Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 18:1/אבן עזרא על בראשית י״ח:א׳
אוירא. הנה קצת אמרו, כי השם ג' אנשים, הוא אחד, והוא נ' ולא יתפרדו והנה שכחו "ויבאו שני המלאכים סדומה" (בראשית יט א), ומפרשים אמרו שהשם נראה אליו במראות נבואה ואחר כן נשא עיניו וראה ג' מלאכים האחד בא לבשר שרה והשנים הלכו לסדום, האחד להשחית והשני להציל את לוט
1AND THE LORD APPEARED. Behold, a few say that God is three men: He is one and He is three and they are inseparable.1 refers to the Christians. Filwarg disagrees. He insists that I.E. is merely saying that God’s revelation took the form of three angels appearing to Abraham. One can argue on behalf of Krinsky that the Christians did use this verse as “proof” of their doctrine of trinity. And indeed, I.E.’s language seems to support Krinsky. On the other hand, would I.E. refer to the Christians as a few say, thereby giving some credence to their trinitarian interpretation? Furthermore, Rashbam accepts this interpretation minus, of course, its trinitarian aspects. Commenting on this verse, Rashbam says, And the Lord appeared to him. How? Three men who were angels came to him. Thus Rashbam interprets this verse in a way similar to the phrase a few say quoted by I.E. Hence a few say may very well refer to a Jewish interpretation. However, it should be noted that Saadiah Gaon, in rejecting the doctrine of trinity, writes, “Others (finally) conjecturing about the implication of the passage, And the Lord appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre (Gen. 18:1), declare that the thing that appeared to Abraham and was designated by this name was a trinity because Scripture later on explicitly states: And, lo, three men stood over against him (Gen. 18:2). Let me explain, then, that these are more ignorant (than the opinions concerning God’s essence previously refuted) because they did not wait until they reached the end of the passage. For had they had patience until they heard the verse: And the men turned from thence, and went toward Sodom; but Abraham stood yet before the Lord (Gen. 18:22), they would have realized that the men had departed while the light of God remained stationary with Abraham, who was in its presence. The thought therefore that God was identical with these men is completely refuted” (The Book of Beliefs and Opinions, Rosenblat translation, p. 108). Reading Ibn Ezra’s comments side by side with that of Saadiah seems to leave no doubt that both deal with the same group, the Christians. Indeed, it seems that Saadiah was the source of I.E.’s comments. They forget that Scripture expressly states, And the two angels came to Sodom at even.2 state that the three are inseparable. However, the commentaries tell us3 (commentators) is used to indicate that what they say is acceptable in contrast to the first ones quoted who are not even deemed Biblical commentators. See preceding notes. that God first appeared to Abraham in a vision after which Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw three angels.4 One came to bring happy tidings to Sarah5 and the other two went on to Sodom, one to destroy it and one to save Lot.
בופי' ויאכלו כי נאכל הלחם, כטעם "אשר תאכל האש" (ויקרא ו ג),
2The meaning of And they did eat6 (v. 8) is that the bread was consumed.7 Eaten, in our verse, has the same meaning as the identical word in whereto the fire hath eaten (consumed) (Lev. 6:3).