Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 32:4/אבן עזרא על שמות ל״ב:ד׳

אויקח מידם, ויצר. מגזרת צורה כמו ויצר את שני העמודים (מ"א ז טו):

1AND HE RECEIVED IT AT THEIR HAND, AND FASHIONED IT WITH A GRAVING TOOL. The word va-yatzar (and fashioned it) is related to the word tzurah (form).⁴ with the word tzarar (to bind). It is like the word va-yatzar (fashioned) in Thus he fashioned the two pillars of brass (I Kings 7:15).

בומלת בחרט כמו דמות וכן בחרט אנוש (ישעי' ח א) בדמות אנוש ואין טעם להיותו מגזרת החריטים (שם ג כב):

2[WITH A GRAVING TOOL.] The word cheret (graving tool) means an image.⁵ (and fashioned it with a graving tool) means, and he fashioned it into an image. Be-cheret enosh (in common script) (Is. 8:1) similarly means in the form of a person.⁶ There is no reason to connect cheret to the word ha-charitim (the veils) (Is. 3:22).⁷ means a piece of cloth, as in and the cloaks and the veils (ha-charitim).” According to Rashi va-yatzar oto ba-cheret means, and he tied it [the gold] in a piece of cloth.

גמסכה. התוך כמו הפסל נסך חרש (שם מ יט):

3A MOLTEN CALF. The word masekhah means molten. It is similar to the word nasakh (hath melted)⁸ in The image perchance, which the craftsman hath melted (Is. 40:19).