Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Exodus 8/אבן עזרא על שמות ח׳

אויאמר. נטה ידך. על רוחות השמים, והנה הצפרדעים יעלו מהיאורות ומהנהרות ומהאגמים, ולא מכל מקוה מים:

1AND THE LORD SAID…STRETCH FORTH THY HAND. Towards the four corners of heaven¹ and the frogs will arise from the canals, from the rivers, and from the pools. However, they will not arise from all gatherings of water.²

אויט. הנה נטה ידו ולא הכה ביאור כאשר עשה בראשונה, רק רמז כי יכלו לעלות הצפרדעים מרגע נטות ידו:

1AND AARON STRETCHED OUT HIS HAND. Behold, Aaron merely stretched forth his hand but did not strike the water as he did the first time.³ He merely indicated that the frogs could arise from the moment that he stretched out his hand.

אויעשו. במים מועטים, ע"כ ראה פרעה כי יש הפרש בין מעשה אהרן ובין מעשיהם, ע"כ קרא למשה, כי ראה שהחרטומים הוסיפו על המכה, ולא יכלו לחסרה:

1AND THE MAGICIANS DID IN LIKE MANNER. In the little water.⁴ Pharaoh therefore saw that there was a difference between what Aaron did and what his magicians were able to do. He called Moses because he saw that his magicians could add to the plague⁵ but were unable to mitigate it.

אויקרא. אמר העתירו דרך מוסר לשניהם וזאת המכה היתה קשה מהראשונה כי כתוב וצפרדע ותשחיתם (תה' עח מה):

1THEN PHARAOH CALLED. Pharaoh employed the plural form for entreat (hatiru) out of respect for Moses and Aaron.⁶ This plague was worse than the first one, for we read, He sent among them…frogs, which destroyed them (Ps. 78:45).⁷ (Ps. 78:44). It does not say that the plague of blood destroyed them.

אויאמר משה לפרעה התפאר עלי. אעשה לך תפארת שאעתיר אל השם ויסר המכה ביום שתבקש:

1AND MOSES SAID UNTO PHARAOH: HAVE THOU THIS GLORY OVER ME. I will glorify you by entreating the Lord that He take away the plague on a day that you yourself shall designate.

בוטעם ביאור תשארנה, כי שם היו בתחלה ואחר שהזכיר היאור אין צורך להזכיר הנהרות והאגמים:

2[AND REMAIN IN THE RIVER ONLY.] The reason for mentioning the river is that this is where the frogs started from. Once Scripture notes the river there is no need to mention the canals and pools.⁸ is mentioned merely as an example of the aforementioned.

אויאמר למחר. אמר רב שמואל בן חפני אין מנהג האדם לבקש רק שיסור המכה ממנו מיד, וחשב פרעה כי מערכת כוכבי השמים הביאה הצפרדעים על מצרים, ומשה הוא יודע זה, והשב פרעה כי עתה הגיע עת סור הצפרדעים, על כן נסהו להאריך ואמר למחר:

1AND HE SAID: AGAINST TOMORROW. Rabbi Samuel ben Hofni⁹ says that people usually pray that a plague be removed from them immediately.¹⁰ Pharaoh, however, thought that the plague of frogs resulted from an unpropitious conjunction of heavenly bodies which Moses knew about.¹¹ He thought that the time for the removal of the frogs had now come.¹² Therefore Pharaoh tested Moses by asking him to extend the plague and said, Against tomorrow.

אוסרו. באה זו המלה מלרע הפך המשפט וכמוהו כי שמו אותי בבור (בראשית מ טו):

1AND THE FROGS SHALL DEPART. Ve-saru (shall depart) is ultimately accented, contrary to the rules of grammar.¹³ We find the same irregularity in the word samu (they put) in that they should put me into the dungeon (Gen. 40:15).

אויצא. טעם ויצעק, כי בטח בשם שלא יביישהו, כי אמר אל פרעה מעצמו, כדברך יהיה בלא רשות השם:

1AND MOSES AND AARON WENT OUT. Moses cried unto the Lord because he trusted that the Lord would not put him to shame. Out of his own accord and without the permission of God, he had told Pharaoh, Be it according to thy word.

