Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 11:1/אבן עזרא על בראשית י״א:א׳
אשפה אחת. בפתח קטן תחת האל"ף כשהוא מוכרת, ואם הוא נסמך יבא בפתח גדול ובספר הדקדוק בארתי למה חסר דל"ת אחת והפלגה היתה נראת משקו, הדעת כי אחר מאת שנה אחר המבול היתה ונקרא פלג כי בעת הולדו נפלגה הארץ כתרגום ארמית חצי וכמוהו פלגי מים (תהלים א ג), הם חלקי המים שהנהר יחולק וכן "אי כבוד" (ש"א ד כא) גם "עמנואל" (ישעי' ז יד) שהוא בן הנביא גם דברי סדר עולם נכונים ועליו נסמוך ואם כן הוא היה אברהם מבוני המגדל ואל תתמה, כי נח ושם הי' שם, כי לא מת שם, עד שהיה יעקב אבינו בן חמשים שנה ויותר וטעם שפה אחת לשון אחת, והקרוב אלי שהיה לשון הקדש ושם אדם וחוה, וקין גם שת ופלג לעדים,
1ONE LANGUAGE. When the word one in the feminine is in the absolute it is vocalized with a segol beneath the alef (echat). However, when it is in the construct it is vocalized with a pattach beneath the alef (achat). In my book on grammar I have explained why the dalet is missing in the feminine word for one.1; hence the feminine should be achdat. A logical reading of Scripture indicates that the dispersion took place one hundred years after the flood, and that Peleg, which means divided, was so named because at the time of his birth the earth was divided (Gen. 10:25).2 Peleg is similar to palga, the Aramaic word for half. Palge (rivers) in rivers of water (palge mayim) (Ps. 119:136) is identical. It refers to the branches into which the river divides. The names given to Ichabod (I Sam. 4:21)3 (I Sam. 4:21). and Immanuel,4 (Is. 7:14). who was the son of the prophet Isaiah (Is. 7:14), are similar. Nevertheless, the words of the Seder Olam are also correct, and we will rely upon them.5, Chap. 1. If this is so, then Abraham was one of the builders of the tower of Babel.6, Abraham was 48 years old when the dispersion took place (Chap. 1). Abraham was a descendant of Peleg. If Peleg was born at the time of the dispersion, this would of course preclude Abraham’s being at the tower of Babel. However, if Peleg was so named because the dispersion took place at the end of his life, which consisted of 239 years (v. 18 and 19), then by computing the years listed in verses 18-26 we conclude that Abraham was 48 years old at the time of the building of the tower of Babel. The computation is as follows: Peleg was born 239 years before the dispersion since the latter took place at the end of his life. Peleg was 30 when he begat Reu. Reu was 32 when he begat Serug. Serug was 30 when he begat Nahor. Nahor was 29 when he begat Terah. Terah was 70 when he begat Abraham. We thus have a total of 191. Two hundred thirty-nine minus 191 is 48. Hence Abraham was 48 at the time of the dispersion. Do not be amazed at this,7 for Noah and Shem were also there.8 Indeed, Shem didn’t die till Jacob was over fifty.9, Chap. 1, Jacob studied Torah with Shem for 50 years. The meaning of safah echat is one language. It appears to me that the one language was Hebrew. Proof of this are the names Adam, Eve, Cain, Seth and Peleg.10
בוטעם דברים אחדים בעבור שימצא היום בכל לשון דברים שלא יבינום כל אנשי הלשון ובימים ההם דברי חכם וכסיל היו אחדים והם רבים מגזרת אחד
2[AND OF ONE SPEECH.] Unlike today, when there are words which not everybody speaking a given language will understand, the learned and the ignorant in those days spoke alike.Achadim (one) is the plural of echad.11 has the meaning of few. Cf. Gen. 27:44, yamim achadim (a few days). I.E. emphasizes that here it means one.