Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 36:8/אבן עזרא על שמות ל״ו:ח׳
אויעשו. החל מהמשכן:
1MADE. Scripture begins with the making of the tabernacle.
במשזר. בלשון ישמעאל אורך, דע כי דקדוק מספר האחד בחשבון משונה מדרך לשון הקדש, גם ככה הוא בלשון כשדים משונה גם בלשון ישמעאל, כי לעולם הה"א בסוף השמות סימן לנקבה ולשון זכר בלא סימן, והנה בחשבון שלשה בה"א סימן זכרים וככה בחשבון ארבעה גם שמונה גם עשרה, ומשם והלאה עד עשרים הזכר בלא ה"א אחד עשר, שנים עשר, תשעה עשר, והנקבה בה"א, רק בשנוי מלת עשרה שלא תתערב על לשון זכר אמרו שתים עֶשְׂרֵה וככה כולם, והנה לשון נקבה שלש וארבע ועשר, ואם היתה מלת חשבון סמוכה תהיה בתי"ו לזכרים ולנקבות שלשת האנשים האלה (יחז' יד טז) ושלשת נשי בניו (ברא' ז יג), והנה שמונָה לזכרים כמשפט ושנוי לנקבה לומר שמונֶה כדרך עשתי עשרה:
2TWINED. Moshzar (twined) means long in Arabic. Note that the single digit numbers17 (the ones), as in Vat. Ebr. 38. The printed editions read, “Note that the number one (ha-echad) is grammatically irregular.” The problem with this reading is that I.E. nowhere discusses “the number one” in his comment. Weiser suggests that our text is defective. On the other hand, Filwarg and others interpret ha-echad as achadim. are grammatically irregular in Hebrew. This is also the case in Aramaic. They are similarly irregular in Arabic. The heh18 preceded by a kamatz. at the end of a word indicates the feminine; the masculine does not have any sign.19 Now the heh in the number sheloshah (three) indicates the masculine.20 The same is true of the numbers arba’ah (four), shemonah (eight), asarah (ten).21 (five), shishah (six), shivah (seven), and tishah (nine). From there22 through twenty the masculine numbers do not have a heh at the end. We thus say achad asar (eleven),23. shenem asar (twelve),24 tishah asar (nineteen). The feminine25 is written with a heh.26 (11), shetem esreh (12), shelosh esreh (13), etc. However, its vocalization is changed27 as is usual in the feminine, but with a tzere. See note 19. so that it reads esreh.28. This is done so that the word not be confused with the masculine.29 (ten). Hence we say shetem esreh (twelve). The same applies to all of the numbers.30 Look. Shalosh (three), arba (four), and eser (ten) are feminine. If their sum is in the construct then it ends in a tav both in the masculine and in the feminine. Compare, sheloshet ha-anashim ha-elleh (these three men) (Ezek. 14:16); and u-sheloshet neshe vanav (and the three wives of his sons) (Gen. 7:13). Now the masculine form for the number eight is shemonah, as the rule says.31 in the masculine. The feminine is unique in that one says shemoneh (eight)32 is usually a masculine ending. Compare, moreh (teacher), sadeh (field) (Weiser). in the same way that one says ashte esreh (eleven).33 (eleven), a feminine, is vocalized with a tzere even though the tzere is the construct form of masculine nouns ending in a segol.