Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 33:4/אבן עזרא על שמות ל״ג:ד׳
אוישמע העם את הדבר הרע. ומהו, הוא הכתוב אחריו ויאמר ד' אל משה אמור אל בני ישראל (פ' ה), וכמוהו ויאמר ד' אל משה במדין (למעלה ד יט) וכבר פירשתי, הגם לחם יוכל תת (תה' עח כ), כי כמוהו ויצו שחקים ממעל (שם שם כג) וכבר צוה שחקים וככה זה, ואין צורך לתיקון הגאונים שעשה ככה תמיד:
1AND WHEN THE PEOPLE HEARD THESE EVIL TIDINGS. What evil tidings?14 The reference is to what is written afterwards, And the Lord said unto Moses, etc. (v. 5).15. However, verse 5 reads, And the Lord said unto Moses…therefore now put off thy ornaments. Hence And the Lord said should be interpreted, and the Lord had said (Weiser). And the Lord said unto Moses (Ex. 4:19) is similar.16 is, and the Lord had said. See I.E. on Ex. 4:19. I have already explained17 the meaning of Can He give bread also (Ps. 78:20).18 refers to meat, not to the manna (I.E. on Ps. 78:20). I.E. comments thus because the first part of Ps. 78:20 reads, Behold, He smote the rock, that waters gushed out. Therefore Can He give bread also, which follows, cannot refer to the manna, for the manna fell before the rock was struck (see Ex. 16,17:1-8). I.E. explains bread to mean meat, as Israel asked for meat after the rock had been struck. See Num. 11:1-22. It19 is like And He commanded the skies above (Ps. 78:23),20 the meaning of which is, and He had already commanded the skies.21 This is also the case here.22 (v. 5) means, and the Lord had already said. I.E. comments thus because he believes that what is reported in verse 5 transpired before that which is reported in verse 4. See note 14. There is no need for the Geonic interpretation to the effect that they always did so.23 38 reads, that they should always do so. The point is that verse 5 is in correct chronological sequence, for it relates that God told Israel that they must permanently keep their jewelry off. Thus And the Lord said unto Moses is to be taken literally.