Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 3:18/אבן עזרא על שמות ג׳:י״ח
אושמעו. כל שמע אחריו למ"ד או בי"ת, הטעם שישמעו הענין שנושא הקול לא לשמוע הקול, דגשות יו"ד העבריים דרך צחות להראות יו"ד היחוס כי יו"ד העברים בחירק תחת הרי"ש סימן רבים. כמשפט:
1AND THEY SHALL HEARKEN. When the word shama (heard) is followed by a lamed or bet its meaning is not to hear a voice but rather to hear the message which a voice carries. The yod in the word ha-ivriyyim (the Hebrews) has a dagesh for euphonic purposes. It is there to emphasize the yod genitive. The yod in ha-ivrim (the Hebrews) that follows the resh with a chirik beneath it is, in accordance with Hebrew grammar, the sign of the plural.384 is the sign of the plural (ivrim, yeladim, etc.). Chirik yod indicates membership in a group (compare, ivri, yehudi, yisra’eli). Now when the two yods come together the gentilic yod is usually dropped. In our verse not only do we have two yods, but one of them receives a dagesh (thus doubling it). The extra yod and the dagesh are in our word for euphonic purposes, i.e., to emphasize the gentilic yod (Filwarg).
בנקרה עלינו. בה"א גם באל"ף הטעם אחד, כמו נקרא נקריתי (ש"ב א ו) ועוד אפרש טעמו כי הוא "פן יפגענו" (למטה ה ג):
2HATH MET WITH US. Nikrah (hath met) means the same whether spelled with a heh or an alef.385. In Ex. 5:3 it is spelled with an alef. Compare, nikro nikreti386 is spelled with an alef. Nikreti comes from the root kof, resh, heh, for the yod takes the place of the heh in a first person perfect. Compare, nikrah in our verse. (as I happened by chance) (II Sam. 1:6). I will now explain the meaning of nikrah.387 (met) means the same as pagah (fall upon). Its meaning is, lest he fall upon us (Ex. 5:3).388 means fall upon, as in lest he fall upon us (Netter).