אויעש ד' כדבר משה. מעצמו:

1AND THE LORD DID ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF MOSES. Which he had spoken of his own accord.

אויצברו. כמו, ויצבר יוסף בר (ברא' מא מט):

1AND THEY GATHERED. Va-yitzberu (and they gathered) is similar in meaning to the word va-yitzbor (laid up) in And Joseph laid up corn (Gen. 41:49).

בחמרים חמרים. כמו חמור חמורתים (שופ' טו טז):

2HEAPS. Chomarim chomarim (heaps) is similar in meaning to chamor chamoratayim (heaps upon heaps) (Jud. 15:16).

אוירא פרעה כי היתה הרוחה. כמו וְרָוַח לשאול (ש"א טז):

1BUT WHEN PHARAOH SAW THAT THERE WAS RESPITE. The word harevachah (respite) is similar in meaning to ve-ravach (relief) in so Saul found relief (Jud. 16:23).

בוהכבד את לבו. שם הפועל תחת פועל עבר:

2HE HARDENED HIS HEART. Scripture employs an infinitive (hakhbed) in place of a perfect.¹⁴ (he hardened) rather than hakhbed (to harden), as the former is a perfect and the latter an infinitive. I.E. points out that Scripture occasionally uses an infinitive with the meaning of a perfect. As to the question of free will, see I.E. on Ex. 7:3.

אויאמר. דע כי על יד אהרן היו השלש המכות הראשונות, והאותות היו בשפלים, כמו שפירשתי למעלה, כי השתים היו במים, והשלישית בעפר הארץ, והמכות שהיו על יד משה במטה היו בעליונים, כמו שמעלתו עליונה ממעלת אהרן, כמו מכת הברד והארבה שהרוח הביאה והחשך שהיה באויר, גם מכת השחין היתה על ידו, רק שלש בלא מטה, והם ערוב, ודבר, ומכת בכורים, ואחת בלא מטה על ידי משה ומעט שיתוף לאהרן והיא מכת השחין:

1AND THE LORD SAID. Note that the first three plagues and signs which Aaron brought about pertained to the lowest elements,¹⁵ as I have explained previously, since two were related to water and one to the dust of the earth. However, the plagues brought about by Moses with his rod related to a higher element. This was so because Moses was on a higher plane than Aaron. Thus the hail and the locusts were brought by the wind, and the darkness was in the air.¹⁶ Moses also brought about the plague of boils.¹⁷ However, three plagues came about without the use of the rod, namely, the swarms of beasts, murrain, and the death of the first-born.¹⁸ One plague, that of the boils, was brought about by Moses with Aaron’s minor participation and without the use of the rod.

בטעם והיה לכנים, כמו והיה לאבק (למטה ט ט) כאילו בעפר שיכה אהרן יעלה ויוליד כנים בכל ארץ מצרים:

2[THAT IT MAY BECOME GNATS THROUGHOUT ALL THE LAND OF EGYPT.] This is similar in meaning to And it shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt (Ex. 9:9).¹⁹ prefixed to kinnim does not mean to, but for, i.e.; le-kinnim does not mean to gnats but for gnats, that is, so that gnats will result. Similarly, le-afar does not mean to dust but for dust, i.e., so that dust will result. I.E. comments thus because the lamed usually has the meaning of to. The dust which Aaron struck gave birth, as it were, to gnats which went up over all the land of Egypt.²⁰

אויעשו. טעם ויעשו על משה בעבור שדבר לאהרן שיכה במטה כדרך, ומטך אשר הכית בו את היאור (למטה יז ה):

1AND THEY DID SO. And they did refers to Moses and Aaron. Moses is included because he told Aaron to smite the dust with the rod. Our verse is similar to and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thy hand (Ex. 17:5).

