Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 20:16/אבן עזרא על בראשית כ׳:ט״ז
אהנה הוא לך כסות עינים. י"א כי הוא רמז אל כהות עיני בנה, וזה דרך דרש והישר בעיני שיהיה כסות עינים מושך עצמו ואחר עמו כמו "אל בקצפך תוכיחני" (תהלים לח ב), ורבים אחרים, והנה הוא לך כמו מכסה עינים בעבור אברהם שהוא בעלך והטעם שלא ישא איש את עיניו אליך גם הוא כסות עינים לכל אשר אתך מהשפחות שהם נשי עבדיו ויהיה וי"ו ונוכחת בפ"א רפה בלשון ישמעאל ובמקרא אלפים כמוהו, כמו "ביום השלישי וישא אברהם את עיניו" (בראשית כב ד) וטעם ונוכחת דברי משה שלא אמרה עוד שרה על אברהם אחי הוא, והנה פי' ואת כל, ועם כל זה נתוכחה שרה, וי"א כי הנה הוא לך על הכסף לקנות מלבוש, ומלת נתתי מושכת עצמה ואחרת עמה, וכן הוא, הנה נתתי אלף כסף לאחיך לקנות לך בו מכסה כמו כסות שיהיה תאוה לעינים ונתתי לכל אשר אתך, ואת כל אשר נתתי לאברהם צאן ובקר ועבדים ושפחות, ויותר נכון להיות פי' כאשר אמרתי כי אברהם הוא כסות עינים לך ולעבדים אשר אתך שהיו לך, גם אשר נתתים גם אני:
1BEHOLD, IT IS FOR THEE A COVERING OF THE EYES. Some say that this alludes to the dimming of her son’s (Isaac’s) eyes.25 However, the latter is a Midrashic interpretation.26 15a; Baba Kama 93a), Abimelech cursed Sarah for deceiving him. The Talmud states, “Abimelech cursed Sarah and said, may your eyes be covered…The curse took effect on her seed as it is written, And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim.” I believe that the phrase kesut enayim (a covering of the eyes) is to be read as if written twice.27 can mean either he or it, Hebrew having no neuter term. I.E. translates the word hu in our verse as he and explains that it refers to Abraham. It is similar to the word not (al) in O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine anger, and chasten me in Thy wrath (Ps. 38:2).28) in Ps. 38:2 is to be read as if written twice: O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger, chasten me not in thy wrath. There are many other such examples in Scripture.29 Our verse is to be interpreted as follows: Behold, he, viz., Abraham thy husband, is for thee as a covering of the eyes, i.e., no one will dare lift up his eyes to thee.30 refers to other men’s eyes, i.e., because of Abraham it is as if other men’s eyes are covered. He is similarly a covering of the eyes to all that are with thee, namely, the handmaidens who are married to his servants.31 Furthermore, the vav of ve-nokhachat (thou are righted) is rather like the Arabic fa.32 is not a connective but is similar to the Arabic fa which serves as a particle introducing the principal part of the sentence (Friedlander). There are thousands of similar vavs in Scripture, an example being On the third day Abraham lifted up (va-yissa) his eyes (Gen. 22:4).33 of va-yissa were a connective vav, the verse would read: On the third day and Abraham lifted up his eyes. Ve-nokhachat (thou are righted) is a comment by Moses,34 (ve-et kol nokhachat) is a comment by Moses on the affair. It should be noted that I.E. interprets ve-nokhachat (thou art righted) as chastened, and ve-et kol (and before all man) as: and all, which he explains to mean, and after all this. who added that Sarah did not ever again claim that Abraham was her brother. The meaning of ve-et kol (and before all men) is: after all this; i.e., after all this Sarah was chastened.35 as: and after all of this, and after this incident, she was chastened. Netter interprets I.E. as saying: even with all this honor done to her, Sarah was chastened. If the vav of ve-nokhachat were a connective vav, the phrase would read: and after all this and she was chastened, a very awkward construction. Others explain that behold, it is for thee 36 means a garment appealing to the eyes. refers to money which Abimelech gave for the purchase of a garment, and it is the word natati (I have given) that is to be read as if written twice. The verse is to be interpreted as follows: Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver to buy thee a covering (kesut), meaning a garment, that is appealing to the eye (enayim) and I have also given gifts to all that are with thee, and I have also given Abraham sheep, cattle, man and maidservants.37 (and all). It is to be interpreted ve-et kol asher natati, plus everything that I have already given. It should be noted that this third natati is implied in ve-et kol and does not pertain to the natati which is to be taken as if written twice. However, my above quoted interpretation is better. It means that Abraham is a covering of the eyes to thee, before the servants that you had prior to coming here and before the servants that I have given you. class="footnote">According to I.E. the root of ve-nokhachat is yod, caf, chet, meaning to chasten, show (Weiser). For alternate interpretations of I.E.’s comment on this verse, see Filwarg.
בואת כל. ועם כל בני אדם הוא לך כסות עינים
2Similarly ve-et kol (and before all men) means, and before all men Abraham is your covering of the eyes.38 refers to Abraham.
גונוכחת דברי משה ויעמוד טעם הוי"ו במקומו והגאון אמר שהוא מן נוכח ואין דבריו נכוחים:
3According to this interpretation only ve-nokhachat (and she was chastened)39 are the words of Moses. Hence the vav of ve-nokhachat is a connective vav as it is normally. Saadiah Gaon says that ve-nokhachat comes from nokhach (in front of).40, meaning in front of; i.e., you are now able to stand before anyone without shame (Weiser, Cherez). However, he is wrong.41<i