Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 25:18/אבן עזרא על בראשית כ״ה:י״ח

אעל פני כל אחיו. הם זמרן ויקשן:

1OVER AGAINST ALL HIS BRETHREN. Zimram and Jokshan.²¹

בנפל. חלקו או גורלו, או שרוב בני ישמעאל נוסעים ממקום אל מקום, כטעם "אל הכשדים אתה נופל" (ירמי' לז יג), וזה מעט רחוק בעבור שאחיו במזרח ומצרים ואשור למערב א"י, ויתכן שהכתוב דבר על ישמעאל שמת בחיי אחיו אחד שנפל, כי לא ידענו סבת מותו:

2HE DID SETTLE.²². I.E. points out that fell must refer to Ishmael’s portion or to Ishmael himself. It may also mean settled. The meaning of nafal (fell) is that his portion or his lot fell among his brethren. Or it refers to the fact that most of the Ishmaelites journeyed from place to place. In this case nafal ²³ is like nofel in Thou fallest away (nofel) to the Chaldeans (Jer. 37:13). However, this is a bit far-fetched in view of the fact that his brethren were in the east (v. 6), and Egypt and Asshur are west²⁴ who were Asshurim (v. 3). of the land of Israel.²⁵ offered up to this point. It is possible that this verse deals with Ishmael’s death. He died during the lifetime of his brethren, after he fell.²⁶ We do not know the cause of Ishmael’s death.