Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 9:3/אבן עזרא על שמות ט׳:ג׳
אהנה יד ד' הויה. הנה מצאנו שיתחלף היו"ד בוי"ו, ואתה הוה להם למלך (נחמיה ו ו) והפך זה שוי"ו אשר לא יבושו קוָֹי (ישעי' מט כג) יתחלף ביו"ד וקוֵֹי ד' יחליפו כח (שם מ לא) :
1BEHOLD, THE HAND OF THE LORD IS UPON. Observe, we find that a yod interchanges with a vav,19 (is). as elsewhere we read, and thou wouldest be (hoveh) their king (Neh. 6:6).20 is the usual form. Hence in hoyah a yod has been interchanged with a vav. The opposite is the case with the vav of kovai (that wait for me)21. in For they shall not be ashamed that wait for Me (Is. 49:23) which interchanges with a yod in the word ve-kove (but they that wait)22 is spelled kof, vav, yod. This comment presents a problem. Prima facie, no yod has been interchanged for a vav in kove, because this is the normal construct form of the word. Compare, love (lamed, vav, heh) and shave (shin, vav, heh). We must assume that I.E. read koye rather than kove (same vocalization but different spelling). See Rabbi David Kimchi and S. Kraus, Sefer Yeshayahu, edited by A. Kahanah, on Is. 40:31. in But they that wait for the Lord shall renew their strength (Is. 40:31).
בומלת דֶבֶר שם כלל לא מצאנוהו בפעלים רק במקום אחד, ותדבר את כל זרע המלוכה (דה"ב כב י), ובס' מלכים כתוב, ותאבד (מ"ב יא א) והפי' רחוק רק לא ידענו טוב ממנו:
2The word dever (murrain) is a collective noun.23 Its verbal form24 is found employed only once, in va-tedabber (she destroyed) in she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah (II Chron. 22:10). The book of Kings25 reads, va-te’abed26 is parallel to va-te’abed. As va-te’abed means: and she destroyed, va-tedabber means: and she destroyed. (and she destroyed) (II Kings 11:1). This interpretation is far-fetched.27 means and she destroyed. Perhaps it means she plotted against, or she waylaid, as in its Arabic cognate dabbra. However, we know of no better one.28 means the same as va-te’abed.