בותהי הכנם. שם המין והמ"ם נוסף, או הוא תחת ה"א ואיננו שרש, ולפעמים הוא סימן לשון נקבות כמו צפרדעים, כי האחת, ותעל הצפרדע (למעלה פ' ב), והעד כנים, ותהיה מלת "הכנם" זרה בעבור תוספות המ"ם, כמו ריקם, חנם, ויפת אמר, כי המ"ם סימן למצריים, כי האחת כן מן "כנים" כמו פת מפתים, וזהו המלה כדרך "בתוך האהלי" (יהושע ז כא) ואל תתמה בעבור שאמר כל עפר הארץ היה כנים, בעבור שהכה במטה במקום אחד, כי כן היה דבר המים, ודבר השחין, כי הטעם הוא כי אז תחל המכה:

2AND THERE WERE GNATS. Kinnam (gnats) is a generic name.²¹ presents a problem. The Hebrew word for gnat is kinnah; for gnats, kinnim. Hence our verse should have read kinnim or kinnah if a collective noun were employed. The mem of kinnam is either superfluous or in place of a heh.²² (a variant of kinnah), the mem in kinnam being superfluous. He then suggests that the word for gnat is kinnah, with a mem substituted for a heh. In any case, it is not a root letter. The mem sometimes serves as the sign of the feminine plural, as in the word tzefardi’im (frogs). This term is a feminine, for when referring to the singular Scripture reads, va-ta’al ha-tzefarde’a (and the frog came up) (Ex. 8:2).²³ (came up) is a feminine verb. Thus tzefarde’a (frog), the noun which it governs, must also be feminine. Hence tzefardi’im (frogs) is a feminine plural. I.E. makes note of this because a mem suffixed to a noun usually indicates that a word is a masculine plural. The term kinnim is proof of the aforementioned.²⁴ of kinnam is not a root letter, for the plural of kinnah. is kinnim, not kinnamim According to this interpretation the word ha-kinnam is irregular because of its superfluous mem.²⁵. It is similar to the word rekam (empty) and chinnam (gratuitous).²⁶ However, Yefet says that the mem of kinnam is a pronominal suffix relating to the Egyptians.²⁷ (gnats) means their gnats, for kinnam is a combination of the noun ken (gnat) and the pronoun she-lahem (their). He claims that the singular of kinnim (gnats) is kan, in the same way that the singular of pittim (morsels) is pat (morsel). He also says that the word ha-kinnam is similar to the word ha-oholi (my tent) (Josh. 7:21).²⁸) prefixed to it. Thus prima facie, ha-kinnam cannot mean their gnats. Hence Yefet points out that we occasionally do find the definite article prefixed to a noun combined with a pronoun, as in the word ha-oholi. Do not be amazed that Scripture records that after one spot was struck, all the dust of the earth became gnats throughout all the land of Egypt.²⁹ Its meaning is that the plague then started.³⁰ did not turn to gnats the moment Aaron struck the earth. The same is true regarding the plagues of the water³¹ (Ex. 7:20). and the boils.³²

אויעשו כן. שהכו עפר הארץ:

1AND THE MAGICIANS DID SO. They struck the dust of the earth.

בלהוציא את הכנים. טעמו להולידם מהארץ כמעשה אהרן ולא יכלו:

2TO BRING FORTH GNATS. To cause the earth to bring forth gnats as Aaron did. However, they could not do so.

גוטעם להזכיר, ותהי הכנם, פעם אחרת כי גם היא היתה בחרטומים:

3[AND THERE WERE GNATS UPON MAN, AND UPON BEAST.] Scripture notes this a second time because the plague was also upon the magicians.

אויאמרו. בעבור שראו שעשו כמעשה אהרן בדבר התנין, גם במכת הדם הצפרדע, ולא יכלו עתה לעשות כאשר עשה אהרן אמרו לפרעה לא באה זאת המכה בעבור ישראל לשלחם, רק מכת אלהים היא כפי מערכת הכוכבים על מזל ארץ מצרים, כי כבר פירשתי כי פרעה לא כחש הבורא, רק השם שהזכיר לו משה, וזה כדרך "כי לא ידו נגעה בנו, מקרה הוא היה לנו" (ש"א ו ט) מן השמים, על כן חזק לב פרעה, ואשר יחזק זה הפי', שאמרו אצבע אלהים היא, ולא אמרו אצבע ד' שהוא אלהי ישראל, כאשר אמר פרעה במכת הצפרדעים, העתירו אל ד' (למעלה פ' ד') וזה השם הזכיר במכות האחרונות, ועוד כי משה אמר לפרעה דבר מכת היאור לפני היותה, וככה מכת הצפרדעים, ולא הזכיר לו בתחלה מכת הכנים:

