Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 12:19/אבן עזרא על בראשית י״ב:י״ט
אוטעם ואקח אותה לי לאשה. שלקחה להיותה אשתו ולשכב עמה, והשם הביא עליו נגעים שלא יגע בה והנגעים שלחם השם לשמור אשת אוהבו והיו הנגעים גדולים ולא יכול לגעת בה וכמוהו "וחשקת בה ולקחת לך לאשה" (דברים כא, י) ואמר אחר כן "והבאת אל תוך ביתך וגלחה" (שם פ' יב), "ואחר כן תבא אליה ובעלתה" (שם פ' יג),
1[SO I TOOK HER TO BE MY WIFE.] This indicates that Pharaoh took her to be his wife, to sleep with her. God brought plagues upon him to prevent him from touching her. The Lord sent these plagues to protect the wife of the one whom he loved. The plagues were so severe that Pharaoh was unable to touch Sarah. The following is analogous: When thou goest forth to battle against thine enemies…and seest among the captives a woman of goodly form, and thou hast a desire unto her, and takest her to thee to wife. The Bible then says, then thou shalt bring her home to thy house; and she shall shave her head. It then concludes, and after that thou mayest go in unto her (Deut. 21:10-13).42 which implies that Pharaoh had intercourse with Sarah. Hence I.E. points out that Scripture is merely relating Pharaoh’s intentions; i.e., he took her to be his wife but God intervened before he had a chance to sleep with her. I.E. quotes Deut 21:10 where “and thou takest her to wife” similarly does not mean “and sleeps with her” because one cannot have intercourse with a captive woman until certain procedures described in Deut. 21 are first undergone.
בוקמצות וי"ו ולך בעבור שהטעם הנקרא ענין מוכרת וכן "לחם וָיָיִן" (בראשית יד יח):
2[AND GO THY WAY.] The vav of va-lekh (and go thy way) is vocalized with a kamatz43 would ordinarily be vocalized with a sheva. because it is prefixed to a word with a cantillical note that ends a phrase. The vav of va-yayin (and wine) in bread and wine (Gen. 14:18) is similar.