Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 26:7/אבן עזרא על בראשית כ״ו:ז׳
אלאשתו. בעבור אשתו כמו "פן יאמרו לי" (שופ' ט נד),
1OF HIS WIFE. The word le-ishto (of his wife) should be rendered: about his wife.4 here means about. See I.E.’s comments on Gen. 20:13. Le-ishto might be rendered to his wife, hence I.E.’s comment. We find a similar meaning for this word in that men say not of me (li) (Jud. 9:54).5 means about. Thus li should be rendered about me, not to me.
בכי ירא פועל עבר, וכן "ויהי כי זָקֵן יצחק" (בראשית כז א), ותחסר מלת "כי אמר" פן יהרגוני, וכן "כי הפרני אלהים" (בראשית מא נב):
2FOR HE FEARED. Yare (he feared) is a perfect,6 can also be a participle, hence I.E.’s comment. as is the word zaken (old) in And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old (zaken) (Gen. 27:1).7 can also be a participle. However, in this verse it cannot be so, for the verse opens with a perfect viz., va-yehi (and it came to pass). The words “because he said” have been omitted before lest the men of the place should kill me.8. According to I.E. this is an abridged verse and should be read as if written: for he feared to say my wife, “because he said” lest the men of this place, etc. We find this phrase similarly omitted in for God hath made me fruitful (Gen. 41:52).9