Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 11:6/אבן עזרא על בראשית י״א:ו׳
אויאמר ד' הן עם אחד. זה הדבר אמר למלאכים וזה טעם וירד וטעמו יָרַד, בעבור שאמר כן,
1AND THE LORD SAID: BEHOLD, THEY ARE ONE PEOPLE. God said this to the angels. This took place before And the Lord came down. Its meaning is: And the Lord came down because he said, Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, etc.24 (Filwarg). In other words, verse 5 belongs after verse 7 (Cherez). Our translation follows Filwarg who reads terem in place of ta’am.
בעם אחד שיש להם דת אחת כי בהשתנות הדתות תתחדש הקנאה והשנאה גם כן בהשתנות הלשון על כן צוה מלך מדי ופרס "ומדבר כלשון עמו" (אסתר, א, כב)
2ONE PEOPLE. They have one religion. Different religions create jealousy and hatred among people. The same is true with regard to different languages. That is why the king of Persia and Media commanded that every man should bear rule in his own house, and speak according to the language of his people (Es. 1:22).25 The heh of hachillam (what they begin) is vocalized with a pattach because of the chet which follows it.
גונפתח ד"א "הַחִלָם" בפתח גדול בעבור החי"ת שהוא אחריו וכן החלותי (דבר' ב לא)
3The heh should have been vocalized with a chataf pattach as is the rule concerning all double roots in the hifil perfect. The heh of hachiloti (I have begun) (Deut. 2:31) is similarly vocalized.
דומלת יבצר כמו ימנע וכמוהו "ערים בצורות" (דברים ג ה) וזה הטעם אם אעזבם ויחשבו שיוכלו לעשות כל חפצם
4[WITHHOLDEN.] Yibbatzer means will be withholden. Betzurot (fortified) in fortified (betzurot) cities (Deut. 3:5)27 is like it. The meaning of our verse is: If I permit them to go on, they will think that they can do whatever they wish.
הומלת "יזמו" כמו זממו והם שני שרשים:
5[THEY PURPOSE.] Yazemu (they purpose) has the same meaning as zamemu (devised).28 comes from the root yod, zayin, mem; zamemu from the root, zayin, mem, mem. However, they come from different roots.