1THEN THE MAGICIANS SAID. When the magicians saw that unlike the changing of the rod into a serpent and the plague of blood and frogs where they were able to duplicate Aaron’s actions they were now unable to imitate what Aaron had done, they said to Pharaoh that this plague did not come to liberate Israel but was a disaster sent by God in keeping with the arrangements of the stars dealing with Egypt’s fortune. I have previously explained that Pharaoh did not deny the existence of a Creator.³³ He only denied the existence of the God which Moses revealed to him. Our verse is explained by, it is not His hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us (I Sam. 6:9) from heaven. Hence Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. Our interpretation is supported by the fact that the magicians said, This is the finger of God, and not, this is the finger of the Lord, meaning the God of Israel, as Pharaoh did when he exclaimed, Entreat the Lord, with regard to the plague of frogs and then similarly used this term for God in the latter plagues.³⁴) rather than Elohim (God) for the Deity. Adonai is the Lord’s proper name. Elohim is a generic name and in the Bible often refers to idols. Furthermore, Moses told Pharaoh that the Nile would be stricken before it was actually plagued, and he likewise informed him that the land would be inundated by frogs before they appeared. However, Moses did not inform Pharaoh that a plague of gnats was about to strike.³⁵

אויאמר. מנהג המלכים לצאת בבקר אל הנהר, כי ראות המים טוב לעינים:

1AND THE LORD SAID. It is the custom of kings to go out to the river in the morning, for it is good for the eyes to see water.

אמשליח. מלה זרה מהבנין הכבד הנוסף:

1I WILL SEND. The word mashli’ach (I will send) is in the hifil. It is irregular.³⁶ in the pi’el.

בומלת ערוב חיות רעות מעורבות כמו אריות זאבים ודובים ונמרים:

2[SWARMS OF FLIES.] The word arov (swarms of flies) refers to a mixture of evil beasts such as lions, wolves, bears, and leopards.³⁷, translated by J.P.S. as swarms of flies, comes from the root ayin, resh, bet, meaning to mingle. According to I.E. it means a mixture of wild animals.

גוטעם גם האדמה מקום שאין בתים שם:

3[AND ALSO THE GROUND.] Uninhabited places.

אוהפליתי. יש אומרים שהוא חסר אל"ף, והנכון שהוא מבעלי הה"א וטעמו וְאַפְרֵשׁ, ומדרך הסברא עתה החל פרעה להקל מעבודת ישראל, כאשר ראה שהפריש השם בין ישראל ובין מצרים פחד לעשות להם רעה כי צורך יש לו לשלחם לזבוח פן יפגענו בדבר, הלא תראה כי עתה נתן להם רשות לזבוח בארץ:

1AND I WILL SET APART. Some say that the word ve-hifleti (and I will set apart) is missing an alef.³⁸. There is no alef in ve-hifleti, hence I.E.’s comment. However, I believe that it comes from a root ending in a heh.³⁹ Hence there is no alef in ve-hifleti. The meaning of ve-hifleti is, and I will set apart. It is logical to assume that Pharaoh now started to lighten Israel’s burden. When he saw that the Lord put a division between Israel and Egypt he feared to harm them. He now saw the need to send them to offer sacrifices to the Lord, lest he fall upon us with pestilence (Ex. 5:3).⁴⁰ was first uttered by the Israelites. However, it also referred to Pharaoh. See I.E.’s comment on Ex. 5:3. Don’t you see that he now gave them permission to sacrifice to the Lord in the land of Egypt?⁴¹

בוטעם כי אני ד' בקרב הארץ, דרך משל כמנהג המלכים לעמוד באמצע מלכותם להיות קרוב אל הקצוות כאשר ברא השם לב האדם, שהוא מלך על כל הגוף באמצע ורוח האדם באמצע הגוף, ככתוב "ויוצר רוח אדם בקרבו" (זכרי' יב א) ועל זה ראיות רבות מן התולדות, על כן כתוב "מציון מכלל יופי אלהים הופיע" (תה' נ, ב) כי הוא באמצע היישוב ומלכות השם תראה ביישוב:

