Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 18:14/אבן עזרא על בראשית י״ח:י״ד

אומלת היפלא. היעלם וכן עשה פלא (שמות טו יא) וי"א איננו דבר פלא בעיני השם לעשות כן ואלו היה כן, לא היה מ"ם דבק עם השם:

1[IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?] Ha-yippale (is it too hard) means is it hidden.³⁶ (is anything too hard for the Lord) means is anything hidden from God. Cf. Rashi, “is anything too hidden…or concealed from me, that I cannot do it.” Fele (hidden things) in oseh fele (doing hidden things) (Ex. 15:11)³⁷ is similar. Others say the meaning of ha-yippale me-adonai davar is: it is not a wonder in God’s eyes to do such a thing.³⁸ to mean: is anything wondrous from God? However, if this were so, then a mem would not be prefixed to God’s name.³⁹. Me-adonai means from God, and cannot imply, in God’s eyes. Otherwise Scripture would have written, la-adonai, meaning: is anything wondrous to the Lord? “Wondrous from” is not used in Hebrew. Therefore the correct meaning of our phrase is: is anything hidden from the Lord?