Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 24/אבן עזרא על בראשית כ״ד
אוד' ברך את אברהם בכל. באורך ימים ועושר וכבוד ובנים, וזו כל חמדת האדם ודרש שבתו היתה שמה בכל צריך להוסיף בי"ת משרת:
1AND THE LORD HAD BLESSED ABRAHAM IN ALL THINGS. With length of days, wealth, honor and sons, these being all the things that men desire to have. If the interpretation that Abraham had a daughter named Bakkol1 (in all things). According to the Talmud ba-kol is a proper noun. Cf. Baba Batra 16b, “He (Abraham) had a daughter named Bakkol.” were correct, then Scripture should have read: and the Lord blessed Abraham “with” Bakkol.2 is a proper noun then the preposition “with” is missing. Rather than reading ba-kol, the verse should have read, be-vakkol (with Bakkol).
אשים נא ידך תחת ירכי. יש אומר רמז למילה ואילו היה כן היה נשבע בברית המילה ולא בשם, והקרוב אלי שהיה משפט בימים ההם לשום אדם ידו תחת ירך מי שהוא ברשותו והטעם אם אתה ברשותי שים נא ידך תחת ירכי, והאדון יושב והירך על היד, כטעם הנה ידי תחת רשותך לעשות רצונך, וזה המשפט עדיין בארץ הודו:
1PUT, I PRAY THEE, THY HAND UNDER MY THIGH. Some say that my thigh alludes to Abraham’s circumcised member.3 38b and Rashi. However, if this were the case, then Abraham should have made him swear by the covenant of circumcision, and not by the Lord.4 I believe that it was customary in those days for a person to place his hand under the thigh of his master, its meaning being, “If you are subject to my authority, place your hand under my thigh.” The lord then sat on his servant’s hand. By doing so the servant, as it were, said to the master, “My hand is under your authority to do your will.” This custom is still followed in India.
אוטעם אלהי השמים ואלהי הארץ. במקום הזה, כי בת פלוני לפלוני בארץ מן השמים, והוא סוד:
1[THE GOD OF HEAVEN AND THE GOD OF THE EARTH.] God is so described in our verse because it is ordained in heaven who here on earth will be united in matrimony. This thing is a secret.5
בהכנעני. כלל לעשתי עשר גוים:
2OF THE CANAANITES. This includes all of the eleven Canaanite peoples.
אכי אל ארצי. זאת חרן שדר שם:
1BUT THOU SHALT GO UNTO MY COUNTRY. To Haran where he had once dwelt.6
במולדתי. אור כשדים:
2AND TO MY KINDRED. Ur of the Chaldees.7
אאולי. ימצא על טעמים רבים, וכן "אולי יעשה זרים" (הושע ח ז)
1PERADVENTURE. Ulai (peradventure) has many meanings in Scripture.8 If so (ulai) be it yield, strangers shall swallow it up (Hos. 8:7), is similar.
בנפתח ה"א הֶהָשֵב בפתח קטן בעבור שיש ה"א הבנין קמוץ, ואילו נפתח בפתח גדול היה כבד על הלשון:
2The heh of he-hashev (must I needs bring back) is vocalized with a segol9 interrogative (heh ha-she’elah) is generally vocalized with a chataf pattach, a furtive pattach. Before heh, alef, chet, ayin it is vocalzed with a pattach. However, here in he-hashev it is vocalized with a segol, hence I.E.’s comment. because the heh 10 vocalized with a long kamatz, the heh interrrogative is vocalized with a segol, hence the vocalization he-hashev. of the hifil which follows it is vocalized with a kamatz.11 comes from the root shin, vav, bet. The heh of hashev is the sign of the hifil. If the first heh of he-hashev were vocalized with a pattach, it would be difficult to pronounce both hehs in succession.12 preceding heh, alef, chet, ayin vocalized with a long kamatz were to be vocalized with a pattach, it would be hard to pronounce both hehs in succession. Therefore it is vocalized with a segol.
אכל השמר מלעיל מלשון שמירה. ואשר מלרע לשון שמרים, כמו "השמר והשקט" (ישעי' ז ד) כטעם "ושקט הוא על שמריו" (ירמי' מח יא):
1[BEWARE.] When the word hishamer (beware) is penultimately accented it is related to the word shemirah (watching, guarding).13 is penultimately accented it means be on guard, beware. This is the usual meaning of hishamer in Scripture. Cf. Deut. 8:11. However, when it is ultimately accented it is related to the word shemarim (lees).14 is accented on the last syllable. Compare, hishamer (keep calm) in Keep calm (hishamer), and be quiet (Is. 7:4), which has the same basic meaning as shemarav (his lees) in And he hath settled on his lees (shemarav) (Jer. 48:11).
