Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 2:8/אבן עזרא על בראשית ב׳:ח׳
אויטע, וכבר נטע גן במקום שנקרא עדן, מפאת מזרח, ועתה שם בו האדם, ופי' גן בעדן גן אלהים, הבי"ת משרת עצמו ואחר עמו בעדן בגן אלהים, וכמוהו מאל אביך ויעזרך (בראשית מט כה) ורבים אחרים,
1AND THE LORD GOD PLANTED. God had previously planted a garden in the eastern section of the world in a place called Eden. He now placed the man there.26 (planted) is a pluperfect. The bet of be-eden (in Eden) in in Eden the garden of God (Ezek. 28:13) governs not only Eden but also garden.27). However, in Ezek. 28:13 the Bible states, in Eden the garden of God. The former implies that the garden is located in Eden, the latter that Eden is located in the garden, hence I.E.’s comment (Filwarg). Its meaning thus is, in Eden, in the garden of God. Even by the God (me’el) of thy father, who shall help thee and by (ve-et) the Almighty, who shall bless thee28 of me’el is also to be placed before ve’et and it is to be read as if written u-me’et. Thus this verse is to be rendered: Even by the God (me’el) of thy father who shall help thee, and even by (u-me’et) the Almighty who shall bless thee. (Gen. 49:25) is similar. There are many other such instances in Scripture.29 (or moshekh) atzmo ve-acher immo. Friedlander explains this phrase as follows: “one word which stands for two” (literally, the word draws itself and another with it).
בוה"א "האדם" יש לו סוד", גם נמצא "שבט המנשה" (דבר' ג יג), "הארוני, היבוסי", (ש"ב כד טז) וגם יתכן להיותו כן, בעבור שהוא שם נחצב מהאדמה והוא יהיה שם עצם ושם תואר:
2[THE MAN.] There is a secret meaning as to why the definite article has been placed in front of Adam.30 The definite article is also found prefixed to Menasheh in the half tribe of Manasseh (shevet ha-menasheh)31 (Deut. 3:13) and before the word Araunah in of Araunah the Jebusite (II Sam. 24:16).32 is a collective noun. It is also possible that the definite article is placed before Adam because the word adam is derived from the word used for ground (adamah). Hence the name Adam may be a proper name or an adjective.33