier states, ve-asu li mikdash (And let them make Me a sanctuary) (v. 8).73 is, and you should similarly make the vessels (Weiser). See Rashi and Nahmanides, who offer different interpretations.