Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 19:16/אבן עזרא על בראשית י״ט:ט״ז

אואתמה מהפירוש שחבר בן אפרים שאמר כי ויתמהמה מגזרת מה, והנה שכח כי שני הההי"ן מפיקין, רק הוא לשון עכוב ושרשו משולש והפ"א כפול:

1[BUT HE LINGERED.] I am amazed by Ben Ephraim’s²⁵ commentary. He claims that va-yitmahmah (but he lingered) is derived from the same root as mah (what).²⁶, i.e., what do you want from me, why are you rushing me? Cf. Luzzato’s commentary on Gen. 19:25. However, he seems to have forgotten that both hehs of va-yitmahmah are pointed.²⁷ is silent in mah (what). However, it is pointed in va-yitmahmah (but he lingered). I.E.’s comment is difficult. Only the last heh in va-yitmahmah is pointed. Filwarg explains that what I.E. means is that the first heh has a sheva beneath it, while the final heh has a mapik. Hence va-yitmahmah cannot be derived from mah. In reality va-yitmahmah means lingered. It comes from a triliteral root²⁸. This root means to linger. with the first letter written twice.²⁹ is written twice in the word va-yitmahmah.

בויחזיקו. יבאר שפחד ואין בו כח לברוח,

2AND THE MEN LAID HOLD UPON HIS HAND. The verse notes that Lot was overcome with fear and had no strength to flee on his own.