אהוא ישלח מלאכו. תפלה, ואלו היתה נבואה, למה אמר ואם לא תאבה האשה:
1HE WILL SEND HIS ANGEL BEFORE THEE. This is a prayer. If it were a prophecy Abraham would not have said, And if the woman be not willing to follow thee (v. 8).15
אלא תשב שמה. שיעמוד בארץ ישראל וטעם לא תשב, בעבור אברהם שהוא העיקר:
1THOU SHALT NOT BRING MY SON BACK THITHER. He must remain in the land of Israel. Abraham said, thou shalt not bring my son back 16 ? One cannot bring back what was never there. Abraham should have said: thou shalt not bring my son thither. because he (Abraham) was the root.17 (Deut. 6:21). If our ancestors were there it is as if their children were there (Krinsky).
אויברך הגמלים. הבריכם על ברכיהם:
1AND HE MADE THE CAMELS TO KNEEL DOWN. He made them kneel upon their knees.18 (and he made kneel) is a denominative of berekh (knee) (Weiser).
אהקרה נא לפני. כטעם הכן הפצי לפני, וכן "כי הקרה ד' אלהיך" (בראשית כז כ):
1SEND ME, I PRAY THEE. Its meaning is, prepare for me what I desire.19 Because the Lord thy God sent me (Gen. 27:20) is similar.20
אאותה הוכחת. נסמך העבד על תפלת הנביא שהשם ענהו, והוכיח בחלום על יד המלאך שהוא שליח השם לעזרו, והעבד חשב בלבו כי אין עם נדיב כמו משפחת אדוניו ורבים יתמהו באמרם שלא שאל כהוגן, ולא ידעתי למה, כי אילו היתה נערה אחרת שתשקהו ותשקה לגמליו, ומצאה שהיא ממשפחה אחרת היה עוזב אותה ולא הפסיד כלום, כי ויאמר בת מי את, פירושו וכבר אמר לה קודם שיתן לה כלום, וכן אמר ואשאל אותה, ואשים הנזם וכלל הדבר שהתפלל לשם שיוכיח אחת ממשפחת אדוניו, וההוכחה שתעשה דרך מוסר, כמו בת נדיב והשם שמע תפלתו ודרך יהונתן אחרת:
1SHE THAT THOU HAST APPOINTED. The servant relied on the efficacy of the prophet’s21 prayer.22 implies that God had already chosen a bride for Isaac. How did the servant know this? I.E. suggests that the servant believed that God had accepted Abraham’s prayer (Krinsky). Or I.E.’s point is that the servant did not set up a test to see if the Lord set aside a damsel for Isaac. He trusted that God had because he relied on Abraham’s prayer (Filwarg). Throughout this section I.E. refers to the servant as “the servant.” He apparently was uncertain as to whether to identify him with Eliezer, as the Midrash and other medieval commentators did. He was certain that God accepted it and sent an angel, the latter being God’s very own messenger, to help him by appointing a damsel in a dream.23 The servant reasoned that there was no family as charitable as his master’s.24 would most probably be of Abraham’s family (Krinsky). Many are perplexed 25 4a. because they say that the servant expressed his request improperly.26 4a)? I, however, do not see anything wrong in what he said, for had it been another damsel, one not of Abraham’s family, who offered to give him drink and water his camels, he would have left her and nothing would have been lost, for the verse and said; Whose daughter art thou means he had previously said, before he gave the ring and bracelets to Rebekah, whose daughter art thou ?27 ? This implies that he took Rebekah for Isaac before he knew who she was. This contradicts what I.E. has just said, hence his interpretation. Scripture similarly states, And I asked her, and said: Whose daughter art thou? And she said: The daughter of Bethuel…And I put the ring upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands (v. 47). The sum of the matter is the servant prayed that God would appoint for Isaac a young lady from the family of his master, the sign of God’s choice being that the damsel would act graciously as a woman of noble character should.28). God heard his prayer. However, the case of Jonathan is totally different.29 (I Sam. 14:9, 10).
