Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 8:20/אבן עזרא על שמות ח׳:כ׳
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.