Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 9:16/אבן עזרא על שמות ט׳:ט״ז
אואולם בעבור זאת העמדתיך. פי' מה טעם זאת והוא בעבור הראותך את כחי, וכמוהו ומתוכה כעין החשמל מתוך האש (יחז' א ד), ויפת אמר בעבור זאת המכה שהיא מכת הברד:
1BUT IN VERY DEED FOR THIS CAUSE58 HAVE I MADE THEE TO STAND. Scripture goes on to explain the meaning of zot (this). It means to show thee My power.59, i.e., to show thee My power, and that My name my be declared throughout all the worlds have I allowed thee to exist. And out of the midst thereof as the color of electrum, out of the midst of the fire (Ezek. 1:4) is similar. However, Yefet says that its meaning is, for this plague,60 is short for this plague. the reference being to the plague of hail.61
בוטעם ולמען ספר שמי איננו שב אל פרעה רק מלת ספר שם הפועל, כמו, כי כבד אכבדך (במד' כב יז) ואין הטעם שפרעה ישוטט בעולם לספר כבוד השם, רק יסופר שמו בכל דור ודור בעבור אלה האותות שעשה:
2[AND THAT MY NAME MAY BE DECLARED THROUGHOUT ALL THE EARTH.] This does not refer to Pharaoh.62 is used both for the imperative and the infinitive. If it is taken as an imperative then it is Pharaoh who is being addressed, and our verse should be interpreted as follows: and that thou shalt declare My name throughout all the earth. On the contrary, the word sapper (be declared) is an infinitive like the word kabbed (promote)63, like sapper, is used for both the imperative and the infinitive. in for I will promote thee unto very great honor (Num. 22:17). Its meaning is not that Pharaoh will go all over the world to declare God’s glory, but rather that God’s name would be declared from generation to generation because of the signs which He performed.64, which take sapper as an infinitive. Targum Jonathan translates, u-min bi-gelal de-tini shemi kadisha be-khol arah (and so that thou shall declare My holy name all over the earth). Also see the Mekhilta, Ex. 6, wherein we read:”…There remained not so much as one of them (Ex. 14:28)…Rabbi Nahman says, excluding Pharaoh, for concerning him it says, But in very deed for this cause, etc.” That is, that thou shalt declare My name all over the earth. Also Rashi on Ex. 12:29 interprets sapper as an imperative. Rashi comments, “Pharaoh too was a first-born but he remained alive out of all the first-born. Concerning him Scripture states, But in very deed for this cause, etc.”