Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 25:21/אבן עזרא על בראשית כ״ה:כ״א
אויעתר. מבנין הקל, כי "העתירו אל ה'" (שמות ח ד) מהכבד וטעמו שרצה ה' בדבריהם:
1AND ISAAC ENTREATED. Va-yetar (entreated) is in the kal. However, hatiru (entreat) in Entreat the Lord (Ex. 8:4) is in the hifil. Its meaning is that Isaac appeased31 with a chirik and reading the word ritzah, as in Vat. Ebr. 38. God with his prayers.32 as in Vat. Ebr. 38, rather than bi-divrehem as in the printed texts. The latter reading is extremely difficult. It reads: ratzah (he wanted)…bi-divrehem (their words). Krinsky tries to justify this reading by maintaining that I.E. explains why entreat is here in the kal and in Ex. 8:4 in the hifil. It is here in the kal because God wanted their prayers. However, He really did not want to hear prayers on behalf of Pharaoh, hence the hifil form in Exodus. The latter being in the causative form implies that Moses burdened God with his prayers on behalf of Pharaoh. Krinsky also suggests that the text be read: he appeased God (vocalizing ritzah rather than ratzah) with their prayers, that is, with Isaac and Rebekah’s prayers. This is a bit forced. Vat. Ebr.’s reading is superior and has been followed.
בויעתר. ויתרצה מבנין נפעל:
2AND THE LORD LET HIMSELF BE ENTREATED. Va-ye’ater means and He was appeased. It is a nifal.