Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 5:12/אבן עזרא על שמות ה׳:י״ב
אויפץ. פועל יוצא, והפועל פרעה שהצריכם להפיץ:
1WERE SCATTERED. Va-yafetz (were scattered) is a transitive verb.80, meaning he scattered. Pharaoh, who caused them to scatter, is the subject.81 (so the people scattered) is, and he (Pharaoh) scattered the people.
בלתבן. תחת תבן, כמו והחמר היה להם לחמר (ברא' יא ג):
2FOR STRAW. In place of straw.82 prefixed to the word la-teven (for straw) means in place of. The more common meaning of such a lamed is, to, hence I.E.’s comment. Compare, la-chomer (for mortar) in and slime had they for mortar (Gen. 11:3).83 prefixed to the word means in place of, as the meaning of la-chomer is, in place of mortar.