אואיש לא ידעה. רחוק שידבר הכתוב על חוץ הדרך, רק פי' שיתכן שתהיה הנערה בתולה וישכב עמה איש גם תהר ואין ראוי לגלות דבר ערוה:
1NEITHER HAD ANY MAN KNOWN HER. It is extremely unlikely that Scripture speaks of abnormal intercourse.30 The verse rather refers to a certain intercourse method wherein it is possible to sleep with a virgin and even to impregnate her without deflowering her. However, it is unseemly to describe how this can be done.
אוהאיש מִשְתָּאֵה. כמו משתומם מגזרת "שאו ערים" (ישעי' ו יא), תשאה שממה (שם שם),
1AND THE MAN LOOKED STEADFASTLY ON HER. Mishta’eh (looked steadfastly) means the same as mishtomem 31 and mishtomem come from roots meaning wasted and themselves mean astonished, perplexed or awe-struck. (astonished, awe-struck). It comes from the same root as sha’u and tisha’eh (waste) in Until cities be waste (sha’u) (Is. 6:11),32 and sha’u come from the root shin, alef, heh. and And the land become utterly waste (tisha’eh shemamah) (Is. 6:11).
בוטעם לה כמו בשבילה וכן אשתומם כשעה חדא (דניאל ד טז) והתי"ו מבנין התפעל כמו נתראה פנים (מ"ב יד ח), ולא יתכן היותו מן שתה:
2The meaning of lah (on her) is because of her.33 usually means to her. However, it cannot be so translated in our verse. The servant was not astonished to her; he was astonished because of her. Then Daniel…was appalled (eshtomam) for a while (Dan. 4:16) is similar.34) from a root meaning waste (shin, mem, mem) is used to describe one who is awe-struck or astonished. See note 31. The tav of mishta’eh is not part of the root of the word but is the sign of the hitpa’el conjugation. It is like the tav of nitra’eh 35 is resh, alef, heh. The tav of nitra’eh is the tav of the hitpa’el. in let us look (nitra’eh) one another in the face (II Kings 14:8). Mishta’eh definitely does not come from the root shin, tav, heh (drink).36. See Krinsky. According to this interpretation the man acted as if he was drinking, but he was really looking at Rebekah (Cherez).
אנזם. יש נזם שהוא באף גם באזן, ושעל האף ירד מעל פתיל קשור במצח:
1A GOLDEN RING. Nezem (ring) can refer either to a nose ring37 or to an earring.38 The one worn on the nose is attached by a string which is tied around the forehead.39
בבקע. חצי שקל מגזרת נבקע:
2HALF A SHEKEL. Beka means half a shekel. It comes from the same root as nivka (was cleft).40 is thus a split shekel, i.e., half a shekel.
גוצמידים. מגזרת צמיד פתיל (במדבר יט טו), כי על היד האחת הצמיד האחד, הוא שנים, וצורתו ידועה:
3AND TWO BRACELETS. Tzemidim (bracelets) comes from the same root as tzamid (cover of a vessel) in covering (tzamid) close-bound (Num. 19:15).41 means a pair. Cf. a couple of asses (tzemed chamorim) (Jud. 19:10). According to I.E. a tzamid (Num. 19:15) is a cover made up of two parts. Cf. I.E.’s comments on Num. 19:15. Hence a tzemed is a bracelet made of two parts. A bracelet is called a tzamid because each bracelet worn on the hand is made up of two parts.42 The form of this ornament is well known.
אללין. מן הבנין הכבד הנוסף כי ללון מן הקל:
1TO LODGE IN. La-lin (to lodge in) is in the hifil. If it were a kal it would read la-lun.
אומספוא. שם מאכל בהמות והוא שם כלל, ותחתיו שעורה:
1AND PROVENDER. Mispo (provender) is a general term for cattle feed. The Bible could have used barley in its place.43 14a.
אויישם. מהבנין שלא נזכר שם פועלו כמו "ויושב את משה" (שמות יו"ד ח),
1AND THERE WAS SET. Va-yusam (and there was set) is in the hofal. It is like va-yushav (brought) in And Moses and Aaron were brought (va-yushav) (Ex. 10:8).44 is a hofal.
