Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 29/אבן עזרא על בראשית כ״ט
אוירא. מלה זרה בעבור שנפתח היו"ד והמלה מבנין הקל, ואין אחר היו"ד אחת מאותיות הגרון שהיא משפט להרחיב אשר לפניהם ואין ראוי לאדם לחסר הוי"ו או שיאמר כן עם חברי היו"ד שהם סימני המשרתים, ולפי דעתי כאשר רצו לאמר מן ראה, על משקל "וַיִשְבְ ממנו שבי" (במדבר כא א) והנה חסר ה"א ראה גם לא יתכן שיהיה האל"ף נראה בסוף המלה, והנה ישאר בחירק תחת היו"ד והנה יהיה משקלו "וייף בגדלו" (יחז' לא ז) ויתערב עם לשון ירה על כן פתחו היו"ד:
1AND HE LOOKED. Va-yar (and he looked)1, meaning to see. is an irregular form, for though a kal, its yod is vocalized with a pattach notwithstanding the fact that it is not followed by a guttural, in which case the preceding letter is normally vocalized with a pattach.2 (and he went up) from the root ayin, lamed, heh; va-ya’as (and he made) from the root ayin, sin, heh. Furthermore, this form (va-yar) cannot drop the conversive vav3. nor come with any conjugational prefix but the yod.4 (and I saw), va-tere (and you saw), va-nere (and we saw). One does not say, va-ar, va-tar, va-nar. Thus va-yar is not vocalized like the rest of the forms in its conjugational paradigm wherein the prefixes are vocalized with a tzere rather than a pattach. I believe that when one wants to conjugate the root resh, alef, heh in the third person according to the paradigm of va-yishb in and took some of them captive (va-yishb) (Num. 21:1),5 is shin, bet, heh. The third person masculine perfect of this form is yishbeh, with a vav conversive, va-yishbeh; in the shortened form, va-yishb. Similarly va-yar is short for va-yireh. the heh would be dropped6 and the alef unsounded.7 the second root letter receives a sheva, however, this cannot be done in va-yar as the alef cannot receive a sheva. Nevertheless, the chirik would remain beneath the yod.8. The word would thus be pronounced va-yir and it would follow the paradigm of va-yif9. (thus was it fair) in va-yif be-godlo (thus was it fair in its greatness) (Ez. 31:7) and would be thought to mean, and he threw, from the root yod, resh, heh (throw). To avoid this possibility our word (va-yar) is vocalized with a pattach beneath the yod.
אוגללו. הרועים את האבן:
1AND THEY ROLLED THE STONE. The shepherds rolled the stone.10 appears to refer to the flocks. However, this is impossible; hence I.E. points out that the subject (shepherds) is missing in the verse. The verse is thus abridged (Filwarg).
אמאין. שאלה על מקום, ולאמרו בלא מ"ם לא יתכן, כי אז יהיה לאין גם נמצא כן עם מ"ם "הן אתם מאין" (ישעי' מ"א כד):
1WHENCE. Me-ayin (whence) means what place are you from. The word ayin without the mem prefixed to it could not be used for whence, for ayin means nothing.11 means nothing; me-ayin whence. Nevertheless, we find the word me-ayin also used for nothing, as in Behold, ye are nothing (me-ayin) (Is. 41:24).
אוהנה רחל בתו באה. מלרע שהוא תואר השם כמו פועל:
1AND, BEHOLD, RACHEL HIS DAUGHTER COMETH. The accent is on the last syllable in the word ba’ah (cometh) because it is a participle. It is similar to words in the po’el form.12 is the participle form of whole roots (shelamim) in the kal. The term used by I.E. for participle is shem to’ar, which literally means adjective. I.E. is of the opinion that all participles are also adjectives (Weiser). For an explanation of the participle in Biblical Hebrew, see Biblical Hebrew by R.K. Harrison. Filwarg renders this passage: “ba’ah is an adjective, adjectives having the same meaning in Hebrew as participles.”
אורחל באה. מלעיל והוא פועל עבר:
1RACHEL CAME. Ba’ah (came) is pentultimately accented. It is a verb in the perfect.
