Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 5:16/אבן עזרא על שמות ה׳:ט״ז
אומלת "וחטאת" פועל עבר, והוי"ו השיבו לעתיד כמשפט כי היא כמו "וְחָטְאָה" וכאשר העלימו האל"ף כאשר הוא במלת חטא ולא יוכלו לשום נעלם אחר אל"ף על כן החליפו הה"א בתי"ו ואין צורך לשום דגש בטי"ת, וכמוהו "וקראת אתכם הרעה" (דבר' לא כט), והעם במקום הזה לשון נקבה כמו "העם אשר בקרבה יושבת לבטח" (שופ' יח ז) "מדוע שובבה העם הזה" (ירמי' ה ה), והטעם כי החטא יהיה עליך, וכנו דרך מוסר, כי החטא יהיה על שמו וכמוהו "והייתי אני ובני שלמה חטאים" (מ"א א כא), "ואויבינו ילעגו למו" (תה' פ' ז) וימירו את כבודם (שם קו כ):
1BUT THE FAULT IS IN THINE OWN PEOPLE. The word ve-chatat (but the fault is)94, meaning to sin. is a verb in the perfect.95 (but the fault is in thine own people) is to be rendered, but thy people will sin. However, the vav changes it into an imperfect in accordance with the rules of grammar.96 is a perfect, ve-chatat is an imperfect, for its vav is a conversive vav. The word is similar to ve-chate’ah.97 in the perfect and ve-chate’ah in the imperfect. Chatat corresponds to chate’ah and ve-chatat to ve-chate’ah. Now when the alef was silenced, as it is in the word chata,98 it was not possible to place a heh after the alef.99. Two silent letters cannot be placed back to back. They therefore substituted a tav for the heh.100 is the usual third person feminine suffix. However, if it were used here the alef could not be silent, as two silent letters cannot follow each other. Hence a tav was substituted for a heh. There is no need to place a dagesh101 follows a pattach. If chatat was vocalized with a pattach (rather than a kamatz) beneath the chet, then chatat would be a noun rather than a verb, in the tet.102 a noun. Cf. Rashi: “And this thing brings sin (chatat with a dagesh in the tet) upon your people.” The word ve-karat (will befall)103. in and evil will befall you (Deut. 31:29) is similar.104 in the feminine and kara/ve-kara in the masculine. The forms karat / ve-karat arose for the same reason that chatat / ve-chatat came into being. The word am (people) is here a feminine.105 is usually masculine. However, here the verb governing it, viz., ve-chatat, is feminine. Hence it too must be feminine. Compare, ha-am (the people) in the people that were therein, how they dwelt106 (dwelt), which governs am, is feminine. in security (Jud. 18:7) and ha-am (the people) in Why is this people of Jerusalem slidden back107 (slidden back), which governs am, is feminine. (Jer. 8:5). Its meaning is,108. See note 95. but the sin will be upon you. Moses out of respect alluded to Pharaoh by saying that the sin would be on his people.109. However, he really meant the former. That I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders (I Kings 1:21),110 And our enemies mock us as they please (Ps. 80:7),111 was substituted for “You” out of respect for the Deity. and Thus they exchanged their glory (Ps. 106:20)112 was substituted out of respect for God. are similar.