Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 34:7/אבן עזרא על שמות ל״ד:ז׳

אנוצר חסד, האב לבנים אם היו טובים:

1KEEPING MERCY. Keeping the mercy of a father⁷⁷ to his children, provided that the children are righteous.

בנושא עון. שים לבך לדברי, הנה כתיב וחזקת והיית לאיש (מ"א ב ב), והלא איש היה, רק טעמו איש חיל ונודע, והנה כתיב כי זקנתי מהיות לאיש (רות א יב) והפירוש מהיות בעולם או אשה לאיש כי נקבה היתה, והנה ואבואה אליה (ברא' כט כא) הוא המשכב כי נקבה היא, והנה אשר באו אליך הלילה (שם יט ה) אינו מזה הטעם, כי זכר הוא, וככה החוטא ונשא עונו (ויקרא ה א) לא יכופר החטא לו רק העונש שיבא עליו, על דרך ולצת לבדך תשא (משלי ט יב) ועתה שא נא חטאתי (למעלה י יז) כי משה צדיק היה, והכלל כי הנושא עונו בעצמו הוא לגנאי לעולם, ונשיאת חטא על שני דרכים, הדרך האחת שימחול לו כמו זה שהוא לשבח לנשוא העון, והדרך האחרת שיהיה נושא העון אחד רשע והנה לנושא העון יהיה לגנאי ולנשוא העון לשבח, כמו ונשא את עונה (במד' ל טז) כי העונש יסור מעליה ויהיה עליו:

2FORGIVING INIQUITY. Pay attention to what I am about to say.⁷⁸ (forgiving iniquity). However, Scripture often refers to sinners as being nose avon (bearing iniquity) (Lev. 5:1). I.E. thus points out that the same term may have two meanings. Look. Scripture writes, be thou strong therefore, and be to a man⁷⁹. (I Kings 2:2).⁸⁰ But was he⁸¹ not a man? Its meaning⁸². can only be, be a famous man of valor. However, Scripture writes, for I⁸³ am too old to be to a man⁸⁴. (Ruth 1:12).⁸⁵ Its meaning is, I am too old to be sexually approached by a man,⁸⁶. So Vat. Ebr. 38. Some printed editions read, ba-olam (in the world). This reading is incomprehensible. or, I am too old to be a woman to a man, for the speaker⁸⁷ was a female.⁸⁸, or, mi-heyot le-ish) can mean, be a famous man or to be sexually approached by a man. We thus see that the same term can have two meanings. Behold. That I⁸⁹may come⁹⁰. into her⁹¹ (Gen 34:21)⁹² refers to sexual intercourse, for Rachel was a female.⁹³ However, that came⁹⁴. in to thee this night⁹⁵ (Gen. 19:5) does not have the same meaning, for Lot was a man.⁹⁶ Now Scripture tells us that one who sins shall bear his iniquity (ve-nasa avono) (Lev. 5:1); that is, his sin shall not be forgiven except by the punishment which shall befall him. Ve-nasa (shall bear)⁹⁷ has the same meaning as tissa (shalt bear it) in And if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it (Prov. 9:12). However, Pharaoh said, Now therefore forgive (sa),⁹⁸ and nasa come from the same root, nun, sin, alef. I pray thee, my sin only this once (Ex. 10:17), because Moses was a righteous person.⁹⁹ does not mean bear my sin. It means forgive my sin. We thus see that nasa means both to bear and to forgive. The general rule is that Scripture is always expressing approbation when it tells us that someone bears his own sin. The term nasa is used in two ways in reference to sin. One, God will forgive the sinner. In this case it is for the benefit of the one whose sin is forgiven.¹⁰⁰ (forgiving iniquity) in our verse has a positive connotation. The second way in which this verb is used is to inform us that some evil person shall bear his sin.¹⁰¹ Now this term¹⁰². has a negative connotation for the one who must bear his sin, but it has a positive connotation for the one whose sin is forgiven, as in then he¹⁰³ shall bear (ve-nasa) her iniquity (Num. 30:16), for the sin will be removed from her¹⁰⁴ and be upon him.¹⁰⁵

