Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 9:31/אבן עזרא על שמות ט׳:ל״א
אוטעם והפשתה והשעורה נכתה, זה לא ישוב ולא אתפלל לרפאם והנה הטעם קודם שתיראון ותודה ותאמר ד' הצדיק כבר הוכתה הפשתה והשעורה וזה הוי"ו נכון בלשון ישמעאל כאשר הזכרתי, ולפי דעתי כי תחסר מלה אחת טרם אפרוש כפי אתם יריאים את השם אתה ועבדיך וזה דרך מוסר והטעם שבסור המכה תמרדו על כן כתוב אחריו ויכבד לבו הוא ועבדיו (פ' לד) ולא תמצא כן במקום אחר:
1The meaning of And the flax and the barley were smitten102 is, the flax and barley shall not return103 and I shall not pray for their recovery.104 Behold, its meaning is,105 before you fear God and confess and say the Lord is righteous,106 the barley and flax shall already be smitten. This vav,107. This seems to indicate that, contra Saadiah Gaon, the verse introduces a new topic and is not dependent on verse 30. If it were, it should read, ki terem tire’un mepene Adonai Elohim ha-pishtah ve-hase’orah nu-katah (but before you will fear the Lord God, the flax and the barley will be smitten). The fact that it opens with ve-ha-pishtah (and the barley) shows that verse 31 is an independent verse. The same applies to the vav that opens verse 32. as I have noted, is correctly used according to the Arabic.108 at the beginning of a verse does not always introduce an independent clause. See I.E. on verse 21 and the notes thereto. However, in my opinion109 means before. However, he does not see any need to connect and interpret the verses as Saadiah does. a word110 (I spread) kapai (my hands). has been omitted,111 its interpretation being: before I spread my hands you will fear the Lord, viz., you and your servants. Moses was being polite. Its implication is, when the plague is removed you will rebel. Therefore Scripture notes afterwards, and (Pharaoh) hardened his heart, he and his servants. We do not find this in any other place.112
בוהפשתה והשעורה. ספר הכתוב מה שאירע, והנה התברר ממלת נֻכָתָה גם נֻכו (פ' לב) כי שרש מכה, נכה, כמו ושֻפו עצמותיו לא רֻאו (איוב לג כא):
2AND THE FLAX AND THE BARLEY. Scripture relates what happened.113 It is clear from the word nukkatah (were smitten) and also from the word nukku (were smitten) (v. 32)114 and nukku are third person pu’als. Their root is nun, kaf, heh. In the verb makkeh, which is a hifil, the nun is missing. that the root of makkeh (smite) is nun, kaf, heh. It is similar to the words shuppu (corrode) and ru’u115, as are nukku and nukkatah. Hence their nuns are not nifal form nuns but root letters (Krinsky). (unsightliness) in And his bones corrode to unsightliness (Job 33:21).