אוי"א כי טעם עבד אברהם אנכי נדבק עם דבר המאכל, והטעם כי יש מאכלים אסורים לנו והנכון שדבריו כמשמעם:
1Some say that the statement I am Abraham’s servant is connected to I will not eat, the meaning of the verse being: I am Abraham’s servant and there are certain foods which we are prohibited from eating. However, I believe that the meaning of the servant’s words are self-evident.45
אאז תנקה מאלתי. ולא אמר משבועתי והטעם כי אפחד מאדני ומאלתו:
1THEN SHALT THOU BE CLEAR FROM MY OATH. The servant did not say, from my shevu’ah (oath).46. However, in verse 8, Scripture employs the term shevu’ah. Alah is an oath which has a curse attached to it. Cf. Num. 5:21. The servant thus emphasized that the oath he took had a curse attached to it; i.e., a curse would fall upon him if he violated the oath (Weiser). What he meant was, “I fear my master and his curse.”
אחסד. דבר שאינו חיוב:
1KINDLY. Chesed (kindly) denotes an act which one is not obligated to perform.
בואמת. לקיים דבר החסד, והמלה מגזרת אמונה והתי"ו לשון נקבה:
2AND TRULY. Emet (truly) denotes keeping the promise to deal kindly. The word emet comes from the same root as emunah (steadfastness).47. The tav of emet is the sign of the feminine.48 is alef, mem, nun, where does the tav come from? I.E. points out that it is the sign of the feminine. The word should read amenet. However, the nun of the root is dropped (Krinsky).
אדבר ד'. גזר, וכן "בדבר ד' שמים נעשו" (תהלים לג ו), או הוכיח בחלום:
1AS THE LORD HATH SPOKEN. As the Lord hath decreed. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made (Ps. 33:6)49. I.E. renders this verse: By the decree of the Lord were the heavens made. is similar. On the other hand, it may mean: as the Lord hath appointed in a dream.50
אומגדנות. מגזרת מגדים (שה"ש ד יג), או פי' מלבושים נכבדים ויהי' הנו"ן שרש כמו מטפחות:
1PRECIOUS THINGS. Migdanot (precious things) comes from the same root as megadim 51. In this case the nun of migdanot is not a root letter. (precious) (Cant. 4:13).52 (magadim). He thus gave them precious or sweet fruits. On the other hand, it may mean expensive garments. In the latter case the nun of migdanot is part of its root,53. In this case the mem is not a root letter and the word is a hapax legomenon (Filwarg). and the word migdanot follows the paradigm of mitpachot (cloaks).54 is not a root letter but is the mem of the paradigm.
אויאמר אחיה ואמה. הם שקיבלו המתנות והאב מחריש, ויתכן שלבן היה גדול מאביו בחכמה וכבוד כי כן מצאנו ויען לבן ובתואל (בראשית כד נ):
1AND HER BROTHER AND HER MOTHER SAID. They received the gifts and Bethuel was silent.55 60:12, and Rashi. It is possible that Laban was wiser and more respected than his father, for we find, Then Laban and Bethuel answered (v. 50).56
אמנקתה. בימים הקדמונים:
1AND HER NURSE. In former days.57, Chap. I.
אותרכבנה. על הגמלים שהביא העבד:
1AND THEY RODE UPON THE CAMELS. That the servant brought with him.
בוַיֵלַך. פתוח ואם הוא סוף פסוק, ולא נקמץ כי בתחלה היה בפתח קטן, ולא יוכל לעלות שתי מדרגות, וכן כל ויֹאמַר
2AND WENT HIS WAY. Va-yelakh (and went his way) is vocalized with a pattach rather than a kamatz even though it closes a verse,58 usually changes to a kamatz at the end of a verse. We would thus expect va-yelakh to be vocalized with a kamatz. the reason for this being that this word is normally vocalized with a segol, and a vowel cannot go up two steps.59 is usually written with a segol (ya-yelekh). However, since here it closes a verse, the segol changes to a pattach. It cannot change to a kamatz because it would then be going up two steps, that is, from a segol to a kamatz, skipping the step of pattach. The normal sequence of the vowels followed by I.E. is segol pattach, kamatz. The same principle applies to the word va-yomar (and he said).60 (and he said) is vocalized va-yomar with a pattach and not a kamatz, at the close of a verse.