2[THAT I AM THE LORD IN THE MIDST OF THE EARTH.] This is a metaphor. It is the manner of kings to establish their residences in the middle of their kingdoms so as to be equidistant to their borders. The Lord similarly placed the heart, which is “king” over man’s body, in the center of the human corporeal frame. Man’s spirit too is located in the center of the body, as it is written, And (the Lord) formed the spirit of man in the midst of him (Zech. 12:1).⁴² There are many proofs from nature that this is so. Scripture states, Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined forth (Ps. 50:2) because Zion is in the center of the inhabited world and God’s presence is seen in the inhabited world.⁴³

אושמתי פדות. כטעם הפרש, וכל פדיון קרוב מזה הטעם:

1AND I WILL PUT A DIVISION. The meaning of pedut is a division. The word pidyon (redemption) is always similar in meaning.⁴⁴ and pidyon come from the root peh, dalet, heh.

אויעש. למחרתו כאשר דבר משה:

1AND THE LORD DID SO. On the morrow, as Moses had spoken.⁴⁵

בוטעם ויבא ערב כבד מעצמו, וזו המכה היתה קשה מהראשונות.:

2[AND THERE CAME GRIEVOUS SWARMS.] By themselves.⁴⁶ of beasts (or flies). The Pentateuch tells us that a grievous swarm came. Hence I.E. notes that the grievous swarm came of itself; i.e., it was worse than what Moses threatened (Krinsky). That is, they were more numerous and/or more harmful. This plague was worse than any of the previous plagues.

אויקרא. התברר לפרעה כי המכות באו בעבור שלא זבחו:

1AND PHARAOH CALLED. It was now clear to Pharaoh that the plagues came because the children of Israel did not offer sacrifices unto the Lord.

בוטעם בארץ במלכותו, ולא במקום אחר:

2[IN THE LAND.] In his kingdom and not in any other place.

אויאמר. אמר ר' ישועה, כי פי' תועבת מצרים, משה כתב כן לגנות ע"ז כי לא אמר לפרעה רק אלהי מצרים, והוא אמר כי היה אלהיהם על צורת טלה, כי היו חושבים על מזל טלה שהוא מושל בארצם, ובעבור זה לא היו אוכלים בשר ואילו היה כן, למה לא יאכלו בשר שור או בשר גדיים, ולפי דעתי כי אנשי מצרים בימי משה היו על דעת אנשי לנדיא"ה שהם יותר מחצי העולם, וכולם הם בני חם ואינם אוכלים בשר עד היום, גם דם וחלב ודג ובצים, והכלל כל דבר שיצא מן החי, והם מתעבים מי שיאכל אותם ומלאכה נמאסה בעיניהם לרעות הצאן, וכן כתוב "כי תועבת מצרים כל רועה צאן" (ברא' מו לד), ועד היום לא יניחו אדם שיאכל בשר בארצם, ואם אחד מהם יבא בארץ נכריה, יברח מכל מקום שיאכלו בו בשר, ולא יאכל כל דבר שיגע בו אוכל בשר, וכליו טמאים בעיניהם, וכן כתוב כי לא יוכלון המצרים לאכול את העברים לחם (ברא' מג לב) והנה יוסף כאשר היה בבית פוטיפר המשילו על הכל לבד על הלחם אשר הוא אוכל כי לא יגע בו בעבור שהוא עברי, ואין טעם לשאול אם כן למה היה להם מקנה, כי כן יש לאנשי לנדיא"ה, כי הסוסים והחמורים והגמלים למשא ולרכוב, והבקר לחרוש, והצאן לצמר, ועוד אדבר על זה בפסח מצרים, אמר יפת, כי תחסר ה"א ממלת "ולא יסקלונו" כי הטעם והלא יסקלונו? ולפי דעתי, כי מלת הן נזבח כה"א התימה, והנה הוא כך, הנזבח את תועבת מצרים לעיניהם ולא יסקלונו כמוהו הן היתה כזאת (ירמי' ב י):