גונושא פשע. דע כי פשע קשה מעון, כאילו הוא הפושע יוצא מתחת הרשות, כמו אז תפשע אדום מתחת יד יהודה (מ"ב ח כב), והנה עון פחות ממנו, והוא בזדון:

3FORGIVING…TRANSGRESSION. Note that pesha (transgression) is a more serious violation than avon (iniquity), for the transgressor removes himself, as it were, from the authority of God.¹⁰⁶ Compare, tifsha (revolted)¹⁰⁷ comes from the same root as pesha. in then Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah (II Kings 8:22).¹⁰⁸ Now avon (iniquity) is less of a violation than pesha (transgression). It¹⁰⁹. refers to a deliberate violation of God’s command.

דומלת חטאה כמו חטאת, והוא שם דבר ואיננה כמו הממלכה החטאה (עמוס ט ח) כי היא תאר, ומלת חטאה כוללת כל מחשבה וכל שגגה במעשה, כי עון במעשה או בלשון, והנה הסתכלנו תפלת משה על דבר המרגלים, ויאמר ד' שהוא שם העצם והמדות תהיינה עליו נאמרות ולא הזכיר השם השני שהוא תאר, כי השם רצה להשמיד, ולא אל. כי אין צורך להזכיר המדה הזאת, ולא רחום. כי ישראל לא היו פתאים, ולא חנון. כי לא נעשה להם חמס שיצעקו אל השם להושיעם, והזכיר ארך אפים. כי היו רשעים, ורב חסד. לכל הוא ולא הזכיר ואמת כי היו חייבים, והזכיר נושא עון ופשע. ולא הזכיר וחטאה, כי לא היו שוגגים, ומרוב הענוה שהיתה במשה הכניס נפשו עם ישראל לאמר וסלחת לעונינו ולחטאתינו, ולא הזכיר פשעינו בעבור גודל מעלתו שלא יתכן שיפשע:

4[SIN.] The word chatta’ah means sin.¹¹⁰. Hence I.E.’s comment. Chatta’ah is a noun. It is not like the word chatta’ah (sinful) in ha-mamlakha¹¹¹. ha-chatta’ah (the sinful kingdom) (Amos 9:8), for the word chatta’ah in the latter is an adjective. The word chatta’ah (sin) takes in all sins committed in thought¹¹² and in error; avon relates to violations of the law committed verbally or in deed. Now we looked at the prayer which Moses offered because of the incident of the spies.¹¹³ Moses pronounced the name of the Lord.¹¹⁴ (YHVH) is slow to anger, and plenteous in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and that will by no means clear the guilty. The latter is a noun. The attributes which follow were stated with regard to this name.¹¹⁵ describe the noun Lord. Moses did not mention the Lord’s name a second time;¹¹⁶, as it does here. that is, he did not mention the adjectival name of the Lord¹¹⁷ is an adjective. because the Lord wanted to destroy Israel.¹¹⁸ Moses did not mention El (God)¹¹⁹ because there was no reason to mention this attribute.¹²⁰ (God) means powerful. There was no reason to mention God’s power when begging Him not to destroy Israel. He also did not mention rachum (merciful)¹²¹ because the Israelites were not simpletons.¹²² Moses did not mention channun (gracious)¹²³ because no one oppressed Israel and they had no need to cry to God for help.¹²⁴ Moses mentioned erekh appayim (slow to anger)¹²⁵ because they were wicked. Moses noted¹²⁶ that God is plenteous in lovingkindness (ve-rav emet). Its meaning is that God is plenteous in lovingkindness to all.¹²⁷ Moses did not mention emet (truth)¹²⁸ because they were guilty.¹²⁹ Moses mentioned¹³⁰ that God forgives avon (iniquity) and pesha (transgression). He omitted chatta’ah (sin) because Israel did not err.¹³¹ refers to sins committed in error. Moses¹³² included himself among the Israelites and said, and pardon our iniquity (avonenu) and our sin (chattatenu) (v. 9) because of his great humility. Moses did not add the phrase pesha’enu (our transgression) because of his great saintliness, for Moses would not rebel.¹³³ (transgression) refers to rebellion.