גוטעם ויקח העבד את רבקה וילך, הוא היה הולך עם רבקה ולא הרגיש עד בא יצחק:
3The meaning of And the servant took Rebekah, and went his way is that he took Rebekah under his personal care until Isaac came up toward them and did not experience any hardship in caring for her.61
אבא מבוא. שם מקום יקרא בב' שמות וי"א בא מבוא מבפנים וכן יפרשו "סוגר כל בית מבוא" (ישעי' כד י) והישר בעיני שהוא שם הפועל, וכן טעמו, בא מבוא באר לחי:
1AND ISAAC CAME FROM THE WAY OF BEER-LAHAI-ROI. Beer-lahai-roi has two names.62. If the Bible meant Isaac came from Beer-lahai-roi it should have read, ba mi-be’er-la-chai-ro’i. The word mi-bo thus presents a problem. This interpretation suggests that the verse be translated: Isaac came from Bo-beer-lahai-roi, the latter being a combination of both names (Cherez). Others say that ba mi-bo (came from the way) means came from the inside of.63 means from inside. They explain our verse to mean that Isaac came from inside (mi-bo) of Beer-lahai roi. The latter was a town in which the well by that name was located. The town took the name of the well. Isaac had some business in this town and was leaving it when he met Rebekah (Weiser). They similarly explain the word mi-bo in Every house is shut up, that none may come in (mi-bo) (Is. 24:10). However, I believe that mi-bo is an infinitive64 (come) plus the prepositional mem. Thus mi-bo means from the way. and ba mi-bo be’er-la-chai-ro’i means came from the way leading to Beer-lahai-roi.65
בוהוא יושב. כי בימים ההם שם היה דר והוא בפאת נגב מארץ ישראל:
2FOR HE DWELT IN THE LAND OF THE SOUTH. For at the time he dwelt there (in the Negev). The latter is in the southern part of the land of Israel.66
אלשוח. ללכת בין השיחים:
1AND ISAAC WENT OUT TO MEDITATE. The word la-su’ach (to meditate) means to walk among the trees.67 (shrub of the field).
בלפנות ערב. קרוב מביאת השמש, וההפך לפנות בקר, ובפ' כי תצא אבארנו באר היטיב:
2AT THE EVENTIDE. Close to sunset. The opposite of li-fenot erev (at the eventide) is lifnot boker (before the dawning of the day). I will give a full explanation of these terms in the Torah portion Ki Tetze.68 means before evening.
אוטעם ותפול מעל הגמל. ברצונה כמו "ויפול על פניו" (במדבר טז ד), והפסוק הבא מאוחר הוא מוקדם, כי ותאמר אל העבד וכבר אמרה אל העבד:
1[SHE ALIGHTED FROM THE CAMEL.] Of her own free will.69 (she fell). Krinsky explains that I.E. translates she fell as she willingly fell from the camel. Weiser explains that she came off the camel in order to bow; that is, she alighted. Compare, he fell upon his face (Num. 16:4). What is reported in the following verse took place before, for the meaning of va-tomer el ha-eved is: And she had said unto the servant.70
אותתכס. מבנין התפעל התי"ו הראשון לנקבה שאיננה נמצאה, והשני להתפעל:
1AND COVERED HERSELF. Va-titkas (and covered herself) is in the hitpa’el. The first tav is the sign of the third person feminine, and the second tav, the tav of the hitpa’el.
אהאהלה שרה אמו. דרך קצרה, האהלה אהל שרה אמו, וכן "הנבואה עודד הנביא" (דה"ב טו ח) "כסאך אלהים" (תהלים מה ז):
1INTO HIS MOTHER SARAH’S TENT. This is short for the tent, tent of Sarah his mother.71. Now a word with the emphatic heh cannot be in the construct Hence the verse literally reads: the tent Sarah his mother. I.E. maintains that an additional word, tent, has to be added to the text. The text should be read as if written, the tent, tent of Sarah his mother. More literally, the tent, Sarah his mother’s tent. Even the prophecy of Oded the prophet (II Chron. 15:8)72 (even the prophecy, Oded the prophet). I.E. suggests, for the reasons given in note 67, that the word nevu’at (prophecy of) is to be supplied by the reader. The verse should thus be read: the prophecy, Oded the prophet’s prophecy, more literally, even the prophecy, prophecy of Oded the prophet. and Thy throne given of God (Ps. 45:7)73 cannot be in the construct. The verse literally reads: Thy throne, God. I.E. suggests the word kisseh be inserted after thy throne. The verse is to be explained: Thy throne, God’s throne, more literally, Thy throne, throne of God. are similar.