Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 30:11/אבן עזרא על בראשית ל׳:י״א
אבגד. שתי מלות והאל"ף חסר, וכן בכל, וכן במה (יחז' כ כט), כאשר מפורש ביחזקאל,
1FORTUNE IS COME. Bagad (fortune is come) is really two words11 (spelled bet, alef) and gad (Weiser). Thus, bagad is spelled bet, gimel, doled. Hence the alef of ba has been dropped. with the alef missing. Similarly, bavel.12. 38 and many of the printed editions. Some editions read ba-kol. The latter is incorrect (Filwarg, Weiser). See I.E.’s comments on Gen. 11:9. Also, bamah as is clearly explained in Ezekiel (20:29).
בוטעם גד גדוד כי יש לה גדוד בנים, וי"א שפי' גד מזל טוב כאשר הוא בלשון ישמעאל, וכמוהו "העורכים לגד שולחן" (ישעי' מה יא) והוא ככב גדק, והנכון להיותו כמו גדודי השמים:
2The meaning of Gad is a troop. Leah said this because she now had a “troop” of sons.13 thus means: a troop has come. Others say that gad means good fortune as in the Arabic; and that prepare a table for Fortune (gad) (Is. 65:11), with the latter meaning Jupiter,14, Fortune has come. is similar. Actually, however, gad in the latter verse refers to the troops of heaven.15 means a troop has come.