Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 3:21/אבן עזרא על שמות ג׳:כ״א
אונתתי. גם זה היה דבר פלא שמצריים היו מפייסין את ישראל שישאלו מהם, וזה טעם וישאילום, וזה הפך משפט אנשי העולם:
1AND I WILL GIVE. The Egyptians’ appeasing of the Israelites by imploring them to ask for jewels and raiments (which is the meaning of va-yashilum)396 (so that they let them have what they asked) is found in Ex. 12:36. I.E. renders va-yashilum: they implored them to ask. was also a great wonder.397 This is the opposite of the behavior of the world’s inhabitants.398
בודע כי מ"ם ריקם נוסף, והמלה נמצאה על רבים כזאת גם על לשון נקבה "אל תבואי ריקם" (רות ג יז) וכמוהו "חנם" (ברא' כט טו):
2[EMPTY.] The mem of rekam (empty) is superfluous.399. The mem has no meaning and apparently serves no purpose. The word rekam is used in the plural as in our verse.400 (ye shall not go empty). Telekhu is a masculine plural. Hence rekam too must be a masculine plural. I.E.’s point is that the Bible employs the term rekam with the masculine feminine and the plural. See I.E.’s comments on Gen. 31:42 and the notes thereto. It is also used as a feminine in Go not empty401 (go) is a feminine singular. Hence rekam (empty) too must be a feminine singular. Cf. I.E. on Gen. 31:42 and the notes thereto. (Ruth 3:17). The word chinnam is similar.402