1AND MOSES SAID. Rabbi Joshua says that the clause the abomination of the Egyptians was written to disparage idol worship. What Moses actually said to Pharaoh was, “the god of the Egyptians.” Rabbi Joshua further states that the god of Egypt was shaped like a lamb because the Egyptians believed that the constellation of the lamb ruled over their land. It is because of this that the Egyptians did not eat meat. However, if the reason for the Egyptians not eating meat was their worship of the lamb why did they also abstain from ox and goat meat? I believe that the ancient Egyptians in the time of Moses had the same belief currently held by the people of India, who make up more than half of the world. All of them are descendants of Ham.⁴⁷ They do not eat meat until this very day. These people also do not drink milk or blood or eat fish or eggs. In other words, they do not eat anything coming from a living creature. Furthermore, they abhor any person who eats any of the aforementioned. They consider shepherding to be an especially disgusting type of work. It is similarly written, for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians (Gen. 47:34). They also do not allow any meat-eating person in their country. If any of them goes to a foreign country he will flee from any place where flesh is eaten. They will not eat anything which a meat-eater has handled. They consider his very garments unclean. It is thus written, because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews (Gen. 43:32). Behold, Potiphar placed everything with the exception of the food which he ate under the care of Joseph, who was then living in his house. Potiphar would not permit him to touch his food because Joseph was a Hebrew. There is no reason to ask, “If this is so, then why did the Egyptians keep cattle?”⁴⁸ We find the same to be the case in contemporary India. Horses, asses, and camels were used to carry burdens and for riding. Cattle served to pull the plow and sheep were kept for their wool. I will yet speak on this when I discuss the Passover observed in Egypt.⁴⁹ Yefet says that an interrogative heh is missing in the phrase ve-lo yiskelunu,⁵⁰ (will they not stone us) literally means: and they will not stone us. For the clause to mean “(and) will they not stone us” it should read: ve-ha-lo yiskelunu; i e., an interrogative heh should be placed before the word lo. for its meaning is, will they not stone us.⁵¹ However, I believe that the word hen (lo) in hen nizbach (lo, we sacrifice)⁵² before the word hen (lo). J.P.S. translates: lo, if we sacrifice. has the same meaning as the interrogative heh. The meaning of our verse thus is: if we sacrifice (hen nizbach) the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? The word hen in hen hayetah ka-zot (if there hath been such a thing) (Jer. 2:10) is identical.⁵³ is in place of the interrogative heh, for the meaning of hen hayetah is: if there had been, not lo, there had been. The word hen can mean lo, behold, or if.

אדרךְ. צריכים אנו לרחוק מהמצרים:

1WE WILL GO THREE DAYS’ JOURNEY INTO THE WILDERNESS. We must remove ourselves from the Egyptians.

בוטעם כאשר יאמר אלינו, איזה מקנה נזבח וכמה נזבח ממנו:

2[AS HE SHALL COMMAND US.] Regarding the type and number of animals to be selected as sacrificial victims.

אויאמר. מלת העתירו בעדי היתה ראויה להקדים, כי הטעם העתירו בעדי ותסור זו המכה, ואז אשלח אתכם לזבוח במדבר כאשר אמרתם רק על תנאי שלא תרחיקו ללכת יותר מהשלשה ימים:

1AND PHARAOH SAID. The phrase entreat for me should have been placed at the beginning of the verse,⁵⁴ as the verse means entreat for me that this plague will be removed and I will let you go to sacrifice in the wilderness as you asked. However, this is on the condition that you go no further than three days’ journey into the desert.

אויאמר. התל. זה השורש משונה, כי היה ראוי להיות התי"ו בדגש, כי הה"א שרש, כמו "הנה לא ידעתי דַבֵּר" (ירמי' א ו), וככה התל תהתלו בי, והנכון "וַיְהַתֵּל בהם אליהו" (מ"א יח כז) ואמר לו משה כן, בעבור שאמר במכת הצפרדעים לשלח את העם ולא שלח:

1AND MOSES SAID…ONLY LET NOT PHARAOH DEAL DECEITFULLY. The word hetel (deal deceitfully) is irregular. A dagesh should have been placed in the tav, for its heh is a root letter. It should have been vocalized like the word dabber (speak) in behold, I cannot speak (Jer. 1:6).⁵⁵ is a pi’el. Hence it should follow the paradigm of dabber, which is a pi’el and should be vocalized hattel. Since the word is not so vocalized it is irregular. We find the same irregularity in hatel tehatellu vo (mock, will ye mock him) (Job 13:9).⁵⁶? Cf. Krinsky. The correct vocalization of this word is found in the clause va-yehattel ba-hem eliyahu (that Elijah mocked them) (I Kings 18:27).⁵⁷ form va-yehattel. Compare, va-yedabber. Moses said, only let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more, because he had promised to let the people go during the plague of the frogs and then didn’t.

