Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Genesis 25:31/אבן עזרא על בראשית כ״ה:ל״א

אמכרה. בחירק כמו "שלחה הנער" (בראשית מג ח), "שכבה עמי" (בראשית לט ז), והבכורה שיקח פי שנים בממון אביו וי"א שיש לבכור לעולם מעלה על הצעיר לקום מפניו ולשרתו כבן לאב:

1SELL ME. Mikhrah (sell me) is vocalized with a chirik,⁶² (sell me) is an elongated imperative, the usual imperative of sell being mekhor. The rule in Hebrew grammar is that when a word in the kal follows the efol, vocalization of its elongated imperative is written with a kamatz katan, i.e., zekhor (remember) is elongated like zokhrah (Neh. 5:19), and shemor (keep) to shomrah (Ps. 25:20). Hence mekhor should become mokhrah. I.E. points out that even though mekhor follows the efol conjugation, it is elongated as an efal. In the latter, the elongated imperative is vocalized with a chirik (Cherez). like shilchah (send) in Send (shilchah) the lad (Gen. 43:8) and shikhvah (lie) in Lie (shikhvah) with me (Gen. 39:7.⁶³ and are thus vocalized with a chirik in the elongated imperative. The birthright refers to the double share of the father’s wealth which belongs to the first born.⁶⁴ Others maintain that the first born is always superior to his younger siblings in that they must rise before him and serve him as a son serves his father.⁶⁵