Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 3:13/אבן עזרא על שמות ג׳:י״ג
אויאמר. עתה ביקש משה מה שם יאמר לישראל משמותיו, כי בשם אל שדי לא יעשה אותות רק בשם הנכבד וא"ר ישועה כי קבלה היתה לישראל מאבותם, כי המושיע לישראל גלה שם חדש שלא נשמע וכאשר ראה "אני ד' אשר הוצאתיך מאור כשדים" (ברא' טו ז) פי' בו כי הם דברי משה ולא דבר נכונה, כי הנה בתחלת התורה בפ' בראשית, אין כתוב השם הנכבד רק אלהים עד לעשות, ומשם והלאה כתוב ד' אלהים, ומשנולד קין כתוב השם לבדו, ולעולם לא ימצא בדברי משה שם אלהים רק השם הנכבד רק במקום אחד, בעבור שאמר פרעה "העתירו אל ה' ורב מהיות קולות אלהים" (למטה ט כה) אז אמר משה מפני ד' אלהים (שם פ' ל) ולא ימצא עוד בכל התורה ככה:
1AND MOSES SAID. Moses now asked which of God’s names he should relate to Israel, for with the name of El Shaddai (God Almighty) he could not perform signs.100 The latter are only performed with God’s great and glorious name.101 and translated as Lord). Rabbi Joshua102 says that the Israelites had a tradition from their forefathers that Israel’s savior would reveal a new name of God to them, a name that they had never heard.103 Now when Rabbi Joshua heard that Scripture states, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees (Gen. 15:7),104 he explained it by saying that these are the words of Moses.105 (God Almighty) when he revealed Himself to the patriarchs. However, Rabbi Joshua is mistaken. In the Torah portion Bereshit at the beginning of the Pentateuch we find that Scripture does not employ the Tetragrammaton but uses the name Elohim (God) until the verse which concludes with the words in creating had made (Gen. 2:3).106 (God). If Moses had employed the name that he knew in writing Genesis, he would have used the Tetragrammaton in Gen. 1, 2:3 as well. Hence we may deduce that Moses was very exact with regard to the names of God when he wrote the Torah and employed the names of the Lord that were applicable to the time or event concerning which he wrote. After the latter verse Scripture refers to God by the name Adonai Elohim (Lord God). After the birth of Cain, Scripture employs the term Adonai (Lord) for the Deity only by itself.107. We never find Moses using the name Elohim for God. Moses always refers to Him by His great and glorious name.108 He uses the term Elohim only in one place. He does this because Pharaoh said, Entreat the Lord, and let there be enough of God’s (Elohim)109 thunderings (Ex. 9:28). Upon hearing this, Moses responded, I know that ye will not fear the Lord (Adonai Elohim) (Ex. 9:30).110) who is the Elohim that Pharaoh referred to (Weiser). However, there is no other similar case in Scripture.111