Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 32:29/אבן עזרא על שמות ל״ב:כ״ט

אויאמר משה. וכבר אמר להם כמו וייצר ד' אלהים (ברא' ב ז) ורבים ככה:

1AND MOSES SAID. Its meaning is, and Moses already said to them.¹³³ is a pluperfect. Our verse literally reads, “Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, every man against his son, and against his brother.” Logic dictates that Moses said this to the Levites before they went out to slay the worshippers of the calf. It is similar to Then the Lord God formed (Gen. 2:7).¹³⁴ There are many other such examples.¹³⁵

בומלת מלאו. דקדוקו זר, כי פעם הוא פעל יוצא ופעם עומד והבנין קל:

2[CONSECRATE.] The word milu (consecrate), which is in the kal, is grammatically irregular. It is sometimes transitive and at other times intransitive.¹³⁶ in our verse to be transitive. He interpreted our verse as meaning, fill your hands with a blessing.

גוטעם כי איש בבנו. אפילו יהיה העובד בנו או אחיו שיהרגוהו, והשכר הוא שיתן עליכם ברכה, וזהו בעת ההיא הבדיל ד' את שבט הלוי (דבר' י ח) והטעם שאמר לו השם זה הטעם בהר סיני, ע"כ אמר אלה תולדות אהרן ומשה ביום דבר ד' את משה בהר סיני (במד' ג א) והנה כאשר נעשה המשכן נבדל אהרן ובניו לשרת השם וכן הלוים אז היתה מחלוקת קרח כי בכור היה, כאשר לקח השם הלוים תחת הבכורים שיהיו קדושים, בעבור שהם העלו העולות והשלמים זבחו על המזבח שנעשה לפני העגל:

3[FOR EVERY MAN HATH BEEN AGAINST HIS SON.] Even if the worshipper be his son or brother he must kill him. They will be rewarded with a blessing for doing this. This is what At that time¹³⁷ the Lord separated the tribe of Levi (Deut. 10:8) refers to. Its meaning is that God told Moses at Mount Sinai the reason the tribe of Levi was set aside. Scripture therefore reads, Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the Lord spoke with Moses in mount Sinai¹³⁸ is that the Lord spoke with Moses regarding the separation of the tribe of Levi. Num. 3:1-10 deals with the separation of the tribe of Levi. Hence I.E.’s interpretation. (Num. 3:1). Now Aaron, his sons, and the Levites were separated¹³⁹ to serve the Lord at the time that the tabernacle was erected. Korah’s quarrel¹⁴⁰ took place at that time. Korah was a first-born.¹⁴¹ Korah rebelled when God set aside the Levites in place of the first-born who were holy.¹⁴² God did this because the first-born¹⁴³ brought the burnt offerings before the calf and they slaughtered peace offerings upon the altar, which was made before the calf.