אויגד יעקב לרחל. מאוחר וטעמו וכבר הגיד יעקב לרחל, ואחר כן וישק ורבים כמוהו:
1AND JACOB TOLD RACHEL. And Jacob told Rachel should have been written before And Jacob kissed Rachel (v. 11). Its meaning is: And Jacob had already told Rachel that he was her father’s brother before he kissed her.13 is a pluperfect. There are many such instances in Scripture.14
אאת כל הדברים האלה. דברי הברכה:
1ALL THESE THINGS. The account of the blessings.15
אחדש ימים. כבר פירשתיו:
1THE SPACE OF A MONTH. I have already explained the meaning of chodesh yamin (the space of a month).16
אמשכרתך. על משקל מַתְכנֶת הלבנים (שמות ח ח):
1THY WAGES. Maskurtekha (thy wages) follows the paradigm of matkonet in And the tale (matkonet) of the bricks (Ex. 5:8).17 with the second person pronominal suffix is matkuntekha; i.e., the cholem changes to a kubbutz when pronominal suffixes are added to matkonet. The same is true with maskoret. Also, like matkonet, a tav is added to the root (Krinsky).
ארכות. כמשמעו ויש שואלים למה היה כן בעבור שחשבו שמחשבות השם כמחשבותיהם, וכל הנבראים ראויות צורתן להיות שוות ובן אפרים אמר שהוא חסר אל"ף וטעמו ארוכות והוא היה חסר אל"ף,
1WEAK. Rakkot is to be taken literally.18 Some ask, why were Leah’s eyes weak? They raise this question because they believe God’s thoughts are like their thoughts,19 and they think that all people have to be formed alike.20 123a; Bereshit Rabbah 70:16; 71:2. Ben Efraim said that an alef is missing in the word rakkot (weak), its meaning being arukhot (long).21 is short for arukhot. Arukhot minus the alef spells rakkot. However, Ben Efraim himself was missing an alef.22 spells parim (cows). Aluf also means wisdom. Perhaps I.E. means Efraim lacked wisdom (Krinsky, Weiser).
ביפת תואר, כמו "ותאר הגבול" (יהושע טו ט) כל אבר כעין והאף והפה יפה
2OF BEAUTIFUL FORM. To’ar (form) is similar to ta’ar (drawn) in And the border was drawn (ve-ta’ar) (Jos. 15:9). The meaning of beautiful form is that each organ of her body such as her nose and mouth were beautifully drawn (formed).
גומראה הכל יפה או מראה על עין הפנים הנראה:
3[AND FAIR TO LOOK UPON.] Her whole body was fair to look upon,23 refers to the shape of the individual body parts and mareh to the body as a whole. or And fair to look upon refers to the complexion of her face.24
אויעבד יעקב ברחל. בעבור רחל:
1AND JACOB SERVED SEVEN YEARS FOR RACHEL. Be-rachel (for Rachel) should be rendered because of Rachel.25 usually means in.
אמלא שבוע זאת. ז' ימי המשתה. וזאת על לאה:
1FULFILL THE WEEK OF THIS ONE. The seven days of the marriage feast. Zot (this one) refers to Leah.26. One might think that zot refers to shevu’a, i.e., fulfill this week; hence I.E.’s comment that zot refers to Leah. The reason for the preceding is that shevu’a is vocalized with a sheva; hence it is in the construct with zot, i.e., the week of this one. If it meant this week it should have read: shavu’a zot. Furthermore, the Hebrew word for week is masculine; if the Bible wanted to say this week it would have read shavu’a zeh since zot is feminine (Krinsky).
איֶאֱהָבַנִי. בפתחות הבי"ת כמו "פן תִדְבָקַנִי הרעה" (בראשית יט יט):
1WILL LOVE ME. Ye’ehavani (will love me) is vocalized with a pattach27. In such forms the last root letter is vocalized with a tzere; compare, yishmereni. Hence I.E.’s comment that there are exceptions. beneath the bet. It is similar to tidbakani (overtake me) in lest the evil overtake me (tidbakani) (Gen. 19:19).
אילוה אישי. כמו "ונלוו עליך" (במדבר יח ד):
1WILL MY HUSBAND BE JOINED UNTO ME. Yillaveh (will be joined) is similar to ve-nilvu (and they shall be joined) in And they shall be joined (ve-nilvu) unto thee28 comes from the root lamed, vav, heh, meaning to join. Hence, yillaveh means will be joined. (Num. 18:4).
אהפעם אודה את ד'. כטעם הפעם הזאת אחר שיש לי ארבעה בנים, אודה השם כי לא אחמוד להיות לי עוד, כמאמר, אודה את השם שנתן לי כל זה ויספיק לי על כן עמדה מלדת:
1THIS TIME WILL I PRAISE THE LORD. Ha-pa’am29 literally means the time, which makes no sense, hence I.E.’s comment that ha-pa’am is short for ha-pa’am ha-zot. should be explained as if written ha-pa’am ha-zot (this time). Its meaning is, now that I have four sons I will give thanks to the Lord for I will not desire any more children. One can paraphrase This time will I praise the Lord by: I will praise the Lord because he has given me all this and has satisfied me. Therefore she left off bearing.30