Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 17:1/אבן עזרא על בראשית י״ז:א׳
אאל שדי. שם התואר וטעמו תקיף וכן "כקול שדי" (יחז' א כד) "והיה שרי בצריך" (איוב כב כה), כי טעמו כטעם "ושית על עפר בצר" (שם כב כד), ושַדָי על משקל לבי דוי (איכה א כב, ורבים פירשוהו מגזרת שודד שהוא מנצח ומתגבר, וטעם להזכיר השם הזה בפרשה הזאת לירא אברם וימול, והנכון כי השם הנכבד והנורא נקרא כנגדו וזה שם התואר כנגד המעשה, כי העולם עומד על אלה שני השמות, והמבין סוד השם יאמין:
1GOD ALMIGHTY. Shaddai is an adjective meaning mighty. Shaddai in like a mighty voice (ke-kol shaddai)1 is an adjective meaning mighty. (Ezek. 1:24) is similar. Also, Shaddai in And mighty will be thy silver2 by kesef (silver). And mighty will be thy silver means you will have a great amount of money. (shaddai betzarekha) (Job 22:25) is similar because the word betzarekha (thy silver) has the same meaning as the word betzer (silver) in And lay thy treasure (or silver) (betzer) in the dust3) will be thy silver. Thus Shaddai is an adjective meaning mighty (Job 22:24). The word Shaddai follows the paradigm of davvai (faint), in And my heart is faint (davvai) (Lam. 1:22). Many derive Shaddai from the same root as shoded (overpowering),4) define shoded as: deals violently with, despoils, devastates, ruins. Cf. Jer. 6:26. Thus shoded has the connotation of overpowering. In keeping with the concept of I.E., but more important out of respect to God, we have translated shoded as overpowering. meaning, He is victorious and overpowering. The reason God used this name at this time was to impress upon Abraham the fear of God so that he would circumcise himself. The correct interpretation of the divine names is as follows: Shaddai is an adjective describing God’s power over creation. The Tetragrammaton, God’s revered and awesome name, stands in contrast to it. The world exists by virtue of these two names.5 emphasizes His power over creation. Thus these two names stand opposite each other; i.e., these names teach that there is an Eternal God who created all (Tetragrammaton) and has the power over all (Shaddai). Furthermore, on a more “practical” level it is via the Tetragrammaton that the world was created, and via the name Shaddai that nature is overcome. Others comment that the Tetragrammaton stands for creation and Shaddai, for destroying or limiting the creation (Krinsky). See I.E.’s comment on Ex. 3:15, 6:3. Whoever understands the secret of God’s name will accept my interpretation.
בוהיה תמים שלא תשאל למה המילה:
2AND BE THOU WHOLE-HEARTED. Do not question the reason for circumcision.