Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 27:28/אבן עזרא על בראשית כ״ז:כ״ח
אמ"ם מטל. מושך עצמו ואחר עמו וכן "האתן בכורי פשעי" (מיכה, ו, ז):
1[OF THE DEW.] The mem of mi-tal (of the dew) is also to be prefixed to mishmane (of the fat places).42. The particle mem, which means from, is thus missing. The word should have read mi-mishmane, hence I.E.’s comment (Cherez). Shall I give my first-born for my transgression? (Micah 6:7) is similar.43 of be-alfe (with thousands) and be-rivevot (with ten thousands) are to be read as if prefixed to pishi (my transgression) and chattat (the sin of). Micah 6:7 reads, Will the Lord be pleased with thousands (be-alfe) of rams, With ten thousands (be-rivevot) of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first born for my transgression (pishi), The fruit of my body for the sin (chattat) of my soul. However, its literal reading is: Shall I give my first born my transgression, the fruit of my body, sin of my soul? This makes no sense. Hence I.E. points out that the bet of be-alfe is to be applied to pishi (my transgression) and that of be-rivevot to chattat (sin of). Thus pishi is to be translated, for my transgression (be-fishi) and chattat, for the sin of (be-chattat) (Weiser). Our verses are thus similar in that letters prefixed to one word also apply to other words.