Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 31:2/אבן עזרא על שמות ל״א:ב׳
אראה. בעין כבוד:
1SEE. With a respectful eye.7 (in a glorious cloud). This meaning is difficult. Some emend it to read, be-inyon kavod (respectfully).
בוהקרוא הוא בצלאל והטעם קראתי בשמו שאין כמוהו לעשות המשכן:
2[I HAVE CALLED BY NAME BEZALEL.] Bezalel is the one being called.8 (I have called) is to be connected to bezalel ben uri (Bezalel the son of Uri) rather than to the word be-shem (by name). Thus karati be-shem bezalel ben uri (I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri) is to be rendered: I have called Bezalel the son of Uri by name. I.E. comments thus because karati be-shem bezalel ben uri could conceivably be translated: I have called upon the name of Bezalel the son of Uri. Compare, va-yikra be-shem Adonai (and called upon the name of the Lord) (Gen. 12:8). The meaning of I have called by name Bezalel is: I have called Bezalel’s name because he has no equal in ability to construct the tabernacle.9, etc.
גועל דרך הפשט כלב בן יפונה איננו כלב בן חצרון בראיות גמורות והמשכילים יבינום:
3[BEZALEL THE SON OF URI, THE SON OF HUR.] According to the plain meaning of the text, Caleb the son of Jephunneh10 is not to be identified with Caleb the son of Hezron.11 69b) identifies Caleb the son of Hezron with Caleb the son of Jephunneh. I.E. disagrees. For a full discussion, see Vol. 1, p. 355, note 20. There is indisputable evidence that this is so.12 (Josh. 14:7). Now the tabernacle was constructed in the first year of the Exodus, and the spies were sent in the second year of the Exodus. Caleb was thus 39 years of age when Bezalel constructed the tabernacle. I.E. reasons that it is highly unlikely for a 39-year-old man to be a great-grandfather. In fact, the only way the sages of the Talmud could explain the aforementioned was to maintain that the early generations had children at the age of eight. See San. 69b and Vol. 1, p. 355, note 20. Intelligent people will understand the proof.