Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 33:20/אבן עזרא על שמות ל״ג:כ׳
אלא יראני. קמוץ כמו ואומר אין רואני (ישעי' מז י) להוציאנו ממצרים (למעלה יד יא) אם שוב ישיבני ד' (ש"ב טו ה):
1SEE ME. The word yirani (see me)55 should be vocalized with a tzere beneath the alef. is vocalized with a kamatz.56 is vocalized with a pattach. It is vocalized like ro’ani (seeth me)57 rather than a tzere beneath the alef. The same goes for ro’ani, le-hotzi’anu, and yeshivani. Hence I.E.’s comment. in And sayest58. I.E. most probably quoted from memory and erred. none seeth me (Is. 47:10), and le-hotzi’anu (to bring us forth)59 is vocalized with a kamatz beneath the alef. in to bring us forth out of Egypt (Ex. 14:11), and yeshivani (bring me back)60 was vocalized with a kamatz beneath the bet. However, our texts of the Bible read yeshiveni (tzere beneath the bet). in If the Lord shall indeed bring me back to Jerusalem (II Sam. 15:8).
בופי' וחי. כמו ויחיה, כי מיד ימות, כי מנוח אמר בעבור שיראה המלאך מות נמות כי אלהים ראינו (שופ יג כב), גם יעקב אמר, כי ראיתי אלהים פנים אל פנים ותנצל נפשי (ברא' לב לא) ואף כי השם הנכבד, וי"א לא יראני האדם רק יחיה לעולם וזה הפך הלשון ואחרים אומרים כי מלת לא ישרת בעבור אחר, וכן הוא לא יראני האדם ולא החי, והטעם המלאכים:
2[AND LIVE.] The meaning of va-chai (and live) is, and will live.61. [FOR MAN SHALL NOT SEE ME AND LIVE.] For he will immediately die. Thus, upon seeing God’s messenger, Manoah said, We shall surely die, because we have seen an angel (Jud. 13:22).62 Jacob similarly said, I have seen an angel face to face, and my life is preserved (Gen. 32:31).63 How much more is this true for one who beholds the Lord? Some say for man shall not see Me [and live] means: only he who lives forever64 (and live) to mean, but he that lives, i.e., he that lives forever. shall see Me.65 (for no man shall see Me and live) is: for no man shall see Me, but he that lives shall see Me. So Weiser. Filwarg interprets I.E. as saying, some say, for no man shall see Me (ki lo yirani ha-adam) and if he does he shall live forever (va-chai). However, this is not in keeping with the text.66 means, and shall live. Furthermore, the other interpretations require us to read too much into the text. Others say that the word lo (not) is also to be applied to the word va-chai (and live). Our text is to be read as if written, for neither man, nor he who lives, shall see Me.67 (for man shall not see Me and live). This interpretation suggests that our verse be interpreted, ki lo yirani ha-adam ve-lo ha-chai, for no man or living being (angel) shall see Me. The reference is to the angels.68