אויצא. יש מלות בלשון הקדש שהן שוות בטעם, והם משני בנינים מהקל ומהכבד, כמו, ויעתר אל ד' והעתרתי אל ד' (פ' כה), וכמוהו אשר אנכי מורה (ש"א כ לו), והוא ירה החצי (שם), ואלה המלות שהן ככה, מועטות הן במספר:

1AND MOSES WENT OUT. There are words in Hebrew that have the same meaning in the kal and hifil. These words come in two forms with one meaning. Examples are: va-yetar (and entreated) in and entreated the Lord and ve-hatarti (and I will entreat) in and I will entreat the Lord (v. 25).⁵⁸ is a kal; ve-hatarti is a hifil. Similarly moreh (shoot) and yarah (shot) in which I shoot and he shot an arrow (I Sam. 20:36).⁵⁹ is a hifil. Yarah is a kal. However, such words are rare.

אויעש. מלת וַיָסַר זרה בדקדוק, כי הפעלים השניים לעולם האות הראשון קמוץ, כמו וַיָשִׁב וַיָקָם ואם היה האות האחרון ח' או ע' או ר' שלא ידגשו יהיה האות הראשון בפתח גדול כמו ויַנַח ביום השביעי (למטה כ יא) וַיָנַע לבבו (ישעי' ז ב) וַיָסַר אליה (שופ' ד) ואלה מהבנין הקל, כי מהבנין הכבד יהיה האות הראשון בפתח קטן אם לא היה האות האחרון אחת מהאותיות הנזכרות כמו וַיָשֶׁב את כל הרכוש (ברא' יד טז), והנה בא וַיָסַר תחת וַיָסֶר, כמו וַיָסַר את אופן מרכבותיו (למטה יד כה), ונכון הוא להיות ויסר הערוב מהבנין הקל כמו, וסר הערוב (פ' כה):

1AND THE LORD DID. The word va-yasar (and he removed) is grammatically irregular. Roots having a vav as their middle letter⁶⁰ is samekh, vav, resh. are vocalized with a kamatz beneath their first stem letter, i.e., va-yashav (and he returned)⁶¹ is shin, vav, bet. and va-yakam (and he got up).⁶² is kof, vav, mem. However, in cases where the last letter of the root cannot receive a dagesh, i.e., if it is a chet, ayin, or resh, then the first root letter is vocalized with a pattach,⁶³. as in va-yanach (and rested)⁶⁴. in and rested on the seventh day (Ex. 20:11); va-yana (was moved)⁶⁵. in and his heart was moved (Is. 7:2); va-yasar (and he turned) in And he turned in unto her (Jud. 4:18). All of the aforementioned applies to words in the kal, because in the hifil roots having a vav as their middle letter are vocalized with a segol beneath their first stem letters in cases where their roots do not end in the letters mentioned above.⁶⁶, or resh. An example of the aforementioned is va-yashev (and he brought back) in And he brought back all the goods (Gen. 14:16). Now and he removed is written va-yasar rather than va-yaser.⁶⁷. It is so written because its final root letter is a resh. Thus the hifil and the kal of this root are spelled in the same way, hence the grammatical irregularity of this root. It is like va-yasar (and he took off) in And he took off their chariot wheels (Ex. 14:25). However, it appears that va-yasar is a kal and that va-yasar he-arov (and He removed the swarms of flies) means: and the swarms of flies departed.⁶⁸ to be a hifil its meaning is, and he removed. If we interpret it as a kal its meaning is, and he (it) departed.

אויכבד פרעה. הוא חזק לבו כאשר עשה בצפרדעים שכתוב שם והכבד את לבו (למעלה פ' יא):

1AND PHARAOH HARDENED HIS HEART. He hardened his heart as he did at the plague of the frogs wherein it is written: he hardened his heart (v. 11).